Page 23 of Unexpectedly You (Boston Boys Bozok #1)

The night of Peyton’s birthday party arrives, and I stand in front of my full length mirror, admiring my outfit.

Dark wash snug fitting jeans, a white T-shirt and a black leather jacket.

Perfect. I’m actually really looking forward to having a night out.

I haven’t gone to a birthday party in a long time and Peyton inviting me was really sweet.

I’ve been mulling over the conversation with Tommy all week long.

I still don’t believe him when he says Bentley has feelings for me, too.

Having to jerk off before I hang out with Bentley is getting increasingly annoying though.

I’ve certainly put my new toys to good use since I got them, and there hasn’t been a single thing I didn’t enjoy.

I’m not sure if that’s because the toys were just so amazing, or if it was who I was fantasizing about while I was getting off that really made it incredible.

I just know that I love having things up my ass now.

I have even been practicing blow jobs more with bananas and cucumbers, though I fucking lock the door now when I do.

I’m getting better, I think, though it’s hard to know for sure when I don’t have a real person telling me how it feels.

I sigh. I’d really love to have one person in particular telling me how it feels to have me suck his brains out through his dick.

Fuck, just picturing Bentley staring down at me with his hand in my hair as he fucks my face, his skin flushed and sweat slick, that gorgeous hair loose and pooling around his shoulders, is making my dick perk up again, even though I just came twenty minutes ago.

Goddamn it. I really have to stop doing this to myself, because despite what my brother says, I know better than to think Bentley could ever want with me what I want with him.

I mean what are the odds that he all of the sudden started liking guys too?

And not just guys, but me? Yeah, right. And if I’m not careful, I’m going to slip up and he’ll find out, and I will be mortified.

My phone dinging brings me back to the present and I pull it out of my pocket.

Cowboy: Just getting out of the shower now, be ready in fifteen. If you’re ready first just head on over and let yourself in

I groan. Fuck him. He can’t tell me he’s in the fucking shower.

Now I’m just picturing that incredible body all wet and slick, and goddamn it.

No, no, no, he’s not for me. It’s been two months of pining after him and it’s killing me.

I sigh, telling my dick to calm the fuck down and be good, before I type out a reply.

Me: will do

“Okay, I’m off,” I tell Marble, turning to face her where she’s sitting on my bed, licking her paw. “See you later, queen.” I pet her quickly and then grab the gift I got for Peyton, before I head out of my apartment and across the hall to Bentley’s.

Just as I step inside and close the door, he steps out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Holy fuck, not good.

Look away, Alex, look away! But I can’t stop staring.

His body is fucking gorgeous. All that luxurious blond and brown hair is loose and falling around his face, water droplets dripping onto his toned pecs and sliding down to bead on his nipples before continuing to his six pack and disappearing underneath the towel.

“Hey, I’ll be ready in a few minutes,” he says, and I finally move my gaze to his eyes. Jesus, Alex, way to be subtle.

“Yeah,” I croak, then clear my throat. “Okay.” I take a seat on the sofa while I wait for him, beating myself up for being so fucking stupid.

If I don’t want him to know that I find him insanely attractive and want to jump his bones, probably not a good idea to stare at him like he’s a slab of meat while fucking drooling.

He’s so damn pretty. But his looks aren’t the reason I want him.

He’s also kind, and tender, and so damn sweet.

He’s caring, generous, thoughtful, soft, but also funny.

He makes me laugh like no one ever has before.

He loves my family, he adores Marble. He makes me happy in a way I don’t think I’ve ever been, just by being him.

“Ready,” I hear, and turn to see him standing there in tan colored chinos that hug his thighs and ass, a white button down, and a jean jacket.

Damn, I still say he’d look amazing in a cowboy hat.

He’s giving me all the sexy cowboy vibes right now, that silky soft hair up in a messy bun once more, his beard neatly trimmed.

I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to feel that beard against my skin, under my palms, against my cheek, between my thighs.

In his hand is a rather large gift bag which I am assuming has Peyton’s present in it; the blanket he’s been knitting for weeks now. It turned out amazing and I know she’s going to love it. My gift is a candle because Bentley says she’s obsessed with them.

I stand and we make our way to his car. It’s about a fifteen minute drive to the karaoke bar we’re meeting at and I do my best not to gawk at him the entire time.

When we get there and make our way inside we spot Peyton sitting at a table, a handful of people already seated around her.

She freaking squeals when she sees us and launches out of her seat, throwing her arms around Bentley like she hasn’t seen him in weeks even though they work together.

Honestly it’s pretty cute how excited she is.

“Hey, handsome,” she says to me after letting go of Bentley. “Glad you could make it.”

“Me, too,” I say, and she beckons us to the table where we join the others.

She makes introductions, telling us the three other people there, Sarah, Gabe, and Natalie, are from her book club, and I perk up at that.

She squeals again when I start asking questions about it and she finds out how much I love to read.

“Omg, how did I not know this? We’re going to be besties,” she tells me. “I’ll text you the info so you have it and you can decide if you want to come. It’s super chill.”

I notice a small smile on Bentley’s face. He seems relatively at ease, and seems to know everyone else at least a bit, but he’s also sitting between me and Peyton. I honestly don’t mind sitting next to a stranger, especially if it will make Bentley feel more relaxed.

Two more people show up in the next five minutes and the table is pretty packed now.

There’s two women on stage singing a Taylor Swift song together and they aren’t bad.

Plus they’re obviously having fun which is even better.

It’s a lively place, and I can see why Peyton likes it.

I also know that Bentley loves his friend because this is definitely not his type of thing, but he’s still here.

We order food and take time eating and chatting as more patrons make their way to the stage. When Peyton turns to Bentley and gives him puppy dog eyes and a pouty lip, saying “Please, best friend,” I wonder what on earth she’s talking about, and watch as Bentley flushes.

He grumbles and then slides out of his seat, and I turn to Peyton. “What’s going on?”

Her eyes go wide. “Oh, you didn’t know?”

“Know what?” I ask.

She grins. “Our boy can sing.”

I blink. What? How did I not know that?

“He’s good, too.”

I turn my attention back to Bentley as he makes his way onto the stage and picks up the microphone after saying something to the DJ.

I swallow when I hear the music for When You Say Nothing at All by Keith Whitley start to play, and then Bentley opens his mouth and I fucking melt right there on the spot.

Goosebumps erupt over my entire body as his voice fills the space.

It's smooth and silky, like whiskey and sin as it washes over me, and I can’t look away.

Holy shit, he sounds amazing. He closes his eyes as he sings, and I notice that the entire room is quiet except for him.

“Good, huh?” Peyton says, leaning closer to me with a huge smile on her face. I can’t speak, so I just nod, and then swallow when Bentley opens those big blue eyes and stares right at me.

Shit. If I wasn’t already smitten with this man I sure as fuck would be now. Stacy was a fucking moron to let him go.

I don’t even realize tears are sliding down my cheeks until Peyton whispers, “Hey, you okay?”

Fuck. “Yeah, of course,” I lie, wiping the tears away. I’m so screwed. And I have to do something to get my mind off of Bentley because I can’t keep doing this, waiting in the wings for something that will never happen.

Bentley gets a huge round of applause when he’s done and he’s blushing furiously when he makes his way back to the table, sliding into his seat between Peyton and me. She kisses his cheek.

“Thank you,” she says. “Best birthday present ever.”

I end up leaving shortly after, telling Peyton and Bentley I don’t feel well and I’ll catch an uber home. I can tell Bentley doesn’t like the idea but he lets me go.

When I get back home I do something I never thought I would do.

I get on my phone and download Grindr, because I have to get past this crush I have on my best friend and it’s the only way I know how.

I’m not planning on hooking up, but I think it’s time I tried going on a date again, this time with a guy.

Two days later it’s Sunday and I am trying not to tell myself that this is everything I want. Me and Bentley, sitting in his apartment watching Supernatural , him back to knitting, Marble curled up on the sofa between us as I sip at my tea.

It’s so fucking perfect. Well, almost perfect. If I could scoot a little closer, or reach over and press a kiss to his cheek, or squeeze his thigh... If I could run my fingers through that hair or tell him how breathtakingly beautiful he is.

But I can’t. Which is why I’m finally going on a date Thursday night.

I’ve been chatting with a guy on Grindr that seems really nice and we agreed to dinner.

I don’t even want to go because I’d much rather be spending time with Bentley doing exactly what we’re doing now.

But I know it’s the right thing to do for both our sakes.

Maybe if I meet another guy who sweeps me off my feet, I can enjoy my friend time with Bentley without secretly hoping for more.

“Alex?” I hear, and turn to face my friend who has a worried look on his face.

“Hmm?”

His brows furrow. “You okay? You’ve been quiet.”

“Yeah, of course,” I reply. “Just tired, I guess, and sore. Been working late a lot.” It’s true, I do feel all those things and I have been at the bar late over the past week, which I’m sure isn’t helping anything, so even though it’s not really the issue, it’s the only thing I can say.

He frowns. “You want me to give you a massage? It might help.”

Oh, holy mother of not good ideas, yes, I want that very very much.

But, “No thanks,” I say. Because there’s no way I can let him put his big beautiful hands all over me without doing or saying something incredibly stupid.

I’d get a raging hard on in seconds, and while I know that’s normal for guys, it would make me feel so icky .

“I hope you feel better soon,” he tells me when I leave a couple of hours later, taking Marble with me despite her protests.

“Thanks,” I say.

“See you Thursday morning?”

I nod and he closes the door.

Bentley

I’m worried about Alex. He hasn’t been himself ever since Peyton’s party and I don’t know why.

I’m starting to wonder, though, if maybe he’s picked up on my feelings for him and is keeping his distance because it makes him uncomfortable?

I mean, he’s still hanging out with me, but he was so spaced out on Sunday, and this morning he’s even more so.

Plus, he clearly didn’t want me to touch him when I asked if he wanted a massage.

And because I didn’t want to push anything, I didn’t even prop my feet in his lap when he was reading to me.

But instead of insisting I put my feet in his lap, and rubbing them like he always does, nothing.

He’s been responding to my texts but normally he’d be bombarding me with gifs and memes related to Supernatural , hounding me for details, sharing facts about the books we’re reading or making plans for the upcoming weekend. None of that.

We’re at the gym now and he’s barely even talked to me since we got here. My chest is starting to constrict because I’m wondering how I fucked up and if there’s anything I can do to make it better. I can’t lose him.

“Hey,” I say, approaching him on the rowing machine. I do my best not to stare at his bulging biceps and toned thighs. “Are we okay?”

He blinks and stops rowing. Sweat covers his skin and dampens his dark hair. “Yeah, of course. ”

“Are you sure? I feel like things are off with us and I don’t like it.”

He flushes and his gaze flits away. He clears his throat and then looks back at me. “I uh, I did need to tell you that I,” he clears his throat again. “I have a date tonight, so I can’t hang out.”

Fuck. Why does that hurt so goddamn much?

My chest tightens and my throat constricts.

“No problem,” I manage, my voice coming out as barely a whisper.

Is he going on a date to make sure I know he isn’t interested in me and trying to draw that line, without saying it directly so he doesn’t hurt me?

Message received, I guess. And Peyton was so sure he liked me, too.

Even Pierre mentioned that he was pretty sure Alex had feelings for me when we were hanging out the other day.

I honestly thought maybe I could try saying something to him if Pierre, and Peyton, and Tommy all thought the same thing, but then he was sick at Peyton’s party, and Sunday he was just being weird, and definitely didn’t want me touching him, and I thought, maybe not.

Now I’m really glad I didn’t say anything because apparently I would have been turned down.

I don’t know why I’m asking this because I don’t want to know, but I find myself saying, “What’s her name?”

His flush deepens and he runs a hand through his sweaty hair. “ His name is Greg.”

Fuck, my knees almost give out as his words sink in. His name? It’s a guy? Fuck, so he is into guys, just not into me. The knowledge hits me like a ton of bricks and I find myself holding back tears.

“So I’ll see you on Sunday, though, right?” Alex says.

“Yeah, sure,” I reply, forcing a smile. “I’m gonna head to the shower.” I walk away as quickly as I can.

As soon as I’m under the warm water, I let the tears fall.