What I Need

And we’ve had sex all over this house.

I’m pretty sure the only place we haven’t done it yet is on top of the TV. It’s a flat screen so, otherwise, I think it would’ve been attempted.

Never have I smiled this much with a guy. Never have I laughed and joked around the way I do with CJ. I know he said we could never be friends again, but I still kind of feel like we are. Just more. We’re lovers who became friends who became . . . everything.

I wasn't lying. I have never been this happy.

There’s just one minor issue we may have that needs to be discussed, and I’ve honestly been avoiding it. Not that CJ has been bringing it up, I've just made it a point not to. But I can't do that anymore. No more stalling. We need to talk about this today. Now.

Reed cannot know about us.

Turning my head, I press my lips to CJ’s pec and stare at his profile, relaxed and fixated on the TV. The side of my foot rubs against his shin. I’ve been doing that for minutes and he hasn’t said anything or moved the slightest. I think he might like it—me touching his injured leg when I’m not being medical about it. When I’m not rewrapping it or rubbing vitamin E on his scar or helping him do his exercises when he’s not at PT. I lift up and slide my hand under my chin, tapping my fingers rhythmically as I continue looking at him, and that draws his attention.

His eyes search my face, then his brows pull together. “Riley.”

“Mm?”

“You got something on your mind?”

“I don't want to talk about it.”

Now his brows are lifting and nearly reaching his hairline. “Is it about tonight?” he asks.

I blink. He knows?

“It sucks that you can’t be there,” CJ continues, face tensing a little. “You don’t have PTO or anything you can take so you don’t have to miss out on it?”

CJ thinks I’m sad about my overnight clinical rotation landing on July Fourth. And while it does suck that I’m going to miss all of the festivities, especially considering how much I love fireworks, that isn’t what we needed to talk about.

I let out a deep sigh. “No, I can’t take off,” I tell him. “I’d get marks against me if I did.”

“That’s fucking lame. They shouldn’t schedule you to work a holiday.”

“When I’m a nurse I’m going to have to work holidays.” I shrug. “It’s fine. Hopefully I’ll be able to see the fireworks next year.”

CJ’s mouth twitches. He looks like he knows something I don’t. And although I’d love to lay here for the next hour and pick his brain, I really need to get to my point before we get sidetracked.

My nudity tends to lead to us getting sidetracked.

“Everyone will be there tonight,” I begin, holding his eyes. “And I didn’t know if you were planning on saying anything, but I'm just worried that―”

A knock sounds on the door, cutting me off.

“Go away!” CJ hollers, his muscles beneath me flexing as he looks toward the noise. He meets my eyes again. “You’re just worried that what?”

“Um,” I look curiously over my shoulder, then back at CJ. “Well, it's just that―”

Three more knocks interrupt me, these being made with a heavier fist.

CJ curses under his breath and glares at the door, face tense and angry, but he doesn't make any attempt at getting up to answer it.

“Maybe you should check and see who that is,” I suggest. “They could keep knocking.”

“They can come back,” he replies curtly, eyes cutting to mine. “You got something you want to talk about. That's more important than whoever's at the door. Don’t worry about them.”

My lips press together as something wonderfully warm flutters in my stomach.

Holy crap, that’s sweet. Those Publisher’s Clearing House people could be here, holding one of those giant checks for CJ, and he’d rather listen to me talk than collect his millions.

I press a kiss to his chest instead of attacking his face like I want to do, knowing that will just lead to more sex, and we really need to have this talk. “Well, I didn’t know what you were planning, but I just think that—”

The sound of the front door swinging open and a man’s voice entering the house halts me from saying anything more.

“Fuck you. Go away. What . . . oh, damn. My bad.”

I squeal as CJ curses under his breath, grabs onto me and flips us with lightning speed, covering me up with his massive body and shielding my nakedness from whoever just rudely walked into his house.

Seriously. I mean, unless you’re family or something, why would you do that?

“What the fuck, Jake?” CJ roars, head whipping around to peer over his shoulder in the direction of the entryway. “Goddamn it. You couldn’t wait a minute?”

I suck in a breath. Jake?

Oh, my God . . .

“Oh, fuck you. Like you were going to let me in,” he replies, his voice similar to CJ’s in tone, but sounding rougher, as if he needs to clear it. “I would’ve been standing out there all night.”

My arms are bent up between our bodies. I uncurl my fists from underneath my neck and press my fingertips to my mouth. “Your brother just saw me mostly naked,” I whisper.

CJ looks down at me. “No, he didn’t.”

“Yeah, I did.”

My eyes widen. Worst family introduction ever! I cover my face with my hands and groan.