Page 6 of Dangerous Pursuit
Xander's eyes widen, then he throws his head back and laughs. The sound washes over me, eliciting an unwanted stirring in my groin.
I shift against the wall, cursing my traitorous body. He's straight. Get a grip.
Xander grins at me, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "Relax, I didn't mean it like that." He leans in close, his breath hot on my ear. "Though a guy can get pretty…worked up in a place like this."
I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. His words go straight to my cock, and I close my eyes, willing the images out of my mind. This is dangerous territory. I need to shut this down,now.
But then I feel his hand on my arm, and my eyes fly open.
There's something different about his expression now. It's more serious, more hesitant. More intense. He's staring at me, his gaze heated, and for a long moment we just look at each other. My pulse pounds in my ears, drowning out the music from inside the club.
"So," he says finally, his voice low. "You want to go out sometime?"
I open my mouth, but no words come out. I want to say yes. I want to drag him inside the club and find out just how worked up he can get. But this will only lead to trouble. He's straight.
I shake my head, avoiding his eyes. "I don't think that's a good idea."
Xander's face falls, and he takes a hasty step back. "Never mind. I, uh…gotta go."
Before I can respond, he turns around and all but sprints away.
Chapter Four
Xander
I’M ROLLING AROUND in my bed the next morning, trying to block my intrusive thoughts. I haven’t slept all night, my head has been pounding for hours on end.
It's not like I ever considered myself the smartest person in any room, but last night? Last night, I was dumb beyond belief.
What was I even thinking? I wasn't, that's the thing.
Somehow, my monkey brain decided it'd be appropriate to ask a stranger, a very male stranger, out. I’m not into men, never have been. The rejection has no business stinging as much as it does.
My phone rings next to my pillow, making my headache worse.
I glance at the screen. Blake. Good. At least I know the asshole’s alive. I let it ring out—a punishment for last night. Had Blake not disappeared, none of it would have happened.
Heck, none of it would have happened if Blake didn't drag me to that stupid club. But then I remember Blake didn't drag me—it was me who insisted on tagging along. I can’t exactly blame my friend for my own stupidity.
I sigh, clear my throat and try to force a cheerful tone as I answer the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey." Blake's voice comes from the other side. There's a pause. “How've you been?"
It doesn't take more for me to decide Blake sounds somewhat strange. "What do you mean? You saw me yesterday. And speaking of yesterday, where did you disappear to last night? I've been calling you," I say, trying not to sound too accusatory. Again, not Blake's fault. I should put it on a post-it to remember.
"Yeah, about that…." There's a pause that goes for a tad too long, but I wait. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something. I kind of started da— seeing someone."
My ears perk up and I sit up straight. Yes! Anything to get my mind off Liam. "Oh, really? That's great. Do I know her?" I wait for one, two, three beats, but Blake doesn't answer. Instead, there are some distorted, unpleasant sounds coming from the phone. My brows furrow. "Wait, where are you?"
He chuckles. "Long story. Anyway, you do know… him."
The words fail to register at first. Him?Him? How? "Oh? Oh! That's…great. When did that happen?"
"Frankly, it's new. I'm still trying to figure things out."
My mind is racing a hundred miles per minute. Normally, I’d think nothing of it. So Blake's into dudes all of a sudden, so what? But in the context of last night, my brain twists that information in a way that somehow involves myself and my feelings.Get a grip. This isn't about you. "Sweet. So, who is it?”
"It's…"There's a beat of silence, and then, "You saw him last night, actually."
