Page 2 of Hell or High Water
Had this guy come over because he thought Nate was an easy mark? Rich and famous?
Beautiful guy smiled, even white teeth flashing in his mouth. He was a little less startlingly gorgeous when he flashed them. It made him look more real, less like an underwear model on a gigantic billboard.
“I’m Ramsey,” he said. He didn’t extend his hand, and Nate didn’t go to shake it.
“Nate,” he returned, though he was about eighty percent sure the guy had clocked him and had come over here with a free beer only because he was Nate Bishop, defensive end and captain of the Toronto Thunder.
That was annoying, for sure, but Nate would be lying if he said he wasn’t used to it.
“You don’t sound very Canadian,” Ramsey said, who didn’t sound very Canadian either.
Nate didn’t do a double take, but he wanted to. Was it possible . . .was itpossiblethis guy hadn’t recognized him?
“You don’t either,” Nate countered.
Hewassure guys probably saw Ramsey sauntering over in their direction and fell to their knees, slobbering all over themselves for even a chance to touch his hand.
But that wasn’t Nate’s style. Never had been. Hot was great and all, but he liked a guy with a little substance to him. Even if all that substance ended up being was saved as “big dick” in his phone.
“Nope,” Ramsey said. “From all over, really. Spent some time in the Pacific Northwest. Now I’m in Buffalo.”
“This isn’t Buffalo.”
“Hotandsmart,” Ramsey said with a smirk.
Nate shot him a look full of disbelief. He was good-looking, sure, but there were far more attractive people at this bar, Ramsey included.
Ramsey just shrugged, like he knew all of what had just flashed through Nate’s mind. “You’ve got a nice face.”
“Okay, sure,” Nate said, laughing now. “You gonna tell me what you’re doing in Toronto?”
“You actually want me to?” Ramsey asked.
Nate also hated the pointless exercise of small talk. He’d never been good at it. Probably one of the reasons he was done with the hookup lifestyle. Going through the motions of looking interested in something more than a guy’s dick when he wasn’t, at all, seemed pointless. Like a waste of everyone’s time.
“Not really, actually,” Nate admitted.
The smirk on Ramsey’s face deepened, like he enjoyed catching Nate in that little morsel of tasty honesty.
“I wasn’t going to tell you anyway,” Ramsey said.
“What lie were you going to tell me?” Nate wondered.
Ramsey’s eyes lit up, genuine interest there now. Before, he’d been at least a little honest, but maybe more playing a part than anything else. Nate’s heart quickened. He shouldn’t care if this was more than just two bodies in the dark, especially when one of the bodies looked like that, but hedid.
“Hmm, that’s an interesting question. Businessman up here for work?” Ramsey suggested, and Nate shook his head.
“You can do better than that,” Nate challenged.
“Maybe I’m up here to cheat on my wife,” Ramsey offered.
“Your wife?” Nate asked in disbelief. “You barely noticed that girl who tried to hit on you. Am I supposed to buy the story that you cared enough about a woman to marry her?” He paused, glancing down at Ramsey’s hands. They were bare, but well-formed. Ghosts of callouses visible in the dim light of the bar. “Plus, no ring line.”
“Caught me again.”
“I sure did.”
“How about, I’m in the city to do research?”
