Page 65 of 10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love

“I won’t put pressure on you,” I tell him seriously. “I won’t push for anything you’re not sure about or ready for. You’re safe with me, and you can explore with me.”

“But what if I end up hurting you?” he nearly whispers.

“Why would you hurt me?” I ask, pressing a trembling kiss to the top of his knee.

He eases out a breath. “Because, once upon a time, you asked me out on a date. And I had no clue. You were in this before I was, Joey, and… And I don’t want to treat you like an experiment because you’re my only single, queer friend.”

I close my eyes, resting my chin on the knee I just kissed. “Would you rather experiment with someone else?”

“No,” he says immediately. His fingers thread through my hair, the touch so soft it hurts. “I don’t… I can’t even… I don’t want anyone else.”

I open my eyes, meeting his gaze. “Then try with me,” I say thickly. “It doesn’t have to be anything more than you’re ready for. I’m not putting expectations on you, bub.”

His brow creases. “So, we’d be…what? Bros with bennies?”

I huff a laugh, hands tightening on his legs. “We can call it that. And if you decide it’s not for you? That’s fine. Sometimes people are just curious.”

The look he gives me is amusingly stern. “Joey Kangaroo, my dude, my guy, I think if the things I’m envisioning you doingwhile you’re down on your knees are the opposite of off-putting, then I’m not as straight as I thought I was.”

It’s embarrassing how quickly my cock swells at that. I’m almost grateful he can’t see it.

“Besides,” he goes on, leaning forward, the move bringing us closer. “Being queer isn’t the part that scares me.”

“No?” I ask, throat tight. “What scares you?”

“The thought of losing you,” he answers, just about doing me in. “I couldn’t stand to lose you, Joey.”

“Give me a month,” I all but beg. “A month to show you what it could be like. And then, after that, we reevaluate. If things get weird…” I take a breath, expel it. “Then we stop. We don’t risk our friendship.”

He nods slowly, looking lost in thought. I loosen my grip on his knees, inching my hands up his thighs and holding on tight.

“No Logans,” he finally says, a hard edge to his voice. “He was nice and all, but I don’t want you with anyone else. Just me.”

Fuck.

“No one else,” I agree hoarsely.

“And you tell me if I do something weird,” he goes on. “I don’t know what. But if there’s some gay sex line I cross, I gotta know, man. Like, can I lick your nipples?”

My breath puffs out of me. “Mhm.”

He nods. “Okay, yeah. Good. Just be patient with me. I mean, I don’t even know how to take dick, dude. I’m pretty sure I’ll need to stretch a lot first. Like really warm up, you know? Becausefuck. Things are tight back there.”

Oh, Jesus.

“You, uh…you’d want to try that?” I ask, pretty sure my voice sounds like gravel by now.

“Yeah, man. I want to try everything with you. Just, uh…maybe we can ease into the masterclass-level stuff?”

“We can definitely take it slow,” I assure him, setting my forehead on his knee.

“You all right?” Brad asks, petting the back of my head.

“Mm.”

“You sure?”

“Mhm.”

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