To most people who know him, Nick Fontana is the owner of a prestigious advertising agency. To a select few, he’s known as Niko, a man who deals with very sensitive problems no one else can handle. As a result, Nick has never found a man to love -- because he won't allow it to happen. Then he meets flirtatious Greg Tyson while out running. He thinks nothing of it until Greg applies for a job at Nick's ad agency. Greg is exactly what Nick is looking for in an employee. Hiring him, however, might turn out to be the biggest mistake of Nick's life ... or the beginning of something new, if Nick is willing to open himself up and let Greg in. Doing so will require an amount of trust Nick isn’t certain he can give without endangering Greg's life -- and losing his love -- in the process.

Love Was Not an Option

Monday morning dawned bright and sunny—the antithesis of Nick’s mood. The first thing he did, even before getting out of bed, was call Greg. He didn’t expect him to answer, and so he wasn’t terribly surprised when the call went directly to voicemail.


The last think he wanted to do was get up, dress, and go into work. But he knew he had to. He had people who depended on him.


What do I do when they ask where Greg is? He knew the answer and gave it when everyone was gathered for the staff meeting.


“Greg got a call last night. A family emergency. He doesn’t know when he’ll be back.”


“Soon, I hope,” Mark said. “I’m meeting with Mr. King this morning to show him what Greg and I have come up with. Knowing him, he’ll say he loves it and then immediately ask for changes.”


“If that happens, Helen, will you please step in?”


“Of course, Nick. Mark, as soon as we’re finished here let me see what I’ll be dealing with.”


Chapter 31