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“I’m not following.” Mendez wore a deep frown. “Like a doctor or hotel staff?”
Jack looked away. “Maybe a hookup.”
There went that rumbling snarl. Jack had thought he’d heard things before, but now he was certain that Mendez growled. “I’m not your pimp, Jack. If you want some pussy, you’ll have to arrange that yourself, and I would have to do a thorough background check, which might take days.”
Damn, Mendez sounded mad enough to chew nails. Jack flipped the covers back and got up, pacing the small area, thankful the bed was between them. “You work for me, Mendez. Your job is to keep me safe. If I want you to find me a hookup, what’s the problem?”
Could he sound any more like an asshole? Jack never pulled the you-work-for-me card. Not unless someone was being a complete douchebag. Which Mendez wasn’t. He was right, and that grated on Jack’s nerves. Because of who he was, the person would have to be screened. He’d never known what Cal had done to find the guys for Jack, but of course, Cal would’ve been very careful in who he sent to Jack’s hotel rooms.
“The problem?” Mendez’s eyes blazed. “I could give you a list of problems that your request entails.”
Jack took a deep breath. He needed to be more specific. Mendez might still refuse, but at least he would know Jack’s preferences. Maybe that would cool the man’s temper, though Jack didn’t know why his bodyguard was getting bent out of shape. “I’m not looking for pussy.”
“Then…” Mendez frowned as he studied Jack. He saw when understanding dawned on the guy. God, Jack’s heart was pounding so hard he felt lightheaded. His stomach cramped as he began to sweat. Would Mendez think him perverse? Would he think Jack an abomination? Or would he be cool about it but still refuse to help him find a fuck buddy?
Jack didn’t like that phrase. It made casual hookups sound so fucking dirty. This was why he refused to come out. His life was already under a microscope, and his worst fear was his fans turning on him, that the career he’d worked so hard for, through blood, sweat, and tears, would be over.
Mendez cocked his head to the side. “Cal used to find you hookups, Jack?”
“He never put me in danger,” Jack argued, though he wasn’t sure why. Mendez was calm, a lot calmer than he’d been a moment before. “He screened potentials very thoroughly.”
Now that was a lie. On Jack’s part, because he had no clue what Cal had done to find the guys.
“With men.” It was a flat-out statement.
Jack’s heart thumped as he swallowed then slowly nodded. He wanted to tell Mendez that he was bound by his confidently agreement not to breathe a word of this, but his throat had gone bone-dry. He could sue the security firm if Mendez told anyone, but the damage would have already been done.
“You’re shaking.”
Jack hadn’t noticed until Mendez said something. “It’s cold in here.”
If anything, the room felt too hot.
Mendez moved closer, and Jack held his breath. His bodyguard stood right in front of him, towering over him, and Jack dropped his gaze. He knew he shouldn’t have said anything. It had been too big a risk, and now there was no recalling this entire conversation. He’d just wanted some tension released, and when that thought popped into his head, that was all he wanted.
Mendez tucked his fingers under Jack’s chin and forced him to look up. Torturous seconds passed before he said, “You’re gay.”
Another statement that Jack couldn’t find the courage to answer.
“And Rachael is just a front.”
Jack yanked his chin away and looked defiantly at Mendez. “You like digging up all my dirty secrets?”
He swallowed the hard lump in his throat. His hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms. Jack wasn’t going to let the guy make him feel vulnerable and exposed, and right now he was as exposed as he could be with Mendez.
“Jack, I’m just trying to understand this,” Mendez said, his voice too reasonable, too peaceful. Which made Jack look like a petulant child lashing out. Exactly how he was acting.
He ran a hand over his head as he let out a breath. “Just forget I even brought it up.”
Too bad his dick couldn’t forget his needs. Jack was wearing jeans, which he should have changed out of when they’d gotten back to the room, but he still felt as if his desires were on display. He turned toward the window, looking out over the landscape, the parked cars and the ones passing by on the street below.
“Jack.”
“Just forget it, Mendez,” Jack said, his voice tight. “That wasn’t fair of me to ask such a thing from you.” At least Mendez had dropped the Mr. Dane thing and was calling him by his first name, though Jack wasn’t sure if that was better. His name sounded too damn good on the man’s lips.
He closed his eyes when he heard a door shut. Jack turned and saw Mendez had gone into the bathroom. He sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. So much for a good tension release. Now Jack was more wound up than ever.
If he was an idiot, he’d go downstairs to the lounge and see if there was any guy willing to fuck him, but that was asking for trouble, especially when the guy he really wanted was in the bathroom.
