Page 69 of His Temptation

I blinked in surprise. “I am?”

“Don’t make me say it again, asshole,” he said, cracking a small smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s exhausting being so angry at him, you know? And as always, you saw through me and got to the root of the problem. When it comes down to it, I’m just afraid. Plain and simple.”

“You’re not gay, Ryan.”

“How do you know?” he asked, his bottom lip quivering.

“Have you ever wanted to hook up with a guy?”

“No.”

“Do you enjoy being with girls?”

“Hell yeah,” he answered, grinning.

“You’re not gay,” I said again. “Even if you were, you’d still be my best friend, and I’d kick the ass of anyone who gave you shit about it.”

Ryan smiled. “Thanks.”

He put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking spot, the tension between us gone. As we drove through town, heading for his house, I thought over my words to him. He had seemed relieved when I said it, but it got me thinking.

When I eventually came out, would he do the same for me?

Or would he cast me aside?

Chapter 16

Emery

“What’s wrong?” Jay asked, as I slid off the barstool and reached in my back pocket for my wallet.

“I gotta go.” Cason had seen me with Jay and probably got the wrong idea judging from the hurt look in his eyes before he practically ran out the door.

Jay grabbed my arm to stop me. “Why? Everything was fine a few seconds ago. Sit down and talk.”

Reluctantly, I sat back on the stool and rested an arm on the bar top. Jay still didn’t know about Cason. Not for lack of trying on his part. He constantly asked me about themysteryguy, and when I wouldn’t budge on my answer, he got the hint and moved on. But I was running out of excuses not to tell him, and he wasn’t stupid.

Better to spill the truth than to keep the lie going a moment longer.

I grabbed my beer and took a long pull from the bottle. If I was going to tell Jay, I needed liquid courage. Preferably whiskey, but beer would have to do.

“Know that guy you were eye-fucking a little bit ago?” I asked, after finishing off the bottle and asking the bartender for another.

“You mean the cutie with the football body and nice ass?” Jay smirked.

“That’s Ryan’s best friend,” I said.

Jay clicked his tongue and furrowed his brow. “Damn. Too young for me, then.”

“I’m also fucking him.”

Very few things could take Jay Foley by surprise. But when I shared my secret, he looked as though he was about to fall out of his damn chair.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” he asked in a harsh whisper, leaning toward me. “Thatis the guy you’ve been screwing around with? He’s just a kid, Cross.”

“He’s eighteen,” I said, a bit defensively. “He’ll be nineteen in November.”

“That doesn’t make it better.”