Jerk

Jonathan considers me for a moment. Then he nods. “Alright. You want to go through with this, but also keep up all the progress you’ve made, right? I got the solution. You remember what his ex was like? That Joey asshole? Be like him. Danny is obviously into it.”

I wrinkle my face up. “Into it?”

“Yeah. Considering the way you said he reacted at the gym today, seems like he enjoys being treated a little rough. He’s into jerks. Maybe that’s why he was with Joey for so long. He needs a guy to keep him in line. A bad boy. A dick.”

“Okay, I don’t think—”

“Don’t change one damned thing about you. Hey.” He leans forward. “You can’t forget who we were a year ago—and what we are now. Don’t slip back on me, buddy. There’s a reason this worked out for us. I mean, look at our lives. We can have a new lay every night if we wanted. Here, in an hour with a tap of a finger, snap, you’re getting laid tonight. We’re the ones who get seen at the clubs. We’re the ones who get the attention now. It’s fucking fate.” He spreads his hands. “There’s a reason your special guy came back into your life at this point. He didn’t show up because he’s ready for you. He showed up because you’re finally ready for him. You’re now the man he wants.”

I stare at the floor. “Not so sure.”

“Oh, you’ll feel sure soon enough—once you’ve got his clothes on your bedroom floor.” Jonathan smirks at me. “Just show him how much of a dick you can really be. He’ll be hard for you in no time.”

I squint suspiciously at him. “You really make me wonder sometime if your whole ‘I’m straight’ thing is just an act. You’re way too comfortable talking about hard dicks.”

“So? You’re my pal. We’ve seen each other naked. Just let me be happy for you.” Jonathan glances at his phone, then hops off the counter. “Almost time to meet up with this chick I matched with. I’ve got a feeling she’s into kinky stuff. I’ll SOS you if I get tied up or something.”

“And how are you gonna accomplish that if you’re tied up …?”

He reaches the door and stops. He isn’t the brightest crayon. “Uh … I guess I’ll …” He snorts at me. “Whatever. You focus on you, okay? Don’t worry about me. Get your head in the game ‘cause Friday will be here before you know it.” He sees himself out.

He must be psychic, because Friday does arrive before I know it.

I practically blink, then I’m standing on the stoop of my place, waiting for Danny to arrive. My hands are stuffed deep into the pockets of my jeans. A tight button-down shirt, opened to the chest, hugs my frame. I’ve got my hair styled in the perfect way that always scores me a date. My breath is good. My facial stubble is on-point. My chest is pumped from my workout earlier.

I’m basically a fuck machine ready to knock all the air out of Danny’s lungs at first sight.

“Hey there, Romeo!”

I turn.

And the sight of him knocks all the air out of my lungs.

Danny is a unique, understated, easygoing brand of gorgeousness. He’s in a plain white t-shirt, half-tucked into a stylish pair of jeans I want to tear right off of him. Despite being dressed down and casual, he makes his outfit seem like the thoughtful wardrobe choice of a runway model—intentional, striking, and inexplicably perfect. I want to cuddle him and fuck him at the same time. I want to make love to him in ways I didn’t even know I was capable of imagining. I want to own him. I want to set him free.

I’m an instant warzone of hormones within my body—emotional bombs exploding in my heart, in my limbs, in every nerve ending and muscle.

“Danny,” I breathe back. “You look so … You look …” I flip the switch. Resist that cutesy urge. Be the guy he wants. Stand your ground. I turn my smile of astonishment into a smirk. “What took your ass so long?”

He chuckles in his adorable way. “I misjudged the walk. And my beagle was a bit whiny.”

“Beagle?”

“Yeah. I have a dog. Sassy is her name, because … well, she is.” His eyes dance down my body. “You look really great, Romeo. I see your … fashion sense has improved. I don’t want to take the credit for that, exactly,” he teases, “but, well, I did sort of march you back up to your closet to change before we went out last time.”

Is that normal? To reference something from over a year ago like it just happened yesterday?

In so many ways, it feels like it was just yesterday that Danny and I were standing at this exact spot, our eyes all over each other, debating how our night out was going to go. We had no idea the bomb I was about to drop on him—a bomb in the form of a kiss I should never have given.