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Straight guy (24M, photographer) tries to cheer up his straight best friend (24M, electrician) by talking about feelings…
What happens when Josh comes home to find his roommate and best friend, Ben, still moping around after his split with his girlfriend? Nothing good, because instead of doing the smart thing like getting Ben drunk and throwing darts at a wall, Josh decides to make Ben spill about the breakup.
The next thing he knows, their conversation about erectile dysfunction shifts into kissing. Turns out, Josh's straight is a little bit bendy, and Ben's straight is about as rigid as a rubber band. Ending up in bed together isn't what Josh expected, but who could blame him? Ben is hot as hell and twice as needy, and he's a sucker for a man who doesn't quite know what he wants but is willing to jump with him into just about anything.
________
This is a fun MM short read that features a best-friends-to-lovers storyline with a romantic comedy gay awakening and a guaranteed HEA! Be warned: there are no closed doors in this sexy times straight to gay romance!
[Please note that this is a substantially rewritten short story that first appeared in the Lover Unexpected anthology.]
Available in #KindleUnlimited
“Ben,” Josh said warningly. “I am going to kill you if you don’t spill the details soon.” He ran a hand down his face. “I’m tired. I’m hungry. I want to go to sleep.” He glared.
Ben swallowed. “Um, we had problems in bed.”
What does that mean? Josh wondered, beyond confused now. He eyed his friend up and down. Ben looked like sex on a fucking stick. The ladies had been clamoring after him since fifth grade. He inhaled, trying to wrap his brain around this news. “Problems in bed. Like, what kind of problems? She didn’t come?” He had no problem discussing sex. None. His total lack of shame often got him in trouble.
Ben colored even darker and looked away. “No, she was fine.” He didn’t elaborate.
“Ben. I am this close to choking you.” Josh held up his hand with his fingers barely a half inch apart.
“Okay, okay!” Ben gripped the sink so hard his fingers turned white. “Sienna didn’t have problems. I did.”
“What, you blew too fast? That’s not that big of a deal,” Josh said, confused. “You just need to practice.” He leered. “A lot.”
“No! No, not that. God, I can’t believe I’m talking to you about this.” Ben ran his hand over his face. “Okay. Look, the thing is, I had trouble getting it up at all. That’s what the problem was.”
Josh frowned. “Trouble getting an erection?”
Ben pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah.”
Josh blinked. That was not what he’d expected to hear. “Did you go to a doctor? Maybe there’s something wrong.”
“No, I didn’t go to the doctor.” Ben wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“Maybe you should,” Josh offered, horrified at the thought of not being able to get it up. His balls tried to crawl up into his body in sympathetic fright.
“I don’t need a doctor,” Ben insisted stubbornly.
“But what if—”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, I can get it up just fine in every other situation. I have no problem jerking off. It was only with Sienna that it didn’t work, okay?” Ben muttered.
Josh’s brain fixated on the image of Ben jerking off, which was not helpful. “Did you have this problem with your old girlfriend Marsha, too?” he managed to ask, shifting his weight. The erection that had flagged during the erectile dysfunction conversation had made an unwelcome reappearance.
Ben looked away. That was all the evidence Josh needed. “Um, maybe—” He broke off. Fuck. He couldn’t say it. This was a stupid idea, trying to talk out relationship issues with his best friend. He wasn’t qualified to handle this.
“Don’t even go there,” Ben said, jamming his hands in his front pockets.
“I wasn’t going anywhere,” Josh retorted instinctively.
They stared at each other until Josh couldn’t take it anymore. His eyes strayed down to Ben’s crotch. He had to look. Dammit. Even with his hands in his pockets, his friend certainly didn’t seem to be having a problem in the dick department right now. Ben’s hard cock filled out the front of his worn jeans quite well. Josh’s erection throbbed. The sight of Ben flushed and aroused was not helping his own situation one bit. He tore his gaze away only to catch Ben watching him speculatively, one eyebrow raised. Shit. Busted. He was well and truly caught this time. Only way out of this situation was to take the offensive. Josh did what he usually did when he found himself on the edge of a cliff: he jumped. “You don’t seem to be having a problem now.”
3 out of 5 (good)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
So! Jumping straight in, much like the book.
I liked this, a lot, but my overall feeling about this is: too flipping short!! 40 odd pages, 20 minutes, less than the time it takes to drink a cuppa tea, and the whole book takes place in one day.
Ben splits from his girlfriend and his best friend, Josh, gets him to explain why. This leads to a conversation about feelings and then they are having the smexy times!
And that, my dear peeps, is it. Apart from the trip to visit Ben's ex girlfriend and what happens there. Which was kinda hilarious, and very much something I saw coming!
Because it's such a short book, there is very little build-up, or character background and I missed that.
I liked that once Ben and Josh realise their feelings for each other, they jump straight in. I liked that they both get a say, even if it flips between them mid-chapter. There is a break, but still.
I would also have liked an epilogue, sometime later. Just to catch up with them and how things were going.
First I've read of this author, I'd like to read a longer book, with more to get my teeth into.
Still, I did like it, I did enjoy it, and it passed a short time while the other half watched his bikes going round!
So, I'm flipping between 3 and 4 stars, and because you can't do half stars on some sites, I'm gonna err on the lower side. I just wish it were longer, you know??
3 very good stars
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Erin M. Leaf is a romance novel devotee, the steamier the better, with a specialty in edgy erotic tension.
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