Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
It wasn’t. Instead, it was the last person he’d ever expected. “Boone?”
The handsome salesman smiled and reached up to grab the doorframe, leaning in a way guaranteed to be considered sexy by the stupid and misinformed gay man.
“You remembered my name.” He scraped his teeth over his lower lip as he gave Hugo’s shorts and threadbare sweater a meaningful onceover. “That’s a good start, Hugo Wayne. I’ll take it.”
He managed to restrain his eyeroll. Robert would now be Nora forever. “What are you doing here? How did you even get our address?”
“I have my ways, and you weren’t taking my calls so I had to get creative.” He was smooth. Practiced.
“Look, I’m not a sale you need to close, Boone. And I don’t appreciate you putting me in this position. There was a reason I didn’t pick up the phone. You should have respected that.”
Boone leaned closer, staring at his lips. “I heard that reason isn’t an issue anymore, so I decided to take a chance that you were ready for something new and improved instead of old and basic.”
Hugo’s lips twitched. He couldn’t help it. “Thank you, Boone. Sincerely. I’d been in a shitty mood and you definitely snapped me out of it with one line.”
“I’m here to serve. Why don’t you let me in and we can enjoy that better mood together?”
The balls on this guy. “Why don’t you—”
“What the fuck is he doing here?”
Hugo froze in the doorway as Solomon strode out of the shadows, fists clenched and anger setting his blue eyes on fire.
Boone winked at Hugo as if they shared a secret. “I’m here to take care of our boy, since some people can’t get the job done. What are you up to? Bake sale for extra cash?”
Hugo ignored him. “Solomon, I was ju—”
“No,” he growled, holding up his finger to cut him off before turning his attention back to Boone. “We deal with this first.”
“For fuck’s sake.” Hugo crossed his arms and met Boone’s disbelieving gaze. “Boone…whatever you’re last name is, I’m not interested. No matter who I am or am not dating, now or at any time in the future, I will still not be interested. You don’t do it for me. At all. Stop calling, stop creeping around my family, and work on those moves before you bother someone else. Now leave.”
He caught Solomon’s satisfied smile from the corner of his eye and scowled.
“Is this a joke? Are you seriously choosing this washed out mother—”
Boone let out a startled shout when Solomon gripped the back of his neck, applying just the right amount of pressure. “Let’s not say something you’ll regret. I believe this man asked you to leave the premises.”
“Get your hands off me.” Boone jerked away from him, his eyes wild. “You want to pity fuck this down on his luck Irish joke? Fine. I have other places I could be. Too bad about your brother though.”
Hugo stepped forward, fighting the urge to knock Boone on his ass himself. “Are you seriously threatening my family because I turned you down for a date? Am I supposed to worry?” He rolled his eyes. “Leave, Boone. Do whatever you think you need to do.”
Boone opened his mouth but Solomon took a step into his space, looking down at him with grim anticipation until the man swore and turned on his heel, stalking towards the shiny sports car Hugo would have been able to pick out of a line up.
Solomon brushed by him and into his place without asking permission, anger rolling off him in waves of heat that singed Hugo’s skin. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
He laughed and turned toward him with a hint of pain in his eyes. Pain and jealousy. “I should have come earlier and beat the line.” He blew out a harsh breath. “Why didn’t you tell me he was calling you?”
Hugo closed the door and strode back to the living room, rubbing the chill from his arms. “I never took his calls because he wasn’t important.”
As soon as Solomon stilled, his body rippling with tension, he knew he’d made a mistake. “Like me, Hugo? You don’t take my calls anymore, either. What’s wrong? Tired of your pity fuck?”
He was about to wrap the crocheted blanket over his shoulders but at those words he turned and pushed against Solomon’s chest, knocking him back a step. “I don’t do pity, you ignorant asshole. And I don’t need you dropping by in the middle of the night, acting like a jealous boyfriend! I didn’t give you the right to do that. We didn’t make any promises, remember?”
Without warning, Solomon dragged him closer, his hands sliding down to grip his ass and press their growing erections together. “Consider this my first promise.”
The kiss rocked Hugo back on his heels and changed his outrage to pure arousal in a heartbeat.