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

Alex glanced over Jamie’s shoulder, ignoring the clean scent


that rose from Jamie’s neck. He wanted to bury his nose against


that soft flesh and breathe in deep, but he wouldn’t let himself.


Instead he pointed at the picture and said, “This is Dave. My


“Your boyfriend?” Jamie asked, frowning. “He’s kind of


Alex laughed. “Dave’s as straight as they come. He’s just a


And he is kind of hairy,he thought, watching Jamie as he


set the photograph back carefully. Not my type at all.Right


now he thought maybe his type was a young redhead with curls and a


hard body, but he wasn’t going to admit that out loud.


“Who’s this?” Jamie asked again, pointing to


Alex was all too aware of how close they stood, how Jamie’s


elbow brushed against his stomach slightly when he moved. It took


everything he had to look away from the fine hairs curling along


the nape of Jamie’s neck and follow his finger to see who he


Chapter 19