Chapter 13
HOW IS HE DOING THIS?
Riley reread CJ Rollins’ new book blurb for the fifth time.
Ricky and Joseph have been best friends since they were born, thanks to their parents living on the same street.
They’ve gone through school together, started a graphic design business together and spend all of their free time together.
The one thing they’ve never tried? Admitting their feelings for each other, because they both think they’re straight.
It’s obvious to everyone but them that these two are meant to be.
For New Year’s, the whole gang is sharing a house, but Ricky and Joseph are stuck sharing a bed.
Will the forced proximity help them realize their relationship goes beyond platonic?
Or will making one of them jealous do the trick? Only time will tell.
Ricky and Joseph. That was so close to Riley and Josh, not to mention forced proximity for New Year’s, a graphic design business, living on the same street.
There was no way this was a coincidence.
Was this author fucking stalking them? Was he writing a book about them? How did he know all of this?
On his laptop, Riley switched to the original email from CJ Rollins to see if there were other clues. The only line that stood out was, “I think you two will really enjoy this book.”
Why did he think they’d enjoy it? They had never discussed reading any of his books.
Riley tapped the reply button atop CJ’s email and typed a response that he hoped didn’t sound too panicky.
Hey CJ, we read the new blurb. Sounds like an interesting story. How did you think of it?
Hopefully, he’d have answers soon. He picked his head up from the screen at the sound of the front door opening.
Josh had run out to grab lunch and his return meant Riley had to decide whether he’d show him the blurb or not.
He technically got the email too, but they tended to ignore emails that were already open and replied to.
He wasn’t sure if he wanted to worry Josh with it.
“I got those spicy nachos you like,” Josh said, spreading their lunch on the coffee table, then going to the kitchen for drinks. “They were on sale too!”
Josh was all smiles as he grabbed each of them a beer from the fridge and plopped on the couch next to Riley.
Damn it, he couldn’t keep anything from this guy.
“Hey, you’ll never believe—” A ding cut Riley off. He snapped his gaze to his computer, where a new email was sitting at the top of the screen.
He hesitated for a moment before clicking it open and felt a chill as he read CJ Rollins’ response.
I’ve been watching you.
“Oh holy shit,” he said, recoiling from the screen like it had zapped him. “Josh, I think we have a stalker.”
Josh slid on the couch until he was plastered against Riley’s body, the warmth helping to calm the chill in him.
Riley showed him the original email, the blurb and the creepy followup response, then waited for Josh to freak out with him.
Instead, he shrugged, said, “Sounds like a good story,” and took a bite of his hoagie.
“A good—Josh, this is about us.”
Josh laughed, then pointed to the beginning of the blurb. “Nah, it says Ricky and Joseph. Not Riley and Josh. A bunch of romances are about friends getting together. Sounds like every other story.”
“Yeah, but the rest of it? Living on the same street, a graphic design business, forced proximity on New Year’s? Josh, he’s talking about us.”
Josh put down his sandwich and slowly read the blurb one more time.
“So, if this is us… does that mean you think we belong together?”
“I— That’s not— It says everyone around us thinks we belong together. It sounds like he’s talking about us. His followup email says ‘I’ve been watching you.’ This guy knows us somehow.”
Instead of answering, Josh grabbed the computer off Riley’s lap and hit reply on CJ’s email.
Is this about us?
A moment later, Yes, I’ve been watching you. I know things.
Josh responded, Where are you watching from?
I’m closer than you think.
Give me a hint.
I will. But not yet…
Is this Riley?
“What? I’m literally sitting right here,” Riley said.
“I’m testing him, don’t worry,” Josh said, filling Riley with worry.
What? No, Josh. Riley is right next to you.
How do you know that?
Because he is literally always right next to you.
How do you know that?
I KNOW IT ALL!
Riley slammed the laptop lid shut and pulled it away before Josh could continue the back-and-forth with their stalker.
“Why’d you stop me?” Josh asked.
“Because it’s already pretty clear he knows a lot about us. He’s playing some kind of game.”
“Yeah, so let’s figure it out,” Josh said, reaching for the laptop as Riley held it out of his reach. “C’mon, I was so close to breaking him.”
Riley was stretching on the couch to keep the laptop out of Josh’s reach, until eventually he tumbled onto the floor to get away from him.
“You weren’t close to anything. You were egging him on,” Riley said as he stood, his laptop still in his hands.
Josh didn’t give up and followed Riley around the room. Riley was doing his best to hold the laptop out of Josh’s reach, twisting and wriggling to keep it away.
Josh forgot about the laptop and instead put Riley in a headlock, pulling him to the floor, Riley managing to toss the computer on the couch before it could fall.
Josh's hands were everywhere, trying to grab onto something so he could get an edge over Riley, but Riley was wily.
They rolled around, each fighting for dominance, Riley ripping off Josh’s shirt, Josh ripping off his. Josh used the nearby wall to push off with his feet and get on top of Riley, pinning his hands over his head, Josh’s weight settling on top of him.
That’s when Riley felt Josh’s hard cock through his sweatpants. It was hard to ignore when it was pressing right against Riley’s.
Riley gasped in response to the sweet pressure, and Josh froze above him, mere inches between them.
“I bet you can’t get out of this hold,” Josh taunted, a smirk on his face.
Riley’s brows furrowed and he thrusted, trying to remove Josh from his position on top, only then realizing what that movement would do.
They both groaned, and Riley’s eyes snapped to Josh’s.
“Why does that feel so fucking good?” Josh asked.
Because it’s you.
Riley paled at that thought.
Holy fuck. How had he missed it this whole time?
Everything about this was… right.
“Do you want to kiss me again?” Riley asked shyly.
Josh didn’t even bother answering with words. He smiled and leaned closer, his lips now a breath away from Riley’s.
“I do, but I still want you to try to get out of this hold.”
Riley’s eyes widened.
If Josh wanted a fight, he’d give him one.
He started to slowly bend his leg while he brought his lips to Josh’s ear, running them against his lobe and nibbling on the edge. He whispered, “You asked for it.”
Riley took advantage of the angle and pushed off his bent leg to try to throw Josh off of him.
They continued to roll around on the floor, scrambling for purchase. When Riley got on top, he tried crawling over Josh, who managed to get a hold on his waistband and yank down his pants, leaving Riley in his briefs.
He stood over Josh, not bothering to hide the hard bulge in his underwear, and threw his arms out to the side, “Now what?”
Josh, looked at him from the floor and leaned back on an elbow, his gaze sliding over every inch of Riley. He could practically feel his touch, his dick twitching when Josh’s eyes settled on his briefs.
“Now, take off your underwear.”
Riley’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened, his whole body trembling at the way Josh was leading him, guiding him. He wouldn’t go easy, though.
“Make me.”
Josh smiled at the taunt and stood, walking over to Riley slowly, so fucking slowly. He reached out a hand to cup his jaw, and then the bastard winked.
A heartbeat later, Josh was tackling Riley into the couch.
Riley tried to wiggle out of his hold, but only managed to face the other direction on the couch, his head falling by Josh’s knees.
He took advantage of the angle and grabbed the waistband of Josh’s sweatpants, pulling them and his underwear until he got them off one of his ankles.
Meanwhile, Josh was removing Riley’s briefs.
Before Riley had time to think, Josh’s hot breath hit his cock, making him freeze and forget all about getting those sweatpants off Josh’s other foot.
He looked down and saw Josh eyeing Riley’s cock like it was a five-course meal. Josh looked at Riley, smiled, and turned to the hard cock in front of him, swirling his tongue around the head.
Riley groaned and fought the urge to thrust into Josh’s mouth. Instead, he turned away and was greeted by the prettiest dick he’d ever seen. He didn’t even know dicks could be pretty, but everything about Josh’s was perfect. As thick as Riley, but maybe slightly longer.
What would that feel like inside me?
Whoa, okay, one thing at a time. See if you can manage licking it first.
Riley leaned forward and tried to copy every girl that had ever gone down on him.
It was likely the sloppiest blow job in the history of the world, but based on Josh’s moaning, he was doing fine.
Meanwhile, Josh was giving him a master class on what a blow job should feel like.
There’d never been such a buildup with anyone else.
It was usually get in, get out, and was hardly the stuff of romance movies.
But whatever Josh was doing deserved a fucking Oscar.
Riley tried to take him deep and made himself gag, and that’s when Josh pulled away from him and shifted on the couch until they were face to face, chest to chest, cock to cock.
“Was I that bad?” Riley asked, part joking, part desperate to hear he didn’t ruin everything by choking on his best friend’s dick.
“It was amazing, but I want to kiss you while we come,” Josh said, lifting Riley’s leg to his hip and positioning himself between Riley’s legs.
Josh pressed hesitant lips to Riley’s, a kiss so soft and sweet it didn’t belong on this couch after they spent the last five minutes defiling it.
One of Josh’s hands went behind Riley’s head while the other slid around his waist and along his back. One of Riley’s arms was stuck between them, palm splayed out on Josh’s smooth chest, the other settling on his hip.
A moment was all it took for their kiss to go from sweet to desperate, their tongues sliding against each other, their bodies moving in a rhythm that made the base of Riley’s spine tingle.
“Fuck, I’m gonna— Josh, don’t stop,” Riley said against his lips.
“Me too, oh shit… Ri!”
Josh’s dick pulsed against him, his warm spend pressed between them and now sliding against his cock. One more thrust had Riley following Josh over the edge, and they shouted through their releases.
As they slowed their bodies, they remained locked around each other, their foreheads pressed together, neither of them able to let go.
“That was even better than the first time,” Josh said between heavy breaths. “How are we so good at that?”
“I have no idea.”
“So, what do we do now?”
Riley blinked at Josh, his gaze unfocused since they were so close, and took a deep breath. “I have no idea.”