Page 37 of Just Bromantically Invested

Maybe if my attraction to him had stayed physical, it wouldn’t be this hard.

But it didn’t.

And it is.

His fingers drop from my stomach, but he doesn’t look away. Instead, his very pink tongue darts out and swipes over his bottom lip so fast I almost miss it.

“I want to experience that,” Penn says.

“Experience what?”

“That mind, heart, gut feeling. I want to know that I’m on the right path. I’ve never had that kind of certainty before.”

I can’t stop my mouth from asking, “Not even with Lana?”

He clears his throat and glances down but doesn’t pull away. “That’s … new. Barely even a thing. I’ve never …” His inhale is shaky. “I’ve never been as sure about anything or anyone as I am about … about our friendship.”

“Us?”

He swallows thickly and looks up again. “Yeah. You’re the most important person in my life.”

Tears threaten my eyeballs. “You’re the most important person in mine.”

“Do you think … instead of helping me find a girlfriend or whatever, that you could help me with that instead?”

“Of course.” Not that he needs help with a girlfriend now that he’s found one. “Anything.”

“Okay then.” His voice sounds like gravel as he reaches for his shirt and pulls it over his head. “Like this?”

I’m not really sure what’s going on until he stands up and reaches for the button on his shorts. It’s everything my fantasies are made of, except for one thing.

He’s not coming on to me.

“You want to try it?” I ask.

“Yeah.” He’s standing over me. All short black hair, vulnerable eyes, and long, lean body. He’s got dark hair sprinkled over his chest and a small patch above the waistband of his shorts. I wax all mine, but on him … on him, it makes my mouth water.

And somehow, I need to get through the night without staring and making this weird.

So I try to switch off my crush and remind myself that I’m a supportive best friend who will be here for him through anything.

“You don’t have to go all at once,” I coach him. “I didn’t. It’s okay to start without your shirt and then work your way up—or down, I guess—to it. Listen to your gut and how you’re feeling about each stage. Nerves are good and normal. Discomfort is bad.”

“Okay.” He pushes his shorts and briefs down in one fast movement. “I’d never be uncomfortable with you around.”

He’s fucking killing me.

I keep my gaze trained to his face. “Good. Now we do … whatever we usually do. Same as normal. If you change your mind at any time, that’s okay.”

Penn drops back onto the couch beside me. “Now are you going to tell me why the need for Mexican food?”

With him stripping down and giving me his honesty, I needto do the same. “Everything’s changing. I’m scared that I’m going to lose you.”

“Madden …” His voice croaks. “That will never, ever happen.”

“Just because you feel that way now doesn’t mean it won’t change.”

He cups my face and turns it back toward him. “It won’t. I know it won’t.”

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