Page 84 of When Ben Loved Jace

“Nah. You’re about the same size as Eric. You can borrow whatever you want from his closet. He’s a sharp dresser.”

“Including his underwear?”

Tim pulls out his phone. “We’ll have some delivered. Order whatever you want. Emergency same-day delivery panties.”

I laugh and give in, willingly, because I don’t really want toleave. Even for a little bit. I send Allison a quick text, saying that I’m fine and that I won’t be home for a few days. Then I turn off my phone. She probably already knows where I am. I don’t need to hear her opinion. I’ll explain everything later. For now… It’s just me and him.

After we finish eating, we go up to Eric’s bedroom, which has a massive walk-in closet. I have fun trying on different outfits, parading each in front of Tim, who sits on the bed to watch. Once I’ve found clothes that I like, he hooks me up with some essentials, such as deodorant and a toothbrush, none of which have been used. Eric seems to buy things in bulk. We could withstand a siege in this massive house. I almost wish we had reason to. The concerns of the outside world grow distant regardless. I don’t have any pending responsibilities. I’d already taken the week off work to get my thesis done. I haven’t felt this free since the lazy summers of my childhood.

We’re standing in the backyard under the sun so Chinchilla can do her business when Tim makes a suggestion that pairs nicely with that vibe.

“Wanna go swimming?”

“Sure! Do you think Eric has a swimsuit I could borrow?”

Tim strips of his shirt. “Probably.” Then he unbuttons his shorts. They hit the patio at the same time as his underwear. “But do you really need one?”

I stare openly at that gorgeous uncut cock of his before Tim saunters to the edge of the pool and dives in. After resurfacing, he treads water while watching me.

“C’mon, Benjamin. Don’t be shy!”

That’s not how I’m feeling at the moment. I shrug off my shirt and ditch my shorts. Only then do I hesitate, because I’m already getting hard.

“You haven’t changed one bit,” Tim chuckles.

I’m not sure if he means my body or its obvious reaction. Either way, I walk to the edge of the pool and turn around before lowering my underwear.

“Damn!” I hear him say, as if impressed. “I missed that cute little butt of yours. Let’s see the rest.”

“Not a chance.”

I spread my arms wide and let myself fall backward into the water, which is cold enough to get myself under control again.That, and I’ve never been the strongest swimmer. I focus on attempting to appear at least somewhat graceful, although I’m nowhere near as comfortable in the water as Tim, who shows off by doing handstands before swimming a few laps up and down the length of the pool.

Chinchilla runs along the outside, tracking his progress.

“Does she ever get in?” I ask when Tim returns to me.

“Nope. I put her on an inflatable raft sometimes and push her around. She likes that. Even then she has to wear a life vest, because she sinks like a bowling ball.”

“That would be so cute!” I say, hurriedly adding, “to see her in a life vest, I mean.”

Tim grins. “Everything she does is adorable. Watch this.”

He splashes water at her. Chinchilla snaps at the air, like she’s trying to drink it. Or maybe she’s just offended. We play with her in this way, always missing on purpose, until she tires of the game and goes to find a shady spot to cool off.

“This is nice,” I say when Tim swims toward me.

“Uh-huh.” He’s got a look on his face that I remember well. Although more is contained there than mere lust. He dives underwater, an arm wrapping around my waist, dragging me through the water with him. When he surfaces again, my back is close to the side of the pool. He stays near me, our kicking legs brushing against each other on occasion.

“Do you need time?” he asks. “To heal or whatever.”

I bite my lower lip. “No. That’s not what I need.”

His silver eyes dart down to my mouth and back again. “Because I want to be a lot things to you. Just not your rebound.”

I shake my head. “You could never be anything as simple as that. Not to me.”

“Oh yeah?”