Page 20 of Something Unavoidable

Eli

Izzy could teach a master class, TBF.

Which,rude. Also…true. Eli didn’t even know the extent of it. Izzy hadn’t told anyone about what had happened in the barn—or in the bathroom at the Lookout, for that matter. He still didn’t know what he’d been thinking. The first time was bad enough. At least he could claim that he’d been tipsy and horny after the app guy got him worked up then left him high and dry.

But the second time… He blamed Keegan. It never would have happened if the asshole hadn’t gotten so handsy at dinner. And even then, he didn’t need to follow Izzy back to the barn.

He didn’t need to make Izzy beg for it. That was almost worse than the fact that it had happened at all. Izzy didn’t beg. Not like that anyway. There was nothing wrong with some dirty talk. Begging a guy to fuck him harder, to make him come, was one thing. Telling Keegan he wanted it, calling him “sir,” begging him to stay and to fuck Izzy raw… That was something else entirely.

Izzy may or may not have had a small breakdown over it. He’d never gone without protection before, and it had fucked with his head. In the shower with steam billowing around him, he’d meant to wash Keegan off him as quickly as possible but instead found himself fingering his slick opening until he was hard again, and then jacking off all over the tiles as the water ran cold.

Once he came down, he’d stumbled out to sit on the bathroom floor and had one of the worst panic attacks of his life.

There was something really fucking wrong with his taste in men. Where was his self-preservation? Where was his integrity? Where was his fucking self-worth?

He’d made a promise to himself years ago that he wasn’t going to fuck Keegan Reid. Izzy had a hard and fast rule. Heonly went after men who wanted him. Keegan had made what he thought of Izzy crystal clear a long time ago. Izzy refused to give him a second opportunity. The bastard wasn’t worth his time.

Except he’d broken that promise. And he’d done it in the worst way possible, because now Keegan knew what a desperate slut Izzy was when it came to the annoyingly attractive older man, and nothing Izzy said or did could make Keegan unknow it.

Eli

Wait. I think I need to hear more about Finny’s bathroom adventures.

Izzy had missed something.

Izzy

You want to hear more aboutwhat?

The conversation seemed to have devolved, but Micah got it back on track. Izzy felt for Ev when he revealed that he’d accidentally fucked his boss. Shit like that was bad news. Ask Izzy how he knew. When the conversation started to go off the rails again, he opened a new chat with Ev.

Izzy

I’d peace out if I were you, man. That power imbalance shit is no joke. Trust me on this one.

Ev

I think that’s what I’m worried about. Gabe seems okay, but my track record says my instincts aren’t worth crap.

Izzy

Mine are probably worse. LOL.

It was why he steered clear of anything longer than a one-night stand. He’d learned his lesson the hard way, but he’d learned it well. Izzy’s type was red-flag. Hopefully, Ev had better taste.

Izzy

Just… Look out for yourself, okay? Call me if you need to.

He tucked his phone away just as the doors to the barn slid open, and Nick walked in, brushing snowflakes out of his hair. When he noticed Izzy sitting on the ground, he stopped. “Do I need to tell Ry to get you guys some chairs?” he asked, his green eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled.

Izzy rolled his eyes and pushed himself to his feet. “We don’t need chairs. We have hay bales.” His brain supplied an image of what Keegan had done to him over one of said hay bales. If Nick noticed his blush, he’d hopefully attribute it to the cold. Izzy changed the subject anyway. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”

Nick pulled off his leather gloves and tucked them into the pockets of his dark wool overcoat. You could take the guy out of the city, but things like fashion sense lingered. “Being in charge means I can take long lunch breaks and no one can tell me no,” Nick replied with an amused twist of his lips.

“If you’re looking for a quickie, neither of your booty calls are down here,” Izzy told him, oh-so helpfully. “Ryan’s in a virtual meeting with the accountant, and Micah went to help his dad get ready for the storm.” Judging by the snow he’d seen dusting Nick’s shoulders, Izzy could tell the storm had already started. They weren’t supposed to get much, but it was always better to be prepared up in the mountains. “Little Nicky will have to wait until tonight to play cowboys and city boy.”

Nick coughed, but Izzy could tell he was trying not to laugh. “Keegan’s right. You are a fucking brat.”

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