Messy Love by Riley Hart

Danny:

I’m not a guy who’s looking for a serious relationship. I love the chase, and the one time I thought I wanted more, the guy bailed. When my buddy Will mentions his recently out, older brother is looking for a place to stay, I offer the spare room in my apartment. It’s clear Jonathan’s past did a number on him, and he’s locked up tight. I make it my mission to show him how to have a little fun. What I don’t expect is to start to like him…or get jealous when he goes on a date…and hooking up with him is a terrible idea…right?

Jonathan:

When Dad caught me kissing a boy as a teenager, he made it clear such behavior was unacceptable, and I’ve been messed up about it ever since. I’m over thirty, yet from Danny’s viewpoint, I’m a baby gay, which should be more annoying than it is. He’s got me playing on a queer baseball team, making friends, and wanting things I never thought I’d want, like pursuing my art—and him. I definitely want him.

Problem is, I can’t get rid of the unwanted voices in my head, my relationship with most of my family is a disaster, and every time Danny touches me, I come apart, finding myself wanting more. Danny doesn’t do relationships, he’s my brother’s friend, and I have a slew of hang-ups. All of this makes things…messy.

So then why can’t we keep our hands off each other? Why is he taking me on dates and looking at me like we could have more? To get there, we’ll need to put our pasts away for good, and have a lot of trust, not just in ourselves, but each other.