Page 68 of The Build-a-Boyfriend Project

Peter looks away suddenly. “I feel like I should take that as an insult.”

“Oh.” Eli freezes, realizing how what he’s just said sounds. “I’m sorry, Peter, I honestly didn’t mean—”

It’s Peter’s arm, thrown casually over his mouth in an effort to hide his laughter, that so obviously gives him away.

“Oh, okay. I get it now.”

“It’s not fun, is it?”

“Yeah, now that you mention it—” Eli starts to say, but he doesn’t bother to complete the thought when Peter’s phone starts ringing.

“Hello?” A look of shock registers on his face before it sinks into frustrated disappointment. “Yeah, yeah. I stepped out for a minute for lunch. Let me get back to my computer. Give me ten. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Send the data report and we’ll go over it together. Okay. Bye.”

“Speeding off?” Eli asks. He can’t help but share in the defeat in Peter’s expression.

“Yeah, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, I’ve taken enough of your time today. And you are technically on the clock. I’ll text you tonight?”

“Sure. And we’re okay with going to the club on Friday?”

“I can’t think of a better way to spend a Friday night,” he tells Peter.

“Okay. Bye, Eli.”

“Ah-ah,” Eli calls out to Peter just as he’s sprinting away, barely catching himself on the slippery floor of the building cafeteria. “Forgetting something?”

“Um . . .” Peter gives himself a pat-down. “I don’t think so.”

Eli puckers his lips.

“Seriously?” Peter looks around at the other employees of the building’s various offices, as if he’s afraid of being caught.

“Don’t you want to kiss your boyfriend goodbye?”

Peter beams shyly. “Yes.”

“Iced Americano?” Eli asks him.

“No.” Peter steps back toward his seat, his height making it easy for him to simply lean over the table and kiss Eli on the lips. It’s longer than their first from so many nights ago, but only just barely. This one is so much more public than the last. Eli likes how it feels; he’s always loved kissing for no real reason at all, how intimate it is, how easy it is to lose parts of himself in the best way possible.

It feels good to get to do it again.

“Get home safely,” Eli tells him.

“I will.”

Eli watches as Peter flashes his guest pass at the cafeteria door. Okay, so maybe he’s watching Peter’s ass more than anything, but can anyone fault him?

It’s a great ass.

Eli hates himself for wondering what it’d be like to tease Peter with his strap-on, the vibrations of a short plug working its way inside of him while he makes a babbling mess out of Peter. Then he pushes his tray of half-eaten food away.

“God.” He rakes a hand through his hair. “I need to get laid.”

“Just the words I wanted to hear!” Patricia says as she slaps her hands down on the table, choosing the spot right across from Eli.

“Where’d you even come from?” Eli asks.