Page 12 of Falling Double: The Mating Grounds

“That’s what she said!” I bust out before I can stop myself. What is wrong with me?!

He pauses, then chuckles nervously, avoiding my eyes. “Ha ha. Very funny.” Turning away, he gathers up my hair stuff from the desk before sitting down on the couch and plopping a pillow in his lap, then setting his tools down on top of it. He grabs another throw pillow and tosses it down at his feet before waving his hand to indicate I should sit on it.

Parker

That was too close. Much too close. Even the cheesiest of sex jokes have me popping a boner around Imani now. The forced proximity is finally getting to me. Thank god, I was able to play off setting the pillow in my lap to hide it fairly causally. But now, every time she leans her head back on the pillow and applies even a modicum of pressure, I’m going to be overstimulated and even more aroused.

What have you gotten yourself into, buddy?

And to think, now I have to concentrate well enough to do a decent head of braids. And they must be better than truly average because this is Imani, and I can’t have her walking around looking like a mess because I did a half-ass job.

She sits hesitantly and lays back against my legs. “You sure you don’t mind? I can do yours first. I didn’t mean to shove in first.”

I bite my tongue at this accidental, mildly sexual innuendo.

Parker. Do not lose your shit. Be cool. It’s just hair.

“You’re not shoving in. It makes sense to do your hair first. That way if I fuck it up, we still have time to call in reinforcements,” I joke halfheartedly.

She relaxes into me, put at ease by my usual self-deprecating humor, and I tell myself to relax as well. Focus on the hair. Not my pulsating, rock hard dick under this damn throw pillow.

I am not a thirteen-year-old boy. I can handle myself.

She leans back, rocking her head side to side as she cracks her neck and settles into a comfortable position. I hold my breath and grasp the comb tightly in my palm, trying to force the teeth into my skin to distract me from the pleasure starting to build from her small movements on my lap.

As I start to section out her hair, I run the comb down her scalp repeatedly, and she lets out a soft moan of pleasure.

I come instantly. In my pants. Under the throw pillow. On the couch in our room. WHILE BRAIDING HER HAIR.

Oh, holy fuck. Under no circumstances can she know what just happened.

Imani

Parker takes his time, braiding diligently, taking no breaks for hours. When he finally finishes and motions for me to get up and check them out in the bathroom mirror down the hall, I grin and hurry away, excited to see his handiwork.

Upon seeing myself in the mirror, I am dumbstruck. He braided my hair, yes, but he also braided little swirls into the design and evoked a flowy feeling in the pattern. I have never felt so seen in my life. He understood the assignment and went in for extra credit. I resolve to sing his praises for at least the next month and show these off to everyone in the house until they are sick of me.

What a dear!

Parker

She jogs off to the bathroom, and I go into full panic mode. Into my drawer goes the soiled throw pillow. I can take care of that later. I desperately shuck off my still damp pants while she is out of the room, burying them at the bottom of the laundry, and simultaneously reaching for new boxer shorts.

I have never changed so quickly in my life. And as I congratulate myself, I realize she is totally going to notice that I changed and be weirded out. Shit. Change of plans—where are my gym clothes? I can say I need to move a bit after sitting so long and play it off.

Totally. I can totally make that work.

Later on, Sean finds me laid out in the Kedua room, staring off into the distance and contemplating how much I fucked up my life to be stuck in this predicament.

“Parker. Enzo’s a horny asshole, and I need your help.” I curl into a seated position and rest my elbows on my knees. Nodding for him to continue. “Ana and I almost hooked up, and I very much want it to actually happen now. How do I make that clear without being all in her face and weird?”

“Why would you be in her face or weird?” I ask.

“Oh, I don’t know, because I have no idea what I’m doing?!” he fairly shouts at me. I can tell he’s getting frustrated.

“Sean. Dude. Chill out. You almost hooked up this morning. Which means she already wants to hook up with you.”

He blinks slowly at me.

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