Page 26 of Clueless Romeo

That didn't come as a surprise, and I was glad I'd introduced him to the place. "Thanks."

When I headed back for the door, Caleb called, "If you're headed his way, heads up, he's a moody prick this morning." He rolled his eyes dramatically.

Why would CJ be in a bad mood? I didn't ask because I'd rather hear it from CJ. "Thanks for the warning."

With a simple bob of his head, he placed his phone back to his ear. On my way out, I heard him whine, "Doesn't matter that he's my twin, Christa. He's still a moody asshole."

I snorted, finally really understanding CJ's point of view concerning Caleb.

As I set off on foot toward the court, the midday sun shone brightly. The wind had settled down and wasn't as biting as last week, but it was still enough that I was thankful for the thick leather of my coat.

As I strode down the sidewalk, I passed by people coming and going from shops. Pausing with a small crowd at a crosswalk, we waited for the light to change. I found myself smiling as we finally crossed the street. I wasn't sure whether it was because I was sure I'd found the right guy for him or if I just wanted to see him. Which didn't really make sense. Either way, as I closed in on the court and spotted CJ, my grin only broadened.

My smile faded as I closed the distance. Despite the cold air, CJ only wore a pair of basketball shorts and a light gray sleeveless t-shirt that clung to his back with sweat as he pounded the ball against the cracked concrete. More skin was on display than he'd revealed before, unblemished and pale, except for a few red splotches, a sign he hadn't simply been messing around out here.

I stopped next to the bleachers, crossing my arms over my chest as I watched.

With a view of his profile, I observed drops of sweat rolling down his forehead, and it was obvious he'd been playing hard. I wondered if this was his normal method of working off stress. If it was, Caleb was right. He must have been in a mood worse than I'd expected, and that bothered me.

His arms rose, face etched with concentration. The basketball sailed from his fingertips, making a perfect arc when he took the shot, then easily slipped through the frayed net.

I glanced back at him. "Nice shot."

At the sound of my voice, he whipped toward me with his brow furrowed. "Uh, thanks. What are you doing here?"

CJ gripped the bottom of his shirt and lifted it to wipe the sweat from his brow away. My eyes locked on his firm abs beneath smooth skin, shiny with perspiration. I had a brief glimpse of flat brown nipples on a sculpted chest before he dropped the fabric.

Frowning, I mentally shook my head at having noticed his body in the first place.Reallynoticed, as in I hadn't minded the view. At all. "I see you must have liked this grand court."

He snorted and glanced around the rundown place before looking back at me. "It gets the job done."

"The job?" I tilted my head. "Working out your problems, you mean?"

"What makes you think I have problems?" He squinted before groaning. "Never mind. I'm guessing you talked to Caleb."

"I did," I confirmed with a nod. "I was looking for you."

He walked over and scooped the ball from the dead grass where it had rolled before heading in my direction. "Why were you looking for me?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something. You mind if we…" I gestured to the poor excuse for bleachers.

Even though CJ appeared confused, he nodded. Taking a seat in the middle row, he propped his feet on the lower bench and dropped the ball between his legs. I took the spot next to him and paused, considering how to best bring up Nate.

"Well?" CJ prodded. "You just going to leave me hanging?"

I glanced at him and got to the point. "I think I found a guy you might be interested in."

CJ groaned. "This day just keeps getting better."

"We don't have to talk about it now." The last thing I wanted to do was add to whatever the problem was. "You seem to have enough on your plate."

"It's not that bad, I guess. There were a couple boxes of inventory missing that were supposed to arrive yesterday afternoon. Dealing with that, and then my dad called this morning…" He trailed off. "Just lay it on me."

His gaze flickered, curious yet unsure. I recognized the look. I'd dealt with my share of skeptics. But it could be more difficult to make him see Nate as anything more than a lost bet in his current state of mind. "Really, we can wait."

CJ was already shaking his head. "Nope. Let's hear it. Who's my perfect guy?"

After a brief pause to study him, I laid out my sales pitch. "Okay then. He's tall. Good looking. A former professional athlete—"

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