Chapter 18

18

Colin

"C an you show me that play again?" Amelia, one of the girls who takes my football lessons, asks.

It's almost over for the day, and I find myself bummed about that. I hadn't realized how much I need this. It's a welcome break from school and my job at the law office. Not that I don't love what I do or not looking forward to what my future holds. Law is definitely what I want, but I've always been in love with football too. I'm not good enough to go to the pros, but I hope to keep football in my life, even if it's just doing things like this.

"Of course," I tell her, though I'm not sure why she's asking. Amelia has the best head for football in these lessons. She sees the field in a way most kids wouldn't at her age—girl or boy.

I go over the play again, explaining what her teammates are supposed to do and then how she makes sure to get them the ball, and unsurprisingly, she nails it.

"Thanks, Coach Colin!" She sends a smile my way .

I tell the kids to practice it again, just as my phone buzzes. I tug it out to see Ash's name on the screen. It immediately makes me smile, and not for the first time, I'm grateful he's in my life. How lucky were we to end up with a stepbrother who became our best friend? And on top of that, the benefits are fucking incredible.

When we fucked after our date the other night, we'd done it standing up in front of the window, me whispering in his ear how fucking good he is for me, how hot he is, and teasing about someone seeing us—Marty or one of the other guys driving up to the house, and there I was, fucking my stepbrother at the window.

My load had been similar to the ones he shoots, my balls so fucking full for him. It had been the perfect end to a perfect night. The best date of my whole life has been with my stepbrother. Hell, it feels like I've been dating him maybe even longer than I realized.

Ash: We gonna bang tonight?

I grin. How can I not? Everything about Ash makes me feel good.

Me: Yep. We're gonna fuck too.

"Why are you grinning at your phone so much?" Amelia asks, my face immediately flaming as I shove my cell into my pocket.

"Was that your girlfriend?" Jacob asks.

"He doesn't have a girlfriend," Amelia snaps, then looks at me. "Do you?"

Um…what is happening here? Our conversations at pr actice have never gone this direction before. "No. I have an…Ash…" I have an Ash? What the fuck does that even mean? He's my stepbro. My friend. My favorite person. I felt all these things before we started hooking up, and it's all just intensified since. But it's not like I can tell them that, even though Ash does feel like he's mine. Like he's always been mine, even before I let myself see it.

"What's an Ash?" Oscar asks.

"He's my person. Can we talk about football now?" That's a whole lot easier than dissecting my feelings with a bunch of thirteen-year-olds.

"Amelia has a crush on Coach Colin!" Oscar teases.

"I do not!" She charges him, and I have to bite back a smile when she tackles the little shit. Oscar is a good kid, but sometimes he likes to give Amelia a hard time. I guess today she's retaliating.

"Okay, that's enough." I pull them apart before Amelia kicks Oscar's ass. She totally would too. "Practice is over for today. Do you two want me to talk to your parents about running laps before you go?" A fact about me when it comes to kids and animals—I'm all bark and no bite. There's not a chance in hell I'm making these kids run extra laps, but they haven't caught on to that about me yet.

Four eyeballs go wide. "No, Coach," Oscar replies.

Then I remind myself that even though I like to be a big kid myself, I'm the adult. While I hate feeling like a hard-ass, I'm not supposed to let them get away with things like this. "You know what you did is inappropriate. You can't just tackle each other when you're mad."

"Yes, Coach," Amelia grumbles.

"And, Oscar, you shouldn't tease people. Or tell stories about them."

"But it's—" I give him an eye, and he stops. "Okay, Coach."

"Go on now." I nod toward the others, and they scamper off.

Amelia gives him a dirty look. She's small for her age, but tough and full of heart. She reminds me of Frat Cat. Speaking of…

Me: Did you feed our baby?

Ash: Ding, ding, ding, we're sorry, your number cannot be completed as dialed…

Me: Haha. Very funny.

Ash: Yes, Daddy Colin. I fed him.

Me: Good boy…

I'm eager for a response while the kids are cleaning up. I should be helping, but I want to know how Ash will respond.

Ash: That only has an effect on me when we're fucking.

Me: Liar.

With a goofy smile on my face, I shove my cell into my pocket for good. I help the kids finish cleaning up, then talk with the parents real quick. It's a gorgeous day, the sun high in a perfectly blue sky, so I sit at a picnic table beneath one of the trees, just as my phone rings. The corners of my lips tilt up. I'm assuming it's Ash, but instead the screen says Mom .

My smile still grows. I miss her. "Hey, you."

"How's my favorite guy?" she asks.

"Good. I just finished teaching a football lesson."

"I love that you do that. My boy is so sweet."

"I mean, I'm not going to argue with you. I'm pretty awesome."

Mom chuckles. "Still the same goofball you've always been, I see."

"You expected me to change?" I tease.

"Are you kidding me? I hope you never change. And your father and Lauren?"

I love that she asks and legitimately cares. It's weird sometimes when I think about the fact that my parents divorced. On paper they should have been perfect for each other. They were friends, knew one another their whole lives, have the same hobbies, and are even similar when it comes to how they treat people and show their love. In a lot of ways, they're more fitted than Dad and Lauren, but for whatever reason, they didn't work. It just wasn't meant to be. You never really know when that will be the case.

"Same as always," I tell her. "Dad's working on a book, Lauren is conquering the world, but they're happy."

"And my son? Are you happy? What's new?"

Ash pops into my head. Our date, the sex, our upcoming trip to the bathhouse, which we're sure to do soon. Talking with him. Laughing with him. Making him happy, and how that makes me feel like I'm walking on the fucking moon. "Everything is perfect. Better than ever, maybe. Did I tell you me and Ash found a cat? We named him Frat Cat."

"No! You didn't. What happened?"

"We got home, and I heard him crying outside. We took him to the vet, and there was no way I couldn't keep him."

"Is it a house cat for everyone?"

"No, just ours."

"The two of you alternate whose room he stays in?"

I probably shouldn't tell her that Ash and I sleep in the same room most nights. But I actually, maybe, kinda want to…? Never mind. What the fuck am I thinking?

"Yeah. We went and saw a movie the other night too. We had hibachi. I know you love it as much as I do."

"What else have you two been up to?"

I give her the G-rated version of our recent shenanigans. Mom listens well like she always does, asking questions in all the right places.

When I finish, she says, "You really lucked out in the stepbrother department."

I did. Even more than she knows. "I was thinking maybe he could come to North Carolina with me when I come to visit this summer." I used to want him to go with me all the time when we were kids, but it never happened. And as much as I love seeing Mom, it was torture being away from Ash. I remember once, Mom saying she worried we were too codependent, but I never cared about that. What matters is that we work, we fit, and despite kissing and fucking, nothing else has changed between us—only that it would be even more miserable to be away from him now.

"I'm sure Ash has better things to do than wanting to come and see your mom, but he's always welcome here."

My heart rate slows. I hadn't even realized it had picked up until Mom said yes. "Thanks. I'm sure he'll want to go. We can show him around Raleigh."

"You really love him."

"I do."

There's a short pause before she says, "You're a good big brother, Colin."

"Ash is good to me too." The best.

There's another delay in response, but then she says, "Things worked out the way they were supposed to. I'm glad you guys are such close friends."

We talk for a while longer before ending the call. I'm on my way back to the frat house, when Ash calls .

"Miss me?" I ask.

"Your cock maybe," he teases, and I beam. I love how much Ash likes riding my dick. He's vers, but just like I'm cum-hungry for him, he's dick-hungry for me.

"It's yours."

"I know," Ash replies. "Wanna hit the gym with me?"

All sorts of naughty images pop into my head when I think about the last time Ash and I were around gym equipment together, and it almost gives me wood.

"Bet. Want me to meet you?"

"I'll come get you," Ash says.

I change when I get home, grab some water and a towel for each of us, then wait for Ash.

He picks me up about five minutes later. As soon as I climb into the passenger seat, I lean over and kiss his cheek. "How was your day?"

"That was very boyfriend-y."

Oh, well, I guess I can see that. Still, "Have we been boyfriends for like ten years, then?"

"You didn't kiss me hello and ask about my day like that." With a small smirk, Ash drives off.

True, but… "Would it be so bad if we were boyfriends?" I didn't plan the question, not even sure if I'm serious… And I realize that I am. But I don't want to push him.

"What? Have you been thinking about this? "

"No. I would have told you. I wouldn't commit a Step Don't that way, but now that I said it, I'm thinking about it. So would it be bad?"

Ash glances my way as if trying to sort through what I said. "No."

"Good. I'll keep that in mind."

Ash laughs. "You'll keep that in mind?"

"Well, if we do become boyfriends, I should probably ask you properly. We went on a date already, so it feels like the next step."

"What if I ask you first?"

I grin. "That works for me too. Like a promposal. Now I expect that, FYI. You better come complete with flash mob."

Ash laughs. "We're ridiculous."

"We're fucking awesome."

"Truth." Ash parks at the gym, and we head inside. It's fairly busy, so I follow Ash to the machines. "It's leg day."

My gaze immediately shoots to his ass. It really is the best ass I've ever seen. "My favorite day."

"Now you see why I asked you to come."

We start out at the leg press. "Go ahead." I nod toward the machine, letting Ash go first. I don't take my eyes off him as he adjusts the weight and begins pushing with his legs.

"This one isn't sexy," Ash says.

"It is when you're the one to do it."

"You like watching me work out?" Ash's leg muscles strain slightly.

I look around to see if anyone is close enough to hear. There are people near, but I think I can play this game we both love so much without getting into trouble. "I can't stop thinking about fucking you on the bench press…how Dax couldn't take his eyes off you. There's a guy in the corner looking at you right now. Bet he'd love to see you shoot, would love to see my cock pumping in and out of your tight hole."

"Jesus, Col." He adjusts himself. "Would you show him how well I can take a pounding?"

"Fuck yes," I reply before he gets up and I take a turn. When Ash is at the machine again, I nod toward a woman. "She wants you too. I bet she wonders who I am to you, if she can get on her knees and suck that pretty cock of yours."

His face turns pink. Just as he's about to reply, a guy walks by.

"Excuse me." He uses the machine right next to Ash, so we have to pause our game.

We finish with the leg press, then leg extensions. When Ash heads to the leg curl machine, I bite back a groan.

Ash adjusts the weight, then lies on his belly, ankles hooked beneath the bar, ass in the air .

"That'd be a pretty way for you to suck cock in front of all these people," I tell him.

"You'd let me too. You'd let me pull out your thick cock and work a load out of your balls." I glance over, and several guys are close. If Ash's voice wasn't so soft right now, they would definitely hear us. "You'd do anything I asked, wouldn't you, Col? I have my stepbro wrapped around my finger."

My dick is taking notice, blood heading to my groin. I shift, trying to hide my semi. Somehow Ash has turned the tables. "Any-fucking-thing. Gladly."

He stands up, and with his mouth close to my ear, whispers, "I know you would, and that's so damn hot," before swiping at my lobe with his tongue and pulling back.

"I'm supposed to be driving you wild right now."

Ash chuckles. "I always come to win."

We each do a few sets on the leg curls, talking each other up, getting each other hot and heavy the whole time.

I know where he's going next before he makes it partway there: squats. I'm in so much fucking trouble, and I'm living for it.

"Can you show me how to do it?" Ash asks, as if he doesn't know, as if he doesn't have the world's best ass partly from his leg routine.

"Sure." I step up behind him. Please don't let me get us kicked out. Please don't let me get us kicked out. "Feet shoulder width apart, and when you lower, you're going to poke your ass out. Try it with me once."

I feel the heat of his body against mine, see us in the mirror, flushed and turned on, and damn do we look good together.

"One…two…three." We lower, Ash's ass pressing against my groin. "I'm going to take you to the bathhouse this weekend, my little perv. I'll fuck you like this, from behind. I'd do it right here if I could, give all these people a show. See how many are here? That's how many people are going to watch you take my cock like you were made for it. Do you want that?"

"Fuck yes," Ash says. "Are they all gonna want a turn with me?"

"Yes. I bet every guy in here wants a turn with you right now."

We lower again, which is dangerous as hell, but damned if the prickle at my nape that worries about getting in trouble doesn't make my dick even harder.

"Friday?" I ask. "You want to put on a show with your stepbrother?"

Ash pushes his ass against me, rubs it, teasing me, before stepping away. "I can't fucking wait."