28. Mac

CHAPTER 28

MAC

Mac stared at Drew like his best friend had two heads. Maybe he did because Mac couldn't figure out if Drew was the smartest or dumbest person in the world at that moment.

"You want us to go to his apartment after practice tomorrow and confront him? Did you conveniently forget that his mom and aunt are still there and not leaving until Wednesday?"

Drew shook his head. "We can't let this sit. We made our initial play. Now we have to see it through."

"We got like three yards and then got hit with a ten-yard penalty, D." Mac lifted the half-full bottle of beer he held to his lips, drank it down, and then gazed at Drew sitting on the other side of the couch. They both had their feet up on the cushions, their legs slotted together.

Drew tipped his bottle in Mac's direction. "Nice sports analogy. Didn't think you had it in you."

Mac offered him a wry grin and a one-shouldered shrug. "Figured I'd better brush up on the game if I was going to be dating a pro player. Dad's been full of helpful tips."

"Aw, shit. Don't tell your family about this fuck-up, okay? Not until we fix it."

"Wasn't planning on it." Mac rolled the bottle from hand to hand, looking anywhere but at Drew for a long moment as he replayed the kiss between him and Lee and then him and his best friend, the guy he'd been in love with for-fucking-ever. Finally, he lifted his head. "So… Us?"

"Yeah." Drew grinned. "No matter what, I want us to try again. We're older, wiser?—"

Mac scoffed.

"Shut it." Drew rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean." As hard as Mac tried to school his features, something of his skepticism must have shown through. "What? You don't think we can be an ‘us?'"

"I think we can try." Mac pressed his lips together, trying to put his thoughts into order. "You know I love you, both platonically and romantically, but I'm just not sure we won't drive each other bananas without someone running referee on our asses."

Drew slouched in his corner of the couch. "Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, you're right. We tried dating, and that didn't work. We tried living together, and that was a disaster."

"It's why we decided we were better off as friends." Mac sighed. Kissing Drew had rocked his world. It had been so much better from when they'd been teenagers with raging hormones who desperately wanted to explore their sexuality with a partner instead of their right hand. Could they have what they wanted now that they were—as Drew said—older and wiser? Mac wasn't convinced. It was why he agreed to Drew's "Get Lee" plan in the first place.

"Should we focus on us, then? Forget Lee?"

Mac pursed his lips. "Yes and no, to those questions. I think we should wait to approach him again."

"How long?" Drew didn't look happy but seemed appeased that Mac still wanted to try with Lee.

"A week. That'll give us a chance to hang and talk logistics and see if we're compatible as more than friends, and it'll give Lee a chance to see what he's missing."

"Compatible?"

Mac hummed. He carefully placed his bottle on the coffee table, then rolled forward and pushed Drew's legs apart. He crawled across the couch, plucked Drew's bottle from his hands, and set it on the table. When he turned back, they were nose to nose. Mac smirked. "Compatible."

"Oh, hell, yes." Drew took Mac's head gently between his hands as he leaned up to bring their lips together.

Mac sank into the feel and taste of Drew's mouth against his. He tasted the beer off Drew's tongue, a chocolate stout compared to the red ale he'd been drinking. Drew's hands roamed across his back, squeezing shoulders, back, and hips, before Mac felt them drift to his ass.

Logically, he knew Drew had big, strong hands, but feeling them knead his buttocks blew his mind. He moaned; the sound swallowed by Drew as they continued to kiss. Bracing on one arm, Mac joined in the exploration, slipping his fingers under Drew's shirt and touching the hard muscles he'd been craving for a long time.

Smooth skin, the dips and valleys of delineated muscle, the soft treasure trail leading to the one place he'd never seen. He walked his fingers upward, finding the pert nub of a nipple that got him a groan when he flicked it.

That sound revved Mac's core. He yanked his hand out, sat up, and tugged his shirt off. Then, reaching for Drew's team polo, he helped him undress. Mac's mouth watered, his fingers tingled. His senses seemed heightened by the rush of desire filling him.

Still with their pants on, Mac lowered himself until he felt Drew's erection pressing against his own. Another first, and there would be many more. So many more. Mac could barely contain his glee. He finally had Drew in his arms.

He stared at his best friend, taking in the blush and the flushed skin, the slightly swollen lips, the increased breath rate, and the widened eyes of a heated gaze staring right back at him. "Drew," Mac started, but then paused, unsure what to say in this pivotal moment. There was no going back if they moved forward, if Mac ground down or Drew pushed up with his hips.

Seeming to understand his hesitation, Drew locked his grip on Mac's waist and pulled him down more securely. Mac had to grit his teeth as he moaned, determined to not come just from having his nearly decade-long fantasy finally come true. He'd been crushed when they hadn't gelled as teenagers—back when his dream of having his bestie forever didn't turn out as he'd hoped. To have Drew under him, or for him to be under Drew, it didn't matter.

"Mac." Drew wet his lips, his tongue sliding across them, and swallowed as he peered at Mac. "Now is not the time to hesitate. I want this. You want this, too. It won't be like before. We're both on the same page now. Us, plus Lee."

Mac nodded quickly, though he worried what would happen if Lee never agreed.

"Stop." Drew lightly slapped Mac's ass, sending all sorts of new desires racing through him, especially because he shifted and their dicks rubbed together. "He wants us, too, and we get it. We understand that he's worried about us affecting his concentration and performance. We just have to show him that he can have it all. You suggested a week. I'll agree to that, though it'll be harder for me since we'll be in the same place and bound to run into each other."

"Try not to." Mac settled on top of Drew, tucking his nose into the crook of Drew's neck, their conversation and his worries having derailed their earlier excitement. Drew hugged him, settling them into a comfortable embrace.

As they lay together, Mac petted Drew's chest, thinking about two-plus-one and all three of them in a bed.

Drew groaned after a minute. "I forgot one thing."

"What's that?"

"Next week's game is away. Lee's leaving Friday for Florida and won't be back until Sunday evening."

Mac pushed up and braced on his elbow. "Sounds like that solves your problem of potentially running into him, so why are you groaning?"

"Because if he's gone, I can't watch him practice during my downtime." Drew looked seriously put out.

Mac laughed. Had Drew been perving on their safety? "Poor baby." He patted Drew's cheek. "You'll just have to get your fix with me."

Drew hummed, his gaze softening as he studied Mac. "You're right. I hadn't thought of that." He cupped Mac's nape, urging him down. "You're so smart, and I'm so glad you're mine." As he brought their lips together, Mac pushed all his other worries aside.

It was time to focus on the man in his arms, and so he did just that.