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Alex’s world tilted for a blink of an eye. “Hang on. You were flirting with me?”
“Not, like…” Lee briefly met Alex’s eyes before his gaze skittered off to the side. “Badly, for one. And I didn’t really think… That is… You know.”
Alex was staring, he knew he was, but, just, what? Lee had beenflirtingwith him all those years ago, and Alex had taken it as an insult. “Pretty boy, though?” he asked instead of the dozen other questions flitting through his mind.
Lee mumbled something and scuffed a hand down his face, and was that the faintest hint of a blush, barely noticeable against Lee’s tanned skin? Lee Taylor,blushing?
Alex cleared his throat. “Sorry, what was that?”
Lee sighed and brought his gaze back to Alex, something deliberately brave in its steadiness. “It seemed to work in porn. Which was about the extent of my experience with guys at the time.”
A spark of heat slid down Alex’s spine. He swallowed before he managed a laugh. “That makes a scary amount of sense.”
Lee’s smile was framed by tension. “Are you okay with this?”
“You being gay? Yes.”
“The fact that I used to fancy you.”
Alex’s focus tripped over the past tense. Right, yeah. Years ago, a pretty face and a cute smile might have been enough to hold Lee’s attention. Now, though? They’d both grown up a bit, and Lee had the looks and money to collect some experience along the way. He’d mentioned an ex, after all.
That was fine.
“Used to?” Alex underpinned the question with a grin and a snooty wave of his hand. “So you don’t think I’m pretty anymore, is that it?”
He’d clearly gone for the right tone because Lee seemed to relax for the first time since he’d dropped that tiny bomb on Alex. “You’re still plenty pretty, Beaufort. It just so happens that my tastes have evolved to favour guys who look my age.”
Oooh, shots fuckingfired.
Alex let his eyes go wide and soft, bottom lip sticking out a little. “You mean old?”
For one glorious second, Lee stared. Then he shook his head, laughing. “Bloody hell, you’re good. It’s a real loss for the ladies that your parents intend to take you off the market.”
Which landed them right back where they’d started.
The room felt overly warm for even just a sheet, so Alex moved it off his lap and crossed his legs, leaning back against the headboard. Lee’s gaze dipped down to Alex’s bare collarbones and further. Alex was certain Lee wouldn’t have let that happen in the locker room where fit guys in various states of undress were a common sight—Alex was well aware.
He rather liked Lee looking at him, though. Maybe that wasn’t fair when he had no intention of following through.
“Well.” He let one corner of his mouth curl up, and Lee’s focus returned to his face. “Given you’re even more thoroughly off the market, you’re hardly the best judge of what women want.”
“To the contrary.” Lee’s smirk brightened his eyes. “I excel at emulating the female gaze.”
It startled an inelegant snort of laughter out of Alex, the kind that Jeff always strove to tickle out of him. “Okay, fair.”
They were both comfortably quiet for a beat, Lee still perched near the foot of the bed, hazy lamplight washing over his muscular body.
“Also,” Alex said, letting seriousness creep into his tone, “I’m sorry.”
Lee looked genuinely surprised. “What for?”
“Implying earlier that because you’re single, you have no right to a qualified opinion on … love. Or relationships. It must be a lot harder to find someone when you have to be this careful.”
“It’s…” Lee’s chest rose on an intake of air. “Not easy, yeah.”
“Yeah,” Alex echoed, and how had Lee even met his ex? Also, did he want to come out one day, follow in Ben Jimmer’s footsteps? Was that why he’d returned from Italy to play for Manchester United—to have a guaranteed mentor in his corner?
None of these questions required an urgent answer.
