CHAPTER ONE #2
The man stared for longer than necessary, a smirk playing at the edges of his mouth. Then he shifted his coffee cup to his opposite hand and took Cameron’s in a lingering embrace that felt too intimate for strangers.
“Asher Dare.”
Cameron had guessed as much, but he figured it would be rude to say so, especially after he’d just been caught checking out the guy.
Instead, he settled on saying, “Nice to meet you. Your home is really amazing.” Taking his hand back, he shoved it into the pocket of his dress slacks and curled his fingers into a tight fist. “Why are you selling?”
For a long time, Asher didn’t speak, and Cameron fought not to squirm under the guy’s casual scrutiny. His expression gave away nothing, his features carefully arranged into a mask of neutrality that made Cameron more nervous than outright hostility.
What the hell is he thinking?
“I’m not selling,” Asher finally answered.
“So…the estate sale?”
His T-shirt strained when he lifted his shoulders. “I was bored and needed a change.” He took a sip of his coffee, then ran his tongue over his full, pink lips. “I needed to make room for something new. This seemed like the simplest way.”
While he tried to match the guy’s indifference, Cameron could feel his brow scrunch together between his eyes.
The way he’d said it sounded as though he didn’t really care about the money from the sale.
He simply wanted to get rid of a style he no longer found appealing to clear space for new, likely more expensive, things.
He made it sound a lot like boxing up a closet full of winter clothes to make room for a summer wardrobe.
“Oh.” Not intelligent or articulate, but it was the best he could do.
“Would you like a tour? ”
Cameron couldn’t be sure, but he thought the man might be teasing him. “Thanks, but I’ve already seen everything not restricted.”
“You sure?” Yes, there was definitely a teasing lilt to his voice. “We could start with the master suite.”
Frozen in place, paralyzed by shock, Cameron stared.
Is he coming on to me? No, absolutely not.
That would be ridiculous. The more probable answer was that Asher was messing with him.
He’d obviously seen Cameron’s initial reaction to him, the way he had basically eye-fucked him.
Maybe he’d made Asher uncomfortable, and this was his way of paying it back.
He couldn’t exactly blame the guy, but still. Rude .
“I, uh, I…should probably go find my sister.” True, even if she was the last person he wanted to see. He’d never been able to hide anything from her, and as flustered as he felt, he probably looked worse.
“No need to be nervous.” Asher gave him another one of those crooked grins. “I don’t bite.” His eyebrows rose, and his smile turned devilish. “Much.”
Cameron’s brain melted, and his traitorous fucking body swayed at the invitation in Asher’s tone. Reminding himself the man was simply toying with him didn’t help, nor did the predatory way Asher invaded his space.
“I’m sure the master suite is great.” Huh? What the fuck were they talking about again?
“Well, it doesn’t suck. ”
Cameron’s overeager cock perked up at that, jerking behind his zipper as if volunteering to find out what—or who—did suck .
“Uh, maybe some other time.” Wait. What? He had no intentions of returning once he drove away. “I mean, I’m sure you’re busy right now. I wouldn’t want to interrupt your day.”
Great, now it sounded like he was flirting or being coy.
“Hmm, I think I could spare an hour or two.”
“That must be one big bedroom.”
Fuck. Shut up, idiot!
“I like to be thorough.” Heat flared in Asher’s gaze as he took another step toward him. “Make sure you’re familiar with every surface so you can really appreciate it.”
He stood so close Cameron could feel his body heat and smell the clean, crisp scent of the soap that still clung to his skin.
His head spun, his eyes went wide, and his heart climbed into his throat as he struggled to make sense of the conversation.
This couldn’t be happening. Things like this did not happen to him.
Yet, he could no longer deny the interest in Asher’s gaze, couldn’t keep believing the guy was simply fucking with him.
He just didn’t know what to do with the information.
Thankfully, he was saved the need to come up with a reply when a young man in leather pants and a sheer, baby blue shirt sashayed down the hallway and bounced to a stop right beside Asher. He held a pair of boots in one hand while his other darted out to smack Asher on the ass.
“I had a good time, but I need to take off.” His gaze settled on Cameron, and he pushed his mess of golden curls out of his eyes.
“Have fun,” he said without a trace of embarrassment.
Something in Cameron’s expression must have given him away, because the kid—he couldn’t have been more than twenty-three—laughed and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’ll like it.”
When he walked away, Cameron shifted his gaze between the retreating back and Asher’s face several times, still unsure of what to say. He’d never found himself in such a situation, and it was so far outside of his experience—or comfort zone, for that matter—he just couldn’t wrap his head around it.
“You fucked him,” he blurted, and immediately wanted to die.
Asher grinned, utterly shameless. “Jealous?”
“What? No! I don’t care who you sleep with.” Well, he shouldn’t, but that was a topic for self-analyzation at a later date.
“Good, then you won’t care that I want to see you naked.”
Wow, the guy had some nerve. Worse, Cameron couldn’t decide if he found it arousing or infuriating. While his brain rebelled at the idea of tumbling into bed with Asher—a bed that had very recently been vacated by another man—his swelling cock clearly didn’t have the same reservations.
God, he really needed to get laid if the poster boy for anonymous sex was flipping his switch.
Sure, he’d introduced himself, but he doubted the cocky bastard remembered his name, or cared for that matter.
While the realization didn’t entirely douse the lust burning in his veins, it tempered it enough to bring his brain back online.
“I have to go. It was nice meeting you.”
When he pushed passed, Asher let him go, but not before calling out a parting shot. “I’ll be at Swerve tonight. If you change your mind, come find me.”
Cameron shook his head but didn’t reply as he strolled away with his hands tucked deep into his pockets.
He wouldn’t go to the nightclub. In fact, he doubted he’d ever see Asher again, and he exhaled in relief.
Not because he didn’t find the guy attractive, but because he didn’t trust himself not to cave to Asher’s charms.
He’d learned that lesson the hard way, and he knew himself well enough to avoid wandering down the path of temptation. He didn’t do arrogant pretty boys, not anymore. Cameron liked problems he could fix, but he didn’t welcome trouble.
Asher Dare had trouble written all over him.