Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 79147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
He takes a drink of his beer. “I think I wanted that to be my dream more than it was. I just…I think I felt like I needed to have success to matter, to feel like I was important. Shitty, right?”
“No,” I tell him. “It’s human.” I could see myself feeling that way too. It endears him to me even more.
“I might still feel that way sometimes,” he admits and somehow, I know I’m the only person he’s ever said this to.
“Yeah?” This time it’s me reaching over the table to squeeze his hand. “And I might be guilty of pretending I’m stronger than I am sometimes, too.”
As we finish the rest of our meal together, talking about life and shit like that, all I can think is, I’m glad Gary thought of me when Hayden needed a place to stay. I’m really fucking thankful he’s my friend.
23
Hayden
Ever since Cody revealed he has a crush on me, he’s opened up so much.
I like this side of him.
He always seems so cool and laid back—like he doesn’t care about much. It’s nice hearing him admit that he’s vulnerable, too.
The more I hang with him, the more I think there’s something between us…something more than messing around and watching movies. In fact, I’m kinda wondering why I’m even going on this date with Sebastian tonight.
Cody’s been encouraging me about it. Telling me it’ll be good for me. Today he was even texting me to ask if I was excited.
Maybe he’s right. I just need to get out and enjoy fucking around for a bit. But even as I stand here, trying to get my harness on for when I meet up with Sebastian, I’m thinking about how nice it would be to just lay in bed with Cody, him sketching in his notepad while I work on some new math problems I’ve been playing around with all week—ones I found on a forum I frequent.
Fortunately, regardless of what happens tonight, at least I know Cody doesn’t give a shit whether or not I hook up with Sebastian. That it’s not going to change what we’re both starting to feel for each other.
I button my black leather harness to the ring that sits on my chest and check it out in the mirrored closet door. Instead of a dinner date, Sebastian suggested we hit up Cockfight for leather night, which sounds like a hell of a lot of fun.
“Shit,” I say as I realize I’ve put it on wrong.
“Need help with that?” Cody’s voice comes from behind me. I turn and see him walking through my doorway.
“Wouldn’t hurt,” I reply. “I always put this damn thing on the wrong way the first time.”
I unbutton the harness and hand it over to Cody. He assesses it before laying the straps over my head, resting them on my shoulders and positioning the metal ring over my chest. I fan my arms out to my sides as he reaches around and pulls the bottom straps around and buttons them to the ring.
“There we go,” he says, smirking like he’s happy he was able to help me out.
I check out my reflection. “Perfect.”
“Looking sharp. Real sharp.”
He reaches out and runs the back of his fingers from just under the ring of the harness, down my abdomen.
His touch stirs movement in my jeans, and as he reaches them, he pulls at the waistband and reveals my black jockstrap.
“Oh…I like this,” he says.
His gaze meets mine, and he throws his hands back quickly.
“What?” I ask.
“Gonna have to back away now before I take you right here on your bed.”
Even though he winks after he says it, I can tell by that familiar look in his eyes it’s not as much of a joke as a warning—one that lengthens my prick even more.
He checks me out one more time. “Sebastian’s going to need you to tear that ass apart tonight.”
“Let’s hope.”
“He did have a good idea for your date,” he says.
“His friend’s DJing tonight, so he wanted to be there, and he thought it’d be a cool way of getting together. What are you up to tonight?”
“I was gonna hang with Trav. Gary’s working on a project at the condo for his job, and Travis thought he might need a little space while he gets it done.”
I’d honestly rather be hanging with them.
But more than that, I’m a little uneasy about the idea of Cody bringing some other guy back here to fuck.
I don’t have any reason to feel that way, especially considering he’s given me free reign to fuck around with whoever I want.
I’d be a fucking hypocrite to feel jealous over that when he’s practically throwing me at Sebastian.
I remind myself that we’re not a couple. We don’t even know what we’re doing other than seeing where this is all leading.