Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Growing up, Jack had run track and cross country. He had fallen away from it after college because life got too busy, but his post-breakup therapist had recommended exercise, so Jack bought treadmills for his house and his office. The endorphins really did help elevate his mood, and he managed to multitask by listening to industry podcasts or watching video pitches from his design teams while he jogged.
The man on the screen raised his right arm over his head and then tugged it with his left, the stretch causing his muscles to flex. “Um, if he isn’t your type, who is?” Jack asked. Their friends teased Gray about being a player, but Jack had never heard Gray mention a man let alone met anyone he had dated. Though to hear everyone tell it, Gray hooked up, but he didn’t date.
“He’s hot for sure, but I prefer a runner’s build.”
Sitting up, Jack looked at the screen appraisingly and said, “He’s too bulky to be a runner.”
“At this point, he’s probably more worried about being too careless to be a baker.”
“The plaited loaves are supposed to be fluffy, right?”
“Yep. And Mister Hotty’s loaf looks like flatbread.” Gray’s big hands curled over his shoulders and firm fingers pushed circles against his muscles. “I think the scenery isn’t going to be as enjoyable for you the rest of the season because he’s likely to get cut this episode.”
“You’re probably right.” Jack leaned back against the cushion and, finding himself now hip-to-hip with Gray, tipped his head to the side and rested it on Gray’s shoulder. “That’s okay. I’m in it for the bread and cake anyway.”
“Same.” Gray patted Jack’s knee. “I’m still full from dinner, but if that single mom from Essex offered me a chance, I’d eat her whole loaf.”
“She did a great job this challenge,” Jack agreed. “Imagine being able to make something that pretty and delicious. I bet her house smells incredible all the time. Maybe I can find a candle with a fresh bread scent and then my house can at least smell like a bakery.”
“Or we can take a baking class, and you can make real fresh bread.”
“A baking class?” Jack tilted his head up and looked at Gray.
“Uh huh. Maybe something that meets weekly where we learn tips and skills over time. We could both use a hobby.”
Jack’s instinct was to say he didn’t have that kind of time because work kept him too busy. As it was, he couldn’t accomplish everything he wanted for Snow Storm, and that was with him working seven days a week.
“That’s why you need the hobby.”
“I know I didn’t say that out loud.”
Gray raised his free hand and gently tapped Jack’s temple. “I know what goes on in here even when you don’t speak it.”
That was very true. “I work too much,” Jack said, admitting something else Gray already knew. When he and Jaime started Snow Storm, they hadn’t had the funds to hire as many people as they’d needed so they made up for the labor shortage themselves. There hadn’t been a separation between work and home in those days; and the two of them had invested their energy in the company from the moment they woke until their eyes closed at night. Snow Storm was now successful and financially lucrative, so they could afford to hire as much staff in whatever levels Jack decided. But lucrative with a growing staff also meant a much larger company, which in turn meant there was more to manage so Jack still worked nearly as much as he had when they’d started out.
“You like your job and you’re incredible at it.” Gray slid his hand up and massaged Jack’s thigh. “Nothing wrong with that. But it’ll be good to step away a little and do something else with your time. Have you thought more about my suggestion to lighten your load?”
“Not really, but you’re right.” Jack’s eyes drooped shut in reaction to the soothing touch. “I need a hobby.”
Gray’s affectionate personality was one of the many things Jack enjoyed about him. He craved physical touch, but he had trouble feeling aroused when he didn’t feel comfortable, he couldn’t feel comfortable with someone he didn’t trust, and he couldn’t trust someone he didn’t know, so he hadn’t been to bed with more than a couple of guys since the end of his relationship with Jaime. Those experiences had been as dissatisfying as the decade he had spent in a relationship with a person who had no attraction to him. During Jack’s darkest moments, he worried that he would be found lacking by every man, but Gray’s frequent and casual affection curbed that concern. Gray had no shortage of suitors, but he still found Jack worthy of his time and attention, so he couldn’t be all that horrible.