I donât hear Trevorâs footsteps until heâs right behind me, his mouth hovering over my ear. I jump in surprise, a quiet squeak escaping my lips. Trevorâs hands grip my waist to steady me. âYou look gorgeous today,â he whispers, his voice low and gravely. Heat rises to my cheeks, but I wonât give him the satisfaction of seeing me blush. I pull away from him and walk into the back storage area in search of a bag of coffee beans, listening to hear his footsteps behind me. He follows me to the back corner of the stockroom, and I turn to face him. âYou need to stop doing that,â I hiss. âDoing what?â he asks innocently as he prowls into my space. âSneaking up on you?â He takes another step forward, and I have to press my back against the metal shelves to keep my chest from brushing against his. âOr telling you that I think youâre beautiful?â He leans into me, bracing one hand against a shelf above my head, trapping me in and forcing me to tilt my head back to look at him. My heart is racing, and I can hear my blood pulsing in my ears. I hate the way his words affect me. I hate how much I love hearing them even more. He looks down at me expectantly, one brow cocked, as he takes a strand of my hair between his fingers. I bite my lip and see his eyes flash down to my mouth, his gaze darkening. Panicking, I huff an irritated breath and duck underneath his arm to grab the bag of espresso beans Iâd been looking for. âSaying things you donât mean,â I say over my shoulder as I walk back out into the empty coffee shop. Again, he follows me. âI mean every word I say,â he says with easy confidence, and I fight to ignore the way my heart rate increases. âTrevor, please,â I say quietly, my back to him as I fill the espresso machine with coffee beans. âIâm serious,â he says lowly, coming up behind me again. âIf you donât believe me, Iâll just keep telling you until you do.â His mouth brushes my hair with every word. I put down the bag of espresso beans and grip the counter, keeping my back to him. Trevor slowly runs the backs of his fingers down my arms, and a violent shiver runs through my body at the touch. I arch back against him, my body betraying me, and my shoulders press into his broad chest. One of his arms wraps around my waist. Trevorâs palm rests heavy against my lower belly, his pinky finger sliding underneath the hem of my shirt to graze my hip, and I gasp, tilting my head back and exposing my neck to him. He leans down, his nose skimming the column of my throat, and I feel his deep hum of satisfaction rumble through his chest. âYou look gorgeous today,â he repeats, his lips brushing against the skin of my neck, his beard scraping against me with every word. âStop pretending that thereâs nothing happening here,â he murmurs against my shoulder right where it meets the arch of my neck.
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[Title TBD]
Rating:Â Explicit Category: F/M Tags/Tropes:Â Friends to lovers, childhood friends, he falls first, mutual pining, protective MMC, forced proximity, hidden identity, second chance at love, modern setting, underground boxing AU Words: 34,715 [target 75,000] Chapters: 12/42






















