Secret Admirer - D.J. Jamison Page 0,66
shared rooms with Benji. By the time they’d moved, Jeremy and I had been best friends and they’d kept an extra bed in his room just for me. I’d always, always slept in that bed.
We were locked in a three-way stare-off when Benji’s dad arrived. “What are you three standing around for? Dump those bags and come on out. Your mom’s got a delicious bacon-cheese dip, and she hasn’t let me have any yet. You’re my ticket to snack food heaven.”
“Where do you want to stay, Ace?” Benji asked.
Ah, God. In a normal situation, I’d stay with Benji, right? I mean, I was the boyfriend coming home to meet the family. But then there was Jeremy—and years of routine. I felt at home in this house, but specifically, I felt at home as Jeremy’s best friend crashing in Jeremy’s bedroom.
“I’m cool wherever,” I said, taking the coward’s way out.
Their dad chuckled. “I see this is a time of adjustment for all of us.”
He wasn’t kidding.
“You two can stay together. We don’t have any problems with that now that you’re adults. But it’s a family weekend, so let’s just remember that the walls aren’t all that thick and there are ears everywhere.”
Benji turned bright red. “Oh my God.”
Jeremy’s eyes were turned to the ceiling. Looked like he was going to pretend his dad hadn’t just alluded to me and his baby bro having sex. Probably for the best. But what was I going to do? I looked between my best friend and my boyfriend. I couldn’t be the one to choose. Fuck. Benji would think Jeremy’s friendship was more important to me than him and vice versa.
“Maybe I should just sleep on the sofa,” I said.
“No way!” Benji said.
“Don’t be a dumbass,” Jeremy added.
The brothers looked at each other. “Rock paper scissors?” Jeremy suggested.
Benji rolled his eyes, but he placed his fist in his palm. “Best two out of three.”
“Seriously? You’re going to—”
“One, two, three: Shoot!” Jeremy called.
Benji slammed a fist out, while Jeremy threw out paper. Rookie mistake. Someone always went for rock first, and it always backfired.
“Again,” Benji said, slapping his fist back into his hand. They went again. This time, Jeremy threw out rock, but so did Benji. And again. Jeremy threw out paper, and Benji threw out scissors. “Finally!” he crowed.
“One more,” Jeremy said.
One, two, three: Shoot!
“Damn it,” Benji grumbled. Jeremy fist-pumped after securing his win, smashing Benji with a rock in the final round. “I never win that stupid game.”
I slung an arm around his shoulders. “Thanks for fighting for me, babe.”
Jeremy sighed. “Sleep wherever you want.”
He stalked off, and I groaned. “Sorry, Benji. Maybe I should have stayed behind.”
He grabbed a handful of my T-shirt and tugged me forward, giving me a quick kiss. “Don’t do that. I want you here, and Jeremy will just have to deal with it.”
“I don’t want him to ‘deal’ with it,” I said in frustration. “I want him to be cool.”
Benji nodded, biting his bottom lip. “Yeah,” he said in a small voice. “He’s your best friend. You guys have always been so close. I’m sorry I’m messing that up.”
“Hey, no.” I pulled Benji into a hug. “You’re not messing up anything.” I looked down into his eyes. “I love you.”
He smiled weakly. “Love you too.”
“What do you want me to do? I’ll do whatever you want.”
With a sigh, he gave me a gentle push away. “Go. Sleep in his room. You know he wants you there.”
“Maybe,” I said skeptically.
Benji rolled his eyes. “He does, if only so he doesn’t have to picture us here together or think about what we might be doing.”
“What, sleeping?” I said in my best innocent voice.
Benji laughed. “Yeah. Sleep is what he’s worried about.”
“Maybe I’ll sneak out for a midnight tryst.”
“Sounds sexy,” Benji murmured. “But tricky in a house full of people.”
Fair point. “Well, it’s just one weekend. Soon, it’ll be just you and me again.”
Jeremy walked past without stopping — headed for the living room after dumping his bag — which gave us a few minutes alone. Unable to resist, I dipped my head, kissing him. It was gentle, nothing to get us hard and panting, but I was thorough, imbuing it with feeling.
“That helps,” he murmured against my lips when we parted.
I smiled. “Thought it might.”
He kissed me again, hands slipping into my hair, and so much for keeping the lust at bay. He tasted so sweet, he felt so warm in my arms, I wanted to strip him down and