Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 15430 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 77(@200wpm)___ 62(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15430 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 77(@200wpm)___ 62(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
“Thank you for the offer,” B purred. He really was touched by it. He couldn’t remember ever dating anyone who was so thoughtful. Ricky was the first to offer to bring him lunch. “But if I know Lucas, he’s already planning to have food catered in throughout the day.”
Ricky nodded, but he really did a poor job of hiding his disappointment. Smiling, B bent and grabbed his lips in another quick kiss. “But if you want to stop back tonight, I can make something special. Maybe my mom’s recipe for chicken pot pie.” Ricky worked as a bouncer at one of his favorite nightclubs. It had taken B three months of teasing and tempting to finally get Ricky into his bed, and B was starting to get a sneaking suspicion that Ricky had no plans to ever leave again.
And oddly enough, B didn’t have a problem with that.
“I’m off tonight. Let me make dinner for you. Sounds like it’s going to be a long day.”
B nodded. “If you want.” Why the hell shouldn’t he let Ricky take care of him if he wanted to? “But I have got to get going. I can’t be late today!”
Shoving off the bed, B hurried to the bathroom. He rushed through his shower and then his usual morning ablutions. For the past year, he’d shaved his head bald, which might be a little strange for a hair stylist, but it looked damn good on him. Particularly when he added some dramatic eyeliner that made his eyes seem even larger in his face. And today, he opted for bold and dramatic. They were celebrating the upcoming wedding of Ian Pierce, after all.
He was about to put on his bright lipstick with the sparkles but paused. He needed coffee first, and he didn’t want to have to reapply. Plus, he couldn’t leave without snagging one more kiss from Ricky.
As he exited the bathroom, he found that Ricky had pulled on his boxers and was standing by the bed with his jeans in hand. B walked over to him and carefully pulled the jeans away. He threw them onto the end of the bed with a smile.
“It’s early. Go back to sleep. You didn’t get here until after two last night.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.” B raised up and brushed his lips across Ricky’s. “Go to sleep. There’s a spare key on the hook in the kitchen. Use it to lock up when you leave for your meeting, and then you can get in to cook dinner.”
Ricky’s smile widened. “This sounds like a very good plan to me.”
B smacked Ricky’s ass and stepped back. “Then go to bed. I expect you rested. I want something sweet to go with my dinner.”
Chuckling, Ricky climbed into bed while B finished getting dressed in black slacks and a black button-down shirt. It wasn’t his first choice; he preferred something with a lot more color and flair, but it was the uniform for the salon, giving everyone a classic, professional look. He turned one way and then another in the mirror, making sure everything looked in place. Snatching up the lint roller from the dresser, he made a quick pass over his slacks, knowing he would do it yet again when he reached the salon. He put the roller down and leaned close to the mirror, checking his eye makeup.
“You look stunning,” Ricky said, bringing a smile to B’s face. “I’m guessing this Vallois is an important client.”
B shook his head and laughed. “He is the most important client on my list, and he’s not even my only billionaire. Not that I have that many of them.” He turned and looked down at Ricky, who was stretched out under the rumpled red sheets. That sent up another shiver of longing through B, but it didn’t deter him. He’d been looking forward to this day since Lucas’s assistant had called him four months ago to schedule the appointments. Ricky would be the special treat waiting for him at the end of his long day.
“Lucas has a lot of important connections in this town. One word from him and I can have all the city’s big shots fighting for an hour in my chair.”
“And I would imagine it gives you a little extra clout in the salon.”
B’s smile turned coy. “It certainly doesn’t hurt.” He shrugged, letting the playfulness slide away. “But even without that, Lucas and his friends are interesting people. They’ve always told the best stories while in my chair. It should be a fun, quiet day. I hope.”
Ricky chuckled. “What could go wrong?”
B glared at him for a moment. “You’ve obviously never met these men. I very much hope you’re right.”
Chapter Two
B arrived at the salon with about thirty minutes to spare. Not nearly as early as he wanted, but it was enough time to grab a cappuccino and double-check his station to make sure all the products he was likely to use were present and full. He didn’t want to rush away to get something in one of the supply cabinets.