“I have a hunch, and I want to see if I’m right.”
Luke purses his lips and, for a moment, I worry he’s going to say no. But finally, he reaches back into his bag and pulls out the other folder. He places it on the desk, and I slide it towards me. Flipping the cover open, I study the first page. There’s a man sitting on the edge of a jacuzzi, his legs splayed open. Another man kneels between him, his mouth wrapped around the other man’s cock, his cheek bulging with it. Even though I'm more prepared for the erotic images this time, my body still reacts in a very visceral way. Heat curls in my stomach, my mouth going dry.
I flip to the next page, vaguely aware of Luke sitting across from me with his front teeth gnawing into his bottom lip. It’s a naked man kneeling on a bed, his well-defined muscles on display, glasses askew, and a flop of hair falling over his eyes. His hard cock is jutting up,precum dripping from the tip, and the man’s hand is wrapped around it.
My own cock begins to harden in response.
On and on I flip, ignoring Luke’s fidgeting. The drawings become a mix of realism, fantasy, and genders. Some more erotic than others. But one thing they all have in common: people gazing at each other with adoration, and a look of mind-numbing euphoria on their faces. The attention to detail makes me imagine I could be in these drawings, standing there with my cock leaking while I listen to breathy moans.
This is a fucking gold mine. Most of my interview questions fly out the window, because this is definitely the kind of creative energy I need around here.
Where the hell has this creative little genius been hiding?
Luke clears his throat. “Are you sure you don’t want to look at my real portfolio?”
“No.” I don’t care about a portfolio with business cards and social media ads. Not when I have this. It’s a first-hand look into Luke Parker’s brain and what makes him tick. “Most of these are men,” I observe.
“I’m straight,” comes Luke’s quick response, although it sounds more like a question than a statement. I don’t miss the way his eyebrows dip together, or the thread of self-doubt weaving into his tone.
My forehead wrinkles. “That’s…not an interview question.”And an unfortunate reminder I didn’t want.
He fidgets and crosses his arms. “In case you were wondering.”
I sigh. “I wasn’t, and it’s illegal to ask that in an interview. Besides, nobody cares what your personal preferences are.”
Lies. I care. Just not in the way I think he’s implying.
Sliding the drawings back across the desk, I give him a pointed look and continue. “Nobody here will harass you for your sexual identityor preferences, whatever those may be, and if they do then you come find me because it will be the last time.”
He nods, seeming to relax a smidge, and it warms something inside me. Shit, I need to get this interview back on track.
“Do you like to read?” It certainly isn’t a requirement of the job, but if the answer is yes, it would definitely swing things in his favor. Avid readers tend to understand what makes a book cover appealing or unappealing. Some skills are hard to teach. But having a passion for reading—that goes a long way in this business and lessens the learning curve.
He averts his eyes. “Yes.”
I narrow mine in response and tilt my head. Why is he acting shifty? Is he merely saying what he thinks I want to hear or….Oh. I smirk. “What do you like to read?”
As predicted, I’m rewarded with another one of those pretty blushes. It makes me want to reach out and run a thumb across the heated skin. My body buzzes, becoming hyper-aware of his every reaction.
“Romance.” The mumbled answer is so quiet, I have to strain to hear it.
“Hmm, I wonder whatkindof romance Luke Parker likes to read?” I lean back in my chair, crossing my legs and trying to hide my fascination as Luke begins to squirm. “Rhetorical question. I bet I already know.”
His head snaps up, his dark glare making my smirk widen. For a moment, I wish this weren’t an interview. Because I bet anything Luke has a snappy comeback dancing on that bratty tongue of his. I wonder if some of his nervous energy today is because of the interview, or because of me. Regardless, some of his natural sass has still slipped out, and I want to see more.
“Reading gay romance doesn’t make me gay.”
I hold up two hands. “Once again, that’s not a question.” Still, his reading choice does please me. Not only is LGBTQ romance an exploding subgenre authors are struggling to meet the demands of right now, but also, as a bisexual man, I want our company to be inclusive. If he reads gay romance, I don’t think it’s a huge leap to assume he understands what sort of book covers sell well in the subgenre. That he would enjoy designing them even.
“Doyoulike to read?” Luke asks, his tone turning almost petulant. It shoots a thrill through me and makes me want to grin like the Cheshire Cat. Part of me wants to push his buttons a little more and ask him whose interview this is, but I decide to indulge him.
“Fantasy.”
His eyebrows arch up. “Like dragons and shi—stuff?”
“Yes, like dragons andshit.”
He gives me a thoughtful expression I can’t quite decipher. Glancing towards the clock, my heart stumbles when I see how much time has passed. I’ve gone well over the time I allotted for this interview, and surprisingly, didn’t even notice. I’m normally quite meticulous about keeping track of time, much to Caleb’s never-ending annoyance.
