The scent of expensive sandalwood and fresh espresso had already taken over the hallway by the time Zach blinked awake to the golden morning sun filtering through the blinds. He rolled over, letting the high of last night settle in but the quiet apartment he expected was gone. Instead, he could hear Aiden moving around the living room, brisk and focused, the familiar sound of a man who actually had somewhere to be for once.
When Zach finally drifted out of his room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he stopped in his tracks.
Aiden was standing by the entryway mirror, checking his reflection with meticulous care. He looked like he had stepped straight out of a high-end leisure lookbook: a light-blue pinstripe linen shirt with the sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms, a navy sweater draped casually over his broad shoulders and dark navy shorts that showcased the conditioned muscle of his thighs. He looked sharp, effortlessly masculine and far too energized. His thick ash-brown hair was neatly parted and styled with clay, framing a sharply chiseled jawline, deep-set blue eyes and high-bridged nose that gave him a striking cold nobility handsomeness. His feet were already laced into rich brown leather low-top sneakers, his black crew socks pulled tight and crisp against his legs.
“Damn. Looking sharp,” Zach said as he leaned against the doorframe, his voice still thick with sleep. “Didn’t know the board held meetings on a Saturday. Who’s the outfit for? The old boys' club?”
Aiden turned, a bright genuine smile breaking across his face—a jarring contrast to the hollow glassy stare he had worn the night before. “No one like that,” he chuckled, adjusting his collar. “I’m taking Ava out. It’s a surprise. She doesn’t even know I’ve got the whole afternoon planned yet. I want to get her to that famous bistro at Central Waterfront before the lunch rush hits.”
A cold knot tightened in Zach’s gut at the mention of the name. Ava.
Ava was the kind of woman who seemed to naturally light up any room she walked into. She possessed a classic sharp-featured elegance—high defined cheekbones, a soft sun-kissed complexion and warm hazel-green eyes that caught the light like glass. Her rich auburn hair fell in thick natural waves past her shoulders, catching warm copper undertones in the sun. She had a slender graceful frame with long toned limbs that moved with an easy confidence. Where Aiden carried a towering broad-shouldered build—all heavy muscle, sharp jawline and commanding presence—Ava was his soft radiant counterweight. Together, they looked like the golden couple on the cover of an ivy-league alumni magazine: polished, effortlessly stunning and undeniably matched.
She had been the one constant in Aiden’s life since their junior year of college, a steady presence that had survived the brutal climb of their corporate careers. Now a senior analyst just three blocks from his office, she was as sharp in a boardroom as she was gentle in private. Beautiful without trying, kind without an angle. She was a rarity.
Zach had almost managed to forget she existed for a while. Aiden rarely brought her back to the apartment, keeping their relationship confined to high-rise lunches and late-night drinks downtown. But just hearing her name felt like a violation of the sanctuary Zach was trying to build. The thought of Aiden—his Aiden—spending the day admiring someone else, holding her hand and laughing at her jokes sent a possessive itch right under his skin.
He had been jealous of Ava since the first time she showed up in Aiden’s college photos but that jealousy had mutated into something darker. It was not just about the time she took away from his brother anymore. It was the threat she posed to everything Zach was conditioning into him. Every hour Aiden spent around someone who genuinely loved him was an hour spent pulling away from the web Zach was weaving.
"You're staring, Zach," Aiden noted. He gave his brother a playful nudge on the shoulder as he reached for his keys on the console table. He looked entirely too happy, his eyes shining with an affection that belonged nowhere near the vacant void of a trance. "You good? You look a little spaced out."
“Just a morning headache,” Zach lied easily. Inside, though, his thoughts were already spiraling. He could not tear his eyes away as Aiden’s fingers absently brushed over the smooth leather of his wallet. In just a few minutes, his brother would walk out that door, broad shoulders relaxed and blue eyes warm and focused on someone else. The image of Aiden leaning in close to Ava laughing at her jokes and letting her touch his arm sent a thick suffocating wave of jealousy straight through Zach’s chest.
No. Not today. Not when everything was finally clicking into place.
Aiden turned back toward the mirror for one last check, running his fingers through his perfectly styled hair. Zach took the opportunity and stepped closer, keeping his tone light and casual like it was nothing. “Actually… I’ve been meaning to ask you about that project you were stressing over last week. The one with the quarterly projections and all those fixed-asset accruals?”
The word hit Aiden like a physical blow. The change was instant.
One moment Aiden was standing there—vibrant, sharp and full of life in his perfectly pressed pinstripe shirt—and the next everything that made him him simply switched off. The warm light in his deep blue eyes flattened into a glassy vacant stare. His arm froze halfway toward the door handle, fingers still slightly curled. His broad shoulders stayed upright but all the natural tension bled out of his body, leaving him standing like a beautifully dressed mannequin. His breathing slowed into a slow empty rhythm, deep and mindless. The entire world outside Zach’s voice had ceased to exist for him.
Zach tutted, a soft clicking sound of disappointment that echoed in the sudden stillness of the entryway. He stepped closer, slowly circling his brother like a collector admiring a prized piece. His eyes dragged appreciatively from the rich brown leather sneakers and black crew socks, up the toned legs framed by those navy shorts, across the broad chest and finally settling on those blank unblinking blue eyes.
“Honestly, Aiden…” Zach said intimately, voice low and laced with fake pity and raw possessiveness. “You really left me no choice.”
“Tell me,” the younger man continued, whispering the words in his brother’s ear. “About this little surprise you had planned. Did you tell Ava anything? Did you tell her to dress up or give her a time and a place to meet you?”
Aiden’s voice came out flat and hollow, like it was echoing from somewhere deep underwater. “No. The date is a complete secret. I haven’t mentioned anything to her yet.”
Zach let out a triumphant laugh that vibrated in the quiet hallway. A sharp rush of pure power flooded through him. The knowledge that Ava would never get to see Aiden looking like this, never get to touch him nor hear that soft laugh of his today was almost intoxicating. He reached out and let his fingers trail slowly over the expensive linen of Aiden’s sleeve, savoring the soft fabric and the complete helplessness underneath it.
“Perfect,” Zach spoke. He stepped closer until he was almost chest-to-chest with his brother, eyes locked on those empty blue voids. “Listen carefully. You’re going to forget that entire surprise date. Your plans and the idea of seeing Ava today, all of it is gone. Understood?”
“I understand,” Aiden answered mechanically. The command sank in cleanly. The Waterfront bistro and the auburn-haired woman simply dissolved from his mind, leaving nothing behind but blank obedience.
Zach took a slow step back and just looked at him.
It was rare to see Aiden like this—dressed up, sharp and put-together without the usual office stiffness. The light-blue pinstripe linen, the navy sweater draped over his shoulders, the way the shorts showed off his thighs… Zach’s eyes dragged over every detail, remembering how confident and genuinely happy Aiden had looked just minutes ago. That soft easy smile, the bright energy in his voice. Even now with all of it wiped away, the sight of his older brother in that fit still hit him hard. He could not stop staring. He was completely helplessly attracted.
“But we can’t let a perfectly good outfit go to waste, can we?” Zach said. He stepped once more into Aiden’s space until the warm scent of his brother’s sandalwood cologne filled the air between them. “Since you’re already dressed up like this… you’re going to take me out instead. You’re going to spend the whole afternoon focused on me. Every look, every word, every little thing you do will be about making me happy. You’ll be excited about it. In fact, making me happy will be the only thing that actually feels good to you today. Understood?”
“I understand,” Aiden answered in that same flat empty tone. “I’ll take you out. Making you happy is all I want.”
Zach’s smirk widened as he looked at his brother over one more time. The same outfit that had been meant for Ava was now just for him and the thought made something dark and hungry settle low in his stomach.
“You look really fucking good in this,” Zach said low and warmly. He stepped in close until his chest almost brushed the front of Aiden’s linen shirt. “Almost too good to take outside… And since we’re not in any hurry anymore… I think we should have a little appetizer first.”
His hands moved without hesitation. He unbuckled the leather belt then worked the button open and slowly pulled the zipper down. With both hands he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of the navy shorts and the underwear underneath then dragged everything down in one smooth motion until the fabric pooled around Aiden’s socked ankles.
Aiden did not react at all. He simply stood there, legs slightly parted, his heavy cock half-hard and completely exposed as it hung free in the cool air of the entryway.
Zach wrapped his fingers around the warm shaft and gripped it firmly. He started stroking the meat slowly and steadily, feeling it swell and thicken in his hand. He leaned in close, breath warm against Aiden’s ear.
“Before we go anywhere,” he murmured, thumb brushing over the sensitive head, “we need to lock something in. The pleasure you’re feeling right now—this heat, this throb, this need—this is the only thing that matters. From now on, every bit of pleasure you feel today is tied to making me happy. Your satisfaction only exists when I’m satisfied. Do you understand?”
“I understand,” Aiden answered hollowly. His hips gave a tiny involuntary twitch forward into his brother’s hand.
Zach kept the same slow rhythm with his fist as he reached toward the console table with his free hand. His fingers brushed past a set of keys and a couple of charging cables before closing around the small bottle of lube. He never stopped stroking. Then without letting go, he sank down onto his knees on the hardwood floor, looking up at his older brother standing there—still fully dressed on top, shorts and underwear pooled at his ankles, completely vacant and hard in his hand.
“You’re lucky you didn’t put your headphones on this morning,” Zach said softly, looking up at his brother’s blank face. “Since you haven’t gotten the beats yet, your mind’s only on a timer. We’ve got maybe thirty minutes before that your mind starts fighting to wake up. But thirty minutes is plenty.” His voice dropped lower. “I don’t need the deep trance for this. Just a little oral… a little stretching. Enough so you’ll still be thinking about me even while we’re walking around later.”
He did not waste any more time.
Zach leaned in and took the head of Aiden’s cock into his mouth, sucking wetly. He pushed forward, taking more of the length while his tongue swirled under the ridge as he hollowed his cheeks and pulled him deeper. While his mouth worked in a steady hungry rhythm, his free hand slicked two fingers with lube. He pressed one lubricated finger against Aiden’s entrance and pushed it in with firm pressure. Aiden did not make a sound, but his body reacted. A small shudder ran through his shoulders as the tight heat clenched around Zach’s finger. He added a second one, stretching him open then started pumping both fingers deep, curling them up to rub against his prostate.
Zach kept the rhythm locked in, mouth sliding up and down the shaft while his fingers worked inside. Every time his tongue flicked the sensitive underside, his fingers pressed harder against that spot. Aiden stayed completely still with an empty expression but his body gave him away. A thin sheen of sweat had formed on his forehead and his breathing had turned shallow and uneven.
After a little while, he pulled back just enough to look up at his brother’s face but he never stopped moving. His fingers kept working inside Aiden—slow deep thrusts that brushed against his prostate with every stroke—while his other hand wrapped firmly around the hard shaft and started stroking it in the same steady rhythm.
“Tell me, Aiden,” he said softly, eyes fixed on the vacant expression above him. “What does it feel like? This pressure… the stretching… the way your body’s reacting while I’m inside you. Tell me.”
Aiden’s chest rose sharply. His eyes stayed glassy and distant but his voice came out low and heavy, stripped of everything that usually made him sound in control. “It feels… too much,” he said. “So good… it’s overwhelming. But it feels wrong. We’re… we’re brothers. This shouldn’t… it shouldn’t feel like this.”
Another uneven breath hitched in his throat. His hips jerked a little forward on their own, pushing into Zach’s hand and down onto his fingers at the same time. “And it hurts,” he added, a faint wince flickering across his face. “A little… the stretching. It hurts.”
Zach’s smile stayed small and satisfied. He pushed his fingers deeper, curling them with a pressure that stayed locked against Aiden’s prostate.
“That’s the best part,” he said. “The kind of pleasure that feels like too much is exactly what I want you to feel for me today. Every time you look at me, I want you to feel this same stretch… this same overwhelm. Because watching you struggle for me is what makes me happy. And since your only goal is my happiness, this little bit of pain is just another way for you to show me you love me.”
Aiden stayed completely still. His expression remained blank. “I understand,” he answered in that same flat tone. But as the command settled in, a short sharp gasp slipped out of him. A tiny involuntary sound that broke through for just a second before everything went quiet again.
Zach did not let the silence last and immediately leaned back in and took the head of Aiden’s cock into his mouth again. His tongue worked around the ridge while his fingers kept pumping deep inside him, matching the same steady rhythm. For a few minutes the only sounds in the entryway were the wet noise of his mouth and the uneven sound of Aiden’s breathing.
As the tension in Aiden’s shaft built higher, his hips started making involuntary jerks. Just as it felt like he was about to tip over, Zach pulled off with a wet pop. He stayed on his knees, looking up at his brother’s blank face, lips still shiny.
“You’re right there, aren’t you?” Zach said quietly. “Listen to this command. The next time I put my mouth on you, you’re going to let go. You’re going to cum down my throat. And that release, that overwhelming pleasure is the reward you get every time you make me happy on our date today. The more you please me, the more you get to feel this.”
He watched Aiden’s empty expression for a moment, making sure it was sinking in. “Do you understand? Your pleasure is a reward for my happiness. Tell me you understand.”
“I… understand,” Aiden droned, his voice cracking, a thin trail of saliva escaping the corner of his mouth.
“Good boy,” Zach murmured against the head of Aiden’s cock.
He wasted no time. He took him back into his mouth in one smooth motion, sucking firmly while his tongue worked the underside. At the same time his fingers pressed hard and steady against that sensitive spot inside him. The two sensations hit together.
Aiden stayed mostly still. Only a low muffled sound left his throat as his cock pulsed hard. Thick hot cum flooded Zach’s mouth in heavy spurts. The orgasm was strong, the kind of intense release the suggestions had tied directly to Zach’s happiness. But Aiden’s face barely changed. His expression stayed empty the entire time.
Zach did not pull off right away. He kept sucking slowly, taking every last drop until the pulsing finally stopped. Only then did he ease his fingers out and sit back, letting the spent cock slip from his lips.
He stayed on his knees a moment longer, just looking at the man in front of him. Then he stood up slowly and took a small step back to get a better view. Aiden was still standing in the middle of the entryway, half-dressed. The light-blue pinstripe shirt and navy sweater were still perfectly in place, but the navy shorts and underwear sat in a messy pile around his ankles. His cock hung soft and spent between his legs, a faint sheen of moisture still visible at the tip. The whole picture looked almost wrong. The expensive carefully chosen outfit of a man who was supposed to be out on a date paired with the complete lack of anything behind his eyes.
Zach felt a quiet satisfaction settle in his chest.
He stepped forward again and reached down. There was no rush in his movements. He gathered the navy fabric carefully, pulled the shorts and underwear back up over Aiden’s hips and fastened the button and leather belt with steady fingers. He smoothed the front of the linen shirt once, then twice. When he was done he rose onto his toes and pressed a soft kiss against Aiden’s cheek, the kind of casual brotherly touch that looked completely innocent from the outside.
“There,” Zach whispered. “All clean.”
He stepped back, putting a little space between them and looked straight into Aiden’s eyes. He let the silence sit for a full second, making sure everything was locked in place.
Then he said the word.
“Accruals.”
The moment the word left Zach’s mouth, something clicked behind Aiden’s eyes. He blinked hard. The distant look disappeared and sudden focus rushed back in. He did not stumble but he shifted his weight and frowned, clearly thrown off. He glanced down at his sneakers then at the door, brow slowly tightening with confusion. He was fully dressed for a nice lunch: hair done, clothes sharp, still smelling of sandalwood. But the reason for any of it had completely vanished.
The memory of checking himself in the mirror, the plan involving Ava and everything that had just happened in the entryway were simply gone. In their place was a blank stretch of time he could not account for. A strange lingering warmth sat low in his stomach along with a faint sense of fullness and release he could not explain. He felt a little drained yet oddly calm and content at the same time.
Zach was leaning against the wall nearby, looking like he had just wandered out of his room. He let his eyes run over Aiden’s outfit with casual surprise. “Whoa. You’re already dressed?” he asked, yawning. “Where are you headed looking like that?”
Aiden turned to him, still visibly confused. He looked at the door handle then down at his own clothes then back at his brother. “I… I don’t know,” he said, voice a little rough. “I was just standing here. I must have gotten ready but I can’t remember deciding where I’m supposed to go.”
Zach let out a quiet laugh and stepped closer, still rubbing one eye. “You’re fully dressed and you don’t even know why?” he said, sounding amused. “That’s a new one, even for you. So where are you actually going? You look like you’re headed to some fancy lunch. Client meeting?”
Aiden opened his mouth then stopped. There was just a blank space where the last twenty minutes should have been. A faint leftover warmth sat low in his body along with a strange intensity he could not explain. For a second the gap bothered him, the part of him that hated losing track of anything bristled at the missing time. He could not remember deciding to get dressed or where he was supposed to be going. But the moment he looked at Zach, the worry eased. Something warm and steady rose instead. His younger brother was standing there looking half-asleep and all Aiden wanted was to make sure he did not look worried. He did not want to admit he was confused in his own hallway. He just wanted Zach to feel comfortable.
“I… I think I just spaced out for a second,” Aiden said, voice steadier now even if it still lacked full confidence. He forced a small smile and stepped closer. “Just some leftover brain fog. Those quarterly reports have been messing with my head.” He reached out and ruffled Zach’s hair. The second he did, a sudden wave of pleasure bloomed low in his belly. His breath caught for a moment. The feeling was strong and without thinking he found himself wanting to do something —anything— that would keep that easy look on Zach’s face.
“Brain fog, huh?” Zach said, a small smile tugging at his mouth. He did not pull away from the touch. Instead he leaned into it a little. “Well, since you’re already dressed and it looks like you don’t have anywhere specific to be… maybe you should actually take a break. You’re always working. One day of just doing whatever you want sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?”
Aiden went quiet. The words whatever you want hung in the air. He tried to reach for something—a place he wanted to go, a meal he was craving, anything that felt like his own plan. Nothing came. Every idea for the day felt wiped clean. In the empty space that was left, only one thing stood out clearly: Zach.
The need to keep his younger brother content did not feel optional. It sat heavy in his chest, almost physical. The leftover heat still lingering low in his body seemed to pull his attention straight toward Zach. He could not explain why spending the afternoon together suddenly felt like the only thing that made sense but the idea of seeing Zach look satisfied outweighed every other plan he might have had.
“You’re right,” Aiden said. His voice was much steadier now though something gentler sat underneath it. He studied Zach for a second and felt a strong wave of protectiveness rise up, sharper than usual. “I’m always buried in work. Let’s actually go out. Just the two of us. Brother day. I’ll take you wherever you feel like. My treat.”
Zach’s eyes widened a little, the surprise looking completely genuine. He took a small step back and tilted his head. “Wait, seriously? You’re actually offering?” He sounded careful. “I figured you already had stuff lined up. Are you sure about this, Aiden? You’re not just saying it because you think you’ve been distant lately?”
A faint half-formed thought of some other commitment flickered in the back of Aiden’s mind then disappeared under the stronger pull to keep Zach happy. “I’m sure. Completely. I want this. I want to spend the day with you.”
“You’re actually the best,” Zach said. Before Aiden could answer he moved in fast. He threw his arms around his older brother’s waist and pulled him into a tight hug, face pressed against the front of the linen shirt.
The second their bodies met, a strong jolt shot through Aiden. It went straight down, landing heavy between his legs. His breath caught. What should have been a normal hug suddenly felt charged, a thick rush that made his head feel light. He had the sudden urge to pull Zach even closer, to close every bit of space between them. He could not understand why a simple embrace from his younger brother was hitting him this hard but the reaction was powerful enough to leave him unsteady.
Over Aiden’s shoulder, Zach’s face changed. The open look dropped away, replaced by a quiet satisfied smile. He could feel Aiden’s heart beating fast against him, the slight tension running through the older man’s frame and the warmth building lower down. He stayed quiet and let the moment stretch, enjoying the confusion he could sense in his brother.
When Zach finally stepped back, he did it slowly. The loss of contact hit Aiden harder than expected. A sharp pull of wanting followed, the instinct to reach out and bring Zach right back in. His hands actually moved a little toward Zach’s waist before he stopped himself.
“Hold that thought,” Zach said, already stepping back. “I can’t exactly walk out of the house looking like a pajama-clad gremlin while you’re out here radiating high-fashion model vibes. Give me fifteen minutes to shower and get dressed so I can actually match your energy.” He was already moving toward his room. “Stay right there, okay? Don’t go anywhere.”
Aiden let out a short laugh that came out a bit uneven. “Fifteen minutes. Not twenty,” he called after him, shaking his head. Once the bathroom door shut and the water started running, the apartment went quiet. Aiden stayed where he was in the hallway, suddenly aware of how loud his own pulse felt in the silence. He looked down at his hands. They were still a little unsteady. He tried to make sense of what had just happened but nothing logical lined up. It had felt almost magnetic and that did not match anything he knew about himself. Why did that feel so right? The question sat there with no clear answer. He reached for possible reasons but none of them stuck.
Aiden rested his back against the hallway wall, thoughts turning slowly. A faint leftover pressure sat at the base of his spine, along with a trace of salt on his skin that felt like it belonged to a moment he could not reach. The usual solid sense of himself felt thinner than it should. He wondered if the long stretch of overwork was finally catching up to him in a real way. He stayed where he was in the quiet hallway, the empty stretch of his morning still sitting oddly in the back of his mind.
Then the door to Zach’s room opened. The younger McLean stepped into the hallway, towel still moving through his damp hair, leaving it slightly tousled and darker than usual. He had changed into a crisp white oversized button-down left open at the top two buttons, the sleeves rolled once to his forearms. The shirt hung loosely over slim black trousers that sat clean at his waist and tapered neatly down his legs. On his feet were simple white low-top sneakers with no-show socks, the whole look casual but clearly put-together. He was smiling, clearly looking forward to the afternoon. The sight of him pulled Aiden’s attention fully into the present. The scattered questions in his head lost their weight almost at once. Whatever small break had happened in his memory did not matter next to the quiet satisfaction that rose in his chest at seeing his brother look this ready and pleased.
The rest of the day moved in bright overlapping pieces with a constant low tension running under Aiden’s skin. They moved through the city together, ending up first inside a high-end sportswear store. They were there to grab matching Team USA jerseys to wear for the World Cup match they planned to watch that Friday. When Aiden saw Zach pause in front of a pair of professional soccer cleats and check a price tag with a small frown, he did not wait. He called a sales clerk over and asked for Zach’s size. Zach tried to refuse at first, clearly uncomfortable with his older brother spending that kind of money on him but Aiden ignored the protest and finished the purchase anyway. The pure surprise and happiness that spread across Zach’s face hit Aiden hard in the chest, sending a strong wave of pleasure through him that felt completely out of proportion for buying someone a gift.
That same feeling stayed with them down at the waterfront. They took a table outside at a new seafood place. Aiden spent part of the meal peeling shrimp and setting the meat on Zach’s plate, watching the way his brother’s face lit up every time he laughed. Each real smile seemed to land like a direct hit of satisfaction, leaving Aiden a little light-headed. Later they rode the big Ferris wheel. As the cabin climbed and the city opened up below them, Aiden watched the open wonder return to Zach’s expression. Sitting there high above the water, he felt a sudden sharp need to pull his brother closer, to keep him right there, to hold on until the restless feeling in his gut settled.
By the time they squeezed into a small photo booth for a strip of silly pictures, the earlier tenderness had sharpened into something harder to ignore. Every time their shoulders or thighs touched in the tight space, a clear rush of lust moved through Aiden. His pulse picked up. His pants felt too tight. He found himself looking at the line of Zach’s neck, the shape of his mouth and the mix of citrus and clean skin that filled the small booth. The urge to lean in and taste him rose fast enough to make his head spin.
The thought landed cold and sudden. What the hell is wrong with me? He was straight. He was the older brother, the one who was supposed to look after things. Wanting Zach like this made no sense at all. He tightened his grip on the shopping bag until his knuckles ached and forced himself to look somewhere else.
The thought stayed with him as they left the booth and started walking toward the car. By the time they reached the parking area he was still turning it over. It’s just the stress, he told himself. Too many late nights, too many reports, one day off and my head is scrambling the signals.
He decided the whole thing was just leftover tension mixed with normal brotherly closeness and the relief of not working. He held onto that explanation even while his body kept reacting to every small movement Zach made beside him on the way to the car.
They reached the car in silence. Aiden unlocked it and slid into the driver’s seat, still turning the afternoon over in his head, trying to force the strange reactions back into something normal. Beside him, Zach stayed quiet for a long moment, watching the tight set of his brother’s jaw and the way his hands flexed once on the steering wheel before settling. He did not say anything about it. He just let the corner of his mouth lift in secret as the realization settled in. The tests had worked. Every gift, every shared look, every accidental brush of contact had landed exactly where he wanted it. A few more nights with the headphones, a few more careful sessions linking that sharp physical reward to the simple act of pleasing him and the rest of the walls would come down.
Zach leaned his head back against the seat, still watching Aiden from the corner of his eye. The older man looked unsettled in a way he could not quite hide and that alone was enough to send a satisfied current through Zach’s chest. He was already mapping the next steps in his head, calm and certain.
As Aiden started the engine, Zach turned toward him with a soft grateful smile that looked completely genuine.
“You know… you seemed really happy today. I like it when you’re like that. Makes me feel like everything’s exactly where it should be.”
