Brandy wiggled Zach’s fedora up and hooked his eyes. “Work’s never felt so quiet, and that while an entire chorus was fitted for costumes.”
Zach laughed, and his eye caught on Jack rounding into the backyard. He scrambled to his feet and jogged over, stomach dropping to his heels as he tried to block Brandy’s view. He wasn’t damn well tall enough. “You returned.”
“To a party, I see.”
Someone called out for them to come over, join.
Jack slung an arm around Zach’s burning neck. Every step felt like he was knifing something innocent. He couldn’t look at Brandy. This wasn’t supposed to happen while he was still single!
It would’ve been good if Jack had texted.
He could have planned.
They settled on the checked blanket, Zach between his sort-of boyfriend and a beat Brandy.
One by one, Jack went around shaking hands and grinning through introductions. When he got to Brandy, he sat back on his haunches, staring at him in narrowed concentration as if trying to pinpoint where they’d met.
“Quiz night,” Zach said under a cough.
The angle of the sun made his grin look plastic. “What’s your name again?”
No hands stretched between them. Probably because Zach was a panicked buffer in the middle.
“You can call me Brandon.”
This was . . . awkward.
Noah, watching them, stood. “Zach could you and your” —he motioned to Jack— “come help me in the kitchen?”
Inside, Noah shut the freezer door. “I was sure there was ice-cream in here to go with the fruit salad. Perhaps you could run to the store?”
Zach had never been more ready to leave a party.
Jack flicked open cupboards. “Aha. Third one I opened and there it is.” He pulled out icing sugar. “A dash of this over the fruit, and you can be spared ice-cream.”
Noah rounded on Jack, his expression—to Zach’s educated eyes, anyway—chilly. “Did you really forget Brandon’s name? I think my brother must have said it fifty times at least during quiz night.”
That golden mane flicked about as Jack laughed. “I guess he has one of those faces. Easily forgotten. Soon as he said it, I recalled.”
Zach felt strange, sort of confused. Easily forgotten? Those strong lines, those intense blue eyes, the kindness always pulling at his mouth?
“Forgive me,” Jack said. “I’ve a terrible memory and an even more terrible taste for jokes, it seems. I’m sure Brandon has a fascinating personality.”
Noah’s returning smile was not warm. “He does.”
That jump-started Zach and he took a breath to concur—
“I have a sweet spot for ice-cream,” Noah said, his eyes fixed on Jack’s face. “Zach, would you mind? Vanilla.”
“We’ll grab some.” Zach looped a hand around Jack’s arm and applied a little force.
Maybe once Brandy had someone, they’d all hang out as friends.
He skidded back to Noah and whispered in his ear, “Keep Brandy company?”
Noah nodded, and Zach turned to leave, warmth flooding his chest. He waved at Brandy on the way through the garden. Noah would take good care of him—
Brandy jumped to his feet, paling, gaze rooted to his phone. “Excuse me. I have to go.”
The garden blurred and Zach stumbled over the corner of the picnic blanket to get to him. “Did something happen? Are you okay?”
A tight smile landed on him, eyes unfocused, far away. “I’m very sorry.” He turned toward their friends. “Another time I hope, but I have to . . .”
“Do—do you need me to come with you?”
A gentle hand touched his arm and for a shining moment the worry between Brandy’s brows faded. “No. This is something I have to do on my own.”
With another fiddle to his fedora, Brandon left.
“Should we grab that ice cream?” Jack said, huskily close at his nape.
Zach whipped around, startled, and Jack braced him at the hips with a gorgeous laugh.
Noah called out. “On second thought, it’s getting quite brisk. Not ice cream weather after all. Sit, Jack. Tell us more about yourself.”
After their guests had left and Jack had gallantly helped clean up, Zach found himself walked backwards into his room, blond hair tickling his face. A soft kiss turned deep, and the world was mysterious, because Zach was. Not. Feeling. It.
He tried again, arching against Jack. More tongue—
Nada.
Jack steered him gently onto the bed and crawled over him. He dipped for another kiss. It felt flat and heavy on Zach’s lips.
Too wet, too deep.
Oh God, was he broke?
Had he refrained from sex so long his body had, like, rusted?
He grabbed Jack urgently, rolling him onto the mattress, straddling him. A flushed face gazed up at him, eyes darkened with fantasies of what came next.
Which wouldn’t be much if Zach couldn’t—
Dammit.
His gaze snagged out the window. The darkened bach.
The whole evening, he’d kept glancing at it. Waiting for a light to come on.
Jack pushed onto his elbows. “Are we doing this?”
Zach sighed. “Maybe not today.” He swung off Jack and drifted toward the windows. He opened one, like that might magically make Brandy appear. He’d texted, a couple of hours ago, just to check in. No reply.
