“What?No…”
He seemed totally thrown, like he couldn’t take a fucking joke. “I’m kidding. But I need to get back to work, and I’d like to chat with you some more, so why don’t we meet up to discuss this…proposition ofyours.”
“That’d be perfect,” he said, this sexy and almost too charming smile overtaking hisexpression.
“There’s a place called Fever Pitch, over on Fever Street. Friend of mine manages theplace.”
“That sounds like it’ll be easy enough tofind.”
“Well, not that easy, though. Don’t mistake it for Fever, the bar. It happens a lot. But say we’ll meet there…tomorrow atseven?”
“I was hoping I’d get to see you sooner than that, but I take it with your job, you’re a busy guy, so I’ll take what I canget.”
Even that comment sounded like innuendo…and I liked it. I felt this impulse to growl at him like a fucking animal, but I held itback.
Keep it together, Jace. Actcool.
“Sounds like a date, then,” I said with a wink, hopeful more thanteasing.
“Yes, itis.”
“Do I get a name to put with those hazeleyes?”
“Oh, of course. DaxMunro.”
We shook hands, and he headed off, leaving me with a massive hard-on in mypants.
3
Dax
“Not much about this guy online,”Carter’s voice came through my cell, on speaker, set on the desk in my hotelroom.
I slid my jeans on in front of the floor-length mirror by the bathroom, my hair still damp from the shower I’d just taken. The shadows cast under my abs and chest made me appreciate all that time I’d spent with my personal trainer over the past few months…as well as the hotel lighting, which was rarely soflattering.
“From some of the articles posted online before he made all his accounts private,” Carter continued, “apparently, the guy’s adopted and has a brother. His adoptive father passed a few yearsback.”
“Yeah, I did the same Google searches as you,Carter.”
When I saw he was adopted, it made me feel as though I’d peered into a part of his life I shouldn’t have been privy to. Certainly, if it was publicly available, that wasn’t an issue, but nevertheless, it didn’t feel right and had stopped me from snooping around muchmore.
“Look who’s getting snippy,” Carter said. “Is that because you’re nervous this guy is going to tell you where you can go shove your dream deal withHacksmore?”
“Seems like a pretty laid-back, down-to-earthguy.”
“Did you just call someone down-to-earth?”
“I said heseemsdown-to-earth. But you know how this business goes. How many small-town guys have we seen reveal their true selves when confronted with opportunities, fame, and most ofall—”
“—bigpaydays.”
“Damnstraight.”
“I wasn’t saying that because you’re right. I was repeating it because you say that all thetime.”
I chuckled as I realized the truth of it. “It doesn’t change that it’strue.”
“Well, if you ever wonder why you’re nearing your thirties and still single, look no further than thatlogic.”
