My Best Friend's Brother

By K.C. Wells

 

My best friend's younger brother is all grown up. And gorgeous.

Casey's off limits. Forbidden. But that just makes me want him more.

 

 

Rylan

I've watched Casey grow up. I never imagined how the sweet, scrawny kid would turn into a hot muscular man. A hot guy who just came out.

Casey torments my thoughts. And my dreams. I need to stay far, far away from my best friend's kid brother. Should be easy, right? I can find plenty of guys to distract me.

Problem is, all I want is the one man I can't have.

 

Casey

There's never been a time when I wasn't in love with Rylan. My brother's best friend was my first crush. My only crush. He's the one man I shouldn't go near. And here I am spending the summer in the apartment he shares with my older brother.

That seemed like a good idea in the beginning. I thought I could handle it but now that I'm so close to the man I've always wanted, I'm not so sure. About anything.

 

I can have any man – except the one I want.

It's going to be a long, hot summer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: K.C. Wells
• Release date: Apr 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9781916853614

K.C. Wells

K.C. Wells lives on an island off the south coast of the UK, surrounded by natural beauty. She writes about men who love men, and can’t even contemplate a life that doesn’t include writing. The rainbow rose tattoo on her back with the words 'Love is Love' and 'Love Wins' is her way of hoisting a flag. She plans to be writing about men in love - be it sweet and slow, hot or kinky - for a long while to come. If you want to follow her exploits, you can sign up for her monthly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cNKHlT You can stalk – er, find – her in the following places: Email: [e-mail] Facebook: www.facebook.com/KCWellsWorld KC’s men In Love (my readers group): http://bit.ly/2hXL6wJ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/K-C-Wells/e/B00AECQ1LQ Twitter: @K_C_Wells Website: www.kcwellswrites.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/k.c.wells BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/k-c-wells

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My best friend’s younger brother is all grown up. And gorgeous.

Casey’s off limits. Forbidden. But that just makes me want him more.

Rylan

I’ve watched Casey grow up. I never imagined how the sweet, scrawny kid would turn into a hot muscular man. A hot guy who just came out.

Casey torments my thoughts. And my dreams. I need to stay far, far away from my best friend’s kid brother. Should be easy, right? I can find plenty of guys to distract me.

Problem is, all I want is the one man I can’t have.

Casey

There’s never been a time when I wasn’t in love with Rylan. My brother’s best friend was my first crush. My only crush. He’s the one man I shouldn’t go near. And here I am spending the summer in the apartment he shares with my older brother.

That seemed like a good idea in the beginning. I thought I could handle it but now that I’m so close to the man I’ve always wanted, I’m not so sure. About anything.

I can have any man – except the one I want.

It’s going to be a long, hot summer.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

My Best Friend’s Brother

Copyright © 2021 by K.C. Wells

Cover Art by Meredith Russell

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Cover content is being used for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

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The trademarked products mentioned in this book are the property of their respective owners and are recognized as such.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law.

Table of contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Epilogue

What’s coming next?

Available titles

About the author

Chapter One

Part One - June

Rylan

I grinned as Trask Dutton set our drinks down on the edge of the pool table. I was going to ask what took you so long, until I noticed what you were doing at the bar.

Trask’s lascivious smile reached his eyes. Her name’s Belinda, she’s twenty-four, she’s stacked, and... He reached into his jeans pockets and pulled out a fragment of paper, waving it in gleeful triumph. I’ve got her number.

I saw you flexing for her. Show-off. I chuckled. Got a thing for big guns, has she?

Trask cupped his crotch. "She’s gonna like this big gun."

I rolled my eyes but said nothing. I’d seen Trask’s equipment on numerous occasions and knew his words to be no idle boast.

Trask glanced at the small bar. Remind me again why we keep coming here. We could’ve gone to Hennessey’s.

I snorted. "Yeah right. Along with most of Hermosa Beach. That place is always packed on a Friday night. And we come here because it’s gay-friendly. I flashed Trask another grin. So we both get lucky. And speaking of luck... I nodded toward the bar. I think yours is in. She’s still looking this way. Just remember the towel rule, okay?"

Trask glared at me. "It was one time, all right? One freaking time I forgot."

"Yeah. You forgot, and I got an eyeful of some naked girl on her knees sucking you off. Put me off my food for a week."

Trask gave me the finger. What about you? Anyone caught your eye?

I hadn’t really been looking, but if Trask was going to be banging Belinda in the next room, I might as well find someone to warm my bed. And if Trask wasn’t going to finish the goddamn game... I set the cue down on the table and gave a nod to the couple of guys who were waiting their turn. Then I grabbed my glass and moved to the corner. It was a great spot for people-watching—or in my case, guy-watching.

Hey. I was winning, Trask complained, following me.

"That’s right. You were winning. I edged ahead while you were trying your luck with Belinda." I leaned against the wall and surveyed the scene before me. I liked Artesia. It was a great bar with friendly staff, and the eye-candy was pretty good too.

Trask joined me, his glass in his hand. So who’s it gonna be tonight? He inclined his head toward the bar where a group of guys were drinking and laughing. One of them was staring in our direction. What about him?

I appreciated the thought, but I knew why the guy was staring. Nope. Had him.

Is there a rule to say you can’t have him twice?

I chuckled. No, but he was too damn noisy the first time. Had to stuff a sock in his mouth just to muffle the sound. We’d have had the neighbors banging on the wall.

Trask squinted at him. You sure? Because he doesn’t look famil—

"Christ, you want him to sign an affidavit that we bumped uglies? Been there, had him, not having him again. Next." I didn’t have a rule about only seeing a guy once, but noisy guys? Hell no.

Trask scanned the men standing around us. Well, what about him? He pointed with his glass to the far end of the bar where a lone guy was watching the game on the TV.

Your form is crap tonight. He’s straight.

Trask gaped. "How can you tell? Because he’s watching sports? Don’t tell me gay guys don’t watch sports, because you do."

I laughed out loud. I know he’s straight because I hit on him last month. Not in the least bit curious either.

Well, excuse me for trying. He arched his eyebrows. "Come to think of it, why am I even trying? Find your own guys."

I patted his cheek. Aw, you do it ’cause you love me. I knew he liked being my wingman.

Trask narrowed his gaze. Jesus, keep your voice down. You wanna give Belinda the wrong idea? He took a long drink. "You’d better find someone if you wanna get laid before the dry spell begins."

What ‘dry spell’? I jerked my head in Trask’s direction, noting his smirk. Okay, out with it.

I was gonna tell you before we left the apartment, but you were in too much of a hurry to get here. We’re gonna have a visitor for the summer.

I blinked. What—all of it?

Pretty much.

I swallowed. Please, tell me it’s not your mom. Eileen was okay, but in very small doses. Like, infinitesimal doses...

Trask’s raucous laughter filled the air. God, no. I mean, she’s hinted a few times, but no way, man. I wouldn’t do that to you.

I gave my brow an exaggerated wipe. "Then who is coming?"

I got a call three days ago from Casey. Now the semester has finished, he doesn’t wanna go home, so he told Mom he wants to stay with us. I wasn’t gonna say anything till he confirmed it. He called me a couple hours ago with his flight details.

Okay, I could understand the whole not-going-home thing. Casey was nineteen, and between high school and college, he’d worked for a year while living at home. Trask’s opinion was that after stocking shelves in a supermarket, Casey had concluded college had to be better, and he’d put in his application. A year at Missouri State had to have given him a taste of freedom. And... his mom. Enough said. As for not going back to Mount Vernon, I got that part too. About a week before he’d left for college, Casey had come out to Trask. Not that his coming out had changed anything, except maybe the advice Trask gave him.

Yeah, I imagined part of that advice was ‘Stay away from Rylan.’ Trask would want to protect his sweet little brother’s virtue, right? I wasn’t pissed that Trask would say such a thing. If anything, it amused me. We’d been tight since we were kids, and we had no secrets from each other.

I could see why Casey would be happier spending his summer with us. Mount Vernon was pretty enough, but there wasn’t a whole lot for a newbie gay to do in a small town in Iowa, especially when there was the lure of his big brother living out in California.

Then Trask’s words sank in. "Wait—you said yes? Without asking me? Where the fuck is he going to sleep? With you?"

Trask grimaced. "Fuck no. He’s not sharing my bed. He glared at me. And he’s definitely not sharing yours. He can sleep on the couch. It’s comfy enough. But I don’t want you parading guys past him while they line up outside your room. His eyes gleamed. I swear, one of these days I’m gonna install a ticket machine next to your door. You know the ones? Where you take a number and wait your turn? Then he grinned. Maybe I should just go the whole hog and install a turnstile."

I gave him the finger. Don’t change the subject. Exactly how long is he thinking of staying?

Trask shrugged. He said June and July, and maybe a bit of August.

I gaped. "Are you kidding me? You telling me you’re going to keep it in your pants for that long?"

Trask gave me a thoughtful glance. "Oh, I didn’t say anything about me having a dry spell. You’re the one who’s gonna have to keep his wick dry."

Say again? I strove to keep a lid on my simmering outrage.

You heard me. This is my little brother we’re talking about, okay? I don’t want him—

What—corrupted? Is that it? Jesus, the nerve of this guy. He’s gay, isn’t he?

Yes, he’s gay, Trask gritted out. And he’s just a baby. I don’t want you getting him into... bad ways.

‘Bad ways’? My rage moved up to boiling point. "Okay. One, he’s nineteen. That doesn’t make him a baby, all right? Two—just what the fuck do you think he’s been doing all this time, now that he’s finally away from the eyes and ears of your mom and dad? Christ, you think he’s still a virgin? He’s in college. He’s probably getting laid every goddamn chance he gets." Casey had always been a cute kid, not that I’d seen him for a few years. He’d probably spent the entire first year of college on his knees or on all fours.

Of course I don’t think he’s a virgin. And since you brought it up, yes, I think you’ll corrupt him.

"You don’t think that’s maybe a little hypocritical? You’ve got as many notches on your bedpost as I have, remember? You ain’t no saint, sweetie. Remember what we were like in college?"

That seemed to hit home. Trask huffed. Okay, so maybe expecting you to stay celibate for two months wasn’t realistic.

Ya think? I knew why he’d said it, of course. He’d been eight years old when Casey was born, and from the minute he laid eyes on that kid, Trask was the archetypal Big Brother from balls to bones. He looked out for Casey, spoke up for him, dried his eyes when he scraped his knees raw after falling off his bicycle...

You don’t want him to get hurt. I get that.

You do? Trask gave me an apologetic glance. I’m sorry, dude. You’re right, of course. Neither of us are saints. Maybe... maybe don’t change guys as often as you change your underwear? Just for me?

I smiled. I can do that. Then I grinned. "I can always go to their place. What the eye doesn’t see, and all that..."

It was Trask’s turn to roll his eyes. "Do you always have to think with your dick?"

I snorted. No more than you do.

He looked me in the eye. Are we good?

I clasped his hand tightly. We’re good. I couldn’t stay mad at Trask for long, never could, even as kids.

Excuse me?

I turned to see who’d spoken. A tall guy with hair graying at the temples stood a foot away from us. He seemed sort of familiar.

Hey. Can we do something for you?

He gave a nervous smile. I saw you standing here, and I had to come over.

I smiled to be polite, my brain still trying to figure out where I’d seen this guy.

Haven’t I seen you at Afterburn Fitness? You work there as a personal trainer, don’t you?

I nodded and gestured to Trask. We both do. Now I knew where I’d seen him before.

Yeah, I thought I’d seen you around. That smile was still nervous, and I couldn’t understand why. Then I got it.

He gestured to us. So... are you two...

Christ, no, Trask and I said in unison.

He blinked, then burst out laughing.

Trask here is my best bud, I explained. "And he definitely doesn’t bat for my team."

His eyes lit up. Oh. So maybe you and I could...

Aw crap. I gave him the sweetest smile I