The intimacy of it all was giving Zack a weird feeling. Not bad, per se, but like a mixture of excitement and unease. He could feel it bubbling up from his stomach and spreading through his limbs. He’d woken up next to a fair number of men—and one girl in high school; everyone experimented when they were young—but this felt different. This felt . . . scary. And wonderful.

Zack broke away from the kiss. “Do you want me to go? It’s late, and I’m sure you have things to do today.”

“Actually,” John said, “I skipped my morning lecture. The professor loves me. She was very sympathetic when I told her about my family emergency.” He sat back on his haunches and spread his arms. “I’m all yours. If you want me, of course.”

Zack smirked. “I think we both know I do.” He reached forward, grabbed John by the shirt, and hauled him in for another kiss.

John climbed up his body, pushing him back until he was lying down. Zack sank into the pile of pillows, and John hovered over him. Zack was suddenly very aware of the fact that he was still naked from the night before.

John didn’t give him the opportunity to feel self-conscious, however. He kissed him once more, chastely. “So, what now?”

“I’m starving. Want some breakfast?”

John looked sheepish. “I’m not much of a cook.”

“Well, I am. You can thank Nana Gemma. If you’ll let me borrow your shower and some clean clothes, I’ll whip something up for us.”

John readily agreed. He rummaged in a drawer and extracted a pair of sweatpants and a cotton shirt. Zack took them and ambled into the bathroom. The glassed-in shower had the most fantastic water pressure he’d ever felt. He helped himself to John’s expensive soap and shampoo, and when he finished, he felt like he’d just been to a salon. And he smelled like John, which made a strange, smug feeling slither through him.

After he’d dressed, Zack exited the bedroom and followed the hallway. When he reached the living room, he hesitated. He hadn’t been paying much attention to where everything was located last night, busy as he had been. There was another hallway to the left and a door to the right. They were separated by a large, black sectional sofa placed across the room from a glass entertainment center.

As Zack wavered, he heard a voice calling him from the left. “Be right there!” he responded. He trotted down the hallway and found himself at the front door. He glanced to the right and spotted the kitchen he’d seen the night before.