Page 154 of Good Losers (Lochkelvin Academy)

“Do it,” I breathe, watching his hands hovering above the curve of my waist. “Please, Danny. I need to feel someone.”

It’s like a rallying call: an urgent mission in need of its hero. Danny’s hands land on my skin, warm and welcome, cradling the dip of my waist in fascination. He touches me gently, stroking every inch of skin he can, glancing up at me every so often as though he’d understand if I suddenly changed my mind.

He’s adorable. I’m smiling and happy and Danny’s a huge part of that. Each of these boys is so different, but Danny’s personality is the one that’s light-years away from the others. He wasn’t supposed to be here; Rory would never have allowed him unless it was clear I wanted him. And so here he is, a perfect little infiltrator into the secret world of us.

“I said ‘strip’.”

Danny twists his head at Rory in concern. “What?”

“Strip.Naked.” Rory emphasizes the latter word as though Danny is mind-numbingly simple. It’s interesting to watch. The longer Danny’s around me, the more Rory sounds as irascible and bad-tempered as a jaded emperor. The only things missing from his person are devoted slaves calming him down, fanning his lounging body with oversized palm leaves. “Your underwear is an abomination, and I doubt your cock is much better, but hopefully that at least won’t be covered in juvenile nonsense the likes of which should have been burned after creation.”

Danny’s eyebrows pinch into a severe glare. His hands, however, cover his blue cotton boxers protectively, as though to conceal them from the sharp end of Rory’s caustic critique.

“I thought this was good enough?”

“You thought wrong.Strip.”

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