Page 28 of The Best Friend Power Play

She relents and moves on her own, resting her feet on my thighs. I knead her left foot, running my thumb straight up the center of her sole.

Her eyelids gently close, her head drops back, and a soft moan escapes her lips. "Ohhh, that feels gooood."

"Pressure okay?"

"Amazing," she purrs, and a warm feeling settles in my belly.

"Good." I continue massaging her foot. "What did Katie do with our lists?"

"She compiled them all into one big list," she answers, her eyes still closed, head still resting on the back of the sofa.

I smile. Of course she did. If Hannah is the queen of list-making and organization, Katie is a very worthy heir to the throne.

I want to ask if she's really cool with the hot girl summer thing and not just going along with it to please everyone, but for the first time all day, she actually looks like she's relaxing. I'll save the question for another time and focus on giving her the best foot rub she's ever had.

Well, the best since the foot rub I gave her last Christmas.

I continue massaging for a few more minutes, rubbing and pressing into tight spots, and stroking the inner side of her foot in a way that has her arching her back off the sofa and letting out a series of soft moans.

A flicker of interest registers in my brain at the sexy imagery.

I quickly stamp it out.

Don't even go there for a second, dude.

"Okay. Other foot," I say.

She shuffles around so I can access her right foot, and I begin massaging it. She's just as tight on this side.

"What did Chester want to talk to you about?" she asks.

I slow my strokes, wondering how best to handle it. Chester didn't say I couldn't tell Hannah what we discussed, so I wouldn't be betraying his trust by telling her. But before I can formulate a response, Hannah chips in with, "I have a feeling I know."

"Oh, do you now?"

She nods. "If it's the same thing Katie and I spoke about." She lifts her head off the couch, and our eyes meet. "Three-letter word. Starts with s. Ends with x."

"That's exactly it," I say, gently flexing her toes. "Chester's been wanting to start playing the sax, but he was unsure how to bring it up with you, given how you've made your feelings about woodwind instruments perfectly clear."

"Funny guy," she says, her lips stretching out into a grin. "But what an uncanny coincidence. Katie, too."

"Twins, right?"

I smile, but a pang of longing tugs at my heart.

My twin brother Trevor may have died when we were thirteen, but not a day goes by when I don't think about him. It's like a part of me has been torn away, leaving a deep, unfillable void. No matter what I do or where I go, it's always there.

Chester reminds me so much of Trevor. He's just as fearless. Just as cheeky. And he's got that same infectious energy that makes everyone want to be around him.

Hannah yawns again. I look over to see her rubbing her eyes. She's beat.

"I was going to suggest we start our secret binge-watching marathon tonight, but maybe we should save it for tomorrow?" I say.

"Good idea. It'll be safer, too. They could walk in here any minute, and then we'd be busted."

"And we cannot have that."

We exchange a knowing smile.

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