Page 26 of Out of Reach
“You don’t shave your balls, do you?” he asked when they sat down.
“You know I don’t!”
“I know youdidn’t. I don’t know what you do these days.”
Eliza announced, “I’m going to go slip into my bathing suit for a late-night swim. Anyone want to join me?”
When Hawk looked questioningly at Jude, he shook his head. “You feel free, though,” he offered.
“I’m good,” Hawk said. Truthfully, he was afraid to get into the pool with Eliza or the blonde woman from dinner where either could easily cop a feel under the water. The lounge chair they were sharing was more comfortable than the bed back at the apartment, and he was content to stay there for a while, as long as Jude remained beside him.
Eliza returned in record time wearing a crocheted bikini, but, distracted by Jude’s profile—particularly the fan of his long lashes over his sharp cheekbones, Hawk barely glanced at her.
“Hawk?”
Blinking, Hawk realized Jude’s eyes were focused on him. He attempted a smile as conversation and splashing filled the air around them.
“You seem very distracted tonight.”
Jude’s lips were temptingly close to Hawk’s.
“I was just wondering what you and Prescott talked about over dinner. I couldn’t hear from my seat in Siberia.”
Jude chuckled. “That was pretty shitty of Sam to do.” He thought about it. “He apologized to me again for the blacklisting. He asked if I was satisfied with Ricci’s contract. Oh, and he asked me again about my memoirs.”
“The writing you said you’ve been doing?”
“Well, not since I left Sam’s, but yeah. He wants to read them.”
“Did he ask you if his name is mentioned?”
“I told him when I started writing them that I would change his name if I ever had them published. Which I’m sure I won’t. Get them published, I mean.”
“Don’t be so sure of that.” Hawk nudged him. “People love a good success story.” Bringing his lips close to Jude’s ear, he asked, “Does Prescott have an office in this house?”
“Yes. Downstairs hallway.” Was it Hawk’s imagination, or did Jude sound slightly breathless?
“I think I’ll slip inside and look around,” he said.
“Should I text you if Sam goes into the house?” Jude whispered.
“Yeah, thanks.”
Rising from the chair, Hawk asked one of the servers where the nearest bathroom was, then headed inside.
Once in the empty downstairs hall, he put his phone on vibrate and stuck it in his pocket before he began systematically checking all the doors. Opening one revealed a library with wall-to-ceiling books; another, an unoccupied guest room; the next, a billiard room; then a smalltheater, for Christ’s sake; and…ah-ha! Hawk slipped inside the small office and shut the door behind him. Covering his hands with the hem of his shirt, he began opening drawers in the big cherry-wood desk near the window. Or trying to. Other than the long middle drawer, which only held a few pens and a notepad, they were all locked.
Damn.Pretty much what he’d expected, but still, Hawk had held onto the hope that Prescott might have accidentally left one of them unlocked.
A sudden noise sent him ducking beneath the desk.
“Hawk?”
Hawk smacked his head on solid wood when he heard Jude’s voice. Wincing, he rubbed at the developing knot as Jude pulled out the chair and peered down at him. “What are you doing?”
Crawling out of the small space, Hawk muttered, “What do you think I’m doing? Trying to get into Prescott’s drawers.”
Jude let out a huff of laughter. “If you’re wondering if he shaves his balls, I can answer that question.”