...Mike had known life wasn’t black and white long before joining the force, but Zone Six was turning out to be a hell of a lot grayer than even he’d expected. Not in a bad way, but still.

To change the subject, he asked, “So, uh, who did you get cast as?”

Lucas smirked. “Are you sure that’s the route you want this conversation to go?”

Mike sighed. “Well, I’m going to find out eventually. Better I’m prepared ahead of time.”

Lucas ripped open the envelope and pulled out the contract and a thin script. “Looks like his name is Malcolm Shaw.” He flipped through a few pages, eyes scanning. “He’s an up and coming, if you’ll pardon the expression, ad exec. It seems he’s willing to do anything to land a client.”

Anything meaning anything.

“No fisting, so don’t worry,” Lucas assured him.

“Who said I was worried?”

“Your face. Are you that uptight or is it just innocence?”

“I’ve never thought of myself as either, but…” He forced himself to continue. “I’m not inexperienced. But what I’ve done is incredibly boring and not very adventurous.”

“Sex should never be boring. Vanilla, however, vanilla’s fine.”

“I figured vanilla was boring by definition.”

“It’s only boring if it doesn’t feel good. Even the most vanilla sex is amazing if it feels good.”

“I would have thought you’d be beyond that.”

“You have a lot of preconceptions about me considering we met yesterday.”

He snapped without thinking. “And since then I’ve watched you come all over a stranger’s face, and I know you were banging my boss last night.”

“No,” Lucas drawled, “your boss was banging me…while I was banging his boyfriend.”

Oh. God. “See?” Mike said weakly. “That’s what I mean. A guy like me can’t compete with threesomes and professional blowjobs and who the hell knows what else.”

“It’s not a competition.”

“Seems like it from here.”

“If you were anyone else, I’d say we should just fuck and get the drama out of the way.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.”

Lucas let out a frustrated breath. “Okay, I could have phrased it better.”

“What, that everyone’s your type except for an awkward, gangly redhead?”

“No, everyone else I just want to fuck. You I want to fuck and— Ugh, never mind.”

“Yeah, great, thanks.”

Lucas had a wild look in his eyes when he leaned forward. “What if I told you the only thing keeping me from showing you just how good vanilla sex can be is the thought that if I teach you too much, you’re going to lose that blush?”

“It would make my life a lot easier if you did.”

“I love that blush.”

Mike could feel it creeping over his skin even now. “Well, I’m glad someone does,” he said into his beer.

Lucas’ fingers caught and lifted Mike’s chin. Mike looked up in surprise, and Lucas captured his mouth in a tender, seductive kiss.

Brief as it was, Mike was still breathless by the time Lucas pulled back.

“Come home with me,” Lucas murmured against his lips. “Please.”

It had been the kind of kiss you just couldn’t say no to. Good enough to override common sense. But that was Lucas’ job, wasn’t it? A professional seducer.

And that reality check helped Mike resist temptation. “I can’t.”

“You can. It’s easy. You get in my car; I drive us home. We can be naked in fifteen minutes.”

“No.”

Lucas looked ready to stomp his feet. “Why are you being so stubborn about this?”

“Why are you? You could have any guy you wanted.”

“Apparently, I can’t.” Grabbing up his paperwork, he made a beeline for the exit.

It was tempting to follow Lucas. Instead, Mike slumped back into the booth and reached for his beer.