The Boyfriend Effect

by Kendall Ryan

  “I’m good,” he murmurs, his striking eyes leaving the sunset to meet mine, somehow carrying that residual warmth with them.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Anything on your mind?” I ask, knowing that Hayes always needs a little push, that extra gesture of permission to let him know, you can tell me anything.

  “Well . . .” He sighs, pressing his lips to my forehead. “I thought I’d have more time with her. I don’t know if I feel worse about keeping her cooped up in the apartment for so long, or for not spending enough time together, just the two of us.”

  “Hayes, you’re the best grandson anyone could ask for. Rosie loves you so much.” When he doesn’t respond, I continue. “It’s not like she’ll be far away. We can visit her anytime.”

  “You’re right. I know that.” He chuckles, nuzzling his nose into my hair, and I nestle into him, savoring his masculine scent. “It’s all happening pretty fast, huh?”

  “Says the guy moving in with my sister.”

  We turn, surprised to find Wolfie leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. We both know him well enough to recognize when his scowl is the I’m gonna beat you up kind, or the I’m just giving you a hard time kind. Luckily, this time it’s the latter.

  “You order that pizza yet?” he asks, nodding toward the forgotten cell phone in my hand.

  I suck in a sharp breath through my teeth, realizing I’d completely abandoned my mission. Being around Hayes does that to me. Always has, and always will.

  “Sorry,” I mumble, extracting myself from Hayes’s arms to finish what I started.

  “Don’t worry about it. I got it,” Wolfie says, pulling out his own phone.

  “You don’t have to—”

  But the phone is already pressed to his ear as he walks back inside to rejoin the others. It’s less of a cold shoulder and more of a decision to let us live our lives in peace.

  I look up to Hayes with a hopeless expression, and he simply grins down at me.

  “Wanna take off after the pizza?” he asks, drawing my chilled hands between his and blowing his warm breath on them. “Go home?”

  Home. My heart sings.

  “And unpack more boxes? I don’t know,” I say with a sigh.

  Yes, Hayes and I have already moved in together, not even a year since we exchanged I love yous. No, I’m not worried.

  “I know a specific box we could unpack,” he murmurs, one eyebrow rising suggestively.

  I know exactly which box he’s referring to. The indecent little collection of battery-charged pleasures we’ve accumulated over the past year. We haven’t had a chance to play since we packed them away and shuffled them from one apartment to another.

  A shiver runs up my spine, but not from the cold . . . oh, I’m plenty warm now. Our lips touch, so soft and tender that I’m tempted to take his hand and sneak him back to his car, where we can do more than just talk about sex.

  “Oh yeah? That box?”

  Hayes pulls me a little closer. “Mmm. I was thinking we’d stow it away in the nightstand. Easy access.”

  “We should probably leave one or two in the kitchen. And the living room. And the bathroom. And the car. Both cars. You know, just in case.” I give him a flirty wink.

  A rich, contented laugh resonates from deep inside him, wrapping me in love. “Whatever you want, dove. Whatever you want.”

  And I know he means it. Hayes would give me whatever I want—the whole world, if he could. It’s a comforting feeling, and one I’m so incredibly grateful for.

  Wolfie and Penelope’s book is up next in My Brother’s Roommate. Wolfie may be the most deliciously broken alpha hero I've ever written.

  Get your copy now!

  Next in This Series

  There are a few things you should know about my brother’s roommate.

  Wolfie Cox is . . . complicated. Terminally sexy, and more importantly, he has an impressive stick lodged so far up his ass, he’s about as emotionally available as a chinchilla. Actually, that might be an insult to the chinchilla community.

  So, naturally, I want to ride him like a bicycle.

  He thinks I hate him. Mostly because I’ve led him to believe this. It’s easier than admitting the alternative.

  And while Wolfie is about as soft and cuddly as a fork, I’m the opposite. A good girl. Reliable. Conscientious. Oh, and completely panicked about an upcoming work conference.

  Wolfie’s usually allergic to altruism, so when my brother asks him to help me out by escorting me to said conference where everyone else will have a plus-one . . . I say thanks, but no thanks. Surprisingly, Wolfie is unflinching about this. And that’s the story about how I got stuck in a hotel with my brother’s hot (grouchy) roommate.

  Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

  In all seriousness, this isn’t a game to me, and hormones aside, I need to impress my boss this week so the promotion I’ve worked hard for doesn’t get handed to his spineless nephew. But with Wolfie and me sharing a hotel bed, things get confusing quickly.

  Get your copy now.

  Deleted Bonus Scene

  Enjoy this deleted scene from when Maren met Hayes at the cabin in Chapter 19…

  Inside the cabin, we find my bedroom. It’s dark except for the moon—which pours in through the window, bathing its inky blue light over us. Standing beside my bed, I’m hopeful Maren can’t tell how nervous I am. How much indecision I’m filled with. I came here to think, to make a choice and force myself to see it through—no matter how much it gutted me. Now though? With Maren and I about to climb into bed, I’m less certain than before.

  She lifts her face to mine and I press my mouth to her neck, kiss her warm skin, breathe in her familiar scent. Though I told myself this wasn’t what tonight would be about, my dick begins to harden.

  Her mouth finds mine and I’m weak, powerless to stop this. Kiss after hungry kiss, I let myself drink in my fill. My hands explore, cupping her perfect ass. She groans weakly into my mouth and I deepen our kiss, my tongue sliding and tangling with hers.

  Jesus. Why is this so good? Why is she so hard to walk away from?

  With super-human strength, I pull myself away.

  Maren blinks up at me. “Why’d you stop?” Her gaze is filled with lust and my brain short-circuits.

  Why did I stop?

  Because I don’t want to ruin our friendship. Or my relationship with Wolfie.

  But there’s no one here to interrupt us, and at this moment, the only thing I’m sure of is my longing. Deep, drowning longing that screams at me from deep inside my being. It’s primal—the need to claim her, mate with her ... have her in every way I can.

  Maren doesn’t wait for me to respond, she lifts on her toes and presses her mouth to mine once again. Her tongue coaxes, treating mine to soft, wet strokes while her hand presses into my cock.

  It’s like a fiesta of sensation.

  We fall back onto the bed and begin scrambling with each other’s clothes. It doesn’t take long for me to strip her naked. I’m kissing one soft breast, my fingers pinching the nipple on her other as she wraps her fist around my cock. Her strokes are unhurried and I rasp out a breath.

  “Feels good,” I say on a groan, teeth lightly grazing the soft, plump flesh of her breast.

  She makes a small pleasure-filled sound and arches her back, pushing more of her tit into my mouth.

  God, I can’t get enough of her. I arrange us on the bed so she’s lying back against the pillows and I hover over her on my forearms. She’s beautiful and I take a moment to tell her so. Her hands are everywhere—in my hair, on my waist, clutching my ass so that my dick presses into the wet flesh between her legs.

  One thought is louder than the rest. If I can just get inside her, maybe everything else will make sense.

  She parts her thighs and I know I can’t fight it any longer.

  I line myself up between her legs and thrust forward slowly, filling her in a long, d
eep stroke.

  Maren lifts her hips, moving to set the pace she wants. It’s hot as hell and I follow her lead.

  With each deep stroke of my body inside of hers, I can feel it. Something’s changing. We’re changing. Growing closer. My heart aches because I want more, but also because it’s the very thing I’ve been terrified of since this began.

  “Right there,” she whimpers, body shivering.

  I find a deep spot within her and Maren cries out.

  “Yes. Come on my cock. That’s it,” I groan when I feel her tighten around me. All her muscles tense at once and I have to fight back the deep moan that pours out of me.

  So good.

  I come then in long, hot pulses that go on forever while Maren kisses my neck and tells me how good I feel.

  When it’s over, I’m reluctant to withdraw, but with one last kiss to her temple, I do. I’m dizzy and spent and more satisfied than I ever recall being.

  Free Bonus!

  To receive a FREE ebook of One Night with the Rebel, a short (and HOT!) story, enter your email address at the link below and I’ll send it straight you!

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  Acknowledgments

  A giant tackle-hug and a glass of fizzy champagne to all the readers out there for grabbing The Boyfriend Effect. You are the reason I get to continue bringing my stories to life, and I truly hope you loved it as much as I did. I can’t wait to bring you more in this series! Up next is the story of the grumpy Wolfie Cox.

  A huge amount of gratitude is owed to my lovely assistant, Alyssa; to my editors Rachel and Pam; to my agent, Jane; and my audio production team. You’re all truly outstanding at what you do.

  To my sweet little family . . . I couldn’t do it without you. Thanks for helping me hang on to whatever little sanity I had left trying to write and homeschool during a pandemic. Wowzers—10/10 dislike. Do not recommend. But we’re still smiling, right? Love you guys.