Page 46 of Extradition (Mobsters + Billionaires 1)
I take a shivery breath and, looking down at my muddy, expensive Wolfe Athletics shoes, decide on the truth. He did bust me looking at his dick this morning, after all.
“Both,” I say on a gust of air. “But that’s not common knowledge.”
He nods carefully. “Your parents know?”
“Sure,” I say, turning back toward the path. “Not their favorite subject.”
His low chuckle heats my core. “Well, what good is a queer son to a talking manicure and a raging asshole?”
“Exactly.” I laugh even though we both know it’s not funny. “It’s all about the discreet, well-paid hookups.”
He side-eyes me. “How do you go about setting up a discreet hookup?”
My cheeks heat, but I answer truthfully. “Grayson.” Changing the subject, I point to a different path. “I figure we’ll wander through the trails for a bit, get some brunch at the boathouse, and get back before Edgerton loses too much hair. Sound good?”
“Sure,” he says, allowing the diversion.
I look back, and he’s following my lead with a warm smile.
We wind through the Ramble, and I’m quiet as Joe takes in the nature around us. After a while, he continues our initial conversation as though it’s what we’ve been talking about the entire time.
“So that’s it, investments? That’s what your big money’s doing? Have you ever taken, I don’t know, an extravagant vacation?”
“I’ve been all over Europe, Asia, and Australia. I am well-traveled,” I say, sounding a little snooty to even my own ears.
“If I were to pull up a map of the Wolfe Athletics offices worldwide, would your travel pattern match?”
“Possibly.”
“Well, then, those are just extravagant business trips, and they don’t count. Have you ever been to a beach just to go to a beach?”
I scratch the back of my head. “I burn easily.”
“But you’re not, like, allergic to the sun, right?”
I knock my shoulder into his. “No. I used to jog outside.”
He raises his brow at me.
“Okay, fine, the sun only ever came up at the end of the run, but I also used to walk through the park after a long day at the office.”
“I just hope you haven’t endangered yourself with all of this unexpected UV radiation. Here, I’ll give you my hoodie,” he says, laughing as he takes off the offered hoodie.
I try to ignore how his shirt has rucked up around his dark nipples, revealing more of his finely sculpted abs. I’m not successful. Like, at all.
Joe goes quiet, and I shoot him a quick glance, hoping I haven’t been busted twice in the same morning for looking at him in a lustful fashion.
But I don’t have Joe’s attention at all. I follow his line of sight to a man standing directly in our path. Unlike my utter cluelessness at the docks, my gut tells me that this is about to get violent. And I have no idea what to do.
But Joe does. He cracks his neck, his face hard stone.
The man reaches for his waistband, but Joe’s already closed the distance. Knocking the weapon from his hand, he jerks the man’s arm behind him so fast that a sickening crack echoes through the trees, followed by the man’s screams. I never knew a man could scream like that.
“Look at me, you fuck. Stop fucking screaming. Look. At. Me.” Joe’s voice is a cold black sea, and I shiver at the murderous snarl on his lips.
The man, terrified, does as he’s told.
“Is this about my father’s extradition?”
