Page 58 of Convenient Rivals

“No. He’ll laugh in my face.”

“Do you really think he’d do that? From what you’ve told me, and from what I know about him, he’s not the guy you were at school with.”

“I know, but me and him? There’s no chance. I mean, just look at him. He could have any man he wants.”

“Yes, he could.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Let me finish. I said hecouldhave any man he wants, but you’re the one he keeps coming back to.”

“Maybe he just likes my dick.”

“Gregory! Did you just make a sex joke? And without Jason here to witness it? He’ll be heartbroken when I tell him.”

“Do not tell him. He’ll only say something about girth and make it awkward.”

“And another one? Whatever Oscar is doing to you – or you’re doing to him, no doubt – it’s obviously working.”

“What do you mean?You’re doing to him, no doubt.”

“Jason may have explained what your tastes are.”

“What did he say, exactly?”

He narrowed his eyes at Paolo, who was looking uncomfortable. Paolo rarely enjoyed talking about sex. He wasn’t a prude, but he wasn’t one to get involved in Jason’s explicit descriptions of his many conquests. Max had brought Paolo out of his shell more, and Oscar must have done the same with Gregory, because the idea of the two of them having a conversation like this a few months ago would have been unheard of.

“He said something about it being ironic that the geek was the only one of us who was a hundred per cent top.”

Gregory felt his face flame. “What about Langdon?” he spluttered. They’d heard Eric getting dicked down enough.

“Langdon’s vers.”

Gregory hadn’t known that. He’d always pegged Langdon as a total top. He gave off major alpha energy.

“Missed opportunity?” asked Paolo with a smirk.

“Ugh, no. That would be incest.”

Paolo laughed. “I don’t hear you denying Jason’s assumptions.”

He flushed again, basically giving an answer without uttering a word.

“You and Oscar, then. I bet that’s interesting. Logistically, I mean.”

Gregory was stunned for a second, and then couldn’t help but crack up laughing, with Paolo joining him.

“Imagine if Jason had heard us having this conversation?” said Paolo.

That caused them to laugh even more, and it took a while for them both to calm down. Sometimes you just needed to laugh, and Gregory was already feeling better for it. What he and Oscar were doing was still an open question, and he knew Paolo was right; the only way he’d be able to know for certain was to speak to Oscar himself. So why did the thought of doing that terrify him?

It was time for Sunday brunch again, and all of them were present. Gregory usually loved sitting back and hearing all the chatter from his brothers, but today he was bored. All they were talking about was their relationships, including Jason’s. Usually they’d be regaled with a sordid tale about the guy’s girth from the night before, but now Jason was being all prudish about his sex life with Patrick. Gregory was the outlier now, when a year ago they’d all been single. What had happened?

“Are you okay, Gregory?” asked Charlie.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“He’s thinking about giving that meaty arse of Oscar’s a pounding,” said Jason.

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