He liked… Zach.
Whichwasn'tnew, but also suddenly seemed just slightly different than it had.
“Please don't get a car for the sake of being able to drop me home,” Zach said, pulling Flynn back out of his thoughts. “I couldn't live with it.”
Flynn licked his lips, trying to catch the thread he was pretty sure he’d just been tugging on again.
He liked Zach.
“Okay, but… what if Iwanteda car anyway, and that was just a side-effect?” he asked. “What if I had an early mid-life crisis and got a sports car? Then all the other boys would be jealous.”
“No,” Zach said, but there was laughter in his voice, and his pretty brown eyes were sparkling.
Being around him felt so damnedgood, and Flynn liked him, and he wanted…
Wanted to kiss him.
He wanted to reach out and tangle his fingers deep in Zach’s hair and hold him in place and…
Before he’d made a conscious decision, Flynn reached out to Zach, cupping his cheek. His fingers slid back to the nape of Zach’s neck, and Zach wasn't saying no or pulling away, and Flynn’s heart was pounding in his chest.
His stomach was tight, tight enough tohurtas he leaned in, but that didn't stop him from doing it. His lips crashed into Zach’s, and he could taste stale beer and salted peanuts and feel stubble under his fingers and he really didn't mind at all.
Zach made a soft, needy noise into his mouth, and everything about this was perfect.
The rush of warmth south eased the knots in his belly, a flood of pleasure washing over him. His brain was screamingfinally, yes, keep doing this, and Flynn wanted to.
He wanted to keep doing this.
He wanted, he wanted…
The gentle touch of Zach’s hand against his chest made him pull back, suddenly unsure.
A lump formed in his throat, cold panic replacing the rush of warm pleasure. He’d misread things. Zach didn't want him.
Hell, the guy had been in love with hisbrother, ofcoursehe didn't want Flynn.
They were completely different people, family resemblance aside. And this wasweird, and Flynn was supposed to be straight anyway, and…
Flynn blinked at Zach, trying not to linger on his flushed cheeks or kiss-swollen lips.
Before he could think of anything to say, the bus pulled up behind Zach.
“I have to go,” he murmured, voice a little rough.
Flynn didn't want him to go. That was thelastthing he wanted.
But he still couldn't think of anything tosay, definitely not anything that seemed likely to get Zach to stick around, so he nodded instead.
Nodded, and watched Zach turn away and climb onto the bus, blood pounding in his ears.
Flynn stared after the tail lights, his head spinning and his stomach knotting up all over again.
Shit.
He’d kissed Zach.
And he hadn't done it because he thought it was what Zach wanted, either. He’d done it becausehewanted it, and he almost never did that, and he was quickly remembering why he didn't do that.
Flynn wasn't the kind of man who got what he wanted. That was why he settled for getting other people whattheywanted.
And now Zach was gone, and he hadn't had time to explain himself, or apologize, and now…
Now he might never get the chance. Zach could so easily just walk out of his life. The next time he heard from him could have been when he sent the divorce papers.
Flynn swallowed, his throat tight.
So much for thinking of himself for once.
