Page 58 of Besties
“I thought about it all. Last night I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I sat and stewed about it. Even if, by some miracle, we’re able to get through this mess, our reputation is stained. Tarnished beyond belief. No one will want to do business with us, because there will always be that ‘did you hear?’ crap going on.”
I ran a hand over his back. “Okay. What do you suggest?”
He sighed and he flipped the vegetables with one hand. “Maybe I should sell now, while there’s still value to our business. If I can get the hundred mill, I could make sure my people are taken care of, and we’d still have enough money to live off for the rest of our lives.”
We’d?“Are you including me in this?”
He cocked his head and regarded me like I’d asked the dumbest question ever. “Of course. I’ve waited too long to let you walk away now.” He leaned in and brushed our lips together. “I need you.”
I slid my arms around his neck and pulled him deeper into the kiss. “I’m not letting you fall. We’re going to get through this.”
“Why? Really, what good does it do?” His tone was broken, defeated. Something I’d never heard from him, and I never wanted to again.
I blew out a frustrated breath. Of course I understood his feelings. He’d given his life to Teaching Time. To making sure kids could become something they’d be proud of. But I wasn’t going to let him slide into self-pity like this. “So then what? Do we give up? Do we let some company with substandard material swoop in and screw with kids’ educations? I don’t know about you, but I don’t think so.”
“But I—”
I grabbed his shirt and dragged him down to my level. “But you are Richard Bartholomew Ryland. The man who single-handedly helped me to graduate.” I reached for my stack of papers of the testimonials the former students had emailed me and I printed out. “Who helped all these people discover there was joy in learning. Who made a difference in each of their lives. Will Teaching Time take a ding?” I shrugged. “Probably. But guess what? We’re going to bounce back from that and make the company even stronger. And we’re going to do it with our heads held high, because we’ve done nothing to be ashamed of.”
He grinned then and gave me a quick kiss before standing up straight. “You said we.”
I had. “Yes, I’m aware. You trusted me in ways no one else ever has. You’re showing me that I’m valuable to not only you and the company, but that I have worth I thought I’d lost a long time ago. Mom said I was always a better me when I was with you, and she wasn’t wrong, but I’m also finding out that I’m not a bad me by myself either.”
He tucked a knuckle under my chin. “I never thought you weren’t. You’re the strongest person I know. You stood up for me, even when I couldn’t do it for myself. You’re the one who made me see that being a nerd wasn’t all bad.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist and sank into the embrace when he hugged me to him. “I love you. I’m going to be saying that a lot, because I never thought I’d have the chance to do it.”
“Awesome. I enjoy hearing it.” He kissed my hair. “And thank you for pulling me out of my head. I can’t lose Teaching Time. I’ve put my soul into it.”
“And what about your heart?”
He reached down and cupped my ass, lifting me off the floor. “That’s finally where it belongs. With you.”
My nerd had been learning other lessons, it seemed. “I promise, I’ll take excellent care of it.”
“I never had a doubt,” he said softly, taking a few steps toward the bed.
“Where we going?” I asked, teasing.
He leaned over and placed me on the mattress, as though I was precious. He stood and stared down at me. “I’m gonna admit something,” he said. “I never thought I’d have this chance. Every time you got together with someone, I hated them, because it should have been me. And it would have been, if I hadn’t been such a fucking coward.” He put a knee down and hovered over me, his face inches from me. “No one should have had what I wanted as mine.”
I was about to say something when he slid a hand up my leg and over my crotch. Then all I could do was let out a long, slow moan. Richie was touching me. I gasped when he ran his fingers over my dick. This was every teenage fantasy I’d ever had on those nights where the sheets were soaked with sweat and spunk as I dreamed of him.
“I’m dreaming, right?” I ground out, needing the validation.
In answer, Richie yanked off my shoes, then tugged open my pants and slipped them down and off, letting my cock spring up. He took it in his meaty hand and gave it a few tugs. I could have shot off right there.
“Watch me,” he demanded, his voice deep and husky. “I don’t want you to take your eyes off me, okay?”
I nodded, then lifted my head and slid a pillow under it, staring into his eyes.
“You’re so goddamn beautiful, did you know that?” His hand moved up, disappearing beneath my shirt. “You’re compact, but that body holds such power. I can’t tell you how many times I watched as you worked out and was salivating when your skin was shiny with sweat.” He lowered his head and kissed my belly button. “The whole time I sat there and watched your muscles strain, listened as you panted for air, and bit my tongue so hard, I figured it would bleed.”
If he thought I could make words now, he was insane. His touch was soft and dredged up so many feelings of love and lust.
“Richie,” I whined. “Let me suck you or you can fuck me, but for God’s sake, dosomething. Please.” He gave an evil little chuckle and a shit-eating smirk spread over his face. “You’re enjoying this.”
In response he tweaked my nipple, and I arched my back, pressing up into his touch.
