Page 17 of Perfect Storm (Toronto Thunder #1)

“Because?” Aidan prompted.

“Because if I said no, one of them would be on the first flight out here, fuck their own responsibilities,” Levi said.

Aidan hummed under his breath. “You really think so?”

“Oh, I know so,” Levi said.

“’Cause they’ve done that before?”

Levi laughed, because of course Aidan knew they hadn’t. That he was only trying to make a point.

“They’ve threatened it enough times,” Levi said.

Aidan merged onto the freeway, already full of barely moving cars, and slid between a Lexus and a Camry, flipping off the Lexus when the driver tried to box him out.

“I’m only saying this because I have some experience with this phenomenon,” Aidan said dryly, “but threatening and doing are two very different things.”

“Huh?”

“Threatening is just their stupid-ass way of showing you without actually saying the words that they’re here for you, no matter what. They’re not actually gonna do it.”

Levi raised an eyebrow. “That what you did with Riley?”

“I didn’t—” Aidan broke off his sentence with a curse under his breath. “I only ever wanted Riley to know I had his back. Went about it in the worst fucking way ever, which is why I’m telling you so you’ll understand the difference.”

Levi considered this for a long moment. “That’s really fucking stupid,” he said finally.

“It sure is,” Aidan agreed. “Never claimed that any of us have more than shit for brains.”

“You ever explain this to Riley?”

“Had to understand it first,” Aidan said.

He flopped back against the seat as the traffic came to a complete standstill.

“But once I did, yeah. Took me a year or two. Think it’s why he’s still talking to me.

If he hadn’t known that I wasn’t trying to overstep, just show him that I cared, without using the actual fucking words. ”

“What’s wrong with using the words?” Levi had never understood how masculinity, especially toxic masculinity, claimed you couldn’t communicate worth a shit.

Emotions weren’t scary; even talking about them wasn’t as ball-shrinking as so many guys claimed.

You still had them long after you finished talking about your feelings.

But then Levi also understood that he was possibly more evolved than the regular straight white guy. Touching dicks regularly could do that for you.

Aidan wouldn’t be that enlightened, as he hadn’t actually touched another dick yet.

Yet.

Now Levi was thinking about it, again. That simmering heat between them was enjoyable, no question about it, but while Levi might have normally enjoyed the tingling anticipation for any amount of time, he felt weirdly impatient with Aidan. Kept wondering why time wasn’t passing any faster.

“Nothing’s wrong with using your words, if you’re any good at it,” Aidan admitted.

“Nobody says you have to be good at it to do it, bro,” Levi said.

Aidan laughed. “Good point. Anyway, I did do it. Badly, probably, but I did it. That’s probably why Logan’s always asking you if you’re okay. If you’re happy. He’s trying to communicate with you that he cares.”

“He touches Dylan’s dick all the time. You’d think he’d be better at it.”

Aidan had just been taking a long drink from his water bottle and choked. “What, what?” he questioned. “What about Dylan’s um . . .dick?”

The flush that crept up Aidan’s cheeks at saying the word dick was adorable. Levi couldn’t even make fun of him for it.

“There’s a certain kind of enlightenment in communication skill when you regularly touch dick.” Levi reached over and patted Aidan on the knee. Wanted to let his fingers linger, but he pulled back.

He’d only been trying to offer an understandable sympathy that Aidan wouldn’t be familiar with this turn of events, yet. Besides, Levi was trying not to torture himself anymore, because he was already suffering enough.

“That’s just something you made up,” Aidan said, but he was chuckling under his breath.

“No, it’s really not,” Levi said.

“Then how come Landry is so shitty at it?” Aidan cut a glance over at Levi. Levi wondered if Aidan wanted to claim he was too, even though he regularly touched dick.

But Levi was great at communication. He’d been the one to pull Aidan out of his sulking spiral in Michigan. He’d gotten him to lighten up several times since then. Even though Aidan didn’t talk about it, Levi knew the Morris situation had to be rough on him.

“Great question,” Levi said. “My theory is the big-brother thing gets in the way. Kind of obscures any advances you can make on the dick-touching front.”

“And Logan?”

“Still technically a big brother,” Levi pointed out. “Sometimes I think he’s attempting to outdo Landry there.”

“So really only the youngest is free from this?” Aidan cocked his head, like he was considering the situation. “I guess Riley’s pretty good at communicating. At least recently.”

“And he’s touched a lot of dick, recently.”

Aidan smacked him on the chest. “That’s my brother you’re talking about, dude. And your brother’s dick.”

“Just stating facts,” Levi teased.

Aidan changed lanes, the traffic finally lightening up a bit. “If we’re going with your theory, then I’m pretty much fucking hopeless.”

“Never hopeless, just needing a lot more . . .um . . .practice.” Levi didn’t want to say, you need to touch a lot more dick. Specifically mine. It wasn’t time for that, as much as he was beginning to realize he wanted it to be.

But that was the whole point of a sex pact, wasn’t it? You weren’t supposed to have the sex before the time limit was up.

It shouldn’t have bothered Levi, but it did, even considering that Aidan might get naked with him and be thinking about Morris Jeffries the whole time.

“Practice, huh?” Amusement was rich in Aidan’s voice. He shot Levi a hot look. “Is that what we’re calling it?”

“You’re the Super Bowl–winning quarterback, I didn’t think I needed to lecture you on how practice makes perfect, bro,” Levi said.

“Not so much. Just wasn’t sure if you thought there was hope for me and my shitty communication skills.”

Levi did not bring up how Aidan had done one of the toughest communication challenges in the world, which was to tell someone he loved them without having any idea if they loved him back the same way.

He was not going to bring up Mo. Not right now.

Not when his own cock was half hard in his shorts, just contemplating Aidan touching it.

“There’s always hope for you,” Levi declared optimistically. “And you wouldn’t ever want to give up before you gave it a real go, right?”

“Never, bro,” Aidan said, half sarcastically, half earnestly.

It didn’t give Levi whiplash. Not exactly. But it made Levi think that maybe Aidan didn’t even know what he wanted.

Exactly why you told him next summer, Levi reminded himself.

“Awesome, dude,” Levi agreed, but still thinking that somehow he’d lost control of this conversation too. That didn’t make sense. He’d touched way more dick than Aidan. Exponentially more. Aidan shouldn’t have a leg up on him here. But suddenly, he seemed to.

Levi shook off his worry.

Aidan must’ve agreed, because he thankfully changed the subject from dick to something else. The something else being Ross Acker.

Levi might’ve changed it again, but he supposed they should talk about it.

“You saw the articles about Ross?” Aidan asked.

“Yeah,” Levi said.

Aidan sighed heavily. “I’m gonna get asked about this today during media availability. No question.”

“Sorry?” Levi wasn’t sure if he was sorry. It was better for everyone, but most of all Aidan, for the team to find out now if Ross Acker couldn’t cut it at left tackle.

“You’re not sorry,” Aidan retorted. “Don’t tell me you don’t want that spot for yourself.”

“I . . .” Levi huffed out a breath. “Actually, bro, I came here to play right tackle. I can play left, but I didn’t come to Toronto to steal Acker’s spot.”

Aidan shot him a look. “But you’re a Banks. I know you all way too well. If you need to step up—”

“It’s not ever gonna get to you asking me. I’ll already be there,” Levi said.

“Of course,” Aidan said.

Silence fell between them—Levi estimated they only had about ten minutes before they reached the practice facility—and Levi couldn’t help himself.

He thought about how Aidan had so easily assumed that he wanted a challenge, even craved it, like his brothers.

But he couldn’t say that he’d been that way when he’d played in college or even when he’d gone to the NFL.

He’d always wanted to do the best he was capable of.

That was never the question. But in Seattle, the offensive line coach had talked to him more than once about how he’d thought with some additional work, he could be a starting left tackle.

That he’d command more money, more respect, etcetera, if he made the leap.

But he’d never wanted to. Never felt the need.

Yet here he was, already thinking about how he could play that position way better than Ross currently was. Had already decided that if Ross couldn’t, he would.

Levi didn’t know if it was because he’d grown up and was ready to take a leap into the unknown or if it was because the idea of grass stains on Aidan’s jersey made him want to howl.

Maybe it was both.

As Levi got ready for their first practice of the day, he realized it didn’t feel like only one thing.

Still, he didn’t know for sure.

Then they got out onto the field, and after warmups, Coach Ned let them know they’d be running some plays. He listed off the formation, and Levi wasn’t surprised to hear he’d be playing right tackle. The coaching staff had to know if Ross could do it.

Aidan needed to know if Ross could do it.

They set up, Aidan’s expression relaxed beneath his helmet, but Levi could see the tenseness of his shoulders, even under his pads.

Zane, the Thunders’ offensive coordinator, blew his whistle, and Aidan called out the snap count, Griff hiking the ball back a moment later.