Page 25 of Bassist With Benefits
Jeremy’s jaw fell open and his throat closed. He couldn’t say anything even if he knew what to say, so he just wrapped his arms around Alan and hugged his friend with all his might . . . . .
Jeremy’s father had pulled through the heart attack that day, and he and Alan finally took the trip to Baja a few years ago, between tours, but with Brandon and Derek instead of Alan’s brothers. Jeremy looked over at Alan, finishing the last of his chicken, and gave him a warm smile. That day at the hospital changed Jeremy’s life forever. It was a day he would never forget. That day, he realized that he was in love with his best friend.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Three days elapsed before the band had the next free day, and they were all itching to do something crazy – especially Brandon. He had burst into the suite with Cam, earlier than anyone had ever seen him awake on a day off, babbling about skydiving.
They were all late sleepers, thanks to too many parties with too much alcohol, but Brandon was the worst. They rarely saw him before noon unless there was something on the agenda, no matter how many hours he had slept, so the early morning visit had taken everyone by surprise.
Derek was drinking a cup of coffee and only rolled out of bed when Brandon and Cam showed up about an hour before. Alan was on the phone, still in his underwear, and Jeremy was fighting the urge to keep his eyes anywhere else besides on the silhouette of his friend’s body. He dragged his gaze away from Alan, worried that one of his bandmates would read the lust in his eyes. It was hard to shake the paranoia. Being with Alan was all he could think about. His eyes were back on Alan’s chest again and the way Alan’s bicep flexed as he held the phone to his ear. Jeremy knew he shouldn’t stare, but the guy never wore a fucking shirt. Where else was he supposed to fucking look?
“No! Forget it!” Cam was backing away from Brandon, clearly upset. “No. Just, no.”
Jeremy ripped his eyes away from Alan in order to see what the commotion was about.
“It’ll be fun.” Brandon told Cam. “Live a little.”
“I live a lot.” Cam’s eyes were blaring. “And I’d like to keep doing it.”
“What’s going on?” Jeremy asked.
Brandon’s arms held Cam prisoner. “Cam doesn’t want to go skydiving with us.”
Jeremy couldn’t hold back his laugh. Cam wasn’t a risk-taker. He was conservative and straight-laced. Even though Brandon had a way of pushing Cam out of his comfort zone, the idea of skydiving had him ashen.
“We’re all set for 2:00,” Alan said, now off the phone. “This is gonna be a blast.”
Derek leaned his elbow on Alan’s shoulder and stared at Cam with a teasing smile. “Cam’s got cold feet.”
Cam broke free from Brandon’s constraining embrace and pushed his shoulders back. “I’m not getting cold feet. I never agreed to jump out of a plane. As a matter of fact, I distinctly remember saying, and I quote, ‘You’re nuts if you think I’m going skydiving’.”
Alan laughed. “It’s not a big deal, Cam.”
“Not a big deal, Alan? How are you supposed to play the drums if you break an arm or a leg?” Cam turned toward Brandon. “And how are you supposed to sing with no head?”
“I always wear a helmet.” Brandon gave Cam an adorable smile. “Remember what it was like when I took you on your first motorcycle ride?”
The fight faded from Cam and his posture softened. “Yeah. It was exhilarating. But this is very different, Brandon.”
“Not really. It’s safe. We’re all certified. You can jump hooked up to me. I wouldn’t put you in danger, baby. Don’t you trust me?”
Cam’s defenses were melting like butter in a hot skillet. “Of course I do. But we have a dog. What happens to Brandy if we’re both killed? Or hurt and laid up in the hospital? Who’ll take care of her?”
“I will,” Jeremy answered without thinking. “You know I love that dog, and she’s crazy about me. If something happened to the two of you, I’d be her first choice.”
“She’s crazy about me, too,” Alan said. “I could take care of her.”
“Yeah, but she loves me more.” Jeremy slugged Alan in the arm. It was automatic. Natural. The thrill ran through him like an electrical current when their skin connected. It was a trail of fire up his arm, and he had to steady himself in order not to shudder.
Alan gave him a crooked smile and returned a good-natured shove. The contact sparked another flurry of adrenaline and made Jeremy’s heart quicken. He looked Alan in the eyes, searching for some kind of indication that his friend felt the same spark of fire. The twinkle he was searching for wasn’t there, and Jeremy’s heart wilted.
“Awesome! You’re gonna have a blast!” It was Derek, slapping Cam on the back, who had obviously now changed his mind about skydiving.
Cam’s eyes were still large and held a hint of fear, but there was also a bit of a daredevil lurking in there. Jeremy had to give Cam credit. The guy really pushed his limits.
“Fifty bucks Cam pisses his pants,” Alan yelled into Jeremy’s ear.
The propellers from the plane were loud, so Alan needed to lean in close to Jeremy. They were wearing jackets, so the shoulder-to-shoulder contact was buffered, but there was little filter between Alan’s lips and Jeremy’s cheek. It was driving Jeremy’s blood pressure higher than the impending leap 10,000 feet from the sky.
