Ezra was just running a towel through his damp hair when the doorbell rang. He leaned over to grab his phone from the corner of the sink. Jett was early. She was usually the last one to show up. He'd been surprised she even wanted to hang out—far as he knew, she was coming solo. 

He let the towel travel down his back and legs one more time, grabbed his boxers from the closed toilet lid, and pulled on a pair of jeans.

The bell rang again. He looked around for a shirt—then remembered he hadn't laid one out. Oh well. It was just Jett. He headed for the door. Two steps away, the bell rang again.

Muttering under his breath, he opened it. "Alright, alright, don't get your—"

Ezra cut himself off mid-sentence when he saw who was standing there.

Definitely not Jett.

His unexpected visitor looked just as surprised—his eyes went wide.

"Phantom?" It was a dumb thing to say. As if it might be some lookalike. But no—it was really him. The Mayan. Leather biker jacket, muscular bare arms, the whole deal.

"Thank God you haven't wiped me completely from your memory," Phantom said with a crooked grin. His gaze dipped to Ezra's bare chest before climbing back up to meet his eyes.

"Uh... no. Though I was getting there."

It had been nearly two months since Ezra saw that news report about Lola. Phantom hadn't messaged. Hadn't said a word. And now he was suddenly at his house? Ezra still couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

Phantom's grin faded too, like he was just now realizing how bizarre this actually was. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his messy brown hair. "It's been... a rough couple months. But I'm doing better now. And I... I came out to my brothers. Officially. I get it if you're done with me—maybe you've already moved on—but if there's any chance left, I'd really like to make things right."

Ezra was still so thrown off it barely registered. After Phantom ghosted him, he'd told himself it was over. A shame, but... that was that.

And now this hot-as-hell guy was practically begging for another chance. He'd be an idiot not to give him one.

Didn't mean he couldn't make him sweat a little first.

He leaned against the doorframe with one arm, tightening his abs just enough to show. The warm evening air kissed his bare skin, his jeans hung low on his hips—and he was very aware of it.

The biker swallowed. Ezra had no idea if he'd had much experience, or if he was still kinda green, but the way his breathing deepened gave him a hint.

"How'd you find me?"

"I'd be a pretty shitty hacker if I couldn't, right?"

"What else have you been doing with those hacker skills?" Ezra's mouth tugged into a teasing smile. "Don't tell me you've been spying on me through my phone and laptop cameras."

"If I'd known you walked around half-naked like this, I might've."

Ezra chuckled. He was still funny.

And this time, there wasn't a storm cloud over him because a friend was dying, or because he was terrified someone would find out he was gay.

"You don't wanna know the stuff I do half-naked." He winked. "Especially in this heat. Replacing pipes, tearing up floors, hanging ceiling panels... sometimes it even earns me a nice tip."

Phantom laughed, and something warm bloomed in Ezra's chest. Just like that, he forgave him.

"Maybe I should've just tampered with the plumbing then," Phantom said. "Though... I've got something better planned. And as much as I like staring at those abs, you're gonna want more than skin between you and the asphalt if we take a tumble."

"Afraid I'll distract you?"

"Hell yes. If not me, then other drivers."

Ezra stepped back from the doorway. "Alright, let me see if I even own a shirt." He left the door open in case Phantom wanted to come in.

Excitement fizzed in his stomach as he headed for the bedroom and grabbed a clean tee. He pulled it over his head, stepped into the bathroom to run some gel through his hair. "This was Jett's idea, wasn't it?"

Through the open door, he could see Phantom in the living room, looking around with curiosity.

"Yeah. Found some pictures on social media and she seemed like the most approachable one out of your friends."

"She probably loved it. Eternal romantic, that one."

Ezra stepped out of the bathroom, ducked into his room for socks, and dropped onto the couch to pull on his shoes. "Do I need to bring anything?"

"Nope." Phantom wore a devilish smile that Ezra found stupidly attractive.

It was nothing like the last time they spoke. He could hardly believe it was the same guy. This version actually fit the name Phantom.

He stood up. "Alright then. I'm ready."

A pleasant tension stirred in his gut. Not nerves—just that fizzy, anticipatory feeling when something fun was about to happen. He could appreciate surprises—he wondered if Jett had suggested that, or if it was all Phantom.

He'd find out soon enough. Knowing Jett, she'd be spamming him with messages before the night was over.

Ezra grabbed his keys and wallet and walked with Phantom to the door. He locked it behind them—then saw the motorcycle parked outside.

It was a beauty. He'd never been on a bike before. One of those childhood dreams that never quite fit into his life. He walked over to it eagerly and grabbed one of the helmets off the handlebars.

He turned to Phantom with a grin. "I've always wanted to ride one of these."

The man was suddenly right behind him, close enough that their shoes almost touched. He seemed startled by the nearness, though he recovered fast, grin snapping back into place. "Maybe I'll let you take it for a spin later."

Ezra fastened the strap. "Isn't that sacrilege or something?"

Phantom ran a hand over the seat, looking thoughtfully at it before locking eyes with Ezra. Those gray eyes glinted. "There is a rite of passage involved."

Ezra's heartbeat quickened. The gray of Phantom's eyes was like a fog in his brain, leaving only one image behind: his lips on Phantom's, fingers in that messy hair, leather creaking beneath them.

He placed his own hand on the seat and slid it forward until his fingertips touched Phantom's.

The image faded, and Phantom's vivid eyes filled his view again.

"Do your lips happen to be part of that ritual?"

"They just might be," Phantom said, voice a little breathless. His fingertips grazed Ezra's.

Ezra's heart thundered in his throat. He was very aware of those fingertips, of the few centimeters between their lips. His gaze dropped. Phantom wet his lips, and heat flared in Ezra's chest. God, he wanted to kiss this man.

He leaned in—and Phantom leaned too.

The biker raised a hand, brushed his jaw, traced the curve of his lips. "You really gonna forgive me that easily? I must've gone way too big with this."

Grinning, Ezra bit his thumb.

"Ow!" Phantom pulled his hand back with a mock-wounded look.

"Wow, what a tough biker you are." Ezra gave him a light shove, just enough to let himself breathe again. The man was right. They hadn't even made it out of the front yard and he was already caving. "Alright. Let's go!"

Ezra checked the helmet strap. The thing left his face pretty exposed—he'd almost forgotten he was wearing it. Probably a good thing he hadn't given in to that kiss yet.

Didn't want their first kiss to come with clunking helmets.

First kiss.

He felt like a hormonal teenager as he climbed onto the back of the bike. His legs pressed against Phantom's, his chest to the man's back.

It was an intimate seat, and when the beast roared to life beneath them and they pulled onto the street, it hit him all at once—he was on the back of a motorcycle with the man who'd been living rent-free in his head and heart since the moment they met.

And not just that—it looked like he'd crept into Phantom's heart and mind, too.