Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 18571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 93(@200wpm)___ 74(@250wpm)___ 62(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 18571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 93(@200wpm)___ 74(@250wpm)___ 62(@300wpm)
“You’ve got one of those, too? Fancy that.” Matthew chuckled, fingers tracing his cup so he wouldn’t reach for Oliver’s hand. “Mine is growing so fast we’ll need to rent out an auditorium for family gatherings.”
Oliver smiled. “I know what you mean. Why did you say you were still getting used to them?”
“Now that’s a story,” Matthew started, rubbing his hands together. “I only found out about the American Finns a few years ago, so you can imagine my surprise at how fruitfully they’d multiplied. The Waynes are a more recent addition, with two of the seven siblings marrying into my family to make it a trifle incestuous and even more confusing. Before I moved here, I’d grown up confident in the knowledge that I only had one brother, one sister and one Grump.”
“Grump?”
“Paternal grandfather. It’s a term of endearment.” More of an accurate descriptor for the irascible Aaron Finn. “He never thought I was on drugs, but most of the time he was convinced I was using my computer skills to cheat on tests. The old sourpuss wouldn’t acknowledge my genius and let me skip a grade, he was that sure I’d found a way to rig the system.”
Oliver made a face. “So Grump fits.”
Way to turn him on. Now tell him about the time you got pantsed in fourth grade.
“How did you find the place, anyway? My brother’s gym, I mean. Robert said they hadn’t had a chance to advertise before you walked in and signed up.”
Oliver inhaled another chocolate chip cookie before answering. “I saw the new sign from the street and thought I’d give it a try. I liked the location. What do you do for a living?”
Matthew noticed the quick turnaround. “Technical support for software glitches. Which is about as exciting as it sounds. Lots of ‘Did you try turning it off and then turning it back on again?’ jokes at the office, which are always a laugh. And decent health benefits.”
Oliver tilted his head curiously. “You’d rather be doing something else?”
“Who wouldn’t? But no matter how desperately I long to be a cowboy, the paycheck keeps pulling me back in.”
The truth was he’d rather be learning from Ken Tanaka. The man was a legend among wannabe hackers and pros alike. When he wasn’t helping out the feds and saving the world at large, he was running his own security company and looking after the family. To Matthew, nothing sounded more exciting.
But Tanaka was engaged to his cousin, Brady, and it would feel too much like a handout to ask if there was an opening. They’d already done so much for the three of them, including putting a roof over their heads and saving William’s arse from going to prison. Wanting more would just be greedy. Selfish.
“What are you thinking?”
Matthew leaned his elbows on the table and lowered his voice. “I’m thinking that you keep redirecting my questions without really answering, and I’m wondering why that is.”
Oliver’s gaze flickered, glancing down at Matthew’s lips before licking his own. “Most people like to talk about themselves. I’m not one of them.”
“I can respect that. You’ll note for the record that I’m answering all of your questions, however, which makes this coffee date a wee bit one-sided, if you don’t mind my saying.”
“Your accent gets thicker when you’re trying to be charming. If you don’t mind my saying.”
He flattened his hand against his chest dramatically. “Trying? First, I’m not as attractive as my freckle-faced brother, now this. You’re hell on a man’s ego, Oliver Garcia. For the moment I have enough of it to spare, but it could run out eventually.”
“I never said your brother was more attractive.”
“He’s built.” Matthew grumbled out the reminder in case he’d forgotten.
Oliver rolled his eyes. “Yes. Fine. That’s an undeniable fact. But you’re not exactly a couch potato, physically speaking. For an IT guy who doesn’t appear to spend much time working out, you’re in great shape. Not to mention the dark-haired, blue-eyed Disney prince thing you’ve got going on over there.”
“Disney prince?” Matthew rubbed his jaw to hide his grin, enjoying the stubble scratching his palm. “Are you calling me a pretty boy?”
“Are you trying to tell me you didn’t know?”
Take that handsome Robert.
“You should have seen me when I had my beard. You wouldn’t have called me pretty then—it was a fierce thing to behold.”
“Sounds terrifying.” There was a playful humor in his voice that was captivating. “Why’d you shave it off?”
“It itched like the devil all summer.”
“Ah. Well, I won’t tell you about my one attempt to grow facial hair in high school. There are a few people still living in the world who know me as Patches.”
Matthew couldn’t imagine it. “Covering that face would be a crime.”
“I thought it would make me look older.” Oliver skimmed over the compliment, shrugging one shoulder self-consciously before taking a sip of his coffee. When he licked the whipped cream off his lips, Matthew got a little lightheaded.