Brainy and the Beast (7 page)

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting.” Henry slid onto the stool next to me.

“No worries. I was early. It’s a habit.”

“I’ll remember that.” He nodded at the bartender. “What kind of red do you have?”

While Henry figured out what he was drinking, I let my gaze go over him top to bottom. Man, he looked hot. Great-looking woven sport coat—maybe silk?—and
very
nicely fitting slacks. He actually had his dress shirt open at the collar, and my gaze locked on the hollow of his throat. I was seriously tempted to bend toward him and lick that shadowy little spot.

The corners of his lips moved into a slow smile, and I raised my eyes to meet his. He was watching me watch him, and for a moment we just stared at each other.

“Hungry?”

Yeah
. “Uh-huh.”

“For dinner, I mean.”

I nodded. “Absolutely.”

The bartender coughed from a few feet away, and I realized how closely I’d been leaning toward Henry. I could feel my face burning as I sat back on my stool, and I gulped the rest of my drink as cover.

“Why don’t we move to our table? I asked if we could have something nice and quiet.” Henry laid a twenty on the bar, then picked up his glass.

I followed the elegantly dressed hostess into the dining room, and she led us to a table in the far corner. I sat down before Henry could pull out my chair, just in case the guy was thinking about doing it.

“So, Nicholas. You and your father own the garage, is that correct? I think I recall something like that from the letter Mr. Pentazi sent a few months ago.” Henry busied himself putting his napkin in his lap.

“Yeah. Yes. My grandfather actually started the business back in the forties, and my dad took over in 1975.” I eased back as a busboy delivered a basket of bread. “I took over about five years ago when my dad decided he didn’t want to have to deal with bringing the shop current with technology.”

“So you’re fluent with computers, networks, and adapting technology to suit the needs of your business?”

I was kind of impressed he thought so, but… “No. God, no. I just figured out what we’d need after I talked to some computer geeks, and my banker turned me on to a network guy who used to be a hacker. I think the FBI actually tried to hire him or something like that.” I pulled apart a piece of warm focaccia that smelled heavenly. “Or so he says. Anyway, I’ve kind of learned as I went along.”

“And how has it been, running your own business? Challenging, I would assume, to keep and grow your customer base.”

I shrugged, thinking about it. “Well, I’ve gone to classes with two of my mechanics down at this tech institute in Glendale Heights. Then we invested in computer diagnostic equipment, and the sales rep did on-site training for that. It’s allowed us to work on newer cars with all the crazy computerized systems.” I grinned. “That’s for sure been a smart move. Now Lee and even Wilmer want to take some classes.”

“You certainly seem to know your business. Mr. Pentazi was very complimentary of you.”

“You talked to him about me?”

“Of course.” Henry said it as if there were never a question he’d call my old competition. “After I left the car with you, I phoned him. He told me that you and your father have established quite a good reputation for classic automobiles. I gather he feels that if he can’t take care of my car any longer, I should most definitely be bringing my business to you.”

“Your business?” I was kind of hoping he meant monkey business. That
was
why we were here, wasn’t it? At any rate, the way those Jaguar-blue eyes were gleaming at me was telling me something. Something good.

“Oh, yes.”

Definitely good.

The waiter picked that moment to interrupt us with news of the daily specials. Me? I couldn’t have cared less about what was on special. I wanted to find out just what business Henry was bringing my way.

“I think that sounds very good. Don’t you, Nicholas? Do you want to join me in the special?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

With a husky chuckle, Henry spoke to the waiter. “All right, we’ll have two. And we’ll start with the lobster bisque.”

I nodded when he looked at me questioningly on the last part.

“Excellent. Now, where were we?”

“Business. Um. Us. Doing business together. I’m for it.”

“Good.” Henry reached for his glass of wine and took a sip, all the while watching me.

My dick was twitching, and I could feel a tingle in my balls. I was sitting across from the hottest brainy guy I’d been with—maybe ever—and I was ready to move to the next step. But I figured we’d have to eat dinner first. “So. What kind of robots are you building? Is it like that fight movie with Hugh Jackman?”

“Who?” Henry looked a little puzzled at that.

“You know. The Wolverine guy.” I sniffed the bisque that had been set in front of me. “This smells really good.”

“Yes, it does.” Henry spooned up a taste. “I’m not sure what the Wolverine is, but my research is centered on military applications and space exploration.”

“Oh. So, is it secret?” I was kidding and was surprised when Henry nodded with a sober look on his face.

“Actually, yes.”

“Really.”

Chuckling, Henry nodded indulgently. “Yes.” He applied himself to his soup but watched me between each spoonful.

I finished my bisque, then sat back, drumming my fingers on the arm of my chair. “Okay. I don’t think I’ve ever been around anybody who was doing something, like, supersecret. How do you keep from accidentally telling someone?”

“I don’t really talk to people.”

Henry said it so calmly that I had to believe him. “So, what am I? I’m people.”

“You, Nicholas, are something altogether different.”

I had to chew on that, literally, since our entrees arrived soon after that. I was happy to see that the mystery dinner I’d agreed to was grilled salmon with a dill sauce.

We talked back and forth about things, and I admitted to Henry that I was an avid shooter. I usually kept quiet about my guns and my love for target shooting and hunting, since many of my customers would have been horrified.

“So. You’re a hunter. Do you eat what you kill?”

Was he challenging me? “Yes. I do.” I took my role as a steward of the environment very seriously. “In fact, I usually take my venison to my dad’s church every year. They serve a big community dinner at Christmas, and lots of the poor folks from the north section of the county come out.”

“Very commendable of you.”

“It doesn’t bother you?”

Henry looked surprised. “No. Why would it?”

“A lot of people around here are kind of antigun.”

Henry shrugged. “I see nothing to oppose.”

Interesting. An egghead who was open-minded. That could bode well. “What do you do when you’re not roboting?”

The restaurant around us was busy, but the sounds of flatware on china and the chinking of glasses were still muted. I guess when people paid a lot for the ambience, they were planning on soaking it in as much as they could. I knew I was. At least as far as the guy across the table from me was concerned.

Henry settled back in his chair. “Well, not that much, really. I have some fish that I enjoy. And I garden a bit during the summer months.”

“Like aquarium fish?”

“Yes. Saltwater. I have two large tanks at home and one in my office. Are you interested in fish?”

“Just the kind I can eat.” I forked up the last of my salmon.

“Well, you won’t be getting near my tank, then, Nicholas. I’ll have to make sure to keep you far away from it when you’re at my home.” Henry sounded sure of himself—and of the fact that I’d be at his house.

I had to say, I liked that. Was looking forward to it, as a matter of fact. A lot. I drew in a shuddering breath as I met his gaze. “You didn’t seem this…this, um, approachable at the game yesterday.”

Henry forked up the last bite of his broccoli. “Your nephew was there, along with those soccer moms.” He munched on the veggie, then swallowed. “I prefer to keep my private life just that. Private.” There was no mistaking the heat in his look.

Oh. Somebody was hungry for more than salmon.

I shifted in my seat, trying to ease the tightness in my slacks.

There wasn’t a lot of talk after that. We both skipped coffee and dessert, and when the check came, I reached for my wallet.

“No, Nicholas; allow me. You’re my guest.” Those blue eyes were burning at me, talking to me again.

I could feel the tension ratchet up. It had been simmering in my belly the whole time we’d been at the table. Watching Henry eat, his fine table manners, his slow, quiet way of speaking—all of that had me going. This smart guy really, really turned my crank. And what made him different than the suits I’d hit-and-run with in the past? I think he was smarter than the rest; funny how that made me feel way more excited than inadequate. Nope. He was just…different. Hotter. Better.

“So. Are we going to…”
Going to what?
I tried again. “What’s next?” Jesus, that was even more lame.

Henry didn’t bother to hide his smile. “I was hoping you’d join me for an after-dinner drink.”

No! I want to go fuck
. “Uh. Sure.”

“At my home.”

Oh, yeah!
I shot to my feet and bumped the table in my haste. “I’ll follow you.”

Henry drove to an exclusive subdivision just east of the tollway. He went through the gated checkpoint ahead of me, and the guard there waved me on as I passed underneath the portico.

Like everywhere else in Lake Forest, the trees were huge, creating thick canopies arching over the winding roads. There were no sidewalks, so it felt like I was driving on a country lane. The white board fencing and lush gardens all around me added to the feeling. In the gleam of my headlights, I could see bushes in all shapes and sizes.

His house was a sprawling brick ranch, and it looked like he had a couple of acres. Lots of grounds to maintain. Huh. He probably had armies of maintenance and cleaning people.

We drove to the side of the house, where the overhead door nearest the house opened. Henry parked the 300 into the first bay, and I spied a second classic in the garage. I pulled my car over to the side of the house, then followed him in. “There’s the Roadmaster.” Dominic Pentazi had listed all his customers’ cars for me, and I’d been dying to see this beauty.

Henry glanced at the roadster indulgently. “Yes, indeed.”

The Buick sat there in all its green glory. “Sweet. That’s the same model they used in the movie
Rain Man
, except that one was yellow.”

“Exactly.” There was a wealth of satisfaction in Henry’s voice. “I found her nine months ago at an auction in New York.”

“Can I take a look under the hood?” I was practically salivating to get a peek.

“Why don’t we leave that until tomorrow morning? After breakfast, perhaps?”

“Oh.
Oh
. Yeah. I mean, yeah.” I think my tongue was probably hanging out right then. Breakfast meant there would be an overnight visit.
Sweet
. “I can wait.”

“You don’t need to head home tonight?”

I’d just have to sneak a text to my dad. “Nope.” I looked around as we entered his kitchen. “Your counters are blue.”

With a chuckle, Henry hung his keys on a hook near the door. “Yes. It’s a granite called lapis lazuli. I spotted it at the stone fabricator when I was having the kitchen redone. It’s very rare, and something about it called to me. I had to have it.” He reached for my coat as I slid it off my shoulders.

It certainly looked like one of the kitchens I might see in a magazine. There was a square table with four chairs around it to my left in front of a large bay window. Painted white cabinets gleamed under the granite countertop stretched across to my right. A long peninsula separated us from what looked like a great room, where I could see a big fireplace with wood stacked nearby.

“What can I get you to drink? Would you like a brandy?”

“Sure.” I’d try just about anything once.

“While I get our drinks, why don’t you light a fire?”

“I’m hoping to.” I was rewarded with another husky chuckle, and I grinned as I grabbed some kindling. I spotted some fire-starter blocks and cracked off a piece to lay on the grate. By the time Henry returned with two snifters, the fire was beginning to burn.

I turned on one knee to accept the glass, and I had to swallow hard at the bulging outline in Henry’s pants. He’d shed his shoes and sport coat, and God, he did the casual look really, really well. His crotch was just about level for me, and I couldn’t resist. I leaned closer, rubbing my jaw against his cock.

His hand came down to rest on my head. He didn’t press or try to guide me, but his fingers tunneled through my hair, sifting the strands. “Nicholas.” His voice had gotten deeper. “You look so good on your knees.”

“Yeah?” My voice was a little on the husky side too. “Feels kind of good.” I swung both ways, and a lot of times, with the stockbroker studs, they wanted me to pitch. Tonight, though, I was thinking Henry was going to be in charge. And that sounded fine to me.

I set the snifter down without even a taste so that I could open the zipper on his slacks. I peeled the fine wool away, exposing a pair of dark-red bikini briefs. “I didn’t figure you for the tiny shorts kind of guy.” His cock was stretched to the side, and I reached in gingerly to lift it out.

“I don’t wear them often, but tonight seemed like a special night.” He took a sip of his brandy as he looked down at me. “I like how they make me feel.”

“I like the way they make you look.” His fair-skinned body was leanly muscled, like a runner’s. I could feel his strength as I wrapped my other hand around his hip.

The brandy glass chinked softly as Henry set it on an end table. He squared himself in front of me and brought his other hand to my head. His thumbs rubbed along my cheekbones; then one pressed against my lips. “I want to see this mouth wrapped around me.”

All too willing to oblige, I circled his stiff prick at the base, jacking it slowly. He was maybe about as long as me but a little thicker. I licked my lips as a bead of precum oozed out. “I don’t swallow. Just letting you know.” I looked up to make sure he understood me.