Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Robbie
Other than feeling tired and slow, with a lingering cough, I’ve recovered enough to head back to work the next day. The office for policy and management is off campus, in a covered laneway with lampposts and twinkle lights.
“You look like shit,” Holly says. “Big weekend?”
“Nah, I’ve been sick.”
Her face falls. “Are you okay to be here?”
“Yep, all recovered.” Thanks to a very sexy nurse. I don’t even know what all that was about, but I’d be an epic liar if I said I didn’t enjoy it or hope that it happens again.
“Question for you,” I say as Holly goes through the files she’s holding, dropping the ones meant for me to file on my desk.
“Shoot.”
“Things with Brando happened again.”
She looks up in surprise. “Well, good for you.”
“Yeah, but he said they can only keep happening if we’re not hooking up with anyone else.”
“Like …” She frowns. “A relationship, or …?”
“I don’t think so. He said while we’re figuring this thing out, we should stick to each other, and he won’t keep doing it if I see other people.”
“And you want there to be other people?”
“No.” It’s not until the word is out of my mouth and she’s blinking at me in surprise that I realize how over-the-top that response was. “Ah, I don’t know. Maybe not.”
“Are you hearing yourself?”
I huff out a laugh. “What a mess, right?”
“Actually, I think you’re making it a bigger mess than it needs to be. You guys are friends, why shouldn’t you figure things out together? If you’re having fun, go with it.”
“See? This is why we’re besties.” We have the same philosophies. Lean into the fun, don’t run from it.
“Except I’m not your friend, I’m your boss.”
I wave her comment aside. She loves me. “Besides, I guess we need to make this thing last a month.”
“Ah, why?”
“We’re going to visit his family for his birthday.”
Holly watches me for a moment. “Okay, are you only hooking up, or are you actually boyfriends?”
“We’re bros. Who hook up. And are friends.”
“So you’re brofriends?”
Holy shit, that makes perfect sense. “That’s what we are.”
“Huh?”
“Brofriends. We’re not dating, but we’re not just brothers anymore either.”
“Context really is key here.”
Context schmontext. I hurry to grab my phone.
“I know you’re not going to text and work.”
I pout at her. “Brolationship crisis, babe.”
“Again. Boss.” She side-eyes me. “You have two minutes.”
Holly dumps the files and heads into the staff room. I love that girl.
Me:
I figured it out
Brandon:
Figured what out?
Me:
What we are
Brandon:
Which is?
Me:
brOFRIENDS!
Brandon:
…
Me:
No, hear me out. We’re brothers. Who have sex. But we’re not dating. So we’re brofriends
Brandon:
JFC
Me:
Perfect, am I right?
Brandon:
You’re certainly something
Me:
I’ll take that compliment
Brandon:
That doesn’t surprise me
Me:
Naww you love me
Brandon:
You’re an idiot. You here for this meeting?
Me:
Is Betty White the greatest actress in history?
Brandon:
Well, I’m gonna go with a no on that one, so you won’t be here?
Me:
What is wrong with you?
Brandon:
The greatest actress? The GREATEST? Really?
Me:
The woman’s an icon
Brandon:
I could name at least five others who slap more than her
Me:
How the fuck are we friends?
Brandon:
Given you’re wrong about literally everything, I have no clue, dude
Me:
kdfklgfsdglj
Brandon:
Did you just keysmash me?
Me:
I’ll do more than keysmash
Brandon:
Don’t threaten me with a good time
Me:
Oohh now there’s something we can agree on
“Time’s up!” Holly calls, coming back through with a coffee.
Damn it. My phone vibrates with another text, but I reluctantly put it away without checking because I know if I see what he’s written, I won’t be able to stop from writing back.
So I spend the whole final hour there, counting down the minutes as I file all the useless paper documents away. Like, come on, who hasn’t switched to digital these days?
When I’m finally let out, I have one message there waiting.
Brandon:
So are we still doing this? You never actually answered me
And now I’m glad I didn’t open that message, but it also means that he sent that an hour ago and probably thinks I’m blowing off giving him an answer.
I have been. Kinda. But it’s not that I don’t want to answer him; it’s the how that’s the problem.
I won’t walk away from this thing, so I’m gonna say yes, but how do we work out a time frame on it?
Cross off his imaginary list and then move on?
Butt sex, then bail? Get a five-star rating on our BJ skills?
We’re gonna have to talk and shit.
I always tell my bros that open communication is key, and look at me not taking my own advice. It’s different when it’s your brother and not a chick though. Girls come and go, brotherhood is forever.
Look who’s pulling up his big-boy panties and asking his bro to go exclusive with him.
Is it hot in here?
The house is full when I get there. Constant energy and noise wraps around me like a sweaty football jersey, and just like when I take the field for a game, I’m hit with a surge of love for my life.
Does this get any better? I’m gonna go with a no.
And instead of viewing this thing with Brandon as a scary unknown, I need to jump in like I do with everything else. Trading mind-blowing orgasms should only ever be viewed as a good thing—I’ll put it in the Sigma rule book if I have to—so no more holding back.
I catch him on the way to the war room—literally. The second he goes to walk by, I hook my arm around his waist and pull him into the empty laundry.
“What are you—”
I cut him off with my mouth. As we kiss, I back him into the wall, crowding him up against it and bending my knees so he doesn’t hurt his neck. Fuck, I’ve missed his mouth.
I keep waiting for this feeling to dull, for the way he kisses to stop making my head spin, to be able to look at him without wanting to do filthy things to his body. But it’s not all physical either. I like Brandon. As a friend, as a person, as a sexy little nurse.
His mouth breaks from mine, and his puffy lips make me groan.
“What …” He swallows. “I mean, hey.”
“Hey.” I grip his jaw and pull his mouth open before kissing him again.
And he must get as lost in it as I do because his arms wrap around my neck, and he pulls me tight against him.
Our cocks line up with delicious friction, but for once, I’m not in a hurry to move things along.
I wanna kiss, and touch, and worship this sexy guy with everything I have to give him.
“Shit!” He jerks away from me but doesn’t get far. “The meeting.”
“They won’t start without us.” I pull his earlobe between my teeth.
“No, you idiot.” Brandon pushes my chest and I back up but don’t let him go. “They’re going to take one look at us and know we were kissing.”
“And?”
He freezes.
Pulls back to study my face.
“Seriously?”
I shrug. “Does it matter? They’re not going to judge us for liking some D.”
“No, but they might judge us for liking each other’s. You really want to deal with all the dumbass jokes and constant ribbing?”
“True. But then we wouldn’t have to sneak around anymore. We can hook up whenever we like. Be as loud as we want.”
Brandon rubs his thumb over my bottom lip. “I dunno, dude. I’m kinda looking forward to gagging you.”
“Someone’s kinky.”
“Someone’s looking for a way to finally shut you up.”
I kiss him again. A quick one. Just because. Then I put on a cheesy porn voice. “Baby, I’m gonna make all your fantasies come true.”
He laughs and shoulder checks me as he passes. “Let’s get this meeting out of the way. I kinda hate that you gave me a hard-on before we got started.”
He’s about to leave when I remember what I was supposed to talk to him about. My fingers circle his wrist.
“I wanna do it.”
“What?”
“Just us.”
Brandon stares at me for a moment, like he’s sorting through our options and weighing up whether it’s what he wants. I have a whole second anxiety spike thinking he’s about to change his mind, when his face splits into a smile. “Yeah?”
I point to my dick. “The dragon likes you. Who am I to argue?”
“Thank fuck one of you has good taste.”
Before I let him go, I reach up to fix where his hair got all rumpled during our make-out session. His eyes meet mine, and we share a look that feels heavy and light all at once.
“Ah, thanks …” he says.
“Got your back, bro.” I let him go.
And don’t mention the epic stubble scrape blooming around his mouth.
Oops.