Page 6 of Jinn

“I eat everything, so you don’t have to wonder about different foods. Was just headed outside to look around.” Finn paused. “I liked that song you were singing.”

“I like some of it, but it’s not even close to the vibe I was going for, so I’m going to totally rework it.”

“I’ve liked all the music I’ve heard. You’re really working on something special.”

Ajax strummed a note on the guitar in his lap, his grin having faded into a small smile. “A couple of the other songs are really working, so I hope I can get the rest of this album to be just as good. Takes time—and luckily, I took a lot of it to do this.” He shrugged. “Wish the rest of my band felt as good about this as I do.”

“They object?”

“Vehemently. Well, Matt is on my side. Mostly. He gets why I need to do this, but Thorn and Barry are both angry. I get it. They’re scared. BTC has kind of done…well.”

Finn let out a bark of a laugh. “Understatement.”

“Hey, it surprises me, too. We started out like most bands, playing in our parents’ garages, and got lucky. Built local fans, spent an extraordinary amount of time promoting online.”

“And now your concerts sell out.”

“We’ve always focused on the music. On putting out something better than the last. Never skimping. It’s paid off.” He set his guitar down and stood, stretching that gorgeous, sinewy body for a moment before he walked toward Finn.

All that bare, tattooed skin went to Finn’s head. He forced himself to look away because if he kept staring, his desire would be plain. His company had strict rules about personalrelationships with clients, and he’d never broken them. The last four days had shown him that the rest of this six-month stint was going to be hell. Schooling his expression, he looked back at Ajax. “Ivor is coming in later to relieve me,” he reminded him.

“What’s your plan for the weekend?” Ajax scratched his bare, flat belly.

Finn tried not to look there and failed. Inwardly sighing, he managed to bring his focus back to Ajax’s face—not that that was any easier. The man was just too damn pretty to be real. He wanted to put his lips on that sexy chin cleft. “Laundry. Games. I may go out.”

“I miss going out,” Ajax murmured. “There are places in New York I can go where I don’t get mobbed, but I don’t know of any places around here.”

“I can think of a couple if you want to try next week. You have to be going a little stir-crazy by now.”

He shrugged. “Not really. I’m a homebody at heart, and I’m so focused on what I’m doing, I’m fine. But we’ll see.” He paused, studying Finn’s face. “I think I’ll miss you this weekend. It’ll be weird to have someone else.”

“It’s only been four days.”

“I know. But you’re easy to have around.” He winked. “Nice to look at, too.”

Surprised, Finn cleared his throat. Ajax had given him a few looks, but he hadn’t expected to actually hear the man admit to attraction. He didn’t know how to respond to that because he wanted to tell him he felt the same way. But that would be inappropriate.

Thing was, he wasn’t too keen on Ivor being the one to replace him. Ivor was an incubus. Pure walking, talking sex. It was his power, that seduction that he didn’t even have to work for. It poured off him in waves because the man basically fed off sex. So he was designed to attract. In fact, the more Finnthought about it, the more he considered asking Xavier to assign someone else. But that would be admitting to his inappropriate feelings. He really didn’t want to do that.

Ajax chuckled. “You went so quiet. Did I shock you by saying that? You have to know you’re a very attractive man. I’m a healthy gay man and certainly not blind.”

“Just surprised. I’m nothing like your ex.” He meant it. Finn was more of the rough and tumble type. Big. Muscular. Ajax’s slim ex wore a suit like it was a second skin. Finn owned two suits and only wore them when it was absolutely necessary.

“Seen him, huh? I’m not surprised. He did like being in front of a camera. Hell, he probably wanted to be up on the stage, but the man didn’t have a musical bone in his body and couldn’t carry a tune at all.”

“How’d you meet?”

“Mutual friend introduced us. We were friends for a couple of years before it grew into more.” Ajax went back to the chair and picked up his guitar. “He’s not a subject I prefer to talk about though.”

“That’s understandable.”

“You got any persistent exes?”

Finn shook his head. “No. Never have. I keep to myself.”

“So you aren’t interested in having a relationship with someone?”

“Just haven’t met anyone who held my interest like that.”

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