Fallyn Mitchell’s perfect life begins to unravel at the seams piece by piece. As life shows her not everything is within her control, she finds solace in her best friend, Stax. For the last ten years, Stax has been the one constant in Fallyn’s life that has been unchanging. When he finally meets the perfect woman for him romantically, Fallyn’s feelings for him start to come to the surface, and she has to choose between keeping her friendship intact or risking it for a romantic relationship that Stax may not even want.
Stax Tate gets everything he wants and needs from a woman in his best friend… except sex. Most women expect more than what he’s willing to give, so when he meets Paige, Stax believes he’s finally met his match. The joy Stax thought would come with having the perfect woman is buried under his true feelings for his best friend. No matter how much Stax tells himself he doesn’t deserve a woman like Fallyn, that doesn’t keep his heart and body from craving her.
Stax and Fallyn are alike where it counts and different where it matters most. Two things they have in common are their fear of rejection and belief that the other doesn’t return their romantic feelings. Will one of them find the courage to speak up, or will Stax’s relationship with Paige lead to a permanent engagement that will keep the best friends from experiencing love forever?
Fallyn
Valentine’s Day
I didn’t want to make it seem like I tried too hard, even though tonight was really special. Valentine’s Day was the only time I was able to pretend Stax and I were in a romantic relationship. It didn’t matter if we were in a relationship with someone else, we always did something together on this day of love. Birthdays were a big thing for us too. We always bought each other gifts on the other persons birthday, too, because we were happy to be in each other’s lives. I thought this year both Stax and I would be single, but it didn’t take him long to find someone to replace Taijha with. Even with him moving on, he still committed the start of this day to me.
We didn’t do the typical romantic thing. More than anything, we just spent the day trying to make each other feel special. This morning, we made breakfast together and went shopping, buying each other three items each. Then Orion’s masseuse met us at Stax’s place. He set it up for us to spend the afternoon being pampered by her and an esthetician that gave us facials and me a manicure and pedicure. I talked Stax into getting his feet done, which was a sight to see. And the moans he released during the massage sounded so good they should have been illegal.
Admittedly, I’d always been attracted to Stax. In the beginning, I didn’t have romantic feelings for him. I thought he was a playboy who’d never commit to a serious relationship and that wasn’t my style. Besides, I was laid back and to myself; Stax was the complete opposite. I didn’t smoke and I didn’t drink a lot. Even when I did, it was only wine or champagne.
I didn’t like clubs like he did or pool halls and smokey lounges. He loved thick, girly women and that had never been me. I wasn’t into trends and social media popularity, and I didn’t have to have on a full face of makeup to leave the house. To me, there were different types of beauty. I knew I was beautiful, but I wasn’t the sexy, sensual type Stax went for.
You’d catch me in sneakers and a t-shirt over a dress and heels. My curly hair was rarely flat ironed. My frame was slim yet curvy and almost always covered because I felt most confident when mysterious. I loved the appeal of making men wonder what was underneath my clothes... If they’d ever be able to find out.
So yes, Stax and I were better off as friends. We had a lot in common in that way. We both loved gaming and sports, along with nature. We had the same sense of humor, and I was one of a very small group of people that could handle his personality. The Stax that I encountered was softer and sweeter than he was with everyone else. I’m not exactly sure why, but I liked it.
I didn’t know what Stax had planned for this evening. He told me to dress nice, but he didn’t say I had to wear a dress. Instead, I put on black high-waisted jeans, chunky heels, and a crop top I planned to cover with a leather jacket. My curls were hanging loosely on my shoulders. Though I opted out of a full face of makeup, I did put on a little blush along with some false lashes and nude lip gloss.
“Hopefully this is good enough,” I muttered, looking myself over in the mirror. It would have been easier for me to dress and be confident if I knew what we were doing. I wasn’t expecting him to want to do something this evening, so I was excited and hoping I would be dressed appropriately. My doorbell rang, and not long after, Stax was letting himself in.
“I’m in my room!” I yelled, going to my bathroom closet to spray my perfume. After scanning my selection, I settled on my YSL Libre. I walked back into my room, smiling at the sight of Stax. We’d unintentionally dressed alike.
He had on black jeans and a burgundy sweater that was the same shade as my crop top. I loved Stax in burgundy and white. Both colors looked so good against his tattooed, honey brown skin. My favorite tattoo of his was the one on his neck—clouds and heaven’s gates. Every chance I got, I was rubbing my fingers across it.
“You look beautiful, Fal,” he complimented, taking me in from head to toe.
I did the same to him, as if this wasn’t my millionth time seeing my best friend. It didn’t matter how many times I saw him, it always felt like the first time. He had the sexiest under turned coffee brown eyes. His square head and stubble covered chiseled jaw was so masculine. I loved his thick brows and juicy brown lips. And don’t even get me started on his tall, muscular frame. My best friend was fine as hell, and that was putting it mildly.
“Thank you. You look handsome. Am I dressed appropriately for what you have planned?”
Instead of telling me what it was, Stax said yes. We took a few pictures before heading out of my bedroom. At the sight of the flowers, teddy bear, and jewelry box on top of my island, I chuckled. It never failed—even with us agreeing to only get each other three items every year, Stax always went above and beyond. I had a room full of stuffed animals because of him, and I adored and slept with every one. Scratching my brow, I slowly walked over to the island as my smile grew.
“Stax, you always do this.”
“And?”
“And we said three gifts.”
“These don’t count. I already had them.”
My fingers slid over the bouquet of roses before I hugged the teddy bear. “Thank you, Stax. He’s cute.”
“You can wear this tonight.” He grabbed the box and opened it. I gasped at the diamond choker that was inside. Rose gold—my favorite. I was sure he’d spent hundreds of thousands on jewelry for me at this point. Stax had expensive taste when it came to jewelry, and he spoiled me just as much as he spoiled himself. “Turn around so I can put it on you.”
“Stax, this… it’s beautiful. Wow.” My voice was just over a whisper when I added, “Thank you.”
Instead of replying, he gently turned me so that my back was to him. He pushed my hair away, and at the feel of his fingers brushing against my collarbone, I shuddered. My eyes fluttered and closed as I pulled in a deep breath, reminding myself that he was simply… my best friend.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Fal,” he spoke softly, then placed a kiss to my neck.
My lips parted and nipples hardened as I grabbed the edge of the island.
That was a first.
Usually, he only gave me forehead kisses.
“Um…” Clearing my throat, I walked around the island and opened the drawer. “I knew you were going to do this, so I got you something extra too.”
Stax chuckled as I handed him the envelope that had his first-class flight information to Cabo. I’d also paid for his weeklong stay at an all-inclusive resort.
His eyes lit up and he covered his mouth with his fist, as if that would hide his smile.
“Why you do me like this?” he asked quietly, making me giggle. “You be listening to me, huh?”
“Of course,” I agreed, rocking from my toes to my heels. I was so excited to see his happiness.
As good as Stax was to me, he deserved it. He’d mentioned wanting to visit the Cabo ruins, so I felt like I’d probably book the trip for his birthday or Christmas since he loved traveling, but I knew if I waited too long, he’d do it himself.
“C’mere,” he mumbled softly, expression serious. I made my way into his arms, body relaxing and softening against the hardness of his chest. “Thank you, Fallyn. I appreciate you so much.”
He placed a kiss to my temple, then my forehead before releasing me and asking, “You coming with me?”
My head shook as I pulled in a deep breath. “Nah. I figured you’d want to take whoever you were seeing this summer.”
He chuckled with a shake of his head. “I want you to come. I’ll book your flight. Hopefully, I can get you on the same one as me. If not, we’re gonna make it work.”
I didn’t argue with him. There was no need. Stax was the kind of man that always got what he wanted. I was just surprised what he wanted right now was me.