Page 38 of Roleplay at Randy's
“My Mom and sister have plenty of pictures,” he says, and his expression turns bashful. “Which you can totally ask to see at my sister's wedding in a few months.”
I’ve got both of my hands under his knees, and his rushed words have me digging my fingers into the meat of his thigh on impulse.
“I can what now?”
The veins in his neck pulse as he throws his head backover the armrest again, pressing both palms onto his closed eyes.
“Yeah so my sister kind of thinks we’re a thing. Is pretty damn insistent actually. She’s getting married on November fifteenth to her girlfriend, and she basically threatened to never leave my love life alone if I didn't bring you.”
This is the kind of situation that would have made Riley run for the hills. If someone had put two and two together that we were dating, he would have been stuck in the house sick to his stomach for days.
The difference here is Elias and I are very consciouslynot dating.
“Do you want to?” My voice is quiet, uncertain. “Bring me as your date or whatever.”
He groans a deep, guttural sound, sinking further down the couch and leaning more into my hands. My fingers inch up the backs of his thighs and dig in there.
“I don’t want tonotbring you. Doesn’t that break like … all of our rules?”
I shrug. “It doesn’t have to. You could ask me as a friend.”
He lifts his head again, and I offer up a smile. “My sister would call our bullshit immediately. Let’s be honest with ourselves—I wear my feelings on my face, and every single person will know how much I like you.”
Ah, dammit. Why does he have to say things like that?
I squeeze his thighs and slide my hands higher—just a few inches—leaning forward so I’m half lying on top of his legs in my lap.
“Fuck it. Let’s lean into it, then.”
I take the initiative to yank him closer, partially so he’ll quit hiding, and his ass brushes the top of my thighs. He squeaks—honest to god squeaks—and stares at me with wild, wide eyes.
“Lean into it?”
“Yup.” I push on his legs, leveraging myself so I can get just a little closer to his face. “If she wants to insist that we’re a couple, then let’s be fucking coupley. On our own terms.”
Both of his hands go to his face, and I know that he says something because the words are there in the air but they don’t quite compute in my brain.
“Hey.” I grab hold of his wrist and tug. “It hasn’t been a problem because I put in a lot of effort with you, but it’s late and I’m tired. I need to see your mouth, Elias, or I can’t hear you very well.”
Slowly, he lowers his arms and uses his free one to prop himself up. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles. “I forgot.”
My smile is tight, but I ease my own frustration by rubbing my thumb along the length of his thigh and relishing in the way he shivers.
“I know, and that’s my fault. I like you, too, and I’ve let you get away with too much.”
Guilt creeps into his features, and I release his wrist to thread my fingers through his. “I don’t expect most people to accommodate me, Lee. But I care about fostering a relationship with you, and I need that to be a two way street.”
“Yeah.” I see the word on his lips but don’t quite hear it. He clears his throat. “Let me try that again. You want to pretend to date me at my sister’s wedding? To … save me from embarrassing myself?”
When he puts it like that … I burst out laughing and bring our hands to my face, pressing them to my forehead.
“What makes you think I’d be able to hide it, Lee? I’m barely containing myself from kissing you right now.”
I need sleep. My honesty has no filter.
We need to breathe. I need space.
I take in a deep breath and straighten my back. Drop his hand. Ease his legs out of my lap.
