Page 9 of Just the tip

I burst into laughter. “Fuck me, that sounds ridiculously petty of me.”

He eyed me slantways, “Maybe because it is?”

“Okay, fine, it’s petty. So, with that admission, would you at all be interested in trying to get along better for the remainder of the summer? Maybe even sharing a ride together somewhere on occasion?” Who knew if it would last, but it was better than what we’d been doing.

Ryan considered for a moment, then nodded. “I’m down for trying.” He put the car in gear and eased back onto the road. “I don’t actually smell bad, do I?” he asked a few seconds later.

“Nah. You smell good usually, except for that one cologne you wore on game days. Smells a little cheap. You’re better than that.” His smile broadened, and I groaned. “God, you’re vain. You totally just asked me that so I’d tell you you smell fine, didn’t you?”

“You didn’t say I smelled fine. You said I smelledgood.”

“Good is subjective, really.”

“No taking it back now.”

6

Ryan

Graham freefell onto the bed, arms spread wide, and let out a satisfied groan as he landed.

I kicked at the pile of his clothes on the floor and took a step backward. “All right, well, you seem to be all settled, soooo…you’re welcome for the ride,” I murmured and turned toward the door.

“Ryan.”

I slowed—maybe I’d already been slowing, but why? Surely not because I was actually hoping he’d call me back, stop me from leaving. Couldn’t be.

“Come scratch my back.”

I barked out a surprised laugh as I turned to find his gaze on me. “What?”

“C’mon,” he cajoled, and somehow the slightly petulant whine, the way it was almost a moan, combined with the pleading way he was looking at me did some shit inside me. Fuck, I hadn’t even had any of that stupid punch, but now I was the one feeling a little lightheaded and dizzy.

“No fucking way,” I replied with a hesitance I hoped he didn’t pick up on.

“C’mon.” Graham scooted toward the left side of the bed and patted the right invitingly. “Show some brotherly love. It’s graduation night, and I’m fucking hammered. We had that heart-to-heart in the car, and now, we’re…we’re good!”

“That’s how graduation nights are supposed to go, I think. Get drunk with friends, make stupid decisions…” I trailed off as I hedged, even though, to my horror, I realized I was edging toward the bed in tiny, incremental steps, like I was actually going to fucking get in it and scratch his back.

I wasn’t, was I?

“You’re not hammered,” Graham protested.

“I’m…” What was I? I definitely wasn’t hammered, and I’d only had a few beers, but I was apparently buzzed and/or delirious enough to think that pulling up the sheet and sliding in next to him was an okay idea. “Just fucking be quiet.”

Graham let out a satisfied huff of air and then presented his back to me. Smooth and unmarred in the dim light, and, fuck, it wasn’t really that much of a hardship to scratch his back was it? I mean, I might’ve liked the same had I been in his position. No, I definitely would’ve liked the same. I’d just never have even considered asking. And also, I couldn’t help but ask in return, as I reached out and ran my fingers lightly over his shoulder blade, “Is this the favor I owe you?” I hadn’t forgotten, though sometimes I wondered if he had, since he’d never brought it up.

Graham let out a sharp little chuckle that nestled in my balls with a surprising rush of heat. “Fuck no. What a waste of a favor.”

I should’ve gotten out of the bed right then, pulled my hand back and left, but his back was warm, and as my fingers danced over his skin, I could see the muscles twitch and flinch beneath, the goosebumps that rose, the way he twisted into my touch, and it was…fuck, it was captivating. I pulled the sheet back enough that his entire back was exposed to me and then ran my fingers up and down his spine, watching the arch of his back deepen and shallow out with each light pass. He hummed and shivered with pleasure, shoulders moving in steady breaths and exhales that got deeper as I continued to touch him.

I dragged the blunt edges of my nails from shoulder to ribcage, and a soft groan escaped him. My dick was as hard as I’d ever felt it, as hard as if I’d had a girl naked, legs spread in front of me, and here I was about to lose it over a dude’s back. No, not just any dude—my fucking stepbrother’s back. Jesus. I sucked in a quiet breath, staring at my hand moving over Graham’s skin, mentally imprinting the ripple of muscle and the heat that rose to meet each caress, my dick so stiff in my shorts that each tiny movement rubbed with tantalizing friction against my head. Graham was fucking gorgeous, and honestly, it was kind of a relief to acknowledge that internally.

Then I drew back. “Ok. Go to sleep,” I told him softly.

“Stay.” Graham murmured sleepily, reaching back and catching my hand.

For a second, I thought he would hold me hostage like that, and I wanted to ask why. Why now, why stay? But a second later, he let go of my wrist, like it was my choice whether I stayed or got up. I listened to his quiet breaths, watched the rise and fall of his back. And then, after another few moments, twisted aside to turn off the lamp and closed my eyes. I was pretty fucking tired, actually, and it wasn’t like his bed was uncomfortable.