Page 64 of Melting the Ice

“It . . .it worried me,” Brody admitted. “Coach went through it when his wife died. Everyone knows that. Maybe he’s vulnerable still, even though he tries to be a hard-ass.”

“Maybe they’re friends. Like we’re friends.” It was all Dean could think of to say.

Friends who might want more than toonlybe friends.

Brody looked shaken, like he’d thought it, but hadn’t anticipated that Dean would actually say it out loud.Deanhadn’t expected that he’d say it out loud, but then he had.

“I mean,yeah, sure. I . . .I guess,” Brody said.

“Come on, let’s get some studying done,” Dean said, and Brody let out a breath. “You feel better, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Brody said, but there was something else in his eyes, as his gaze met Dean’s, right before he glanced down towards his books, that said the opposite.

That maybe Brody had asked more questions than he’d answered.

Chapter Ten

It was hot.

Okay, it wasn’tactuallyhot. It was Portland in the fall, which meant it was drizzly and mid-forties and Brody spent most of his time bundled up in sweatshirts and sweatpants, trying to get feeling back into his toes.

No, it was just Brody. Just Brody,right now.

He’d been sitting in his room, trying to focus on writing up this homework assignment for his psychology class, when he’d heard the front door open and close and a few minutes later, the shower flip on.

The sound of the water went on and on and on, and the longer it did, the more distracted Brody got.

He didn’t have a particularly good imagination—he was a fucking scientist, alright?—but ever since their first hookup, it felt like Brody couldn’t stop thinking about it.

About Dean’s hard body and water cascading down it.

What he could be doing for so long in the shower.

His hand sliding down ridged abs. He’d have a big cock, because Brody was all too aware of how big the rest of him was. And Brody, who hadn’t ever thought he’d be interested in one that didn’t belong to him, found himself grower hotter and hotter at only the thought of Dean’s.

That one night, he’d barely touched it. Hadn’t gotten to explore more. Of course, at the time, he’d been so shocked at the thought of how brilliant the whole experiment was that he probably wouldn’t have been ready to. Not the way he wanted to, now that he’d had time to adjust to the idea. To accept it.

He wanted Dean.

He wasn’t sure Dean wantedhim, though.

Brody let out a deep breath, feeling unbearably hot under the collar. He’d already stripped off his sweatshirt and now he did the same with his T-shirt, tossing it onto the bed.

It didn’t help. Not enough. Sweat still prickled along his skin, like it was suddenly too tight, and his cock? It was half-hard in his sweatpants, and he nearly strippedthoseoff, too, but if he did, he’d only end up getting himself off.

And if he’d learned anything about jerking off in the last few weeks, it was that ultimately, it just wasn’t satisfying. Not anymore. If he did it, in an hour he’d be hot and hard again, ready to go.

He’d gone out of his way to become friends with Dean, because it turned out not only did he definitely lust after him, he just plain fuckinglikedhim. But all this hanging out and liking had only made his lust burn so much hotter.

You’re not a fucking coward. Go knock on his door and ask him for a repeat. He didn’t have a bad time. You definitely didn’t have a bad time. Why can’t you just experiment again?

What would Dean do if he did it?

Shut the door in his face?

Or welcome him in?

“Fuck this,” Brody said, and he stood, shoving his chair back and headed out into the hallway.

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