Page 55 of Playing Dirty

His mouth opens to respond before he closes it again and frowns. “I wouldn’t really know, I guess. Haven’t paid that much attention to other guys’ dicks before now.”

I’m happy for him to getveryacquainted with mine, but I choose to keep the comment to myself. Mostly out of self-preservation, should he decide this was enough experimenting for him. I hate even thinking about that as a possibility, though I know it’s the most likely one. After all, I’ve been the guinea pig for enough straight guys to experiment on for a night to know better than to get my hopes up.

I feel his gaze lingering on my face while I finish cleaning my cum off him, but I don’t lift my eyes to meet it until I’ve finished.

His mouth is right there, only inches away for me to steal another kiss, but I don’t give in to the urge. Instead, I rise off the bed and toss the cum-covered shirt in my dirty hamper and then grab my discarded sweats from the floor.

Theo slips into his clothes too, and I expect this to be the moment he makes a break for it; running like his life depends on it. Yet, all he does is drop down at the end of my bed and run a hand through his hair.

There’s a little war in his eyes as he looks up at me hesitantly, and I realize maybe thisisthe moment I was waiting for. The one where everything crashes down around us. He just doesn’t know how to navigate it.

“Let me guess,” I murmur, cocking my head. “You’re looking for an exit strategy without trying to be a dick.”

“I told you I wouldn’t,” he says, brows knitting together.

My lips twitch into a cynical smile. “You’ll have to forgive me for not taking your words at face value.”

“Yeah, I can’t really blame you. I just…” His teeth sink into his lower lip, and he shakes his head before meeting my gaze again. “I really wish it didn’t have to be you.”

My attention drags over his face, catching on the strands of hair that still stick up haphazardly from his fidgeting, and a small hint of empathy hits me when I realize what the real issue is here. Or what Ithinkit is.

He’s lost control over almost every aspect of his life right now.

His dad’s affair coming to light, his parents ripping each other to shreds in court, then gaining two brand new family members all within a year is…a lot. But to add an evolving sexuality on top of it, and for it to bemethat made him realize it, no less?

I’m surprised he’s hanging on to his sanity at this point.

“When it rains, it pours, right?” I offer lightly in an attempt to brighten the mood.

Locking his gaze with mine, the smallest smile hints at the corner of his lips. “Buckets of cum, apparently.”

We both share a soft laugh, a bit of the tension and heaviness alleviating before silence fills the air around us. But for once, it’s not uncomfortable. It’s just us existing in peace, and no matter what happens, I hope it’s something we can hold on to.

“I should probably get going, though,” he says softly. “There’s a good chance one of the guys already put an APB out on me.”

“Yeah, all good.”

His eyes shift back and forth between mine before he murmurs, “I’m not gonna run again.”

“Okay,” I whisper back.

Because I want to believe him, I really do.

With that, he rises from the bed, and I follow him into the hall to walk him out, not bothering to put on a shirt. But as we reach the mouth of the living room, I realize too late that the television is on, which it wasn’t an hour ago when Theo showed up here.

And if that’s the case, then—

“Mads, hey. Are you done fu—”

Miles’s voice cuts off when his head pops up over the back of the couch, gaze darting between me and Theo in shock. And, to make matters worse, Torin’s head appears a second later, leaving the four of us all staring at each other like a bunch of deer in headlights.

Fuck me so fucking hard.

Theo clears his throat, his face taking on a tinge of pink as he continues toward the door at a much faster pace than before. I can still feel my friends watching the two of us from over the back of the couch, but I ignore it and grab Theo’s wrist as he reaches the front door.

“I didn’t know they’d be here,” I mutter under my breath.

“I know. It’s fine,” he whispers. His free hand lands over mine, and he slowly pulls his wrist free from my grip. “I’ll see you later, okay?”