by Seb Taylor
Chapter 6
Mike
Later that evening Liams friend and neighbor Gemma came over. I’d heard a lot about her but I’d never actually met her, and right then I welcomed the distraction.
It felt amazing spending the day with Liam, the pair of us catching up together, but I couldn’t help but grow more and more light headed around him. The longer I spent alone with him the more tempted I was to tell him how I was feeling, but that just seemed out of the question.
Maybe it was the night in bed we’d spent together that muddled my mind, but I just wanted to lean in and kiss him, to take him in my arms. I couldn’t shake the thought of him, desperate to feel him, to confess it all to him, but somehow I held it all back.
Part of me was worrying that I didn’t have long left with him, that if I made a fool of myself at least I would be leaving soon. It was that part of me that grew harder and harder to ignore.
I’d be escaping from all of this in just over a month, leaving it all behind.
When Gemma showed up I felt so much better, the three of us laughing and joking as Liam made us a pizza.
As the evening went on I couldn’t help but think that Gemma was looking for something, her eyes scanning me as I sat there beside Liam. It was just a feeling and I couldn’t be sure why I felt like that, but I no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t shake it off.
She looked at me in such an unusual way, her eyes roaming all over me, glancing in my direction whenever she thought I wasn’t watching. At first I’d thought she was checking me out, but the more she did it the more I was sure that it was something else entirely.
“I can’t believe how bad it is out there,” I said. “Any luck with your heating yet?”
Gemma shook her head. Liam had filled me in on Gemma’s situation, explaining that her heating hadn’t come back on like his had. Because it was so bad outside there was no way anyone could attend and check it out, which left her in a pretty crap situation.
“Not yet,” she answered. “Fingers crossed it starts to clear up by tomorrow and then someone can come out and fix it.”
I smiled and took a long swallow of my drink. A part of me was desperate to be back home and return to normal, but another part of me wanted to stay with Liam. Even though the distracting feelings had grown to new heights, I was still enjoying spending time with him.
I’d missed being close to him, spending as much time as we could together, and these last 24 hours had really given us a good chance to catch up. Liam was acting a little weirdly, but for the most part everything felt as good as it always had between us.
It made me want to give up my promotion, to stay and see what could happen between us, but that was mad. He was one of the reasons I’d excepted the job in the first place.
“At least this place is warm,” Liam said, calling over to us.
“That’s true, and I’ve finally been able to meet the mystery Mike,” Gemma said, looking at me with a beaming smile on her face.
I couldn’t help but notice that Liam blushed behind her as he walked over with the pizza, fixing his eyes on his friend. The look he gave her was so unusual that it threw me off completely.
It was like he was willing her to stay quiet, to keep something to herself.
“I wouldn’t say I’m much of a mystery,” I chuckled. “You been telling people about me Liam?”
He blushed bright red at my teasing, looking straight down at the floor as he put the pizza on the table between us. I leaned in and grabbed a slice, waiting for him to say something witty, but he never did.
“He talks about you all the time,” Gemma said playfully, continuing my teasing. “Never shuts up.”
I laughed loudly, waiting for Liam to join in, but he just grabbed a chair and took a slice of pizza. He really was acting weirdly.
We were always teasing each other, laughing and joking, but right then he seemed so distant, as if something was really bothering him.
“All good things I hope?” I asked.
“Very,” Gemma answered with a playful wink.
I knew that she was just messing around, but the idea that Liam talked about me to his friends, telling them very good things, made my stomach twist. I wanted to know everything he said about me when I wasn’t around, to know exactly how he felt.
As I glanced up at him I wondered what he was thinking right then. He was a closed book, his expression blank as he leaned back in his chair, and I couldn’t help but notice how uncomfortable he looked.
“We are only messing,” I said softly, trying to put him at ease.
We didn’t say much else about it and after a few minutes Liam was back to his usual self. He was laughing and joking again, and I fell back into my comfort, smiling back at them both as they talked about something that had happened in the apartments recently.
The conversation quickly turned to relationships, Gemma probing and asking all sorts of questions that made me laugh. I’d always been pretty open about my relationships, none of them ever lasting long enough to really talk about.
Everything always fell apart shortly after it started no matter how promising things seemed. Nothing ever lived up to what I really wanted, what I could never have.
“Can you believe Liam is still single?” Gemma was asking me now, her eyes fixing on mine.
“Yep, sure can,” I chuckled.
“Hey, if you didn’t have me working such long hours I’d have a chance to find someone,” Liam shot back.
I looked at him and grinned.
In all honesty I couldn’t see why he was still single. He was a great guy with so much to give, good looking with a personality to match. Being around him always made my days better and I knew anyone would be lucky to have him in their lives.
“You’ll find someone who can tolerate you one day,” I said with a wink.
They both laughed loudly and we continued talking about it a little more. As the evening wore on it got a little colder and the darkness descended, the hour growing late.
Yawning, Gemma stood up and prepared to leave, pulling Liam into a tight hug. I watched them both as she said goodbye and I couldn’t help but think that maybe something was going on between them.
As the thought struck me I realized how jealous I was, although I had no right to be. Nothing would ever happen between us and even if it could, I’d never made my feelings known to him.
It wasn’t as though he’d chosen her over me, not when I’d tried to hide my feelings as much as I had.
He had every right to see whoever he wanted and I had no right to be jealous.
When she disappeared I looked at him long and hard, drinking him in, desperate to tell him how I was feeling.
“Look’s like you’ll be stuck here again tonight,” he said.
“You sure you’re OK with that?” I asked.
I already knew what his answer would be, but I kind of found myself wanting any excuse to leave. Not that I’d get very far with the weather how it was, but it was proving to be a lot more difficult to be around him than I’d expected.
“Of course it is Mike,” he said. “Besides, I’ll need the extra warmth tonight or else I might freeze.”
I looked at him and smiled, already dreading and craving another night in bed with him.
Chapter 7
Liam
Just before I went to join Mike in bed I checked my phone and saw a message from Gemma. She seemed pretty convinced that Mike had a thing for me, but I still couldn’t see it, although her message made me grin like a mad man.
Suddenly the idea that maybe there was just the slightest chance of there being something romantic between us made my heart race. It didn’t change anything, and I didn’t see it myself, but Gemma wasn’t the kind of person to tell me what I wanted to hear for the sake of it.
Placing my phone down, I slipped beneath the sheets, shivering with excitement as I felt the warmth from my best friend radiating against me. I wanted him so much, to just tell him how I was feel
ing, but it was no use.
Being close to him brought all of my feelings to the surface again. Everything I’d tried to bottle up throughout the day erupted free, and I knew I was in for a hell of a night again.
When the lights finally went out I felt Mike turn to face me, his breath tickling my face as he propped himself up beside me. My entire body burned for him, my absolute need for him completely overwhelming me.
“You OK?” He asked.
I didn’t answer at first, hearing the concern in his voice. Clearly he sensed something was wrong and I knew that if I answered too quickly he would just keep on asking. I needed something to tell him, something that he would believe, but I just couldn’t think.
My head was spinning, dizzy with desire. In that moment I wanted him even more than I’d ever wanted anyone.
I kept on picturing us together, sharing something more than just friendship. The thought of us in a relationship was always on my mind, but as I lay beside him it was even harder to ignore than ever.
“I’m fine,” I answered. “You?”
“Don’t try and deflect the question,” Mike said, his voice firm and inviting no argument.
I loved it when he put his foot down, taking charge like that. He always let his team do what they needed to, giving them the autonomy they required to deliver amazing results, but when he had to he was the one to take charge.
Those moments seemed rare, but when they happened I couldn’t help but want him just a little more. Hearing that command in his voice made me hard with excitement, my heart pounding in my chest as I sat up.
“Seriously, I’m fine,” I answered, my voice shaking with nervous anticipation.
“No you’re not,” he said. “Tell me what’s bothering you. Is it me?”
The question caught me completely by surprise. It was him, but in a way he could have never imagined, or so I hoped. If he knew even the slightest bit of what I was thinking then he would have run a mile.
As I looked at him in the dark I grasped at something to say, desperately searching for any answer that would stop him asking questions. Anything but the truth would do.
When none came I considered telling him the truth for the first time. It seemed so reckless, but I wanted to confess my love to him, to tell him just what he meant to me. If he didn’t feel the same then we could move past it, but if he did, then surely it was worth the risk?
Had Gemma been right? Was there really something there?
I couldn’t help but think she was wrong, but I needed to know for sure. We were so good together and what we could have would be amazing. If I didn’t at least try then there was no hope at all.
“Promise not to freak out if I tell you?” I said.
I felt him stiffen beside me, shifting just a little closer. The warmth of his body and the scent of him washed against me, making my entire body tighten. I wanted to lean in and feel his lips against mine, to touch him for the first time, but somehow I held back.
“I promise,” he said softly. “You can tell me anything.”
I sighed. This was the one thing I’d never been able to tell him.
“It’s just a silly thing, probably just some weird phase I’m going through, but lately I’ve kind of had a thing for you,” I said, just laying my cards out on the table.
He didn’t respond, falling completely silent. I’d expected him to laugh, to pull away, but instead he just sat there beside me in the dark, only making the slightest of moves that caught me completely by surprise.
His hands took mine, the warmth of his fingers sending a tingle of pleasure through me. His touch made me gasp, surprise and need billowing from me.
“When did this start?” He asked slowly.
I shrugged in the darkness, not really knowing. It felt like I’d wanted him forever.
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “A while ago I guess, but lately it’s just gotten worse.”
“So not just a silly thing then?” He asked, his voice heavy with expectation.
I couldn’t be sure but I was almost certain that he’d leaned in just a little closer. His face was just inches away from me, our noses almost touching as I tired to make him out in the gloom of the night.
My entire body throbbed with the energy that pulsed through me, my head dizzy with excitement. He was so close that I could almost taste him, my desperate need for him burning hot inside me.
“I guess not,” I answered. “This isn’t going to screw things up between us is it?”
“Nothing could ever do that,” he answered.
Mike sounded so sure, so confident. I’d expected him to get angry, to laugh, to do anything other than stay calm, but right then he was in complete control. It freaked me out, forcing me to keep on talking, making me hope that maybe something could really happen.
He seemed to be considering something, sitting there in silence, never pulling away. So far he was taking things much better than I’d expected, making me want to close that gap between us even more.
I needed to kiss him, to feel his lips, but telling him was enough. He knew how I felt, now it was all in the open.
“What do you want to do about it?” He finally asked.
His question threw me. I stammered an answer, or at least an attempt at one, but no actual words came out.
His fingers slid from mine and suddenly brushed against my cheek, the warmth and tenderness of his touch making me gasp again. Slowly, his fingers moved to the back of my head, slipping into my hair, and then he was pulling me close, pressing his lips against mine.
His kiss stole my breath away, leaving me groaning against him as we embraced for the first time, my heart racing faster than ever before. Every inch of me was alive with the need for him, my breath catching in my throat for a second.
Murmuring against him, I felt everything slip away. It was as if I’d drifted off into sleep, the most wonderful dream erupting to life in my imagination. The dream lasted for what felt like an eternity, my body growing weak as his moved in against mine.
His arm slid around me, pulling me close as his fingers tightened in my hair, his tongue pushing into my mouth. The warmth of his kiss, the strength in his arms, it all combined to form the most amazing feeling I’d ever experienced.
It seemed like it would never end, my stomach tight as I held him close, our lisp working together as the passion between us spilled out. Everything came crashing down around us, all of those barriers, all of those secrets slipping away, leaving us both together.
There was nothing left to do, the truth acknowledged and our feelings clear.
Finally he pulled away, leaving us both gasping as we faced each other in the dark.
“I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he said, voice deep and hungry.
Not waiting for another second, I leaned in and kissed him again, throwing my arms around him as we fell down against the sheets. I didn’t dare say a word, lost in the moment, throwing myself in before either of us could stop for breath.
Chapter 8
Mike
His confession had caught me completely by surprise. My emotions had bubbled up within me, driving me mad as I thought about him being with someone else, but as we sat there together in bed I knew there was something on his mind.
I’d half expected him to tell me he was in a relationship with Gemma, but when he told me he wanted me my entire world had shifted. Everything I ever wanted seemed within reach and there was no way I could let that slip away.
I’d kept it all locked away for far too long and the last thing I wanted to do was hold back. Confessing my own feelings in return seemed like the logical thing to do, but instead I’d been too caught up in the moment.
The only thing that had ever held me back before was the idea that he could never feel the same for me as I felt for him. Now that I knew how wrong I’d been, there was nothing standing in our way, nothing to stop me from admitting how I really felt for my best friend.
Holding
my feelings back any longer would have been foolish, and the only thing left for me to do was to show him how I really felt.
That first kiss had felt incredible, better than I could have ever dreamed, but the second one was even better. The heat of his body, the strength in his arms, it was all so over powering. The physical and emotional need merged together, our first embrace leaving me dizzy with excitement.
I’d never felt a first kiss as good as that, and as we continued to embrace I knew it was just the start.
We lay down together, limbs wrapped tight as we clutched at one another. His tongue whirled with mine, lips smacking wetly as we continued to kiss. He groaned against me, his excitement pressing against me.
Our hips moved together, his hardness rubbing against my own through our shorts, driving me wild with every passing second. The feeling of him made me groan, the growing sense of pleasure building up, drawing us both toward something new and incredible.
Unable to resist him, I reached between us and slid my hand into his shorts, grinning against his lips when he moaned in delight. My fingers wrapped tight around his pleasure, stroking his huge shaft as we moved together.
He returned the favor, his fingers touching me, making me ache all over. I wanted him so badly, his fingers moving around my excitement only drawing me further into our embrace.
We groaned together, gasping for breath as our hands moved, stroking our excitement, the pleasure in our bodies building up when he tugged my shorts down. I did the same to him seconds later and our hips came together, the feeling of his shaft against mine almost too much to handle.
I wrapped my fingers around us both, holding our excitement together as I began to rock my hips. He gasped into my mouth, a shuddering breath that seemed to last forever as we moved, the friction and warmth of our excitement grinding together.
As one, we writhed beneath the sheets, lips locked tight as our hips moved. The feeling grew to new heights and I thought I was going to come, but he shifted beneath me, sliding up against the sheets before throwing his legs around my waist.