Better Be Sure: Harrison Campus Book #1

by Andy Gallo

  Brittany kicked off her sandals and climbed deeper onto his bed, spilling his tousled blanket to the floor. “Dude,” she said. “How do I get the old Jack back?”

  He shrugged and put on the polo shirt he’d worn the night he and Ed had sneaked into his basement. Fuck. He could still smell Ed on him when he thought of it.

  He yanked that one off and chose a gray one. Gray like his shitty mood. “You don’t.”

  Brittany hauled in a handful of his shirt and looked Jack in the eye. “None of this quiet grunting shit. Spill. Let it out.” She smiled at him. “I’ve a good shoulder to cry on, you know.”

  Jack’s lips briefly twitched. “Thanks, but I’m good.” He’d done enough of that with Ed to last him a long time.

  “C’mon, then.” Brittany tugged his arm and glanced at Nessa. “Don’t tempt the girl to do what her beau told her. She’s still trying to impress him.”

  Nessa finally held up the photo. “This is your room, but who are these two?”

  Brittany twisted around and peeked over. She held out her hand, and Nessa gave her the photo.

  Brittany sucked in a breath and looked carefully around the room and back to the photo. “Oh,” she said, angling the photo to match the spot where it had been taken. Then she looked up at Jack and said it again, longer. Realization mixed with pity as she finally understood why this place was important to him. Losing the bet and having to leave hurt, but losing Ed was a thousand times the pain.

  Jack backed to the door, clapping his hands together, trying to brush off the moment. Really, he just needed to get out of there. “I’m gonna congratulate my brother.”

  “Jack,” Brittany murmured, but Jack pretended not to hear and hurried downstairs into the thick of the party.

  He wedged through packed hallways, then through those dancing to the DJ’s music. Damn, Pi Kap had really gone all out to celebrate the man of the hour. They’d even bought a keg, and there were far too many half-dressed girls here.

  Through the doorway to the second living room, he glimpsed Marcus, a red plastic cup raised as he toasted the success to good friends and his brother. Jack pushed through the room just as Marcus tipped his drink to his lips. Marcus paused when he saw him, grinned, and raised his plastic cup once more before downing the lot.

  He made a face afterward, and Jack mustered a small smile. This wasn’t really his scene, but Marcus deserved to let loose a little.

  They moved to a corner of the room partially cordoned off by a bookshelf. “Thanks for coming down,” Marcus said.

  “Nessa made it abundantly clear I had to or she’d have to grab my boy parts and drag me here.”

  Marcus grinned. “You know she would.”

  “In her dreams.”

  “I don’t want your mug in any of her dreams.”

  “Just yours, huh?”

  “She’s really amazing,” Marcus said. “It feels so good being with her, you know—” He stopped himself saying more and shrugged.

  Now Marcus was afraid to talk about Nessa because he was afraid Jack would feel worse? Not gonna happen.

  He grabbed his brother’s shoulders. “You can’t worry about telling me how happy Nessa makes you. Really, this is the one bright spot in my life now. There is no one, myself included, I want to see happy more than you.”

  “Thanks, bro.”

  The smile and wink were genuine. He really was happy for Marcus. “Want a drink?”

  “Sure.”

  They had a couple together and hung out at the victory party well into the night. Twice Jack ducked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, using it as cover from Marcus to check his phone. Still nothing.

  He shut the fridge door for a third time, jumping when Darren appeared behind it. The guy had both hands in his pockets and barely looked at Jack.

  Jack twisted away.

  “Wait,” Darren said.

  “What?” Jack turned around, fists clenched, ready to shove the guy into the fridge if he had to.

  Darren met his eyes and averted them toward their reflection in the kitchen window. “I… um… fuck.”

  Jack frowned at the stooge. Alone, without Harper at his side, the guy looked all right. Looked like he might be decent, what with those deep gray eyes and uncertain tremor.

  Billy and Seth chose that moment to burst into the kitchen. Their hollering stopped as they took in Jack and Darren there. Within the second, his friends were flanking Jack.

  “Fuck off, Darren,” Billy said, crossing his arms and setting his jaw. Touched by the support, Jack patted Billy on the shoulder.

  “It’s cool,” Jack said. “I got this.”

  “Sure?” Seth asked at his other side.

  “Yeah. Back up a bit?”

  Billy and Seth moved away but didn’t leave the kitchen. Jack raised a brow at Darren, waiting for the guy to continue.

  Darren looked at his friends over Jack’s shoulders. “You’ve got good friends.”

  That was about the last thing he expected from the guy’s mouth. “Huh?”

  Darren rushed on. “I’m sorry.”

  This was so out of left field Jack didn’t know what the hell was going on.

  Darren shifted his weight from foot to foot. “For what Harper did. It wasn’t right.”

  Okay, that was the last thing Jack expected him to say.

  With another hurried “sorry” Darren strode past Billy and Seth, out of the kitchen. The two guys raised equally inquisitive brows, and then a cell phone ding had Jack whipping out his phone again.

  Marcus. Not Ed.

  He sucked in the disappointment and headed for his brother.

  Chapter Twenty

  Ed: Parents are gone. Place so empty….

  Jack: I have Marcus’s lacrosse game at 2.

  Ed: Of course! Sounds like fun.

  Jack: I need lunch first, though. See you in twenty?

  “That’s a good reason to open the door.” Ed leaned on the doorjamb, one leg casually crossed over the other, gaze sweeping over Jack and the food bucket in his hands.

  Jack shook the bucket. “Someone order wings?”

  The sun caught the threads of gold in Ed’s light brown hair, and he smiled lazily. “You bet.” Ed moved to take the food, but Jack snatched it back.

  “That’ll be twelve dollars and fifty cents plus delivery fee and tip.”

  “I’ve got just the tip for the delivery boy.” Ed took the bucket from Jack’s arms and moved down the hall. Jack paused a moment, appreciating the view before following him to the basement den.

  Jack dropped his bag behind the couch. “I thought about bringing a couple of beers, but the not being twenty-one presented a problem.”

  Ed winked and placed the bucket on the coffee table. “There’s some root beer in the fridge.”

  “Works for me.”

  They drank root beer and ate through the bucket of wings, staining their fingers and faces with the delicious crusted chicken. “On second thought, wings don’t make the best date food.” Jack scrubbed his mouth with a napkin.

  Ed laughed, staring at his greasy fingers. “Thanks for coming around before Marcus’s game.”

  “I’d spend the whole day with you if I could, but this is a big game.”

  Ed’s lips tugged into a grin. “You’re a good friend. Come, let’s clean up.”

  Ed ran the water in the kitchen sink and washed off the grease using aloe vera hand soap. He snagged Jack’s hands. Slow and tantalizing, he squeezed his slippery thumb and finger up and down Jack’s fingers.

  Currents zapped to Jack’s groin, and he turned his head, nose brushing over Ed’s earlobe. “You know what that’s doing to me, right?”

  Ed shifted his weight, hip lightly bumping against Jack’s hardening crotch. “No idea. What could this possibly be doing to you?”

  With an evil grin, Ed stepped back, grabbed a towel, and tossed it at Jack. “How about some dessert?”

  “Sounds great. I might have just enough time for somet
hing sweet.” Jack wiggled his eyebrows.

  With a slow sexy smile, Ed turned and opened the fridge.

  Jack moved behind him and plastered himself against Ed’s back, looking into the fridge over his shoulder. Ed made a soft sound in the back of his throat when Jack casually rotated his hips. “I’d prefer something hot for dessert.”

  Ed turned his head, tongue darting over his lip. The green in his eyes shone bright, pupils dilated, aroused. “That was surprisingly corny, Jack.”

  Jack wriggled his chin into Ed’s shoulder and kissed his neck. “You secretly love it.”

  Ed shut the fridge and spun around. Jack stepped forward and snatched Ed into a heated kiss.

  Ed arched against him. “I want dessert in my bedroom.”

  In a flurry of kisses, Ed pushed them into his room, where they stripped off their clothes and tumbled onto the bed. Jack explored the cords of muscle in Ed’s back, slipped his hands to his front, and ran his fingers over the smooth stomach and fine-haired chest. “You feel so damn good.”

  “Thanks, I try.” Ed grinned, and Jack slapped him playfully on the back of the head before gripping his hair and pulling him into a deeper kiss.

  Ed kissed down his neck and followed the chain to the ring below. He looked up at Jack as he placed a soft kiss over it. Jack’s breath caught, heart hammering.

  Jack gently pulled Ed up and kissed him.

  “I want to make you feel good, Jack.”

  Ed nipped at the hypersensitive skin of his neck and ran his lips over the soft chest hairs on his way to Jack’s left nipple. Flicking his tongue, he gently bit the tip, igniting Jack’s body.

  Ed kissed lower, running his hands up and down Jack’s muscular thighs, massaging and caressing. He bypassed his straining cock and kissed his inner thighs, the lightest stubble scratching over his skin. His tongue moved north, stopping at the twins hanging below Jack’s cock. Ed rolled Jack’s balls gently in his mouth, one and then the other.

  Clutching the sheets, Jack tried not to jerk, but it was impossible to stay still. Ed released Jack’s ball sac, and his nose drifted to Jack’s engorged cock. Licking up one side and down the other, he slowly pulled back the foreskin.

  Jack groaned and canted his hips as Ed swallowed half his length in an instant.

  The pressure from Ed’s tongue and lips along with the warm wet mouth had Jack swearing. His mind blanked and he pistoned in and out of Ed’s hot mouth, hand threaded through Ed’s hair as a blinding orgasm tightened Jack’s balls. “Can’t hold back.”

  Ed moaned around him, and the vibrations had Jack bucking upward as his body convulsed. Sweet heaven. Ed kept the pressure steady until Jack’s body was completely milked of his orgasm.

  “God, that was amazing,” he gasped.

  Ed slid up Jack’s body with a cocky grin. “Yeah, did you like that?”

  Jack pulled Ed close and kissed him deeply, tasting himself in Ed’s mouth. He flipped Ed over and crawled onto his amazing body. His kisses were fast and furious—Jack couldn’t get enough of Ed’s hard body, and his slightly salty taste already had him stirring again.

  “That feels too good. I’m gonna come soon.”

  Jack skipped the rest of the foreplay he had in mind. Using his lips, he freed the head of Ed’s cock from its sheath and inhaled him. Barely thirty seconds into his efforts, Ed reached the tipping point. Ed groaned, his cock twitched, and warm come filled Jack’s mouth.

  Ed tugged him forward. “Jack,” he whispered, panting for air. “Too sensitive.”

  Shimmying up, Jack pressed his naked body next to Ed’s. Jack sought Ed’s lips, kissing deeply before flopping on his back with a contented sigh.

  “And the day is still young,” Jack said. “I hope you have supplies.”

  Ed smirked and put a hand on Jack’s chest, nuzzling into this neck. “I have. I just didn’t know what… side… you like.”

  Laughing, Jack rolled over and faced Ed. “Metaphorically, I’m mostly a top but like to bottom too.”

  “That’s a metaphor?”

  “Direct and to the point.” He winked. “Fine, I’m usually a quarterback who likes to pass to his tight ends. But I could easily be a receiver if the right person was passing. How about you?”

  “I did tell you I was a tight end. But have been known to try my hand passing.”

  “Perfect. No label for either of us.” Jack leaned forward and kissed the tip of Ed’s nose.

  Ed ran his fingers lower and traced imaginary patterns just above Jack’s pubic hair. Jack had remained semihard, but these ministrations had him fully erect in seconds. “You need to let me catch first. I’ll be way too sensitive to handle you otherwise.”

  Jack reached over and stroked Ed’s already hard again cock. “No problem—” His alarm sounded from the puddle of his clothes on the floor. “Okay, slight problem.”

  Ed laughed and helped Jack locate his phone. “Marcus’s game?”

  “Yeah. I promised to pick up Brittany too.” Jack shoved on his clothes.

  “Where is he playing?”

  “Jenkin’s Field on Fifth. I’ll need a few hours. Damn, I wish I didn’t have to leave you.” Wish you’d come out with me. Meet my friends. Call me your boyfriend.

  Ed handed Jack his keys and wallet. “Yeah, I…. We have the rest of the weekend.”

  “Uh-huh.” Jack nodded but didn’t look at him. “I’ll see you back here later, then.”

  Jack couldn’t get rid of the slight disappointment as he picked up Brittany and made their way to Marcus’s game. He’d had an amazing time with Ed—that was enough.

  It was.

  Brittany flicked his ear. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

  He shrugged. “Who do you reckon will win?”

  “Don’t let Marcus hear you ask that.”

  He snorted. “You’re right. His team is the best, anyway.”

  The parking lot was full, and finding a free space became a pain in the ass.

  “There,” Brittany said, pointing down the line. “Behind the banged up Toyota.”

  Jack slowed, trying to locate the free spot—

  A familiar truck caught his eye, and Jack stepped on the brake, jerking them in their seats.

  Brittany choked on a curse. “Past the Toyota.”

  Jack gripped the wheel as he stared into the truck. That was definitely Ed hunched in the driver’s seat.

  Jack’s throat tightened, and butterflies filled his belly. Ed had come to the game.

  He fought the temptation to jump out of his Jeep and scramble into the truck. It’d only been an hour since he’d left Ed, but it felt like a week.

  “Where did that goofy smile come from?” Brittany asked.

  Jack released his foot on the brake and drove to the other end of the parking lot. Ed had come without telling Jack for a reason. Jack would let Ed figure this out on his own.

  After they’d parked and found a free bench inside, Jack pulled out his phone, bouncing it on his knee as he waited for it to chime. The game started and Jack scoured the crowd, looking for Ed. Was he sitting somewhere else, debating how close he could get with all these fraternity boys around? Was he still in his car, fighting the panic to get out? Or had he given up and driven home?

  “What the fuck?” Brittany screamed, just one in a chorus of Harrison fans. “Blatant foul that was, and he let it slide?”

  Jack made more of an effort to focus on the game. Marcus flew across the field, all deft moves and quick reflexes. The ref kept picking on him, and Marcus looked like he struggled not to lose his shit.

  His phone buzzed against his thigh, and Jack almost dropped it in his hurry to check it. He sucked in a breath at Ed’s name on the screen and swiped to read.

  Ed: Enjoying the game?

  Jack frowned at the screen, trying to figure out what that meant. Had Ed left, then?

  Another message came in.

  Ed: ’cause it doesn’t look like you are.

  Jack’s heart ha
mmered, and he snapped his head around. Ed was walking up the aisle, thumbing his phone. He looked up, and this time their gazes caught.

  A nervous smile quirked at the edges of Ed’s mouth. He pressed something on his phone, and Jack’s buzzed again.

  Ed: Can I sit with you?

  Jack had purposely left enough room to shuffle over in case Ed found him, and he happily shoved his butt across the bench. Brittany raised a brow at him. “That’s cozier than I’m used to from you.”

  He rolled his eyes, but there was nothing able to stop him grinning like an idiot. “Ed’s here,” he said under his breath. “Keep it easy, right?”

  Brittany perked up, following Jack’s gaze to Ed approaching. She whistled low. “Damn, Jack. That’s a fine-looking man.”

  He elbowed her into a fit of giggles and focused on Ed, who perched so close to the edge of the bench it looked like he would soon fall off it.

  Ed planted his elbows on his thighs and stared at the game. His throat kept jutting with swallows.

  Finally Ed glanced over at Jack and offered a shy smile.

  All of Jack’s instincts told him to take Ed into his arms and hold him tight. Tell him everything was okay and he’d protect him from anyone who dared give him shit. Instead he tapped a message on his phone and sent it.

  Jack: I’m *really* enjoying the game now.

  Ed shifted a little farther onto the bench and clasped the edge, hand within reaching distance. His other hand worked his phone.

  Ed: Is that Brittany who’s eyeballing me?

  Jack whisked around, catching Brittany in the act. She laughed and ruffled the back of his hair before leaning over him and offering her hand. “I’ve heard lots about you, Ed.”

  Jack held his breath and let it go when Ed shook her offered hand. “Same goes for you, Brit.”

  “Oh, I do like you.” In the same breath, Brittany turned to another shitty ref call and let out a chain of expletives.