Page 39 of Archer

I’d heard that before, more than once. I knew I’d hear it again about a million times, too. “Yeah, I get that. You’re not the first person to figure out that making yoga a routine part of your life actually accomplishes more than exerting extra energy you don’t have.”

His grin spread across his face. “That’s exactly what I’m thinking. So give me the good stuff. Tell me about you and your smoking hot Daddy.”

I bit back a squeal. “He asked me to be his boy. Like, officially.”

“No way,” Elton said in a high screeching voice, then smacked his own hand over his mouth. We both snickered, then leaned in toward each other. “You said yes, of course, right?”

“Do I look like an idiot? I hopped on that”—and him—“so fast your head would spin.”

He sighed. “You’re so lucky. I’d kill to have a Daddy, but I can’t even keep a boyfriend. I drive them crazy.”

I frowned. Had men really told him that in the past? How rude. “I’m sure that’s not true.”

“I don’t even want to talk about it.” He waved it off. “Tell me everything.”

So I did. I gabbed all the way through our meal. I didn’t say more about the sex than it was as smoking hot as you’d expect with asmoking hot Daddy like Archer, but I told him about all the time we’d spent together and how kind and attentive he’d been to me.

“I’m so completely jealous. You had dinner with all of them?” Elton asked. “I didn’t realize the new guy was a private investigator. I’ve seen him skulking around outside the hotel a lot so that makes more sense now.”

I’d planned to shut my face and let him talk, but now I realized he had to hear about Cort and Jordy. “Let me tell you why he’s here.” I told him about the cop-turned-private investigator in search of his little brother.

By the time I was done, Elton’s mouth hung open. “It’s like we have our very own mystery here at the Windsor.”

Staring out into the hallway, I said, “You’ve got to admit, it’s the perfect setting.”

Elton nodded his head. “I’m telling you. I swear there’s a ghost or something in my place. I hear things moving around all the time.”

“No way.” Instead of feeling scared, excitement thrummed through me. Hopefully I’d be spending more nights at Archer’s place now. I wondered if I’d hear bumps in the night.

“You know, I’m always wandering around this place. I wish I could help Cort search for his little brother. I see more than a lot of people do.” He giggled. “Or than they give me credit for noticing.”

Fumbling for my phone, I pulled up the text Archer had forwarded me from Cort. “I have a picture of Jordy.”

Elton studied the photo. “Can you send it to me? Now that we have a mystery afoot, I’ll pay more attention to the people I see around the hotel or right outside who don’t work here or aren’t tenants.”

“That’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve been taking the long way from my car and walking around the outside of the hotel to the back entrance. I really want to help Cort find his little brother.” A thought hit me. “Why don’t we search together?”

Elton’s eyes gleamed as he rubbed his hands together. “I’m in. This’ll be so much fun. I bet we’ll find him first.”

“Hell ya.” We spent the rest of our time together strategizing before I headed back to the studio. Archer had been right. After eating breakfast and lunch today, I had more energy than normal for this time of day. Instead of feeling like I lost time, I returned to Harmony and Joy with renewed extra focus. Who’d of thunk it?

Chapter 16

Archer

I grinned as I closed up my studio right at five o’clock. I had a bad habit of staying way too late, but that had been before Crispin. Now I not only had a reason to go home, but I was also looking forward to it. Did that mean it was taking me a little bit longer to get all the editing work I had to do finished? It did. But it was worth it to have my sweet boy here with me.

I knew Crispin and I hadn’t been together long, but I loved waking up with him. Not to mention how great it was sleeping with him each night. I didn’t mean the sex, which was fantastic, by the way, but actually sleeping with him. I’d never cared for sharing a bed, but that had been before Crispin.

I was in the kitchen getting ready to start dinner when he walked in. “Daddy, you started without me.”

I grinned at how cute and pouty he looked. It seemed like my boy had enjoyed cooking together as much as I had. “All I’ve done is put some eggs on to boil and take things out of the fridge. I was thinking we’d have chef salad for dinner.”

“That sounds perfect,” he said. We got to work, chopping up the veggies for the salad while Crispin told me about his day. He had some interesting people in his classes, and it seemed like they had no problem sharing all about their lives. Not that I was surprised—there was just something about Crispin that told you he was a good person to talk to.

He reached over, grabbed a tomato, and started slicing it. “I was so excited that Elton came to my class this morning.”

“As I walked by Luxe this afternoon, I saw the two of you having lunch,” I said.