Newton was pretty sure he was only on his third glass of wine as he finished the slice of chocolate cake Calvin had set in front of him. Still, his whole body was already starting to feel warm and fuzzy as the effects of the alcohol kicked in.

He’d never been much of a drinker, but now it had been so long since he’d had more than the occasional small glass of wine that he had become a little bit of a lightweight.

“I’m really happy we could do this tonight,” Calvin said, beaming. He’d had at least one more glass than Newton, and his cheeks had taken on a decidedly rosy complexion. “It’s been a real pleasure getting to know you, Newton. Everything Gage told us about you was right on the money. You’re a super nice guy and you do amazing work.”

Newton felt his own face heat up at Calvin’s words. When he stole a quick glance in Gage’s direction, he felt another wave of heat wash over him from the way Gage was looking back at him.

Everything about Gage was hot, and this look was no exception. Newton couldn’t tell what, exactly, was going on behind those dark, smoldering eyes, but he wanted to find out.

He suspected he would like whatever it turned out to be.

“Newton is pretty amazing,” Gage said, replying to his friend but still holding Newton’s gaze. “I keep telling him that. Hopefully he’ll start to believe me one of these days.”

Newton didn’t know what to say. His mind was racing. His chest was tight. His throat was dry.

But in a good way.

Or at least he thought it was probably good. It felt good to be here with these three guys, to be here sitting next to Gage and to have Gage looking at him like he really was amazing.

“Thank you,” Newton finally managed, looking from Gage to Calvin. “And thank you for having me over tonight. Everything Gage has said about you and Jack has turned out to be true, too.”

“Oh?” Calvin asked, quirking an eyebrow as he turned his attention to Gage. “I hope he hasn’t been telling you all my secrets.”

“Only the really juicy ones,” Gage retorted.

Newton laughed and shook his head. “No secrets, just the truth—that you guys are good people and that we would definitely get along.”

“We can’t argue with that,” Jack chimed in. “Now, I know Gage is driving so I won’t tempt him with any more of his favorite wine, but can I get you another glass, Newton?” He looked over to Calvin. “Babe, more for you?”

“Thank you, but I should probably call it a night soon,” Newton said. “I’m sad to say that any more might give me a hangover, as old as that makes me sound.”

“Oh my God,” Calvin said, nodding. “I can so relate. Tomorrow morning is not going to feel good.”

“Tonight could be fun, though,” Jack said, throwing his fiancé a look that was so hot it made Newton blush.

“O-kay,” Gage said, laughing as he pushed his chair back from the table. “I think that’s probably our cue to wrap this up.”

They all exchanged hugs and goodbyes as Gage and Newton made their way to the door. Once they were outside alone, Gage slung an arm around Newton’s shoulders, sending an electric jolt straight through his body, straight down to his cock—which was already on high alert thanks to the wine.

“Sorry about that,” Gage said, chuckling. “They get so caught up with each other sometimes that I think they genuinely forget other people are in the room and can hear them.”

“No worries,” Newton said, smiling and leaning into Gage’s arm in spite of the fact that his brain was trying to tell him not to. It just felt so good. And it was just a friendly gesture on Gage’s part anyway. Nothing to get worked up about. Probably. Maybe. “I think it’s awesome that they’re so in love. I think it’s great.”

Newton didn’t normally get too sentimental about things like that, but it really did make him happy to see two people who were so clearly meant for each other. It gave him hope that he might find the same thing someday.

“I think it’s great, too,” Gage said, slowing down as they approached the passenger side of his Jeep. He opened the door for Newton and steadied him as he climbed inside, not moving away until Newton was safely in his seat.

Gage deserves someone like that, too. Someone who can love him like that.

It was easy for Newton to imagine the muscular mountain of a man falling head over heels in love with someone the way his friends had. Gage was a gentle soul, a caring person, a good person. He deserved that kind of love.

“Thanks for coming with me tonight,” Gage said, sitting down in the driver’s seat and starting the engine. “I had a really good time, and I hope you did, too.”

“I did,” Newton said, nodding. “I still am, honestly.”

He snapped his mouth shut, belatedly aware of the words that had accidentally slipped out. Gage didn’t seem to mind, though. He just smiled and reached over to rest one of his strong hands just above Newton’s knee.

“Good,” Gage said, pausing to take a deep breath before looking away long enough to back out of the driveway. “That makes me happy.”

Gage only moved his hand away a couple of times while he was driving, each time bringing it right back to rest there on Newton’s leg.

Newton didn’t quite understand why he felt so comfortable around Gage. There were only a couple of other people in the world who Newton wouldn’t mind being so close to, and in each case he had known them all his life rather than the few days he’d known Gage.

Still, there must have been something about Newton that made Gage want to be near him, made Gage want to smile and laugh and believe in the kind of love Gage’s friends had so clearly found.

There was something about Gage that was just… different.

Special.

Irresistible.

The tipsy feeling had thankfully worn off in the half-hour since Newton had finished his last glass of wine at Calvin and Jack’s house.

Well, it had mostly worn off, at least.

He still felt really warm as Gage drove him around the back of the studio and parked in front of the stairs that led up to Newton’s apartment.

That could have partly been because of the fact that Gage’s hand had barely moved from its spot on Newton’s leg, though. In fact, it had maybe even inched a little bit higher.

And since Newton hadn’t stopped thinking about how he wouldn’t have minded if Gage’s hand was higher still, it probably really was mostly to blame for the warmth that had spread throughout his body.

Before he could thank Gage again for driving him—before he could say anything at all, really—Gage had already turned off the ignition, hopped out of the Jeep, and had walked around to the passenger side to open the door for Newton.

“Oh, thank you,” Newton said, feeling suddenly a little lightheaded again as he reached out for Gage’s arm to steady himself. “That wine really crept up on me, I think.”

Except the way Gage was looking at him right at that moment was doing more to Newton’s head and his heart rate than the wine ever could.

Everything about Gage—his smile, his eyes, his personality, his body—was intoxicating, in fact.

“Here, I’ll help you up the stairs to your door,” Gage said, ushering Newton in that direction.

Newton shook his head and pulled away just enough to look into those big brown eyes again. “That’s okay, really,” he said, one hand on the stair railing and the other still draped across Gage’s arm. “I’ll be able to make it up there on my own, you really don’t have to—”

Even as he said the words, his traitorous body stumbled on the first step. Gage reacted before Newton even fully realized what was happening, and when that split second had passed, Newton found himself pressed against Gage’s hard chest, both of those big, muscled arms wrapped tightly around him.

“I, um…” Newton swallowed hard, not sure what to day. He couldn’t really think when he was this close to Gage, let alone speak.

“Are you okay?” Gage asked, the vibration from his deep voice rumbling right through from his chest to Newton’s.

Newton could only nod as he looked up into Gage’s eyes again. He was okay, but that didn’t mean he wanted Gage to let go.

Gage must have seen something there, because he only pulled Newton tighter against him, until their faces were so close together that Newton didn’t even have to think about what happened next. His body took over from his brain, and he closed his eyes just as his lips met Gage’s.

For a moment, it seemed as if the whole world had stopped. Newton could hear his heart beating—or was that Gage’s? They were so close that it was hard to tell. Everything else had been drowned out, though.

Everything except for Gage, for the way his lips parted, and his tongue found Newton’s, tentatively at first and then more insistent.

Newton felt like he was floating, or dreaming, or something because this couldn’t be real. Gage Michaels couldn’t be holding him, wanting him, kissing him in a way that was hotter than anything Newton had ever experienced before.

Then, just as suddenly as it happened, it stopped.

Newton pulled back and sucked in a deep breath, looking up at Gage again and feeling his eyes go wide. “I’m sorry,” Newton said, the words tumbling out even though he wasn’t really sorry at all. But he hadn’t meant for it to happen, either. “I don’t know what… I just…” He shook his head, unable to say what he was feeling—unsure what those feelings even were.

Gage opened his mouth to speak but Newton shook his head again. “I’m sorry,” Newton repeated. “I’ve gotta go.”

“Okay…” was all Newton heard as he turned and hurried up the stairs, his feet thankfully cooperating this time.

He didn’t know what to do or say, didn’t even know what to think. The last thing he wanted was to send mixed signals or to hurt Gage’s feelings, but even though Newton had liked the kiss—liked it a lot—he just needed a minute.

Needed to catch his breath and clear his head. Needed to be alone in his own apartment for long enough to figure out what the hell was going on.

Then he would hopefully be able to talk about it.

Newton didn’t turn around again, didn’t stop moving until he was inside, the door closed behind him and his back pressed against it as his chest heaved.

God, why—how—had that happened?

How had Newton gone from fantasizing about Gage to actually kissing him without even realizing it was happening?

From upstairs in his quiet apartment, he could hear the engine rev in Gage’s Jeep before he pulled away, the headlights briefly bouncing up into the second-story window as Gage backed out into the street.

And then he was gone. Newton was alone, just like he had wanted to be.

Except now he was pretty sure that wasn’t what he wanted at all.