On a whim, Alex signs up to volunteer with an outreach program at a local youth shelter. When Father Nate calls him and asks him to work with Jamie as a big brother, Alex envisions a little kid he'll pal around with. What he doesn't expect is Jamie Owens, an 18 year old boy with a bad attitude who's only two years younger than Alex himself.<br><br>Jamie's hot. Very hot, and nervy, and precocious, and damn sexy, to boot. Even if he is eighteen, Alex feels guilty lusting after the kid. Alex sees himself as a mentor to Jamie, someone to look up to, someone to prove being a gay man doesn't mean casual sex in crowded clubs. He tries to keep his distance, both physically and emotionally, but Alex is sending some very mixed signals, and Jamie is getting pretty frustrated. As their friendship grows, Jamie becomes a part of Alex's life in a way neither expects.

Conflict of Interest

The priest laughed, the sound rich through


the phone. “Jamie wanted me to call and see how you’re doing. He


hasn’t stopped talking about you since you left.”


Alex caught his breath at the way his heart


fluttered to think of Jamie talking about him, him.“What?”


He could almost hear Father Nate’s shrug. “I


don’t know what you did yesterday but you made quite an impression


voice distant. He couldn’t imagine Jamie thought much about him at


Too late. Alex heard the phone switch hands,


then heard someone breathe into the receiver. Then, a little


breathless, Jamie whispered, “Hey.”


Just the sound of his breath was enough to


pique Alex’s libido; when he spoke, a sudden heaviness filled


Alex’s groin, hardening him. Fuck. Turning his back to his


roommate so Dave wouldn’t notice the growing bulge at his crotch,


Chapter 7