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

“Leave it open,” Jamie replied. When Alex didn’t move, he


shifted his gaze to look at him and frowned. “Nate says keep it


open when we have visitors. House rules.”


Alex smiled faintly as he opened the door. Thank you, Father


Nate,he thought as a cool breeze swirled into the room from


the air-conditioned hall. Pulling out the chair at Jamie’s desk,


Alex sat down and studied his friend. Jamie’s curls were damp and


his skin had that smooth look like he’d just come out of the shower


recently. Alex found his gaze drawn to the dark patch at Jamie’s


crotch, where just a thin stretch of material hid the rest of him


from view. He wondered what that soft hair would feel like entwined


in his fingers—he could almost hear the scrape of his nails along


that hidden skin, and with the door closed it would be like a


furnace, the bed would creak beneath them, their hair would drip


with sweat and they’d pant in each others’ arms after they came,


Chapter 17