Say You Love Me Like I Do

By Fredrick Flynn

Only three days away from Christmas dinner, Zachariah is faced with the prospect of having to face not only his parents but his most recent ex-boyfriend. In an attempt to make the dinner more manageable, Zack goes to find Björn, a friend he has not seen in ten years, to make him a surprising proposition.

Deep in the woods, where Björn has settled in to work as a forest ranger, Zack pleads for help in the form of a fake relationship. Even after not speaking for a decade, it is obvious Björn is willing to help out an old friend and they make arrangements to go back to the city and attend the dinner party.

The years have left their mark, but as Zack and Björn put aside the hurt from their last encounter, their relationship begins to change. Just in time for the dinner party, the two present an allied front against Zack’s ex-boyfriend and difficult father. The evening draws to a close after a disastrous meeting with both men from Zack’s past. Can Björn and Zack heal their past wounds and make it through the dreaded dinner?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Jan 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9781685503642

Book preview

Say You Love Me Like I Do

By Fredrick Flynn

Published by JMS Books LLC

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2023 Fredrick Flynn

ISBN 9781685503642

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Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

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To my family and friends, thank you.

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Say You Love Me Like I Do

By Fredrick Flynn

Chapter 1: December 21st

Zachariah took a sip from his takeaway coffee and sighed softly as he set it back down on the cup holder. The coffee was strong and bitter, but it did its job and that was all he needed. He’d been driving for a while, leaving Helsinki behind, and double checked the mirrors as he prepared to make a turn, being overly cautious with the snow covered ground. The deeper he ventured into the forest that surrounded the city, the bigger the threat of an animal jumping out of nowhere in the dead of night. The mere thought made him anxious. Not only was he wound up, he was filthy as well, and exhausted after the hour-long argument he’d had on the phone. He took another sip of the coffee and grimaced. As soon as he arrived, he was going to drink something with tons of sugar, health be damned, and then he was going to take a long, hot shower.

Finally he could see the shape of a building. This last stretch of road was less well maintained and far bumpier than he had expected. All the lights were off in the cabin, which didn’t surprise him, seeing as it was well past midnight. He parked, got out of the car, and walked to the door to knock. He hesitated for a moment, but the cold wind helped make up his mind and he knocked. He waited, patiently, and when it looked like nobody was coming, he knocked again. He was about to knock yet again when he a light turned on inside and he sighed in relief. He was not looking forward to driving back to town, and the prospect of spending the night in his car was even less appealing.

The door opened and Zachariah tried his hardest not to stare like a fool at the man inside. It was increasingly hard not to feel like one, though, the longer they looked at each other because, suddenly, he was not able to form words, much less coherent sentences. His friend—could he call him a friend after so many years had passed?—only opened the door further in silent invitation and Zachariah walked inside. The door closed behind him and he sighed, trying to gather his bearings.

Björn, Zachariah said, turning so he could look at the other man. He was as tall as he remembered, just as broad too. The only thing that had changed was his hair. He’d kept it cropped short before, but it was now long enough to reach his shoulders and messy with sleep. Zachariah felt a pang of guilt at having woken him. His throat went dry and words failed him. I…hello.

Björn was still looking at him and Zachariah noted