Page 37 of Conquest

“Jesse,” Kenny pleaded in a panicked voice.

Tim snorted in disgust. “You’re calling me unprofessional? I just assumed you’d be more comfortable getting on your knees to pick it up.”

Jesse leaned over the edge of the desk toward Tim. “If you’ve got a problem with me, say it!”

Tim’s eyes narrowed, his voice lowered to a hiss. “We both know how you got this deal. As much as I hate to admit it, you’re pretty sharp to have figured out that the right kind of attention to the right person can get you big favors.”

Jesse shook his head slightly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Let’s cut the oblivious act, okay? I know what you are. When we went to see you guys last Saturday, a few minutes after we went back into the bar after meeting you, we saw Kenny leave with a girl, but you were nowhere to be seen. Greg and I left, but Evan claimed he needed to use the restroom and then would go home. Greg and I talked at my car for a while, then when I tried to get out of that hellhole of a neighborhood, I saw you and Evan standing by a truck, and you were holding his hand.”

Jesse forced his face to be impassive. The only thing that stopped him from screaming his sleeping with Evan had nothing to do with his being there was knowing Evan had never openly admitted his sexuality, and he sure as hell wasn’t about to be the one to out him. “So what? He was showing me one of his rings.”

The contempt in Tim’s expression deepened. “Yeah, I bet he was. The second I saw you I had my suspicions, but Evan Arden, that I just can’t believe. You must be damn good to have gotten him to arrange this for you.”

Jesse balled his hand in a tight fist. “He didn’t have anything to do with this!”

“Keep using that. Maybe someone will eventually believe you.” Tim stood up and walked around his desk. “I’m going to get some coffee. Sign the contract and be out of my office before I get back.”

Jesse stared down at the floor, his right hand trembled from the force of his white-knuckled fist. Kenny picked the contract up from the floor and handed it to him without looking at him.

“It’s not true, Kenny,” Jesse mumbled.

Kenny nodded, his head turned away from him.

Jesse snatched Kenny’s wrist, forcing him to look at him. “It’s not true! I didn’t sleep with Evan to get us a contract! You believe me, don’t you?”

Kenny averted his eyes from him and sat quiet for a moment as if carefully choosing his words. “I believe you probably didn’t do it on purpose. But you have to admit, the timing is pretty impeccable. Maybe he acted on his own, thinking it’d make you happy. Or maybe he had already set this up, thinking he could use it to get you to show your gratitude to him afterward and you moved a step quicker than he anticipated.”

Jesse adamantly shook his head. “You’re wrong. Ev wouldn’t do that. You don’t know him.”

“And you do?” Kenny snapped. “You’ve known him two days, Jess. For all you

know, this is your payment for giving him a good time.”

Jesse coughed at the pain Kenny’s words caused. A deep ache constricted his chest and closed his throat. He set the contract on Tim’s desk, stood, and turned to leave.

Kenny jumped up, catching him by his upper arm. “Where’re you going?”

“I’m leaving.”

“You can’t leave! We have to sign the contract!” Kenny snatched the contract Jesse had set down and shoved it against Jesse’s chest. “Everything we’ve ever dreamed about and worked for is right here!”

“And it doesn’t mean shit if you believe I whored myself out to get it!”

“Stop acting like this! What difference does it make? Let’s just sign it and move forward!”

“I’m not signing it until you say you believe me!”

“Fine! I believe you!”

Jesse lowered his gaze from Kenny. All his life, he had been proud to know there were two people who would never lie to him. Now, he only had Brandon. He set his hand on the contract Kenny had pinned to his chest and eased back down in the chair. Kenny sat beside him and began reading his copy, or at least, made a good show of trying. Jesse stared blankly at the first page.

“Hey, guys. How’ve you been?”

Jesse and Kenny both turned to see Greg standing in the office doorway.

“Great, Mr. Hansen. How about you?” Kenny said.