Page 106 of Faking It Right
I laughed. “Why are you acting like you’re any different?”
“Fair enough.” He shook his head. “Poor Professor Bennett doesn’t stand a chance against Bryce’s unique charm next term.”
“I hope he believes in a god who can help him,” I retorted, making us both crack up. “And let’s pray Bryce doesn’t end up asking us to bail him out of jail for stalking.”
“That’s cute you think I’d bail him out,” Harley laughed. “It might be more entertaining to send him a care package of prison-appropriate fashion tips instead.”
“I wonder how long it’ll be before Bryce sends a three-page slideshow presentation on ‘Operation Seduce Professor Bennett’ to the group chat?”
Harley snickered. “My money’s on before breakfast. Complete with costume changes and a contingency plan for the elbow patches scenario. Because while he claims that’s a deal breaker, we both know he’d take the jacket off and keep going.”
My phone buzzed with a notification. I glanced at it and snorted when I saw it was a message from Bryce to the group chat.
Bryce
EMERGENCY FASHION CONSULTATION REQUESTED
Here are my options for what to wear on the first day of class. Vote for which one screams “future trophy husband of a distinguished academic” the loudest.
Harley snorted as he looked at his own phone. “It’s not a slideshow, but I’m still impressed that was faster than I expected. Did he miss the part where Senna said the guy starts working during the fall term and not spring?”
“He must have, because it’s not his style to invest this much effort into a seduction months in advance.” I scrolled throughhis photos out of curiosity. “Should we tell him that a mesh shirt is probably not the best choice for the first day of the new term?”
Harley grinned wickedly. “Nah, let’s see how this unfolds. Personally, I’m voting for the leather pants.”
I shook my head, turning off my screen. “You’re truly awful.”
“But you adore me, anyway.” He blew me a kiss.
I did. And that felt fanfuckingtastic.
Chapter Twenty
HARLEY
“That went well,”I said, watching him from the corner of my eye as we cleaned the apartment after our friends left. “How do you feel about coming out to them?”
“Relieved? Anticlimactic?” He shrugged. “It all felt almost too easy, too normal.”
“That’s a good thing.”
As we continued cleaning, our orbit seemed to shrink. My hand went for an empty pizza box just as Ryker’s did, my knuckles grazing the back of his hand. He flinched back like he’d touched a hot stove, then immediately tried to act casual.
A minute later, we were at the sink doing dishes, and our shoulders bumped. Neither of us moved away. The water kept running, the soap suds piled up, and the air between us grew thick enough to bottle.
Ryker’s gaze kept finding mine for a split second before skittering away to focus on a smudge on the counter. He’d open his mouth like he was about to say something, then snap it shutand go back to wrestling a paper towel from the roll as if it were a mortal enemy. Our usual silence was easy, but something else was clearly on his mind.
I rinsed out a glass in the kitchen sink. “You seem antsy.”
“A little.” He fidgeted with a dish towel, folding it into a square, then immediately unfolding it, starting over. “I want to try something new tonight.”
“I’m listening.”
Ryker took a deep breath as his eyes fixed on the towel in his hands. “Can I give you a blow job?”
The glass I was rinsing almost slipped from my fingers. Of all the things I’d expected him to say, that wasn’t anywhere on the list. I turned off the water and faced him fully, searching his expression for any sign of joking.
“Are you serious?” I asked, unable to keep the surprise from my voice.
