Hopefully not, seeing as Theo just eloped to Vegas with Zack’s bandmate.
I try to hold back my next question. I don’t want to jab a raw nerve. But then again, what if he needs to talk about it in a safe space?
“Is it because of Cutter and Theo?” I ask gently. “Are you…upset that they’re married?”
His lips quirk. “I’m not thrilled about it. I mean, they seem happy, but I have a hard time believing an asshole like Cutter and a sweetheart like Theo are going to be able to make it work long term.”
I wrinkle my nose. “But he’s not an asshole when he’s with her. He’s very thoughtful and…” I trail off, searching for the word. “Invested. You know? Not just in love but committed to the daily business of loving. I get the feeling he’ll do whatever it takes to make their marriage work.”
Zack’s mouth purses into a dubious shape. “Maybe you’re right. I hope so. But no, my decision to leave the band had nothing to do with that,” he says in a way that makes me believe him.
My shoulders relax, and the tension seeps from my neck. I’m a little too relieved to hear that, but I tell myself it’s just because I’m happy that Zack isn’t heartbroken over losing the love of his life. “Then what was it?” I ask. “I mean, you guys are still so successful. Why walk away from that?”
He shrugs. “It’s time to do my own thing. I started playing with Lips on Fire when I was sixteen. I’ve never written a song that wasn’t revised by three other people. I’ve never sung lead vocals, only backup. I’m just…ready for my voice to be heard. If that makes sense.”
“It absolutely makes sense. It’s also very brave.” I narrow my eyes, peering behind the calm. “And maybe a little scary?”
“Terrifying.” He laughs as he drags a hand through his messy hair. “Maybe that’s why I’m losing it.”
“How are you losing it?” I ask, shifting on the floor to face him.
He arches a brow. “Did you miss the part where I pushed a man into a puddle of his own piss?”
I bob a shoulder. “Worse things have happened, and I know how Fernando gets when he’s angry and running his mouth. He probably had it coming.”
“I wouldn’t talk about my worst enemy that way, let alone someone I used to love.”
“Well, you’re a better person than Fernando,” I say, my stomach tightening as I feel compelled to admit, “or me. I confess I liked that side of him sometimes. The fire and passion and….” I let out a shaky laugh as I drop my gaze to my tangled fingers. “I mean, I hated fighting, but making up after was fun.”
“I’m not into make-up sex,” Zack says, a husky note in his voice that brings my gaze back to his face, his very handsome face, which is now closer to mine than it was a moment ago.
My breath catches, and my pulse speeds faster as I ask, “No?”
“Nope. I’d rather skip straight to making my partner feel good, no shouting match required.” He tilts his head, bringing his lips into a perfect kissing position.
“Well, that’s ideal, obviously,” I breathe. My nipples tighten against the thin cotton of my T-shirt, making me wish I’d put on a bra. “But isn’t make-up sex just making the best of a bad situation?”
“Maybe. But why stay in a situation like that?” he asks in that soft, sexy rumble that makes my perky nip situation even worse. “Why not find a lover who makes you happy in the bedroom and outside of it? Don’t you think you deserve that?”
I nod, not trusting myself not to say something scandalous. I want to kiss him so badly it’s scary. But I can’t. He’s Theo’s friend, and I’m going to run into him on a regular basis for the rest of our lives. I don’t want to make that awkward.
But fear of future awkwardness may not be enough to keep me from jumping his bones, not if he keeps looking at me like he wants to give me everything he thinks I deserve.
I should ask him to leave. Now. Tell him I have an appointment I forgot about or have a sudden, urgent need to wash my hair or clean the oven or something. Any excuse to put some distance between us before I do something I can’t take back.
Instead, I say in a husky voice, “But people don’t always get what they deserve.”
“You should,” he insists. His face is now so close that I can feel his breath hot on my lips as he adds, “You should insist on it. Don’t settle for less than everything you want.”
“What if what I want is a bad idea?” I ask, every nerve ending in my body tingling as he shifts on the floor, bracing his hand on the cabinet beside my face. “Like…this?”