Staying Power Book 14 in the Action! Series by G.A. Hauser Read Free Book Online Page A

for… let's say a
month…without you…"
    "Mark…"
    "Let me finish." Mark tucked the napkins
under the forks. "And say I was paired up with…oh, I don't
know…some superstar model for the shoot. And we were naked, in sexy
poses…"
    Steve didn't say anything but Mark could see
his shoulders droop.
    Mark placed the bowl of salad on the table
and stuck serving spoons in it. "It wouldn't even cross your mind
I'd be tempted?"
    Steve spun around, his blue eyes the color of
the California sky. "Would you be tempted?"
    "No. Not in the least. But I don't have
Alex's libido."
    "I'd kill Alex if he had an affair with Randy
Dawson."
    "You'd kill him?" Mark stopped fussing with
the table.
    Steve didn't respond.
    Mark shook his head in annoyance and walked
through the house to make sure the front door was unlocked. When he
did, he heard his cell phone ring. He picked it up and didn't
recognize the number. "Hello?"
    "I'm looking for Mark Richfield."
    "Who is this?" Mark said.
    "My name is Travis Banks, the owner of
Piccadilly's Phantom."
    It took Mark a second but he recalled. "Oh!
Yes, this is Mark Richfield. I'm sorry, but we enquired about that
horse months ago, and I'm afraid it had slipped my mind."
    "Sorry for the delay. We needed the stallion
for breeding. But I'm interested in an offer now."
    "Splendid." Mark spotted Jack's new Jaguar
pull into his driveway.
    "I've got some free time this weekend if
you're interested in coming by."
    "I would be, yes. I actually am interested in
purchasing two pleasure riding horses."
    "I have one you may like. Shadow of the
Knight, that's Knight with a 'K'. He's a seven-year-old
thoroughbred."
    "Lovely. Let me grab a pen." Mark waved at
Jack and Adam as they walked up to the front door and then he
scrambled to get a pad and pen from the kitchen drawer. "Yes. I'm
ready, go ahead with the address." While Mark wrote it down, he
split his attention to the men greeting each other behind him.
    Over the noise Mark asked, "Shall we say two
pm tomorrow?"
    "That's fine, Mark. I look forward to
it."
    "Me, too, Mr Banks. Thank you." Mark hung up
and said to Jack, "Well! We finally got a call about the
horses."
    Jack made a face of irritation. "Three months
later? Fuck that."
    "He was breeding my baby. Jack, he's ready to
sell." Mark walked over to Adam and kissed him. "Hello, my love.
How did the audition go with Alex?"
    "Here. Read this." Adam handed Mark a
script.
    "Shall I be terrified?" Mark read the title,
Bedtime Stories.
    "No. It's a great script, just that Alex has
loads of full frontal and tons of simulated sex."
    Steve made a noise of disgust as he shook the
pasta into a serving bowl.
    Jack said, "And with Randy Dawson? Christ,
he's in every tabloid magazine."
    "How the hell do you all know about him?"
Adam asked, pouring a drink of wine for himself. "I'm in the biz
and I didn't."
    "He's been around a while." Steve placed the
food on the table. "He was a child star then made a comeback
recently."
    "He's a very good looking man," Mark said,
sitting down between Steve and Jack, Adam across from him. Mark
began to thumb through the pages.
    "You should see him in person," Adam said,
sipping the wine. "Fucking gorgeous. Watching him and Alex kiss?"
He whistled.
    Steve bristled. "Kiss? They already
kissed?"
    "In the audition. Yes." Adam scooped out the
salad and passed it to Jack.
    Mark watched Steve for his reaction.
"Steven."
    "What?"
    "Are you jealous of Randy?"
    "No. Shut up, Richfield, and pass the
wine."
    After reaching to place the script on the
island counter, Mark handed Steve the bottle. Mark said to Jack,
"Tomorrow at two we can see the horses. He said he has two to show
us."
    "Okay." Jack nodded, handing Mark the bowl
with the pasta and sausages in it, which he promptly handed off.
Jack asked, "Are you modeling?" when Mark did not take any.
    "No," Steve said, "He isn't."
    Mark took salad to his plate and ate a bite
of the lettuce.
    Jack put a few slices of sausage on Mark's
dish.
    "It's