Page 3 of Jinn

And that voice!

Deep, melodic and so full of emotion. He had this sort of rumble on the low notes that sent shivers down Finn’s spine. He could listen to this guy sing all day.

Daniel pointed at the screen. “They don’t rely on a lot of gimmicks when they sing live. It’s all about the music and the lyrics, the sheer majesty of what they create. It’ll blow you away.” He glanced back at Xavier. “Sure I can’t be his bodyguard? I’ll happily step away from this desk!”

Xavier shook his head, his long, black hair swishing over his shoulders. “This is Finn’s job, and I need you here.”

“Bummer.” Daniel turned back to the screen.

“Show me another video,” Finn said as he leaned closer to the monitor. Daniel did. And again, Finn found himself mesmerized. And not only by the singer—the music, dark and melodious, pulled a person in, the song building until goosebumps sprouted on Finn’s back and arms. When the song ended, he realized he was responding more to this man in a video than he had to the three hot men at the club. A small buzz of anticipation zipped through him as he turned to Xavier. “When does the job start?”

“Today. Here’s the address.” Xavier handed him a piece of paper.

“Guess Raft is out for tonight,” Finn told Daniel before looking at Xavier. “You said fans—are they the only threat?”

“Nothing in particular, outside of a couple of fans who have gone over what would be considered polite.”

“So, cush job again.” His last job was supposed to have been easier than it had been. He had to wonder if this rock star would end up being another narcissistic nightmare. He hoped not. But as he watched another video, he didn’t get that impression. This music had soul. It had meat to it. And there was something about the singer that felt…real. His absolute joy in performing, the incredible music itself—it was all very powerful.

Finn stood and nodded to Xavier. “I’ll get going then.”

It didn’t take him long to pack since he’d be coming home on weekends to replenish clothes, but as he folded shirts and jeans and threw in his portable game system for down times, he looked around at his apartment. He’d picked a place with high ceilings and lots of windows because he couldn’t stand feeling closed in. He had his reasons—ones he didn’t like to think about. He hoped the house he’d be in for the next six months was as roomy, but he’d make it work no matter what.

A strange sort of excitement filled him, though it was slightly tinged with wariness. He looked forward to meeting Ajax, especially after seeing how dynamic he was on stage, and after hearing such deeply moving music and lyrics. But that hint of wariness came from just having finished a job with another famous person who turned out to be the absolute worst sort of human being.

As he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed out, the anticipation took precedence, so he decided to give this rock star the benefit of the doubt.

The house was thirty minutes outside of the city. Douglas firs, maples and western hemlock trees grew thicker the closer he got to the place. Once he found the driveway, Finn pulled up to the gate and rolled down the window to hit the intercom. Took a couple of minutes for an answer.

“Yes?”

The man’s voice was just as deep when speaking as it was when he sang.

“Finn Kelly from Protective Solutions. You were expecting me?”

“Sure. I’ll open the gate.”

Finn followed along the driveway, parking in the circular section in front of the house, a sprawling one-story gray brickvilla. The double front doors opened as he was getting out of his truck.

The man who stood in the doorway looked so far removed from the man he’d watched in those videos, wearing loose jeans and a T-shirt that didn’t quite meet the low waist of his jeans. His hipbones were exposed. His feet were bare. His brown hair fell in wiry waves to his collar in the back. Eyes narrowed on him as Finn stopped at the bottom of the two steps that led to the porch.

Ajax had a poet’s face with sharp cheekbones and nose, and the sexiest cleft chin Finn had ever seen. The musician tilted his head, and sunlight sparkled in emerald green eyes.

A brush of awareness swept over Finn’s skin, which surprised him, made him study Ajax a little more closely. The man stared back, his eyes widening slightly as his gaze ran down Finn’s body then back up.

When he smiled, Finn held his breath.

That smile transformed an already pretty face into something spectacular. It was a true smile with nothing fake about it. A smile that proved Finn didn’t need to be wary. There was a sincerity there his last client had lacked entirely. A depth of character Finn had already glimpsed through his music.

This man,this human, was something special, making this job suddenly very, very interesting.

Chapter Three

Ajax

The man standing before him stole the breath from his lungs.His face. Rugged was the first word that came to mind, with his auburn shadowed, square jaw and sharp cheekbones that sloped like arrows pointing to lips that were the most interesting shade of natural pink.Lusty gallantwas the description that came to his mind, his mind notching on how incongruous that soft pink was nestled in such a masculine face. The lips of a muse.

His whimsical thought didn’t surprise him; he was firmly in a writing stage, which always made him observe everything closely. Think outside the box.

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