say petty things about Jonas. I will not say petty things…
“I better get going,” Benji said.
“Wait. Didn’t you have a question for me?”
I stopped him with a hand to his arm. It might have been in the exact same place Jonas touched him. And maybe that was Neanderthal-type behavior, but I needed to overwrite what I’d just seen. Anyone’s hands on Benji didn’t sit right with me. Maybe I could call Jeremy and warn him about this Jonas situation…
No. Benji would never forgive me if I brought his brother into his love life.
Which was just one more reason I could never be his love life. As Jeremy’s best friend, it would be impossible to be with him and not bring Jeremy into the mix. I owed my best friend a shit ton, basically owed him my whole future, so I couldn’t mess around his baby bro. No matter how the yearning grew to do something, anything to relieve the tension I felt every time I was around him.
Time for another gift, maybe. It was insanity, but it was also the only outlet I had for my feelings.
“Oh, yeah.” He coughed, and I got the feeling he was stalling for time. Then he brightened. “I’ve been struggling with algebra, and you’re an engineering major. You must be decent at math, right?”
“I do okay,” I said. “You need some help?”
He wrinkled up his nose adorably. “If you wouldn’t mind? I’m pretty terrible at it.”
I chuckled. “Well, no one’s perfect, I guess.”
“Far from it.”
“Not that far,” I teased. “But yeah, I’d be happy to help. If you wanna study here tonight, you could always crash at the house.”
His eyes darted to the staircase behind me. “N-no, that’s fine. Maybe we could meet at the library this week?”
“Sure, I’ll text you to arrange something.”
Benji pulled open the door. “Okay, that works.”
“You sure you don’t want me to walk you back? I know you don’t need me to, but if you want the company…”
“I’m sure,” he said firmly. “Thank you, though. For everything you do for me … or, uh, maybe it’s for Jeremy.” He shrugged, glancing away. “You know what I mean.”
Impulsively, I leaned in and kissed his cheek. A hint of stubble grazed my lips, and I heard him suck in a breath.
“I really don’t do anything for Jeremy,” I murmured.
He met my eyes uncertainly, and that luminous green gaze of his snagged me. “Okay.”
“And you don’t owe me any thanks. We’re friends, right?”
“Right,” he said faintly. His cheeks were pink again, but this time because of me. My proximity, or maybe the prolonged eye contact I couldn’t seem to break.
“See you soon, then?” I prompted when he didn’t move.
“Yeah,” he said on a sigh. Then he blinked. “Uh, soon.” He spun, taking the steps two at a time, yelling, “Bye!” as he went.
I grinned, secretly happy I’d flustered him, even as alarms blared in my head. Abort. Abort. Best friend’s little brother is off-limits.
Damn it. What was I going to do?
Benji
That night, as I lay in bed, I couldn’t get the image of Ace out of my mind. Like a lot of frat boys, he had short hair and a strong jaw, the epitome of college bro. But his eyes held a depth many of them lacked. His smile was a multipurpose weapon: sweet, devilish, sensual. I could think about those lips all night.
Especially after they’d brushed my skin.
Just a friendly gesture, I reminded myself. Nothing to get worked up about.
My body disagreed. It was sending me unmistakable signals. My blood ran hot. I squirmed to get comfortable under my blankets, spreading my thighs a little to give my cock room to grow.
No. No, no, no.
I couldn’t revert back to horny, confused, adolescent Benji who jerked off while longing for something he didn’t even understand. I had nothing in common with Ace, and even if I did, he was straight. Uninterested. Unattainable.
I should be thinking about Jonas right now. Jonas, who’d smiled and flirted, who’d asked for my number. Who was probably my secret admirer.
But it wasn’t Jonas’s flirty smile that lingered in my mind, but that moment at the door with Ace. The way he’d looked directly into my eyes, making my breath catch. The feel of his lips on my cheek, so tantalizingly close to my mouth. I could feel his body warmth we stood so close.
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the memory away. I would not fantasize about a straight guy. I would not be that guy who