Forbidden

Chapter Two

Grabbing his bag full of food from the small counter at the café, William turned to leave, not wanting to keep Shana and her impatient stomach waiting. They'd agreed to meet earlier than they usually did, to take advantage of the cooler morning weather and enjoy breakfast together. Naturally, she'd insisted that he do the hunting and gathering while she sat lazily on her arse at the park. He didn't know how that was at all fair, but he was a gentleman and he was used to it.

He was doing better after a few days of pointedly avoiding Cody. He was calmer, less melodramatically anxious. Shana was very supportive, a constant source of optimism and helpful suggestion, but William wished she'd take it down a notch. He just wanted some time to figure things out and come up with a plan of action. At least he hadn't been trying to deal with Cody's distraction on top of it.

As he turned, a gasp of surprise escaped his lips when he bumped right up against a chest broader than his. Broad and well-defined. Broad and warm. The bag of food fell from his grasp and plopped upright on the floor. His cheeks burned as a set of gentle hands grasped his upper arms to steady him. "I... I..." William stammered. "Sorry." He ran his hand through his hair, making it stick up in unruly tufts.

"Easy there," Cody said in a warm, soft voice. He raised a hand and combed his fingers through William's hair, taming it once more.

A delicious shiver traipsed up William's spine. Cody's closeness felt proprietary, intimate, right. William couldn't help his body's reaction as his eyelids lowered, his chin tilted up, and his breeches suddenly got very uncomfortable. His brain shut down, his awareness narrowing down to one all-consuming thought-want to taste.

Cody took a step backward, bent, and picked up William's dropped bag. Then he held it out to him. "I'm very sorry, William. I didn't mean to startle you."

William's brows lowered in momentary confusion. "What?" Then he looked down at the bag and took it back. "Oh. S'okay. Sorry for... Sorry."

Cody smiled and held up a finger. "Can you wait for a minute?"

William nodded dumbly. He waited as Cody paid for his order and came back with his own bag clutched in his fist.

"There we are," he said. He flashed another smile at William. "Sit with me?"

William dissolved into instant panic. He very much wanted to eat with Cody, but he was meeting Shana and he couldn't just blow her off. With as much as he'd been trying to avoid Cody, he was regretting having to dash his hopes yet again. He averted his gaze as he felt warmth rising up his cheeks once more. "I'm actually meeting my friend," he mumbled.

Cody's smile cooled a few degrees. "No problem. I understand." He lifted his free hand in a wave. "Well..."

William abruptly grabbed that hand, shocking them both. "Wait!" He just stared at his fingers wrapped around Cody's wrist for several long moments, realizing with a jolt that he could feel Cody's pulse hammering just as rapidly as he felt his own within his chest. "Please join us."

Cody beamed, making no move to pull out of William's grip. "I'd love to."

A tiny huff of relief fell from William's lips as he grinned. Then he pulled Cody along behind him. "Come on."

As soon as Shana saw William, she reached out grabby hands and snatched the bag of food from him. "Gods, finally! I'm starved!" She rustled around within the bag. "Hey. It's squashed. Did you sit on it?"

"I'm afraid that's my fault," Cody said, coming up behind William.

Shana leaned forward, peering around William with interest and then looking up at her best friend with an inquisitive brow lifted.