Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 133886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
“Is that a true story?” Dallas asked skeptically before taking a sip.
“Absolutely.” Greer nodded solemnly, lifting three fingers in a scout’s pledge. “My sister, Kailey—you met her at my office.” Dallas nodded and tilted the beer back, taking a longer drink. “She’s taken a liking to you.” Dallas’s face turned quizzical as he swallowed. “Do you know her from the gym? She and Skye have gotten close over the last year or so.”
“I’ve seen her once or twice. She has that same way about her as Skye. They draw people to them,” Dallas said, relaxing back into the cushions.
Greer rolled his eyes, thinking about all the weirdos Kailey had attracted over the years with her kind nature. “Right? I’ve had to play big brother more than once. Let’s talk about this substitute teaching position. What kind of salary do you need to have your main focus on BikeBro?”
Dallas’s expressive face morphed again. He’d accidentally put Dallas on the defensive. He could tell immediately. Dallas had barely had two full beers at dinner, but he tilted the can back, drinking a couple of long gulps. Money must really be a serious issue. Greer didn’t push for an answer, not yet, but he rose, going for another can of beer.
“Most people don’t believe it, but Ducky does most of the work. Donny’s our technical guy, but it’s really Ducky who keeps everything going,” Dallas said over his shoulder.
“But you’re the face of the company, and Ducky seems better in a supportive role. His eyes always go to you for confirmation in everything he says,” Greer said, grabbing the beer.
“He’s young and needs to build confidence. He and I have always been close.”
“How did Ducky get his name?” Greer asked, handing the beer to Dallas from where he’d twisted to look over the back of the couch. Dallas’s over-the-shoulder gorgeous grin gave Greer all the feels.
“When he was little, he had a thing for Ernie on Sesame Street. He couldn’t sleep without the Rubber Duckie song playing at night.
Greer took his seat, resting an arm on the back of the sofa as Dallas slowly opened up, speaking intimately about his personal life. They stayed there, in just that way, each letting out small bits and pieces about their lives.
Surprisingly, Dallas showed a genuine interest in learning how Greer’s home functioned. They toured the entire property, allowing Greer to talk in detail about all the small changes he’d made to make his home environmentally friendly.
His trainer was a sharp, articulate guy, and always leaned toward kindness. The way Dallas spoke, from the stories he told, he tried to see the best in people. Only as their night wore on did Dallas’s hints of his anxiety begin to leak through. Greer interpreted those insecurities to mean Dallas wanted to be everything he could to those who held meaning to him.
Greer sat with one leg drawn up and his arm on the back of the sofa. He rested his head in his hand, openly staring as Dallas became animated while talking about his family. They were his foundation. He loved and respected all of them.
The undeniable draw between him and Dallas, the mounting attraction binding him to this beautiful man, had only grown stronger as the night wore on. The deepening connection said a lot, because Greer had obsessed over Dallas and Biker101 since before they’d ever formally met. Dallas checked off all the important boxes of Greer’s ideal dream man. He honestly hadn’t known these qualities truly existed in a person.
A faint needling of understanding made Greer somehow know this wasn’t a coincidence. Fate played a part. Dallas belonged right here with him, and Greer had to find some way to make the trainer stick around in his life until they could sort it all out, make sense of their destiny.
“I can’t remember, have you told me what kind of salary you need to make BikeBro your first priority?”
“No, and I’m not doing a pity party thing with you. Let me go to the bathroom, then I gotta be going,” Dallas said, pushing to his feet.
Greer followed him up from the couch and watched Dallas walk away, eyes glued to the swing of Dallas’s hips. That natural, sexy as hell swagger in his strut almost pulled a groan from him. Greer glanced down at his watch. It was already close to one in the morning.
On instinct more than any well thought out plan, he started for the bathroom, forcing himself to stop in the middle of his living room to wait. He prayed his shaky, uncertain insides weren’t showing. He’d move forward with the truth, something this integrity filled man brought out in Greer.
Dallas rounded the corner, stopping short a few feet away from Greer. Something dark and uncertain crossed Dallas’s features before his eyes narrowed and started to lower. Electricity charged between them, holding Dallas there with him. Everything Greer had ever wanted in a man stood right before him, even if he was uncertain and perhaps a bit afraid.