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

“It’s not stupid. You just need to make it happen. Are you on the


“I don’t go to school,” Jamie replied, biting into his


burger viciously. He glared at Alex, daring him to respond to


“Why not?” Alex wanted to know. “How else are you going to


get a scholarship if you don’t play ball in school now?”


Jamie turned away and stared out the window at the street. “I’m


not going to college,” he said. “It’s expensive and I ain’t got


money for lunch, you think I’m going to pay to have some asshole


tell me shit I don’t need to know? I hate school. There’s too much


other stuff I can be doing.” In a softer voice, he admitted,


“Besides, I got kicked off the team. They said it was my grades but


they hate me, I know they do. Everyone does.”


Alex sighed and reached across the table, daring to touch


Jamie’s arm. He rubbed his fingers along the downy hair on Jamie’s


soft skin and watched as Jamie looked down at his hand, a slight


Chapter 12