Page 10 of Kissing Danger

“Surprisingly, no. I thought I was going to be in the police station all weekend answering questions, but after taking my statement and hearing my summary of what happened, they dismissed me. I haven’t heard back from them since.”

That was concerning. Even if Deacon wasn’t a suspect in the model’s death, the fact that she had been intended to present Deacon’s work meant that he should at least be a person of interest.

It seemed my instinct to investigate the case on my own had been right. So long as Agent Belden was focused on me, no one was going to look into anything else.

As these thoughts ran through my mind, Deacon had already returned to his sketchbook.

“It must have been shocking,” I said, keeping my voice gentle in case I was touching on a sensitive topic. “Finding a dead body like that.”

To my surprise, he just shrugged. “I didn’t actually find it, but the person who did find it was too busy screaming to actually do anything useful, so I reported it.” Placing his pencil down, he slid his sketchbook over to me. “Although, it certainly wasn’t how I pictured ending my night. Now, here, take a look at these designs. Do these match what you’re thinking of? Remember, these are just off the top of my head, so they aren’t final or anything.”

He seemed more nervous presenting me his designs than he did talking about the dead body he’d literally found two days ago. I was intrigued, but this wasn’t the right situation for me to pry. Instead, I simply picked up the sketchbook and flipped through the designs.

When sketching out an idea, many designers drew blank models standing in generic T-poses that exposed every element of the design. Deacon, however, drew his models in some sort of motion to show off how the garment would move with them. His drawings felt more alive than many of the actual outfits I’d seen on the runway at the fashion show.

“Perfect,” I praised him. “This is just what I’m looking for.” Smiling, I handed him back the sketchbook along with his portfolio. “Assuming the hiring paperwork all checks out, by the end of the week you can call yourself a member of my team.”

“Great,” Deacon said, though he had an odd look on his face. He stood up, looking down at me in an oddly similar pose to the way Agent Belden had tried to intimidate me, but there was nothing aggressive in his posture. “Now that we’ve got that settled, answer me this. Are you hitting on me?”

After everything I’d experienced in my forty-six years of life, I didn’t think I could be shocked by anything, but apparently, Iwas wrong. No one had ever asked me such a question so bluntly before, and I didn’t know what to say in response.

“I... would hope the answer to that question was obvious. I’ve not been subtle.”

Deacon nodded, agreeing with me, though the gesture seemed to be more for his sake than mine. “Yeah, I thought so. I just... wasn’t sure if you were being serious or not.”

Standing, so I no longer had to look up at him, I let my hands hang loosely at my sides to avoid reaching out to him or making any sort of accidentally aggressive move. “And if I was being serious? How would you feel about that?”

His mouth scrunched to one side as he thought, emphasizing the dimples on his cheeks. The slight beard on his face seemed like it was meant to hide those dimples, but they were too prominent to be ignored.

I also wouldn’t call his facial hair a beard. At most, I would call it nicely groomed stubble. Back in my home country, men traditionally wore robust beards several inches long at the minimum. When I’d shaved my own beard in order to fit in better with the western world, my face had felt cold for days. By comparison, Deacon was practically clean-shaven, though I knew that probably wasn’t what he was going for. His “beard” was likely meant to add strength to his face and keep him from looking too cute.

It was a useless attempt, especially when he made such endearing expressions that just made me want to pin him down and kiss him.

At such close proximity, when he finally looked up and met my gaze, I noticed the abundance of green and amber radiating out from the center of his hazel eyes, like the rays of a spring sun.

“If you are serious, then you need to be upfront,” he declared. “I don’t like playing games or beating around the bush. If you are interested in me that way, then... do something about it.”

I thought I was shocked a moment ago, but once again I was wrong. That was just surprise. What I felt now was true shock.

I’d been given an invitation I couldn’t refuse.

Quickly stepping forward, I backed him up until he pressed against the desk. Placing my hands on the desktop on either side of him, caging him in, I slipped my leg between his so our hips ground together.

“Mark your words,” I whispered directly into his ear. “I’m not a patient man. Once you invite me in, I won’t hesitate to take what I want.”

I watched the thoughts bounce around behind his eyes as he debated with himself, but after a moment, he grabbed the lapels of my suit and pulled me closer.

That was it. He was mine, and I wasn’t letting him go.

CHAPTER 6

Deacon

Nathan kissed like a typhoon.Intense, powerful, and impossible to stop once started. All I could do was cling to his shoulders and try to hold on for the ride. Even kissing him back, sealing my mouth over his and tangling his tongue with my own, made me feel like a puppet being led through a dance rather than an equal participant.

Before I realized what was happening, I lost my balance and fully sat on the desk. My feet were off the floor, and only my grip on his shoulders kept me upright.

When we finally parted, I was panting like I’d just run from one end of the desert to the other, overwhelmed yet still parched.

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