Page 8 of Five Days

“I volunteer at a homeless shelter down the road from my condo.”

A slew of questions rose to my mind, but I blocked them out as a shadow passed over Zack’s face. Anger, perhaps? Or a sad…fondness, maybe? I opened my mouth to tell him that I too volunteered, but he blinked and straightened, a less genuine smile on his lips.

Our waiter had returned with dinner.

Zack wore a mask, I realized, something he’d allowed to lower slightly with me. The sting of guilt intensified as whispers of happiness swirled in my chest.

The young man took his time refilling our wine glasses, then quietly slipped away when we assured him we didn’t need anything further.

A few minutes passed in quietness as we ate, but my mind was far from silent. Regret and desire battled in my brain, keeping me on edge.

“Do you like shrimp?” Zack asked.

“Yes, but you made the right choice for me with the salmon.”

“Trade a bite?”

My thoughts quieting at Zack’s easygoing nature, I agreed.

He went first, offering me a forkful of the coconut rice and a piece of shrimp.

I should have felt awkward leaning over the table with my mouth open but strangely didn’t.

He stared as I chewed, hunger for more than food in his heated gaze. “Delicious, isn’t it?”

“Mmm.” I hummed and prepared a bite of my dinner for him.

His parted lips held me transfixed. My mouth dried as his tongue flicked over the bottom of my fork before he closed his lips around the salmon.

He smirked.

Face heating, I returned my focus to my plate.

“So, what about you?” Zack asked, and I shook my head.

“This vacation isn’t about me.”

“The fuck it’s not.” He huffed a light laugh while I took another bite.

The salmon melted on my tongue like butter.

“My sole reason for living these next couple of days is to make you smile, Callum. Fulfilling your fantasies and just overall creating a vacation you never want to end. So tell me—what do you hope for? How do you see our time here in paradise playing out? Do you simply require a companion to keep loneliness from interfering with your rest, or are you in need of some tender loving care? Because I have to be honest.” Zack slid his gaze over my face, my shoulders and chest, stalling out at the table that hindered his perusal from slipping toward the bulge growing in my slacks. “I want nothing more than to give you pleasure however you desire.”

Jesus.

Since when did tingles race over my skin from a mere stranger’s words? My body had only ever reacted to one man in such a way, and Zack having done as much within minutes of meeting him confused me.

Unsure what to say or do, I returned my attention to my half-empty plate. “I-I’d rather not say just now.”

“Fair enough.” Zack didn’t sound put out or upset.

We finished our meals in silence that once more made me uneasy.

“Dance with me?”

I jerked my focus up while wiping my lips on the linen napkin.

The firelight glinting off his hazel eyes hinted of lust that incited the same inside me. “Let me hold you in my arms close enough that you’ll realize I won’t bite unless you ask me to. And even then, I’ll be sure the graze of my teeth only makes you groan with need for more.”

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