Not even just a model. He had an almost star-like quality. Wasn’t hard to imagine him on a billboard or in some hotshot movie trailer, playing a major action star in some sort ofDie Hard-esquefilm.
“I’m only giving you a hard time,” I said. “It’s all very different than what I deal with day-to-day, but I respect it. And aside from you thinking we’re not as cool as your LA crowd, I don’t judge it. You’ve hardly been here two days. It can take some time to warm up to thisplace.”
“Thank you for being such an incredible welcomewagon.”
“Thank you for offering to pay me some seriouscash.”
We headed out of the porte cochere, and I started through town. “Nance’s place is a little off the beaten path, I should warn you. About ten minutes outside of Fever Falls, and if you think this is a small city, you don’t even have a clue how rural it can get. We’re in the ’burbs, but go maybe ten minutes farther, and you’re in farmcountry.”
“And this is where you grewup?”
“A little bit. I was at the shelter in town until I was ten, and that’s when I was adopted.” I could feel Dax’s tension, the way people sometimes got when I brought up my childhood. “That wasn’t to turn the conversation super serious or anything. That’s all in the past, and I have an amazing mom, best in the goddamnworld.”
“Clearly, if I’m already meeting her, you guys have a great relationship. That’s reallyawesome.”
“What about you and yourparents?”
Dax grew quiet, and as I glanced over at him, it was evident this wasn’t a subject he was comfortable with. And here I thought I was the one with baggage around thattopic.
“Hey, whoa. That wasn’t meant to dig shit up. I figured we had a bit of a drive ahead of us, so I was trying to make small talk, not open the floodgates or make you uneasy. If you’d rather, we can talk about somethingelse.”
He chuckled, but judging by the way his face was all tense, I’d struck anerve.
“Just…my mom raised me, and we’re not as close these days. Not distant, but not as close as it sounds like you are with yourmom.”
The way he said it, it seemed that was all he was willing to divulge. “Fair enough. I can leave that right there. Any brothers andsisters?”
“No. Justme.”
Given his curt responses, family wasn’t his favorite topic, so I helped him out. “You work with a lot ofcelebrities?”
“Well, I don’t typically go around bragging, but T Swift and Cardi B… And of course, Fever Falls’ own, AshCarmichael.”
“Damn…” And as I checked out his coy smile, I added, “Seems like you’re bragging a littlebit.”
“It’s fun to say, but to be fair, I haven’t worked with either of them in a while. Only been a few years, but in PR terms, that’s eonsago.”
“Hey, if you worked with them, it counts. I’d be milking the crap out of that if I were you. You should have just led with, ‘Hi, I’m Dax, and I’ve worked with Taylor Swift, Cardi B, and Ash Carmichael.’ I woulda been more likely to sign right there, but now here you are, stuck with visiting thefamily.”
He laughed. “For some reason, I have a sneaking suspicion I couldn’t whip out a contract now and get asignature.”
“Well, I said if you’d led with that, but now we’re stuck in this car, and Nance is expecting us, so… That’s just a joke, by the way. I’m considering this more than I have with other guys, but I don’t want to lead you to think that I’m definitely doing this. It’s possible you’re wasting your time, barking up the wrongtree.”
“It’s my time to waste, so I’ll take my chances, if you don’t mind, Jace Kruse. And don’t doubt how persuasive I canbe.”
I checked him out once again, that smile as coy as ever, and I picked up a trace of something a little moresuggestive.
“Well, you’re in luck. I enjoy beingpersuaded.”
I regretted pulling my gaze away to keep my eyes on the road, since the way he was looking at me through those hazel beauties, damn it feltgood.
5
Dax
Jace had definitely heardCarter on the other end of the line, and he was so chill about everything that I couldn’t tell if he was just super cool with gay guys or if that was some indication of his sexual orientation. And what did he mean with a comment likehe enjoyed being persuaded? Was that overloaded with sexual tension, or was he just kidding around? Maybe he was one of those straight guys so oblivious to innuendo, he didn’t think twice about making suggestive comments likethat.
“You’re an interesting character, Jace,” Inoted.
