Page 44 of Playing for Keeps

Luke laughed heartily at that. And I tried to damp down my reaction to his laugh, because fuck, it really was like some kind of Harry Potter magical happiness potion to me.

“I’m having a quick shower before bed,” he said once we got inside. “That okay with you?”

“Sure. I’ll brush my teeth now, then.”

Luke came into the bathroom as I was squeezing toothpaste onto my toothbrush, and started running the shower.

He shucked off his shirt and kicked off his pants, as if removing his clothes in front of me was the most natural thing in the world.

But then, why wouldn’t he? We’d seen each other naked so many times growing up.

I couldn’t remember ever having this dry-mouth, pulse-racing reaction to Luke stripping down before though.

I didn’t seem able to tear my eyes away from his reflection.

Luke’s body had once been as familiar to me as my own. I’d seen him half-naked in the locker rooms plenty of times in recent weeks, but guys didn’t stare too hard at other guys’ bodies in those situations. Now my greedy eyes noticed all the ways his physique had changed since we were eighteen. His chest had broadened and his body was more sculptured—proof of his dedication in the weight room. He had only a sprinkling of hair across his chest, but it thickened as it trailed down from his stomach.

My first sexual experiences had been with Luke. I hadn’t understood then exactly what it meant, but I’d hooked up a guy since and had come to terms with the fact I was attracted to people of all genders. And there was no denying how hot Luke was.

Perving on my former best friend, who was fast becoming my best friend again and who also had a serious boyfriend, was not a good idea. Oh yeah, let’s not forget the fact I’d slept with his sister and he was uncle to my kid.

There was a ton of reasons why I shouldn’t be noticing how well defined his pecs were.

But I couldn’t help the ripple of want burning through me, almost buckling my knees.

Luke glanced up and met my gaze in the mirror.

His eyes widened, and I wondered how much of my want showed on my face.

For a second, something throbbed between us.

Holy shit.

Luke was the first to break eye contact, glancing down at the bathmat.

Crap. My cock was stirring to life. I needed to get out of here, pronto.

I rinsed out my mouth.

“All yours,” I muttered as I fled to the bedroom.

I stripped down quickly and jumped into bed, because covers were a great way to hide a swelling cock.

But as I lay there, my traitorous mind kept drifting back to Luke in the shower. Imagining how he looked as he soaped himself, as he ran his hands over his incredible body.

It appeared my mind had gone completely feral on me. And it really wasn’t helping the stiff cock situation.

The shower turned off. Muted shuffling came from the bathroom, then the door creaked open and Luke padded across the room to his bed.

Listening to the crinkling sound of covers being pulled back, I suddenly had a strange urge to share another memory with him.

Hey Luke, remember how I used to pretend I couldn’t sleep so we could jerk each other off?

It had started off innocently, with me sharing my usual technique for dealing with insomnia, but then somehow it led to us jerking off together. At the time it had seemed natural, just something two best friends did, no big deal.

But after that first time, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Let’s face it, I was a teenage guy. Sex consumed my thoughts, and jerking off with someone else nearby, someone who had also been jerking off, had been…hot. There was no other word for it.

So the next time we were in a tent together, I tried the same trick. Sixteen-year-old Ethan hadn’t exactly mastered the art of subtlety.