Page 26 of One Night With The Nanny

Max humphed at his phone, then recalled Mia’s advice.

He did not have to wait long for Reid’s reply:

“Plans?” Max had an idea of what those plans might be and while he was not a jealous or possessive man, he had an immediate, visceral reaction as he imagined Reid touching and kissing another man in their suite at the Baccarat. “We’ll see about that.”

9

Saturday, 9:32 p.m. …

What was it about pinstripes?

A simple tonal variation in the threads that elevated a basic suit into a statement of confidence and power. And occasionally, a touch of danger and mystery. Bankers and gangsters wore pinstripes, but a careful man never would. Daniel Craig’s James Bond was wearing a navy blue double pinstripe three-piece in Casino Royale.

So was Reid but he wasn’t carrying a Walther PPK. He had half a dozen condoms in his pocket instead. He was in the mood to forget and he was feeling rather dangerous as he checked his reflection in the mirror.

“Maybe I should step up my game and pretend to be a spy,” he said, giving his eyebrow an imperious lift as he saluted a handsome stranger with his invisible drink. The bright pops of plum purple and hot pink in his tie and pocket square hinted at what was waiting inside his trousers, making Reid feel even more dashing and dangerous. “Time to go hunting!”

“Oh! Going out to meet Max?” Dash asked when Reid passed through the kitchen.

Reid gave him an impatient look. “No, for the…hundredth time. I am not interested in Max and I’m not seeing him again. I’m just going out,” he said, eliciting a startled gasp from Dash.

“But what about Max? Agnes said he’s wild about you.”

Reid shrugged as he patted his pockets, doing a quick mental inventory. He had his wallet, his phone, condoms, lube… “I don’t know what Max is up to and it’s not my business. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, tapping his brow on the way to the door.

“Wait!” Dash protested, but Gavin sighed and rolled his eyes from his armchair.

“Save your breath. Reid’s already made up his mind and he’ll go to hell in his own way,” he murmured.

“Thank you,” Reid said to Gavin, then turned to Dash. “What Max does is none of my business and I am a single adult so what I do on my own time is of no concern to him.”

“We’ll see…” Gavin licked a finger before turning a page in his book.

Dash looked troubled as he scrubbed the back of his hair. “I really don’t think you mean that or that you really want to do this,” he whispered.

“Let him go, Dash,” Gavin said as he rose and shooed Reid. “It’s about time we turned in, don’t you think?” he asked and Dash’s face lit up as his eyes flicked to the clock on the mantle.

“Yes, I do!” he said, no longer concerned about Reid.

“Have a good evening, gentlemen,” Reid said, bowing as he backed out of the front door. “Try to keep it down, for our neighbors’ sake,” he teased because he knew full well that Gavin and Dash didn’t give a damn. It was Gavin’s building and, as far as they were concerned, the neighbors could move out if the noise bothered them.

In the hall, Reid frowned up at the unit above them. Mr. Hayes had moved out a few months prior. His children had finally convinced him to move into a nursing home, and Reid couldn’t help wondering if Mr. Hayes’s change of heart had something to do with the newlyweds downstairs. No one who truly knew Gavin could begrudge him his matrimonial bliss, but the frequency and volume of said bliss could get a little alarming.

Thankfully, Reid owned good headphones and had other places to be when things got really hot and heavy in Briarwood Terrace. That wasn’t why Reid was in his sexiest suit, though. The quickest way to forget about Max was to shake him off and get back out there.

And that’s exactly what Reid was doing as he strode through the Baccarat’s main entrance and turned toward the bar. He smiled serenely and offered nods as he passed servers and guests, but Reid noted that something was…slightly off. He was used to stares as he walked in and headed for the bar, but one of the servers blushed at him and Jim’s smile was a touch wider than usual when Reid asked for his Old Fashioned.

“How’s it goin’, Wes?” the bartender asked, wiping the counter in front of Reid. It was clean and dry but Jim kept buffing at the spot in front of him.

“Pretty good,” Reid replied as he rested on an elbow and gave the room a casual scan. “Anything interesting I should be aware of?” he asked and winked over his glass before taking a sip.

“Um…” Jim’s eyes flicked over Reid’s shoulders and he cleared his throat. “No! Nothing yet,” he said, shaking his head quickly. But Reid thought he heard a muffled curse when an elegantly dressed Black man sidled up to Reid.

“Is this seat taken?” the man asked, his voice a rich, deep rumble.

“It is not,” Reid said as he checked for a wedding ring and tried to guess the other man’s age. He was bald but Reid couldn’t tell if it was natural or just freshly shaved. His new friend had a thick, gorgeous beard and it sparkled with flecks of gray as he eyed Reid over a crystal tumbler. His shoulders and his chest were broad under his precisely-cut suit and Reid had a feeling the backside would be just as intriguing. And he was tall. Reid had a serious weakness for tall men.

“Can I buy you another drink?” he asked Reid, a thick brow arching as he eased in closer.

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