Want

“Hey, Cody.” He stole a quick glance at his chiseled jaw and scooted down a little more, then smiled at the dealer as his winnings doubled from a lucky bet. “I didn’t know you liked to hit the casinos.”

Cody cleared his throat, his low voice deep enough to remind him of stones grinding together. “Ah, yeah, I hit the tables from time to time.” He pulled some chips from his jacket pocket and said in a lower voice, “Actually, I’m here because I-I have a...uh, date. A blind date.”

Time slowed as Sam shoved a few chips onto a random number. Hope surged through him as Cody tossed a couple chips on the square next to his. The golden hairs on the back of his hand gleamed beneath the casino lights and the copper cuff he wore on his wrist peaked out from the edge of his cream shirt. Though Cody was surely there to meet someone else, he couldn’t help but look at his forbidden crush. The utterly handsome, utterly straight foreman who had turned his world inside out.

Cody met his glance for a moment, his hazel green eyes dark with some unnamed emotion before he turned his attention to the roulette wheel. Instead of his usual battered work clothes and hard hat, the handsome blond wore a dark suit that fit his muscular body like a glove. As Sam tore his eyes away from Cody’s broad shoulders, he forgot to breathe as he saw his black and lavender tie. A tie exactly like the one Madame Eve of the 1Night Stand matchmaking service said his blind date would be wearing.

The last of the bets were made and the pretty woman next to him made some dippy comment about ‘baby needing a new pair of shoes.’ Cody remained silent and smoothed a tanned hand over his tie while darting a glance at Sam. Swallowing, he tried to keep his tone casual. “I’m meeting someone here, too.” He mentally cursed his lack of smoothness and tried again. “A blind date.”

Cody kept his eyes glued to the roulette table. “Wonder if he’ll show up.”

Sam’s heart raced as he realized Cody had said ‘he.’ That meant Cody knew that Sam’s date would be a man. What were the chances that Cody would just happen to show up here, tonight, wearing that tie and meeting up with him? Either this was the biggest coincidence that fate had ever thrown his way, or Cody was his date.

Holy shit, Cody is my date!