wasn’t exactly sure why he did now. All he knew was that for the first time in his life, he felt an aching emptiness inside him. A longing for something he never thought he’d want— true intimacy with another human being.
He refused to consider too closely the reason for this change of heart.
“Okay,” Bo said. “I need to go shower. Be back down soon.”
As Bo brushed past, Sam caught the scent of sweat and heat, bringing him half-erect in the space of a breath. The mental image of Bo in the shower wasn’t helping. Bo naked and wet, his skin slick with soap, palms moving in slow circles across his chest, sliding down his belly, between his legs, one hand cupping his balls while the other stroked his erection…
Sam shoved back from the table, stood and strode out the door, ignoring the wary looks he knew David and Cecile were giving him. He caught up with Bo at the top of the stairs and grabbed his shoulder, whirling him around.
“We need to talk,” he said, trying to keep his voice calm.
Bo wouldn’t look at him. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Nothing? How the fuck can you say that?”
“Look, I won’t tell anyone you’re gay, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Sam stared, unbelieving. “Me? What about telling them you’re gay? Or, hell, maybe you should tell yourself first.”
Bo went pale for a second, then flushed red. His hand clamped onto Sam’s upper arm in a crushing grip. “I’m not gay,” he growled, eyes flashing. “I have a wife. And kids , for fuck’s sake.”
“So? You wouldn’t be the first to try to pretend.” Sam dropped his voice to a near whisper. “You had your hand on my thigh, Bo. You let me kiss you. And you kissed back.”
“I…I had too much wine. It was a mistake.” The tremor in Bo’s voice contrasted sharply with his words. “I’m not gay, Sam. I’m not.”
Sam gazed at him, at the wide, frightened eyes that shifted restlessly, the full lips parted just slightly. He pried Bo’s fingers off his arm and stepped back a pace. “Fine. Whatever.”
He started back down the stairs, deliberately not looking back.
“Sam?” Bo’s voice was full of uncertainty.
“It’s forgotten,” Sam said without turning around. “See you in a few minutes.”
He’d reached the bottom of the stairs before he heard Bo’s footsteps in the upstairs hall.
Chapter Six
Sam wasn’t surprised when Bo switched the teams around, pairing himself with Amy and Sam with Andre. That was fine with Sam. Spending the day awkwardly avoiding each other’s eyes didn’t appeal to him any more than it evidently did to Bo. He wondered morosely if they’d ever be able to return to the easy camaraderie of the previous day.
First full day on the goddamn job, he thought as he put a tape in the player, and you fuck it up by kissing the boss. Stupid, Sam.
Almost as stupid as the boss coming on to his new employee when he’s married and trying to pass for straight, the troublemaker in his head answered.
“Shut up,” he muttered.
Andre turned to frown at him. “What?”
Sam forced a smile. “Nothing. Just telling my brain
to settle down so I can work.”
Andre laughed. “Weirdly enough, I know what you mean. Sometimes my thoughts get so loud I can’t think through the noise, you know?”
“Exactly.” Sam gave Andre a considering look. “Do you think that’s why we’re having these weird dreams and no one else is? Because of our overactive brains?”
“Could be. I’d be interested to know whether the freaky electromagnetic field in this place has anything to do with it, too.”
Sam leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. “Hm. I wonder.”
“We should bring that up with Bo and Amy. See what they think.”
Just hearing Bo’s name made Sam’s heart thud painfully against his ribs. He had to fight to keep the turmoil inside him from showing on his face. “Yeah, good idea.” He leaned forward to start the tape rolling, then stopped and sat back again.
He refused to consider too closely the reason for this change of heart.
“Okay,” Bo said. “I need to go shower. Be back down soon.”
As Bo brushed past, Sam caught the scent of sweat and heat, bringing him half-erect in the space of a breath. The mental image of Bo in the shower wasn’t helping. Bo naked and wet, his skin slick with soap, palms moving in slow circles across his chest, sliding down his belly, between his legs, one hand cupping his balls while the other stroked his erection…
Sam shoved back from the table, stood and strode out the door, ignoring the wary looks he knew David and Cecile were giving him. He caught up with Bo at the top of the stairs and grabbed his shoulder, whirling him around.
“We need to talk,” he said, trying to keep his voice calm.
Bo wouldn’t look at him. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Nothing? How the fuck can you say that?”
“Look, I won’t tell anyone you’re gay, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Sam stared, unbelieving. “Me? What about telling them you’re gay? Or, hell, maybe you should tell yourself first.”
Bo went pale for a second, then flushed red. His hand clamped onto Sam’s upper arm in a crushing grip. “I’m not gay,” he growled, eyes flashing. “I have a wife. And kids , for fuck’s sake.”
“So? You wouldn’t be the first to try to pretend.” Sam dropped his voice to a near whisper. “You had your hand on my thigh, Bo. You let me kiss you. And you kissed back.”
“I…I had too much wine. It was a mistake.” The tremor in Bo’s voice contrasted sharply with his words. “I’m not gay, Sam. I’m not.”
Sam gazed at him, at the wide, frightened eyes that shifted restlessly, the full lips parted just slightly. He pried Bo’s fingers off his arm and stepped back a pace. “Fine. Whatever.”
He started back down the stairs, deliberately not looking back.
“Sam?” Bo’s voice was full of uncertainty.
“It’s forgotten,” Sam said without turning around. “See you in a few minutes.”
He’d reached the bottom of the stairs before he heard Bo’s footsteps in the upstairs hall.
Chapter Six
Sam wasn’t surprised when Bo switched the teams around, pairing himself with Amy and Sam with Andre. That was fine with Sam. Spending the day awkwardly avoiding each other’s eyes didn’t appeal to him any more than it evidently did to Bo. He wondered morosely if they’d ever be able to return to the easy camaraderie of the previous day.
First full day on the goddamn job, he thought as he put a tape in the player, and you fuck it up by kissing the boss. Stupid, Sam.
Almost as stupid as the boss coming on to his new employee when he’s married and trying to pass for straight, the troublemaker in his head answered.
“Shut up,” he muttered.
Andre turned to frown at him. “What?”
Sam forced a smile. “Nothing. Just telling my brain
to settle down so I can work.”
Andre laughed. “Weirdly enough, I know what you mean. Sometimes my thoughts get so loud I can’t think through the noise, you know?”
“Exactly.” Sam gave Andre a considering look. “Do you think that’s why we’re having these weird dreams and no one else is? Because of our overactive brains?”
“Could be. I’d be interested to know whether the freaky electromagnetic field in this place has anything to do with it, too.”
Sam leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. “Hm. I wonder.”
“We should bring that up with Bo and Amy. See what they think.”
Just hearing Bo’s name made Sam’s heart thud painfully against his ribs. He had to fight to keep the turmoil inside him from showing on his face. “Yeah, good idea.” He leaned forward to start the tape rolling, then stopped and sat back again.
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