Just as Matt stepped out of the bathroom, a knock sounded on his door. He paused to take a breath and then crossed to open it. Gabe was waiting expectantly on the threshold. He wasn’t wearing the suit Matt had seen earlier, but had dressed down in a pair of slim-line worn-in cargo pants and an urban-fit tight cotton tee with a few small buttons at the top leaving the rounded neck open. Matt tried to pretend he wasn’t noticing the hint of dark chest hair where the material gaped slightly, snapping his gaze upward to Gabe’s face.
“Hey there,” Gabe greeted, rocking back on his heels a little, thumbs hooking into the pockets of his pants. “Ready to go?”
“Yep.” He started to step forward but then realized he didn’t have the key to his room. Nor his cell phone or wallet. His brain would probably also come in handy if he could work out where in his luggage he’d lost it. Hopefully he hadn’t left it in San Francisco, though at this point, he wouldn’t have been surprised. “Um, hang on.”
He left Gabe standing in the doorway and sidestepped to the table where he’d dumped his stuff earlier, quickly pocketing the few items he needed and then returning to make sure the lock was flipped on the inside.
“I thought we’d walk,” Gabe said as Matt soundly pulled the door closed and then double-checked it had locked. Growing up in a big city, some habits were completely ingrained in his psyche.
“It’s not far and that way we won’t have to worry about watching how much we drink,” Gabe continued as they stepped away from the rooms.
“Planning on getting me drunk?” It slipped out, something he would have teased Sammie with. Except then he was cursing himself for how stupid that probably sounded.
Gabe, however, gave a light laugh and a considering look. “Maybe I should be worried about you getting me drunk. It’s always the quiet ones you have to watch.”
“Oh yeah?” He relaxed a fraction since Gabe so far didn’t seem to think he was a complete loser.
Gabe leaned in closer as they walked, their shoulders brushing. “I’ve found the quiet ones tend to be more devious.”
His stomach flipped over, and he had to glance away from the gleam in Gabe’s dark eyes. Oh heck. He really was out of his league here. Gabe was so smooth and charming, it should have been illegal. It should have been ridiculous. Any other guys he’d ever met who tried lines like that—he and Sammie had seen their share of them come through their shop or the occasions they hit the clubs—he simply would have laughed his ass off and wondered if that rubbish ever really worked. It sure as hell worked for Gabe; somehow the guy came across as genuinely charming, not smarmy in the least.
“So, have you eaten?” Gabe asked, putting a little distance between them and leaving Matt able to breathe easier.
“Does a can of Coke and a packet of pretzels count?”
“Probably more than the sad excuse for coffee I tried to drink. There’s a good chance it was actually someone’s leftover dishwater, though.”
He grimaced at the idea he wasn’t going to get a decent coffee until he got home.
“What is it?” Gabe asked with a short laugh.
“Coffee. Not sure how long I can live without it.”
“Yeah, I bet you get a good brew in San Fran.”
He gave a nonchalant shrug. “Helps that I’m joint owner of a coffee house and bakery. I can pretty much mainline it all day.”
Gabe’s interest sparked. “You own a business?”
“Sure do. Going on three years now. It’s in this great little corner shop in South Market. We’re the only entirely gluten-free bakery within a thirty-mile radius.”
Gabe arched an eyebrow. “Let me get this summarized. You’re a gay man living in South Market who owns a gluten-free bakery. And the coffee side, what’s your specialty?”
He felt his cheeks getting warm as he realized where Gabe was possibly going with this.
“We only serve organic free-trade beans. In reusable or 100 percent recycled cups.”
Gabe gave a low, charmed laugh. “You’re like a walking millennial cliché, you know that, right?”
“Actually, I didn’t until right this second,” he muttered in return. It was pretty funny when he thought about it, however.
“Never mind.” Gabe nudged his elbow into his arm. “I think it’s cute. I’ll have to make a trip to San Francisco so I can try your gluten-free baked goods and organic free-trade guiltless coffee.”
“No one is allowed through the door of our shop unless they can prove they have a neutral carbon footprint.” He managed to keep a completely straight face as he said the words.
“Oh snap,” Gabe returned in an exaggerated campy-voice.
“Now who’s the cliché?” he tossed back as they reached the center of town and the bar came into view.
A charming, confident FBI analyst gets more than the fling he bargained for when his lover lands smack in the middle of his investigation.
Gabe Lopez travels to Everness, Texas, to investigate and profile a dangerous group of white supremacists living on the outskirts of the small town. As far as he’s concerned, the assignment can’t end soon enough. When he stops to help Matt York with a flat tire, he anticipates a sexy distraction—nothing more. But Matt has a knack for getting himself into trouble, and soon Gabe is torn between protecting Matt and doing his job.
Matt left a successful life and business back in San Francisco to fulfill a promise to his aunt: find his runaway cousin and bring him home. But Tommy is on a dangerous path, and someone is trying to scare Matt off—or worse.
When the situation escalates, Matt turns to Gabe, who doesn’t like mixing business and pleasure. But in Everness, the secrets are buried deep, and like it or not, Matt is at risk of being buried right alongside them.
Buy Links:
Dreamspinner: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/locked-down-by-jess-anastasi-10828-b
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WKG6R4S/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
iTunes: https://books.apple.com/au/book/locked-down/id1469169292
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/locked-down-5
Jess Anastasi has been making up stories ever since she can remember. Though her messy handwriting made it hard for anyone else to read them, she wasn’t deterred, and now she gets to make up stories for a living. With a multi-award-winning science fiction romance series to her name, her books feature larger-than-life heroes with relatable vulnerabilities who find themselves in situations that push their resolve to the limit. Jess is a tea addict who loves loud music, dancing in her kitchen, and a good book on a rainy day. A fangirl at heart, she probably spends too much time watching too many TV shows. Jess lives in regional Victoria, Australia. Find out more about Jess and her upcoming releases at www.jessanastasi.com.