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Zach stood as well and put his arm around Lake’s shoulders, pulling him close as they walked. “Sorry, man. But at least you didn’t lose your friendship with him?”
“I guess,” Lake mumbled. But what did that even mean now, though? Had they ruined it by adding sex? Lake didn’t want to think like that, because it had been phenomenal sex, and even now, with the lingering soreness and echoes of Grady’s fingerprints on his skin, he only wanted more. Wanted to feel Grady’s marks on him always. He loved the friendship they’d created, the closeness they had that Lake didn’t have with anyone else, but he’d also enjoyed getting railed.
So where did that leave him? Why couldn’t they have both? What was so wrong with dating your best friend? Zach and Felix did it, and it had worked out for them in so many ways.
“He’s coming to basketball tonight, right?” Zach said. “Avery said he was?”
“As myfriend,” Lake said. It was a friendly get-together on base they did once a month where they played a few rounds of basketball—with no rules—and then went out for dinner at a random place selected on the fly. Usually the winners got to pick.
Partnersandfriends came. Lake might have wanted Grady to fit into the former, but at least he still fit into the latter? He hoped that Grady didn’t pull out because, no matter what, Lake wanted to see him.
FELIX HAD BEEN THEone to go and pick up their invites at the front gates of the military base, but Lake would have been lying if he’d said he hadn’t been tense from the moment that Felix had left to get them.
Knowing that he was so close to seeing Grady again. The anticipation was all wrong for just seeing a friend. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and his ass clenched, telling him exactly what it wanted.
Friends.We’refriends,he chanted to himself. That’s all Grady wanted, and Lake had to respect that.
He almost tripped over his own feet when Zach shifted around him and stole the basketball he’d been absently dribbling.
“Pay attention, or we’re going to get owned,” Zach said, slapping his exposed chest with a loudsnapfrom the sweat already covering it.
Lake scowled, rubbing the spot. “You’re supposed to beat up your opponents, not your teammates,” he grumbled.
“It’s my motivational speech.”
“Is that why they never promote you?”
Zach winked and then did a perfect three-point shot at the line. “At least I still have my skills. What do you have left?”
“A great ass,” Lake said.
Zach snorted and threw the ball at him. “I’d prefer if you could shoot. Do you know how much bragging I had to listen to last time Felix won one of these?”
“Felix doesn’t brag.”
“No, but it was in hiseyes.”
“You’re so full of shit.” If anyone bragged it was Zach, on the rare occasion they actually managed to win against the spec-ops team.
Lake froze as the Rover Felix had left in turned the corner and came closer. His gaze zeroed in on Grady the moment he stepped out of the car. He’d worn a loose-fitting grey top and comfortable-looking black shorts. Fuck, he wasbig,and Lake wanted to climb him like a tree. Wanted to wrap his legs around his waist and have him buried deep inside him. He knew just how powerful Grady’s legs were, how well those arms could hold him down while he fucked him.
Grady looked Lake up and down in a blatantly obvious way, and Lake had no idea if he was unaware, or if he didn’t care if anyone saw. He lingered on Lake’s bare chest and then moved up to his face. Lake swallowed, his body turning toonat the heated look in Grady’s eyes. Whatever Grady’s mouth said, his eyes said something very different. He looked like he wanted to take Lake around the side of the hangar and fuck him against the hot metal.
Lake wouldn’t have said no. In fact, if he spoke right now, he knew that all that would come out of his mouth was a whimpering plea to please,please,do it.
Jesus.Lake looked away.Friends.They were just friends. If he kept repeating it to himself enough, maybe he could convince himself. Eventually, if he said it enough, it had to be true. Right? That’s what they said anyway. Anyone could convince themselves of a reality just through repetition and the power of the mind.
“Is this a shirts and skins?” Avery asked. His once-over of Zach was even more obvious than Grady’s, and Lake fake gagged, looking away. The corner of Grady’s mouth quirked, his olive eyes shining a little brighter in the afternoon sun.
“It is not,” Zach said, tugging Avery forward and landing a hard kiss on his mouth. “It’slet’s just remember who our teammates are. Think you can handle that?”
“You might need to repeat it for me,” Avery said.
“I can repeat it for you,” Zach said in a low voice. Lake wished he weren’t close enough to still hear. “I can even give positive reinforcement if you’re into that kind of thing.”
“I could be into it.”
Lake rolled his eyes and sidestepped around where his brother and his best friend were making a spectacle of themselves. Felix was watching them with heat in his eyes, so Lake avoided him too.
