Never Have I Ever: Had a Bromance with a Teammate

We ended up missing the movie and spent the entire time making out like a couple of horny teenagers who had the house to themselves. When that hadn’t been enough, we’d stripped down and had sex again.

We’d done it missionary because I’d wanted to be able to kiss him, and he’d stayed completely relaxed and in the moment.

After, he’d used my ass as a pillow while we’d talked about random stuff, just shooting the shit the way we always did. We’d gotten horny again and had another round of making out that had finished with an explosive sixty-nine. We’d taken a break from the sexy times, and I’d wrapped Eli’s gifts while Matt had lain on his bed and watched. He was terrible at wrapping things, so I didn’t mind doing it while he supervised.

Then we’d fallen asleep wrapped up in each other’s arms.

I’d woken up with him spooning me and his morning wood poking my ass. We’d jerked each other off. Then I’d gotten out of bed and put Eli’s gifts in front of his door. We hadn’t wanted to make a big deal out of it and put him on the spot, and this was the most low-stress way we could come up with to give them to him.

When they were delivered, Matt had demanded that I get back into bed, and we’d done another sixty-nine. Finally, our need for food had driven us out of bed, and I’d made us lunch.

We were just finishing when Eli came downstairs, his expression unreadable.

“Hi.” Matt glanced at me as Eli stopped a few feet away.

He bit his lip and stayed silent.

“You okay?” Matt asked.

“How did you know it was my birthday?” he asked softly.

“Kai told us.” Matt’s voice was hesitant. “Well, Alex did. But Kai told him.”

“Did he ask you to get me stuff?”

“No. Not at all.” He shot me a worried look. “I’m sorry if we overstepped.”

“Is this a thing you do for each other?”

“What do you mean?”

“Give each other birthday gifts?”

“Well, yours is the first one since we moved in. Finn’s is in a few weeks, and I got him something. I’m not sure it’s an official house thing, but it’s something I like to do for my friends.”

“I’m sorry I’m being weird.” Eli looked away. “I’m just not used to people being nice to me without an ulterior motive.”

My heart clenched. What had he been through that he couldn’t even accept a few birthday gifts from his roommates without him being suspicious?

“No ulterior motives here,” Matt said. “Just doing what I do for all my friends.”

“Thanks. I liked it.” The corners of his mouth tilted up in a shy smile. “And thanks, Jax.”

“You’re welcome.”

Matt had gotten him a fancy tripod for taking videos. It was marketed to people who made content for TikTok. I had no idea if that was Eli’s thing, but Matt had just grinned mysteriously when I’d asked. He’d also picked up a few pairs of fuzzy socks for me to give him.

“Do you have plans today?” Matt asked.

“I’m going out in a bit.”

“Want to help me cook dinner tomorrow?” I asked. “It’s best if we keep this one”—I elbowed Matt in the side—“away from the kitchen. He’s a bit of a disaster when it comes to all things culinary.”

“Yeah, sure.” His smile widened, and his eyes brightened. “I should go shower so I can head out. Thanks again for the gifts.”

“Happy Birthday.”

He flushed and hurried toward the stairs.

“Back to my room?” Matt asked when Eli was out of earshot.

“Maybe we can actually watch a movie this time.”

He snorted. “Yeah, not happening.”

“Are you sore?” I picked up our plates and took them into the kitchen.

I’d tried to be gentle last night, but Matt had begged me to go hard, and I hadn’t been able to hold back.

“Not really. It’s a bit tender back there, but nothing I can’t handle.” He followed me into the kitchen, our coffee cups in his hands.

“Maybe we should wait on doing it again until you’ve had a chance to recover.”

“You don’t want to?”

I turned to him, hating the self-conscious look that had fallen over his features. “Oh, I want to. I just don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m not made of glass.” He rolled his eyes and put the cups in the dishwasher. “Besides, I kind of like it. It reminds me of how good it felt to have you in me.”

“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.” He grinned. “Is it working?”

“Get your ass upstairs, and we’ll find out.”

Laughing, he rushed out of the kitchen. I followed, my eyes on his ass as I fake-chased him up the stairs. Too bad we couldn’t wrestle around in his room. His bed wouldn’t survive it, and his landlord would be less than pleased if we busted through the floor.

We’d have to find a place where we could really let go and have some fun.

“Can I open my eyes now?”

“Not yet.” Matt led me through the living room.

“Are you pranking me? I’d better not end up on my face or walking into a wall.”

“Would I do that to you?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah, I would.” He snickered. “But not tonight.”

I ran into him, his big body warm and hard. He grabbed me around the waist, and my eyes flew open.

“Sorry!” He laughed and righted us. “I honestly didn’t mean to do that. I forgot to say stop.”

“Sure you did.” I hugged him close. “Not like I’m mad about ending up like this.”

“Maybe it was my plan all along.” He kissed my neck. “Look under the tree.”

I gasped at the small stack of gifts and a familiar cookie tin.

“How?”

He let go of me and stepped back, a huge grin on his face. “Since you can’t do your Christmas Eve tradition at home, we’re doing it here.”

“But…” I knelt and picked up the tin. It was identical to the set my mother used to store her Christmas baking. “How did you get this?”

The set had been discontinued years ago and, as far as I knew, had only been available in Canada.

“Your mom overnighted it, along with all the goodies inside and the gifts they got you.”

“Really?” I pulled open the tin. Bite-sized shortbreads and frosted sugar cookies, along with pieces of white chocolate candy cane bark, sat nestled in little paper baking cups. She’d packed all my favorites.

When everyone had arrived for the party, I’d FaceTimed with the whole crew, and no one had mentioned any of this.

My chest filled with warmth and happiness at the scent of home. “Babe.” I turned to Matt. “This is… thank you.”

I put the lid back on the tin and gently placed it under the tree. Standing, I tugged him into a hug.

He held me tight as I buried my face in his neck. Tears prickled my eyes. Goddamn it. I wasn’t going to cry. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to cry in front of Matt or any bullshit like that. He’d seen me cry before, but I didn’t want to focus on anything other than how happy I was and how much I appreciated all the effort he’d put into making this possible.

We stood for a long time, hugging in front of the tree as it illuminated the room with its soft light.

“I’ll go get us something to drink while you open that one on top. The red one.” He kissed my cheek and stepped back.

“Okay.” I blew out a breath, still a bit overwhelmed with everything.

Matt winked and headed into the kitchen. I knelt next to the tree. The gift was wrapped in bright red paper with cartoon reindeer on it. I tore into it, then pulled open the box.

Inside sat a woolen sweater that had “Nakatomi Plaza Christmas Party, 1988” and a rendition of the famous building from Die Hard stitched on it. I pulled it out. Underneath was a sweatshirt with “Now I have a Machine Gun, Ho Ho Ho” and Bruce Willis’s face printed on it.

“Thought you’d like those.” Matt put two steaming cups on the table. “It’s not the mint beer your brother always buys, but I figured some old-fashioned hot chocolate and marshmallows would remind you of those cold Canadian winters.”

“Want to know a secret?” I tugged him next to me and planted a kiss on his lips. “My brother is the only one who likes that stuff. The rest of us just drink it to be polite.”

“I’m glad because it sounds… like an acquired taste.”

“It is. And really, Die Hard?”

“It’s a Christmas movie. End of story.”

“It’s a movie that takes place at Christmas. Even Bruce himself said it’s not a Christmas movie.”

“What does he know?” Matt grabbed the sweatshirt from my lap. “I call this one.”

“He’s kind of the star, and why am I not shocked you want that one?”

“’Cause it’s awesome. And he might be the star, but that doesn’t mean he can erase the movie’s place in Christmas pop culture. This is a hill I’m willing to die on.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And you’re stubborn. Now put your awesome Christmas sweater on and open your gifts so I can see what you got.”

Laughing, we tugged on our sweaters. Then I tore into my gifts.

My parents had gotten me a few pairs of batting gloves, a special brand from a Canadian sports store I liked. My sister and her family had sent me framed photos of my niece and nephew dressed in baseball jerseys with my number on them. They must have had them specially made because they were even in the school’s colors. My older brother had given me a box of vintage baseball cards and a note saying he’d already looked for valuable ones and I was shit out of luck. My younger brother had broken the baseball theme and sent me a pack of socks with giant cartoon dicks.

With the four-hour time difference, it was after midnight at home, so rather than call, I texted everyone a thank-you.

Matt and I demolished most of the cookies while sitting on the couch and chatting. By the time we finished our fourth hot chocolate, we were both sleepy and a little jittery from all the sugar.

“Ready for bed?” Matt asked.

“Yeah.”

“As much as I want to fool around, I’m way too full for any sexy times.” He stood and reached down to help me up.

“Same. Maybe we can just stick to cuddling.”

“Good plan. But first I need some pillow time.”

“As much as I like it when you cuddle my butt, I don’t think I can sleep like that.”

“Only for a few minutes.” He led me to the stairs, holding my hand.

“You said that earlier and ended up napping on me. My legs fell asleep.”

“Again, that sounds like a you problem.”

When we’d stripped down, Matt did cuddle my ass, and like I’d predicted, he fell asleep. I stayed still until my eyes were too heavy to keep open, then gently shook him awake. Grumbling, he crawled up my body and flopped onto his side, his back to me. I rolled over and pulled him close, spooning him from behind.

As I pulled the covers up over us, he let out a happy sigh and was fast asleep when I kissed his cheek and said goodnight.

I was having the most amazing dream. I was on a beach, the sun warm against my skin. The weird part was that most of the heat was concentrated on my dick. And somehow, the heat was wet.

A low groan escaped my throat as I broke out of my sleep state. I blinked my eyes open and looked down.

We’d fallen asleep naked. Matt knelt between my legs, my dick in his mouth, and slowly moved up and down my length.

“Fuck,” I rasped, my throat gravelly from sleep. “Babe.”

He moaned and tickled my balls with his fingertips.

I reached down with one hand and sifted my fingers through his soft hair. The pale blond strands shone in the morning light, and the contrast between his angelic good looks and the way he was devouring my dick sent a rush of desire through my already lust-hazy brain.

He trailed one finger down the seam of my sac, then gently pressed it against my taint.

A pulse of pleasure shot through me. “Shit.” I jerked.

Still sucking me like he had all the time in the world, he slid that naughty finger down and pushed it between my ass cheeks.

I usually didn’t let anyone touch my ass. It wasn’t that I’d had a bad experience or anything. It just wasn’t something I was comfortable with.

But this was Matt. I wanted everything he was willing to give me. More than that, I wanted to give him a part of me that no one had ever had. Every time he let me touch him, fuck him, he shared the most intimate pieces of himself with me. He gave himself over to me, trusted me, and I wanted to share that with him too.

I spread my legs and lifted my knees, opening to him.

He moaned around my dick and gave me a hard suck. I saw stars, and those stars exploded into a supernova as he dragged his finger over my hole.

“Fuck, babe.” I pulled my knees up higher, keeping myself as spread open as I could.

He popped off my dick and stared down at his hand. “Jesus, you’re flexible.”

“Catcher’s hips.”

He rubbed my hole with a little more pressure. “Does this feel good?”

Little zings of pleasure crackled over my skin, and I arched into his touch. “Yeah, really good.”

“Can I use my tongue?” His familiar blue eyes met mine.

“Yeah.”

He lay down on the bed and shimmied closer, gripped my ass cheeks and pulled them apart. His hot breath fanned over my sensitive hole, and I shuddered.

He swiped his tongue over me, and I nearly rocketed off the bed as pleasure exploded deep in my body. Holy shit. I’d been missing out.

Or had I? Would this have felt as good with someone else? Was I able to enjoy it because it was Matt and I trusted him?

The stab of his tongue brought me back to reality. “Jesus.”

He chuckled. The heat of his breath tickled my skin. My dick was rock hard, the head flushed, and precum slowly gathered on my tip.

I looked down the line of my body. My stomach clenched at the sight of Matt between my spread legs. I dropped my head back down and breathed deep, sinking into the sensations while my best friend ate me out.

He licked and sucked and stabbed at my hole. I’d never felt anything like it. Need and desire pooled inside me. My body tightened, and my breathing went ragged.

As he brought me higher and higher, my orgasm built, simmering under the surface.

“Jerk me,” I begged dazedly, my lower body tingling and pulsing with need.

He pulled his tongue out of my hole. “Nope.”

“You’re killing me.”

He nuzzled my balls with his nose, and I groaned.

“Can I use my fingers?” he asked huskily.

“Yeah. Go ahead.”

I was so turned on I would have agreed to anything.

He got up on his knees and leaned over my body to reach into the night table. His hard cock dragged over my stomach, leaving a damp trail in its wake.

As he fished the lube out of the drawer, I grabbed him around the waist and tried to yank him down for a kiss. He resisted, a wicked grin on his lips.

“I like you like this. All spread out for me.” His tone was dark, possessive, even.

Usually, Matt was the one who was a needy begging mess when we fooled around. The role reversal was bending my mind.

“I’m going to make you come so hard.” He scraped his teeth over his bottom lip seductively.

“Yeah, you will,” I managed, my brain still short-circuiting at the change in pace.

He sat back on his heels and slicked up two fingers.

I drew in a gasping breath, trying to clear my head.

“I want to watch you come.” He tossed the lube aside and lay back over me. “Want to see all of it.”

“Fuck,” I muttered, my brain still a few seconds behind reality. The world was out of sync, and my entire being was focused on the man above me. I fucking loved it.

I was so used to being the aggressor, of keeping a tight lid on my control. Even with Matt. I’d let go with him more than anyone else, but I’d still held a piece of myself back from him.

Matt was special to me, and I didn’t take for granted how much he trusted me every time we were together. He’d told me not to treat him like glass, but a part of me was still in awe that he wanted me. That he enjoyed being with me.

Then there was the competitive, possessive side of me that demanded I make every encounter as amazing as possible for him. It was true that getting him off and watching him enjoy sex got me hot, but it was more than that.

I was his first guy, and while the thought of someone else touching him made me stabby, that little part of me that had claimed him wanted to make sure I was the one he remembered. That he thought about me whenever he found pleasure with someone else.

I wanted to brand myself on him so it would be me he dreamed about. I wanted to be the only one who mattered.

“That’s it,” he whispered, his eyes boring into mine, and slicked his finger over my hole. “You want me?”

I grunted, too overcome with need and emotion to be more eloquent.

“There you go.” He sank the tip of his finger inside me. “Jesus, you’re tight. Is it okay?”

I swallowed around my dry throat. “It’s good. Keep going.”

Using more pressure, he pushed through the initial resistance, gently working his finger inside me.

“Fuck,” I whispered.

The moment was almost too much. Feeling his big body over mine, having him stare into my eyes like he was memorizing my every reaction and expression was beyond intimate.

“Matt,” I rasped.

“I’ve got you.” He pushed his finger all the way inside me. “You’re so tight, so hot.” He twisted his finger around and brushed it over my prostate.

“Shit!” I jerked beneath him, my body lighting up like a Christmas tree.

“There it is.” He grinned, his expression intense as he moved his finger inside me. “What will make you come?”

“This is definitely helping.”

“Can you take another?”

“Yeah.”

He pushed a second finger inside me. The stretch burned, and an unnatural feeling of fullness dulled the pleasure.

He must have seen my discomfort and rocked his hips, dragging his hard dick over mine.

“Oh fuck,” I mumbled. Sparks of pleasure ignited deep inside me. “That’s it. Like that.”

“You’re so beautiful,” he said thickly. “Make yourself feel good while I finger you. I want to see you come. Want to feel it.”

Moaning, I rolled my hips, scraping my dick against his as he sped up his fingers. The burn was gone, and the fullness had shifted into something amazing. The twin sensations of having my prostate and dick worked over sent my body and mind into a tailspin.

“Fuck.” I grunted, held his hips tight, and thrust against him.

“That’s it, Jax. Fuck yourself on my fingers and use me to get off. Let me see it.”

My orgasm hit hard and fast, coming out of left field. It stole not only my breath but also my sanity.

Matt never took his eyes off mine as I rode the waves, shooting between our bodies, clenching around his fingers, and shuddering under him.

His mouth fell open in a silent cry. Then he jerked over me and came too, his load joining mine.

Seeing him tip over, watching the moment the pleasure took over was too much. I closed my eyes, afraid of what he’d see in them.

He buried his face in my neck, sucking on my skin as he thrust against me. The contact was rough, and my spent cock twinged, but I welcomed the pain, using it to ground myself. I wrapped my arms around him and held him tight.

I had no idea how long we lay there. It could have been minutes; it could have been more. All I knew was that we’d crossed the one line I’d sworn I’d never cross with him.

Fucking my best friend was a dangerous game; making love with him was a guaranteed disaster.

“Merry Christmas,” he whispered into my neck.

“Merry Christmas,” I croaked, desperately trying to rein in my spinning thoughts. “That’s a hell of a way to wake up.”

He chuckled and rested his cheek on my shoulder. “Was that okay? I know I should have asked first, but you looked so hot, and I wanted you so bad.”

“I give you blanket consent to blow me anytime you want.” I shoved the last of my trepidation away and focused on the moment.

Just because I was freaking out and reading too much into what had happened didn’t mean Matt was. He’d wanted to try something new, and he’d enjoyed it. End of story. I needed to stop projecting my fears and issues onto him. If I didn’t, any demise in our friendship would be my fault.

“Same for you. Blow me, fuck me. I’m ready and willing whenever you are.”

“Careful what you agree too. Otherwise, you’re going to spend hours with my dick in you.”

“Yes, please.” He lifted his head. “Flip over. I need some cuddle time with my pillow before we do presents.”

“Presents? Plural? We agreed on one.”

“No.” He climbed off me and made a “flip over” motion with his hand. “We agreed on a budget. Totally different.”

I rolled onto my stomach and spread my legs wide. Matt settled between them, but rather than resting his head on my ass, he grabbed one cheek in each hand and wiggled them.

“That feels really weird.”

“It’s hot, seeing it jiggle like that, showing me your hole.” He stopped and gently patted them with the palms of his hands.

“Are you playing bongos on my ass?”

“Yup. Guess the song.”

“I have no idea.”

“Pay attention. It’s an easy one.” He tapped out a random beat, then paused. “And?”

“No clue.”

“Maybe you need to hear the tune too,” he mused.

“Don’t you dare make my ass look like it’s singing,” I warned.

He barked out a laugh. “How did you know I was about to do that!”

“Because you’re you.”

“Come on, it’ll be hilarious.”

“Could you maybe leave me a shred of dignity?”

“Ugh, you’re no fun.”

“The cum we’re smearing into the covers begs to differ.”

Crack. He slapped one cheek hard.

“Ow. That thing is attached to me, you know.”

“Just making sure it remembers who it belongs to.”

“I thought that was me,” I said dryly.

“Nope. It’s mine. Claimed.” He dragged his tongue over my cheek. “There. Now you have my handprint, and I licked it. Double claimed.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You love it.” He bent his head and nipped at my other cheek with his teeth.

I jumped. “You done?” I tried to sound stern, but the effect was ruined when I laughed at his impish expression.

“Almost.” He kissed the spot he’d bitten. “There. All better. Time for presents.”

My brain had trouble keeping up with the sudden shift in conversation.

“How about we clean the cum off us, then do the presents?” I suggested as he got up on his knees.

“Fine, but we’re opening them naked.”

I sat up, smiling at how happy he was this morning. “Naked Christmas? Now that’s a tradition I can get behind.”

Grinning, he rolled off the bed. “Last one in the bathroom has to change the sheets.” He darted toward the door, threw it open, and ran into the hall.

“Hey,” I scrambled out of the bed. “Cheater!”

His heavy footsteps and laughter filtered into the room as I chased after him. He was going to win this round, but I’d get him back. I always got him back.

The rest of the day was relatively low key. Matt and I exchanged our gifts. He’d gotten me a pair of those leggings that were popular from TikTok that were supposed to make anyone’s ass look amazing, and a giant box of ketchup-flavored chips that you could only get in Canada. I loved them. Matt had tried them and didn’t get the appeal.

I’d gotten him a weighted blanket for the nights I wasn’t around to act as his teddy bear. The blanket weighed twenty pounds, and I’d hidden it in Alex’s room. He’d given me his key so I could get it while he was away. When I’d handed it to him, Matt had underestimated how heavy it was and had nearly fallen over. Mind you, I hadn’t warned him, and watching him struggle with the box had made dragging that thing over worth it.

I’d put on my new leggings, which made my ass look incredible, and Matt had spent the afternoon either staring at it or touching it. His obsession was hilarious, and I didn’t hate the attention.

Eli had come down to hang out with us and had been quieter than usual. He’d also been distracted by my leggings. I had no idea what his sexuality was, so I couldn’t be sure if it was because of my ass or the fact that I was wearing leggings.

Matt and I had FaceTimed with my family. They loved Matt, and they’d spent more time talking with him than me. Then Eli and I made dinner. Matt might be a disaster in the kitchen, but I enjoyed cooking and trying new recipes. Neither of us was a fan of turkey, and instead of making a carb-filled chicken meal with all the trimmings, we’d agreed on vegetarian lasagna with zucchini noodles.

Well, agreed wasn’t exactly accurate. I’d bribed him with blow jobs and butt cuddles to let me replace half the noodles with zucchini strips and use low-fat cheese.

The three of us had sat around chatting while our dinner was baking. Then we’d eaten at the dining room table like adults, rather than in front of the TV.

Matt had cleaned up the table while Eli and I tackled what was left in the kitchen. Both of us preferred to clean as we cooked, so it hadn’t taken long to get everything done.

I’d expected Eli to escape to his room after cleaning up, but he hadn’t been in a hurry to leave. Matt had insisted we watch Die Hard, saying it was his Christmas tradition. Eli had never seen it, so the three of us settled in the living room and watched it on the big TV.

“So, what did you think?” Matt asked as the closing credits rolled.

“I can see why it has such a cult following,” Eli mused. “I counted thirty-eight continuity errors and fourteen factual errors. Not horrible for a movie of that era.”

“What?” Matt blinked at him. “This movie is a classic.”

“Classic just means that it’s beloved, not that it’s perfect.” Eli shrugged. “But it was entertaining. I enjoyed it.”

“And you agree it’s a Christmas movie,” Matt pressed.

“It’s a movie that takes place at Christmas.”

“Ha!” I knocked my knee against Matt’s. “Told you.”

“But it’s about a Christmas party. The whole thing takes place on Christmas Eve. Ergo, it’s a Christmas movie.”

Eli grinned. “That’s all true. But it’s an action story. The plot doesn’t move beyond the action. That makes it an action movie that takes place at Christmas.”

“Pshhhhh.” Matt grabbed the remote and turned the movie off. “You might be smarter than both of us combined, but you’re wrong.”

“Don’t listen to him.” I slung my arm over Matt’s shoulder and ruffled his hair. “He’s just salty that he’s wrong and refuses to admit it.”

He shoved my hand away from his head. “You’re the one who’s wrong. The entire world agrees with me.”

“The entire world also believes that dropping a penny off the Empire State Building can kill and that goldfish have a three-second memory. Doesn’t mean it’s true.”

“Wait, what?” Matt gaped at Eli. “Those aren’t true?”

“The terminal velocity of a penny is between thirty to fifty miles per hour. Fast enough to sting but not enough to kill or even bruise. And goldfish have a three-month memory. They can even be trained.”

“People train goldfish?” I asked. “Like, to do tricks?”

“Simple ones. Goldfish are part of the carp family, which makes them food motivated. That makes them trainable.”

“Huh. I must be part carp because I’m also food motivated.” Matt grinned.

Eli laughed, his green eyes sparkling. “Most animals are food motivated. Especially domesticated dogs.”

“Did you just call me a dog? Or are you saying that I’m loveable and awesome like a dog?” Matt asked, his tone light.

“I think he’s saying you have major golden retriever energy going on, blondie,” I said.

“No way. I’m tough and scary like a pit bull.”

“Pit bulls aren’t actually a breed. It’s an umbrella term for any dog that has Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire bull terrier, or American pit bull terrier in them. Some definitions also include the American Bully,” Eli said. “They also consistently achieve excellent temperament scores and make great service animals or family pets with proper training, so the big scary pit bull myth is just that, a myth.”

“Huh.” Matt chewed on his lip. “Now I feel like an asshole for saying that. Guess it’s true there are no bad dogs, just bad owners.”

“Golden retrievers are great dogs if that makes you feel better,” Eli said. “They’re friendly and smart and gentle while still being loyal and devoted. People love them for a reason. If you’re going to be compared to a dog, that’s a good one.”

“I like that.” Matt grinned. “I’m a golden retriever.”

I laughed at his proud tone. “You definitely are.”

Eli pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped it against the back of his arm. He glanced at the screen and sighed.

“Everything okay?” Matt asked, worry creeping into his tone.

“What? Oh, yeah. Fine. Just the time.” He looked at me, then at Matt. “Need to get to work.”

Matt nodded, a smile on his lips. “Have fun.”

“I’ll try.” He stood, a wry grin on his full lips. “You can tell Jax what I do if you want. Night.” Eli swept out of the room in that floaty walk he’d perfected.

“I’m confused.” I glanced at Matt, who’d pulled out his phone and was unlocking it. “He’s working on Christmas?”

“He cams,” Matt said distractedly. “I imagine there are lots of lonely people who would be happy for the distraction today.”

“Cams?” My brain was not quite computing what Matt was saying.

“Like online. Sells content too.”

“Like TikTok?”

Matt snorted. “More like OnlyFans.”

“OnlyFa… holy shit.”

“Right?”

“And by cams, you mean like those ads on porn sites? ‘Watch hot guys online?’ He’s one of those hot guys?”

“Yup.”

“Wow.”

I would never have expected quiet, quirky Eli to be in the adult industry. Showed you really couldn’t judge a book by its cover.

“Exactly what I said when I found out.”

“And he told you about this? How the fuck did that come up in casual conversation?”

“I walked in on him making a video, and he kind of had to tell me.” He looked up from his phone. “Dude is fucking ripped.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. He’s hiding the goods under those baggy clothes.”

A twinge of jealousy shot through me at Matt’s tone, and I wanted to roll my eyes at myself. He was free to think anyone he wanted was hot, and I had zero right to be jealous. “Who would have guessed.”

“Goddamn it. He was right.” Matt dropped his phone into his lap with a dramatic sigh.

“What?”

“There are thirty-eight continuity errors in Die Hard, and I found multiple lists that said it has fourteen factual errors. How the hell did he catch them all and also keep track of the numbers?”

“His brain must be an interesting place,” I mused.

“He’d kick ass at trivia. We should convince him to come out with us one night. I heard The Blue Door has decent prizes for their trivia nights, and they do tournaments every few months. I remember someone saying fifty bucks per person for regular nights and five hundred for the winning team during tournaments.”

“He’s twenty,” I pointed out.

“We’ll get him an ID,” Matt waved dismissively. “Fifty bucks is fifty bucks.”

“So many jokes in there.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Never mind. Another movie?”

“Die Hard 2?” He grinned wickedly. “Keeping up with the Christmas tradition of course.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“If that means awesome and loveable, then yes, I am.”

“Sure, we’ll pretend that’s what it means.” I smirked.

“Can you get us a couple of beers? I have some on my shelf in the fridge.”

“Why do I have to get them? You’re closer to the kitchen.”

“Because I want to ogle your ass as you walk away. And if you could come in backward when you’ve got them, that would be great.”

“You know I’m going to wear these leggings around you all the time.”

“Duh. Why do you think I got them? They might have had your name on them, but they’re really a gift to me.”

“They’re surprisingly comfortable, even with a seam that goes right up your butt crack.”

Matt laughed. “I wondered about that.”

In a teasing mood, I stood and popped my ass out. “I think I should wear these to our first team workout. Give the guys something to talk about.”

“Fuck no.” He slapped my butt cheek hard. “This is mine. Basketball shorts or baseball pants around the team only. Hell, I’m going to burn all your pants and make you wear sweats from now on so you stop showing it off every time you leave the house.”

I wiggled my ass. “You don’t think you should share the magnificence with the world? It seems selfish to keep something this amazing to yourself.”

“Selfish smelfish.”

“Smell fish?” I chuckled and looked over my shoulder at him.

His gaze was firmly fixed on my ass. I arched my back the tiniest bit more.

“Go get the beers before I tackle you and do bad things to both you and your ass.”

“Careful, I might like it.”

His lustful gaze met mine. “I bet I can blow you and get you off before the opening credits of the movie end.”

“You think?”

He licked his bottom lip. “Yup.”

“You’re on. But if you lose, then I get to suck you for as long as I want while you watch your action movie that takes place at Christmas. No complaining or begging me to hurry up and make you come.”

“Deal. But if I win, then you have to blow me in sixty-nine so I can play with your butt while you make me come.”

“Thank fuck Eli’s going to be busy for the next little bit.” I turned so he could see the bulge in the leggings. “These leave nothing to the imagination.”

Matt waved at the tent in his sweats. “Hard same.”

I snickered. “It’s definitely hard.”

“Fuck the beers. We’ll get them later.” He slid onto the floor. “Time to win our bet.”

“You wish, Landry.”

“Prepare to lose, Crawford.”

My dick pulsed. I shoved the leggings down and sat on the couch. Matt grabbed the waistband and tugged them around my ankles so I could spread my knees for him. He fit his big body between my legs and gripped my base.

“Start the movie,” he rasped.

I grabbed the remote, my dick hard and aching.

This was one bet we’d both win, no matter what the outcome was.