Page 28 of The Boyfriend Gamble

He flushed.

“Then why did you order a Canadian pizza? Or didn’t at least ask for half without mushrooms…”Because he was being considerate, gentle, and kind.

He winced. “I forgot. Well, I remembered you liked Canadian, but I forgot they put mushrooms on it until I saw it, and…” He shrugged.

“I’ll eat them.” No sense wasting good fungi.

After a moment, he handed over his napkin.

I took it gratefully, indelicately shoving them all in my mouth.

He offered up his current slice which had several.

“Uh, I’m not going to touch your pizza. As it is, I didn’t really clean my hands.” I’d washed them but not scrubbed them yet. I hadn’t handled anything toxic or bacteria-carrying, so I wasn’t worried.

He caught his lower lip in his teeth.

I grinned. “You can feed them to me.”

His eyes widened. Then, after a moment, they narrowed. “That feels like a trick of some kind.”

“Never.” Even as I said the word, I flashed to all the pranks I’d pulled over the years on various friends. As well as on family, such as Josie.

But never on Felix.

Had I always known? How sensitive he was? How easily he might be hurt? Even before his dad died, he’d been a quiet and introverted guy. So unlike Wally, Josie, and me. We were all loud, boisterous, and mischief-makers.

I reconsidered. Josie tempered that impetuousness when she was around Felix.

And, if I was honest, so did I.

Wally was the only one who didn’t seem cognizant of his younger brother’s delicate nature.

Slowly, Felix pulled a mushroom off his pizza.

I opened my mouth and angled myself so he could drop it in.

He did.

Our gazes met.

He giggled and pointed to my chin.

“What…?” I swiped. “Oh, cheese.”

“You want the others?”

“I want everything you’re willing to give me.”

Even as I said the words, the misinterpretation opportunities popped into my head.Sexual innuendo? Really?

And yet clearly Felix didn’t see it that way. He gathered the remaining pieces of mushroom—less than a mouthful—and offered them to me.

Guileless deep-brown eyes stared at me as I took the mushrooms into my mouth. Slowly, I closed said mouth and chewed mechanically.

What the actual fuck, dude? Are you crushing on your sister’s fiancé?

That shook me out of the trance. “I should get going.”

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