Page 101 of Be My Endgame

Alex frowned. “Dared you to do what?”

“To tell you I’m in love with you.”

Alex’s heart skipped a beat, then jumped up into his throat where it resumed its regularly scheduled service. “And are you?”

There was something intentional about the way Lee held Alex’s gaze, like he still needed to gather his courage to reply. Even though his smile didn’t fade, his voice was low. “Quite a bit, yeah.”

Brightness burst behind Alex’s ribs. “So you’re on board with keeping a toothbrush at my place?”

“Obviously.”

“And a holiday?” Alex gestured at his foot. “Once this ankle’s ready for action again because God, I want aholiday.”

“I’m on board with a holiday too.” Lee quirked a brow. “But aren’t you forgetting something?”

Alex shuffled around so he could tumble them both onto the bed, legs hanging off the side. He half-draped himself over Lee, grinning down at him. “Like what?”

“You know what.”

“Oh,that.” Alex dipped his head to drop a light kiss to the corner of Lee’s mouth. “Right. I love you, too.”

It wasn’t his first time telling someone that—but before, it had been intended to fill the silence or stall an argument, to satisfy expectations. This, now, was the first time he meant it,feltit, and that made the words resonate in ways they’d never had before.

Lee’s whole face changed, lit up. “You do?”

“Absolutely,” Alex told him and realised that yet again, Lee had been first to take the leap into the deep end of the pool. But at least Alex had already been holding onto him, just a step behind. He’d work on his timing.

“So you’re on board with keeping a toothbrush at my place?” Lee’s eyes were bright as he mirrored Alex’s earlier question.

Since actions spoke louder than words, Alex decided that kissing the grin off Lee’s lips was as good an answer as any. If the way Lee turned into him was any indication, he agreed.

They’d figure out the rest.

19

One week in the French countryside—one week before pre-season obligations would pull them in different directions. It wasn’t much, but it wassomething.

By the time Alex and Lee arrived at the villa they’d rented, it was late in the afternoon. Jeff, Isabella, Oliver, and Sanna would join them tomorrow, but for now, the whole place was theirs. It was the first time since Spain that they had any measure of uninterrupted time together—after the public reception back in the UK, Lee had been travelling with his sisters while Alex had caught up with friends from school. He’d missed Lee an embarrassing amount, told him just that once they’d familiarised themselves with their bed by means of slow kisses and lazy handjobs.

“I’d make fun of you, but basic human decency doesn’t allow for ridiculing anything that’s said in the afterglow.” The softness in Lee’s eyes was at odds with his words, and Alex propped himself up on an elbow to smile down at him.

“You saying you didn’t miss me?”

“No, I did.” Lee smiled back. “Just wanted to look cool.”

“I’m sorry—did you or did you not try to pick me up with a line from porn some five years ago?”

Lee laughed, warm and quiet in the sunlit room, the hum of cicadas and a soft rustle of leaves drifting in through the open window. “I’m much smoother now.”

“I beg to differ,” Alex said, rubbing his nose over the 5 o’clock shadow that dusted Lee’s cheek.

Dinner was at a simple restaurant in the closest village, on a terrace overlooking striking ochre cliffs that towered above a pine forest. They were approached a number of times and posed for pictures, just two lads hanging out because they’d decided that there was no need for them to go public just yet.

They’d talked to Ben Jimmer about it just that afternoon, in fact, and if Alex had harboured any doubt about how much his life had changed in a matter of… Jesus, had it really been only three months? Wow.

Anyway, if he’d harboured any doubt about it, getting relationship advice fromtheBen Jimmer would have put an effective stop to it.

“Give it time,” was what Ben had said, the poor video quality pixelating his face. “It’s much easier to first build something away from the limelight.”

---