Page 28 of Besties
“I worked with people eight hours a day in my last job. Pretty sure I can at least talk with them.”
“Okay, deal. I’ll have Allyssa send you the information.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “I’ve got faith in you.” His stomach rumbled, and we laughed. “Now, let’s go have dinner.”
We ended up at a steak place that had mac and cheese as a side. Richie gorged himself on the rich, creamy dish. When we finished, we got in the car again, and he took us back to his place. After getting me into the house, he checked his watch.
“I should go. Don’t want to keep Rebecca up too late.”
It was impulsive, but I blurted out, “Stay.”
His eyes narrowed. “What?”
“Stay here. You said it yourself. We slept together when we were kids, so I don’t see any problem with sharing a couch tonight.”
“I’m not sure—”
“I am. Stay here. I’m… I’m lonely.”
His chest rose and fell quickly. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yeah, I am. Besides, I think it’s my turn to be here for you.”
He groaned. “This isn’t a contest. You don’t owe me anything.”
“Fine, you’re right. But I want to, so you’re going to let me. Right?”
A sigh as his gaze slid over my face. He must have seen what he was looking for, because he reached into his pocket and fished out his phone, tapped the screen, then did it again, before he held it to his ear. “Rebecca? Hi. I’m going to be staying here tonight. No, nothing like that. We lost a contract today, and Max wants to talk about it. Yeah, I know, I promise not to keep him up late because he has class in the morning.” He chuckled. “You too. Good night.” He hung up, went over to the bedside table, and plugged his phone in. “So now what?”
I pulled the bed out, fixed the sheet, and put on the pillows. “Let’s get into bed, turn out the lights, and you can let me know what I’ve missed in your life while I was wallowing in self-pity.”
“Hey, you aren’t—”
“What we’re talking about. I know what I did, so we don’t have to go over that. Tell me about Richie Ryland and how he became who he is today.”
“Okay, fine.” He went to the dresser, pulled out a drawer, and grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms. I stripped down to my shorts, climbed onto the bed, and watched as he undressed. God, I loved his body, and now I was seeing what I’d never been lucky enough to glimpse before.
His skin was pale all around. A light dusting of blond hair covered his chest, I could see freckles dotting his skin. For the first time, I got to see more than a peek here or there. Everything was on full display, and it was glorious. My nerd had definitely grown up. Though his body had more definition than it did when we were kids, he still had a potbelly, and a bit of padding on his chest and arms. The same ones that held me when I needed it, and gave me strength when I thought I had none.
“What? Do I have something on me?”
I pulled my attention away, but could feel the heat rising in my face.
“No, it’s just… I’ve never seen you without a shirt on before.”
He frowned. “I can put something on if you want.” He patted his belly. “I know I’m probably not anyone’s ideal guy.”
What the fuck? How could he not see how perfect and amazing he was?
“There is not one thing wrong with you, and if you ever say something so stupid again, I’ll… I’ll….”
He grinned, a definite challenge. “You’ll what?”
Taking a deep breath, I made a decision. I pushed off the bed and took the two steps to where he was and threw my arms around him, praying I wouldn’t get an erection. He stood like a stone for a moment, but then his arms enfolded me.
“Need a hug?” he whispered in my ear.
“No, but I think you do. Do you know in all the years we’ve been friends, I never once asked if you needed one? I’m sorry.”
He squeezed tighter. “Stop being stupid. And for the record, you’re always welcome to hug me. You give good ones.”
