More Than Words - Jerry Cole Page 0,20

him out? They’d spent a little time in a bar before, and it really shouldn’t be so hard for a guy who had loved to play the field to invite one more guy out for a drink.

“These two.” Jordan indicated the two he’d chosen, then added, “So, before I go, I just want to ask if you’d like to meet for drinks some time?”

Jordan’s invitation snapped Bennett out of his head. What the…what?

“How do you do that?” he asked, forgetting that Jordan was not privy to his private thoughts and would have no idea what he was talking about.

“Do what?” A frown creased Jordan’s brow.

Bennett paused, collecting his scattering thoughts so he could speak coherently.

“Sorry. I was just thinking that I’d like to ask you out,” he admitted. “It just seemed like you were reading my mind, is all. Second time today.”

“Second time?”

Jordan didn’t seem in any more of a hurry to leave than Bennett was for him to go. And he didn’t seem to need an answer to his invitation, either, since he hadn’t asked again. Unless he was planning to withdraw it? Bennett looked him in the eye, trying to read his expression, but found only mild curiosity looking back at him.

“Earlier, when I wondered what you thought of the view out the window, you answered as though I had asked the question aloud,” he explained.

“Great minds?” Jordan’s smile was amused, inviting, and seductive all at the same time.

Bennett answered with a smile of his own. “Definitely!”

“So, drinks?”

“Sure. When?” Relief swamped Bennett, who was determined to sound nonchalant, as though this hadn’t been what he had been hoping for all along.

“Tomorrow? Around sixish?”

“Six sounds good. Where are we going?”

Jordan paused, clearly thinking, then answered. “Maybe we can make it drinks with dinner? At Elbow’s?”

Bennett smiled his agreement. He liked the newest bar and restaurant establishment in town, whose major theme was all dishes served with various preparations of elbow macaroni.

“Sounds good. I’ll see you there, then.”

He could feel Jordan’s eyes on him as he led the way to his front door. Opening it with a flourish, he smiled again and said,

“Great minds. I really, really like that, especially coming from a mathematician!”

And his nosy friends would never have to know that he hadn’t been the one to issue the invitation. He’d agreed to a date…that should satisfy them.

Jordan laughed and the throaty sound made Bennett’s insides heat to melting. Damn! This guy’s sex appeal was off the charts, and all he’d done was laugh. Bennett got lost for a second in watching his Adam’s apple rise and fall with the expression of his mirth before he caught himself and looked back into Jordan’s eyes. And the quiet satisfaction he saw in them before Jordan smirked and stepped past him out onto the front porch told him he’d been caught and his attention was appreciated. Good to know. He lifted his hand in a short salute as Jordan got into his car and he watched him drive away.

Less than twenty-four hours later, as Bennett stood in his bedroom trying to decide between dress slacks and dark-wash jeans to go with the lavender button-down shirt he had decided on, his cell phone rang. He glanced at it where it lay on the bed and saw it was Jordan. Why was he calling? Bennett’s heart thudded heavily in his chest at the thought that he might be calling to cancel. It wouldn’t be the first time a date had cancelled on him, but it would be the first time he cared.

“Bennett Kincaid.” He needed to collect his thoughts and pretending he didn’t know who was calling helped.

“Hey, it’s Jordan. Can we move the time up to six thirty? I had a bit of an emergency at home.”

“Sure, no problem. You okay?”

“I’m good. I’ll explain later. See you in a bit.”

Jordan hung up, leaving Bennett wondering what had happened to delay him. He’d find out soon enough. In fact, he was looking forward to finding out a lot about Jordan this evening. Like what the ‘P’ in his signature stood for. And how old he really was, because the gray at his temples didn’t have to mean he was much older than Bennett. It sure did add to his sexy vibe, though.

On his way out, he topped up Claus’s food and water bowls, and checked that the litter box was clean. The drive to Elbow’s would take him twenty minutes. In the car, he plugged his cell phone into the audio system