Page 77 of Dead Vengeance

“Archer,” he tells me, breaking into my thoughts. “I think we’ve reached the stage where you can call me Archer.”

“Archer,” I repeat. And because I have about as much game as a puddle of water, I follow it up with, “I like your name,” because I do. It’s a really nice name. And it suits him. Because he seems strong and brave and so fucking hot.

The corner of his mouth quirks, quizzical. “I like your name too, Liam,” he says, a little playfully.

“Do you?” God, the desperation in my voice.

He laughs again, but a little bashfully this time. Not the laugh I’d expect of a man who just asked me for sex so openly. “I like it a lot.” And there’s a gravel in his voice. A warm rasp, and I’m so into him.

Which leaves me two options here. Explain the situation, look like an immature mess of a man, and risk him losing all interest in me on the spot. Or… “This car is really nice.”

Oh my god. Maybe he could run me over with it and save me this embarrassment.

“Thank you,” he replies, gaze running across the dashboard and not me, which isn’t exactly what I wanted. “It was a… gift. From a client.”

“Wow. They just gave it to you?”

That laugh again. “They did.”

“You must have really rich clients.” I think I’ve put my foot right in it when his eyes widen a little. Talking about money is crass to rich people like him, and I know that. Jesus. I sound like I’m down the pub with my mates.

“My clients tend to be… older,” he explains. “People who don’t get much use out of their belongings anymore. So, it was more like junk they had sitting around than anything. To them. Not to me. I couldn’t have afforded something like this in… in an ordinary job. Something I was… qualified for.” His face screws up. “Not like… I’m obviously qualified for this, you know? But it’s not something… Well, it’s not something you go to university for. Or whatever.”

“Antiques dealing?”

“Y-yep,” he stumbles. “That. Antiques dealing. You just have to get to know the right clients, and it’s all smooth sailing from there. You’d be amazed what some of these people can find for you.”

“It sounds fascinating.”

“It has its ups and downs.”

The conversation dries up.

He doesn’t move. And I don’t move. But I should. I should just open the door and run inside and forget this. Pretend I didn’t understand his suggestion earlier. Maybe that’s for the best. “Well, goodni—”

“Liam…” The tone of his voice is too serious. It’s not sex-serious, unfortunately. It’s something else. It halts me with my hand on the door, waiting. “What are you going to do?”

Wait. Maybe sex is on? God, this guy is so confusing. “I’m… um… Is there something… you think… I should do?”

“Y-yeah. Kind of.” His eyes settle on the road in front of us. “I know I’m not in any sort of position to be asking you things or making suggestions…”

My heart beats a little quicker with the words. Is he actually nervous too? Like… like this is more than a quick something in the car?

It’s not that I minded him making the suggestion to hook up in such a forthright way. I think sex would be great fun. But… I’d be lying if I didn’t want it to be… just a little more than that. Maybe even… more than a onetime thing?

“I don’t mind you making a suggestion,” I cut back in, maybe a little suggestive, maybe a little breathy. “Is there something you’d like?”

His head spins towards me like a double take, but it’s one fast take, and I think he got the message. But I still can’t bring him upstairs, and I still want him, and this tension is killing me, so before my mind can even stumble to keep up, my cock beats out the words, “Mr Gravely?”

Dead silence. Pin-drop silence. Not a movement, not a breath.

Archer’s frozen like I’m Medusa and he just saw my face for the first and last time.

I think I might die. I really think I might die right about now.

“Um…” I watch the movement of his throat as he swallows. “It was… Um… What…” He licks his lips, and I want so badly to kiss them. “What I was saying…”

I take hold of his gear stick as I swivel around to face him. “Mmhmm?”