Page 33 of Fear of Flying

Zach smiled as Drew’s lips crushed lightly into his, their dance only stuttering for a brief moment as Drew kissed him a bit more thoroughly than needed to silence him. When he pulled back, Drew grinned and said, “Yeah, I actually know how to dance. A couple years ago, I learned for my brother’s wedding—the whole wedding party took lessons.”

“How lucky for me,” Zach said, taking a moment to study Drew’s features, especially those endless gray-blue eyes.

There was this look on Drew’s face, some indescribable thing that made Zach’s heart surge with warmth, and then Drew dipped down for another kiss, this one brief but not lacking in emotion. Drew pulled back only slightly before leaning his head against Zach’s, cheek to cheek again.

And as they swayed there, Zach comfortably wrapped in Drew’s arms, with Drew’s hand at the small of his back and their bodies pressed so close together, Zach felt like maybe there had never been anything more perfect and right than this moment. It had to be real—this happiness, this warmth, this... love.

His heart was nearly bursting with joy, and the feeling only intensified when Drew started singing, the opening lines of “Can’t Help Falling In Love” murmured with a warm breath against Zach’s ear.

Zach felt his heart overflow, and he tightened his arm around Drew’s waist. Everything—from the feel of Drew’s body against his own to the intensity of their kisses and the way it felt when they made love—everything was so amazingly, amazingly perfect. It had to be real.

Chapter Fifteen

Drew

Drew had danced with his mom, he’d danced with his sister-in-law, he’d danced with the maid-of-honor, and he’d even danced with his brother. Outside of his brother’s wedding, though, he really hadn’t danced at all. Hadn’t cared to. But oh, when Zach had asked him to dance just minutes ago, it had set his heart afire, especially when he’d pulled back to see that smile and those blue eyes looking so hopeful. Dancing sounded like just about the best thing in the world.

Zach had insisted Drew not leave their embrace, not even to put on more clothes than just their boxers. But that was perfectly fine with Drew, because he couldn’t deny how good it felt to have Zach in his arms—especially knowing that even though something had been bothering Zach, the simple act of Drew holding him had seemed to help. It tugged at his heart and filled him with a sense of warmth and belonging like he’d never known before. And while Drew would have preferred music to dance to, Zach had declined that for the same reason—he hadn’t wanted to let go. Drew couldn’t stop his heart from hoping that Zach would never let go.

Resting his cheek against Zach’s, Drew swayed them gently at first. Then he started singing the first song that came to mind. As he crooned softly and led them in some modified version of a slow dance, he marveled at how amazing it felt to dance with someone like this. Someone he felt so much for. Someone he loved.

Drew let his fingers draw an aimless pattern at the small of Zach’s back. He loved how soft his skin was there and how sometimes Zach would move in such a way as to put just a bit more pressure in that spot, like he craved Drew’s touch and needed more. He couldn’t blame him—Drew craved Zach’s touch just as much.

The song came to an end—he thought he’d gotten most of the words right—and Drew kept them swaying, gently untangling their joined hands and then slipping his hand around Zach’s back. He shifted to brush a kiss on Zach’s cheek. “More?”

Zach hummed contentedly, his free hand finding Drew’s waist, fingers flexing and pressing into his flesh lightly. “No, I think I want to get back into bed and snuggle.”

Drew grinned, and there was a hint of amusement in his voice when he responded. “I could go for that.”

“Why does snuggle sound so... silly? There’s cuddle, too, but that seems just as silly. But what else is there to say—nestle? embrace? That one’s not bad, actually, and—”

Drew captured Zach’s lips, stopping his rambling. His kiss was brief but deep, and he felt Zach smiling against him as it ended. “You’re adorable. And I want to do all of those with you. C’mon,” he murmured, taking Zach’s hand in his.

“It’s getting late. I suppose we ought to get ready for bed before we settle in?” Zach asked as they headed back to the bedroom. “And oh, shoot! I need to text my mom! I should do that first before she calls at an inopportune time. Not that... I mean, if there is one. I’m not—I don’t have... plans or anything. God, why is this so awkward?”

The blush creeping up Zach’s face made Drew’s pulse tick up a notch. Damn, he was gorgeous. Drew brought Zach’s hand up to his mouth to brush a kiss along his knuckles. “Me either. We’ll figure it out. And, uh, I don’t have plans either, but I, um, wouldn’t mind if... more happens.”

Zach let out a short huff and squeezed Drew’s hand, stepping closer to him so his lips were mere inches away. “Me either.”

There was a twitch of interest from his groin, but he knew that anything more would have to wait. Zach needed to contact his mom, and Drew needed to shower and brush his teeth.

“I’ll go first? Give you a chance to text?” Drew suggested.

Zach nodded and let go of Drew’s hand, sighing heavily as he walked over to the nightstand to grab his phone. Drew breathed a wistful sigh of his own, snagged one of the two free toiletry kits from beside his messenger bag where he’d left it earlier, and then headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

After brushing his teeth and taking a quick shower, Drew dried himself off and then wrapped the towel around his waist. He paused to study his reflection in the mirror. It was funny how he almost didn’t recognize himself. There was something happier, lighter about him—and though it didn’t quite make sense, Drew was hard-pressed to pick out any one detail from his reflection that had changed. Though maybe that was because the biggest change was something he felt most on the inside, something joyful and bright and whole.

Even the reminder he’d gotten from his mom earlier, about his brother and family coming to town this weekend, hadn’t been able to weigh down this new buoyancy in his heart. Not that he didn’t love his brother or get along with Sherri or want to meet his brand-new niece...

It was just that seeing them and how happy they were, watching their little family grow, had always made him feel so alone. Any time he thought of them or talked to them, he’d have the same pangs of sadness and grief and longing, longing for something he was sure he’d never have.

And now . . . maybe . . .

He let out a strong huff and shook the rest of the thought off. He didn’t want to let his mind get carried away. He was just going to enjoy the here and now. He was going to hold Zach and make love to him and just enjoy the fact that everything felt perfect, right here in their little slice of heaven.

Their little slice of heaven that they’d get to enjoy for another whole day. His mom, being the constant worrier that she was, had called to check in on him but also to let him know what she’d heard on the news about the storm causing further delays.

Drew smiled at his reflection, then padded out of the bathroom and into the bedroom to share the news with Zach, if he hadn’t already heard it from his mom. Just as Drew stepped into the room, Zach put his phone down on the nightstand and stood, and when he turned around to face Drew, he seemed to freeze.