all the photograph albums from his parents’ house. They didn’t hold that much value for anyone else.
As we let ourselves back into Kane’s yard, no eyes on us or the gate this time, I turned to Shayne. “Thank you for so much honesty,” I murmured.
Shayne nodded, but his jaw tightened, and a flicker of nervous apprehension passed through his gaze. “Do you…” He swallowed and started again. “Do you think you might be able to forgive me?” His voice dried up on the last word.
I watched him for a moment then nodded. “I’m definitely trying, and I know that’s the first step.”
His lips eased into a small grin. “I’m also available if you feel the need to yell at me or throw punches my way, too.”
I chuckled, and his grin widened further, becoming exactly what I’d loved to see in high school.
As my heart fluttered at the sight, I moved quickly past him. “I’m going to hang with my brothers for a while,” I murmured, awkwardly shutting down our conversation.
Shit… Shayne was still easy to fall in love with, but that wasn’t somewhere I planned to go again.
I stepped back inside my apartment, still buzzing from the afternoon—catching up with my brothers, chatting and joking, a few beers. Perfection.
And Shayne.
I couldn’t get him out of my head, but I was sure going to try. It was pretty late and I had a workout class booked for the morning, so I headed for my bathroom to take a shower.
I glanced around as I walked through my living room toward the door for my bedroom. I’d miss this place if I moved. My couch sat just in the perfect spot, Mom had done a phenomenal job with the decorating, and I knew about all the weird shit I needed to do to turn the back burner of the stove on or make sure the dishwasher didn’t rattle its way out from under the counter. I even knew what the fucking weird switch in the middle of my living room wall did. The red one with strangely bulb-like protrusion thing going on. I didn’t want to learn all that weird crap in a new place.
Exhaling a sigh, I walked into the bathroom and started a shower. My mind wandered as I stood under the spray, the water hitting my sun-sensitized skin like tiny needles. My brothers always made me happy. Just talking to them improved my mood. And it was great to see Adrian so happy with Kane. He was a nice guy.
Shame about his broth—
I stopped. The thought was so natural. It was a reflex. I’d trained myself to always think of Shayne negatively, like some kind of shield to protect myself.
Only after our long chat, he’d disarmed me. And that grin. Oh, I remembered that grin, and the things we used to do while he was wearing it.
My cock jerked, suddenly alert at the memory of Shayne and the way he used to kiss me. I closed my eyes and wrapped my fingers around my shaft as I imagined… But I stopped myself and reached for the soft soap so I could wash. I couldn’t jerk off while thinking about Shayne. Not after all these years and so much past. I just needed to get clean and get out of here.
I’d just ignore it. But water ran down my body and washed right over my hungry cock until it pulsed with need. Carefully, I soaped across my pecs, biting my lip as I skimmed my fingers across my sensitive nipples. I wanted to be touched. Shit. It had been way too long since another man brushed his hands across my skin. I wanted to feel someone else’s touch, their lips, their tongue.
I groaned and took hold of my cock. It was hard and it throbbed in my hand as I stroked it slowly, lingering over the head until I gasped.
I was so horny, so ready. I moved my hand from my dick and cupped my balls, gasping again at their weight. Shit, I wanted to come.
I turned my back to the spray and widened my stance, my breathing growing harsher as water ran down between my ass cheeks, washing over my asshole and making my body pulse with need. Precum oozed from my dick and I collected it on my finger before stepping out from under the spray and reaching around to smear it around my asshole.
Jesus… Fuck… It had been too long. I nudged my fingertip inside me and released