fact, he didn’t seem to be breathing.
Gray cleared his throat. Chicken-livered shit. “I better get back to the Playhouse. I’m probably holding up the rehearsals.” He stood. “First dress tomorrow.”
Ru’s voice was cool. “Yes.”
“Yeah. That means you’ll be there, right?” God, he couldn’t keep from smiling.
“Yes. I have to do final tweaks to fitting and train the dressers.”
“So I’ll see you then.”
His eyes narrowed. “Where’s your fiancée? Will she be attending rehearsals this week?”
“I sent her home—and she’s not my fiancée, remember?”
The smile Ru flashed didn’t have his usual sweetness. “That’s your opinion. Rich, beautiful women have a way of defining what they want.” He rose in that elegant way and walked to the door like he was showing Gray out. “You’re doing great. Just keep going.”
“But you’ll work with me some more, right?” Did he sound desperate?
That tight smile again. “I think you’ve about outgrown your teacher. You don’t need me. You’ve got this.”
“Please.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, and we’ll talk about it.”
“Okay.”
Ru walked down the hall ahead of Gray, not looking back. He held the front door. “Looks like Chris has your car right there in front.” He looked up. “Make a run for it.”
“See you.” He didn’t want to go. This parting felt more like an ending.
“You bet.” Ru smiled and didn’t quite meet Gray’s eyes.
“Thanks for helping me.” He leaned down and planted a quick kiss on that smooth cheek.
Ru’s face turned flaming pink, and his eyes widened in shock.
Good. That looks better. Gray grinned and trotted out the door.
Chapter Nine
RU STARED at the departing limo, cock aching so bad it should have dropped off and run down the street after Gray by itself. Fucking assholic, incredible, gorgeous, dumbass pendejo. Every time he got anywhere near Gray, he wound up with a stiff neck and a stiff cock from all the teasing. One minute he was pressing his leg against Ru’s, and the next he was getting fucking married, and then he was jealous of Merle, and then he was freaking out over drones. Shit!
“Darling, are you okay?”
“Why would I not be okay?” He closed his fists.
“Hmmm. Because you look like you might attack the first human within reach, which at the moment happens to be moi .”
He spun on Shaz. “He plays me like a fucking violin. The guy’s engaged—to a woman, for crap’s sake—but he flirts with me until I really believe he’s gay and going to sweep me up in his arms and carry me off like Billy did you, not that I want him to, since I’m not a cheater or a home wrecker, but—” Oh shit, where had all that water on his face come from? Ru wiped his hand across his cheek.
“Darling, can I approach?”
He nodded.
Shaz walked to him slowly and gathered him in his arms. “You flirt with him just as badly.”
“I do?”
“Yes. So in his defense, and I know he’s a terrible, unfair asshole who deserves no defense at all, but perhaps he thinks that’s what you want from him.”
“I—I dooooooo.” He buried his head in Shaz’s shoulder and cried.
Shaz chuckled. “Okay, so this is a play that’s barely begun.”
He sniffed. “First dress is to-tomorrow.”
Shaz held him out at arm’s length. “I don’t mean Hamlet , darling. You and Mr. Anson have more acts to perform—” He grinned. “—pun intended, and I’ll be watching from a front-row seat.”
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Ru wiped at his nose. “Yes, you’ll watch him garner oceans of praise for being so brave as to try Shakespeare, and then go back to his girlfriend in Hollywood and get married and have boatloads of little assholes.”
“Perhaps. Could happen. But at the least, he’ll have called attention to one of the world’s great fashion designers, and you’ll be crying your eyes out on your way to the ATM.”
He flashed Shaz his teeth. “You’re so consoling,
Gray cleared his throat. Chicken-livered shit. “I better get back to the Playhouse. I’m probably holding up the rehearsals.” He stood. “First dress tomorrow.”
Ru’s voice was cool. “Yes.”
“Yeah. That means you’ll be there, right?” God, he couldn’t keep from smiling.
“Yes. I have to do final tweaks to fitting and train the dressers.”
“So I’ll see you then.”
His eyes narrowed. “Where’s your fiancée? Will she be attending rehearsals this week?”
“I sent her home—and she’s not my fiancée, remember?”
The smile Ru flashed didn’t have his usual sweetness. “That’s your opinion. Rich, beautiful women have a way of defining what they want.” He rose in that elegant way and walked to the door like he was showing Gray out. “You’re doing great. Just keep going.”
“But you’ll work with me some more, right?” Did he sound desperate?
That tight smile again. “I think you’ve about outgrown your teacher. You don’t need me. You’ve got this.”
“Please.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, and we’ll talk about it.”
“Okay.”
Ru walked down the hall ahead of Gray, not looking back. He held the front door. “Looks like Chris has your car right there in front.” He looked up. “Make a run for it.”
“See you.” He didn’t want to go. This parting felt more like an ending.
“You bet.” Ru smiled and didn’t quite meet Gray’s eyes.
“Thanks for helping me.” He leaned down and planted a quick kiss on that smooth cheek.
Ru’s face turned flaming pink, and his eyes widened in shock.
Good. That looks better. Gray grinned and trotted out the door.
Chapter Nine
RU STARED at the departing limo, cock aching so bad it should have dropped off and run down the street after Gray by itself. Fucking assholic, incredible, gorgeous, dumbass pendejo. Every time he got anywhere near Gray, he wound up with a stiff neck and a stiff cock from all the teasing. One minute he was pressing his leg against Ru’s, and the next he was getting fucking married, and then he was jealous of Merle, and then he was freaking out over drones. Shit!
“Darling, are you okay?”
“Why would I not be okay?” He closed his fists.
“Hmmm. Because you look like you might attack the first human within reach, which at the moment happens to be moi .”
He spun on Shaz. “He plays me like a fucking violin. The guy’s engaged—to a woman, for crap’s sake—but he flirts with me until I really believe he’s gay and going to sweep me up in his arms and carry me off like Billy did you, not that I want him to, since I’m not a cheater or a home wrecker, but—” Oh shit, where had all that water on his face come from? Ru wiped his hand across his cheek.
“Darling, can I approach?”
He nodded.
Shaz walked to him slowly and gathered him in his arms. “You flirt with him just as badly.”
“I do?”
“Yes. So in his defense, and I know he’s a terrible, unfair asshole who deserves no defense at all, but perhaps he thinks that’s what you want from him.”
“I—I dooooooo.” He buried his head in Shaz’s shoulder and cried.
Shaz chuckled. “Okay, so this is a play that’s barely begun.”
He sniffed. “First dress is to-tomorrow.”
Shaz held him out at arm’s length. “I don’t mean Hamlet , darling. You and Mr. Anson have more acts to perform—” He grinned. “—pun intended, and I’ll be watching from a front-row seat.”
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Ru wiped at his nose. “Yes, you’ll watch him garner oceans of praise for being so brave as to try Shakespeare, and then go back to his girlfriend in Hollywood and get married and have boatloads of little assholes.”
“Perhaps. Could happen. But at the least, he’ll have called attention to one of the world’s great fashion designers, and you’ll be crying your eyes out on your way to the ATM.”
He flashed Shaz his teeth. “You’re so consoling,
Similar Books
