12. Carson

"You sure your old ears will be okay in here?" I joke with Brayden, shouting over the loud music in the club. Jenny thought this place would be a good idea for Brayden and me to be seen out together, but I'm not so sure. Brayden looks highly uncomfortable, sitting in a booth at the back with a drink in his hand.

We have VIP seating of course, but he doesn't look happy. His blue eyes just glare at me. "I'm fine."

"You don't look all that comfortable, man."

"That's because I'm not," he says back, but I can barely hear him over the music.

I look around the dark club. It's packed tonight, with it being a Friday in the summer, but I'm not really feeling it either. "Let's go back to your place then."

"What?" He looks at me with that irritable, confused look I'm growing addicted to. "No."

I sip my drink, trying to play it cool, but I really want him to say yes. I know he's hanging out with me out of obligation, and it may be pathetic, but I'll take it. I enjoy spending time with Brayden, and let's be honest, he's damn nice to look at. "Why not? We've been here for an hour. I'd say we did what Jenny wanted."

"You don't want to stay?" he asks suspiciously. And yeah, maybe I love dancing and having a good time. I've gotten a bit of a reputation for hanging out at clubs in the past—even if they weren't really the ones I wanted to be at. I still had fun flirting and dancing with women. Doesn't matter if they do absolutely nothing for me physically. I love women. They're fucking fun, and I love letting loose. But tonight, all I want is to go back to his place with just him.

"I'm not really in the mood for this tonight."

He gives a clipped nod and surprisingly doesn't argue with me. We grab a ride back to his place, and when he unlocks the door, we're instantly greeted by the little beagle puppy he adopted last week.

He shoots me a look. "Don't say a word."

I try to keep my laugh to myself, but it doesn't work. "I still can't believe Cooper got to you."

He grumbles something as he picks the puppy up in his big arms and scratches its head affectionately. "He's cute."

"Who? Coop or the puppy?" I tease, and he rolls his eyes, placing the dog back on the ground as we walk further into the house.

"Both."

I grin. I like seeing this side of Brayden, but I can't help wondering if he told me the truth at the animal shelter. If he was in a relationship with a man, would he really not hide it? I've followed him for years and know he's had a couple of girlfriends in the spotlight, but never a guy.

"You want some?" He holds up a bottle of whiskey, and I nod.

"Sure."

He pours us each a glass and slides one over to me. "What are you thinking so hard about? You're going to hurt yourself."

I raise my middle finger in his direction, and he chuckles, sipping his whiskey. "Just wondering why I've never seen you with a guy."

He raises a brow, a small smirk on his lips. "Really?"

"You know what I mean. I've seen you in pictures with women you were dating, but never a guy."

Why I care so much, I'm not sure. "I've never dated a guy." I frown, and he laughs at me, shaking his head. "I've fooled around with guys but never been in a serious relationship."

"You think you can only be in a serious relationship with a woman?"

Again with the eye roll, and he sips his drink again. "Of course not. I don't date a lot anyway."

"Why's that?" I take a sip of my whiskey, letting the alcohol burn deliciously as I swallow.

"Why do you have so many questions?"

I shrug, feeling a little embarrassed. "We're besties. I should know everything about you."

He good-naturedly laughs at that, and it makes my entire chest warm. "I've been racing for a decade. We travel a lot. We have a dangerous job. It's not really the best for relationships."

I scoff at that. "Mav, Seb, Axel, and Royal seem to be doing just fine."

I wasn't imagining the wistful look on his face when he was watching them at the charity event. He has the same expression right now, but then he catches himself and schools his appearance. "True. Maybe it's possible, but I haven't found anyone I want to date in a long time."

"Hmmm."

An eyebrow raises, and he places his glass down, walking around the counter to stand right in front of me. "Why so many questions?"

His voice is husky, and he's watching me with intensity, standing so damn close. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's thinking about kissing me. And because I've had a little bit to drink and am a little buzzed, I open my mouth and say just that.

His eyes don't roll. He doesn't laugh. His hand just goes to my nape, wrapping around it. "That would be a really bad idea."

"Why's that?" I challenge, placing my glass down and standing tall, looking him right in the eyes.

He licks his lips, and I can't help watching the motion of his pink tongue swiping over those cherry-red lips. I groan. I can't help it. I'm young and horny as fuck. I've been locked in this foreplay with him for weeks, and I want him so damn bad, I can barely keep it at bay. "So many damn reasons."

But he doesn't drop his hand, his fingers only tighten around the back of my neck, digging in. "Like?" I prod, seeing the hunger in his eyes.

Oh yeah. He wants this too. But I know Brayden pretty well by now, and I'm sure he's going to overthink it.

"Like, I'm ten years older."

I scoff, my hand moving to his hard-as-fuck stomach over the soft cotton of his shirt and dragging up to his defined pecs. "Age is just a number, and ten years is nothing."

I watch his prominent Adam's apple bob in his throat as he swallows. "I'm your teacher."

Again, I scoff. "Reluctant teacher, and I don't need one anyway. I'm a damn good racer."

"You're a child, and you're too damn impulsive. You need to learn control."

My control nearly snaps, and I want to kiss him so damn bad. Taste those lips. But I don't. I can be patient. For a minute. "Maybe you need to learn to let go sometimes," I challenge because I know he does. He's wound too tight.

I wonder if he's even capable of it.

"We work together. No matter how much I hate that fact, it's true."

"So? Don't fuck me on the track." I grin widely and know he's not amused, but really I just turned myself on even more. How fucking hot would that be? Me bent over a car on the track, his large body pressed against mine...

"Stop that," he says sharply, but he doesn't let me go. "It has to remain professional."

"Fine with me. I'd probably get bored pretty fast." I put both my hands on his chest now, leaning into him. "It's just scratching an itch. I've been a little fascinated with you for a long time."

He looks surprised by that, and I know it's honest modesty. The guy doesn't really buy into the whole legend thing. "You need to know what you're getting into."

"I'm not afraid," I say, leaning even more into him, my lips brushing over his. Just a taste. God, I'd kill for a taste.

Finally, fucking finally, his control snaps, and his lips press against mine. They take. It's aggressive and hard, his lips attacking mine, and it's the hottest damn thing I've ever experienced in my life. I open for him when his firm tongue seeks entry, sweeping over mine and exploring every single section of my mouth. His hand goes to my hair, gripping it tightly.

Somewhere, I hear his dog scamper off, probably not wanting to watch this. I pull his hard body into mine, grabbing his hips and pulling him flush against me. His hard cock drags against mine through our jeans, and we both groan loudly.

He nips at my lips, and I can't take it anymore. I need him naked. I have to see this body, up close and personal. I lift up his shirt, and he takes the hint, pulling it off over his head and tossing it behind us before his lips find mine again.

I pull away though, looking down because holy fuck, he's hot. I mean hot, hot. He has a dusting of dark chest hair over his pecs and a trail from his belly button that disappears into his jeans. "Wow."

His hands go to the hem of my shirt, and he lifts it up and off. His eyes assess me. I'm proud of my body. I know I look good but don't have nearly as much chest hair as him. It barely exists, and suddenly I wonder if he thinks I'm as hot as I think he is. Shit. When the hell did I lose my confidence?

"You're fucking hot," he says, his lips crashing against mine again, and okay, so that answers that. He's devouring my mouth, eating it, as I try to unbutton his jeans, my fingers failing me a few times. These fuckers. But finally, I get his jeans open and push them down, leaving him in black boxer briefs with a large bulge and the head of his cock poking out of the top.

"Holy shit," I breathe. I knew he had big dick energy, and it did not lie.

He just undoes my jeans and pushes them down, my dick just as hard and leaking, trying to get to him. I shove my boxer briefs down, and he mirrors my moves, revealing his hard, leaking length.

I pull my socks and shoes off, kicking out of my jeans and briefs as he does the same, leaving us both gloriously naked. He is perfection personified. Hard muscle covered by sprinkles of hair in all the right places. His hard cock stands tall and proud against his abs.

I don't think about it, just drop to my knees and swallow his cock as far as I can before I gag—but I'm no quitter. I keep going, taking more and more, schooling my gag reflex and grasping his firm ass in my hands. His fingers go through my hair as he leans back against the kitchen counter. "Yes. Just like that," he praises, and I preen, sucking harder and swallowing around his hard throbbing length.

Spit is dripping down my chin, and my cock aches, wanting release, but I focus all my attention on him. On making this strong, beautiful man lose control, if only for a moment.

"Come here," he gasps, and I reluctantly remove his cock from my mouth, standing up and letting him steal a hard kiss. His hand wraps around both our cocks, not entirely making it but almost, and we kiss and grope each other's warm skin, thrusting together.

"Oh shit. I'm close," I breathe as his hand strokes both our hard lengths.

"Wanna fuck you," he says, and holy shit, my cock jerks, nearly losing it.

"And what if I want to fuck you?" I ask, my voice full of gravel.

He grins against my lips, panting. "It's been a long time for me..."

"Fuck it," I say because I've been dreaming of this moment too long to mess around. I pull out of his grip, nearly weeping from the loss and grab my jeans, pulling out a condom and lube. I toss him the condom and quickly open the lube, reaching behind myself and prepping the bare minimum.

I haven't had a real cock inside me for over a year, but I have plenty of toys at home, and I'm ready. He's covered by the time I finish, and he turns me around, shoving me against the counter before placing the tip of his cock at my eager, ready hole. "You want this?"

"Yes," I say, pushing back against him.

He doesn't make me beg, even though I would have, before he starts to push slowly inside me. Too damn slowly.

"I won't break. Fuck me. I'm ready."

"You're too damn impatient," he says, biting my shoulder, one hand gripping my hip as the other wraps around my waist, and he bottoms out inside me. The stretch and burn is beautiful. So damn perfect as he stills, his teeth still sunk into my shoulder.

Finally, when I'm about to plead with him, he pulls almost all the way out before snapping his hips forward and sinking back inside me. His strong body behind mine as I hold onto the counter.

I love this part. Just letting go and giving up the control. Taking it. I groan as he slams into me over and over, nailing my prostate at the perfect angle and making me cry out, precum leaking from my tip and drizzling down over the head of my cock.

"Touch yourself," he orders, his grip tightening on me and his thick cock pulsing inside me. He's close.

I did that to him. I brought this man to the edge.

I wrap my hand around my cock, stroking with no intention of letting go until I'm coming all over my hand. "Feels so good."

"Yes," he breathes, biting into my shoulder again as he slams into me repeatedly.

I feel that rush, that heat flowing from my spine all the way to my balls. "Close," I grit out.

"Yes. Fuck your hand. Pretend it's my ass gripping your cock so damn tight."

Oh fuck. I let go, groaning loudly as cum spurts from my dick, shooting fucking everywhere, but I can't be bothered to care. I come and come, my cock jerking in my hand as I jerk it, and I hear the deep guttural cry Brayden makes as he unleashes into the condom, making my dick jerk again and release the last bit of cum.

I nearly fall forward onto the counter, but Brayden has me, holding me up as he blankets my back, his cock still inside me. "Damn it."

Well, that's not the reaction I expected. I turn to look at him over my shoulder. "What?"

"It wasn't supposed to be that damn good."

I grin and blush slightly when I realize he's looking at where we're still connected. "What? Afraid you're going to get addicted?"

He laughs at that, pulling out of me and making me wince slightly. He drags a hand down my spine, and I shiver. Then he smacks my ass, and I laugh. "Get dressed. I'm starving."

I stand up to my full height, wincing a little at the soreness in my ass. "Tell me you have something to eat around here that isn't a protein bar."

He disposes of the condom, then pulls on his boxer briefs and nothing else, and I really, really like seeing this side of Brayden. He tosses me his t-shirt and grins, looking at my spent, wet cock. "To clean up."

"How chivalrous." I use his shirt to clean up and pull on my briefs, opting to leave my jeans off too, as I follow him to his pantry.

"I have protein bars." He grins and closes the pantry as I chuckle and follow him to the freezer. "And frozen pizza."

"Sounds good to me," I say and hop up on one of the bar stools, watching him move around the fancy kitchen and pop some pizza in the oven.

When it's finished cooking, we eat silently with him glancing at me occasionally.

"This doesn't have to be weird, right?" I have to ask as I finish the pizza. "It's just two buddies fucking."

"Two buddies who fucked," he says, and I don't like the past tense at all.

"Fucking," I say, and he glares at me, but it slowly morphs into a smile as he stands and puts our plates in the sink.

"Carson..." he starts, turning toward me, folding his arms, and leaning back against the counter.

"Don't," I say firmly and walk to him. "I'm not a kid, despite what you think, and I'm not going to get attached. But that was good, yeah?"

He looks conflicted, his brow furrowing. But he licks his lips, and I see the lust in his eyes. "Yeah," he says huskily.

I nod, trying to sound mature. "Okay, so it's no big deal. We're both adults. I know what this is. I'm not going to fall for you or anything."

"Right," he says firmly, nodding his head. "Of course not."

"Don't worry, Brayden." I punch him in the arm. "Not looking to have your babies."

He rolls his eyes at me and shoves me playfully. "You wanna watch Netflix or something? I'm not really ready for bed yet."

"Yeah. I get wired after fucking too." I grin and walk into his living room, making myself at home on the sofa. "Come on. Come cuddle me," I say with a wink.

He grumbles, but he does plop down on the sofa and lets me cuddle into his warm body.

This is totally fine.

Just two friends having a good time.