He passes me the card.
Let me take you out for dinner
Call me 041.695.8720
Nicholas
“Holy crap Adrian. He is asking you out for dinner. Oh, and I love the wording so…dominant and sexy.” Anyone would think he was asking me. I’m like a little kid.
Josh smiles and gets out his phone. “That was very Hollywood, don’t you think?” He smiles at Adrian as he raises a brow. Who, I think, has been rendered speechless.
“It was, wasn’t it?” he whispers, wide–eyed.
“He looks like that dude off True Blood,” Josh says as he tries to think of his name.
“Who?” I frown.
“You know, the hot ripped guy…European.”
“Yes, Jo Manginello. He does, Adrian,” I snap. “Oooohh my goooddd, I looove Jo Manginello.” I wipe my forehead to accentuate my point as I grab Adrian’s hand over the table.
Adrian frowns. “He was a bit of a Greek god, wasn’t he?”
“Are you kidding—no contest.” I smile.
Joshua starts to read to us from his phone; he has obviously just googled Mr Anastas.
“Ok, here are the facts.” He raises his eyebrows at Adrian. “Greek, forty–two, gay, successful author, estimated wealth at two hundred million.” He frowns as he reads the next bit of the information and pauses, “Tragically his husband died in a snow–skiing accident eight years ago.” We all go silent.
Adrian eyes widen. “He was married?”
Josh nods.
“Apparently to a French lawyer.” Hmm, that’s interesting. I had no idea he was even gay. What in the hell did we do before google?
Josh smiles at Adrian and raises an eyebrow. “The marrying type hey.” Adrian rolls his eyes at Josh. “You’re calling him,” Josh announces.
Adrian frowns. “No I’m not…I’m in a relationship, remember.” Joshua goes to say something but glances at me and holds his tongue. I know he wants to say the words but doesn’t want to appear like he’d condone infidelity. I smile as I watch him internally struggle with what he wants to say and what he wants to reveal around me. I must say if Adrian’s boyfriend is as big a dick as everyone keeps
telling me I also think he should call him, but I won’t say that either just quietly. An hour later the three of us exit the restaurant.
“I’m not coming back to the office Adrian.” Adrian frowns. “I’ve already organised for Tom to watch the students this afternoon,” Joshua remarks. Adrian frowns again and pulls out his phone to check an email.
“Why, what are you up to this afternoon?” Adrian is concentrating on his phone, sending a message to someone. I look at Joshua. Yes, what is he doing this afternoon actually? I have to wonder.
He grabs my hand. “Miss Marx has been pulling misdemeanours all day and she needs to be punished.” Oh my god he did not just say that in front of Adrian. I do wide eyes at him and I want the ground to swallow me up. My eyes shoot to Joshua as he cracks his neck, his dark eyes bore into mine and I know he wouldn’t care if the pope was standing with us. He’s too aroused to have his mouth–to–brain filter on. Adrian doesn’t even look up from his messaging as he smirks and raises his eyebrows.
“Too much information, Stanton.” He then winks at me and gives me a kiss on the cheek. “Catch you later baby.” And with that he is gone into the crowd.
Nicholas Anastas sits in the back of his chauffer–driven car as he watches the three friends leave the restaurant. He is ruffled. He hasn’t felt such an attraction to anyone like that for a very long time, and to an American no less. And why do they have security with them? Who are they? How odd. It was very unexpected and disarming meeting him.
“Peter, I want as much information as you can gather on Adrian Murphy. I’m not sure of where he…actually he was with a Joshua Stanton so check…maybe they work together. I want a criminal record check and past partners, or actually is he in a relationship at the present moment?”
“Yes sir,” Peter responds as he pulls into the traffic.
Its Sunday morning, 5 am, and I am sitting on the end of our bed putting my running shoes on as I prepare for my run. My eyes roam up the beautiful body that is asleep like an angel next to me, her dark long hair spread over my pillow. She’s naked, her beautiful curves calling me back to bed. Thank god she kept her shape—I hate thin women. It may be fashionable to be thin but for me as a man I need a soft lush shape for the testosterone to kick in. Not muscular either… I like the female form in as natural state as it comes. And boy has she got the whole package. Dark long hair, olive skin and those fucking dimples. I can see them even as she sleeps. I smile as her large brown eyes that can see right through me flutter as she tries to refrain from waking. She calls to me deeply on a subconscious level and any thought that I could have a future without her in it is gone. A distant memory. She is so ingrained in my psyche that she is as necessary as air. This is how contentment feels…calm. I have never had such an overwhelming sense that I am where I am supposed to be. This is right. I smile as the realisation hits me: I have never had it and now that I have I am not letting it go, no fucking way. Wild horses couldn’t drag me from her side.
Chapter 23