Taming Arrogance (MalexMale) 《COMPLETE》

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Memories flood my mind as I look around the luxurious living room of the penthouse suite. Calling the concierge to ask for the nearest gay bar. Waking up in a fit of sweat, only to find a half-naked Blake emerging form the bathroom. Flashes of Blake pressing me against the window. The soft glow of the TV and city lights bouncing off of his features. Masculine fingertips sliding around my wrist, urging me to stay.

I blink away the thoughts and slide my suitcase against the wall.

"So, what's the game plan for tonight?"

"Why? Got somewhere to be?" Blake asks coolly.

He doesn't look at me when he asks the question, but the hardness of his voice tells me all I need to know.

He's jealous.

And fuck, is it hot.

The last time we were in Miami, I had no problem playing off that jealousy. Now though, with how delicate things are between us, I feel like it's too soon to go down that road again.

I clear my throat and plop on the couch. "Not at all. Just wondering what the game plan is."

Blake eyes me. This is my first attempt at 'diffusing' a situation. I can only imagine what thoughts are racing through his head because of it. He grabs the handle of his suitcase and begins dragging it down the hallway.

My lustful gaze laps up the view, his backside far more alluring in a pair of jeans than most of his dress pants. I want to grab my suitcase and follow a step behind him, but my fear of rejection keeps me in place. He has yet to tell me where I'll be sleeping, but I'm also too much a chicken shit to ask.

Besides, if it's anywhere but in bed – with him – I think I'd rather wait to hear the answer.

A few minutes pass. I picture Blake setting his suitcase on the bed, unpacking his clothes like the neat freak he is. I've noticed clutter or filth of any kind bothers him. Kansas told me one time a worker came in to fix the overhead lights in his room. Unfortunately for the worker, he didn't realize he'd traipsed in mud with his boots.

Granted, I wasn't there to witness the disastrous event unfold, but from Kansas's animated version, Blake was ready to rip up the whole damn carpet just to be rid of the mess.

I grin and wonder what he'd say if he got into my car at any point. His lips would curl in disgust within seconds. My grin widens as I picture the look on his face if he realized that was the vehicle which carried his lunch back to the office for weeks on end.

He'd probably burn my car on the spot.

Blake strides back into the living room with a clean pair of black dress pants and a deep purple dress shirt. He rolls the sleeves up to his elbows and fidgets with the watch on his wrist.

"Callum, I would like to invite you to be my date tonight."

"Your date?"

Blake gives a clipped nod. "My date. When the two of us go out, we do so as co-workers. Sometimes friends. I realize that's all we are, but tonight, I would like you to consider yourself my date."

I frown and lean forward on the couch. The idea in and of itself is incredibly appealing. Then again, I think I'd agree to just about anything Blake asked of me. The reason for my pause is to understand the angle.

Blake is an intelligent man. He's a planner. Nothing he does is without reason, and no request he gives is without purpose.

So what's the angle here?