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You have to put yourself out there.
Aren’t you tired of being alone?
You just haven’t met the right guy.
At thirty-six, Kai London had heard it all more times than he cared to think about. To put himself “out there,” however, meant engaging in small talk, which inevitably led to walking the tightrope between being personal and personable.
Except for the occasional errand, he didn’t often leave his apartment. Most communication happened over the phone or through email. Sometimes, he’d go entire days without uttering a single word out loud, and frankly, he saw nothing wrong with that.
Casual hookups held little interest for him, and sex didn’t rank high on his must-do list, either. When the mood did strike, his ridiculously expensive toys did more for him than any man ever had. As an added benefit, his battery-operated-boyfriends didn’t want to cuddle afterward.
If Mr. Right came along, he wouldn’t slam the door in his face, but quite frankly, he was content being alone. Besides, his previous forays into the dating scene hadn’t exactly made him long for that elusive happily ever after.
Standing at the front door of Sintury with a twenty-dollar bill in one hand and his entrance ticket in the other, he silently cursed his sister for being so damn persuasive. The last place he wanted to be was at a meet-and-greet for local singles, even if it happened to be at one of the most popular clubs in Dallas.
“One hour,” Kai warned. “That’s it.” The suit he’d chosen looked amazing, but it wasn’t exactly comfortable. On top of that, his feet ached inside his narrow Oxfords, and the heat of hundreds of bodies packed into the building had already left a fine sheen of perspiration across his brow. “I will not be your wingman. I will not go on a double date with you because some poor shmuck has a friend. Are we clear?”
After a solid week of moping over another breakup, Melissa had the itch again. Since as far back as junior high, his baby sister hadn’t been without a man for more than a couple of months at a time. Melissa enjoyed attention, lived for the chase, and she’d always been in love with the idea of love.
It wouldn’t have been so bad if she didn’t have the absolute worst taste in men.
Melissa snorted, took Kai’s hand, and pulled him through the heavy oak door. “Lighten up. We’re here to have fun, remember?”
“No.” Kai passed his invitation to the doorman, subtly admiring the way his black T-shirt clung to his muscled torso. “You’re here to find your next Prince Charming. I’m here to make sure you don’t get into trouble. No one ever mentioned fun.”
“It was in the fine print,” the bouncer said as he took Kai’s wrist and pulled him closer to place a glow-in-the-dark stamp on the back of his hand. “That shit will get you every time.”
Laughing in spite of himself, Kai nodded and pulled his hand away. “I’ll remember that.”
“Private party is upstairs in the VIP lounge.” Settling back onto his barstool beside the door, he grinned, his chocolate-brown eyes shining with humor. “Have fun.”
Leading the way through the crowd congregating around the north bar, Melissa smiled and waved flirtatiously at a group of boys who looked barely old enough to be in the club. The crimson dress she’d chosen for the evening molded to her like a familiar lover, plunging low at the neckline and leaving very little to the imagination.
In other words, it was working exactly as intended.
“He’s cute,” Melissa called over the dance music blaring from the speakers as she carefully navigated the metal staircase that led up to the private lounge.
“Which one?” Looking over his shoulder, Kai scoffed at the man-child brigade still drooling after his sister.
“The bouncer.”
“The bouncer?” Kai shrugged and settled onto a plush sofa near the railing. The guy’s dark hair held just a hint of curl, which he liked, but not as much as he liked the scruff that adorned his square jaw. “Yeah, I wouldn’t kick him out of bed.”
“Ask him.” Joining him on the leather sofa, Melissa settled down on the edge of the far cushion and twisted her lips into a coy grin. “Maybe he’ll take you up on the offer. I bet he makes a mean breakfast.”
“You are disturbing. You know that, right?”
“Doesn’t mean I’m not right.” Melissa fidgeted, shifting in her seat while her eyes darted about the lounge. “Okay, I’m going to mingle. Maybe grab some cheese from the snack table.” Standing, she smoothed the lines from the front of her dress, then tossed her ebony curls over her shoulder. “Want something?”
“A vodka sour, hold the sour.” Kai shook his head when Melissa frowned at him. “Never mind. I’m good.”
“Kai.” For once, Melissa spoke with complete seriousness. “I know you’re just here for me, but try to have fun, okay?”
“I’ll try,” he promised, albeit begrudgingly.
In reality, he would rather be back in his downtown apartment, curled up on the sofa and binge-watching trash TV in his most comfortable pajamas. Instead of cheese and wine, he’d be elbow-deep in a bag of salt and vinegar chips and washing it all down with enough iced coffee to power a space shuttle.
