Page 8 of Bond Strength

Then his statement filtered in.

Oh.

He was doing the repair.

Oh no.

Avoiding him had just become impossible.

Chapter four

Noah

The frustrating situation with Declan yesterday had driven me to the app. I needed to hook up and blow off steam something fierce, even if it was a Sunday evening.

The guy on Grindr wanted to meet up at Fun-Guy, our local mushroom-themed sports bar, but the baseball game was on, so I headed there early. My job this week had gotten switched to Declan’s house, which thrilled me, even if the confusion between us drove me insane in the same breath.

Some days I wanted to quit with the hookups and find someone who fit me, but I’d never met someone who intrigued me like Declan, so the urge to settle down hadn’t gripped me yet.

The crack of the bat from the screen drew my attention, and I let out a whoop, along with a few of the other guys watching. I’d half finished my beer, one of the artisan wheat beers they had on tap.

“Phillies aren’t playing like shit this season,” Greg, the bartender, said. Wherever I went, I tried to learn the names of the people I met,and they lingered in my head. However, I sometimes made friends a little too easily—in the sense that all the invites folks threw my way made my head spin.

“Thank fuck,” I said. “Last season was painful.”

My phone pinged. The guy on the screen looked kinda cute and had the geeky vibe I liked. I itched for someone to let me take control, to let me bind them up and fuck them senseless, but that sort of play required a few hookups to build up to. My balls ached at the thought of getting to do that with Declan. The idea of him bent over with a blindfold, his mouth open and ready.

Ngh.

Okay, the fantasy was unhelpful to my current situation. I needed to be getting in the groove for BottomsforDays, not my forever unattainable crush.

I glanced at the door.

The crush who just walked in here.

Declan stepped into FunGuy, his brow furrowed as if he had already sunk into analytical assessment mode. My heart thumped harder on automatic. His glossy brown hair was swept to the side, his thick black frames showcasing his gorgeous eyes. His lush lips were pursed, which sent my mind to filthier places. He wore a pair of jeans with a white tee that highlighted his slender frame. Fuck, I’d break him in the best way.

If he was ever interested.

Half the time, I couldn’t tell if I pissed him off or if he enjoyed my company. Everything had gotten more confusing between us once we hit high school.

But god, he was exactly who I thought of when I imagined my dream guy.

He saw the world through such a different lens than I did, and I adored it. And his dry wit was unparalleled. I missed him in my life something fierce, but no matter how much I tried to fix what had broken between us back then, the task was impossible because I didn’t know what had caused it. Some days, I wasn’t sure if he even did.

Fuck the baseball game. I had a new distraction.

Declan headed my way, but he hadn’t spotted me yet. He veered to the right, where two guys sat at a table, and he plunked down next to them.

My phone buzzed with BottomsforDays.

Running late.

I shot back a “no problem.” My interest for the hookup had decreased the second Declan walked through the door. If only I could switch on this spark, this attraction, this fixation with anyone else. The closest thing I got to that was when I volunteered at the shelter. Leaving the pups there grew harder and harder when I wanted one in my home so damn badly.

I pushed up from my seat, beer in hand. Declan clearly wasn’t on a date, so saying hi couldn’t hurt. Adrenaline fluttered through me as I made my way over.

“Three times this week?” I asked.

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