Joss
The door to the loft opens and then closes, which has me scrambling to turn off my phone. This time, it’s not because I’m ogling Dane’s half-naked pics. Instead, I’m stalking the ones he posted of him and Shawna tonight. The last of which showcased them smiling big, cuddled up at the apex of a Ferris Wheel. The bright lights of the city provided them a picture-perfect backdrop while he held her beneath his arm. Since there’s no point lying to myself about it, I can admit to the pang of jealousy that hit me seeing him touch her like that—like this second date brought them closer. Like, maybe… they’re starting to fall.
Not your business, Joss. He’s not yours to be possessive over.
Even if it sometimes feels like he is.
I hear Dane’s footsteps coming this way and I reach for the book I’d been reading before scrolling my newsfeed. While finding where I left off, an image Pandora posted moments ago flashes in my head. This time, it’s of him and Shawna, but they weren’t alone. West and Blue stood in the frame, smiling while they all chatted. Honestly, it stung a bit seeing the foursome hang out while I chilled in bed with only my latest book boyfriend keeping me company. I’m not used to being the odd man out with them. Yeah, Dane’s screwed around with several girls throughout the course of our friendship, but this feels different.
Shawna feels different.
Now, I find myself not only hoping Dane doesn’t fall for her, I’m hoping my friends don’t fall for her either. Especially now that they’re all I have left here in Cypress Pointe.
Listen to yourself. You sound like such a hypocrite—wanting him while also pushing him away. That’s not fair. Friendship is safe, it’s what you know, so focus on that. And for fuck’s sake! Let the guy have a life.
Those words are still ringing inside my head when he knocks on the door.
Composing myself, I clear my throat. “It’s open.”
He eases in and I pull the blanket to my waist, remembering I only have on a t-shirt and underwear.
“Hey,” he says with kind of an odd tone. It’s almost like he’s preoccupied, thinking about so many things at the same time. Or maybe it’s just that he’s thinking about her.
My stomach twists when that possibility comes to mind, but I dismiss it quickly, remembering the conclusion I reached.
You’re just his friend. Remember, Joss?
“Have fun?” I don’t sound like myself either when I ask. My voice is too chipper, because I’m putting on an act to mask what I’m really thinking and feeling. With any luck, he bought it, thinks I actually do hope he had fun.
This just in: I don’t. I hope he was miserable with her and thought about me the whole time.
He comes closer, tucking both hands into the pockets of his jeans. “It was cool, I guess. Not sure if you saw, but we ran into West and Blue. Which was interesting,” he adds with a quiet laugh.
“I did see, but interesting how?”
He shrugs and drops down onto the edge of my bed and settles close. Goosebumps prickle my skin, getting worse as I study him—perfect features, broad shoulders that strain the fabric of his tee. And he smells good, like always. Lately, he’s given me a terrible case of tunnel-vision, making it hard to see anything or anyone but him.
“West was cool, but Blue was kind of weird,” he says, reminding me I should be listening and not eye-banging him.
I laugh a bit and pretend I wasn’t distracted. “What do you mean by ‘weird’?”
“I mean, she was friendly, but a little standoffish. At least she was with Shawna,” he says sort of under his breath.
I rejoice inwardly, hearing that Blue didn’t welcome this girl with open arms. Yes, it’s petty AF, but it’s honest.
“Hmm, wonder what that was about.” He doesn’t seem to catch that I’m gloating a bit, so I cool it before I give myself away.
“No clue, but Blue asked about you, so…” His voice trails off with a shrug and I hold in a smile.
“Cool. I’ll text her later.”
He stretches, yawns, and then reclines onto my mattress, folding his arms behind his head to rest on them. With his body being impressively long, both feet are still planted firmly on the floor. I swallow hard, knowing I’m staring again, but shit. He’s laid out in front of me like a damn dessert cart. My eyes do a slow scan of every inch of him. From where his pecs protrude through his shirt, to where a couple inches of his tight waist are visible above the band of his boxers. There, a perfectly carved V leads my gaze lower, right to the thick bulge at the front of his jeans.
Fucking. Huge.
Breathe, girl.
“So, what’d you do all night?”
The question snaps me out of it, and I meet his green stare.
“Uh… nothing too exciting. Just got in a bit of reading,” I say, forcing an awkward smile with hopes that he somehow missed me gawking at his dick.
“Sounds fun,” he replies with heavy sarcasm. Then, the dim smile on his mouth fades into a slow, sexy lip bite.
Damn you Dane. Damn you.
“It was fun, actually. I got through a few chapters before I got an interesting phone call.”
He glances over. “From who?”
“My dad.”
His head pops up a little now, and I don’t miss the concern in his expression. “Everything go okay?”
I shrug because I’m honestly not sure. “Guess so. He just said he’s got some business to handle, so he’ll be back in town eventually and hopes we can talk.”
When I don’t add to that, Dane’s brow arches. “Could’ve gone worse.”
I nod, agreeing. “It definitely could have.”
He turns his head and faces the ceiling again, and when he sighs, I focus on how his torso tenses, and then relaxes again.
“It’s been a long damn time since I’ve been in a bed. Kind of forgot what one feels like,” he says. I know he’s joking, but I still feel sorry for him. For the past few weeks, the couch is where he’s laid his head every night.
“If I doze, just throw a blanket over me and pretend I’m not here,” he adds with a laugh.
My lips twitch, thinking of proposing something that could seem innocent, but deep down, I know it would be far from it. I do have an alternate suggestion, though. One I think could be fun. One that doesn’t involve inviting him to stay—which was my first idea. Instead, I’ll extend a much safer invitation.
“We should watch a movie. I can pull one up on my laptop.”
Dane glances over, arching that brow again, maybe surprised I just suggested an activity that would require us to be close for more than five minutes.
In a way, I guess I’m kind of surprised myself.
“I’ll change and be right back,” he says, groaning when he sits upright, then stands.
“Cool. I’ll grab snacks.”
Half a second after he leaves, I hop up to close the door behind him, then quickly slip into a pair of shorts. So, I guess we’re doing this—our first one-on-one movie night as roomies.
My mind cycles through a hundred different ways this could go from good clean fun to good dirty fun in zero seconds flat, but we’re adults. We can handle this.
Nothing at all to worry about.
I head to the kitchen next and grab a big bowl, filling it with chips and manage to beat Dane back to my room. I intentionally settle on the side of my bed closest to the window. Chances are, we’ll choose something scary to watch, so it only seems right that he’d be the one to sit near the door.
Pretty sure that’s an unwritten code or something.
I hear his steps first, then he enters my room. Basketball shorts hang low on his waist and a black, ribbed tank hugs his torso. Boy has a body like nothing I’ve ever seen, and I’m admittedly a fan.
A big fan.
He drops down onto my bed like it’s nothing, letting his arm settle against mine. When he joins me beneath my comforter next, I’m reminded that he’s always been so at ease with the closeness. It’s me who clams up just at the thought of it.
He takes the bowl while I search for a movie, finding something creepy right off the bat. Horror is kind of our go-to genre, so I don’t have to ask if he’s interested.
I follow the movement of his body as he stretches to the nightstand to turn off the lamp. When his back settles against the headboard again, a faint hint of cologne floats in my direction and I breathe it out, trying to rid my head of the scent. But we’re hip-to-hip and there’s no escaping it. No escaping him as his heat becomes my heat beneath the blanket.
I’m doing my best to focus on the screen, but I can’t. Not with him so close. It doesn’t help that the pages I read before he came home concluded with a sex scene. One so steamy I considered popping a couple new batteries into Victor and letting him buzz me into a coma. Honestly, had I not gotten distracted by Pandora’s posts, I would’ve probably done exactly that and been asleep long before Dane even made it home.
But alas, here I am, nestled in bed beside my hot best friend, wondering if the real thing is better than a toy.
Sorry, Victor. Nothing personal.
The movie starts and I finally get comfortable. Well, sort of, considering how Dane’s proving to be an endless distraction. As soon as I think I’ve escaped the dirty thoughts he has running amuck in my head, he moves and some part of him brushes against some part of me, and it starts all over again. Even the sensation of the fine hairs on his leg moving over the smoothness of mine sends a flash of heat through me.
It’s becoming clear that this was a horrible idea.
He sets the bowl aside and crosses both arms over his chest. My eyes are drawn to the definition in his dense pecs and I… I can’t believe I’m thinking about this.
Forcing myself to face forward, I try following the movie despite having no clue what’s happened up to this point. It’s something about a couple finding a cursed mirror in the basement of their new home, I think. Other than that? I’m lost.
As if the universe is conspiring against me, the guy’s bare ass passes in front of the camera as he makes his way to the bed. His wife is lying there, ready and waiting.
“Well, shit. Not sure it’s smart to take a fuck-break while there’s a demon out to kill you, but you know, everyone’s priorities are different,” Dane jokes, reaching to pop a chip into his mouth.
On the other hand, there’s me, scrambling to fast forward past the scene before things go too far. It’s got nothing to do with me being a prude. Being a virgin doesn’t mean I’m anti-sex, it just means I haven’t gotten any yet. But what this is about, is how even the brief flashes of skin on the screen have me breathing deeper, getting worked up.
“Hold up! What’re you doing?” Laughing, Dane blocks me from touching the keyboard. “This is the best part.”
Of course, he’d think that.
“Actually, it has absolutely nothing to do with the plot. It’s pointless,” I argue back. However, when he flashes a grin at me, I realize I should’ve just let this shit play out.
“Damn, Joss. You look a little uncomfortable. You okay?” he teases, probably noticing how flustered I am all of a sudden.
Usually, I can play these things off, but it’s hard considering the fact that I was already lowkey horny tonight. Also doesn’t help that I’m sitting next to him.
“I’m fine,” I answer, flashing a dismissive smile, hoping he thinks he imagined my weirdness. Right away, I can tell he isn’t buying it, though.
I’m already rolling my eyes when his smile grows. He’s about to say something super awkward. I can feel it.
“Dane, no—”
“I’m just saying. We’re friends, right?” he croons. “We talk about everything, but you’re telling me two friends can’t have a mature conversation about sex?”
Not when one of those friends looks like you. Not when you make me feel the way you do.
I take a second to respond after that thought leaves me. “No, we can’t. Not now. Not ever.”
“Well, we should at least be able to have a discussion about why this scene, in particular, upset you so bad.”
“I’m not upset,” I sigh, trying not to smile.
“Then, that brings me to my next point,” he says with a smirk. “Admit that watching shit like this turns you on.”
I look him straight in the eyes and speak without wavering. “I, Josslyn Grace Francois, am not turned on.”
“You’re lying. Right to my fucking face at that,” he accuses with a laugh.
A deep breath fills my lungs and I feel the temperature in the room climbing.
“Admit it,” he presses. “You know I’m not here to judge.”
I laugh when my nerves get the best of me. “There’s nothing to admit, Dane! What about you? Does watching Lois and Bob get it on get you hard?” I ask sarcastically, making up character names when the real ones slip my mind.
“Honestly?” he says, one corner of his lips tugging up with a grin. That’s all it takes to send my temperature soaring even higher.
“Just forget I asked,” I mutter.
I can’t help myself. At the thought of him having an erection beneath the blanket, my eyes are definitely tempted to drift lower just to peek. I resist, though.
Somehow.
“I’ll tell you if you really want to know,” he says with a shrug, showing zero sign of embarrassment.
Without a doubt, he would admit to such a thing, and now my mind’s gone to places it shouldn’t. My body begins to overheat, even more than it already was.
“Ready to give me a real answer?” he asks, slow and even, his tone marked with confidence.
“I already told you, it didn’t affect me.”
Contrary to the tenacious answer I’ve just given, Dane’s silent stare has me breathing erratically. Like I’ve been running laps around our building.
“So, you’re telling me you’re not curious how it’d feel to be her right now?” he rasps, pointing at the screen just as the lead actress gives us her best orgasm-face.
“Yes, Dane. I can tell you, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that’s not something I’m thinking about,” I lie. In truth, I’d give anything to feel what she’s feeling.
He scans me with that deep, penetrating stare of his again, then a wicked grin touches his lips.
“So, you’re in total control of yourself?”
I nod. “Completely.”
“And you could keep your cool if someone touched you like he’s touching her?”
I shoot him a skeptical glance, as if what he’s just said is a no-brainer, proceeding to taunt him with a falsely confident smirk. Then, my dumb ass goes as far as to give the snidest answer I can muster.
“Easy.”
He scans me with a smoldering look, one that screams ‘danger’, like I’ve just awakened the devil himself. I swear the mounting heat between us burns away the air in this room, and it only gets worse when the challenge I didn’t mean to put into the atmosphere is answered. When he speaks, he does so with such confidence that I am more than aware of having lost this game before I’ve even gotten the chance to play.
“Ok, then,” he says with a slow nod. “Fucking prove it.”
