Twenty Eight
Noah
“Sit.”
Freezing as he steps into the living room, Hunter shakes his head. “No.”
“Don’t be shy, Puck Daddy.” Temptation is going to get his ass, I know it. I’m a fucking delight, and curiosity has always won me more arguments than it’s lost me.
“No.” Well, aren’t we stubborn.
Mark, being the Hunter whisperer, moves a chair out for him knowing he’s going to join us. I’m not totally sure whether Mark wants to do this either, but I need a distraction. My mind has been a mess since last night. “What are we even playing?”
“Strip poker.”
“And I’m out.” Hunter stands as Mark snatches the back of his shorts, yanking him back down and flashing me some ass crack.
“You’re not leaving me alone in this, babe. Just humor him.”
Hunter shakes his head. “This is beyond humoring anyone.”
“It’s a bonding experience.” This isn’t my first strip-poker rodeo and it won’t be my last. I love games, and I love dick, so look at me finding a game to put two and two together. “You remember our old strip-poker nights on campus?” I wink at Mark, who’s looking less and less enthusiastic about playing. “You used to love to play.”
“Yeah, but back then I was trying to fuck the guys we played—” Mark snaps his lips shut. “Sorry.“ Hunter sighs deeply. “Maybe I’ll still get lucky after this game,” Mark jokes, bumping his shoulder.
“Not likely,” Hunter mumbles.
“I just need a distraction, and I also want to see Hunter naked. I figure two birds or whatever.”
Pushing the chips toward them both across the coffee table, I state the rules, as loose as they are, and assign clothing to chips. It isn’t the most accurate and correctly played version but I don’t care. Currently, I’m wearing Jamie’s hoodie that smells like cedar and fucking mint—that asshole always smells so damn good, and I love wearing his clothing. His scent wraps around me like the biggest, warmest hug. It’s delicious.
I hate it.
I wash the cards and deal them out. “Remember that one time with those twins? What were their names? Kaiden and Beck, right?”
“I don’t want to talk about past hookups. That’s disrespectful to Hunter.” Mark looks at his cards. “But yes.”
“It was like buy one get one.”
“I hate you both, I think. No wait. Yeah, I do,” Hunter decides.
“Don’t worry, you’re definitely out of his league. He’s not going anywhere.”
“Why did I ask him to come over?” Mark complains.
“You ask yourself that every time and then remind me not to let you invite him. Yet here we are, back at square one, every single time.” Looking up from his cards, Hunter’s brows pinch. “I’m not one hundred percent sure you’re even real, or I’m slowly losing my mind and you’re a figment of my imagination.”
“I can see him too, babe,” Mark says. “Unfortunately.”
“I’m not even sure you’re real either.” While setting up the rest of the game, my mind keeps going to Jamie. All I want is to tell him. It’s pointless though. All of this and admitting my feelings will only make things weird. Jamie’s been clear. No relationships. None. That thick feeling comes back, choking me.
Head in the game.
I need a distraction, and this game and hanging out with my friends will do that. “You okay?” Mark asks. I hadn’t even realized I was just sitting here.
“Just a lot on my mind,” I reply. They both give each other a knowing look. “Stop that! I have many problems, okay? They don’t all revolve around him.”
“Funny, you just assume that’s the look we were giving each other,” Mark smirks. “Maybe I was undressing Hunter with my eyes.”
“My look was about Jamie,” Hunter says flatly, ignoring his boyfriend’s glare.
“Just let me play for a bit.”
I look at my hand, then to my friends. There’s something I love about card games in particular. I’m not the best at playing poker, and I kind of made up some rules to fit our strip-poker needs, but it’s fun anyway. I’m not competitive in the sense I have to win, unlike Mark who takes shit way too seriously. Hunter is relaxed as always, making me laugh a bit. His zen is on another level and I guess it has to be to balance Mark’s temper and mood swings.
When they put their cards down I look at their hands, smiling when I see Mark fold his arms over his chest. “Shirt!” Mark rolls his eyes, moving his chip and reaching behind his back to take his shirt off. Unable to stop myself, my eyes drag up his stomach. While I would never admit this out loud, my best friend is indeed fucking gorgeous.
His ice-blond, chin-length hair is currently tied half-up half-down, the set of his blue eyes hard as he studies his cards. Mark is sharp all over. Sharp lines, sharp facial features, sharp spicy attitude. He looks like one of the fairy kings in my smutty books.
Again . . .
Not that I would ever tell him that.
“Ew, stop looking at me, pervert.” He covers his nipples with two fingers each, looking like a fucking chicken.
“Just trying to remember a time when I found you attractive.” That makes him glower. Serves him right.
How dare he assume what I was definitely totally doing.
Setting up another round, we go through the motions of exchanging cards. My hand is nearly unbeatable but I’m taking a risk. “For blue.”
“Blue? I still have socks on.” Mark huffs.
“Now, blue and yellow.” Socks and pants. I want to move this along. “What does it matter, Mark? You scared? Does your hand suck as bad as your rimming skills?”
Hunter sighs.
Deeply.
Getting up, Mark looks him dead in the eye, taking off both his socks and sweats. Thankfully he’s wearing boxers, not briefs, so I’m spared the outline. For now.
The game goes on and on, and for the most part I don’t think about the thing I don’t want to think about. The feelings thing. The big feelings thing. “Ew, no babe.”
Hunter shrugs. “Those are the rules.”
I shake my head. “Last chance to change the bet. I don’t know what’s going to happen if Hunter sees me nude. I just want it stated, I am not responsible for the actions of men.”
“Just shut up and show him how small your dick is.”
My jaw plummets. Asshole. I thumb my bikini briefs, giving them a little theatrics.
“Can you just strip already?”
“Hunter wants to see me naked, bad.” I do a little shimmy that does shit all to impress anyone at this table. Losers.
Hunter shrugs. “I’m probably the only one who hasn’t seen him naked... probably in the entire state and city of New York.”
Mark barks out a laugh. “Go on. Show him how unimpressive and non-boyfriend stealy you are naked.”
“Say’s the man who used to lick my balls like—”
“I don’t want to hear this,” Hunter snaps. I pull down my briefs and Hunter’s tired eyes dip down. “That’s it?”
I cup my flaccid dick. “He’s terrified, Hunter! Mark is right there. He’s been through things! What—”
I go to sit down and Mark yells, “Don’t sit your bare ass on the chair! Go get a towel.”
“Excuse me, your boyfriend caused this. You get the towel.” Mark gets up and disappears toward the bathroom, coming back with a towel and placing it on the seat. “You’re being dramatic. If I recall you had no problem letting me use your face as a seat once upon a time.”
“Okay!” Hunter stands. “New rules, yeah? No more talking about past sexual experiences between the two of you or the guys you used to fuck. I get it! We all get it.”
“Did you say all of that while looking at my dick?”
“Why did I come out here?” Hunter rakes a hand through his dark hair. “I heard the fucking door, and I should have known. I should have hidden.”
“I’m not sure why you do anything Hunter, but I do have some good news for you.”
“Oh yeah? And what’s that, Noah?”
“I give you consent to check me out.” I cross my legs at the knees, sort of squishing my balls, but I’m doing a bit and I’m not about to punk out. “Look if you must.”
“You look like Winnie the Pooh.”
I snort. “He wishes.”
Dealing another round, we exchange cards and Hunter looks between us then reveals his cards. I proudly slap my hand down. “Yes! You know the slight breeze is actually really nice. Not many guys walk around with a shirt and no pants. It’s underrated to be honest. It’s always no shirt and pants. So boring. Switch it up now and then.”
“That’s literally a crime.”
“I agree. It is a crime.” I eye a suddenly very squirmy Hunter. “Go ahead. Let’s see it. I want to see what turned Mark into a bottom.”
Hunter sweeps a look at Mark, pleading for his life but getting no help as his boyfriend shrugs. “Those are the rules, babe. Go ahead and show him why you’re superior to him in every way.” Hunter stands, looking oh-so amused before pulling down his boxers.
Holy.
Fucking.
Shit.
I don’t think it’s possible for me to close my jaw, and honestly, if Mark’s putting that in his mouth every night, I’m shocked he can. “Blink twice if you’re okay.” I whisper to my friend.
“Noah—” Hunter sighs, sitting down.
“Oh, he doesn’t have to use a towel!”
“Jamie.”
“What?!”
“Nothing. I just wanted to see your face when I said his name. That was good stuff, I must say.” Hunter grins.
Trying to steady myself, I glare down at the cards, not having it in me for another round. I set them down and sit back in my chair. “Is that, uh, what you wanted to talk about earlier?” Mark’s soft voice catches me. When Mark wants to best friend , goddammit, he can best friend the shit out of me.
“What?”
“Why were you upset earlier? What’s going on?”
“You really want to talk about this? You hate him.”
Mark’s eyes flit to Hunter. “Hate is a bit much. I just don’t trust him.”
“He’s not a bad person.” In fact, he may just be the best person.
“Yet here we are. Upset.”
“It’s not him, it’s me. He’s been honest and I’ve been—”
“Sucking his dick constantly?”
Well, that is all Jamie really wants from me. The sting of those thoughts hits me deep. The shelf though... The drawings... The reading and soft moments... Fuck.
“Enough, okay. We aren’t doing anything. We’re just two guys who happen to find each other attractive. Sharing orgasms. That’s it.” The words taste sour. Mark’s eyes don’t leave mine. Thankfully my phone vibrates, and I can’t help my quick reaction to grab it or the embarrassment I feel at how fast I did.
Jamie: Where did you go?
Another message pops up a second later.
Jamie: Not that I need to know
Jamie: I don’t
Jamie: I’m fine
Jamie: I barely even want you home, honestly
Jamie: Like, the least amount someone could want to see someone else. That’s me. That’s how I am. In fact, wherever you are definitely stay there
Smiling as message after message pops up, I type back.
Noah: Seems like you want to see me desperately.
Jamie: Desperate is a word that could be used to describe someone who wants to see someone else badly
Jamie: Which I am not
Jamie: You still at Mark and Hunter’s?
Jamie: Not that I care. Because I don’t
Noah: No I’m not
Jamie: Where are you?
Noah: I was abducted by aliens. They were going to probe me and took one look at my ass and made me their leader
Jamie: That’s a shame
Noah: I know you’ll miss me
Jamie: No, I just thought aliens had better taste
Noah: They clearly have the most taste. You should see the dildos in space, Jamie. Two words. Dick. Tentacles.
Jamie: How am I jealous of fictional aliens?
Noah: Don’t worry, I’ll try to bring one back for you
Jamie: So thoughtful
After I watch the dots appear and disappear a few times, finally a message pops up.
Jamie: Seriously though, when you comin home
Noah: In a little bit
Jamie: Ok ( :
“Holy fucking shit.” I set my phone down, glaring at Mark. “Oh my god.”
“What?” Hunter looks just as confused as I am.
“You’re in love with him.”
“What! No.” I laugh. “Silly man.”
“Holy shit. Noah—”
“I barely fucking know him!”
Ignoring me, Mark looks at Hunter. “Did you see the way he looked at his phone, babe?” I can’t tell if Mark’s pissed or delighted about his newfound enlightenment into my scary feelings.
“Fuck off.” Now I’m getting pissed. I grab for my pants.
“Let me get this straight.”
“Good luck.”
“Noah—”
“No. That is stupid, this is—”
“Do you?” Hunter’s voice sobers me. For such a big, muscular, and extremely well-endowed man, his voice is soft. “Do you have feelings for him?”
My heart clenches inside my rib cage. That’s where it is, right? God, I hope there’s something around it because I feel like it’s about to fall out of my chest. “Nothing is going on.” Which is the absolute truth. Jamie doesn’t want me.
“Do you guys touch constantly? You do, right?”
Mother of heaven, I hate them both. “You are living together, sleeping in the same bed I assume. I bet he has dinner on the table every night.” Mark nods. “At least I hope it’s him, you can’t cook for shit.”
I give him the finger but... regretfully nod. “You’ve been taking care of him.”
“Which his mother asked me to do,” I correct Hunter.
“You’d have done it anyway, and we both know that.”
“I bet you both have shows you watch together,” Mark adds.
“Books you both read, because I found it real odd that Jamie had a book on his nightstand with a bookmark in it and got real flustered when I asked about it.”
“He reads with you, babe. That’s like, your nerdy kryptonite.”
“We’re friends. We have a friendship, and if you don’t shut your mouth right now he’ll be my new best friend,” I snap.
“They totally are boyfriends.” Hunter grins.
“Jamie doesn’t want a relationship, and it’s fine. We do all the normal things couples do.”
Mark’s humor dies on his face. “But you aren’t.”
Chewing my bottom lip, I just want the pain to stop. “Does it matter? He’s just hanging out with me.” Why can’t that be enough? I hate this. “It doesn’t matter if we don’t have a title.” It’s not like Jamie is simply going to go out and hook up with other people.
That... that sounds more like settling though. I’m just there. Maybe Jamie doesn’t really want me—I’m just convenient.
I’m going to cry.
Mark sets his cards down, moving his chair closer to me and grabbing my hands gently. “If you’re happy, then fine. I want you to be happy. If you’re not, though, I want you to listen to me. Do not settle for less than you deserve. Stop settling to make other people happy.”
I pull my hands from his, gathering the cards. The game is over. I have to go home. This is too much. I came here to forget about this, not pick at it. “I’m happy.” I clear my throat. “What we have works.” Does it? Am I really happy? The tears currently welling in my eyes say no.
I focus on cleaning up but feel eyes on me. Hunter stares at me. “What?”
“Questioning my life choices, Noah. That’s all.”
“What? Why?”
He stands up, and I nearly jump back from the swinging pendulum between his legs. I never knew there was such a thing as too much cock. Hunter shakes his head, snatching his boxers from the floor, thankfully caging that beast. “We just had that entire heart-to-heart with our dicks out.”