“Seriously?” The one-word question flies from Nisha’s mouth, but she’s not annoyed. She sounds more amazed.
“Seriously what?” I ask.
From her perch in an oversized chair, she flaps her hand at the two of us. “You literally just became boyfriends and you’re all schmoopy already.”
“Pretty sure that’s when you’re supposed to be the schmoopiest,” Reese adds in.
Holden tugs his girlfriend closer, plants a kiss on her cheek. “We’ve been together for half a year, and we’re still schmoopy.”
Reese lifts her wine glass. “To schmoop. Who’s with me?”
We all lift glasses—wine, water, cocoa, tequila—and drink to schmoop.
Laughing, TJ points at me. “Watch it or I’m going to write about you.”
I roll my eyes, undeterred by his playful threat. “Please, I’ve listened to your books. You’re the stud of schmoop in the happily-ever-after part.”
“Yup, in my books,” he says a little heavily, then shakes his head, like he’s shaking away whatever brief unpleasant memories paid him a visit. He flicks his thumbnail against the card. “What’s the answer?”
The crew goes around, rattling off kinky or romantic, but when TJ gets to me I give the same answer I gave River. “Both. And I refuse to pick.”
TJ smiles, glances at River then me. “Good for you, man. You should never have to choose between the two. Not when you have both.”
I squeeze River’s shoulder harder, and he snuggles closer, and soon I’m going to need to be alone with him.
But there are so many people here, and I meant what I said when I told TJ I didn’t want to have sex in a house full of so many people.
It’s too risqué.
Especially since we’re both crazy loud.
And yet, I really want to have sex with my boyfriend. Badly. As I sit here on the couch, my mind wanders away to Dirty Land, picturing him and me tangled together, skin slick and hot, breath coming fast, lips everywhere.
We could fuck, we could suck each other off, we could jerk . . .
A sensual sigh falls unbidden from my lips.
Shit.
Did everyone hear that?
As Jillian’s voice booms across the living room, River snaps his head closer to me. “Did you just moan?” he whispers in my ear.
Busted. “Ummm.”
“Behave, Owen,” he says in a low voice for me only. “If you do, I’ll make you feel so good in just a little while.”
And I want River’s brand of so good.
I want it so damn soon.
But I can also wait a little longer.
I’ve waited long enough for him like this, and now I have him. What’s another hour or so?
My friends deserve a little attention.
So I give it to them, playing the game until Tobey stands and announces that he’s got a good book to read. Nisha yawns, and Hailey says she needs to get her wife to bed.
Like dominoes, all the couples fall.
Holden gives the yawn performance of a lifetime, then heads down the hall with Reese.
Jones and Jillian skedaddle.
Steven and Brooks are off to the races.
TJ simply shakes his head, laughing. “Told you, O.”
“You did,” I say.
My friend gestures in the direction of River’s room, and mine. “Also, since you don’t need separate rooms now, how about I take Owen’s room, since then I won’t have to sleep on the couch?”
“Sounds like a most excellent plan,” River says.
I stand from the couch, stretching. “Are you going to stay up for a while, TJ?”
He nods, stretching out in the chair. “I have a book due to my editor. I’m feeling a little inspired by you two. You know how it goes with writers. We steal our friends’ stories.”
I know that’s not true for his big breakout book. That wasn’t anyone else’s story. It was his, it was true, and it didn’t end well in real life.
“And I have to say, the whole blurt-it-out-at-dinner bit? That’s a nice little twist,” TJ says.
“You don’t even have to steal it. You can have it,” I say.
River slides an arm around my waist but keeps his eyes fixed on TJ. “What will you call our story?”
TJ studies River, then me, then the two of us. “Hmmm. I’m thinking . . . The Bromance Zone.”
“Has a nice ring to it,” I say, and a minute later, I close the door to River’s room, and jerk him against me.
Then I kiss the fuck out of my boyfriend, even with my glasses on. It’s a hard, rough kiss. One that says I can finally have him. We can have each other.
It’s deep and passionate and will lead to one thing only.
Orgasms. Preferably soon.
River grabs at the neck of my shirt. “I need to get naked with you. Need to suck you off. Jerk you. Anything.”
“You’re too loud, though,” I whisper, but I have a plan.
“You’re too loud,” he says with a pout.
“We both are. But there’s an excellent solution.”
Five minutes later, we’re in the shower, making out like crazy as the water drowns out our noises. We make up for lost time. I back him up against the tiled wall as the hot water beats down on us. I can’t get enough of River.