Double Heat [Twin Ties: 3] by Lynn Kelling

to hang with Carter alone for awhile and avoid the awkwardness that always came with being with one of his boyfriends in public. The last thing Evan needed when at a bar that didn’t specifically cater to the gay populace was to have Luka sling an arm around him or kiss him, especially after the attack that almost cost Evan his life. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Luka to follow through on what he’d just promised; it was more because Evan’s stress levels were too high for him to willingly take any more chances.
    It didn’t take long at all to get to The Tom X Tavern, which was a hole in the wall neighborhood place down the street a block or two. Located on a corner, it could have been mistaken for a house if not for the neon signs blocking the view through the few, small windows. Carter loved the place for its limited clientele. He was less likely to run into fans or groupies of his band, Raed, there than at a bigger, more popular bar.
    Evan found a parking spot right out front. Glancing around as he got out, he didn’t see anyone he knew and was glad. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about Presley or anyone else reporting back to the twins about where he really was, instead of with Jimmy.
    Carter was sitting at the bar, nursing a lager. The door tinkled as a little bell was knocked askew, alerting all of the occupants that a newcomer had arrived. A few patrons looked up and the bartender gave him the once-over, probably and rightly thinking he was too young to be in there.
    “He’s with me,” Carter said, right away, with a hard edge to his voice. The bartender seemed content with that and went back to what he was doing.
    Evan took the stool next to Carter, who reached out and shook Evan’s hand firmly, pulling him in to give him a brief, manly hug while he was at it.
    “Good to see you again, man,” Carter grinned.
    “You too. It’s nice to be out alone for once.”
    “I bet.” Carter sipped his beer, looking sideways at Evan. “Rough day?”
    “No, just the usual,” Evan groaned.
    “He’ll have the same as me,” Carter told the bartender, who hesitated. The look on Carter’s face seemed to convince him though. A tall glass of beer was slid in Evan’s direction. It was cold and the first swallow went down smooth.
    “Doesn’t sound like the usual is that great then,” Carter observed. “Is this about what we were talking about before?”
    “No. Something else. It’s fine, it’s just always weird to be out in public with Luka or Alek, or both . Especially when Luka has no problem telling people exactly who I am. At the gym earlier, he kept talking about how he’s dating twins. I mean, he didn’t say it outright, but people kept figuring it out from what he did say.”
    “If you’re not cool with telling people that much, he needs to respect it,” Carter said somewhat heatedly. Of anyone else Evan knew, it was Carter who could relate most to wanting to keep his sexual orientation a secret. Carter’s gig as the lead singer of a band with a large female following counted on them not picking up on the fact that he was screwing and living with his male security guy.
    “He does, but then he starts arguing that he doesn’t want to pretend I mean nothing to him, and he’s got a point. I appreciate how he doesn’t want to lie about that stuff. We argued about it, but I think Luka is starting to get where I’m coming from. We’ll see, I guess.” Evan kept his voice low, but a loud jukebox in the corner seemed to cover their conversation well enough. Plus, there was no one near them. Everyone else had their own problems to drink away.
    “But if he’s really honest about your arrangement, he could easily get you killed, and you know it,” Carter said quietly, leaning in closer and looking Evan dead in the eye.
    Evan rotated his beer on the bar top, watching the condensation ring form, and tried not to think about how right Carter was. “Yeah,” Evan grumbled. “I don’t think he