Page 7 of Perfect Storm (Toronto Thunder #1)

Aidan tilted his head, lips firming and kissing Levi more intently. Like once he’d hesitantly tried it, he couldn’t help but give it his best effort.

Levi couldn’t help it either. Or the little groan he made in the back of his throat as Aidan’s tongue slipped between his lips. The kiss turned suddenly hungry, Aidan no longer taking gentle little sips of his mouth, but starving gulps.

It was going to have to end. Levi was going to have to pull them back, because Aidan had proved the point, a little too fucking well, and it was becoming obvious they were both getting carried away by it.

You can’t do this. Not for a year.

It had been very stupid to suggest this. Because how was he supposed to pretend he didn’t want it again for a whole fucking year?

Aidan spun them and pressed Levi—who was bigger, thank you very much—into the edge of the counter, and if Levi had needed more evidence he was into this, there it was, pressing right into his hip. His dick, hard and undeniable.

Gasping, Levi wrenched his head away.

Aidan’s lips were red and wet, and his eyes wild.

For a long drawn-out moment, neither of them said anything. Levi knew what he should be saying. Something like “Ha, see? You proved it! You liked it, bro!” As for Aidan, he looked shocked into silence.

Was it better or worse that he’d kind of done it to himself?

If this wasn’t . . .well, like this, Levi might have even tried to blast right past any awkwardness by asking him that. But that wasn’t going to help right now.

Might even make it worse.

Levi kept expecting Aidan to move away. To attempt some kind of joke. But instead, Aidan lifted a hand up to his cheek. Cupped it briefly before his hand dropped back to his side, again. He still looked shell-shocked.

After an effort, Levi found his voice. “Was that your first kiss with a guy?” he asked quietly.

Aidan nodded.

Okay, so he hadn’t kissed Mo.

Levi shouldn’t be happy about that. Shouldn’t feel some kind of vicious satisfaction that it had been him, and not Morris.

But if he’d known that, maybe he wouldn’t have suggested it.

Lie, Levi’s subconscious yelled, you’re a fucking liar.

“Uh, good?”

Aidan’s cock was still pressing into his hip. Still just as hard as it had been when they’d been kissing, so obviously it had been. Levi had been there. It had been a really fucking good kiss. But maybe even more than that for Aidan.

This—and all the whiskey Aidan had drunk last night—was exactly why he’d said a year. Why he’d let Aidan go to bed alone last night.

Because Mo was still lingering between them, unmentioned, but still very much present.

Levi didn’t want to hear that Aidan had been saving his gay kissing virginity for Mo. Or that he’d settled for giving it to Levi, instead.

“Guess you showed me.” Aidan’s voice was rough and dry around the edges.

“Actually,” Levi said, “I think you showed me.”

Aidan laughed and finally took a step back. The awkwardness—or that weirdly quiet intimacy—hadn’t dissipated entirely, but it was beginning to.

Logan was always telling him that leaping without looking was going to bite him in the ass someday, and it seemed like that had finally happened.

If only it hadn’t happened with Aidan.

The doorbell ringing sent Aidan even further away, his eyes darting in the direction of the front door. “That’s gotta be the pizza.” Aidan took off, and Levi nearly wanted to grab his T-shirt, haul him back.

But he didn’t let the desire take hold. Pushed it away, instead.

There was no fucking point in wanting it. Not yet, anyway.

By the time Aidan came back with the pizza, Landry and Riley had arrived in the kitchen, and they were chattering loud and insistently enough that the rest of whatever had just happened between him and Aidan was swept away, like smoke.

Landry was pulling more beers out of the fridge, and suddenly it was easy again. Their brotherly camaraderie back in spades. Riley poking sly fun at Aidan, and Aidan rolling his eyes. Landry slinging an arm over Levi’s shoulders, like he’d been doing their whole lives.

Everything back to normal. Exactly what Levi had been hoping for.

That should have made him feel better. More settled, anyway.

But the truth was, the thought lingered all through dinner, and the movie they put on in the living room, sprawled out with bags of popcorn, completing their cheat day.

What did it mean that he and Aidan could have the hot, almost intense passion of the kitchen and the ease and familiarity of the Banks-Flynn connection?

It shouldn’t be fucking him up that he could experience both, that they could share both sides of a coin, but it kind of was. Why should it even come as a surprise? Riley and Landry had done it. Did it every single day.

But it was different for him, somehow. For him and for Aidan.

Levi thought about it, still on the couch, as he watched Aidan heave himself up and head off to bed.

“Come on,” Landry said to Riley, “we should head up, too.”

“I wanna finish watching this,” Riley said, gesturing at the baseball game they’d put on after the movie. “Then I’ll be up.”

Levi made a noise of agreement, even though he could give a shit about baseball generally or this game specifically.

He didn’t want to go up to his empty bed. He wanted to slip into Aidan’s bedroom. Wondered if Aidan would tell him to get out, or would wave him in.

In his pocket, Levi’s phone buzzed. Then buzzed again. It was nearly ten, and he couldn’t imagine who was calling him. But they did it again.

Riley shot him a look. “You dodging someone, bro?” he asked.

The only person Levi could possibly be doing that to currently was Riley’s older brother, and he was asleep upstairs. Levi didn’t think there was a chance in hell Aidan was the one calling him right now.

He yanked his phone out of his pocket, and as he’d figured, it wasn’t Aidan. It was his agent, Alec.

“Actually,” Levi said, worry suddenly making his heart and stomach clench, “it’s my agent.”

“Oh, you’re working on that new deal, yeah?” Riley said casually, like it wasn’t a big deal. Like it wasn’t a big deal to get a call from his agent at nearly ten at night.

“I better take this,” Levi said. Riley nodded at him as he lifted himself off the couch and headed outside, settling down in one of the Adirondack chairs before accepting Alec’s call.

“Hey, man,” Levi said.

“Levi,” Alec said, sounding tired.

Also not a good sign. Levi tried to tamp down his apprehension but wasn’t sure it worked.

Alec had told him before the bulk of the negotiation with the Seahawks began that it was possible they wouldn’t give him the kind of deal he wanted.

The kind of deal that Alec agreed that Levi deserved.

That they might be better off exploring other options.

Levi hadn’t liked the idea. He’d been drafted by Seattle six years ago. The two-year deal he took to extend his rookie contract had been a bridge, but Alec had reassured him that they’d figure out something long-term after that.

“I take it it’s not going well,” Levi said hesitantly.

He wanted to stay in Seattle, but then Logan hadn’t stayed in Minnesota and Landry hadn’t stayed in Buffalo either.

Watching his brothers end up happy playing for different teams had given him a different perspective.

If Seattle didn’t want to give him what he needed, then he’d find a team who would.

“I’d like you to come out to LA,” Alec said, not really addressing what Levi had said. “Tomorrow? Can you make that happen? I think I can get you a flight out of Dallas.”

“I’m not in Texas,” Levi said. “I’m in Michigan. With Landry and the Flynns.”

“Okay, Detroit, then.” Alec paused. “Seahawks won’t budge on the long-term part of the deal.

The money’s good, but it’s not as many years as we wanted.

It’s . . .at best, another bridge. There’s some GMs out here, taking some meetings, and I think it’d be easier if you were here in person.

I don’t want to drag you away from your offseason—”

Levi didn’t want Alec to drag him away from his offseason either, especially not after the kiss he’d just shared with Aidan.

But he didn’t need anyone to tell him that it would be a mistake if he stayed in Michigan and kept kissing Aidan.

Or that if he did stick around, despite his best intentions, he’d probably keep doing it.

“It’s okay,” Levi reassured him. Reassured himself that this was better, anyway. “I was leaving soon anyway.”

It wasn’t true, but Alec didn’t need to know that.

“Alright. Good. I do think we can make it work with one of several other strong possibilities, Levi. Teams that might even be a lot closer to a ring, even.”

That had been the one downside about Seattle. They hadn’t made the playoffs the last two years, and based on how the team was building next year’s team, Levi could see that trend continuing.

Logan had left Minnesota and had won a Super Bowl. Landry had done the same thing, two years later with the Condors.

Levi could do that, too.

“If that’s the best path forward, then we’ll explore it. I told you I’d be willing to leave Seattle,” Levi said.

Alec sighed. “I didn’t want you to have to. But they won’t budge. One of the new draft class is someone they seem convinced can take your spot in a year or two, and he’d be a lot cheaper. It comes down to money, honestly.”

“Do you think he could?” Levi wasn’t offended by the possibility. Okay, he wasn’t much offended by the possibility. A rookie being good enough to take his spot? Yeah fucking right.

“Honestly? No. They’re vastly underestimating his upside, but the point isn’t if I think he can. They think he can, and they’re all about saving money, because their new QB is going to get a huge deal in two years and they need the cap space.”

Levi muttered a fuck under his breath. Why did teams only care about the quarterback and not the guys who kept him upright long enough to throw the fucking ball? It had never made sense to him, but from what he’d seen from the Seattle front office, this shortsightedness was not entirely unexpected.

“I know,” Alec said. “It’s really fucking stupid. But what can we do about it? There’s teams that want you, Levi. A whole lot.”

Levi knew it. “Yeah. And I know it happens. Landry and Logan both did it.”

“Yep. So, I got you a flight out from Detroit tomorrow morning. It’s early-ish, which means you’re going to have to leave even earlier for wherever you’re at.”

“Ugh,” Levi groaned. “Yeah, we’re an hour and a half out from Detroit.”

Alec chuckled sympathetically. “Better get some rest, then. I’ll send a car to pick you up.”

“Oh shit,” Levi said suddenly. “All I brought with me are lake clothes. Swimsuits. Shorts. T-shirts. I think I might’ve thrown a golf polo in . . .” He couldn’t remember exactly what he’d packed. Landry had told him about the trip at the last minute. “I honestly can’t say for sure though.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Alec said reassuringly. “You might not even end up in any meetings, I just want you here. We could do this over the phone but . . .I think this’ll be easier, for now. I’m sending your flight info now, it should be in your email.”

“Thanks,” Levi said. Carter had told him that Alec was the best agent in the business, and that recommendation seemed to be paying off in dividends now. Everything was unsure, except that he knew Alec would take care of him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow. Rest up, kid,” Alec said and hung up.

Like Alec promised, the flight info was in his inbox. And it was early. So early he was going to have to leave to drive to the airport in a few hours. Shit. Shit. He was gonna need to talk to Riley and Landry. And Aidan. God, Aidan.

Riley was still flopped on the couch when he walked back into the living room.

“Everything all good, bro?” Riley asked.

“I’m leaving soon,” Levi said, trying to stay calm. “Like really soon. Probably in a few hours. Gotta catch a flight out, go to LA, meet with some people and my agent.”

Riley shot him a sympathetic look. “Not gonna stay with the Seahawks, then?”

“Not looking that way.”

“Sucks,” Riley said.

“Yeah, maybe. But might be okay, too. I’m trying to keep an open mind.”

“Good. You should just take the rental.” And that was right, shit, he and Landry and Riley had only rented one car to drive out here. “We’ll get Aidan to drive us to the airport.”

Aidan would probably not love that, but he’d understand.

“Thanks,” Levi said gratefully. “I need to get like a couple hours of sleep.”

“Yeah, get some rest,” Riley said, nodding. “I’ll let Landry and Aidan know the deal.”

It felt kind of shitty to ghost Aidan like this, but only because of what they were in the middle of. If he’d never suggested the sex pact and they’d never kissed in the kitchen of Aidan’s lake house, it wouldn’t have been a big deal for Levi to have to take off without saying goodbye.

And that’s what it’s going back to. At least for the next twelve months, Levi reminded himself.

“Tell Aidan thanks for everything,” Levi said. He’d text Aidan himself in the morning, when he got to the airport. “And tell Landry I’ll keep the family group chat up to date.”

“Sure thing,” Riley said. He yawned and stood. Pulled Levi into a big hug. “Good luck, bro.”