Zach slipped his hands suggestively around Brandy’s back. From the beach, it might look like they were making out. “Shift a little. Like you’re kissing me.”
“I mean,” —a whisper— “I could just kiss you?”
“You don’t have to, Brandy.”
Gentle fingers brushed Zach’s chin and steered his face upward. Brandy’s eyes flashed over his face and closed as he pressed their lips together. Soft, delicate. Zach had never been kissed like he might break before.
He’d never felt like he would break, either. What was this trembling? His knees were threatening to buckle. Another sweep of those lips over his made him giggle. Giggle!
He pressed a palm to Brandy’s chest, and immediately Brandy stopped.
Zach swallowed. He was too nice, to help him out like that. “Wow, your kisses feel like fairy dust.”
“Should I kiss you again?”
Zach’s hands tightened on Brandy’s jacket, drawing him—he shook it off, glancing over his shoulder. The Churchills had gone. “You’ve done enough.”
He pushed Brandy back a foot so he could breathe.
Brandy kept looking at him. “Fairy dust?”
“Uh huh.” He scooped his guitar up by the neck. “Oh my God! I know who would be perfect for you!”
Brandy blinked. “You do?”
“She’s quick wit in corporeal form. A woman who doesn’t let anything stop her. A woman of spontaneity.”
A frown.
What, did Brandy not believe him? “Come on. She works close to here. I’ll introduce you.”
“Introduce me to whom?”
“You’ll see!”
Zach scanned the area covertly and raced across the Churchill-free sand, Brandy a fair bit behind. But then. He was no longer in the prime of his life—
Pain lanced through his foot and he dropped to his knees, guitar thumping beside him. He twisted, blanching at the sight of blood. A piece of shell was buried in the wound. “Fuck!”
Gingerly, he reached a hand towards it, his fingers trembling. This was going to hurt . . . maybe he should . . .
A shape, in his peripheral vision. He turned as a figure dropped into view. A young Thor with long golden hair and concern in his hazel eyes. “Are you alright?”
Brandy crumpled to his knees before him. “Zachary, are you hurt?”
Thor helped him up, catching his weight when he hissed trying to step on his left toes. Zach looked at Brandy. “I’ll need help getting back.”
Thor swept him into his arms like he was weightless and beamed at him. “Where’s the car?”
Zach swooned, head dropping back. His hat fell off. “Brandy, grab it? And my guitar?”
Brandy wasn’t listening. He was glaring at Thor. “Thank you for your help. I think I can take over.”
Thor spared Brandy a glance and laughed. “It’s truly no problem. Save your back.”
Zach nodded in agreement. He’d already done enough damage to poor Brandy’s back during that handstand lesson. He couldn’t cause him any more discomfort.
God, his foot throbbed.
“Please, Brandy. My dad gave it to me.”
Brandy scooped the instrument up and gently cleaned the back of sand.
“Don’t forget the hat!”
Zach directed Thor toward their car. Such a dazzling smile, and the strength! Impressive. He peered around his arm at Brandy, who was watching, following close. He gestured to Thor with a nod of his head, mouthing, Oh my God, right?
Thor didn’t let go until he’d settled him in the passenger seat. Zach thanked him profusely and thrust his phone into the god’s hands. “Number. So I can thank you again when my foot isn’t screaming.”
Thor had barely closed the door when Brandy peeled away from the curb, his lips a firm line. “Twenty-five minutes to the hospital.”
Unnecessary. “Take me to the bird sanctuary. Noah will patch me up.”
Thor’s name was Jack.
Zach sat on a sterile table meant for sea birds and spent a ridiculous amount of time staring at his phone, deciding what to write.
“Jack. I mean, it rhymes with Zach. That’s got to mean something.”
Noah hunched over his foot with fancy-looking tweezers. “You should rethink your obsession with men’s names. Zachary rhymes with Jackassery.”
“Only the way you say it.”
Noah pinned him with a look and swiftly removed the shell.
He winced and begged Brandy, whose hand he was throttling, to take his phone. “Don’t give it back to me for a few hours. I don’t want to come across as desperate.”
Brandy pocketed it. “You know, a few days might be better.”
Zach laughed. “I’m not that patient. Besides, he’ll forget me by then.”
“That hadn’t crossed my mind at all.”
Noah glanced up at Brandy sharply, then swung his greens on Zach. “This is painful.”
“Huh?”
“I said this will be painful.”
Antiseptic stung the length of his open wound and Zach yipped, desperate for Brandy’s soothing touch. Brandy returned his hand to the fate of Zach’s clutch, and Zach promised he’d totally make it up to him. “We’ll do whatever you want, the rest of the day.” Zach paused, and amended. “As long as it doesn’t involve walking. Or locking up my phone in a safe. Or staying in bed the whole day. Or—you know what, how about I make the suggestions and you tell me if you’re interested?”
