The End Zone (Atlanta Lightning 2)

“You pay attention to that?” Anson cocked a brow.

“I pay attention to everything, Bashful.”

“Are you two about to get naked? If so, maybe I should leave. Unless you want me to watch…?” I joked, and they laughed. “Also, no way you have better sex than I do.”

“Poor Darren doesn’t even know what he’s missing.” West winked, and suddenly I did feel like I was missing something. What the fuck?

“You guys are grossly in love. I think I got a cavity just listening to you.” When they didn’t reply, I said, “Also, coulda got me a water too.”

A laugh jumped out of West’s mouth.

“I’m just sayin’. I’m a guest and all.”

“Since when are you a guest in my house?” Anson asked.

“Since West brought you a drink and not me.”

“Aw, is someone feeling left out?” Anson teased.

Yes. “No.”

West’s phone buzzed. They both looked at it, and Anson asked, “How’s Jeremy doing?”

That piqued my interest. Not that I didn’t know—I talked to him every damn day—but I was curious what West would say. If he saw things differently because they knew each other so well.

“I think he’s doing okay. It has to be difficult.”

Anson looked at me. “Jeremy got divorced.”

“Yeah, I know,” I replied, because I wasn’t going to straight up lie to him. When they both looked at me, confusion etched in their expressions, I explained, “We exchanged phone numbers when you were on your honeymoon, remember? We toilet papered your house together.”

“Yes, I remember. I had to clean it up,” my friend complained. “I just didn’t know he told you that.”

I shrugged. “We talk sometimes.” All the time…

“He just took a new case, but he’s not working much,” West continued. “He’s keeping himself busy with men and philanthropic endeavors.”

Wait. Men? Part of me thought, No shit. Jeremy was gay and single. He had sex with men, so clearly, he would be having sex with men. I just didn’t realize he’d been hooking up. The way West sounded, it was often, but he’d never mentioned it to me.

“He should move out here. I think he’s lonely,” Anson said, and I knew he was. That much Jeremy had shared with me.

“Yes, but he’s also stubborn and has a life in California, so it is what it is.”

The subject changed after that. We talked about the season, upcoming games, and the center.

It was about eight when I finally left. I got home, fucked around the house for a while, showered. I thought about calling someone over, but I didn’t. I was antsy for some reason, so I ran on the treadmill, then took a second shower.

I put on a pair of underwear, grabbed some fresh fruit, and lay on my bed. That made my thoughts go to that night in the hotel with Jeremy. If I were honest, I’d admit it wasn’t the first time I’d thought about it since. I felt so comfortable with him. That wasn’t totally unique for me. I was the kind of guy who could mostly make myself at home in any situation, or at least fake it real good, but it was different with him.

I’d enjoyed just lying down with him, talking and eating as if it was this thing we’d done together a hundred times. Nothing else stuck out in my mind in the weeks since, other than how much I’d enjoyed simply spending time with him.

Fuck, I was being weird.

I plucked my laptop off my nightstand, set it on my thighs, opened it, and video called Jeremy.

“Hey, you.” He was wearing a white suit shirt, buttons undone, a tie loose around his neck.

“Bad time?”

“No, it’s fine. I was going to get into the shower, but it can wait.”

He moved the phone as he walked, which showed me more of his torso. His skin was between golden and pale, like he could tan but hadn’t spent much time in the sun. My gaze snagged on his pecs, his small, pebbled nipples, the ridges and valleys of cut muscles that I hadn’t expected. Not that Jeremy wasn’t in shape, but…why the fuck was I noticing his damn chest?

He frowned. “What?”

“I didn’t know you worked out.”

“Well, I’m not a fucking football player, but I think I do okay.” He laughed. “I’m naturally slender as well. Fast metabolism. I like to run.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“I’m setting you down for a second.”

The phone wobbled as if he’d tossed it down, leaving me looking at the ceiling. There were some ruffling noises, and I opened my mouth, unsure what was going to come out. “You can talk to me about sex, ya know?” Fuck. Why did I say that? I was losing my shit.

Jeremy picked up the phone, and he was shirtless now. “Um…okay…?”

“Okay, that sounds like it’s coming out of nowhere. I get it. And I know we’ve talked about it some, like at the wedding and shit, but that was just joking around. We’re buddies, though. We talk every day, and if you’re meeting up with a guy or just had a really nice piece of ass, you can tell me. I won’t be weirded out because it’s with a dude.” I paused, wondering if anything I’d just said was offensive. I was shit at this. “Ignore me. I don’t know what in the hell I’m saying. It’s been a strange night.”