Page 26 of Off Season

I can’t deny it crossed my mind, knowing the straps beneath my ass cheeks would be visible if I bent over slightly.

I got the reaction I was hoping for, too.

“He asked if I liked what I saw. I couldn’t reply, though; I just stuttered like a fumbling mess and ran away.” I lay back on the blanket, holding the phone above me. “I don’t know how to be around him, Alex. My natural instinct is to flirt and tease and see where it leads us, but what if I do and it messes everything up? We’ve finally got the bakery in a good place, and I feel like I can finally breathe…I don’t want to mess it up by acting on a crush.”

“It won’t mess it up, Jake. You’re both adults. You have a conversation, and if he’s on the same page, you set boundaries. For example, if you want it to be some summer fling, then you draw a line in the sand when you come home. There’s no need to make it more complicated than it needs to be.” He shrugs.

I sigh. “I know, but let’s be real here—he’s not interested in me. He was probably just teasing because he caught melooking. I need to get over this thing I have for him and just focus on why I’m here, which is to help him.”

“No, you’re there to pretend you’re hisboyfriend, and in order to make that convincing, you need to have chemistry. What better way to build up chemistry than to flirt? Explore this underlying connection you have, and if you end up getting a little hot and sweaty in the process, then bonus!”

“I hate how logical you can be sometimes.” Although he can’t see, I roll my eyes behind my sunglasses.

“Hear me out,” Alex pleads, his voice taking on a more sincere tone. “Ethan is serious most of the time, but I’ll bet he has a hidden side to him. You’re supposed to be in the honeymoon phase of the relationship. The time when there’s plenty of sexual energy, so use it. Tease him. Flirt with him. If you decide to pursue it, that’s when you set your ground rules. You’ve got nothing to lose.”

Except for the contract, I want to argue.

But I know Ethan’s better than that.

If we did what Alex is suggesting, explored this connection we have, and things went south, he wouldn’t pull the deal out from under my feet because it’s not in his nature. He’s already given me his word.

But his friendship is also important to me, and we all know that sex can blur the lines of friendship.

“I don’t know how I feel about getting sex advice from my baby brother,” I admit, scrunching up my nose.

“Be lucky it’s not Blaine giving you the advice.”

We both burst out laughing.

“Why don’t you treat tomorrow like a real date?” he suggests.

“I’ll think about it. Now stop talking about me and tell me about the shop.”

I listen as he goes into detail about how things are going, the orders we’ve received, and how well Daniel and Aria have been doing. It fills my chest with joy that I’m finally in a position where I can entrust the business to the capable hands of someone else.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ethan walking toward me. He’s wearing nothing but a pair of tight black compression shorts that do nothing to disguise every ridge and groove of muscle or the impressive package between his legs. His arms flex as he runs a hand over his naked chest, and the closer he gets, the more my jaw drops open.

Am I drooling? I’m pretty sure I’m drooling.

The sweat coating his skin glistens under the sun, and when he rakes his fingers through his hair, I can’t control the small noise that escapes me.

“Jake?” Alex’s voice filters through the phone. “Are you okay?”

I manage a shaky nod, tearing my eyes away from the sexiest man I’ve ever laid eyes on, and quickly sit up. “I’ve gotta go. Can I call you later?”

Clearly confused, Alex nods but, thankfully, doesn’t question me. We say our goodbyes, and I drop my phone next to my book just as Ethan comes to a stop, his sneakers touching the edge of the blanket.

“You look like you’re enjoying yourself,” Ethan says as he smiles, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand.

I wet my lips and swallow, trying to clear my throat before I speak. “Y-yeah. I thought I would enjoy the sunshine. Alex just called, too.”

“Yeah? Is he all right?” He toes off his sneakers and sits down beside me. His large body takes up most of the blanket, his wide-set shoulders brushing against mine as he leans back on his elbows.

My eyes follow a bead of sweat as it travels down the side of his neck, between his incredibly sculpted pecs that are dusted with dark hair. It glides down over the plains of his abs before disappearing under the waistband of his workout shorts.

My tongue unconsciously darts out to lick my bottom lip again.

What would it be like to follow all that muscle with my tongue? Would those flat, brown nipples be sensitive if I sucked on them?

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