Fake Out (Fake Boyfriend Book 1)

It’s been too long since I woke up next to someone. I’m not including the weekend I spent at Maddox’s parents’ house, because that’s not like this. Not with my dick resting in the cleft of his bare ass while I spoon him.

I wasn’t lying last night when I said I usually like to top, and being this close to his ass is making morning wood more than uncomfortable. But with Maddox, if he rolled over right now and told me he wanted to fuck me, I wouldn’t hesitate. In fact, the thought of it alone has me groaning into the back of his neck as I try to wake him with kisses.

His hand swats my head. “It’s not morning yet.”

“Yeah, it is.”

He reaches for his phone on the nightstand, and the screen lights up. “It’s already nine? My—” There’s a knock at the door. “Right on time.”

“Who’s that?” I ask.

“My birth mother.”

“Your what?” I exclaim.

“You see what you miss when you avoid me? Get up and get dressed. I’ll explain later.”

Maddox mentioned something last night about family drama, but then we got too distracted to get into it. I jump up and dress as fast as I can, just in time for Maddox to let the blonde woman into his apartment. She drags a suitcase behind her.

“Aunt Cheri, this is Damon,” Maddox says.

“Ah, the boyfriend,” she says, her voice warm and smile-friendly.

“Ah, the birth mother …” My voice goes up at the end as if it’s a question. Maddox’s aunt is his mother?

Maddox turns to his aunt … mother … person. “Sorry, I kinda just sprung this on him. He’s been busy lately, and we haven’t spent any time together. Not exactly the type of conversation you have over the phone.”

Cheri nods. “Of course. How are you doing with it all now? I know it was a shock, but—”

“Mom and Dad will always be my parents, but I’m glad to get the answers to questions I’ve had forever. And I want to help you any way I can.”

“Help?” I ask, even though I probably shouldn’t. It’s not my business.

“Aunt Cheri needs a place to crash for a few days while she undergoes experimental treatment here in the city. She has MS.”

Damn. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Cheri waves us off. “It’s okay, and I promise I won’t stay long. I’m fine with sleeping on the couch.”

“You can take my bed. I’ll take the couch,” Maddox says.

My eyes go to his couch which is lucky to fit my sister on it who’s a short-ass. No way Maddox would be comfortable there. “You could stay with me,” I find myself saying.

So much for going slow. The words fall out of my mouth without thought, but I don’t like the thought of not seeing him for a while after last night. And he did say it’ll only be a few days.

His lips quirk. “Or I could stay with Damon.”

Cheri smiles. “How about I take you boys out for brunch to say thanks.”

“Uh, okay,” Maddox says, sounding a little unsure.

I agree to it even though I need to get home to study. Blowing it off again after not doing any last night is going to sting when I fall behind, but Maddox seems out of his element with Cheri. Maddox says she’s a hippie and expresses free love and whatever, but it has to be hard finding out your mom’s not really your mom.

We walk one block to a diner, and Cheri starts in on us as soon as the waitress takes off with our orders. “So, I hope you don’t mind me saying anything, but your dad gave me the impression you two weren’t together.”

Maddox already told his parents we broke up? That was always the plan, but I didn’t realize he’d do it so soon.

“Ah, about that,” Maddox says. “I didn’t realize Dad had blabbed. When I took Damon home with me, we were just friends. Now we’re …”

My eyes widen. What are we? He says he wants to date me, sure, but it’s too early for the boyfriend title. One night together doesn’t make a relationship.

“More than friends,” he finishes.

I can live with that.

“It’s a long story,” I say. And I’d really like to hear the end part that I’m missing. “What’s this trial you’re involved in?”

Cheri’s hands shake with a small tremor, but she pulls them into her lap under the table to hide them. “It’s a clinical trial for new medication to slow down the advancement of MS. Because mine’s advanced faster than anticipated, I’m the perfect lab rat.”

“Hopefully it works,” Maddox says.

“I won’t even know which group I’m in. I might be in the control group who are given placebos, but I’ve got nothing to lose. Literally. I’ve already spent my life savings on treatment.”

“You don’t have insurance?” I try to keep the judgment from my tone.

“My insurance covers some but not all.”

“How are you paying for the trial?” Maddox asks.

“The cost of the trial is covered by the pharmaceutical company running it.”

“Then we should really hope it works,” Maddox says.

When our food comes, Cheri turns the subject back to Maddox and his life. He says how he’s always had the desire to travel, and her face lights up.

“You must get it from me,” she says.

He matches her smile. “You’re probably right.”

I don’t think something like that is genetic, but I don’t say anything. I’m not that much of a dick. They’ve found some common ground to bond over. I’m not going to shit all over that.

By the time we finish the meal, Cheri has practically mapped out a trip for Maddox with all the things he must see and do when he gets the chance. It sounds amazing, and I find myself wanting to plan it together—travel together. But I know it’s way too soon for that. I think I’ve inserted myself into Maddox’s life too much already by inviting him to stay with me for a few days. That might be the manwhore’s quota of clinginess for a while.

The waitress comes back with our check, and Cheri reaches for it. “My treat, remember?” I almost get a thank you out when she reaches into her bag. “Oh, shoot. My wallet isn’t here.” She rummages some more but comes up empty. “I must’ve left it in my suitcase back at your apartment.”

Maddox chuckles, as if it’s not the first time Cheri’s forgotten something. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll get this one.”

“Thanks, honey. I should get going. I need to be at the hospital in fifteen for my first appointment.”

Maddox reaches into his pocket and pulls out a key. “Here, I had this made for you while you’re staying. Can you find your way back to the apartment? I, uh, need to talk to Damon for a sec.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve been to New York plenty of times. You two stay here and finish up.” She stands and glides out the door. Even though she’s dressed for early spring in New York, she has that hippie swagger where she seems to float.

“So, that’s my birth mom.”

“Crazy,” I say absently, still staring at the door.

“What’s that look for?”

I school my features into passiveness. “Look? I didn’t realize I was doing a look.”

“She’s trippy, huh? I’m surprised she’s going for treatment. She always came across as the hippie I’ll-do-it-naturally type. Like she could cure MS with acupuncture.”

“I’m guessing that was the family drama you mentioned?”

“Yeah. I was so pissed I had to get out of the house. That’s why I ended up in Matt’s motel room.”

“But you’re cool with it now? I notice she just said she’s been to New York plenty of times, but I’m guessing she never came to see you when she was here.”

“It’s weird. After my freak out, I no longer saw my hometown as the thing that held me back all those years. It was the place that adopted me and welcomed me as one of their own. Without sounding like a pretentious douche, it changed my whole perspective on that place. I used to see a dead end, small town, and I never understood how the people there could see it as a home. But I do now. I mean, I don’t want to move back there or anything, but the thought of going back doesn’t induce claustrophobia anymore.”

“Getting clarity isn’t douchey. Sometimes a punch to the gut is what you need to gain real insight.”

“When I’d had time to cool down, I went back to the house to talk to Cheri, and she wants to be more active in my life and get to know me. I don’t know how I feel about it yet, but I want to take the chance while I have it.”

“I guess she had her own sense of clarity with her illness. How are your parents dealing with this?”

He pauses in thought. “I don’t think they’re happy with the way it came out. Cheri kind of blindsided us, and she didn’t talk to them about it first. But Dad told me not to hold a grudge against the three of them for too long. I told him I wasn’t gay to see if he’d do the same.”

“You what?”

Maddox shrugs. “It was the right time.”

“Are you sure you want to stay with me the next few days? You could stay with Cheri and bond or whatever. We can catch up next week when she’s gone. I only offered because your couch looks seriously uncomfortable.”

“It really is. Besides, choosing between staying with a woman I hardly know who I happen to share DNA with or sharing a bed with a really hot guy while I continue to explore my newfound love of sucking cock, it’s really no contest.”

A laugh-slash-shocked noise comes from beside us, and we turn to meet the waitress’s amused, if not slightly taken off guard, stare.

“For fuck’s sake,” Maddox hisses under his breath.

“I’ll get this,” I say. I throw a credit card in the check holder and hand it to the waitress. When she disappears, I laugh. “Seriously, babe. Maybe you should scan your surroundings before talking dirty.”

“Wanna go back to my apartment so I can do all the dirty talking I want?”

“As tempting as that is, I really need to go home and get some studying done. If I get a full day in, I can give you all of my focus tonight.”

“Okay, but how am I going to get through all of today with this?” He grabs my hand and pulls it into his lap under the table.

I groan as my own cock twitches. “Well, now thanks to you, I’m going to be in a similar state.”

“You’re welcome.”

“You tease now, but for the next three days, you’re mine.”

***

It’s been longer than three days. Almost a week, to be exact. It turns out Cheri had a bad reaction to the clinical drug, so they’ve had to keep her in the city longer than anticipated.

Having Maddox in my bed at night is great, and normally, I wouldn’t complain, but—

“If I’d known you were going to make me watch this crap, I might not have invited you to stay with me,” I say.

“Shh.”

I know he did not just shh me.

No joke, the guy likes cooking shows. I mean, I get he likes to cook, but if I have to sit through any more of this, I want to be stabbed in the eyes with a paring knife. The reason I even know what a paring knife is, is because I’m watching the fucking cooking network. I’m rarely home as it is, and when I am, I have to endure this?

With our feet up on the coffee table, only wearing boxers, and our thighs flush against each other, I know I shouldn’t complain. I get to come home to a hot guy, who—if I make it home before he’s asleep—is eager to suck my dick. The least I could do is endure watching a little cooking.

“There’s numerous ways goat’s cheese can be used in a dish and so many complementing flavors.” The guy on the TV rattles off the different things you should use goat’s cheese for. I’m living a real-life Forrest Gump moment where Bubba is listing off all the different types of shrimp.

Shoot me. Please.

Nope. Can’t watch it anymore.

I lift my arm and wrap it around Maddox’s shoulder casually, as if that’s my end goal, when really, my target is the remote beside him. I can’t let him know what I’m up to yet.

His hand goes to my thigh and squeezes. We’ve only been officially seeing each other a week, but I already know what that squeeze means. “We can fool around after this is done.”

My hand on his shoulder skims down his arm and back up again, each time getting closer to the remote on the side of the couch. I breathe in deep and hold it as my hand slides down again. It’s within reach now. I lean into him a little bit more so I can—

Maddox slaps my wandering hand. He doesn’t take his eyes off the screen as he says, “I know what you’re doing, Dik. Don’t even.”

Pretending I have no idea what he’s talking about, I lean in, my lips going to his neck. “Don’t even what?”

He shudders under my breath on his skin. “Out of both of us, I’m the only one who can cook, so watching this helps you by giving me ideas on what to make for your dinner.”

“Fuck dinner. I’d rather eat something else.”

Maddox laughs, but it dies when I push him down on the couch and climb on top of him. If I can’t change the channel, I’m going to at least have fun while he watches stupid cooking.

I run my nose down his neck and chest, peppering soft, open kisses as I go.

He grunts when I lick his nipple and suck it into my mouth, making it go hard. “Okay, I agree. Fuck dinner.”

I grin and make my way up to his mouth. I can’t think of a place I’d rather be than right here. Maybe somewhere without cooking shows, but if I can just …

My hands go above his head, right next to the—

He tears his mouth away from mine. “Bastard!”

We struggle for the remote. I pin him down with my forearm across his chest and stretch above him, trying to reach my target, but he jabs me in my ribs with his finger. I flinch and almost fall off him onto the floor.

Maddox laughs his ass off, but I regain my balance and pin him to the couch. I try to hold back my own laughter as he writhes underneath me, trying to get on top and win the remote.

“You may as well let me change it over,” I taunt. “You’re not exactly watching it at the moment.”

“It’s the principle of the thing now. You can’t come in here and just take over.”

“My TV, my choice.”

“I was watching it first.”

“What are you, five?” Even though I think we might be having our first disagreement-slash-argument, we’re both still laughing, and we’re both hard. The thin material of our boxers isn’t hiding anything.

“We established my immaturity when we met, remember?” he says.

“Maddy, baby, babe. Can I please watch the baseball game?”

He groans and throws his head back on the couch in defeat. “Even I know not to get in between you and your baseball.”

“Oh my God, I could kiss you.”

“If I have to endure nine innings, you should do more than just kiss me.”

I roll my hips, our cocks rubbing against each other, and I try to hold in my moan. “There should only be about three innings left, and I can multitask. I can watch and get you off at the same time.”

He’s breathless now, so close to the edge as I continue to grind against him. “Prove it.”

“Gladly.”

I switch the channel over to baseball, but I never see a second of it. Turns out, I couldn’t care less.

***

Three days staying with me turned into six, and now it’s nine. Cheri’s still having issues with her meds, which sucks, but living with Maddox is surprisingly awesome.

It works because we barely see each other, and if he hadn’t been staying with me, I wouldn’t have seen him at all. Of the nine nights he’s been at my place, I think we’ve spent a total of four of them together.

Tonight, I’m dragging my ass home at midnight because I had a late class which meant I needed to stay late at OTS being everyone’s bitch boy by doing their filing and scheduling. Come graduation, I’ll have my own assistant and won’t have to do the mundane shit ever again.

The hope I have that Maddox is awake is dashed when the only light on in my apartment is the lamp next to my couch.

I drop my bag in the living room and make my way to my bedroom where it’s obvious Maddox tried to stay awake. His phone is on his chest, still gripped in hand. An arm is under his head, his biceps bulging. My gaze drops to his abs and then lower, where only a sheet covers him. It’s sad to say this isn’t the first time I’ve found him this way after coming home.

“Babe?” I whisper.

Nothing. He’s out. So tempted to wake him with a blowjob, but I’m quickly learning Maddox likes his sleep. If it was me, I’d take sex over sleep any day. Maddox doesn’t want to wake for anything.

Having him in my bed gives me the same endorphin spike I used to get from playing baseball. They used to say my smile on the mound was because I was cocky and overconfident. No one knew it was just me being in my element. My smirk was my trademark, and since I injured my shoulder, I didn’t even know I still had it in me. I thought it died along with my career.

Maddox has a way of making me smile without even realizing I’m doing it, and I could definitely see myself coming home to him in the future.

Undressing and climbing into bed, I throw my leg over him, and his cock twitches against my thigh.

Maddox turns in my direction, but he doesn’t open his eyes. “I tried to stay awake,” he mumbles.

“I know. I’m sorry I’m late.”

“Dinner. Fridge. Hungry.”

“I’m not hungry. Thank you though. You’re amazing.”

“Yeah, I am.” He still hasn’t opened his eyes, and I wonder if he’s sleep talking.

“Go back to sleep.”

“Mmkay.”

“I’ll be home early tomorrow. I’ll make sure of it.”

***

Ten past seven, and I’m walking in the door. That deserves a prize. And as soon as I enter my apartment, I get it. The aroma of garlic becomes overwhelming.

“Thank God. I was hoping that smell was coming from my kitchen,” I say. There’s no response. I turn the corner and stop in my tracks. Maddox is naked apart from my plain black apron tied around his neck and waist. He moves around the small space as if he owns it. He also has earphones plugged in his ears, so he hasn’t heard me come home.

I fold my arms across my chest and lean against the wall, watching his firm ass the whole time. By the time Maddox notices me, my cock is at full attention. Maddox’s eyes lock with mine, and I can’t stop my smile.

“Do you often cook naked?”

“Huh?” he yells and takes out an earphone.

“Do you always cook naked?”

“I’m wearing an apron. No safety or sanitary violations here.”

“Not why I was asking.” My eyes roam down his body and back up again. “I’m thinking I should try to get home earlier if that’s the case.”

Maddox’s expression turns heated. “It’s uh … I had plans. I knew you were coming home early.”

“Had plans? Why past tense?”

He sighs. “How about I tell you after stage one of my plans. Because that I can still do.”

“Is it dinner?”

Maddox steps closer. “Nope.”

“Shower?”

“Guess again.” He stops a few inches away.

“Kiss?”

Lips land on my neck. “Getting closer,” he murmurs against my skin.

“Blowjob?” I ask, my tone filled with hope.

Without another word, Maddox sinks to his knees. Fuck, yes. I don’t know how I went over a year without sex. Because I’ve been busy, it’s been three days since I had Maddox’s mouth on me, and I feel like a starved man getting his first meal in months.

He gets to work, dropping my pants and underwear to my ankles and taking me in his hot, wet, mouth.

“I’m quitting school,” I grunt.

Maddox pulls off me and looks at me confused. “Huh? You have like one month left.”

“Because if I quit, it means I can come home earlier and get this every night instead of falling into bed exhausted and passing out.” I knew it was stupid to start something this close to the end. All I want to do is spend time with Maddox. Instead, I’m cramming for finals and attending classes I have no interest in but have to finish to get my degree.

“Soon,” Maddox says and goes back to working me over with his tongue. He’s picked up some tricks since staying with me, and I can’t get enough. I will never have enough of Maddox O’Shay. He’s becoming addictive. Or, more specifically, his mouth is. My hand runs through his blond hair, grabbing what I can of it.

After that first night together, and every night since, my insecurities diminish more and more, but the thought of fucking him makes them reappear, and neither of us has mentioned the possibility of going further. I want to, so bad, but we’re comfortable with this for the time being. Except right now where I can see his bare ass. The thought of taking it has me coming in his mouth.

He swallows and licks me clean. He even helps me pull my boxer-briefs and pants back up while I try to catch my breath. That’s when I notice the look of guilt on his face.

He turns to go back to cooking.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“So, funny story …”

My heart sinks. “Was that a goodbye BJ? Is Cheri gone from your apartment?”

“Uh, no. Actually, we went to lunch today and she, uh, needs a few more days, but this isn’t about that.”

Relief floods me, because I don’t want him to leave. Does it make me a bad person that I’m thankful his mother is sick? It means he gets to keep staying here, without me having to tell him I want him here. I’m worried admissions like that will scare him off. For a supposed manwhore, he’s adjusted to our situation well, but part of me wonders if he’s freaking out about being thrust into a semi-serious relationship when we agreed we’d take things slow. We haven’t used the B word yet, but we’re practically living together. I keep waiting for “I need space” to come out of his mouth.

I can feel that I’m getting ahead of myself, but I’ve always been a relationship guy. I’ve had my share of hookups, but I want someone to come home to at night. I want serious. I resisted Maddox for over a month, so it feels like we’ve started in the middle. Being thrust together hasn’t helped in trying to go slow, but the thing is, I don’t give a shit about slow anymore.

Fuck, don’t say any of this aloud. He’ll run away faster than Usain Bolt.

We haven’t even had sex yet. Well, sex-sex. We’ve mastered blowjobs.

Maddox looks away as he says, “You know how we decided not to tell Stacy about us yet because she’s intense?”

Right, another thing—we haven’t told my sister or family we’re seeing each other yet. “I believe the word we used was insane, but yes, go on.”

“When Cheri came to take me to lunch today, I wasn’t thinking and introduced Stacy as your sister—”

“Shit. She knows?”

“Yup.” Maddox looks behind me at the clock on the wall. “And she’s coming over for dinner. In like fifteen minutes.”

“She’s going to yell at both of us.”

“Hey, I already endured my share at work. This is all for you. Aren’t you glad I gave you a blowjob first?”

“I need a lot more than a blowjob to be able to deal with my sister.”

“Maybe you can fuck me later then.”

While my jaw drops to the floor, Maddox walks into the bedroom. My feet trip over themselves trying to follow him. When I manage to get to the door, Maddox is already pulling on his jeans and putting on a shirt.

“We don’t have time now,” he says in an obvious tone. “Your sister’s going to be here soon.”

“But … and—”

“Before you ask, yes, I’m sure, no I won’t freak out, and I know you’ll stop if I don’t like it.”

I don’t have any words for him. The thought of fucking him has my spent cock waking up again. But then the idea weighs heavily in my chest, and I begin to wonder what I’m doing with Maddox. Being someone’s first is stressful. Hell, my first time didn’t go so well, and it ruined it for me forever.

My college boyfriend and I were both virgins and underprepared. It hurt. A lot. Even now, with all the lube in the world, it’s difficult for me to come that way.

What if Maddox doesn’t like it?

He approaches me and wraps his arms around my waist. “Why are you freaking out right now?”

“How do you know I’m freaking out?”

“You think I can’t read you? You could read me the minute we met.”

Instead of answering, my mouth comes down on his. He responds with a groan and opens for me. Our tongues mash together, and we tumble onto the bed, me pinning him beneath me.

My mouth leaves his and moves to the stubble on his cheek and neck.

“I need to shave,” he says.

“Don’t. I like it rough.”

“Are we talking about my skin or the way you like to fuck?”

I groan. “There’s so many things I want to do to you right now but won’t.”

Maddox throws his head back as my lips trail down his throat. “We don’t have time,” he agrees.

“I just need you.” Not sex. Not a blowjob. Just him.

We continue to kiss, making out like teenagers, until the timer on the oven blares through the apartment, followed by a knock on my apartment door.

“Told you,” Maddox says breathlessly. “Now she’s gonna know we were fucking around. Look at your hair.”

I stand and catch my reflection in the mirror over my dresser. He’s right. My cheeks are flushed, my hair a mess, my lips swollen … fuck. “You get the door. I’ll get the oven.”

“Deal.” Maddox pulls himself up and does some strategic rearranging so Stacy won’t be able to see his hard-on.

I do the best I can to flatten my hair and straighten myself up before getting the garlic bread out of the oven.

“You’re in so much trouble.” My sister’s voice comes from the entryway to the kitchen.

“What are you going to do? Beat me up?” I ask, without turning her way.

“Oh, I don’t need to do that. I’ve done one better.”

“Hi, Damon, honey,” says a feminine voice I know well.

I spin and see two people I haven’t seen in a while. Not because I avoid them, but because I’m always too busy to make the trek to Long Island. “Mom. Dad.” Shit.

Maddox appears in the small space that’s only getting smaller by the second, and he runs a hand over his hair. “I didn’t cook enough for all of us.”

“It’ll keep for tomorrow. We’re going out for dinner,” my sister announces. “Mom and Dad can’t wait to get to know Maddox better.” In other words: they can’t wait to grill him.

Stacy flashes her trademark grin. It’s part-triumphant, part-smug, and part-vindictive. No one does punishment like my sister.

Ten days, and this is how it ends. Probably. My parents are great, but like Stacy, they can be intense. It’s terrifying for new boyfriends to endure. If Maddox survives this, nothing will scare him off.