“And?”
I shrugged uneasily. I sensed Bailey wouldn’t want his brothers to know how he was struggling.
“Maybe he’s a little homesick,” I said. “Maybe you should call and cheer him up.”
Axel nodded. “Yeah, maybe I’ll do that.”
“And maybe…”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t tell Holden.”
Axel grimaced. “Now you’re making me worry.”
“No, everything’s fine. I just think that Bailey worries a lot about what Holden thinks.”
Axel nodded thoughtfully. “Gotcha. Okay. Thanks for the heads-up, man.”
The rest of the day passed harmlessly enough, and I let myself into my place just after six. I’d stuffed myself with three Zacos for lunch, so I opened the fridge and pulled out a beer for dinner. Thanks to the brothers being generous about furnishing lunch a few days a week, I’d been saving money to send to Aiden.
He protested whenever I gave him any, but all the scholarships in the world couldn’t cover the day-to-day expenses that popped up. He’d done nothing but put his head down, worklike crazy, and survive off dorm food for years. I wanted to make things easier for him.
I cracked open a craft beer from a brewery near Omaha, savoring the hoppy flavor of the IPA. I had a sofa in the living room, but I bypassed it and went straight to my room.
I’d grab a hot shower, then settle in for some mindless scrolling through reels.
I took the hottest shower I could tolerate, letting the heat soften and relax muscles tired from bending and crouching all day. I soaped up, my mind straying back to my conversation with Axel about Bailey.
Then to Bailey’s beautiful but sad face.
Then to the way he felt in my arms when I’d hugged him.
Big mistake.
My cock hardened between my thighs. A sluggish heat rolled through me that had nothing to do with the shower.
I bit my lip, trying to will it away, but that hard-on wasn’t going anywhere. And it would take a stronger man than me to resist touching himself.
I grasped my dick and stroked it roughly, quick and hard. I tried not to think of anything, but I failed. His dark blond waves had looked so soft, and his eyes seemed to dare me to look closer. He’d smelled like grease and mocha—which shouldn’t have been an attractive mix, but itwas—and those sweet lips had practically begged for a kiss.
With a groan of utter surrender, I came in my hand, painting the shower wall.
Shame swelled as I rinsed off and threw on a pair of boxer briefs and a T-shirt. I shouldn’t be thinking these things. Bailey was my boss’s baby brother. Axel might say we’re all friends, and Holdenwasa nice guy under his bossy exterior, but he was also a guy fiercely protective of Bailey.
This job was too important to fuck up.
My phone rang, and I checked the Caller ID. Closed my eyes. Maybe I was still paying for my sins. Maybe this was what I deserved.
Across my phone screen, Bailey’s name flashed.
It would be smart to let it go to voicemail. To cut off contact. But then I remembered how lost Bailey had seemed. Remembered offering to listen.
I couldn’t leave him hanging.
I picked up. “Hey.”
“Hi.” He exhaled noisily. “I thought maybe you weren’t going to answer.”
