by Anders Grey
Just because it’s fake doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate his dick from afar, I shot back.
My brain had no smart retort for that one.
7
Rowan
In my disoriented state of mind, I’d completely forgotten about Alec’s presence in the hotel room. I spent the entire time in the shower trying to stop thinking about Kyle and how my family apparently expected him to show up with me.
I snorted at the thought. I’d rather snuggle a rabid baboon.
As the hot steam and relaxing water enveloped me, my hand moved on its own, sliding downward until it was between my thighs. I hadn’t jerked off in a few days and, though I hated to admit it, the close contact with Alec in the car had been stupidly arousing. It was pathetic—to get all bothered over touching shoulders, for god’s sake. But something about Alec lit a fire in the pit of my belly, and I couldn’t deny it anymore.
Since I didn’t wanna be the guy who jacked off in the middle of the night with Alec laying on the couch ten feet away, I decided to take care of it in the shower, where all the evidence would be washed away by water and smothered by the scent of honey-vanilla soap.
As I wrapped my fingers around my half-hard shaft, I let out a soft moan. My mind wandered to Alec. At first, I balked, not wanting to be inappropriate by thinking about him, but then I thought fuck it. As my cock sprang fully to life, I lost all sense of shame. The mental image of Alec on his knees in front of me burned into my skull. I imagined his eyes fluttering shut as he parted his lips, gently taking my head and suckling the tip.
A violent shudder ripped through me.
“Fuck,” I whispered.
Stars exploded in the blackness of my shut eyes, and I hadn’t even hit the edge yet. Sure, it had been ages since I last had actual sex, but like a lot of guys, I was pretty intimate with my hand.
But this? Grunting and moaning and frantically beating off while I imagined the man in the other room on his knees with my cock down his throat? This was a new low.
Or high, I guess, depending on how you looked at it.
My breath hitched and I swallowed a sharp cry. My balls tightened, aching for release. I knew jerking off while thinking about Alec deepthroating me was disgusting, but I didn’t even care—it felt fucking amazing.
“Oh god,” I gasped, barely able to bite back a pleasured scream.
Seconds later I shot uncontrollable jets of cum against the tiled wall. My moans were pathetic mewls as electric pleasure zapped my whole body. My head spun, and I stumbled sideways, grabbing the stainless-steel handle for support. It took a solid minute for my mind to clear and to get my bearings back.
“Jesus fuck,” I muttered.
After nearly passing out from that world-shattering orgasm, I quickly finished showering and turned the water off. I shoved the shower door open, desperate to get some air.
I gripped the marble counter and stared at my reflection in the massive mirror. Thank god I had showering as an excuse, because my burning red cheeks, half-lidded eyes and disheveled hair would’ve definitely given me away as a post-orgasm victim otherwise.
It was then I noticed I didn’t bring any clothes.
I groaned. From habit, I’d left my fresh clothes on the bed. Since I lived alone, there was never any accidental streaking in my house. Cursing myself, I wrapped a towel snugly around my hips and stepped out into the room.
Alec doesn’t want a face full of your dick. Or balls. Or ass. Or any part of your naked body, for that matter.
Just as I reached out for the clothes, I noticed Alec staring at me—the very same Alec that had just swallowed my cock in my obscene fantasy.
Speak, Rowan. Quickly.
“Uh, sorry. I didn’t mean to practically flash you.” I nodded to the bed. “I forgot my clothes out here.”
“No problem,” Alec replied, sounding a bit uncomfortable. Or maybe it was just my imagination. When I grabbed the clothes in a hurry to disappear, Alec said, “You can change out here, you know. We’re both guys. There’s a pretty good chance we have the same parts.”
If I didn’t know any better, I could’ve sworn Alec was trying to tempt me like some kind of sex demon. But obviously he wasn’t and that was just my post-orgasm stupid brain thinking.
“You’re right.” I needed to give an excuse, anything to smooth out this situation. “Sorry, I’m making this all awkward, aren’t I? If it makes you feel better, it’s not just you. I’m like this with everybody. Not the half-naked shower thing, obviously, but—you know.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Alec turned away, and that was that. As fast as my feet would carry me, I scurried back to the bathroom like a mouse disappearing in a hole and quickly threw my clothes on. I took a moment to steady myself and shake off the last remnants of lust clinging to me before returning to the room.
Alec greeted me with a smile. “By the way, your mom invited us to dinner with—your cousin, is it?”
“Tiffany?” I asked.
“That’s the one.”
A bud of excitement lit up in my chest. Not only was I thrilled to see Tiffany, but dinner in a public place would help get my mind off Alec and all the dirty things I apparently wanted to do to him. It would be a lot easier to avoid thoughts of him on his knees over the noise and clamor of a restaurant.
“Awesome,” I said. “Are you coming?”
Alec raised a brow. “Kaitlyn asked the same thing. Almost like she expected me to sit here and twiddle my thumbs or something.”
“Wait, do you think she thinks we’re faking?”
“It’s possible,” Alec admitted. “We haven’t done anything overtly boyfriendy in front of her. Not yet.”
Yet. The word excited me, but it shouldn’t have, so I pushed the feeling down.
“I guess you’re right,” I said, sighing. “I was hoping falling asleep on you would be enough.”
“Not necessarily romantic. Even close friends do that,” Alec pointed out.
“What about…” I began but then stopped when I was unable to say the words. It wasn’t a kiss, so I didn’t want it to describe it as such, but what else could I say that wasn’t the time you pinned me in the car and intently leaned in like you were going to shove your tongue down my throat, and also I kind of wish you did?
“The incident in the car,” Alec offered with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
I fought back the warmth in my cheeks. “Yeah. That.”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure if she saw that, and even if she did, she might’ve found it odd that we weren’t willing to kiss in front of her. We sprang apart like two virginal teenagers hearing the door creak, remember?”
I grunted in affirmation. “Yeah.”
Cursing mentally, I realized Alec was right. Mom was over-the-top sometimes, but she wasn’t dumb. If we were going to make this fake boyfriend thing work, we needed to up our game or else she would know this was all a lie.
“Rowan,” Alec asked. “How far are you willing to go to prove this?”
The question rolled casually off his tongue, but it seemed to make the world stop. I stared at him, hearing the unsaid words, crystal clear.
My mouth felt dry. “I…”
“Don’t worry,” Alec said gently. “I’m down for anything, but we won’t do anything you don’t want to. And this is just in front of Kaitlyn and your family, of course.” He made a gesture with his hand. “Just think of it like acting.”
“Great,” I mumbled. “I got horrible stage fright every time I was in a school play.”
“But you won’t be alone. I’m here with you.” His gaze was calm, soothing. “You can count on me, Rowan.”
My heart fluttered. Jesus, what was wrong with me? I couldn’t afford to get all gooey-brained over Alec when I knew this was all a big fat lie. None of this was real. The only reason Alec was even talking about this was because our act wasn’t good enough, and he was trying to fix it for my sake.
I let out a deep breath
, trying not to let it tremble. “Right. Okay.”
“Why don’t we start with something basic?” Alec suggested.
I bit my lip. What did he consider basic in a relationship? Hugging? Kissing? Fucking? My traitorous cock stirred at the thought of the last one, and I forced it to go back into hiding.
“Like what?” I asked hesitantly.
Alec suddenly chuckled. “You know, you look like a baby deer right now.”
I blushed. “What?”
“With your shaking knees and your big eyes.” He grinned. “Are you okay, Bambi?”
“Okay, you did not just call me that.” I crossed my arms. “Boyfriend status cancelled.”
Alec laughed then crossed the room to take my hands in his. The sudden warmth of his fingers against mine sent a spike of heat up my back.
“How is this?” Alec asked.
My brain melted, turning me stupid. “How’s what?”
“Holding hands.”
I swallowed thickly then glanced down at our hands. Alec’s were rugged and large but surprisingly soft, with firm knuckles and a sinuous vein jutting out the back. His skin was bright with a sun-kissed tan, likely from long hours working outside. I stared at them for too long before looking up at him again.
“Holding hands,” I repeated.
“Yes, Rowan. That is what we’re doing.”
“Shut up,” I said. In a softer voice I added, “But to answer your question, yes. Holding hands is… okay.”
It’s actually way more than okay, but I’m sure as hell not saying that to him.
“Okay as in acceptable?” Alec asked, a teasing note in his voice. “Or good?”
This bastard was really determined to squeeze the truth out of me—or maybe he already saw it written on my face and was going to force it out of me like the last bit of toothpaste from the tube.
“Good,” I finally admitted, hoping to god the blush in my cheeks wasn’t as visible as it felt.
Alec nodded. “All right. Good is good. I can work with that.”
I expected him to back off, to slip his hands away, to rip his gaze from mine—but he didn’t. The moment lingered. He was so close, I smelled the pleasantly masculine fragrance of his aftershave and beneath it, the smell of him. His warmth flowed into my body as if it were a living organism, spinning around three times and curling up in my chest like a satisfied puppy.
When I noticed my heartbeat turning syrupy thick, that was when I began to panic. If I held Alec’s hands any longer, I was liable to do something stupid—so I pulled away first.
If Alec was disappointed, I didn’t see it on his face, and the defiant part of me didn’t want to see it anyway. I cleared my throat and turned my back on him, heading for the door.
“Better get ready,” I mumbled. “Mom will barge in to see why we’re late if we don’t get a move on.”
“Gotcha,” Alec said.
My heart began to slow down to its normal pace, which filled me with massive relief.
That was dangerous, I thought. Way too much butterfly fluttering for just fucking holding hands.
I wanted to think about something else, but of course I couldn’t. How could I when Alec’s gentle gaze and the warmth of his hands were burned into my memory?
8
Alec
The restaurant was packed. I thanked my luck we had a reservation as we passed by the huge line at the door. Rowan ducked his head, apologetically avoiding the jealous gazes of the waiting people.
He’d been quiet since we left the hotel, and I didn’t know exactly why, but it wasn’t like I could pull him aside and ask in this noisy, crowded place—especially without drawing Kaitlyn’s attention.
When we reached the booth, a young blonde woman I assumed was Tiffany stood and waved us over. Her smile was as bright as the the lights glittering above her head.
“Aunt Kaitlyn!” Tiffany exclaimed, getting out of her seat to embrace her. She gasped when she saw Rowan, both her eyes lighting up. “Row-Row!”
Rowan hugged her with an embarrassed smile. “Do you still have to call me that?”
“Yes,” Tiffany said. “Especially since this is my wedding getaway and I get to do whatever I want.”
“You got me there.”
Tiffany’s blue eyes slipped to me and widened. “And who is this tall, handsome fellow?”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Kaitlyn watching us.
We have to make this convincing, I thought. But at the same time, even just holding Rowan’s hands in the private hotel room seemed to make him a bit flighty. I didn’t want to push my baby deer into an uncomfortable situation.
To my surprise, Rowan spoke up first. He looped his arm around mine and pressed our hips together. “Tiff, this is my boyfriend, Alec.”
Tiffany’s hands flew to her mouth as she gasped. “Oh my God! Row-Row! Are you serious?”
Rowan smiled shyly. “Yeah. It’s a recent thing, but—”
He was cut off as Tiffany rushed forward, throwing her arms around both of us in a hug fiercer than I expected from a woman of her stature. When she was done squeezing the life out of us, she wiped a tear from her eye.
“I’m so happy for you, Row,” Tiffany said. “It’s about time a boy as cute as you found a boyfriend.”
“Tiff, I’m a grown man,” Rowan grumbled, but I could tell he appreciated her compliment.
“And you, Alec,” Tiffany said, eyeing me up and down like a cougar—as in the actual animal, not an older lady. “Aren’t you a piece of man-candy?”
“He’s my boyfriend, not yours,” Rowan insisted, and even though I knew it was an act, hearing him all riled up and possessive was fun. “And isn’t this your wedding trip? You know, marriage? Like, to your fiancé? Maybe you shouldn’t be checking out my boyfriend.”
“Oh, whatever,” Tiffany said, waving a hand as she picked up the martini she’d ordered beforehand. “I’m allowed to look without touching.” She giggled and winked playfully at me. “Like window shopping, you know?”
Up until now, Kaitlyn had quietly watched the interactions unfold. Maybe it was just my imagination, but her suspicion meter seemed to be knocked down a peg, which was good news for me and Rowan. I was sure his clinging to my arm and confidently pronouncing me his boyfriend helped. To drive it home, I leaned my head against Rowan’s, which made Tiffany squeal.
“You two are so cute,” she said, sighing before taking a sip of her drink.
“Thanks,” Rowan mumbled, turning a shade deeper.
“How new is this?” Tiffany asked. “Because it it’s been more than a week or something and you haven’t texted me or anything, Row, I’m gonna be so pissed.”
Kaitlyn glanced expectantly at us. Or maybe I was overreacting, and she was genuinely curious, too. It wasn’t exactly like we gave her a good play-by-play when she asked during the car ride.
“A bit less than a week,” Rowan said. “So hopefully that exempts me from your pissed off-ness.”
Tiffany sighed dramatically. “Fine. I’ll take it.” She took another gulp of her martini then crossed her arms on the table. “So, how’d you two meet?”
Rowan looked embarrassed that his entire family was so interested in his personal life, but I just laughed. I decided to speak up to take the heat off him.
“Kaitlyn asked us the same thing,” I said. “He’s a fan of the magazine I work for, and I just happened to be in town for a shoot.” I gave Rowan what I hoped was a lovey-dovey look. “We ran into each other and things just took off from there. Right, baby?”
The word slipped out by accident, but it felt right for the role. I didn’t know if Rowan’s blush was an act or not. I secretly hoped it wasn’t.
“Right,” Rowan said, giving a wobbly smile perfect for the shy boyfriend part.
Tiffany’s dreamy sigh made it clear she was moved by our story. “That is so sweet. So classic. When two people just meet their soulmates one day…” She nursed her martini. “It’s just perfectly romantic, you
know? Like a movie or something.”
I’d only just met Tiffany, but her reaction seemed a bit off for someone who was the bride-to-be. I tried to catch Rowan’s gaze from the corner of my eye to confirm my suspicion, but he didn’t meet it, so I shrugged it off. Maybe she was always dramatic like this.
We ordered food and drinks to the relief of my growling stomach. I got a simple gin and tonic, while Rowan ordered rum and coke—which was basically the alcoholic version of a coffee with sugar and cream. When the waitress left, Rowan raised a brow at me.
“No fancy oolong tea tonight?” he teased.
“Oolong tea is not fancy,” I said, pleasantly surprised he remembered my preference. “And sometimes a man just needs a good alcoholic drink.”
“So,” Tiffany began, punching something on her phone and swirling her second martini. “Aunt Kaitlyn, I just forwarded you the itinerary. There’s the woodland hike, the aquarium, the—”
I tuned out, turning my gaze to Rowan. I ran my hand gently down his back and felt him shiver. I liked that I could be as PDA as I wanted with him in front of his family.
“Whole lotta fun stuff,” Tiffany concluded. “You don’t have to make it to everything, but I promise it’s not some boring wedding trip, all right?”
Rowan snorted. “With you, Tiff? Nothing’s boring.”
It wasn’t long before the waitress returned with our drinks. As she doled everything out, the spare glass of water on her tray slid sharply. She gasped.
She couldn’t catch it. It hit the edge of the table, shattering and drenching Rowan’s side in ice water. A few other employees immediately hurried over to apologize and clean up the mess.
“I’m so sorry, sir, are you all right?” the first waitress asked Rowan.
“Ah, yeah,” he said, wincing from the cold. “Just wet.”
“Are you sure, Rowan?” Kaitlyn asked.
“I’m fine, Mom, it’s just water,” Rowan insisted, sounding embarrassed at all the fuss.
