Page 5

“Obviously. You’re tall, buff, have a great smile, pretty eyes,” I trailed off.

His hum sounded smug.

“Anyway, the game is really cool. It’s a role-playing game, and as the playing character, you’re a human who gets caught up in a supernatural world operating alongside ours. You can explore, solve puzzles, go on side quests, enter combat, romance characters...” I cleared my throat. “It’s awesome.”

“Sounds interesting. What do you like most about it?”

I clutched onto the conversational life preserver with everything I had and spent the rest of the walk letting my inner nerd take over. I’d never see this guy again and my foot hurt like hell, so I wouldn’t worry about trying to hide my freak.

Thankfully, he seemed more charmed than annoyed by my gamer rambles, and he’d even asked a few thoughtful questions. Unfortunately, every time he showed interest, it was like an electric shock to my dick.

When Zane’s house came into view, I immediately ended my monologue about the game’s stellar intersection of player agency and world responsiveness. It wasn’t the shack I’d expected. This was a luxury cabin—cabin being a modest descriptor. It was two stories with lots of windows, and warm lights glowed from the living area. There weren’t any cars out front. No garage or even a driveway. He said he didn’t drive, but how did people visit him? How did he get around? Maybe he had an ATV somewhere.

“Wow. This is stunning.”

“You sound surprised.”

I was getting used to the feel of his rumbling laughter in my chest.

When he carried me up the stairs to his porch, his breathing wasn’t labored at all. Not only was he strong as hell, but his stamina. Jesus. That must come in handy in the bedroom.

Stop thinking about sex while you’re dry humping his back!

If I got wood while playing the game after this, Jason would never let me live it down.

What was it about Zane that got me so worked up? If it was friction alone, I wouldn’t have felt electrical zips racing through my gut when he laughed or teased me.

I’d been around tons of big guys like him, so it wasn’t that. Jason’s gym friends never made me look twice. There was something about Zane that got under my skin in a way that left me craving more of him.

I’d always considered myself straight because I never had a reason to question that assumption. Until now. Default unless proven otherwise. But the way I reacted to Zane was proving otherwise.

“Do a lot of birds fly into those windows?”

“The windows are treated to prevent that.”

“Oh. That’s really nice.”

He tapped a code into the high-tech door lock, then the front door swung open.

“Holy shit. This place is incredible.” The main floor was open, with one space flowing into the next. Every detail from the furnishings to the light fixtures conveyed luxury, but it still felt cozy.

“Thanks. I spend…a lot of time here, so I wanted to make sure it was comfortable.”

Without dropping me, he toed off his shoes and carried me to a leather sectional positioned to face an electric fireplace. It wasn’t as worn as the leather armchair across from it. That must be his go-to spot.

Zane crouched in front of the couch and released my legs, letting me slide down his body. My dick trapped between us, dragging along every inch. I wobbled as the blood resumed circulation, but that triggered a new wave of pain in my right foot. When I sucked in a sharp breath, he spun around and steadied me with a firm grip of my waist. My cheeks burned at the way my body responded to his touch.

“You’re shivering.”

“I run cold, but you were warm.” I swayed toward him once more like a heat-seeking missile.

“I’ll warm it up in here.” He pulled my beanie further over my ears as a crease formed on his forehead. “Lie down, and I’ll elevate your leg. Then I’ll get ice and pain pills.”

I complied and stretched along his couch cushions. As he arranged the pillows, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was also pale. Almost an ill pallor. Whatever it was, it hadn’t affected his ability to carry my ass without getting winded. But what captured my attention most was the golden ring surrounding his dark-as-coal irises.

“How’s that?” He assessed me, then adjusted the pillows under my foot once more.

I reached out and touched his forearm. “It’s great. Thank you.”