The afternoon heat clung thick to the air, wrapping the river park in a humid embrace. The sky, a deep blue bruised with wisps of cirrus clouds, stretched wide above the slow-moving current. The scent of summer—damp earth, cut grass, the briny sweat of bodies in the distance—coiled through the air, clinging to skin and clothing.
Josh adjusted the strap of his backpack as he moved along the winding path. He had parked his bike near the entrance, preferring to take his time on foot. The park was busier than usual for a weekday, but that didn’t bother him. He wasn’t here for solitude.
He was here for the chase.
Somewhere near the footbridge, Roger would be waiting. Josh had met him there before, their meetings as casual as they were charged, a ritual of proximity and scent, of lingering glances and unspoken invitations.
Josh exhaled slowly, already feeling the trickle of sweat down the back of his neck. The air pressed in, thick with something more than heat, something animal.
Then, as he rounded a bend near the water’s edge, he caught it.
Faint, but unmistakable.
A warm, musky scent—Roger.
Josh’s steps slowed, his body reacting instinctively. His breath hitched, pupils dilating as the pheromonal trail hit his senses like a low, thrumming pulse. His fingers curled at his sides, a subconscious reaction to the primal tug of Roger’s presence.
His body knew before his eyes did.
And then, there he was.
Roger stood against the wooden railing of the footbridge, facing the water, his arms resting loosely on the worn planks. The late afternoon sun painted him in gold, highlighting the sheen of sweat along his forearms, the curve of his neck where damp curls clung to the skin. His faded tank top, nearly soaked through, draped over his torso, clinging in places where the fabric met damp skin.
Josh inhaled, barely suppressing a shiver.
Roger didn’t turn immediately. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, as if sensing Josh’s arrival in the air before hearing his footfalls. He lifted an arm, rubbing his wrist along his jaw, releasing more of that intoxicating musk into the air.
Josh felt his stomach tighten.
“Didn’t think you’d come.” Roger’s voice was low, smooth, laced with something teasing.
Josh stopped a few feet away, resisting the urge to close the distance too fast. “Wouldn’t miss it.” His own voice had dropped, thickened by the weight of the air between them.
Roger finally turned to face him, and Josh could see the glint in his eyes—sharp, playful, assessing. The slight lift of his lips wasn’t quite a smirk, but it carried the same effect.
Roger leaned back against the railing, exhaling slowly, deliberately. The motion sent another wave of scent curling through the space between them. The blend of salt, sweat, and something undeniably Roger hit Josh hard, stealing his breath for a second.
Roger noticed.
His smile deepened. “You feel it?”
Josh swallowed, heat pooling low in his stomach. He nodded.
Roger chuckled, a low, knowing sound. “Yeah. I thought so.”
Josh stepped closer, his pulse drumming in his throat. The air felt electric now, charged by biology, instinct, the undeniable chemistry of two bodies attuned to each other’s presence. The park existed in the periphery—distant joggers, the hush of the river, the occasional rustle of leaves—but none of it mattered.
Only this did.
Josh stopped just shy of touching, his breath mingling with Roger’s in the thick heat. The scent between them was overwhelming now, an invisible thread pulling them tighter.
Roger’s gaze flicked to Josh’s throat, tracking the way his pulse beat just beneath the skin. Slowly, deliberately, he reached up, fingertips grazing Josh’s wrist. The touch was featherlight, but it sent a jolt through Josh’s veins, his nerve endings hyper-aware.
The connection lingered.
Roger dragged his fingers upward, tracing the inside of Josh’s forearm, the barest whisper of touch against overheated skin.
Josh exhaled shakily.
Roger hummed, his voice barely above a murmur. “You’re buzzing.”
Josh shuddered, his own scent mixing with Roger’s, the air between them thick with the pheromonal cocktail of want.
Roger dipped his head slightly, closing the last bit of distance. “It’s strong, isn’t it?” His lips hovered near Josh’s jaw, not quite touching, but close enough that Josh could feel the heat radiating from his skin.
Josh barely managed a nod.
Roger’s breath ghosted against him. “Say it.”
Josh clenched his jaw, then forced the words out. “I can smell you.”
Roger made a satisfied sound deep in his throat, and Josh felt it reverberate through his entire body.
The next moment, Roger shifted, brushing their arms together purposefully. His scent flared again, fresh and consuming, making Josh dizzy. His fingers twitched at his sides, his restraint razor-thin.
Roger pulled back just enough to meet his gaze, something dark and feral flickering in his eyes. “Let’s walk.”
Josh exhaled sharply, willing himself to move.
They fell into step together, their shoulders brushing occasionally, sending fresh waves of scent through the charged space between them.
The path wound deeper into the park, shaded by thick trees, offering moments of privacy in the dappled light. Josh could barely think past the thrum of his own pulse, the way Roger’s scent seemed to weave into his very being.
Roger kept his pace measured, his body language deliberate, every brush of skin orchestrated to keep Josh teetering on the edge.
Then, suddenly, Roger stopped.
Josh halted beside him, breath uneven.
Roger turned slightly, eyes dark, dilated. “Here.”
Josh barely had time to process before Roger lifted a hand, fingertips ghosting over Josh’s collarbone. The touch was nothing compared to the scent—raw, potent, flooding every sense.
Josh inhaled sharply, and that was all the permission Roger needed.
Roger leaned in, his nose skimming along Josh’s jaw, inhaling deep. His fingers tightened, pulling Josh closer, pressing their bodies flush.
Josh gasped.
Roger exhaled against his neck, the heat of his breath sending shivers down Josh’s spine. “You’re soaked in it now,” Roger murmured.
Josh was. His own sweat mixed with Roger’s, the primal scent between them amplifying, intensifying. It was dizzying, intoxicating, a force all its own.
Josh’s hands finally found purchase, gripping Roger’s waist, feeling the slick heat of his skin through the damp fabric of his tank top.
Roger smirked against his throat. “Knew you’d crack.”
Josh let out a shaky laugh, then turned his head just enough to brush his lips against Roger’s ear. “Shut up.”
Roger chuckled, then tilted his head, finally closing the last inch between them.
The river flowed beside them, forgotten. The park pulsed with the heat of summer, but nothing burned hotter than the space between their bodies.
And as Josh pressed closer, inhaling deep, surrendering to the primal scent that had drawn them together from the start, he realized—
There was no escaping this.
He didn’t want to.
