“It’s chill.”
“‘It’s chill,’” he mocked, deepening his tone two octaves, nowhere near similar to mine. More cautiously, he continued fixing my sling.
“Mocking me, bunny?” I teased.
His nose scrunched up like a rabbit as he smiled. “Yeah, lake boy.”
The name “lake boy” brought back memories. Kids at school used to tease me with it, and I found it annoying as hell.
“Don’t call me that around Carson,” I warned. “If he finds out about it, he will wear it out.”
Alex’s smile fell into a half-frown, the kind one had when their mood lessened, but they were trying to save face. I stared at him, confused.
“So…” Alex lightly patted my arm once he was done putting on my sling. “How close are you and Car exactly?”
I shrugged. “Like glue, even before my parents took him in.”
Alex’s hand fell to his lap, and his eyes trailed to the floor. “Oh.”
Oh?What was that for?
“He’s like a brother to me, y’know?” Hoping I’d found the problem, I playfully hit Alex’s shoulder. “I’m ninety-nine percent sure he has a thing going on with Lola, but he won’t admit it for some reason.”
Alex rubbed the punched spot. “Oh, good.”
But he still wasn’t satisfied.
I leaned into his view, forcing his eyes to meet mine. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“No, it’s nothing. It’s just…” he trailed off as his cheeks tinted. “I can’t help but think of him as your replacement best friend. I know it’s stupid, okay?”
Oh.
Of all the issues, that was not one I thought of. I never thought of how shitty it felt for Alex to see my new “best friend” when he was my old one I cut off.
“Hey.” My hand rested on his thigh. “Carson is not, and never was, your replacement. He’s like a brother to me—you aren’t. Even if you were, no one could ever come close to replacing you.”
“Sorry, I know it’s dumb.”
I let my palm caress his soft hair. “It’s not dumb at all. You mean more to me than winning the NCAA tournament.”
The cute smile returned. “Holy shit. I’m worth more than the moon.”
Our foreheads touched. “You sure are. Never forget it.”
Alex’s warm palm gently cupped my cheek before he closed the distance between us.
I recalled kissing for the first time when we were thirteen. Fuck, I was so stupid. It was such a dick move, pushing Alex away like he was diseased and telling him he disgusted me. My brain couldn’t process what had happened, so I did the only thing I knew. Deflection.
It took my being apart from him for seven years to finally understand that what I felt for Alex Pierce wasn’t bromance.
Our tongues entwined, and I felt his bulge against me, begging to be released from the shackles of his tight pants. Little Alexander had been there since I stepped out of the shower—the horny bastard.
Alex’s fingers found the towel at my waist and tugged at it gently, silently signaling that he wanted it off. I groaned into the kiss with a nod, and the towel was on the floor in a second. He crawled onto his knees and spread them into a straddle before my exposed hard-on, a fire behind his eyes that I had never seen before.
The heat of his hand enveloped my bare cock as he grasped it and stroked along its length. He continued in a slow, delicate motion that was so simple yet felt better than anything I’d ever felt, and it was just hishand.
Alex quickened his motions, and desiring any part of me to be inside of him, I grabbed his ass and slipped a finger in his warm hole. He let out a yelp of surprise, his eyes widening at my unannounced entry, but I didn’t retreat. I felt the tightening of his muscles as I moved my finger in and out of him, and his hands gripped my shoulders to ground himself.
