by
Pages: 284
Pages: 380
Some things you can’t just blurt out… right?
When you’ve shared a kiss with your best friend and it blows your mind—and other parts of your body—it’s inevitable that everything changes.
That’s the way it now is with me and Jayden Moore, my best friend who thought he could rock my world with no consequences, all while throwing me his signature grin.
But this is Jayden we’re talking about. He gets himself into unexpected trouble no matter what, and when visiting Australia, I’m compelled to make sure he doesn’t get eaten by a croc or try to steal a kangaroo. Like the glutton for punishment I am, I follow him.
And that’s all great until my desperation and big mouth send our worlds spiraling. Apparently, we’re now officially a couple. And because of course it goes one step further, I’ve now got my very own fake fiancé.
Being in the media is one thing, but being inspiration for others creates a whole new set of guilt and problems. But we’ll tackle it together and find our way back to how things were.
And if that’s not possible, just maybe Jayden and I can find ourselves with a brand-new label. One that’s real, and one I don’t run from. That’s the thing with Jayden: he has a way to extract my secrets. Whether he’s prepared for them or not.
- 1 To Be Read list
Editors:
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 4
Romantic Content: 5
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Bisexual
Protagonist 1 Age: 26-35
Protagonist 2 Age: 26-35
Tropes: Coming Out Later in Life, Fake Relationship, First Time, Forced Proximity, Friends to Lovers, Interracial Relationship, Slow Burning Love
Word Count: 80000
Setting: College, Minnesota, USA
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
I locked my jaw despite my best intentions at hearing the absurdity of the question. Where did this guy get off asking something so asinine? My tight jaw threatened to pop when “Men kissing are sick” made its way through a small group of bigoted dickheads.
Jayden abruptly pausing almost had me running into him. He angled to look at the small group of idiots, and I winced and reached for him, hoping he didn’t do anything rash.
“The stupid fuckers,” Jayden sneered just as my hand latched on his forearm. It was his “I’ll fucking show them” that had me worried. His gaze snapped to mine, and I searched his expression, wondering what he was playing at.
My “What—” was cut off when Jayden cupped my cheek and leaned in, too fast for me to react beyond staring wide-eyed as his lips pressed against mine. I froze as our mouths touched, and then my brain blanked when he opened his mouth. My body reacted, my lips following his lead as he kissed me.
READ MOREHeat and shock unfurled in my chest, and when his tongue touched mine, awareness zapped through me. And then he was pulling away, grinning, his smile so wide and satisfied that you’d have thought he’d won the playoffs.
He tossed me a careless wink, laughed, smacked my arm, and carried on walking, completely unaffected. Nate’s “Holy shit” got me following, but beyond putting one foot in front of the other, everything else faded away.
What the fuck had just happened? More to the point, why the hell did I want my friend to kiss me all over again?
It was that thought that plagued me throughout the impromptu party, just like it lived with me for the next few weeks. The whole time Jayden alternated between being proud to have flipped the haters off, helping take the heat off Ryan and Nate, and shrugging the whole thing off with a laugh while ribbing me about how hot a kisser he was.
There was no apology for putting me in the spotlight, regardless that I didn’t mind assisting. There was definitely no “sorry” for stepping out of bounds and planting one on me. And there sure as shit wasn’t any hint that his kiss had shaken something loose in him as it had me.
COLLAPSE
