Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 95019 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95019 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
He laughs, approaching me. He rests his hands on my shoulders, the tension in my jaw instantly easing up.
“I’m not gonna let you suffer, Ry. I haven’t even considered that until today because I’ve enjoyed what it’s been, but I don’t want this to end after the build.”
There’s a lightness in my chest as it feels like, for the first time since we started talking about this, I can take a decent breath of air. As though I’ve been holding it, worried about what he would say.
“I want to be your boyfriend,” he says, a smile playing across his lips.
I’m surprised how quickly that shifts my mood, as his words assure me that he was just doing his risk-management assessment of us, not trying to talk himself out of continuing this long term. “I mean, of course you do. Who wouldn’t?” I tease, pulling a laugh right from him.
“And back to your usual conceited self.”
I slide my arms around his hips, cupping his sides and reeling him close. “Hey, I’m not the guy who decided to be my boyfriend, but don’t worry. I want to be your boyfriend too, so I guess you’re one lucky guy.”
He cringes. “I can still take it back.”
I lean close, our lips millimeters apart. “Don’t you dare, or you won’t get to fuck me again.”
“I have a feeling I could get away with saying it and you’d still fuck me.”
“I hate it when you’re right, but that’s part of having a boyfriend now.”
“See what a fast learner you are?” His grin must be about as big as mine right now, and I’m living for it.
I tilt my head back, considering what this means, now that we’re boyfriends. “So…we get to do boyfriend shit now.”
“Like…handholding?” Marty asks.
“Gross.”
“More cuddling?”
“I’m on board with that one.”
“Dates?”
I didn’t think I could grin any more than I was, but I was wrong. “I like where this is going. So like going out to dinner? Or maybe the summer festival together?”
“Yeah, like that,” he says. “And maybe some smooches.”
Even as he’s trying to be playful about it, I can tell by the way his brows tug closer together that he still fucking hates that word, and it’s adorable.
“Of course,” I say. “Plenty of smooches. Was that ever a question?”
“Shut it and give me a smooch.”
I obey. He’s my boyfriend now, after all.
I guide him over to the fridge, pushing him against it and sliding my hand under his shirt, fully appreciating his lips, the gentle assurance that they’re all mine. When I finally pull away, I gaze into those green eyes glistening in the kitchen light. “I’m gonna enjoy fucking my boyfriend tonight,” I say before seizing another kiss.
28
Marty
Saying we’re boyfriends shouldn’t have changed anything.
It’s only a word.
But things feel different now.
We haven’t even gone on a date yet, since Ryan picked up more hours at the shop and I’ve started a summer gig as a lifeguard at the local water park. We have the build on Thursdays and Saturdays, but that hasn’t kept us from making the best of things, staying up and watching movies together or playing video games with Dax. Despite how much I’ll miss being in the frat, it’s nice getting a chance to just be with each other.
One day, on the housing job site, I’m working with Brenner and Taylor on drywall inside.
“See?” Taylor stands on a ladder, showing Brenner the overlap of the top drywall with the one under it.
“You can’t go higher?” Brenner asks, earning a look from his boyfriend.
“This is as high as it goes.” Taylor had already suggested it might’ve been too big. “I think Payton might’ve cut this one a little off.”
Brenner pulls out his measuring tape, and Taylor helps him measure. “Oh yeah,” Brenner says. “Look at you. Not just a finance bro after all.”
“So I have a boyfriend getting his master’s in architecture, and he can help me by getting out a measuring tape like any other guy here?”
“Hey, why don’t you put this house on AutoCAD or Revit, and then I’ll show you what I can do?”
“Ooh,” Taylor says. “I like it when you talk dirty.”
“Sure, it’s the dirty talk you like,” Brenner says as he pulls the measuring tape out and holds it by his crotch. The way Taylor’s cheeks turn pink, I have a feeling it’s an accurate measurement. “Let’s see what you must be on this thing.” He pulls the tape out near Taylor’s crotch.
“Stop,” Taylor says. He fights a smirk for a second, but then caves, giving his man a look, and Brenner sports a grin, as though fucking up on this drywall was worth it just so he could get that line in.
I’ve hung out with these guys some while they were undergrads at Peach State. Even though Brenner’s still attending Peach State for his master’s, we don’t see them around as much as we used to, so it’s been nice getting to see them some more on the builds because, yes, they’re always this fun.