Page 62 of 10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love

My mouth moves uselessly, my gaze slipping down Joey’s chest and stomach to the rather sizeable…bulge staring me in the face.

“Duuude,” I breathe. “You’re practically naked.”

“I was changing,” he says calmly, slipping his hand underneath my head, like he’s checking for damage. “I didn’t think you’d walk in on me.”

“Yeah,” I mumble. “My bad.”

“Are you okay?” he asks again.

“Uh-huh. You’re wearing a jock.”

“Brad.”

“Yeah,” I say quickly, snapping my gaze up to Joey’s face.

He appraises me for a long moment. “You sure you’re good?”

“Yep,” I squeak. “Didn’t hit my head. I promise.”

He nods, letting out a breath. “Okay. Let me put on some clothes.”

Joey stands up, turning around. And I promptly choke on my tongue as his ass—ashewalks away.

Fuck. It’s not just his stomach I want to paint.

I force my gaze off those bouncing cheeks and sit upright, my pulse hammering. As Joey pulls on a pair of sweatpants, I get to my feet and grab a towel from the closet. I dry my face before taking off my poor dampened fanny pack. Setting it aside, I tackle the mess on the floor, grateful the glass didn’t break.

“Here,” Joey says softly, squatting down beside me. He tugs me around to face him and starts rubbing another towel over my hair, his gaze soft.

“You’re, uh, not upset I walked in on you nearly nude?” I ask.

He huffs a small breath. “No. You’ve seen me changing in the locker room at the gym plenty of times.”

Yeah. I guess I just never reallynoticed.

I swallow heavily as I let myself look.Trulylook. For maybe the first time ever.

Joey’s eyes are locked on my hair as he dries me off. He has thick lashes. Dark, too. The brown of his irises is…really quite beautiful. Like a tiny autumnal starburst. His hair has a bit of curl to it. Not much, just enough to make it look tousled, even when dry. And his stubble, a bit longer than my own, suits him. I can’t help but wonder what that coarse hair would feel like against my skin. Would it burn?

I shiver, my gaze slipping down to Joey’s loose-fitting tank top. It’s gaping just enough for me to get a hint of his pecs and the definition of his obliques. He’s in good shape; that much I already knew. But even though Joey has a physically demanding job and is a regular at the gym, he’s not all rock-hard muscle and popping veins. He has a little padding, which I love all the more. I know from experience how comfortable he is to lie on.

My gaze slips a little further down. To his sweats. And the way the material is pulled tight because of his squat.Fuck. Knowing what’s hidden under only a thin layer of gray…

“Brad,” Joey says quietly.

“Yeah,” I rasp, realizing the towel has stopped moving over my hair. I force my gaze upwards.

Joey looks…perplexed. Which I get. I was just checking out his junk. And what can I possibly say to explain it other than the truth?

Cas said I’m fearless. I don’t know that I’ve ever thought of myself as such. A little impulsive, maybe. Prone to following my instincts first and asking questions later.

Well, maybe I shouldn’t start overthinking things now. After all, I’m trying to find myself, right? And I can’t travel down a brand-new, possiblyexcitingroad without planting my heel forward first.

Step five in Brad’s Guide to Finding Himself and Falling in Love:

Be brave.

Here goes nothing.

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