Page 22 of Frat Around and Find Out (Peach State Fratbros #1)

Ty

T he guys and I are playing doubles at the indoor pickleball court of the rec center, swapping out for a person every match since there are five of us. When we finish and head to the bench for our stuff, I find myself searching around for Lance, wishing he’d swing by.

Of course, he has other things to do on the job than come see my needy ass.

I toss on my shirt. We all played shirtless, me—and I guess Dax too—out of solidarity with the guys after Ryan removed his to show off for the sorority girls on the court beside ours, and once he started the charge, no one was willing to be left behind.

Ryan takes a sip of his water before handing it to Keegan. While Ryan locks eyes with one of the girls, Keegan sips from the thermos before asking Dax, “So you got that date tonight with the prez of Alpha Theta Mu?”

I tense up.

It’s not something I’ve been able to get my mind off since the auction two weeks ago. They both had a lot going on, which I was more than pleased about, but now that it’s happening, it’s all I’ll be thinking of while I’m working my shift at Junkie’s.

Dax shrugs. “Yeah, should be fun. ”

“You gonna use your magic on him?” Keegan asks.

“Magic?”

“Come on. I’ve heard the same things as everyone else. They say you can turn anyone.”

“Turn anyone, huh? Maybe I should try you ?” Dax teases, making Keegan laugh.

“Ooh, that a threat?”

“Do you want it to be?” Dax winks, and the guys are in hysterics.

Everyone but me, since apparently I’ve lost my sense of humor when it comes to Lance.

“You keep in mind that you’re not gonna be an asshole to him,” I blurt.

No matter how many times I ran the words through my head, it was impossible for them not to come out more than a little defensively, which earns the attention of my fratmates.

“Um…what the hell?” Ryan asks. “You have all these secret meetings with him for the TaskFrat Committee and all of a sudden you’re his best friend?”

“You’re my best friend,” I say, sidestepping that.

Sure, Lance is my friend too, but what’s happening between us is different. I guess we’re friends with benefits, but it feels like more than that, especially now that I know him better than most.

“What was the point of getting the date if he can’t fuck with the guy?” Keegan asks.

“Let’s not assume he’s not gonna fuck with the guy,” Jaxon jokes, and I watch Dax’s expression, waiting for him to make a dick comment—in which case I’ll call the whole thing off—or give some indication of how interested he is in Lance’s ass.

It’s my ass.

A thought I’ve had a lot recently, especially as the day of their date crept up.

Just like when I initially had those weird thoughts about Lance being mine, I don’t have a right to demand that, but this is all Lance’s fault for being so goddamn adorable.

His fault that I’m enamored with the way his eyes roll back and his mouth hangs open, that beautiful moan when I’m about to make him come yet again with my precise touch on his prostate.

Having this power over his body has made me greedy for more, and it might not be my ass, but I want it to be.

Ryan nudges me. “Hey, sexy. For someone who’s great at hitting on girls, you’re missing the one staring you down right now. You need to get on it.”

I glance over, seeing the blonde Phi Lambda clearly giving me the eyes.

She’s hot. I figure she’s a transfer since I don’t recall seeing her last year.

In the past, if this had happened, I would have been as bad as Ryan, playing the game, then making sure to swing by and chat with her before heading out, but Lance has broken me, and I don’t want to be fixed.

Ryan leads the guys over to the girls, promising to get Jaxon and Keegan some time with his interest’s friends, which gives me the opening I’ve been waiting for with Dax. “Have fun,” I say through my teeth, and he eyes me uneasily.

“It doesn’t sound like you want me to have fun. We cool?”

“We are, and I do want you to have fun. Just be nice to him. We were just trying to make a point at the auction, and I don’t want to hear that you were a dick.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to exact any revenge on Sigma Alpha’s behalf. I actually enjoy Lance. He’s a cool, funny guy.”

I grit my teeth.

Now I’m wishing he’d just said he was gonna be a dick because, really, the worst thing that could happen is they hit it off and then Lance lets him hit it.

Over. My. Dead. Body.

“What are your plans?” I ask.

Dax’s brows rise. “It’s a surprise. I’m taking him somewhere fun.”

That’s what Lance told me after they made plans. What if it’s a ton of fun and Dax charms the pants off him? No. Stop it!

Heat rises to my chest, where a knot has already formed, and I ball my fists to soothe my discomfort.

“You good?” Dax asks, wincing. “You look like you’re about to deck me.”

“Um…no. Fuck. Just thinking about how I wish I was out having fun tonight, not working.” Dax is good at reading people, so I gotta bail before he catches on. Also, I’m not planning to leave the rec center without seeing Lance. “I had something I needed to bump into Lance about.”

Bump into Lance about ? That’s not an expression.

No, but my rival scrambles my fucking brain.

“I’m gonna head out. Tell the guys for me, okay?”

I grab my backpack and sling it over my shoulder, leaving the courts, searching desperately for Lance before finding him at the front desk, where he’s chatting with Ash. The knot in my chest relaxes as my cock perks up at the promise of messing around again.

What have you fucking done to me, Lance Fehn?

I approach, trying not to be so obvious that his friend will be like, Um…you guys don’t happen to be fucking around behind all the frats’ backs, right? Ty, you’re not like, questioning your sexuality because of how hot my buddy is, are you?

That there was ever a question feels like a world away after all we’ve done the past couple of weeks.

“Hey, guys,” I say, surprised at how chill I manage to sound when I’m not feeling chill at all.

Lance turns to me, his smile easing the bundle of hot tension in my chest, but also making me check to see if Ash notices because that’s not how rivals are supposed to look at each other.

“There’s a certain point where this becomes stalking,” Ash says, though I can tell by his amused expression he’s just giving me hell.

Unlike some of the guys at our frats, he doesn’t get too caught up in the rivalry bullshit.

Of course, if he knew how obsessed I’d become with his friend, maybe he wouldn’t have teased about it so casually.

“Oh, that committee thing?” Lance asks.

Good boy.

“That’s good timing,” Ash says. “I was gonna FaceTime with Colin, so I’ll catch you at the house after your date .” Ash sings out that last bit, and fire sears my chest, worse than whenever Alpha Theta Mu kicked our asses at the last TaskFrat.

Lance leads me back to the equipment room.

“Everything okay? What’s wrong?” he asks, his voice filled with worry, and I know why. He knows me well enough to detect how on edge I am.

Fuck me for being so transparent. But fuck him for making me this way.

“Everything’s fine now ,” I assure him before I shove him back against the wall, my tongue invading his mouth, probing, exploring.

He rests one hand on my hip, the other on my cheek.

It’s wild to think how awkward we were at first, and now being close to him feels like the most natural thing in the world.

“Mmmm. I like sweaty Ty Lancaster,” he says into my mouth.

“You’re so fucking addictive. To think we just hooked up yesterday and I’m not finished with you yet.”

I’m greedy for his mouth, taking it again before pulling away.

He looks stunned by the way I went for him. “Good afternoon to you too.”

I chuckle. “Good afternoon. Why didn’t you come see me while I was playing with the guys?”

“We can’t be too obvious, right?”

“Wish I had your self-restraint. Figured I needed to get this in before I head to work, since I’m not gonna have a chance to remind you what you’ll be missing out on.”

I notice the shift in his expression, and then the way his lips quirk into a smirk. “Oh, Dax…that’s what this is about?”

I tense my jaw. “Don’t even say his name to me until tomorrow.”

As much rage as I have around Dax taking him out tonight, another part of me likes that Lance knows he has this power over me.

“You know I’m not gonna—”

I kiss him again to stop him from finishing that sentence. When I pull away, he looks all flustered. And I must keep from kissing him so that I can make my point. “I’m not trying to stand in your way. We’re exploring shit, right? And it’s not like we’re exclusive.”

His gaze wavers. “Wait, is this your way of telling me you’ve been messing around with girls while we’ve been—”

“What? No, no, no. I haven’t done anything with anyone since we started fucking around. Which is kind of amazing for me, but though we haven’t even gone all the way, I’m surprised by how satisfied I am by what we have done. Well, at least until I need my Lance fix again.”

Even when I took the sorority girl who won me out for dinner, it was never going to be more than that since the only one on my mind right now is Lance Fehn.

He beams, and I find my greed getting the best of me. Fuck, I’m such a selfish asshole. It’s too much. It’s what I’ve been thinking all day, especially after seeing Dax for the past hour. I don’t have the self-restraint to keep it to myself.

“I do want to ask one thing before this date,” I confess. “Keep in mind, if you tell me to fuck off, then that’s the way it is, because I don’t have any right to ask this of you.”

His eyes widen, like he’s starting to get concerned about what I’m about to ask, so I just spit it out so I don’t leave him in suspense. “I want you to save this for me.” I grip his ass.

“Huh?”

His response breaks the tension, without him even realizing it, just by him being his adorable self. Although, it also reminds me why I’m so territorial over him. Every little Lancism is perfect.

“This ass,” I say, firming my hold. “I want to be in there first. So you can do whatever the hell you want with Dax, but not that.”

“Ty, really, this is a bit dramatic. I’m not planning on doing anything with Dax tonight.”

It shouldn’t feel so good to hear him say that, nor so painful to think of him changing his mind. “I’m sure, but the guy is apparently a king in the bedroom. He’s got moves.”

“He’s like you but with dudes?” he says, reflecting a sentiment I’ve brought up more than once.

“I just know I can’t compete with his experience. Yet . But give me some more time, and I’m sure I can give him a run for his money. ”

“That’s surprisingly humble for you.”

“Just realistic. I know what I’m good at, and I know where I’m still learning, which is why I can be so confident when I am good at something.”

“That’s more like the Ty I’m used to.” The way he grins whenever I talk like this suggests he enjoys it when I am kinda full of myself.

“Anyway,” I say, “Back to what I wanted to talk to you about. We’re not exclusive, so you don’t owe me shit—”

“Except you want to put a reserve on my ass?”

I let out a nervous chuckle, quirking a brow. “Kinda?”

He laughs, though this time it’s clear he thinks this is a joke, which just pisses me off even more.

“I’m being serious, Lance. This ass is mine. Do you understand that?”

He quiets, gulping.

“Fuck, now I’ve made it weird. I mean, obviously, if you don’t want that, then that’s another conversation, and—”

He kisses me, effectively shutting me up.

That he’s even kissing me after my request assures me I haven’t crossed the line.

He places his hand on mine, making me grip his ass even tighter.

“This…ass…is yours. All for my Rocky,” he says between kisses, until I’ve got him pressed up against the wall, grinding my crotch against him.

I’m shocked by how much his words are like a promise, offering me much-needed relief. Maybe it’s wrong of me to ask so much of him, but part of me feels as though, since I was the one who stirred these feelings in him, it’s my right to claim it for myself.

“Half tempted to just take what’s rightfully mine,” I say .

“In here?”

“No, you haven’t said you’re ready yet. And even if you were, I wouldn’t want to fuck you in here for your first time. But don’t think I’m not wishing for it.”

I kiss him for a while longer, hating that I have to let him return to his friend and that I can’t have this ass right here and now.

When we wrap up, he returns to Ash, and I head on to work.

Lance promising me his ass brings relief, and I know he’ll be true to his word, and yet thoughts of this date night with Dax keep playing through my mind.

Him putting the moves on Lance. Telling him how adorable he is.

Even the thought of his hand caressing Lance’s skin or him leaning in for a kiss makes me pissed. I’m a traitor to my own fratbro.

And despite managing to hold it together with Lance—barely—it’s gonna be so much more difficult when I’m at work, wondering.