Jonathan Banks and Peter Giles have worked together for five years, business partners in a planning firm that bears both their names. From the moment Jonathan was hired, the attraction between the two men was instantaneous and mutual, but he was dating someone else at the time and turned down Peter’s advances.<br><br>Now Jonathan’s boyfriend is out of the picture, and he’d love nothing more than for Peter to ask him out again, but he knows his partner all too well. Peter doesn’t take rejection easily. He likes flirting with Jonathan, sure, but doesn’t want to take the chance of getting turned down a second time. He's satisfied with the way their friendship is, and fears anything more intimate might ruin what they already have.<br><br>But everything both men have planned and worked for together is threatened on a cold, wintry evening when Peter’s car won’t start and Jonathan has to give him a lift home. Can the two friends move past their own fears and trepidations, and begin to build a future together as partners outside the office?

Not According to Plan

Part of him wanted to point out that he’d pegged Scott as a cheater all along, but that would seem petty. Better to just step in and pick up the pieces, right? But why didn’t Jonathan mention anything earlier, like when he’d kicked Scott out in the first place? Or had he, and had Pete simply been too busy with work or his own life, or whatever he’d been tied up with to notice?


Maybe I didn’t want to notice because I still needed an excuse, Peter thought as he finished his burger. Was that it? Was he so afraid of getting turned down by Jonathan—again—that he’d rather turn a blind eye to any chance he might have of getting together with his friend?


It’s obvious he likes me,Peter assured himself. I mean, isn’t it?


If he made a move now, would Jonathan still turn him away?


Peter didn’t know, but really, wasn’t there only one way to find out?


He signaled for the waitress to bring him the bill. Am I ready for this? Do we want to take things to the next level? We’re good as we are—


Chapter 7