A Flighty Fake Boyfriend (Men of St. Nachos #2) - Z.A. Maxfield Page 0,61
might lose a war doesn’t mean you stop fighting each individual battle. How can you?”
He studied me. “And you do this because you have a particular skill for connecting dots?”
I flushed. “I’m not the only one. Thousands of people do what I do every day.”
“A lot of them do it on behalf of government, I’ll bet.”
“Gathering actionable intelligence in the war on terrorism or drug trafficking is theoretically the same job, yes. It’s not rocket science. It’s boring for the most part. Then you find the thread…”
“You’ve worked exclusively in the area of human trafficking?”
“That’s right,” I said dryly. “I positioned myself where the big bucks aren’t.”
“Hm.” He tapped a pen on the table. “Do you really think this is your best recruiting speech?”
“What?” I sat back in surprise. My face got hot. “No, I’m not—I don’t—”
He laughed. “Settle down. God, you’re weird sometimes.”
“I develop potential donors too, but that’s not what I’m doing here.”
“Penniless waiters need not apply?”
“That's not—"
“It’s just that while you were talking, I realized I could probably contribute, given my education, which as you pointed out, is financial in nature.”
“But isn’t your area of expertise about theoretical mathematical modeling in the business sector?”
“Potato, potahto.” He leaned forward and took my hand. “Seriously, Ryan. If you ever need an extra pair of eyes, or hands, or whatever, I’ll do anything I can to help you put these motherfuckers away.”
“That’s very generous.”
He leaned back in his chair. “I’ve got some free time since I’m taking this adulting thing slowly.”
“But your parents are furious that you’re not using your degrees.”
“We made a deal after I graduated. I have time to figure out what I want to do. Plus, Grandma still believes in me, and she’s no pushover.”
“Well, since you so graciously offered me your help, if there’s ever anything you think I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Mm. I’ll probably be able to come up with something.” He gave me the bedroom eyes.
We finished breakfast while basking in the sunlight that filtered into the kitchen. I felt right at home, already attuned to the rhythm of the town and the scent of the ocean on the breeze. Unlike Santa Barbara with its ostentatious hotels and many upscale boutiques and restaurants, Santo Ignacio was a quiet kind of paradise—a legitimately peaceful place to take the time to think things over.
In Santo Ignacio, I could stay where I was and mark the sun’s passage across the sky. I could go out to catch the sunset and walk along the beach with the locals, kids, and dogs. I could be as alone as I wanted or surround myself with friends.
“What are we doing today?” Epic stretched dramatically, allowing his lean body to arch off the chair with his robe open.
“What would you like to do?”
He wrinkled his nose. “We should get your car back. Want to take a walk?”
“Sure.”
“Let me get the sunscreen.”
“It’s eight in the morning.”
“The sun is visible, isn’t it? I’m not letting my skin get old before its time.”
I sighed dramatically. “It’s already probably too late for me.”
“You’re gorgeous.” He caught my chin. “I’m trying to preserve you.”
My face got hot. “C’mon. You can slather me with anything you like.”
“Anything?”
“Not really.”
“You had me all excited there for a minute. I had a hundred ideas.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.”
We dressed in shorts and T-shirts, but the day hadn’t warmed up. I let Epic borrow an old Georgetown sweatshirt. It suited him perfectly, the preppy motherfucker.
“You look like every college boy who rejected me,” I pointed out.
“Oh my God. We’re going to have to do something about your self-esteem.”
“My self-esteem is fine. Mostly.” I turned away so he couldn’t see I was still torn open by the honesty between us. “Now, anyway. Back then, my gaydar was a little unpredictable.”
“Well, you’re in for a treat, then, because I’m a bona fide homosexual, and I think you’re hot. C’mon.”
Epic ran, and I chased him down the street.
I felt twenty years old again, full of life and laughter and the intense longing to be with my really cute guy. The problems of the world even seemed far enough away that they didn’t fill my heart with despair. I had the right to enjoy this moment. I had a right to enjoy Epic, and the gift he gave me with every smile, every kiss, every touch of his hand on my skin.
I had a wild want inside me to claim him and make him mine as well.