Page 8 of Whirlwind

Chapter 3

Taylor

Taylor’s mind was spinning. He’d had a crush on his best friend for ten years without any hope of having those feelings reciprocated. For seven of them, he’d watched Julio flirt shamelessly with him… and then hop into a different bed every night.

And while Julio’s apologies about Grindr had at least been heartfelt, and he pretty much believed that it wasn’t a joke, he still wasn’t quite sure what this all meant.

Alright, so Julio was clearly interested in something. But was it because of what he’d seen in the Grindr profile? Was he suddenly interested because he found out that Taylor was kinky? The way he’d said the last few words, chained to my bed, made Taylor feel weak at the knees.

This should have been the happiest day of his life, and instead it just felt confusing. When he’d seen Julio’s profile, before knowing whose it was, he’d been cautiously excited. The guy had seemed just… perfect.

He knew it was weird that he wanted someone to take care of him and tie him up, but it seemed like the description had been written just for him.

And now he was pretty sure that the description had been written just for him. Which should have meant that Julio was on the same page. But it also might have meant that his best friend just knew him really, really well. And that was a little terrifying, too.

Julio had checked all of those stupid Grindr boxes, so what did he actually want? A relationship? A hook-up? Testing things out?

Could Taylor handle being one more guy in a long chain of Julio’s rejects?

Though the way that Julio was looking at him, like he wanted to eat him alive, made him feel like experiencing that attention even once would be worth it. He felt like he could drown in the depths of Julio’s coal black eyes.

Which is why he’d reverted to their usual banter. Like this wasn’t a big deal. Like he needed to think for a few minutes to decide if he was interested, when really every cell in his body was yearning to say yes.

So, he’d suggested a date. Which, to be honest, was already a bit of a test.

He was pretty sure that Julio hadn’t been on a date since high school. It was maybe a little comforting that Julio had agreed.

But what were they going to do now? Turn around and walk into Whirlwind with the rest of the guys and it would be different somehow?

If this was just a stupid fling that didn’t go anywhere, he definitely didn’t want all of Julio’s friends—who were now his friends—to know.

He was starting to panic a little bit. In all his fantasies of Julio suddenly returning his interest, he’d never imagined it would be so… awkward.

Julio was supposed to declare his undying love with a dozen roses. Sometimes he’d even drop to one knee with a ring in his hand.

Or, in his dirtier fantasies, Julio would be so overcome with lust that he’d push Taylor over the hood of the nearest vehicle and claim him on the spot.

In all the variations, he’d known where they both stood. He hadn’t thought about telling their friends. Or what would happen if they had a casual fling. Or a relationship that ended badly.

Maybe he should call off this whole dating thing before he got even more hurt.

He felt a soft touch on his cheek and looked up.

That was Julio’s hand on his cheek, Julio touching him so gently and spreading tendrils of warmth and light throughout his body. It would be so easy to get lost in those gorgeous brown eyes that were, at least for now, looking at him with such care and desire.

“Hey, pretty baby,” Julio crooned, “I’ve got you.”

Taylor was melting inside. “Don’t call me that,” he forced out. He wasn’t pretty. He wasn’t even close to it.

Julio’s hands gripped his shoulders. Slowly, but with great care and confidence, he turned Taylor’s body and then pushed him backward. Taylor stepped back willingly, ready to follow wherever Julio led. Even if he didn’t trust the situation, he trusted Julio to keep him safe.

And it was hot as fuck being pushed around like that.

He couldn’t turn his head to see where they were going because Julio’s blazing eyes were locked with his. He felt the rough, brick wall at his back, but Julio forced him one step further so that he was pressed hard against it.

Oh, God, that was sexy. In just a moment, Julio had gone from unsure and apologetic to dominant and commanding, all without saying a word. Taylor loved being trapped there, between the wall and Julio’s hard body.

Julio looked down meaningfully and tapped the instep of Taylor’s shoe. He was supposed to do something. He was supposed to… oh, fuck. He was supposed to spread his legs.