Page 7 of Love Deep

He’s tall, and his shirtsleeves are rolled up, showing bronzed skin pulled tight across muscled forearms. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed the forearms on a man, but Fisher’s are mesmerizing. He laughs, and it feels like I’m standing next to a log fire. He’s warm and comforting at the same time as being sexy as all holyhell.

“Work?” I ask. “What do you do?”

“I’m in the music business,” he explains. “I have an artist recording up at the Club.”

“Recording? Is there a studio up there?”

He nods.

“Oh, wow. I had no idea. How fun.”

He grins at me like I’ve said exactly the right thing, and I return his smile. He’s gorgeous. Perfect white teeth and blond hair that’s slightly wavy.

“Your turn,” Byron bellows across the room.

I jump in surprise. Fisher raises his eyebrows, still grinning.

“I guess it’s our turn,” he says.

“You go first,” I say, and not just because I want to see what his ass looks like in those jeans he’s wearing.

“You want to see what my ass looks like, don’t you?” Fisher asks.

Embarrassment sweeps up my body, and my eyes widen. “I do not!”

Fisher dissolves into laughter and knocks me with his elbow. “I’m kidding. Relax.” He takes my pool cue from me and heads over to the table.

I try and look everywhere apart from Fisher’s ass, but it’s difficult. I swear he chooses a shot that gives me a pretty good view of his backside. And it’s nice. Tight. Round. I hate a guy with no ass. And Fisher has plenty. He sinks two balls and then misses on the third.

“How was it?” he asks, grabbing his ass cheek.

“Not as nice as mine,” I deadpan.

He grins and nods. “I bet.”

Rosey misses her shot, so it’s me up next. When I pocket the green ball, my ass is facing away from Fisher. It’sa silent victory. I miss the blue, and I head back to my pool partner.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” he asks. His accent makes him sound very formal.

“What?” I ask with a shrug. “Take a shot that had me leaning away from you? I don’t know what you mean.”

Fisher laughs, and I order another beer from Eva. Fisher mumbles something I’ve never heard of to Eva. He probably had some fancy beer shipped in especially or something.

“So, you live in New York even though you’re British?” I ask.

“My family came over when I was eight. So, I don’t feel British, even though I still have a trace of an accent.”

“A trace?” I laugh. “You sound like Prince William to me.”

“Oh, yeah?” he asks. “Well, I’m definitely not Prince William. What about you? You went to school with Byron?”

“High school, yeah. I was… different back then. I always had paint in my hair and all over my clothes. I was obsessed with art. It’s all I ever thought about.”

He looks at me, waiting for me to say more. When I don’t, he asks, “What changed?”

I smile. “Real life.”

I think back to all the emotions of the time. I had to make a choice, and I chose Star Falls. I don’t think I realized back then what I was sacrificing.