Page 19 of Pieces of Me

✩✩✩

“Damn.”

Rylan glanced toward Gabriel, seeing naked longing on his face. He followed his gaze over to where Scott and Lisa stood, Scott’s arm draped loosely over her shoulders. They were dressed for gym class, both of them wearing tight tank tops and running shorts, lots of bare skin on display.

“I know,” Rylan breathed. “He’s gorgeous, isn’t he?”

An elbow in his side had him looking at Gabriel indignantly. “What?”

“I meant her, fool. Not him.”

Rylan flushed to the tips of his ears. “Oh.”

“Yeah, ‘oh.’” Gabriel’s voice was full of amusement, but it wasn’t malicious. In fact, his face softened with understanding. “Got it bad for the ol’ stepbrother?”

Rylan bit his lip self-consciously. “Guess I can’t hide it after that little slip,” he admitted. “It’s kind of gross, huh?”

“Nah.” Gabriel shook his head. “You ain’t related, and he’s living right under your nose. If I liked guys, and I had to see him all up in my face every day, nekkid―” Gabriel’s voice held sly innuendo. “―I’d have the hots for him, too.”

Rylan couldn’t help himself. “I haven’t seen him naked, but oh my God, he fills out a pair of underwear like you wouldn’t believe.”

Gabriel burst out laughing, and he slung his arm around Rylan’s shoulders. “That’s why I love you, man,” he said, grinning. “You are honest to a fault.”

“Yeah, well. Like you said, I’m gay, he’s gorgeous…I can’t fight it.”

“I say go for it,” Gabriel said with an encouraging arm pat. “Take him away from her, and I’ll be sure to lend her my comforting arms. And lips, and tongue―” He broke off when Rylan swatted him.

“Ewww,” he teased and then sobered. “It’s not like he’s gay, G.” They both watched a little sadly as Scott picked Lisa up for a full-body hug and kiss, his hands coming down to give her ass cheeks a tight squeeze before he released her.

“Hmm. I don’t know about that” was Gabriel’s surprising reply. “There were a lot of rumors about him at the beginning of the year, him and Mr. Tanner.”

Rylan could feel his eyes goggle out of his head as he gasped. “Scott and―and a teacher?” The words came out high-pitched with shock.

Gabriel glanced at Scott and back at Rylan. “Well, he was a student teacher. Maybe twenty-two, twenty-three at most? There were rumors he let Scott work out in the weight room after school hours, which is not allowed, as long as Scott worked out shirtless and let him watch.”

“What? How did anybody figure it out?” If Rylan knew anything about Scott, it was that he wouldn’t talk about something so inflammatory with indiscriminate people.

“Mr. Tanner wasn’t very good about hiding it. He used to stare at Scott like Scott was a hamburger and he was starving, and he said a couple of things about the after-hours shit that a few people overheard. So some kids decided to spy on them one night.”

“Holy shit.”

“Yeah. I didn’t see it, but apparently Scott did work out shirtless and Mr. Tanner watched. He had―” Gabriel peered around with caution. “He had a hard-on the whole time,” he hissed. “He didn’t try to hide it either. Rubbed it and shit right in front of Scott.”

Rylan could only sit there, speechless.

“So some rumors got started about Scott being bi,” Gabriel continued, “but when this one idiot finally called him a cocksucker to his face, Scott beat the shit out of him. Got suspended for three days.”

Rylan blew out a breath. “Jesus Christ. I had no idea.”

“So maybe he’d be down for gettin’ it on with a dude. Never know till you try.”

Rylan’s face burned anew as he remembered the kiss from the night before, the feel of Scott’s hot mouth and rough, wet tongue. He swallowed hard.

“And the ‘stepbrother’ thing is bullshit. Don’t let that stop you.”

Rylan couldn’t help but grin, shoving the memory away. “And that’s what I love about you,” he teased. “You don’t have any moral fiber and it’s awesome.”

“A couple of sick fucks. That’s us.”