“Dogs and ragweed.” Bryce laughed. “We’re not getting that kinky, are we?”
Jesse chuckled. “No. But lie flat.”
Bryce followed along, though he turned his head to the side as Jesse opened the nightstand. There was a small clatter and the distinctive crinkle of foil, but not the smell of lubricant or spermicide, so Jesse must not have opened a condom yet. The bed dipped as Jesse climbed onto it. Jesse popped open a bottle, and Bryce braced himself for the inevitable cool touch near his ass.
The scent of lavender flooded the room. Jesse straddled Bryce’s lower back, set a bottle on the nightstand, and then rubbed his hands along Bryce’s shoulder blades. He tested and teased the muscles before he began brushing his thumbs in slow circles. The first real rub tormented a knot between Bryce’s shoulder blades, one he hadn’t realized was there until Jesse unraveled it in sure, swift strokes. An involuntary groan broke free of Bryce, and he shuddered as he moaned.
“That’s what I thought,” Jesse said. “You’re tight in all the wrong places.”
“And you thought that called for ordering me around?” Bryce muttered. Talking was hard with his face mostly planted in Jesse’s soft comforter.
“Yup.”
“Why?”
“To see if you’re willing to let go.” Jesse kissed his shoulder. “You’re so taut with stress, I bet you grind your teeth in your sleep.”
“Not every night.”
“But a lot in the last few months.”
Bryce stilled, then licked his lips. He felt exposed, that perhaps Jesse saw as far into him as he seemed able to reach with his massage. “What else did you figure out, Sherlock?”
Jesse snorted. “You’re trying to put up a strong front. Don’t bother.”
“Why not?”
Jesse worked a lower muscle loose, and Bryce moaned into the comforter. When Jesse leaned forward, Bryce couldn’t help squirming. Jesse’s breath played at his ear and neck, and when Bryce shivered and moaned again, he laughed quietly. “Told you. I’ve got you pegged.”
“This is just… response to stimulus. Doesn’t prove you know me.”
“All right.” Jesse kissed the back of Bryce’s neck, then shifted his weight to keep massaging. He used more oil, and the scent of lavender invaded Bryce’s senses even more. “You work in an office. Fitness is important, but for your health, not your appearance. You’re an older brother, and your sibling is a handful.”
Bryce was the youngest in his birth family, but his friendship with Alex definitely strayed more toward sibling. “You could say that.”
“Wild stab, but that coworker. The rude one at the coffee shop.”
“Surrogate brother, not blood. How’d you guess?”
“Because he was a pain in the ass and you barely reacted. Tells me he’s a constant annoyance.”
“Don’t judge him,” Bryce said quietly. “You don’t know what he’s been through.”
Jesse paused. “Saying he’s immature is the nicest thing I can say.”
Telling Jesse that Alex hadn’t had much of a chance to grow up would reveal Alex’s secrets. Bryce didn’t have a right to do that. Instead, he played a different card. “It’s his fault I’m here. I let him borrow my phone and he texted you. I took over, but he started it.”
“Why?” Jesse unworked another thread of tension, another Bryce hadn’t known was hurting him.
“Because he’s my pesky little brother who noticed I liked you and didn’t want me to ignore an opportunity,” Bryce said.
“Means I’m right about my other conclusion.”
“What other conclusion?”
Jesse slid his hands in such a way that Bryce swore he was turning into melted butter. His hard-on stayed trapped underneath him, and he ached to turn over and make Jesse pay attention to it instead. But Jesse was damn good at what he was doing, and determined. Since he insisted on staying in charge, Bryce didn’t have to make a decision. He could lie there, horny yet unwinding. Eager, but patient.
God,thatwas making him ache, too.
