Page 23 of Smoky Mountain Dreams

Christopher felt a little hot but he shrugged. “I drive byyour shop on the way home every day. I’ve never seen this car parked therebefore.”

“Yeah, I don’t usually drive it to work, I guess.” Hestudied the minivan with a frown creasing his brow. “It seems excessive for oneguy to have two cars, but I have to admit the minivan is a hook-up killer forthe most part. Not the suave impression I generally like to make.”

“Ah.”

Jesse smiled and shrugged. “Oh well. Guess I’ve blown mysexy-mysterious cover already anyway.”

“I don’t know. Seems like there’s still a lot about you Idon’t know.” Christopher thought about the picture of the woman and kids backat Jesse’s office and felt a little sick. He should ask, but somehow the wordsremained stubbornly lodged in his throat.

Jesse took out his iPhone and pulled up Christopher’s name. “What’syour cell number? I’ll text you so you have mine. We can meet up and you canfind out more about me.”

“I don’t have a cell phone.”

Jesse glanced up with eyebrows raised. He put his phone backin his pocket, sounding disappointed. “That’s too bad.”

Christopher popped open the glove compartment, brushingagainst Jesse’s knees in the cramped space. “I’ve got a pen in here. Write yourcell number down and I’ll call you.” He fished out a pen and an old receipt.

Jesse wrote his number in clear, precise block letters andhanded it over. “How about your landline, then?” he asked.

“You’ve already got it in your files at work.”

Jesse cleared his throat. “I’d really like to hook—well,actually I’d like to just see you again sometime. Hook-up optional.”

“Me too.”

“Okay then.”

Jesse opened the door and climbed out before Christophercould kiss him again or do anything more than wave. He waited until Jesse wasinside the minivan—seriously, why aminivan?—beforepulling away.

On the short drive up the mountain, his mind whirled overthe same snatches of information, still unable to draw a conclusion. But if Jessewanted to know him better, Christopher wanted to make it easy for him to dothat. He smiled to himself.

After all, Jesse was the first bee to come buzzing aroundhis honey in a long time.

Chapter Six

JESSEHADN’T REALLY PLANNED ONhis attraction to Christopher becoming athing. Not even after their moment in the grist mill. Heassumed that, like most of his encounters with other men, it was what it was,and that was that.

But the next day as he tweaked the design for Christopher’sgrandmother, he found himself thinking about more than the placement of theacorns and oak leaves. Vivid recollections of Christopher’s open mouth as he’dreached orgasm and his green eyes burning with lust as he’d sucked Jesse offtumbled through his mind.

It’d been good sex. Better than he’d had in a while.Probably because helikedChristopher. He was a niceguy, and Jesse had genuinely enjoyed his company. Most of the time he didn’tbother finding out more than a man’s name, or maybe he’d force himself to “bond”over some sports on the bar’s television before asking if the guy wanted tohead out to his car, or step into the bathroom.

Christopher was the first man he’d had sex with in close toa year with whom he’d had more than one actual conversation, and the friendlyaffection he already felt, not to mention the admiration he’d harbored forChristopher as a fan, clouded things. Hadn’t he learned from Marcy the dangersof having sex with someone he actually cared about?

“Hey,” Amanda said from the doorway to his office, whereleaned against the doorframe. Her dark hair that shone only half as bright asher eyes was swept up in a ponytail at the back of her head. She had on hersweats and wore a determined expression.

“Going running?” he asked.

“Going hamstering, actually.”

Jesse lifted his brows and turned his attention back to thegold acorn he was working on. “Is that like Pilates?”

Amanda snorted. “Hardly. I’m going to run the treadmill atthe gym.”

“Ah. Cool. Go on. Nova’s got the kids, and I’m almost donehere. I’m just going to finish this up and close shop.”

“How did the follow-up appointment with Christopher Rydergo?”

“Fine.”