Making It Fit

Chapter 1

Chapter One

CHAD

“Do you need help assembling the bed?” One of the furniture delivery men asked. He had the glazed-over look of someone absolutely exhausted. I could handle it myself.

“No, thanks,” I replied. “Let me sign your paperwork so you can get out of here.”

After I showed the men out, I returned to my spare bedroom and leaned against a pale blue wall. It was Victor’s bedroom before he left for college. He’d only stayed here for six months after Fede’s death, and after he left I’d turned it into a home gym. Now it was going to be Victor’s once again, and I wanted the kid to feel comfortable here. Over the last couple of weeks, I’d moved the weights and treadmill to the garage and filled it with brand new furniture.

I put my face in my hands and sighed. “Life’s been rough for both of us. This needs to be a proper home for you, Victor.” I picked up a photo of Fede in uniform that I’d had framed. It had been lying face down on the small, wooden desk I’d bought for Victor and wondered where to hang it. “f**k it. Victor can decide when he gets here.” I sat on the corner of the desk and thought back to when Victor had first moved in.

Understandably, Victor was standoffish after his brother’s death. Though I did what I could to make him feel at home, I could tell his mind and his heart was elsewhere. The six months after a street thug killed Fede were the worst. I was grieving for my best friend and trying to be strong for his baby brother. Emotions, especially intense ones, were not my strong suit. I’d always wondered if I had driven young Victor away, that I hadn’t been supportive enough.

Victor’s grandparents tried convincing the kid to move to Mexico and make a fresh start. They had a small villa outside of Guadalajara, and the pictures I’d seen of it were stunning. To my surprise, he’d refused. Victor barely knew his grandparents since he was born in the US. He didn’t know Spanish, and Richmond was the only home he’d ever known.

So, Victor stayed in this room, not speaking to me or anyone else. When he announced his intention to go to acting school in New York, I’d tried to talk him out of it. But he was eighteen years old and determined to make his own way. Coupled with a hefty life insurance payment, Victor refused to be held back.

“You might be a quiet kid, but you're stubborn as an ox.” I laughed, remembering the dead-set look in his eyes. Once his mind was set on something, there was no changing it.

Victor had been the opposite of his older brother. Fede was outgoing, a determined cop who only wanted to protect and serve. When he wasn’t on duty, you would find Fede on the basketball court, or at the gym. His smile lit up any room he entered, and more than once I’d had to remind myself that Fede was off-limits. First, he was my partner on the force, and anything beyond friendship could degrade the trust we needed to do our jobs. Second, the man was seriously into chicks. If a skirt walked by, his eyes naturally followed. He had known I was gay, but it had never been an issue. I’d come out to him a few weeks after they assigned us to work together. He’d shrugged his shoulders, and then we’d gone out for a beer. Little did I know he wanted my help with Victor.

Over drinks, Fede confessed that he thought his younger brother might be gay. He knew it was a tough road to travel and wondered if I would befriend the kid. I agreed, and the bond between Fede and I grew deeper. When Fede introduced me to Victor, the kid had greasy teenage skin and thick-framed black glasses. His awkwardness was contagious, and the first few times I tried speaking to him were filled with uncomfortable silences. He always had a book in one hand, or his phone, and wouldn’t meet my gaze. Though Victor was never much of a talker, we became close. Victor would hover around me and Fede, silent but always watching.

“What would life be like if you hadn’t been shot, Fede?” I wondered aloud, my voice echoing slightly in the near-empty room.

Victor and Fede’s parents had died in a car crash a few years prior to our meeting, and Fede had become Victor’s guardian. Like being a cop, Fede took the job of raising his brother seriously. He always made sure the kid went to school, got good grades, and kept him out of trouble. The only thing Fede worried about was how withdrawn Victor was. No dates, no real friends to speak of, just books and his laptop to keep him company.

Victor would follow me around the house, not saying much. But we had that type of friendship where words didn’t matter. He trusted me, and I wasn’t about to let him down.

“I wonder what you look like now?” I murmured, then the doorbell rang, startling me. “Shit.”

I wasn’t expecting anyone, and Victor wasn’t arriving for three more days. I pushed myself off the desk and trudged down the stairs to the front door. If it was a salesperson or religious freak, they were going to be very sorry they disturbed me. When I got there, I deactivated the security system and flipped the deadbolt. Then I swung the door open, my lips already forming a snarl.

“What do you…”

The words died on my lips.

Standing before me was an almost mirror image of Fede, except hotter, if that was even possible. I felt my pulse ramping up and a flush spreading across my chest.

“Victor?” I whispered.

The man in front of me nodded his head, his lips twisting into a smile.

“Chad. It’s, well, it’s good to see you again.” Victor’s arms started to open, then fell back to his sides. He bit his lower lip and hung his head. “Sorry I came a few days early, but…”

“No, no, don’t apologize. Why didn’t you call me? I could’ve picked you up from the train station.” I said, then Victor lifted his chin, and our gazes locked. His eyes were wet and piercing, a brown so deep they were almost black.

“I’ll tell you about it later.” Victor breathed, then I noticed his arms open and fall to his sides again.

Oh God, he wanted a hug, and I couldn’t stop ogling him.

I opened my arms. “Come here, kid.”

Victor hesitated, then launched himself into my arms, his frame trembling beneath my grasp. Long gone was the chunky teenager. All I felt was lean muscle under the thin fabric of his shirt, and with dismay, I felt my c**k twitch. I froze in place and without thinking whispered, “Down boy.”

“What was that?” Victor backed out of my embrace, and I felt my cheeks burning. I placed my hands on either side of his face and held him still. His skin was hot in my palms, and Victor’s full lips were wet.

“Nothing,” I whispered, then cleared my throat and released him from my grasp. “I’m glad you’re home,” I said, my voice thickening. I tore my gaze from his and glanced down, noticing the trunk at his feet. “Let me get that.”

“No, you don’t…”

“I got it.” I grunted, needing a distraction for my overly enthusiastic d**k. Lifting the trunk into the air, I snuck one last glance up, only to realize my eyes were level with his crotch. Victor stepped back and turned toward the door, and I got a glimpse of his firm, round ass. My mouth went dry. I averted my gaze and stood up, hiding my growing erection with the trunk. “Go in.” I nodded toward the door and Victor hustled inside, then shut the door behind me. Instead of putting the trunk down, I went straight for the stairs. “I’m putting this in your room. Be right back.”

When I got to his bedroom, I dropped the trunk on the floor and leaned against the wall, surprised to be out of breath. The trunk wasn’t heavy.

It was Victor. The sensitive and awkward teenager was a man now, and every cell in my body was reacting to his presence. My first instinct was to mold my hands to his round ass and pull him into me, tight. I was aching to cover his full, wet lips with my own, to discover if he tasted as sexy as he smelled.

“You gotta keep it together.” I combed my fingers through my hair and felt sparks of electricity race down my spine. “He’s still a kid. Plus, Fede will come back and haunt you if you do anything to harm Victor.”

I shut my eyes and willed my heart to stop beating so fast. But it was near impossible to do with only one thought racing through my mind.

Victor is off limits.