Page 26 of Dirty Love

My jaw ticks at his continuous bravery but I keep my eyes forward, resting my elbows on my knees to burn the end of my joint. The creepy little shit irritates me so much that I’ve fantasized about choking him until he stops breathing, but still, I can’t help but take the bait.

“Figured what out?”

“The reason everyone’s so blind when it comes to you and Nicky,” he explains, scooting closer to me, half flicking his wrist towards the large group of teenagers we’ve known for most of our lives. “You’ve been brothers since before kindergarten, right? So they’ve watched you grow slowly. They only see you as brothers who love and look out for each other because that’s all you were when they met you. They don’t notice the way you’re crazy about each other because it’s been happening for years, little by little, so subtle you can’t see it unless you’re looking.”

By the time he’s finished, my shoulders are tense and my hands are itching to close around his throat, but I refuse to look away from Nicky. He’s watching us with his eyebrows dipped in confusion, his eyes fixed on the way Jasper’s body is way too close to mine, the clear doubt there causing my fingers to curl around the lighter in my hand.

He’s jealous, and I could beat his ass for it.

He should know I would never.

Because even though my cock wants nothing more than to be buried inside him, I’m not gay.

I can’t explain it, but it’s only ever been him.

No one but him.

“Jesus Christ,” Jasper mutters to himself, shaking his head at us in amusement. “Do you want my advice?”

“What I want is to kill you with m—”

“If you don’t hurry up and take what’s right in front of you, someone else is gonna take it first,” he says simply, laughing at me again when he catches the look on my face. “Relax, you psycho, I didn’t mean me. Nicky doesn’t want me like that and I’m not desperate enough to keep trying. I’m just sayin’… your little brother looks hot tonight. Imagine what he’s gonna look like in two years or five,” he adds, widening his eyes to emphasise his point. “They’re gonna want him bad, Kade.”

I cock my head at that, leaning in a little further until his face is just a few inches from mine. “Get the fuck away from me.”

He smirks at the venom in my tone and pushes himself up to his feet, casually walking away like he doesn’t have a care in the world. Nicky comes over to stand in front of me and I look up at his face, inwardly seething over Jasper’s bullshit words.

I don’t like what he said, but I’m not blind, either.

Nicky’s equal parts beautiful and sexy. Both awkward and cocky. Innocent and dirty. A nerdy little freak wrapped up in a body that was made to be held down and fucked.

“Kade…”

Of course they’ll fucking want him.

My hands are shaking just thinking about it.

“Kade,” he repeats, frowning when I don’t answer right away. “What the hell did he say to you?”

“Nothing.”

“But—”

“You ready to go?” I ask, standing up to grab my shit.

He hesitates but nods, not so discreetly staring at my abs as I pull my jacket on over my shoulders, not bothering with my shirt.

“Yeah,” he says. “Okay.”

I leave it unzipped and take a couple long hits of my joint, passing it to him while I blow my smoke out to the side. I tilt my head at him and he falls in line beside me, rolling his eyes when he spots Arianna sulking with her group of friends by the campfire, eyes narrowed on us as she watches us leave. I’m sure she still thinks we’re together or some shit, but she’s not stupid enough to walk right up and ask me to take her home.

If I wanted her pussy tonight, I’d go and get it.

She knows that.

“Aren’t you gonna talk to her?” Nicky mutters, although it’s clear he doesn’t like that idea.

“Talk to who?” I ask, shoving my hand into my back pocket to grab the keys for the truck, grinning to myself when I feel his eyes on the side of my face.

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