Fin took a breath and launched into a passionate monologue about the trials and tribulations of cleaning. “You know what grinds my gears? The vacuums,” he said with fervor. “If you really want to help your staff out, get some upgrades. Those old beasts are like trying to wrestle an octopus on roller skates.”
Ethan’s experience couldn’t have been more different. “I love my job at the casino,” he said, his tone bright. “There’re always so many people and they’re very nice.” He grinned sheepishly. “They keep giving me their phone numbers, telling me if I’m thinking of changing jobs, they can help.”
At that, I couldn’t help but interject. “Man, Ethan, you’re so lucky having people just offer you jobs.” The innocence in his face was something to behold—he was as clueless as a newborn fawn wandering into a meadow filled with hidden predators.
Matt’s amusement bubbled up like champagne fizz. “Ethan,” he said with a tilt of his head, “ever consider taking up one of those offers?”
Ethan looked taken aback for a moment before shaking his head. “Nope! I’m happy where I am.”
Matt nodded thoughtfully. “I’d be sad to see you go. Might have to raise your wages to make sure we keep our best dealer.”
Fin seized the moment like it was Black Friday and he’d spotted the last discounted TV. “You should definitely double Ethan’s wage if you don’t want him snapped up by someone else.”
“Hmm. You’re right, Fin.” To Ethan, Matt said, “Consider it done.”
That pronouncement struck Ethan like a thunderbolt, and the effects were instantaneously etched on his face. Shock and surprise morphed into unadulterated joy, lighting him up from the inside out. I watched, almost entranced, as the transformation unfolded—Ethan’s pale-blue eyes sparkled like twin sapphires kissed by the sun, his smile as radiant as a dawn chorus. The man was downright breathtaking when happiness took hold of him.
Ethan’s voice bubbled over with gratitude. “Really? That’s… that’s amazing! Thank you so much, Mr. Caine. I’m looking forward to it!”
Fin pounced on the moment like a cat on a laser pointer dot. “Hey, since you’re getting that fat raise,” he teased, nudging Ethan with his elbow, “you should take us out to celebrate! Dinner’s on you—right?”
Ethan laughed, the sound rich and free. “Yeah, why not? Let’s do it! Andy and Mr. Caine are definitely included.”
With dinner finished and goodbyes said, Fin and Ethan made their exit like two kids leaving Disney World—chattering nonstop about Ethan’s unexpected windfall.
Once they’d left, Matt turned to me with that inscrutable gaze of his. “You should shower,” he suggested.
I sniffed at my sleeve discreetly and winced. I smelled like a mix between stress-sweat and old Chinese takeout—not exactly the new cologne lineEau de Desperation.
“Yeah,” I agreed with a grimace. “I feel like a walking petri dish.”
The thought of hot water sluicing over me was suddenly the most enticing thing in the world.
In Matt’s bathroom, I grappled with the toothbrush like it was a lifeline, scrubbing away the remnants of the day’s turmoil. My reflection mocked me from the mirror—a young man more ghost than flesh. I rinsed and spat, ready to shed the last vestiges of chaos clinging to my skin.
I stripped without ceremony, leaving my clothes in a dejected heap on the marble floor. The shower hissed a welcoming chorus as I stepped under the spray, heat enveloping me like an embrace I didn’t know I’d been craving. I reached for the body gel—Matt’s—and as it lathered over my skin, I couldn’t help but inhale deeply. It smelled like power and spice, a scent that conjured images of stormy eyes and half smiles.
I was lost in the steam and sensation when Matt strolled in, as nonchalant as a cat claiming its territory. Without a word, he twisted the faucet, and water began to gush into the tub—a porcelain basin large enough to swim in. It dawned on me then that in all my time being dragged around by Matt, I’d never once considered taking a dip.
As the tub filled, Matt busied himself with his teeth-brushing ritual, leaning against the sink with that infuriating ease of his.His gaze was on me—steady, unblinking—and it scorched my skin hotter than any shower could.
“Do you mind?” I shot him a glare through the mist.
He just smirked with that infuriating curl of his lips. “It’s a free country,” he drawled. “I’ll look wherever I damn well please. And right now”—his eyes roamed with shameless appreciation—“this beautiful scenery before me is quite captivating.”
My face flamed hotter than Hades’ summer home. With a huff that would’ve made any self-respecting horse proud, I turned my back to him. “Enjoy the view,” I muttered.
“Nice ass,” came his immediate response.
My glare could’ve stripped paint off walls.
He finished up at the sink and sauntered over to shut off the tap, pouring some kind of essential oil into the steaming water. It smelled like serenity had been bottled and sold to the highest bidder—which in this case was probably Matt himself.
I was contemplating just how nice it would be to soak away my worries when suddenly, Matt’s arms were around me—solid and real and alarmingly bare. He lifted me from the floor as if I weighed no more than air.
“Jesus—what the hell?” I squawked.
“How about a nice soak in the tub together?” His voice was as smooth as silk sheets.
