Chapter 45

I mean, it’s not like that,” Bryan protested weakly. Phiz’s questions were

irritating and confusing.

“Kiss

who you like,” Phiz continued, his voice very soft.

“I

don’t—what?”

Phiz

laughed, also very softly, and touched his mouth to Bryan’s.

Bryan

let it happen for one glorious, stunned, savoury moment. Then he cradled Phiz’s

face in his hands and kissed him back, much harder. And Phiz responded swiftly:

he meltedinto Bryan, there was no other word for it. He tightened his

arms around Bryan’s waist and tilted his face so that the kiss could go deeper.

Bryan could feel the tight muscles of Phiz’s body against his own, the slender

limbs, a hip bone pressing against Bryan’s thigh as Phiz leaned into him. He

wanted it to go on and on.

“Bryan?

Are you okay?”

“Yes,

of course. Why do you ask?” Bryan hoped to God that echo of “arshk” in his ears

was a sound distortion.

“Just,

you look...I mean, it’s a good thing, the fact you don’t look as tense as