Free Dating Delaney by K Larsen, Wep Romance, Wep Fiction

living room.
    I peer over the back of the couch and sigh. Gavin. I lean
over the back of the couch and poke him with one finger.
    One eye opens and he smiles when he sees me. His arm shoots
out and snakes around my back as he drags me over the back of the couch on top
of him, making me squeal.
     
    “Morning, Princess.” His voice is rough with sleep still.
    “What are you doing here, Gavin?” I ask playfully.
    “Surprise?” he says.
    “Ha...ha...” I say dryly.
     
    He chuckles and squeezes me to his bare chest. I relax into
him. This position isn't strange for us. Gavin’s been one of my best friends
for as long as I can remember. All through high school people thought we dated
but we never did. Sure, we held hands, my mom called him her future son-in-law
and we spooned and shared a bed to sleep in many times, but Gavin and I were
the opposite of friends with benefits. We were the couple without benefits...all the glory of boyfriend/girlfriend with none of the mess that
came with any of the “benefits.”
    We’d never even kissed outside the cheek. Plus, Gavin was a
serious player. Always juggling women and I wanted to no part in that game so
it was always just friends for us. In college I’d had an inkling that maybe he
wanted more but he never pushed and I never offered it up. Eventually he’d
married his college sweetheart and moved to California. He barely ever came
home and over the last seven years I’d missed him. He barely knew Claire at
all. I pushed up on his chest to look at him.
    “Really, great surprise, but why are you here and how’d you
get in?!”
    “Darcy kicked me out. She left me.” He sounds nonchalant
about the whole thing.
    “What did you do?” I accuse.
    “Why does it have to be me?” he counters.
    “Because she’s a saint,” I explain, and she is. He huffs at
me but pulls me back down to his chest. “Look at the bright side, beautiful,
now we can fulfill our pact.” He waggles his eyebrows at me.
     
    In high school, Gavin and I joked about marrying each other
if we both weren't married by forty or after we both got divorced just so we
wouldn't have to be alone. But, that was just a stupid joke and we were
children then. He couldn't be serious. He’s just being playful like always. Not
a serious committed bone in that man’s body.
    “Very funny, Gav.” I sit up, causing me to straddle him. His
hands come to my waist.
    “Still as hot as ever, Laney,” he says and waggles his brows
at me again. I smack his hands away and get up.
    “How’d you get in?” I ask.
    “I’ve been telling you practically your entire life to lock
the doors, Laney.”
    Oh. Crap. I forgot. Big surprise.
    “Yeah, bad habit,” I admit.
    “I’m aware,” he says while stretching. Gavin’s a very good-looking
man. He was hot in high school but he developed into an even more hot man. I
reach down and tug his hand.
    “Come on. Coffee?” I offer.
    He beams at me with true Gavin charm.
    “You know it, Princess.”
     
    I show Gavin where the coffee is and task him with setting
it to brew while I get Claire ready for camp. She woke me up early so we
actually have plenty of time this morning for once.
     
    “What are you looking for?” I ask as he aimlessly pokes
around the fridge.
    “Creamer,” he states.
    “I have milk...it’s on the door.”
    I pull out two mugs and he splashes milk in both while I
grab the coffee pot and start pouring. One might think it’s strange that he
knows how I take my coffee but we’ve been close our whole lives. He might be
the most successful relationship with a man I’ve ever had. Unfortunately that’s
because we’re friends and there’s no physical side to us.

 
    Jake
    I walk around the barn and drop my tools on the deck before
walking in the sliding door to the living room. I’ve been dying to see Laney
all weekend but I didn't want to overwhelm her by being too in her face. I
decided if she contacted me, I’d respond, but I wouldn't reach out