Page 46 of Twice Shy

And he was most definitely both. There’d been some serious heat going on between them, and if Jackie hadn’t shown up when she had, God knew how far they might have gone. He touched his lips. Were they swollen? He peered closer. They felt swollen. His skin felt flushed all over, his body humming with arousal—even if Jackie’s surprise appearance had successfully killed his hard-on in record time. He knew it wouldn’t take much to get him worked up again, possibly only a look from Joel’s intense gray eyes.

But judging by the expression of stark terror on the guy’s face when Jackie had interrupted, Ollie wasn’t sure they’d be having a repeat performance. And that left him feeling more depressed than he had any right to feel.

Pushing his confusion aside, he washed and dried his hands and stepped out into the quiet school corridor. It was five o’clock; he was picking up the kids from Sofia at six, which left him a precious hour of free time. From the hall he heard voices, the last of the parents clearing up. He’d left his stuff in there anyway, so it wasn’t like he could just go home. Even if he wanted to, which he didn’t. He couldn’t until he’d spoken to Joel.

Almost everything had been cleared away. Jackie was disconnecting her phone from the speakers, and Mrs. Allen, the principal, was talking to Joel while she locked the fire escape doors. Joel looked...gorgeous. Let’s not mince words. Ollie had been drooling over the sight of him in jeans all day. They weren’t super fashionable, but soft and well fitting, and paired with that heavy navy sweater that brought out the blue in his gray eyes, Ollie had hardly been able to keep his eyes off him while they worked.

Or his hands off him, as it turned out.

And he had no regrets about that. God, but Joel had felt good in his arms. The moment when he’d relaxed, given in to the inevitable, would live long in Ollie’s memory—at once surrender and domination as they’d tussled for control of the kiss, Joel’s fingers tugging at his hair, teeth nipping at his bottom lip, one arm like iron around his back as they strove to get closer. Even the memory was powerful enough to stir him.

And then Joel looked his way, gaze arrowing in across the hall, and their eyes met.

For a horrible moment, Ollie feared Joel would look away, dismiss him. But instead he said something to Mrs. Allen and headed his way, striding toward him across the hall. Ollie’s insides trembled as a broad grin escaped his control. Joel smiled too, with more restraint, and stopped a careful distance away. “Okay?”

“Yeah. You?”

No answer, but a dozen questions darted through his eyes. “I, er, was wondering whether you could give me a ride home.” Color rose into his cheeks and his gaze skittered away uncertainly.

Ollie wanted to reach out and take his hand, but the fact that Joel wanted to keep this—whatever this was—on the downlow was very clear. He shoved his twitchy hands into his pockets. “Of course. It’s your car.”

“Shared,” Joel said, and although his lips didn’t smile his eyes glittered warmly.

And that low hum of desire flared back into heat. Ollie swallowed. “Ready to go now?”

Joel’s eyes didn’t leave his. “Sure.”

They were out of the parking lot and halfway down the street before either of them spoke. Joel was driving—Ollie had insisted, feeling weird driving him about in his own car. And Joel, hands white-knuckling the correct ten and two position on the steering wheel, eyes on the road, said, “There are some things you should know before we… Before things go any further.” A quick sideways glance. “Assuming you want them to go further? You might not.”

Ollie was glad he had time to study him, to observe the tense jaw and straight line of his mouth. Otherwise he might have thought Joel’s abrupt tone was unfriendly instead of nervous. “I like you,” he said carefully. “But my life’s pretty hectic right now, with the boys and…everything. I haven’t thought about anything like this in a long time. That’s not to say I’m not interested, just that I have a lot on my plate.”

Joel gave a jerky nod. “I understand. If you’d rather we just forget—”

“No. That’s not what I mean.” He reached out and lightly touched Joel’s arm. “I’ve felt there was something between us for a while now. I wasn’t sure you felt the same.”

“I did. I do.” Joel cleared his throat. “But— Okay, first off, you should know that Helen wasn’t a…a beard or anything. I’m bisexual, not gay.”

“Sure, okay.”

“If that’s a problem for you—”

“It’s not.”

“Because some gay guys think, if you’re bi, it means you’re just experimenting or something.”

“And they’re assholes.” Ollie squeezed his arm. “It’s not a problem for me, Joel. It’s not like I didn’t already know you’d been married—I’d assumed you were at least bi, maybe pan.”

Joel flicked him a sideways glance. “Atleastbi?”

“Shit.” He winced. “Sorry, I mean… I’m trying to say I’m cool with you being bi.”

With a curt nod, Joel turned his eyes back to the road. “Also, I’m not out at school. Or anywhere in New Milton, for that matter.”

Ollie had figured that too. “Are you out to anyone? To your family?”

“My parents, yes. It’s not that I’m closeted, it’s just that I’ve never needed to come out here.” A pause. “Because I haven’t dated since Helen.”

Thatwasa surprise. “You mean guys, or…?”

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