Page 56 of Instigator

“Jocks can be nerds too,” I point out. Look at Aidan. Even though he’s a total video game nerd, it doesn’t cancel out that his entire career revolves around being an athlete.

“He’s very much not a nerd,” Colt says, then sighs. “I don’t even know what he sees in me. We’re not… compatible.”

“Do you like him?”

Slowly, he nods.

“Does he like you? Treat you well?”

Again, he nods.

“Then the rest doesn’t matter. Not right now. Maybe it turns out that he really is only interested in a sugar daddy. But maybe he really doesn’t care about your money. That’s kind of the dream, isn’t it?”

He sighs, resting his chin on his fist. “Dreams like that don’t come true for people like us.”

I grimace. “Can’t they, though?”

We’re part of a small club. Not many people have the kind of money we do. And even fewer people aren’t dicks about it. Colt and I, we earned our lifestyle by working our asses off. We didn’t inherit generational wealth; we built it brick by brick, with blood and sweat equity.

Half the time, I feel like a fraud. All I did was build a computer chip. And a company centered around it. All he did was create a video game software that got insanely popular. We used our brains, found an untapped need in the market, and met that need.

But it intimidates people. Those who don’t care about our money are few and far between. I’m extremely privileged to be a billionaire, and I donate a shit ton to charity every year and volunteer my time as much as I can, but it’s still difficult to find people who treat me as an equal.

It’s part of the reason Colt and I get along so well. We’re two sides of the same coin.

“I really hope they do,” he whispers.

“Maybe we can get together for dinner. Introduce me to your man.”

He screws up his face. “We’re not there yet.”

“Oh, so you’re still in the skulking around behind closed doors stage.”

“I’m not ashamed of who I am. I don’t want to hide him. But we aren’t together. We’re just… seeing each other.”

“Hey, I get it.” More than he could ever know. “It can be low-key. The three of us for some video games or Scrabble.”

“You’re not going to tell me to stop seeing him?”

“Why the fuck would I do that?”

He motions between us. “We’re on the board of the team he works for. It’s inappropriate.”

My stomach swirls with guilt. “Hailey just set me up with her brother today. We’re supposed to go out tonight. It can’t be against the rules if she’s doing that. Right?”

Colt pins me with a look. “You? And the hockey captain?”

“Why is that so hard to believe?”

“Babe, you’ll chew him up and spit him out. He’s so… pure.”

I snort. “He is not.”

“He’s a sweetheart. Total good-hearted golden retriever.”

Aidan’s got some grit to him. He just doesn’t show it to other people.

“So maybe it doesn’t work out.” I force myself to shrug. To pretend like I don’t care. “But if it works out… is it really that terrible an idea?”