Just Between Us

by J. J. Scotts

  Not that Ryan could really blame them. The man was gorgeous. Dark hair and eyes, tan skin, killer smile, tall – taller than Ryan’s 6’1” frame even – and sleekly muscled. If he wasn’t afraid of losing his best friend, he’d be just as obvious in his lusting as those fangirls.

  Remembering stories Sam had told him about having his clothes ripped and his hair pulled, Ryan reconsidered. He wouldn’t be that bad…probably.

  Sam just shrugged at his driver’s words and lightly shoved Ryan’s shoulder. “Rye here can be my bodyguard, if you’re worried, Steve. He won’t let anything happen to me. Right, Rye?”

  Ryan rubbed his hand against his jaw, trying not to think about how he would like to guard his friend’s body…with his own. “Yeah,” he managed to grind out. “We’ll manage, Steve.”

  The driver nodded and pulled out into traffic. The hairs on the back of Ryan’s neck pricked as Sam closed the partition. Feeling the increased sense of intimacy that the privacy barrier always gave settled over him like a heavy blanket.

  ***

  Ryan didn’t know what his problem was. He’d always managed to keep his desires under wraps around his friend before, not even allowing thoughts of Sam’s darkly good looks and fit body into his mind when they were alone. He couldn’t deny that Sam had been featured in more than one hot dream, but it was impossible for him to control himself then.

  For some reason, he was more on edge than usual tonight. He could smell the slightly spicy, citrusy scent of Sam’s cologne in the enclosed space, and the occasional brush of their knees made his heart want to jump out of his chest. Ryan gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to reach out and lay his hand on Sam’s muscled thigh, right beside the impressive bulge of his friend’s crotch.

  “So, uh... you were mentioned in class today!” Ryan jerked his gaze up to Sam’s face, grateful to find him absentmindedly tucking his phone into his pocket.

  “Oh?” Sam rested his right ankle on his left knee, thighs spread wide, and rubbed one long fingered hand across his chest. “Your little fangirls took time out of their Ryan worship to discuss little ol’ me?”

  Ryan snorted, rolling his eyes. “Trust me, they were all about Sam Cavell today. You even managed to win over the punk girl.”

  Sam laughed. “Yeah, the bad girls always dig me, I guess. Think maybe it’s the spy thing in the books?”

  Ryan managed a rusty chuckle at the thought of the women Sam has gotten involved with. He tried as hard as he could to tune out the details whenever Sam talked about his love life. “Must be it.”

  Ryan’s heart thudded in his chest as he breathed in the tangy aroma of Sam’s skin. Blood pooled in his groin, his cock lengthening against his thigh. He was so thankful when Steve pulled into the parking lot of Broker’s he practically leapt out of the car. His body was just out of control today.

  Sam followed after him slower, chuckling. “Guess you’re hungry too.”

  { 3 }

  The burgers were phenomenal and the beer was plentiful. A few girls asked Sam for autographs, but fortunately, there were no aggressive fangirls.

  Sam listened, grinning, as Ryan regaled him with tales of feud between the bio teachers and chemistry teachers vying for lab space and the antics of his students. Sam’s interjections and observations were few but always made Ryan laugh. The tension that had built up on the car ride over was gone, leaving nothing but the easy friendship they always had.

  ***

  “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so full,” Ryan groaned, patting his stomach as they exited Broker’s nearly two hours later.

  Sam snorted, shaking his head. “I find that hard to believe.” He got into the car, leaving his door open for Ryan.

  Ryan climbed in, smiling at his friend. Sam lounged back against the right-side door, right leg on his left knee again with his foot in Ryan’s direction. His arm draped over the thigh, fingers resting just inches from his crotch, a beacon for Ryan’s gaze. He willed his eyes to stay on his friend’s face.

  His blood buzzed pleasantly from the few beers he’d had, making his heart thump heavily while sitting so close to his gorgeous friend’s spread legs. He was so intent on not paying attention to the temptation Sam presented that he didn’t even notice when the car began to move.

  The silence between them was heavy, but not awkward. Ryan leaned back against the seat with a sigh, enjoying the feeling of having a belly full of good beer and better burgers, the company of a friend, and not having to worry about driving himself home.

  “So, Ms. Archer is still trying to get in your pants?” Sam asked, shifting on the seat. His foot brushed Ryan’s hip. Ryan chuckled at the mention of the PE teacher and her obvious, and fruitless, flirtation.

  “I don’t know how else to make it clear it’s not going to happen without getting rude. She’s a nice woman, but...you know…” He trailed off, shrugging. The truth was, he had no interest in anyone. Well, anyone but Sam. And he could hardly say that.

  “Not interested?” Sam’s head tilted, a smile playing around the corners of his mouth. Ryan studied his friend’s gaze, wondering if he suspected the truth, but saw nothing but friendly interest in his enticing eyes.

  Ryan shook his head. “Whatever. I’ve been talking all night. What about you, big shot? When’s the next book out?”

  Sam frowned. Ryan knew that the celebrity, attached with being a top author, was a part of the job his friend wasn’t fond of. He loved writing the books, but the craziness that accompanied a book release was not his favorite topic.

  “Four months. They want it out in time for Black Friday.”

  “Which one is it?” One of the perks of being a writer’s best friend was getting to read the books before they were out.

  “It’s the last one in the Chance trilogy. Manhunting.”

  Ryan rolled his head toward Sam, eyebrows raised. “Is that the one with the bounty hunter chick?” He remembered it well; a case of mistaken identity, a stubborn bounty hunter, and a down on his luck pawn shop owner. The book was much lighter than Firebrand, full of a lot of humor and steamy opposites-attract sex.

  “That’s the one. Thankfully, the tour will be a lot smaller than the one for Firebrand. Only about 10 cities this time.” Sam cracked the knuckles of his right hand, stretching his arm along the back of the seat.

  “How many days?” Ryan didn’t really want to think about Sam being gone again before he had to, but he wasn’t going to avoid the subject.

  “A little over two weeks.”

  Ryan nodded. “That’s not bad at all.” Especially compared to the last one. That one had been over the course of months. Sam got breaks in between, but not much down time. Until now.

  “Yeah, it should give me plenty of time to work on the next one. Jeanne is all about that.” Sam chuckled.

  Ryan knew his friend’s agent was a barracuda. Sam was lucky to have her in his corner when it came to contract negotiation, but she didn’t let Sam slack either. Ryan grinned at the thought of the slender, silver-haired ball-buster. He quite liked her sharp wit. “Oh yeah?”

  Something moved across Sam’s face, a shadow behind his eyes that was there and then gone. His jaw ticked. He looked away from Ryan, toward the partition, and then back again.

  “Yeah…hey, can I ask you a question?” Sam suddenly leaned slightly toward him, elbows resting on his spread knees. Ryan turned toward him, startled by the intent expression on Sam’s face and the deep, serious tone of his voice.

  “Sure. Of course. What’s up, Sam?”

  The dark-haired author clenched his hands into fists, took a deep breath, and then blew it out. “What would you say if I told you that the leads of the next book were both men?”

  Ryan had been studying Sam’s face, the dark haze of stubble along his strong jaw, not used to seeing him so close up. It took several seconds for Sam’s words to sink in.

  “What?” The word came out slightly strangled, but Sam didn’t seem to notice.

  “One is an a
rson investigator, and the other is a federal agent. There’s an organized crime element, trafficking humans, a leak in the bureau. A lot like Firebrand only... not.” Sam shrugged.

  “And they’re... uh... they get together?” Ryan swallowed, his throat dry. His brain was stuck on the fact that this was Sam asking him what he’d think if he wrote a romance novel about two guys.

  “Well, yeah.” Sam frowned. His shoulders hunched forward slightly. “Is that... would it bother you?”

  “N-No,” Ryan croaked. “Why would it bother me?” Sam’s leg brushed his side, the warmth of him scorching through Ryan’s clothes. He wanted to shift closer…closer to Sam’s insanely desirable body, but then, it would be too obvious.

  Sam’s gaze was steady on his, determined. Ryan resisted the urge to fidget under the scrutiny, his mind whirling as he tried to figure out how he should react. Was Sam testing him? Had he guessed Ryan’s secret and was trying to tell him nicely that it bothered him? The thought of Sam ending their friendship made his heart drop.

  This new silence seemed to last hours. With a forced chuckle, Ryan shrugged. “Anyway, won’t that be kind of har... er... difficult?”

  “Huh? Why?” Sam leaned closer, brows furrowed, his hoppy breath wafting against Ryan’s cheek.

  “You’re not gay.” He blurted the words, eyes widening.

  Sam ducked his head, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “Yeah, well...” He leaned back suddenly, slouching against the seat. “Not exactly.” A flush tinted the tan planes of Sam’s cheeks.

  The confession detonated in Ryan’s chest with all the force of a hydrogen bomb. He tried to suck in a breath as his lungs seized. Sam was watching him, gaze steady. Ryan’s cock jumped, even as his brain struggled to process Sam’s words.

  “What do you mean ‘not exactly’?” He forced his voice to come out husky and low.

  Sam’s full lips curled into a sexy little grin. “I experimented a bit. In college.” He shrugged. Lust twisted in Ryan’s gut at the thought of Sam with his strong hands on another man’s body, stroking and teasing. There was a jolt of jealousy as well, that it hadn’t been him, but it was fleeting and drowned beneath the torrent of desire he’d held back for 13 years.

  “I…had no idea.”

  “I know. I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.” Now Sam’s grin was slightly crooked, and Ryan could swear the flush staining his friend’s cheeks darkened.

  Frowning in confusion, Ryan asked, “Why would I feel uncomfortable?” The second the question was out of his mouth, he saw the bounce of Sam’s brow. Sam had been attracted to him! Ryan’s mouth dropped open. His brain buzzed with white noise while his body raged with a fever of lust. He moved his hands to his lap to avoid revealing that his rod was painfully hard, pressing against the seam of his jeans.

  “Sorry,” Sam said, his voice slightly uneven. “You look freaked out. That’s why I hesitated to tell you.” He tugged at his collar. “I just figured... well, once you read the book...” He nervously ran his hand through his hair. “Look, just forget it. I’m not going to jump you or anything.”

  Ryan turned to stare out the window, trying to process that long string of words. Fire burned through his veins. His hands were actually shaking. He knew he needed to say something…anything.

  Sam not only had done things with men, but…he was admitting to being attracted to him. And Sam thought Ryan was straight. He would have laughed at the irony if he wasn’t so turned on. The sudden change in circumstances had left him reeling. Aroused to the point of near pain, but still completely unsure of himself.

  “Are we okay?” Sam asked softly.

  “We’re great.” Ryan swallowed, eyes closing as he tried to think past the pounding of his heart and the pulse of his cock. He should say something else. But what? What should he do? Was this his chance?

  “Rye.” Sam’s voice suddenly firm. His hand rose and gripped the back of Ryan’s neck, tugging his head around to face him. Ryan’s breath hitched as he stared into Sam’s heavy lidded gaze. Sam was so close. Closer than they’d ever been before…his breath a whisper against Ryan’s mouth.

  Ryan licked his lips, almost able to taste his friend on his skin. Sam made a guttural noise in the back of his throat, tilting his head slightly, aligning their mouths. Ryan swallowed.

  Sam’s lashes fluttered, his gaze trailing over Ryan’s body for a moment and then rising back to his mouth. He scraped his teeth over his lower lip, wetting it. “I’m going to kiss you.”

  { 4 }

  The words shot through Ryan like an electric shock, jolting his spine. Sam waited for the length of a single breath, giving him time to resist. Not that Ryan could.

  Sam’s mouth was firm and demanding on Ryan’s. His stubble scraped against Ryan’s chin, a sharp contrast to the smoothness of his lips. The normally quiet, laid back Sam pressed Ryan into the corner made by the seat and the door, suddenly powerful and in control. One hand slid into Ryan’s hair to grip the back of his skull, the other pressed between Ryan’s shoulder blades, holding him still under Sam’s talented mouth.

  Ryan had kissed his fair share of people, women and men, but he’d never been kissed like this. Sam took control of his mouth as if staking his claim, lips moving over Ryan’s like he owned them. He could do nothing but open up to the other man with a tortured groan.

  When Sam’s tongue slid against his, redolent with the tang of ketchup and the slight bitterness of the beer they’d drunk, Ryan shuddered. Sam coaxed him to meet each velvet glide, sucking Ryan’s tongue into his mouth before releasing it to nip hard at Ryan’s lower lip.

  “Christ,” Sam groaned, pulling away slightly keeping his eyes locked on Ryan. “I’ve wanted to do that for ages.” He chuckled. Ryan blinked, hazy with desire, shifting closer to Sam’s warm, hard body.

  “Me too,” he managed, voice soft…relieved. “Thirteen years.” He was surprised he was able to get the confession out. Despite the fact that Sam was making it perfectly clear he wanted him, Ryan was still frozen with uncertainty. It had been so long. This couldn’t really be happening.

  “Yeah? Guess this year was lucky thirteen.” Sam was half-kneeling on the seat, one knee between Ryan’s spread thighs. He brushed his mouth over Ryan’s, tongue teasing. “You never said anything.”

  “Neither did you.” Ryan clutched at Sam’s broad shoulders, digging his fingers into the sleek muscles beneath the soft sweater. His heart knocked against his ribs as if seeking to leap the small space between them.

  Sam’s chuckle was soft and deep as he skimmed his lips along Ryan’s cheek. He flicked his tongue teasingly against the corner of Ryan’s mouth. “Fair enough.” He stroked his thumb over Ryan’s jaw, pressing the other man’s chin to part his lips. “But I’m saying something now.”

  He took Ryan’s mouth again, cupping his face, licking the silken lining of his lips. He didn’t let up, taking and tasting for several long minutes. The only sound in the back of the car was the ragged sound of their gasping breaths.

  Sam pulled back, kneading Ryan’s neck with his right hand, lips quirking as he began to trail the left down Ryan’s chest. He watched Ryan, dark eyes glittering with wicked intent.

  Ryan could only swallow as Sam’s thumb grazed his nipple through the thin cotton of his t-shirt. The small nub was hard under the pad of Sam’s finger. He paused, circling the bud slowly before scraping over it. Ryan groaned as the touch plucked a tingling chord that ran straight down to his cock.

  Sam traced a looping pattern with his fingertips down Ryan’s flat stomach, where the muscles leapt beneath the caress. He dipped briefly beneath the hem of Ryan’s t-shirt, brushing the backs of his fingers over the smooth skin just above the waistband of Ryan’s jeans. Ryan sucked in a breath, eyes widening as his oldest, best friend slid his hand down, with purpose, toward his aching groin. Sam grinned, dark eyes hot as he watched the play of expressions over Ryan’s face.

  “I guess I wasn’t just imagining this then.”
Sam’s big hand cupped Ryan’s cock through the material of his jeans, the rounded tips of his fingers tracing the trapped outline, palm rubbing slow circles. Ryan groaned, hips lifting to press himself harder into the other man’s grip.

  “Fuck, Sam…”

  Sam leaned forward, licking along the corded muscle of Ryan’s neck. “Not yet, Rye. That’s later,” he whispered into Ryan’s ear.

  Just the thought sent a surge of blood to Ryan’s prick, making the confines of his jeans beyond uncomfortable. “Sam, please…god.” The words were jagged with need as he fell deeper into his friend’s hold. Sam’s fingers tightened around Ryan’s shaft, squeezing gently.

  “Seems like things are getting pretty cramped in here.” With a deft flick of his thumb, Sam popped the top button of Ryan’s jeans and tugged down the zipper. His hand was confident and strong as it slid inside, yanking down the waistband of Ryan’s boxers to release his throbbing shaft.

  Sam’s mouth crushed Ryan’s again, swallowing Ryan’s moan as he began to slowly pump the rigid length of Ryan’s cock. He squeezed, wrist twisting, his thumb snaking over the broad, spongy head to swipe at the pre-cum bubbling from the small slit. He devoured Ryan’s mouth, tongue plunging and licking, teeth scraping and nipping. Pre-cum slicked Sam’s palm in steady flow as Ryan desperately panted and writhed, fucking himself into his friend’s tight grasp.

  “Is this for me?” Sam asked, voice thick with an edge of playfulness and wicked humor that Ryan was used to. He breathed a soft, ragged laugh.

  Ryan nodded slowly. He struggled to let out a small moan of approval.

  “Mmmm.” Sam sucked Ryan’s lower lip, scraped his lips along the line of his jaw, and bit his earlobe. “I like the sound of that,” he murmured. His free hand pulled Ryan’s jeans open wider, dipping inside to brush through the tangled thatch of his wiry pubic hair and slide strong fingers around the soft mass of Ryan’s balls.

  Ryan had no words for the pleasure that swamped him as his best friend, the man he’d loved in secret for half his life, cupped his balls in his warm hand. His head fell back on his shoulders, eyes squeezing closed. He still couldn’t believe this was happening. It was like a dream. In fact, he’d had this dream before. Only never so vivid.