by Jaclyn Quinn
No! Get it together! Jeremy slowly opened his eyes and locked them on brown orbs he hadn’t seen in a month and a half. “I-I here work now.” Jeremy’s eyebrows drew together. There was definitely something wrong about that sentence that his addled mind couldn’t figure out, but by the half-smile lifting the corner of Griffin’s mouth, he hadn’t missed the blunder.
“I here work for five years.” Griffin snorted, rubbing his back where Jeremy’s keys had apparently landed. Griffin bent down and picked them up, jingling them as he handed them across the desk. “Damn, that Millennium Falcon is sharp.”
Blast! You had to have the Star Wars keychain, didn’t you? Couldn’t be a skull-shaped bottle opener or something, right? Nope, even his keys gave away what a nerd he was. Jeremy reluctantly took them, having a hard time meeting the gorgeous man’s eyes. “Are you okay? I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.” But I saw all of you several weeks ago. Don’t look down, Jeremy. Don’t. Look. At. It. His eyes landed on Griffin’s crotch for a split-second before he slammed them shut. Griffin’s soft laugh filtered through his panicked thoughts. Nervously, he adjusted the black frames on his face.
Jesus, this man had watched him come.
As he called out his name.
While he pulled beads from his ass like it was Mardi Gras.
Splendid.
“I never thought I’d see you again,” Griffin said.
Jeremy’s eyes shot open. “I’m so sorry. I promise, I had no idea you worked here. I—”
“What are you sorry for?” Griffin walked around the desk to stand in front of Jeremy, less than half a foot away when he said so only Jeremy could hear, “That was the hottest fucking night.”
Jeremy gulped…audibly…struggling to get his brain and his mouth to cooperate. “It was?” he squeaked, mentally groaning at the not-so-sexy, prepubescent sound.
“Hell yeah, it was.” Griffin’s eyes dropped to Jeremy’s mouth then slowly traveled back up.
“I…I have to get back to work.” That’s how you respond to that? “Sorry, it’s just…it’s my first week and…”
“It’s cool.” Griffin hiked a thumb over his shoulder. “I have to get you up and running.”
“Up and riding?” Is that what he just said? Holy hell, it took his mind seconds to conjure up an image that had his toes curling in his shoes.
Griffin barked out a laugh. “I’m all for that, too. Except”—he leaned in even closer—“maybe not in the middle of the office.”
Jeremy’s eyes practically jumped out of his head. He’d never met someone so…honest. “Whoa…” he breathed out because, you know, he was awesome at this. Someone in the office closed a file cabinet a little too enthusiastically, and Jeremy jumped, remembering where the hell he was and why. “Um, I really have to get back to work.”
“Right. I’ll let you get back to that.” Griffin took a step back, and Jeremy immediately missed his close proximity. “I’ll just be over here, getting you set up.”
Why does everything that comes out of the man’s mouth sound dirty?
“It does?” Griffin asked in a raspy tone. “And I haven’t even hit you with my best IT pick-up lines…yet.”
Jesus Christ...he must have said that out loud. Embarrassment heated Jeremy’s face and ears, and he quickly looked around the office to see if anyone else had heard him. To his relief, it didn’t look like anyone had.
Griffin smiled and took another step back. “I really should get back to work. I have one more office I need to stop in before I’m done for the day.”
“Yeah, okay.” Disappointment set in, even though Jeremy logically knew he couldn’t be drooling over a man at his new job. Hell, if he’d known Griffin worked for the university, he never would’ve let that night happen. The thought alone—of never experiencing that rush of pleasure with Griffin watching—cast a sadness over Jeremy’s entire mood. He’d dreamed about this man for weeks, and now, he knew he could never truly have him.
Griffin gave him an odd look, as if he’d felt the shift in the atmosphere. “Okay…”
For the next thirty minutes, Jeremy tried to pretend like Griffin wasn’t right there. He tried to ignore the perfect curve of his ass and the enticing strip of lower back revealed every time Griffin reached for something under Jeremy’s desk. It was impossible not to stare or imagine what that skin tasted like.
“Earth to Jeremy.”
Jeremy jumped, wide-eyed, then breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was Aaliyah standing next to his desk.
“You’ve got a little…” She pointed at his mouth then pretended to wipe the corner of her own.
Jeremy narrowed his eyes but couldn’t help wiping his own mouth in case he really had been drooling, which of course made Aaliyah crack up.
“You weren’t kidding, huh? Griffin sure is tall, dark, and handsome.” She ogled the man’s ass. A surge of ridiculous jealousy shot through Jeremy.
“Shhh!” he scolded, a nervous laugh escaping.
“What? He has earbuds in. He can’t hear us anyway.”
“Well…someone else could,” he said, suddenly aware of how many people were in the office.
Aaliyah smiled in understanding. “You’re right. I’ll zip it.” She sat on the corner of the desk. “I was just coming to remind you that you’re scheduled to take a campus tour in ten minutes.”
Jeremy looked at the time on his phone. “Shoot! I better head over to Undergraduate Admission.” He stood, glancing one more time at Griffin, who was sitting with his back to them. “I’ll be back in a little bit.”
As Jeremy left the office, he caught Griffin’s eyes and waved goodbye, getting one in return along with a sexy smile. But by the time he got back from the tour, Griffin was gone.
Chapter Four
“There isn’t anything more fun you could be doing in your new town than watching Netflix? Seriously? It’s Friday night.”
Jeremy held back from saying, Well, I forgot I wanted to stop and get a new bottle of lube from Ace’s Wild on my way home, and instead said, “Drop it, Craig.” The fact was, Jeremy would much rather be doing something—someone—else, but Griffin was off limits. He had to be. There was no way Jeremy would jeopardize his new job, even if Griffin was someone he’d always dreamed of but never thought he could have.
He hadn’t told his brother about Griffin. There was something telling him to keep that night to himself. It belonged to him and Griffin only, and that made it so much hotter.
“Fine, but I think you’re crazy. What happened to how excited you were when you came home after the interview? I thought you’d go back there and start livin’ life, bro.” Craig sounded exasperated, but Jeremy knew he’d eventually let it go. He always did.
“I’m still excited, and I saw a lot of the town this week with Aaliyah. I just need some…downtime. It’s been an overwhelming week.” Punctuated by the sexy man Jeremy had only seen a few hours earlier who he couldn’t stop thinking about.
“You’re right. Sorry. I just don’t want you to lock yourself up in that house. I worry about you.”
“Now you sound like Mom.” He was hoping for a laugh, but Craig didn’t take the bait.
“You think I’m kidding? Don’t come crying to me when we’re in our eighties and you’ve turned into Old Man Pritchard.”
Jeremy gasped. “Take it back, jerk.” Old Man Pritchard had lived down the road from their parents. He’d been a grumpy old man, no matter how nice the neighbors had tried to be to him. The man had had a permanent scowl on his face until the day he died. Jeremy always felt sorry for him, wondering if there had ever been a time in his life when he’d been even a little happy.
“Nope. Not until you start realizing that life is passing you by, Jer.” The sincerity in Craig’s voice hit a nerve. Was he really that worried about him?
“Craig, I promise, I’m not. I just need to settle in a little, okay?” Question was, did he even believe that lie? He didn’t know the first thing about living life to t
he fullest. The only night in his life that even remotely came close was a fading memory, and the man he wanted more than anyone or anything else was completely out of his league.
“I guess I’ll see for myself in a few weeks. Don’t forget I’m coming to visit.”
“I won’t forget.” Couldn’t wait, actually. Having Craig here, even for a weekend, would make this place seem a little more like home. He had to admit, he was a little homesick, but he’d changed so much in his life, and he needed time to get used to it.
They’d said their goodbyes and ended the call, and Jeremy found himself looking around his small place, noticing how quiet it was. He guessed for an apartment that was a good thing. His downstairs neighbors were an older couple, who barely made any noise except for the volume of their TV. They both seemed a little hard of hearing but had been really nice when he’d moved in.
“Ugh. Don’t let Craig ruin your weekend.” Just as the words came out of his mouth, his phone buzzed with a text. “Are you kidding me? It’s been less than a minute.” Jeremy looked at his phone screen, fully expecting to see another nagging text from his brother. What he didn’t expect was…
Are you sitting on the F5 key? Cuz your ass is refreshing.
Jeremy stared at the screen for a second before busting out a laugh, responding to Griffin’s message with: Wow, that’s bad.
Griffin’s response was immediate. No good?
Pause. My servers never go down, but I do.
Pause. I promise…I’m not Micro or Soft.
Jeremy’s cheeks hurt he was laughing so hard. He took a chance and answered… Trust me. I remember.
There was another pause—long enough for Jeremy to start to get nervous that his response had been corny. But then… I remember too. Everything.
“Holy sh—” He jumped when his phone started ringing, eyes widening when Griffin’s name showed on the screen. Answer it, dumbass. “Hello?”
“Are you on Wi-Fi? Cuz I’m feeling the connection.” Griffin’s deep voice vibrated through Jeremy’s ear, goosebumps covering his skin, but still he laughed at the cheesy pick-up line.
“Promise me you’ll never Google dirty computer jokes again.” It didn’t escape Jeremy’s notice how easy it was to talk to Griffin like he’d known him for years. That rarely ever happened to him, with the recent exception of Aaliyah.
“Oh, come on. They weren’t that bad.” Griffin’s chuckle on the other end of the line had Jeremy laying back on the couch with a huge smile on his face.
“They were pretty bad.”
“But did they turn you on?” Griffin snorted. “That sounded like another bad pick-up line.”
“Yeah it did,” Jeremy agreed, an ear-to-ear grin on his face. He felt bold with the other man on the phone, rather than in the room. “And…yeah, they did. Turn me on, I mean.”
There was a pause on the line, and then, “That was a surprise…seeing you on campus today.”
Jeremy winced, reality coming back full force that he worked at the same place as Griffin. Why was life so unfair sometimes. “How’s your back?” It wasn’t the smoothest change in subject, but it was better than blurting out that he hadn’t stopped thinking about the guy since that incredible night.
“Okay. There was a small red mark, but it’s gone now.”
“Jesus, I’m sorry. Not my finest moment.” Why the hell was his face turning red with no one in the room?
“I was witness to one of your finest moments. I can honestly say I prefer beads over keys.”
Jeremy groaned, pushing down on his erection. “Damn. You’re not supposed to say stuff like that now.”
“I’m not? Why?”
“Because…because…” Fuck, why wasn’t he supposed to say that stuff? “Because we work at the same place now.”
“So? We’re not in the same office.” There was a shuffle on Griffin’s end of the line.
“Yeah, but you were there today. I’m sure you have to fix things all the time in every office.” The words were coming out, but all Jeremy could think was, Shut the hell up! Why are you ruining this?
Griffin chuckled. “Okay, then we’ll be friends.”
“Friends?” he squeaked, kicking himself for completely turning this conversation to shit. He really was going to be just like Old Man Pritchard and scare all the neighborhood kids with his scowl, caused by years of too much work and no sex. Old Man Anderson. Great.
“Yeah. Friends.” Griffin breathed into the phone and added, “It’ll be our secret that I know what you look like when you come.”
“Shit,” Jeremy groaned, using all his willpower not to pull his cock out and paint the walls a lovely shade of white. “You don’t play fair.”
“Fair?” Griffin’s deep laugh danced through the speaker of the phone. “I’m the one who has to see you on campus and pretend I don’t know that you have a long, thick cock I’ve seen but haven’t tasted and a pink hole begging for attention.”
“Mean. You’re so damn mean.” No one had ever spoken to Jeremy the way Griffin did.
Griffin snorted. “No seriously. I get it. It’s a new job, and that’s a lot to get used to. You don’t need any distractions.”
“Exactly.” Man, that word felt bitter on his tongue. He was absolutely sure he was an idiot, and his brother would throw a fit if he ever found out what Jeremy had just turned down, but it was the right decision.
Right?
“Just answer one thing and we can continue on with this friendship.” He said the word like it was offensive.
It was on the tip of Jeremy’s tongue to change his mind. Take it back and tell Griffin to get his ass over there. Instead, he asked, “What’s that?”
“Do you really think I’m tall, dark, and handsome?”
Jeremy’s eyes bugged out, and he sat up quickly. “Wh—? But…? You had earbuds in!”
Laughter rang through the phone. “Yeah, earbuds. They weren’t noise canceling.”
“Curses.” Jeremy covered his face in embarrassment, even though he was smiling like a damn loon.
“Come on. Just answer the question, friend. Griffin, I think you’re—”
“Yes, okay? You’re tall, dark, and sexy as hell. Is that what you want to hear?”
“It’ll do,” Griffin teased. “So, what are you up to tonight?”
Jeremy settled back onto the couch, his mind spinning from his confession and the rapid change in subject. He grabbed the remote that was next to him on the cushion. “Binge watching Stranger Things all weekend.”
“I’ve never seen that.”
“What? You have to be joking.”
“Uh oh. Then I better not tell you I’ve never watched Game of Thrones, either.”
“What…I… I’m not even sure how to respond to that. That hurt my soul.” Jeremy’s smile grew bigger at the sound of Griffin’s amused chuckle.
“Well, we can’t have that, can we? I’ll have to find someone to watch it with. What do ya say, friend? Maybe next weekend sometime?”
What the hell was he supposed to say to that? He couldn’t very well take back wanting to be friends. He’d just have to find a way to be in the same room with the guy and not make it obvious that what he really wanted to do was trace that dark happy trail with his tongue. Because you’d really be brave enough to do that anyway?
But there was a voice telling Jeremy that Griffin was different. That if there was anyone he could be himself with, have fun with, be brave with…it was Griffin. Which made this whole thing all the more difficult.
“Yeah, we could do that.” Well, that was probably the stupidest decision he’d ever made. How was he supposed to be in the same room with the guy and not drool?
He assumed that would be the end of the phone call, until Griffin said, “There’s a Star Wars marathon on. How about you save Stranger Things for another day and watch it with me? We don’t even need to leave our couches to do it.”
Was the universe fucking with him? Sexy, loves Star Wars, and practic
al? He was Jeremy’s dream man. “Sounds good to me. What channel?”
The rest of the night consisted of movies, laughter, charging of phones, and junk food, all from their respective homes—as did the next two nights.
It had been one of the best weekends of Jeremy’s life…followed by one of the best Monday mornings of his life when he found a small wrapped box on his desk with a card that read: Come to the Dark Side…it’s less painful. Inside the package was a Death Star keychain. Jeremy snorted out a laugh.
“What are you smiling so big about?” Aaliyah eyed him with a raised eyebrow.
“Nothing,” he said, trying to wipe the smile from his face, but it was no use.
“Right. So, it wouldn’t have anything to do with the box that Griffin Welles left on your desk this morning?”
Jeremy bit his lip, shrugging his shoulders. “Maybe.”
She dragged a chair up to his desk, dropping down into it and leaning an elbow on the hard surface, hand supporting her chin. “Spill the tea.”
“The tea?”
“You know…the juicy details of why Griffin Sexy-As-Hell Welles is leaving you presents.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
Jeremy looked nervously around the office. “Aaliyah…” he said in warning.
“What? We’re the first ones here,” she reassured him. “It’s just us.”
Releasing a sigh of relief, he sat back in his chair, rolling the round Death Star in his fingers. He took his keys off his desk, working the Millennium Falcon off the main ring. He didn’t even bother to try and wipe the cheesy grin from his face as he slid the Death Star on the metal.
“Oh, you’ve got it bad.”
“What? No, we’re just friends.” He bit his cheek, pushing down any inappropriate images of a very naked, very delicious Griffin. How the hell was he supposed to hang out with him as friends when he couldn’t stop picturing him sans clothes?
She pushed her long, dark hair back over her shoulder. “Honey, if that’s the face you make when you think about your friends, you’re in trouble.”