Jackson frowned at Day’s sudden lack of enthusiasm. “What? Why?”
Day looked away from Jackson. “I don’t want to embarrass you.”
“Why would you embarrass me?”
“What if your business associate asks who I am to you? What if he asks what I do for a living? What if I wear the wrong thing or say the wrong thing?”
Jackson walked back to Day and pulled him to his feet. “You worry too much,” he said, kissing his nose. “The guy we’re meeting is a gun runner. He has no business looking down his nose at anybody, least of all you. You tell him whatever you’re comfortable telling him. I don’t care what he thinks of you. The only opinion I’ve ever cared about is mine…and my mama’s…‘cause she scares me.”
“Well, hopefully your gun runner friend likes me more than your sister did.”
Jackson laughed. “My sister liked you a lot. If she didn’t, she would have eviscerated you on sight. She’s mean. All the women in my family are.”
Day gave a shy smile. “Then how come you’re so sweet?”
“Survival. Plus I was the only boy. That helped.” Day still looked like he was wavering. “Stop thinking so hard and go shower. Everything is going to be okay. I promise.”
Day gave a stilted nod and kicked off his shorts before walking towards his bathroom, naked from the waist down. Jackson averted his eyes, fearing he might change his mind and follow Day right into the shower. There was no way his body would rally again so fast, but he just couldn’t seem to keep his hands off Day. Every time he touched him, he just wanted to touch him more. It was both exciting and frustrating.
Day felt like he had woken up in somebody else’s life. Jackson sat beside him in the back of a black Cadillac Escalade while a prim older woman with bright red hair in a navy business suit sat across from him, firing off his itinerary like he was a celebrity. “Before you meet with Fuentes, you need to stop by the office. There’s a contract on your desk that Calliope said can’t wait for your signature. She was going to overnight it to you, but this will be easier. Also, I thought you’d want to meet up with Hurley to figure out how you plan on disciplining the guys to appease Angel’s blood thirst before your seven thirty dinner reservations at La Mar. Ricky picked up your suits from the dry cleaners and left them on your bed for you. Is there anything else you need me to do for you while you're away, sir?” she asked as their car rolled to a stop on the tarmac.
“No, Nancy. I think that’s everything. Thanks for taking a ride. I really didn’t want to have to do this over the phone.”
She gave him a bright smile just as Jackson slid his sunglasses back on. “No problem, Mr. Avery. Anything to get out of the office for an hour or so.”
Jackson grinned, and Day swore the older woman swooned like he was Idris Elba. It was that way everywhere they went. Girls and guys couldn’t help but smile and bat their lashes at Jackson. Not that Day could blame them. Even now, dressed in what Jackson considered his casual clothes, he carried himself with the confidence of a celebrity. His dark wash jeans molded to his ass and thighs, and his black and gray zip front sweater fit him like a glove. His white sneakers didn’t so much as have a speck of dirt on them and had probably cost more than Day’s rent. Rent which was due in two days. Day grimaced at the thought. He hated being an adult. He also hated feeling out of his element, and he was way out of his element here.
When Jackson had said dress for comfort, Day had believed him. He’d put on a pair of black joggers, a thin blue cotton Pride hoodie, and a pair of Adidas sandals complete with white socks because his feet got cold. Nancy had looked at him like he was a ridiculous child, but Jackson had simply taken his hand and helped him into the back of the car. He’d also held Day’s hand the whole way to the airstrip, right in front of Nancy and her upturned nose. When Day had tried to squirm his hand free, Jackson only clasped it tighter and gave him a look.
Day wasn’t sorry to see Nancy leave with the car. Jackson picked up both their bags but was quickly met by a tall, slender uniformed man, with copper skin and perfect snow white teeth, who took them from Jackson. “Let me get those for you, Mr. Avery. I’m Paolo. I’ll be one of the attendants on-board with you today. It’s just the two of you, so feel free to make yourselves as comfortable as you like,” he said, looking back and forth between Day and Jackson until Day became self-conscious and gave Paolo his patented stare down. The attendant gave him a smug smile in return.
Jackson snickered beside him before he put an arm around his shoulders and steered him to the stairs leading up to the door of the plane. “Stop terrorizing the staff. Not everybody has to be your enemy, you know.”
“He was looking at me funny,” Day grumbled.
“Because you’re gorgeous, and he was trying to decide which one of us he wanted to go home with,” Jackson said. “After that look though, I’m pretty sure I just won by default.”
“Haha, you’re so funny,” Day deadpanned, stopping short when they stepped onto the plane and into the cabin. There were eight large leather seats the color of caramel in varying configurations. Jackson led Day to one of the bench seats running the length of the plane before taking a seat beside him.
Paolo boarded the plane, winking at Day on his way to the back of the plane.
“He thinks I’m a pro,” Day murmured.
Jackson chuckled once more, wrapping his arms around Day from behind. “He does not. Do I look like the kind of guy who has to pay for sex?”
Day leaned back against Jackson’s broad chest begrudgingly, far too comfortable in his arms. “Have to, no. Willing to do it to keep from running into unnecessary complications? Definitely.”
“That’s what I look like to you? A rich guy who doesn’t like complications?” Jackson asked. He didn’t sound mad, just disappointed.
“Maybe at first. Now… Now, I don’t know what to think,” Day admitted.
The pilot introduced himself over the speakers and announced takeoff. Jackson and Day put on their seatbelts, but Jackson’s arms returned to Day once more. He turned to look out the window as the jet moved faster until the runway was just a black blur, and then they were sailing up into the air. Day’s fingers found Jackson’s, squeezing hard, as his pulse tripled and his stomach swooped. The ground below became smaller and smaller.
“Are we staying in a hotel?” Day asked when the plane finally leveled out and his heart rate returned to normal.
“No. I figured we’d stay at my place unless you want to stay in a hotel?”
“You have an apartment in Miami, too?” Day asked. Jackson was silent for so long, Day craned his head around to look at him.
