Chapter 3
Zak
Harvey pushes the rental up the street, into the driveway, and all the way to right out front of Grandma's house, and holy freaking heck is he strong.
And smoking hot.
Most people would consider me tall at 6'3", but even I had to look up to see his chiseled face. His jaw is strong, nose straight, his features clean and masculine with a rugged edge, stone-gray eyes steady and unreadable. Dark hair hangs to his shoulders, loose and untamed.
And then there's his body. He's got to be a former athlete or something because no way would a mere mortal look like that. He’s broad through the shoulders, long-limbed, filling out his clothes…and then some. Everything about him looks solid as fuck.
"Thank you so much," I say as he wipes his hands down the sides of his jeans. Yep, shirtless and in tight blue jeans that positively cling to thighs the size of tree trunks. Impossible to miss the hefty bulge, too, which looks impressively to scale.
Even Jack's been checking him out—discreetly of course—which is highly unusual for him. Since retiring from performing a decade ago, he's been celibate, which would surprise the fans we had back in the day.
There are plenty of clips from our most iconic scenes circulating on social media. Take one look at any of those, and you'd think we were insatiable cum-hungry bottoms. That was true then, but a person can change a lot in ten years.
Jack's thrown himself into growing our business and, lately, into advocacy work, while I've done my best to keep myself busy in an attempt to move on from being in love with someone who only sees me as a friend. You'd think after ten years, I'd have made some progress on that front, but sadly, nope.
"We'd invite you in for a cold drink, but we're low on supplies," Jack says…and is he flirting with him? I haven't seen that smile on his face in a long time.
"It's fine. I should be getting back. Grass ain't gonna mow itself."
"I bet." Jack's smile grows, and, yep, he's flirting.
Good for him.
A few years ago, when it hit me I would never get over him, I tried setting him up with a few guys, hoping that once I saw him with someone else, it would unlock this strange hold he has over me.
But nope, it was a big-time fail. His dates were all disasters and made him swear off dating even more, and I was a scrunched-up ball of jealousy throughout the whole process.
Right now, though, even though the man I'm secretly in love with is flirting with someone right in front of my eyes, I'm not jealous.
At all.
The overriding thing I'm feeling is a buzz in my balls. Jack would look so hot on his knees worshipping this man, sucking him with that hunger he used to get in his eyes, working hard to earn his rich, creamy reward, splattered all over that beautiful face of his.
"See you, Zak."
Huh?
Harvey's deep voice jolts me back into the present moment, and why is he walking away? Man, Jack's game is weak. Good thing he's got a rottweiler bestie that won't take no for an answer.
"Are you free for dinner tonight?" I ask, halting Harvey in his tracks.
He turns around, his steel eyes flicking between the two of us. "I'll have to check my social calendar…"
Jack chuckles, and I grin.
"Be here at six. I don't know how well you knew my grandmother, but she's passed down all her best recipes to me."
Harvey's face lights up. "Including cupcakes?"
"Including cupcakes." I prop my hands on my hips. "Got a favorite flavor?"
"Mango cardamom," he answers back immediately.
I smile. "I'll see what I can do. See you at six."
"You were totally flirting with Harvey," Jack says the moment we're inside.
"What are you talking about?" I scan his face to see if he's kidding around, but I can't get a read. His tone isn't angry or accusatory, but in any case, he's dead wrong.
"Come over for dinner. I'll bake you some cupcakes," he says, putting on a breathy tone that's easily a few octaves higher than mine.
I roll my eyes, making my way to the kitchen counter where I left my phone so I can start putting together a shopping list for tonight's meal.
"Not only are you wrong, but you are spectacularly wrong," I say, snatching up my phone. "I saw you flirting with him, and as such, took it upon myself to invite him over for you two to…you know." I wave my phone in front of him.
"Wait. So you're going to make dinner and cupcakes and then…leave?"
"Correct."
"You're an idiot."
"I know, but why in this particular instance?"
He slides onto a stool at the breakfast bar. "Okay, so, yes, maybe Harvey is the first guy in a very long time?—"
"Years."
"Okay, years."
"Many years."
"Okay, the first guy in many years who has sparked a…curiosity in me. But that doesn't mean I want to do anything with him. Especially not on my own."
"I don't understand."
He kicks out the stool beside him and motions for me to sit down. Once I do, he says, "Remember those guys you set me up with a few years ago?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I realized something." He drops his gaze and starts fidgeting with his fingers. "I realized that I don't think I'm cut out for dating."
"I remember you saying that."
"That's only half of it. What I didn't tell you is that I don't think I'm cut out for dating without you."
"Me?" I tap myself on the chest in case there's any other 'you' he could be referring to while staring directly at me with only the two of us in the kitchen. "I don't understand."
"We've done so many things together. On-screen and off. You're not only my business partner, or even just my best friend. You're my soulmate. And I don't think I'm cut out for dating because how would that work? You're everything I want even if we're not together in that way."
Saliva turns to lead in my mouth, and I can't formulate a single word in response. Talk about a bombshell. I wasn't expecting this at all.
Am I really the reason Jack hasn't dated or slept with anyone since we quit performing?