Free The Scientist and the Supermodel by Tara Lain Page A

girls.”
    Jake stared at his hands. “One.”
    “What?”
    “There’s one guy that turns me on.”
    Roan cleared the space in an instant and had his lips locked to his lover’s before Jake could take a breath. When he came up for air, he said fiercely, “If she doesn’t want you, she’s not as smart as you say she is.”
    * * *
    “If you ever give up modeling, you can become a chef.” Jake leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach. Even though the food had been fairly lean and healthful, he’d eaten a lot of it. Now they were all sipping after-dinner wine and struggling not to loosen their belts.
    Roan shrugged modestly. “I’ll need a plan B, since modeling has a half-life of about fifteen minutes.”
    “He neglects to mention that he’s been a major model for five years and the world’s top supermodel for three.” Angie sounded like a proud mother.
    “Top male supermodel.” Roan looked at Jake to explain. “The boys aren’t on top in this business. Women out-earn us at least three to one.”
    “Nonsense,” Angie huffed. “There’s only maybe one female supermodel in the world who out-earns you, my darling, and not by much. Plus, you’re a man. You can work for years even after that gorgeous mane turns gray, while all the female supermodels will be selling cosmetics on QVC.”
    Roan leaned over and gave her a one-armed hug. “That’s because I have such a great agent.”
    Tick Tock interrupted the mutual admiration. “How about you, Doc? Are there big bucks in your future being a geneticist?”
    Jake chuckled. “Maybe I’ll make a few dollars off patents in my life, but for the foreseeable future, it’s mostly about small pay for way too much work.” He glanced at Roan. “In fact, I’ve gotta work tomorrow all day, so I probably ought to think of catching the train back to Long Island tonight.”
    There was a flash of shock on Roan’s face before he controlled it, but Jake saw it, and it pulled at his heart.
    “No fair,” Tick Tock chimed in. “Tomorrow’s Sunday.”
    Jake tried to not feel like he was stabbing Roan in the chest and then pushing the blade into himself. “Yeah, well, I usually work all weekend. Taking last night and today off was really a change for me, especially after getting so far behind at the conference.” Then he heard himself say an amazing thing. “I wish I didn’t have to go.” And it was the truth. As much as Jake loved his work, as much as he wanted to see Em, he didn’t want to leave Roan—his lover. His male lover.
    Angie got the unspoken message and was instantly gathering up Tick Tock and rushing them both to the door. “We gotta go too.” She gestured at Roan. “This guy needs his beauty sleep.”
    Tick Tock was moving a little more reluctantly. “Don’t forget the big shoot on Monday, Roan. You gotta be there at five a.m. for hair and makeup. You know the location? It’s three and a half days’ work at least.”
    Roan kept staring at Jake. “Yeah, I got it. Don’t worry.”
    When they’d finally left, the two men just looked at each other, Jake sitting on the back of the couch and Roan leaning against the closed door.
    “I was telling the truth, Roan. I wish I didn’t have to go.”
    “But you gotta?”
    “Yeah, she works me hard, but not as hard as she works herself. If I’m not there, she’ll only get two hours sleep instead of five or six.”
    “I’m trying not to hate her.”
    Jake hopped off the couch and stepped over to wrap his arms around Roan. “Please don’t, baby. I’ll bet you’d actually really love her if you met her.”
    Roan’s green eyes locked with Jake’s, and he threw down the gauntlet. “Then introduce me.”
    Jake heard himself gasp and saw Roan’s face harden. Everything in Jake’s chest tightened. He wanted to smile. He wanted to reassure this man, but reality was staring him in the face. Introduce the woman he loved to his gay paramour? “I can’t, Roan. I just can’t.”

Chapter