Page 43 of Brace and Chase

Aaaaand he’s pointing at Sterling.

I turn to see him again, this time with a critical eye, and decide that, yeah, he’ll do.

“Yes, I think this will work. If I am not attracted to Sterling who has been declared the sexiest man alive multiple times, then I think we can conclude I am not attracted to men.”

“No,” Bear says, and shakes his head as he too stands. “You need to kiss Sterling and then go back to the dude and kiss him again. Then if you don’t get a chubby from either kiss,thenwe can conclude you’re not queer.” Turning to Sterling, he explains. “It could be a demi thing.”

I’m about to demand they explain what that means when Sterling nods and looks at Jules. “You mind?”

They don’t even look at me to ask ifImind—which of course I don’t. All in the name of science and whatnot.

Jules shrugs. “What the hell,” he says and throws his hands up.

Sterling turns and then he just straight up grabs my cheeks, pulls me down exactly how Charlie did, and kisses me.

It’s... fine, I guess. A normal enough kiss, but I feel nothing but the need to pull back. So I do.

“Well?” Jules asks me, frowning.

“You can relax, Picard, because I never want to kiss your husband again.”

That has him smiling—fucking finally—and he snorts.

“We’re idiots.”

I couldn’t agree more. But at least we’ve got each other.

That brings Charlie, and my earlier thoughts about him, to the forefront of my mind, and I realize I need to go to his house.

I just have to get over his words from all those years ago and make things right with him. For his sake—if my suspicions are true—and for the team’s.

“All right, then,” I say cheerfully, and clap my hands. “I will go kiss the other man, then I will talk to Charlie and figure everything out,” I tell them, already walking back to the front door. And without giving them a chance to revisit the wholebenchedthing, I get out of there as fast as I can.

SIXTEEN

CHARLIE

For two hoursI’ve been sitting on my couch, watching the front door like a hawk, waiting for Nikolay to get back.

What the hell is taking him so long?

I’m going out of my mind over here—and he probably knows it.

Maybe he’s doing it on purpose? Is making me wait just another way to torment me?

Then the paneled windows on the sides of the doorframe light up, and I know he’s here. I rush out, only to see him open the passenger door. The passenger seat is full of stuff.

I wouldn’t have thought he would bring so many things, and now that I think about it, I realize he’s taking this punishment seriously.

I decide to keep my mouth shut about the kiss—for now—and walk down the steps.

“What can I help with?”

He grunts and then sighs.

“The big suitcase in the trunk,” he says eventually.

Again, I keep my mouth shut and just go put my two arms to good use.

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