Lowering himself down onto his forearms, he brought his nose to my cheek, rubbing it over my skin before his fingers lifted to brush sweaty strands of hair from my forehead. “No,” he said softly.
A breath of relief escaped, and I shuttered my gaze. Even without looking into my eyes, I knew he’d see too much if I didn’t control my reactions. Sex might be permissible in this new friendship arrangement. I doubted love was. Not right now, anyway. And right at this minute, my feelings for him had my chest in a vice grip.
“Um… good. Great”
“Riley?” he murmured.
“Yep?”
“You going to look at me?”
“Erm... no.”
He laughed, the sound low and throaty. And fucking delicious. “No?”
I shook my head in response, my lips firmly pressed together, eyes still shut tight.
“You know, I’m still inside you, it’s a little late to go all shy on me now.” His words sent a bolt of heat right through me. My entire body tensed, clenching around him.
“I felt that,” he said, tone gruff. And I felt my cheeks flame, the tone of his voice doing nothing to ease the ache building inside of me. A low chortle left his mouth. “So fucking adorable,” he murmured, repeating his words from earlier, and I turned to mush. Dropping a kiss onto the end of my nose, he pulled from me and hopped to his feet.
This felt like more than friends. More than friends with benefits even. I was too afraid to ask him what it was, though. So, I kept my cheek pressed into the cushion and my hand flattened against my heart, trying with all my might to hold it there because it felt like if I lifted my palm, it might burst out of my chest and fly to Reno. And he'd probably smack it away with a baseball bat.
That’s not what he wants from us. But like an innocent puppy, my heart acted on feeling, not reason. Especially not when he emerged from the bathroom, naked as the day he was born, and reached up to hook his fingers over the door frame, muscles flexing and a playful glint in his eye. My eyes shot wide, unbridled lust coursing through me.
“This is what you wanted, right, Ri?”
I gulped as my eyes tracked every ripped inch of him.
“What was it your note said? Something like: Hardly... you never stick around long enough for me to get a proper look at your dick?”
Burning. My face was burning.
“Well, here it is, baby. Don’t ever accuse me of not following through on a promise.”
I cleared my throat, nodding. “Well, uh, thanks... for that,” I choked.
“Riley?”
I nodded again, dragging my eyes up to his. That damn smirk. Had I said I would pay to see that? I ground my teeth and grated, “What?”
“I’ll be sticking around this time.”
I melted. Like an ice cream cone on a scorching summer day. He approached me quietly, a look of determination on his face. Until it disappeared between my legs, and then I must have blacked out.
“So… somebody spotted you doing the walk of shame from Reno’s trailer in the middle of the night, Wiley Riley.”
“What?” I whisper-yelled down the line. “Who?”
“Leon. He stalks your place with binoculars and a bottle of lube every night. Didn’t you know?”
“Alissa!” I said, exasperated. “Do not make me full name you...”
Her sharp intake of breath sounded in my ear. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“I would. It’s literally on the tip of my tongue. Now, what the hell?”
“Fine,” she huffed. “Leon doesn’t sit outside your place stroking one out while watching you get changed for bed. It wouldn’t shock me if he did though, just FYI.”