Page 15 of Fires Creek

I stumbled out of the bar towards Jonas’s ute. The burn of the whiskey still lingered in my throat. I climbed into the cab, smiling wickedly as I toyed with the scrunched-up napkin in my palm. “What’s that?” Jonas asked with a furrowed brow.

“Chick from the bar gave me her number. Reckon she wants me to show her boyfriend a thing or two,” I chuckled, sliding into the cab.

Jonas shook his head as a smile creased his jaw. He reached into the console, pulled out a packet of cigarettes, and flicked the top to expose the perfectly wrapped tobacco. I slid one from the packet, easing it between his lips – those fucking lips – before doing the same to my own.

“Thanks for picking me up, bro,” I slurred. Then I sparked the tip of his cigarette, lighting my own immediately after and taking a deep inhale.

“Someone’s gotta make sure you don’t drown yourself in whiskey,” he replied .

I felt the bite of air against my cheeks as I rolled down the window and sighed. “I missed you today,” I confessed.

“You’re the one who stayed in town last night,” he said with a shrug.

“Duty called, brother.”

“By duty, do you mean Eileen?” He asked.

“Yeah, something like that. Who cares?” My eyes darkened as I questioned my brother. Why did he care? He was always prying into the chicks I brought home. He got even weirder about it the first time I brought a bloke back from the bar.

His smile faded as he continued inhaling the cigarette that hung lazily from his lips. They were a faded, rose-like shade of pink – only slightly concealed by the facial hair he always wore. I reckon I could sink my teeth into those lips and be a happy man.

His deep-brown eyes shone like marbles, and the corners creased into soft lines when he smiled.

Why are you smiling, Jonas? Did you catch me staring?

I sat there in the passenger seat, absorbing the size of him.

He was always taller than me, but since he hit his 20s, he sat around 6’3” and would easily clock in at 110 kg of pure strength.

Light freckles dusted across the tanned skin of his forearms as they peaked out from the rolls of flannel that were bunched up in the crook of his elbow.

The sensation of blood rushing to my dick pulled me out of my trance.

I flicked my cigarette into the ashtray, and my hand reached for the open pack in the centre console at the same time Jonas’s did.

Our fingers brushed against each other, forcing electricity to ignite through us at the feel of his calloused skin against my own.

He pulled away rapidly, his brow furrowing as he said, “You zapped me, ya prick!” A deep, velvety laugh exploded from him as he shook his head .

“Sorry, man,” I replied.

We continued the drive back home, talking shit about anything and everything. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the spark I felt through my body was something else.

Something worse.

Something… forbidden .