Page 111 of Perfect Storm
Though Levi could see the potential in making Aidan scream so loud Mo finally got the memo that he belonged to someone else now.
“A lot more, probably,” Levi said, not quite eliminating the hopeful note from his voice.
Aidan shot him a questioning look. Mo, on the other hand, didn’t look all that surprised. Had Aidan told him? No. There was no way Aidan would’ve.
“So you’re the youngest Banks, huh?” Mo asked. His gaze slid over Levi’s body, not in anI find you hotway, but more in anI can’t quite believe you’re the youngestway. Levi got both of those a lot, but he wasn’t surprised Mo had landed on the latter. He was straight. Or at least that was what he’d told Aidan.
And if a guy didn’t go gay for Aidan Flynn, then he was pretty damn straight.
“Yep,” Levi said.
“And the others, they’re bigger than you?”
“Nah,” Levi said, subtly flexing. Sure Aidan had said he loved Mo. But if it came down to it, he could totally take Mo in a fight. Maybe he was strong, rippling biceps evident under his practice jersey, but Levi was stronger.
“No way,” Aidan added, chuckling. “Levi’s just built different.”
“Well, you’re gonna keep this dude safe, so you’re a friend in my book,” Mo said, giving Levi a reassuring smile.
The problem with hating Mo on sight was that he wasn’t particularly hateable.
He clearly cared about Aidan, and so did Levi. As much as he didn’t like it, they had that in common.
“You’re the worst,” Aidan said fondly but Mo just grinned.
Levi had expected that some of Aidan’s feelings might bleed out when he had to watch him and Mo interact one-on-one. But so far, they only seemed to him like old friends, reunited again.
It left Levi so confused. He’d been so positive that he could see beneath Aidan’s mask, but now he wasn’t so sure. Was there another, deeper one, underneath? Had he missed that? Levi didn’t think he had.
“You looked good out there,” Aidan said, turning to Levi. “Solid.”
“Felt solid,” Levi said.
Football was blessedly simple, compared to whatever the complicated shit was going on in his personal life.
“I’m not playing tomorrow.” Aidan made a face. “Zane just told me.”
“I’m sure I’m barely gonna play,” Levi admitted.
“I told Zane to put me out there, but he just laughed,” Mo said, commiserating.
Aidan elbowed him. “You don’t even know the playbook yet.”
“Yeah, I do. Run down the line and let you hit me.” Mo grinned. “Just like old times.”
“Yeah,” Aidan agreed, “just like old times.”
Chapter 16
Itwasinthemiddle of the third quarter when Mo sidled over to where Aidan was standing. Zane had told him to not even bother dressing. Wes was going to play the whole first half and their-third string backup, Nelson Perez, was going to play the second half.
Aidan wouldn’t be on the field except on the sidelines, and then only in an advisory capacity.
He’d argued that he and Mo should both get out there, at least for one series, to shake the rust off. But Zane had just shot him an incredulous look. “You’ve got rust?” he’d asked.
And okay, that was a little ridiculous. He didn’t have any rust. Mo probably had even less, but then he’d actually played in the Rams’ first preseason game.
“Are you gonna tell me what’s up with you?” Mo asked as Perez bent down, taking the snap.
