The Faker Rulebook

by Crow, Baylin

  "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Whistles and catcalls filled the small room as Trevor dipped Kendra back, kissing her with a practiced move.

  The newlyweds straightened, both grinning and laughing, before turning toward the crowd, clasped hands raised in the air. I clapped along with the rest, but was equal parts eager and nervous for Noah to be back at my side.

  The moment came soon after Noah locked arms with one of Kendra’s bridesmaids and they made their way back down the aisle toward the reception hall.

  As each row was dismissed, I waited for my turn before falling in line. The moment I crossed the threshold of the door, my arm was gripped in a vice hold.

  Silently, Noah dragged me behind him, skirting the room that buzzed with chatter from the guests taking their places at round tables covered in white tablecloths and rose centerpieces.

  We reached a secluded alcove and without warning, I was pushed into the private space, away from curious gazes.

  Now that I had Noah alone, the confession stuck in my throat. Instead, I waggled my brows. "Can I help you, Mr. Stephens? Have you come to do dirty things to me? Anyone could see us."

  He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Cut the crap, Rook. What's wrong?"

  The concern in his eyes wiped the cocky grin right off my face. "We need to talk. But later. After the reception."

  He shook his head. "I don't think so. Pictures are done. We won't be missed."

  I highly doubted that. "They will notice, and your mom will come looking for you."

  "And I don't care. She'll understand."

  Maybe she would, but I needed more time to gather the words, and frankly the courage, to say what I needed him to hear. "After the first dance at least."

  Noah appeared as if he was ready to argue, but maybe he saw that I was unwilling to budge because he finally relented. "The second it's over."

  "Agreed. Now go be a good brother and participate in your only sibling's wedding." I grinned through the discomfort.

  "You're coming too." Noah rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand as he forced me to walk by his side. "You're my boyfriend, right? Pretty sure to sell this, you need to be involved."

  Boyfriend. It was possibly the first time he'd used the word without the fake stipulation when no one was around. But sell it? A heavy pit gathered in my gut. There was nothing fake about the way I'd fallen in love with Noah Stephens, and soon he would know that I'd broken another one of his rules.

  * * *

  The Pine Heaven room was quieter than it had ever been as I stood with my hand in my suit pants pocket.

  Noah flopped back on the bed. Wrinkling his tux, he propped up on his elbows. "Out with it. What's eating at you?"

  I cleared my throat and tugged at the tie around my neck. The thing felt like a noose, and I was sweating. Why the fuck was it so hot in the middle of Antarctica?

  "Antarctica?" Noah asked with amusement lighting up his eyes, making me aware the word had slipped out.

  "Shut up. Is it hot in here? It is, right?" I pulled at my tie, unknotting and slipping the silk free.

  Noah gazed up at me with concern. "Okay, what the hell is going on, Rook? You're starting to worry me."

  I was starting to worry myself and needed to sit down. Taking a seat next to Noah, I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees and sucked in a deep breath. It didn't help. My heart hammered a staccato rhythm as I glanced at Noah.

  "This was supposed to be fake," I whispered so quietly I wasn't sure he'd heard me.

  His swallow was audible. "What do you mean? Of course it is."

  Ouch. The words were a punch to the gut, but I powered through. If he didn't want me, I'd go back to being his best friend. I'd do whatever he needed. Even if it killed me. But first, I had to take a chance that he might love me back.

  "Is it? Nothing more than pretend?" I hedged.

  Fear, bright and electric, flashed in his eyes as he shook his head. "Don’t worry, Rook. If you're implying I'm like in love with you or whatever, rest assured you're not going to break my heart. This is fake. Plain and simple."

  I frowned. "That's not what I said."

  "That's what it sounded like." Noah's brow furrowed. "So what's the deal then?"

  My mouth opened and then immediately shut. Once I admitted how I felt, I wouldn't be able to take it back. Rubbing my hands together, I forced the words out. "What if it wasn't that simple for me? That maybe I want more?"

  I didn't expect the way Noah jumped to his feet or the scowl that twisted his addictive lips. "I'd tell you that you were a damn liar." His chest rose and fell, heaving deep breaths. "I'd tell you this isn't a fucking funny joke."

  "A joke?" I reared back. His reaction had caught me off guard, so I didn't stop him when he stomped by me and slammed the bathroom door closed behind him.

  Glaring at the door, I stewed. Noah had to know I'd never fucking joke about something like that. The shower turned on, and a rush of frustration, hurt, and even a little anger had me storming toward the bathroom. I found it unlocked and opened the door hard, causing it to bang against the wall as I barged in.

  Visible through the frosted glass, Noah's head jerked in my direction. "What the hell are you doing?"

  Slipping off my jacket, I tossed it on the floor and attacked the buttons of my shirt.

  "Rook? Seriously, what the fuck?"

  "We need to talk." I finished stripping down and then swung open the shower door, shouldering my way in and ignoring his slick skin as I slid behind him.

  He spun around and glared. "You're here. And naked for some reason. So talk."

  I glared back. "Of course I'm naked. It's a fucking shower."

  "One you weren't invited to join!"

  "Damn it, Noah." The growl from my throat echoed off the tiled walls. "It wasn’t a joke. This isn't fake."

  His eyes flew wide before he scowled. "The hell it's not. You can't just stop being straight for fuck's sake!"

  Frustration raced through my veins. How could I convince him that how I felt about him was different than anything I'd experienced with anyone else?

  "No?" My gaze traced over his soaked blond hair, the rivulets of water that rolled down his chest and down to his cock that hung heavy between his legs. Licking my lips, my gaze clashed with his again. "Tell me how it feels when I kiss you. How does it feel when I take you in my mouth and suck your cock? Does that sound fucking fake? Does it feel pretend?"

  He clamped his lips closed.

  "How straight can a guy be if his go-to fantasy is of his best friend? His first kiss with a guy, imagining what might have happened if I peeled off his underwear. If he'd touched me. If he begged me to fuck him." My gaze dropped to his lips. "If I imagined kissing him again so many damn times, I could almost taste him because I'd memorized everything about that first kiss."

  Noah's jaw loosened. "You were curious—"

  My hands fisted at my sides, resisting the urge to pin him against the wall and let him feel what just talking about it was doing to my body. "Don't with the cop out. I'm owning this shit, and you don't get to tell me how I feel."

  "Yeah?" he choked out, water streaming from his hair and falling from his eyelashes, nose and lips. "A few days of hand holding, kissing and…sucking…all in the span of a week, and now you're gay, huh?"

  "That's not what I said. Stop putting words in my mouth and listen to the ones I'm telling you. Who cares if I haven’t been with a guy before? That has nothing to do with you. I want you, Noah. For fuck’s sake, I need you."

  His nostrils flared as he stared at me for several beats before he whispered, "Prove it."

  With a deep grunt, Noah’s back hit the slick tiles I pinned him against and pressed our bodies together. His hips moved restlessly, attempting to gain friction. With a clenched jaw and will I hadn't known I possessed, I refused to give him what he was desperately seeking. "First you tell me how you feel about me."

  He shook his head.

&nbs
p; A frustrated growl rose in my throat. "Why?"

  His eyes squeezed closed. "Because I'm scared, okay?"

  My arms immediately loosened around him. "Scared of what?"

  He sighed as his shoulders sagged. "Of you. This. Us. It doesn't make sense."

  "It makes perfect sense," I argued. And even if it didn't, who cared? It didn't make it any less true.

  He eyed me doubtfully. "In what world does a gay guy develop feelings for his straight best friend and not get his heart broken?"

  Shaking my head, I dipped down, brushing his lips with mine. "This one. This isn't fake for me. Not anymore." I waited for him to at least glance at me, but he refused. I grabbed his jaw. "Will you please look at me when I'm about to tell you I'm in love with you?"

  His narrowed gaze jerked to mine. "Rook, if you're fucking with me, I'll never forgive you."

  "I'd never forgive myself. So, believe me when I say I love you. I think I've loved you the whole time. I just didn't understand."

  Noah’s nostrils flared, but he remained mute. Gaze locked on mine, he refused to say a word. But his eyes told a story of his own heart, giving me the courage to continue.

  "Believe me when I tell you that you have the ability to rip my heart right out of my chest. But if you don't love me back"—I swallowed around the lump in my throat—"trust me when I tell you I'll be whatever you want me to be. I'm not losing you." I tightened my grip on his jaw. "Tell me you understand. No matter how you feel, it's me and you. Always has been and always will be."

  He slumped against the wall and scrubbed a hand down his face.

  "This is real," I whispered and dusted my lips over his again. "This is exactly where we're supposed to be. I've never been this sure of anything in my life." I pulled back and studied him when he remained quiet. "Damn it, Noah. Tell me it's real.

  His chuckle was quiet before he held my gaze. "I've been in love with you since I was twelve fucking years old, you moron."

  A crooked grin tugged at my lips. "Seriously?"

  Noah rolled his eyes before his lips twitched. "It's a good thing you're a pro-worthy basketball player. You're not very perceptive."

  "No?" I chuckled as relief rushed through my soul, leaving a content lightness in its wake. I ran my hand over his neck and down his chest. Feathered my fingertips along the trail of hair that ran in a thin line down his belly. I backed up just enough to fist his cock and began working his shaft in a measured rhythm. "You sure?"

  "That's not what I meant." His laugh turned into a moan that I swallowed as I slanted my mouth over his. The kiss was languid. My strokes slow torture.

  When I broke away, I panted. "My eyes are open now. Whether you want me or not, I'm yours."

  "It's all I've ever wanted." Noah's breathing picked up along with the speed of my hand.

  His deep groans and thrusts through the tightening grasp of my fingers were more than I could take. "I want to bury my cock inside you. I want to feel everything and show you how much I want you."

  With fumbling hands, he shut off the water. "Then don't make me wait."

  Fourteen

  Noah

  My knees dug into the thick blanket as I gripped the solid oak headboard. Anticipation sang in my veins with electricity crackling from every one of my nerve endings. I held my breath as Rook lightly ran a rough hand over my ass from where he sat back on his calves taking in the view behind me.

  "So fucking hot," he mumbled while his hand cupped my sac, gently massaging the sensitive flesh. The sharp sting of his teeth sinking into my ass cheek made me buck and a raspy laugh whispered behind me. "Couldn't resist."

  I glanced over my shoulder and cocked a brow. "You're not stalling and chickening out, are you?"

  Rook's eyes blazed with fire. "Fuck no. It's my first time looking at your asshole with balls hanging right in front of my face. Cut me some slack. I'm horny as fuck and would like to not come the second I stick my cock in you."

  "So romantic." Snorting, I widened my legs, earning the groan that clawed up his throat.

  "Not helping, dick." The cap of the lube cracked open, and after a beat, the brush of Rook's finger over my hole made my legs shake. "Where's that smart mouth now?"

  "If you don't hurry up and fuck me, it'll be around your dick."

  "As much as I'd love for you to gag yourself on my cock, I'll pass. Right now, I want you right here." His fingertip teased the tight ring of muscle, and I hissed. "More?"

  Nodding and ignoring the urge to push back, I held still.

  "Tell me then. What do you want?"

  "Your fingers inside me. I want you to get me ready so you'll stop fucking around and fill me with your cock."

  "Such a dirty mouth. Maybe I will fuck it after all."

  As it turned out, Rook had a filthy mouth in bed. I loved it. "And maybe I won't let you fuck me at all if you don't give me your damn finger."

  "So. Damn. Horny." Rook bit out each word through his clenched teeth. "Are you always this way?"

  I wasn't, but Rook made my body react with impatient desire. "It's not like we won't do it again. Stop making me wait."

  "Fuckin' right," he growled at the same time his slick finger sank into me. The slight burn had nothing on the intense rush of euphoria that flooded my bloodstream.

  My moans grew louder as the pressure and burn increased with each finger he slipped inside me, stretching me until I was ready to take his cock for the first time.

  When he withdrew, I heard the rip of foil and glanced back as he rolled the condom over his length and slicked a thick layer of lube down his thick cock. My mouth watered and his gaze met mine. It wasn't fire that flickered in his whiskey eyes. It was coal, smoldering just before the inferno.

  He lifted to his knees, pressing the tip to my hole, shaking with the effort to hold back. "You ready?"

  "So ready I might die if you don't move." The way my heart thrashed in my chest, I wasn't sure if that was a real possibility or not.

  "So dramatic." Without warning, he shoved inside me with one slick slide, ripping a violent moan from my chest and causing my fingers to white knuckle the headboard.

  We both froze. Rook was inside me. His fingers digging into my hips. Not saying a damn word. My gaze shot over my shoulder again. What I saw was something that would etch itself in my memory forever. His eyes were closed—jaw slack as his chest rose and fell rapidly.

  "Rook?" My voice was nothing more than a croak, and his eyes slowly peeled open.

  "Give me a second. I knew it would feel good. Fucking imagined it enough, but—" He groaned when I shifted restlessly and his blunt nails dug into my flesh. "Stop moving or I'm going to come, and I really, really want to fuck you."

  My lips twitched, but the humor was short-lived. Rook pulled back a few inches before rocking forward, and my knees threatened to give out. He repeated the move, withdrawing further and thrusting harder. My legs quaked and a moan dripped from my lips. "More. Give me more."

  "Fucking hell." He pulled back and slammed back inside me. Over and over, he thrust, hitting my prostrate and whispering filthy fucking words.

  "You feel so damn good." His voice grew hoarse as he groaned and grunted. Barely audible curses, warnings and demands met my ears over the rush of blood pounding through them. "Not gonna last. Fuck your ass. I could fuck it forever. Squeeze me. Damn it, Noah. Ruined. Fucking ruined."

  My cock leaked onto the soft blanket. I'd probably feel bad about that later, but my body was a slave to Rook's. He was all I could see, smell and feel. I reveled in the way he filled me in a way I'd never experienced. Basked in the salty scent of his sweat surrounding me. Lived for the rough texture of his hands as he parted my ass for a better view of his cock stretching me wide. My neck ached with the way I watched him lose himself. My gaze latched onto the tendons on the side of his neck that were pulled tight and the bob of his throat. Sweat rolled down his face, dripping over the half-moon scar on his temple.

  "Keep looking at me like that." It wasn
't a threat. It was a demand. "You love seeing that you own me, don't you?"

  I nodded as I gasped for breaths that were stolen from my lungs.

  "Good. I want you to see it." His gaze sharpened on mine. "I fucking love you."

  The sweet words clashed with the punishing pace he set. It was too much. Everything I'd ever dreamed of. But more. And my sac drew tight. "I'm going to come."

  "Do it. Come for me." He leaned over my back, reaching under me and took my cock in his hand. He tightened his fist and rubbed just beneath my tip in circles that sent my brain and body spiraling out of control.

  The building orgasm raced to the point of no return, then flung itself over the edge.

  "Rook…fuck!" The shout ripped from my throat as a deep groan vibrated from his chest. My come shot in ribbons that coated his hand, making a mess on my stomach and the blankets beneath me.

  Rook followed right behind me with his teeth sinking into my neck. Holy shit. After several long seconds, Rook released my neck, soothing the sting with a gentle kiss right before his heavy weight collapsed against my back

  He heaved for breath and trailed more kisses over my shoulders and anywhere else he could reach. His weight was too much for my shaky arms to support. "Get off me you fucking vampire."

  A burst of laughter laced through his panting breaths. "Sorry, I got lost in the moment. You okay?"

  He lifted and sat back, gently pulling out of me.

  Avoiding the mess, I rolled onto my back and stared up at him. "So damn okay."

  The soft drowsy grin that tilted Rook's lips only made me fall further in love with him. The way he watched me back was everything. We sat still until the need to remove the condom prompted him to crawl off the bed. He reached back for me, grabbed my hand and dragged me from the mattress.

  Rook smacked my ass. "Let's go clean up. You wore me the fuck out."

  In a state of disbelief, I smiled at his back as we walked back to the bathroom and took turns showering.

  Once we were clean, neither of us were in a hurry to get out. His lips were on mine as we languidly kissed. His fingertips roamed my body as I held him by the back of his neck.