Gideon (Boyfriend for Hire #3) - R.J. Scott Page 0,1

scented cologne that reminded Gideon of the ocean.

“Who’s the lucky guy?” Gideon murmured as everyone began to clap and whistle at something.

“Huh?” Rowan said as the clapping died away.

“The man you’re marrying.”

Rowan tapped his nose then winked. “Now that would be telling.”

Great. Just when things were level and the company was steady, Rowan was running off with the first fly-by-night asshole who gave him a ring. Gideon could already picture some smooth city banker or a lawyer who had bought Rowan’s affections with gifts and empty promises—just to take him away from Bryant & Waites.

And me.

The thought of gifts reminded him that he still hadn’t bought Rowan a Christmas gift, which was a slap to the face. There was this rich city guy, probably showering Rowan with gifts, winning his heart, and Gideon hadn’t even considered the measly Christmas gift he usually bought his PA. It was the only one that he bought himself because the gifts to the other guys who worked for him were handled by Rowan himself. Not that Gideon would have to think about what to get him. Because Rowan would likely happen to leave an open magazine on his desk with some very specific comment on a Post-it.

At least Gideon knew that Rowan was getting something he wanted.

I bet Big-city guy doesn’t know Rowan as well as I do.

The countdown to Rowan leaving him had clearly begun, but he couldn’t stop the march of time. What was the point in dismissing the fiancé he’d never met when he himself had never actually made a move on his PA? Well, not a real move.

Focus. He needed to focus on the here and now, glancing briefly at Rowan, right by his side as usual. His suit was a deep blue color, standing out next to Gideon’s gray. His tie a bright orange, Gideon’s a silver-blue.

Rowan had once told him that blue ties made his eyes pop, whatever that really meant, but Gideon certainly hadn’t worn it so he popped his eyes at anyone today. Particularly not cheerful perky Rowan who smiled so wide his nose wrinkled and who was clearly getting married. Gideon had to ignore that Rowan looked good today, bright and smiling, and so different to how he was dressed in the office. His dark hair was newly cut, carefully layered, and his brown eyes were wide with an almost childlike wonder. He had a sprig of holly in his buttonhole, a nod to the season that was reflected in some of the decorations in the room, and he looked…attractive?

That was possibly the safest description that an employer should use about their newly engaged assistant because sexy, gorgeous, and fuckable, were not the words he should be using. Along with cute, always sunny, but sometimes disrespectful and irritating. Rowan was stuck in Gideon’s head, and the time had always been coming when they would need to part ways before Gideon’s idiot-attraction went from bad to worse. Maybe in the new year Gideon could ask Rowan to find a replacement for when he left with his husband…after paying Rowan handsomely for his time of course.

Since the first Wednesday in October at ten thirty-two in the morning, his and Rowan’s working relationship in the same office had started to become very different.

Rowan had hugged him. In Rowan’s defense, it had been the day after Gideon had taken his cat Kimi to the veterinarian. The hug happened out of sheer relief when the news came in that a lump the vet had found was just an infection. Although he wasn’t sure if it had been Rowan or himself who instigated it.

The feel of Rowan in his arms was a memory he would never lose.

Stupid libido and its ability to fuck with my head.

“Maybe I’ll get married on Christmas,” Rowan said softly as the vows or whatever drew to a close. He had his fist on his chest, right over his heart, and were those tears in his eyes? Rowan loved all things Christmas.

The only buffer between Gideon and warring divorced parents at Christmas was his sister, Grace, and what a flimsy buffer she was. They weren’t close at the best of times, but she was dating this guy who had the weirdest nasally tone to his voice and wouldn’t stop talking about how much of Gideon’s wealth he would love to invest. Maybe the problem was he reminded Gideon too much of their own father. No matter the situation with his family, everything came back to money in