husband. Now he sounded like a jerk to Mac's husband’s best friend. Way to go, asshole!
“I’ll bet Ry would love to come hang out with you guys,” Bennett said. “All you have to do is ask.”
Jordan shook his head. “I wouldn’t want to get in the way,” he said, and added, hurriedly, not wanting to sound like a churlish loser. “Besides, they’re newlyweds. I hear tell they need to spend a lot of alone time together, without other company.”
Bennett chuckled. “I'll bet.”
Why the hell did you have to bring up sex, you moron? Jordan frowned, annoyed with himself for acting like an immature teenager instead of a grown man. Why did this man make him so nervous he said stupid shit and acted like a fool? Maybe it was time for him to leave as well.
“So, I wanted to ask if you wanted any extra pictures from the wedding.”
Bennett’s remark stopped Jordan’s upward push. He sank back onto the stool, feeling curiously relieved that he didn’t have to leave just yet. Weird, since he had been all set to escape a moment before. Shaking his head, he concentrated on Bennett’s words.
“I have quite a number of pictures which feature you,” he continued. “You can have them if you like.”
“Are they on the wedding album page?”
Jordan hadn’t gone to look at the pictures, so he really didn’t know what was on there. He’d been very pleased with the picture he had received as his souvenir of Mac’s wedding, but it would be nice to see how Bennett had memorialized the event. It was clear that Bennett was a very talented artist who could make his photographs tell stories other people might not see. How would he have seen Jordan?
“Yes, they are. You can go through and see if there’s anything else you want.”
“How much would it cost me?”
“I charge by picture size as well as by color. Black and white is less expensive than color.”
Maybe he’d take a look. He didn’t have too many pictures of himself, and as he had no one to share them with, he was never usually bothered by that. But if Bennett wanted to share them with him, he wouldn’t say no. Being this close to him was messing with Jordan’s control. He smelled so good, it was sinful. To distract himself, he said,
“I’ll have a look and let you know.”
Then he noticed that Bennet was alone. Not wanting to let on that he’d seen him arrive, he added,
“Do you come here alone often?”
It sounded like he was asking a different question, but it was better that Bennet think he was curious about his love life, even if that would be grossly inappropriate, than to let him know he’d been watching him. He wasn’t a stalker or a creep, and he wasn’t about to give that impression.
You’d rather he think you’re an inappropriate jerk, though! Brilliant!
“I came with a client, actually,” Bennett answered, not seeming to be at all bothered by the question. “But as we were leaving I noticed that you were still here so I took a detour.” He paused for an infinitesimal moment before adding, “I hope you don’t mind.”
Jordan quickly set his mind at ease. “No, no, of course not. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Likewise.”
Something flared in Bennett’s eyes as he held Jordan’s gaze, and then his face heated and he looked away. Interesting. Did he feel the electricity in the air between them as much as Jordan did? He looked at Bennett again, watching him avoid his gaze, taking in the blond hair, chin scruff, sharp jawline and slender build. He was definitely younger than Jordan, who shouldn’t be thinking about starting anything with him, but he couldn’t resist. He’d test the waters and see what happened.
“Maybe I can pass by your studio and check out those pictures instead?”
Bennett looked up, surprise and heat in his gaze. He smiled and nodded.
“Sure. I’ll be out of town for a couple of weeks. When would you like to come over?”
Chapter Four
This isn’t a date, Benny. It’s business, nothing more!
Repeating that over and over as he waited for Jordan to arrive was doing nothing to settle Bennett’s stomach. It had been a long two weeks, and though he had managed to send off the pictures he’d taken for the magazine he worked with, and he’d had lunch with Ry and Chandler, he hadn’t been able to get Jordan out of his mind. What was it about the man that made him feel a