Messy Love (Stumbling into Love 3)

I smiled as I replied, I’m alone.

Well, that sucks. I for sure thought you were finally going to get laid.

Ha-ha, I answered. Then, It started out as a date, but then we decided we’re better off as friends.

Friends who don’t fuck?

Apparently.

There was a short pause before Danny asked, Are you okay with that?

Yeah, I am.

That’s all that matters. Mark better not fuck with my favorite baby gay.

I rolled my eyes, but I liked when he teased me.

Night, handsome, Danny added.

Night.

Only I couldn’t fall asleep right away. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Mark said and wondering if he was right.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Danny

Seven was much too early for my alarm to go off on a Sunday morning. Our game was at ten, and we had to be there by nine.

I wasn’t proud to admit that before Jonathan had come home, I’d spent most of the evening thinking about him and Mark.

How was their date going?

Did Jonathan like him?

Would he bring Mark home?

Was I going to have to listen to him having sex in the next room?

Would he go home with Mark instead, leaving me wondering what was happening when it was none of my damn business?

None of that shit should have mattered at all, but it had. Then he’d come back, and I’d listened for Mark, because I was clearly a creeper. When it had just been him, I’d felt both relieved and like the biggest fucking asshole in the world.

I shouldn’t be glad that my friend wasn’t having sex. Sex was a blast. There was a friend code, and being happy for no orgasms went against it. Regardless, part of me was crazy-stoked that Jonathan didn’t get laid.

Still annoyed at myself for being…I didn’t even know what the word was…when it came to Jonathan, I grumbled, got out of bed, and took my morning leak. After washing my hands, I went to the kitchen to start the coffee. The kitchen where Jonathan was. The kitchen where Jonathan was while in his underwear.

That was new.

I was already a fan.

“So you’re playing barista this morning?”

“Yeah, I figured it couldn’t hurt.” He didn’t look at me as he finished, and while I was curious about the front, Jonathan from behind was just as dangerous to my libido.

He had a strong, muscular back, with freckles all over his shoulders. Fuck, I loved freckles on shoulders. I wanted to connect each one of them with my tongue. He was broad, his torso narrowing at his waist, and that ass… I was fairly certain angels were singing somewhere. The view was topped off with thick, hairy thighs and…yep, I was getting harder by the second.

Jonathan cleared his throat. “You sleep good?” He turned around and leaned against the counter with his arms crossed.

“No,” I answered truthfully.

“Me neither.”

Jesus, his body did it for me. His chest wasn’t too furry, but there was a light dusting across his pecs, then the trail that disappeared beneath his boxer briefs. His bulge was…wow…right there, thick and definitely impressive. I looked away before I made him uncomfortable. “You nervous about today?”

“Little bit.”

See? I could do this. I could have a normal conversation with a half-naked Jonathan as if he was anyone else. It was so out of the ordinary for something like this to get to me, but then this was Jonathan, and I was becoming used to that. “You wanna talk about last night?”

“Do you know me?” Was it me, or did his face pinken slightly?

“I don’t think you know you. From the beginning you’re like, Me manly man. Me no talk. But then you talk to me all the time. I think you think you shouldn’t want to talk, but you do.” I wasn’t even sure if that made sense out loud, but it did in my head.

He did this face-tilted-down, headshake thing. “I told you my being chatty only happens with you. It’s all your fault. You have some kind of magic power that makes me say stuff I wouldn’t usually.”

“Aw, that’s because I’m special.”

He rolled his eyes. “Nothing really happened. We had a good night. I like him. He’s cool. There was a kiss, but we realized we’re better off as friends. That’s what I should be focusing on right now anyway.”

And there I was, wishing I could get on my knees for him. This was so damn messy.

“There’s nothing wrong with having friends and having sex too if you decide you want to look for that. But if not, more power to you. I’m just glad that whatever went down was what you wanted.”

“What if he wanted more and I didn’t?”

“That’s okay because he’s not my new bestie.”

Jonathan chuckled. “Come on, let’s make breakfast.”

We scrambled eggs and made toast, still in our underwear, before sitting down at the bar to drink coffee and eat. When we were finished, we went our separate ways to get ready for the game. Jonathan was already in the living room when I made it there, his bag by the door. He was grabbing some bottles of water.