Excerpt

“Hopefully, I’m not keeping you from a hot date tonight or something.”

Stephen let out a small snort of amusement. “Russ, I can’t remember the last time I had a hot date. Frankly, it’s been months since I’ve had a date of any sort. And they were lukewarm at best. If you’re asking if I’m single, the answer is yes.”

Embarrassed, Russ cleared his throat. “I was curious.”

“Nothing wrong with curiosity.”

“I’m single too,” Russ said. He cringed internally. Jesus. He’d had game once. Okay, maybe not game because he’d never had time to really develop it, but he used to be at least slightly smooth. This … whatever this was, was truly pathetic.

But Stephen didn’t seem too put out by his awkwardness. “Haven’t met the right person or no time to date?”

“Maybe a little of both,” Russ admitted. “It can be hard to meet men when you’re working fifty, sixty hours a week.” There. He’d at least managed to work the fact that he was gay into the conversation without doing it in the most cringey way possible.

“Absolutely,” Stephen said. “Though, from what I hear, you’re doing very well at Vantage.”

Russ blinked. He had no idea Stephen had even known who he was, much less that he’d been paying attention to how he was doing. “I had no idea you’d noticed me at work.”

“Oh, I noticed.” Stephen gave him a slow smile. “You needn’t worry about proving your worth, if that’s why you’re working those kind of hours.”

“I like to be thorough,” Russ said.

“Thoroughness is good.”

Was it Russ’s imagination or was there a hint of heat in Stephen’s eyes now and a faint rasp to his voice? “I like to make sure I take my time and fully grasp a topic,” Russ countered. “Get a real grip on it.”

“Traits like that will certainly allow you to get far at whatever you choose to do.”

Including with you? Russ wondered. “I’m trying to get ahead.”

The corner of Stephen’s mouth curved up even further. “That much is clear.”

“Think I’ll succeed?”

“I suppose it depends on what you’re trying to succeed at.”

“You don’t know?”

“I try not to make any assumptions about anything until I’m sure.”

Goddamn it. They were talking in circles and getting nowhere. Maybe Russ needed to try a different approach.

“I appreciate all of your help today,” Russ said. “I seriously can’t thank you enough.”

Stephen looked away from the TV again and shook his head, glancing at Russ with a small smile. “It’s the least I could do. I feel responsible for what happened.”

Russ smiled back, Stephen’s earnestness relaxing him. “Let’s call it even then, I guess. Or we could be up all night with this.”

Stephen quirked an eyebrow up at him, eyes crinkling at the corners with amusement. Fuck, what a turn on. Why older men were such an attraction for him, Russ would never be sure, but he’d realized it in college. He’d had a brief fling with a professor named Jack Burns after the semester was over. It wasn’t the forbidden aspect of it—they’d both waited until after Russ was no longer his student—but he liked the age difference.

A man with a fit body, handsome face, graying hair, and a killer smile always got Russ going. Hell, his head and ankle ached and he was still thinking about what Stephen would be like in bed. And was he flirting? God, Russ hoped so. “Well, being up all night isn’t always a bad thing.”

Stephen’s lips turned up at the corners in amusement. “You don’t think so?”

Russ shrugged. “It depends on the reason, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, I suppose it does,” Stephen murmured. He shifted to face Russ. “I’m afraid all of the best reasons are off the table at the moment though, aren’t they?”

“Too bad.”