Page 50 of Home Game

12

STORM

I wouldn’t usually have described myself as a diabolical person.

Sure, I liked messing around. I liked having fun. And I had no shame about anything, even though I typically avoided straight-up awkward situations.

But tonight I couldn’t resist taking a chance to hang out with Emmett and his best friend. Especially right after being caught in the act—after the act, really—and seeing how flustered Emmett had gotten. He seemed embarrassed, but he didn’t seemupset, and that was what made me decide to stay.

I’d seen Emmett upset. Many times.

But I could tell there was some small part of him that liked this. Under the blushing, there was some small sense of pride. He hadn’t been with another guy in a long time, andjust maybe, he may have liked the fact that instead of being alone and sad when his bestie came over, he’d been naked with another guy.

Or maybe I was just crazy and delirious after how turned on I’d been earlier tonight.

That was definitely possible, too.

“I’d like to take a quick rinse in the shower, if you two don’t mind terribly?” Emmett asked us. “Because I was doing yard work before. You know.”

“Right. Yard work,” I said.

And letting me come all over your chest.

“Go ahead,” Landry said. “I’ll try not to talk Storm’s ear off.”

“I’ll be back in ten,” Emmett said, heading off upstairs.

Landry and I were sitting at the breakfast bar now. Emmett’s kitchen island was made of marble, and the bar stools were plush leather. He had a sleek, sculptural-looking gold pumpkin decoration at the center of the island, fancier looking than any fall decor I’d ever seen in a store. It may have even been real gold.

The moment Emmett had left the room, Landry’s expression changed. He suddenly looked at me with a much more serious, pointed stare.

“Do not hurt him,” Landry said. “I know I just met you, but I don’t care who you are. Emmett has been through enough in the last few years, and he doesn’t need to be hurt more.”

I held his gaze, not backing down, but also not wanting to bite back at him. Landry really did look like he could be Emmett’s brother, though they weren’t related. I could see why they got along so well.

“You’re clearly a good friend,” I said. “Emmett told me a little bit about what happened to him. I have no intention of hurting him.”

His eyes were like fire. “I don’t want him to getunintentionallyhurt, either. Aren’t you straight?”

That’s the true fucking question of the hour, isn’t it?

“Emmett’s a grown man. He can make his own decisions,” I said. “We’re just having fun together.”

Landry nodded. “I’ve said my piece.”

“Hear you. Loud and clear.”

There was a prolonged silence. I looked around more at the fall decor Emmett had around—past the kitchen windows, I could see a string garland of gold and red fall leaves that he’d strung around the railing of his back deck.

“Big fan, by the way,” Landry finally said.

I raised my eyebrows. “No shit?”

Landry nodded once. “Emmett knows a little about football, but I’ve been a much bigger fan for my whole life. Watched you get better every year when you were playing for Texas. Was a fan before anybody believed in you. That game against Ohio last year was like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

I smiled. “One of the best games of my life,” I said. “We got absolutely shit on for the first half, then we came back like a goddamn force of nature in the second half.”

“It was all you,” Landry said. “That game was when I finally knew you were one of the best players in the whole league, without a doubt.”

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