Not Dating Material (Accidental Love Book 2), page 1
NOT DATING MATERIAL
Accidental Love
Book 2
SAXON JAMES
Contents
Blurb
Content Warning
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Epilogue
Author’s Note
My Freebies
Other Books By Saxon James
Want More From Me?
Acknowledgments
Blurb
MOLLY
Moving to Seattle is supposed to be all about getting a fresh start and leaving the bitter man I was becoming behind.
I have new roommates–quirky, sometimes strange, roommates–a nosy, next door neighbor and a grumpy kitty for company, but even surrounded by people, I still don’t feel like I belong. Plus, it turns out the men in Seattle are exactly the same as the ones I left behind, and my string of romantic disconnections continues.
It’s not until one of my roommates, Seven, hits me with some hard truths that I realize where I was going wrong.
Maybe the men aren’t the problem.
I am.
And there’s only one way to fix that.
SEVEN
Being found tied up naked to my bed by my cute new roommate isn’t an ideal way for us to start a friendship.
But apparently a quid-pro-quo is.
He keeps his pretty lips zipped about the compromising position, and I step in as his dating coach. We go out, I point out where he’s going wrong, and he magically becomes dating material.
The problem is, between my codependent brother Xander and a new best friend I can’t get rid of, Molly and I are the target of a matchmaking scheme. My life is way too busy to add another person to it, and Molly is the kinda guy who needs to be made a priority, which I just can’t do. Xander’s medical anxiety takes up too much of my time, and I’ve never found a partner who doesn’t resent it.
I’m determined to help Molly find his ever after.
But that guy will never be me.
Copyright ©
NOT DATING MATERIAL - 2023 Saxon James
All rights reserved.
First published in Australia by May Books 2023
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Cover design by Story Styling Cover Designs
Image supplied by Michelle Lancaster
Illustration by Christine at @capt.christine on Instagram
No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Under no circumstances may any part of this book be photocopied for resale.
This is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and co-incidental.
Content Warning
TW: mention of past physical and sexual abuse of a minor (no details).
Character with trauma due to neglect.
On page non-consensual photographs.
Chapter 1
SEVEN
I can’t see, thanks to the blindfold, and I can’t move, thanks to the handcuffs at my wrists and ankles, but there’s nothing to stop me from hearing the telltale “click” of a motherfudging phone camera.
And I’m completely stark naked.
“Yo, I didn’t consent to that,” I say, injecting as much firmness into my voice as I can. Considering the position I’m in, I highly doubt my hookup is quaking in his … well, yeah, boots, actually. Seeing as how I’m the fool who got naked while he stayed fully dressed. Normally, that’d be hot. Not right now though. “Delete it.”
“Mmm … no,” he says in that simpering voice that originally caught my attention. Soft, silky, pretty, exactly my type.
I jump as something brushes my chest, but he’s only dragging a feather down the middle of my torso. “I think it’s time you untied me. We clearly need to go over boundaries again.”
His cute laugh has an edge to it. “Oh, honey, no. That would be counterproductive to what’s happening here.”
“And … what exactly is happening?”
“Revenge.”
I jerk against the handcuffs. “Revenge?”
“You were dating my friend, then ghosted him, and the next time he saw you, you were out dancing with some bald woman.”
Bald woman? Oh … he’s probably talking about Elle, the sister of my roommate’s husband. Who, ridiculously, I’ve never hooked up with. We bonded hard and fast as morons-in-law, but anything further than that never happened. Whoever his friend is though, even without Elle, there have definitely been others since.
“Listen,” I try to reason. “I don’t know what you’ve been told, but it’s all horse patties. I don’t date. I make that very clear up front. It’s a staple of my ‘boundaries’ conversation.”
“You don’t sleep with someone for a month if you’re not dating them.”
I have no clue who he’s talking about. “Of course I do. If everyone’s having fun, why shouldn’t I?”
Pretty boy scoffs, and the camera clicks again.
“Stop. Taking. Photos.”
“Make me.”
“This is illegal.” Probably.
“Not calling people back is illegal.”
I snort. “No, it isn’t.”
“Well, it should be.” Another click. “Good to know you find this so funny.”
“I hope you’re getting my good side,” I say dryly. But this whole situation isn’t okay. I’m getting really uncomfortable. Really. I might like to play helpless in the bedroom, but playing and being are two totally different things.
I’ve been helpless. Actually. And I promised myself that would never happen again.
Well, well, Seven. Haven’t you gone and screwed that right up?
“Oh, don’t worry,” he says. “I’m getting all your sides.”
My stomach turns. “Get. Out.”
“You’re not going to say please?” The sweet tone makes it so much worse.
“You’re violating my privacy. Unlock me and leave. I won’t ask twice.”
“Ooh, big man, throwing around threats. Good luck with that.”
I’m not a violent person, but in times like this, I really wish I was.
Instead, I force one of those ridiculous meditative breaths Madden taught me and close my eyes behind the blindfold. I ignore everything … I want to say Colt? … says and try to stay relaxed until I have a way out of this situation. None of my roommates are home, otherwise, I would have already yelled out.
Nope, it’s just me and the creep.
Who I’m actively trying to tune out. Kinda hard when he’s monologuing harder than a ’90s-era action villain.
“You know, I have a lot of regrets. Now I’ve seen you naked, I wish I didn’t agree to this plan at all.”
I grit my teeth.
“Your body is …” He makes a kissing noise.
I clench my fists.
“But no matter, these pictures will do the trick.” His footsteps move toward the door. “Eddie says hi, by the way.”
Then he’s gone. I listen to him make his way down the stairs and to the front door, but for a second before it closes behind him, I swear I catch another voice.
And footsteps.
Please let it be one of my friends and not some other wannabe photographer with a grudge.
“Hello?” I holler. Sure, I’m not thrilled at one of them finding me dick and balls out, but while I’ll have to endure everyone teasing me for the next few weeks, at least I’ll be free of these cuffs. That’s the great thing about living here. These guys are my brothers; we’ve all been there for each other when we’ve hit rock bottom, and while we annoy the crap out of each other, we don’t judge.
I’d trust these guys with my life.
And, uh, in all my naked glory.
“Hey,” I shout. “Come give me a hand.”
Given Madden, one of my roommates, is a nudist, we’re all used to seeing a bit of peen. It’s more the embarrassment of being so easily manipulated that’s sitting wrong, as well as the … well, the pictures. The helpless
“Hey, what’s—oh my god!”
Oh nooo.
Out of all the guys I live with, that horrified tone is barely recognizable, which makes it easiest to pick.
Molly. The new guy.
Okay, so not all of my roommates are brothers to me. Gabe didn’t move out that long ago, and Molly is so quiet I forget he’s here half the time.
I try for a winning smile, even though this definitely isn’t a winning scenario, and hope he’s still there. “I’ve gotten myself into a situation.”
“Holy shit.” And he must run across the room because one moment, his voice is by my door, and the next, his soft, cold fingers are pushing up the blindfold, revealing big eyes filled with concern. “Are you okay?”
“How about you ask me that again when I’m not starfishing naked for you?”
“Right. Yes.” He goes to glance downward but rips his eyes back to my face. “What do you need?”
“The keys are in the drawer.” I nod toward my bedside table, and Molly hurries to it.
“How did you end up like this?” he asks, digging through the mess, floppy mop of brown hair falling over his forehead.
“A hookup gone bad.”
He throws me a sympathetic look before delicately moving my Fleshlight to the side. “What the hell happened to make him leave you like this?” Molly successfully finds the keys and comes back over to the bed.
I try to shrug, but it’s too hard with my hands secured over my head. “Didn’t call his friend back or something. It’s so—”
“Oh.” Molly straightens, face pulling tight. “So you deserve this.”
“Wait? What?”
He mouths wordlessly at me for a moment. “What is it with men?” he explodes, and it’s only this uncharacteristic tone that stops me from pointing out that he’s a man too. “You go on a nice date, send them flowers, show up at their work to surprise them with lunch. You call and send texts and make sure they know you’re interested, then the second you have sex with them—pow! All over. Like they never existed. I’m sick of the games. You’re all the same.” Then Molly tosses the keys on the bed and stalks toward the door.
“Wait! Whoa, hold up!”
“You’re part of the problem.”
“I didn’t ask someone to tie me up and take naked pictures of me, okay? There’s no excuse for that, no matter what I did or didn’t do to his friend.”
Molly turns slowly back toward me, pretty eyes still narrowed. “Photos?”
“Yeah.” My gut turns over itself again. “I don’t want to talk about it. Can you please just unlock my arms?”
And clearly, he’s been taking lessons from Madden as well because he sucks down a deep breath and moves closer. He picks up the keys, hesitates a second, then grabs my sheet and drapes it over my groin.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, turning his attention to my wrists.
“Yeah …” I cut him a look. “Me too.” And because I’m not going anywhere in a hurry, I add, “I’m getting the impression you’ve been through something.”
“You could say that.” And after him word vomiting on me, he’s surprisingly restrained now.
“Need to talk it out?”
My first wrist clicks free of the handcuff, and before I can tell him that I’ve got it from here, Molly leans over me to unlock the other. His sweet scent washes over me, and while he’d been a good boy and stopped himself from checking out my dick earlier, my gaze isn’t as controlled. His shirt lifts, revealing a slice of soft-looking, lightly tanned skin hovering mere inches above me.
Now is not the time to get hard.
“I’m okay,” Molly says, and I call bull crap based on all that oversharing, but what am I supposed to say? My second wrist frees, and Molly immediately turns his attention to my leg.
It’s on the tip of my tongue again to tell him I’ve got it, but his hand on my calf stops me. I’m a sensory guy, and it feels incredible to be touched. Fingertips over hair, skimming near my ankle. After what I’ve been through today, I can give myself this moment, at least.
He finishes one leg, and I’m almost sad when he unlocks the other, then rubs his hands gently over my ankle before letting go.
Instead of leaving, he settles on the side of my bed. “Do you need to talk?”
Immediately, my face flushes red, and I curse my stupid pale skin. “I’m good.”
“It’s okay if you’re not. I imagine it felt violating.”
I sigh and sit up, pulling the sheet more securely over me. “Yeah. A little.” More than a little, but I’m not going to let on how much it got to me.
We’re quiet for a moment, one of his feet bouncing up and down on the floor. “Okay. Well. If you need me …”
“Thank you.” Almost forgot that. “And sorry guys have been donkey’s breath to you.”
His lips twitch. “Donkey’s breath?”
“I prefer to get colorful with my insults rather than dropping curses all over the place.”
Molly nods, brown mop swaying with the movement. “They really have been donkey’s breath. I mean, I’ve had my donkey moments too though. But as a whole … men suck.”
“Date women?”
“Gay,” he says, looking miserable. “I thought dating older men would cut out the bullshit, but so far, it hasn’t helped.”
“Why?”
“Because either they know more bullshit, or … let’s just say I moved for a reason, okay?”
“Ah, but now you’ve gotten me curious.”
“Says the guy I found tied naked to his bed.” He laughs and stands, and for the first time since he’s moved in, I check him out properly. He’s a cute little thing, kinda like my foster brother Xander, only Molly’s tan and has light muscles to Xander’s thin frame.
“Fair point.”
Molly gets all the way to my door before he pauses again. “I know we’re not friends, I guess. But if you need to talk—”
“Noted. Oh! And, hey, please don’t mention this to the others.”
“Why? I thought you knew everything about each other.”
“And we do, but …” My eyes flick up to meet his soft ones. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I get it.”
“Thanks. And really, Molly, I owe you.”
Chapter 2
MOLLY
“How are you settling in?” Madden asks from his yoga mat on the grass beside me. Only when I shift into downward dog, I don’t realize I’m setting myself up for a front-row view of his legs in the air, ass spread open.
I sigh. “Aren’t you afraid of getting skin cancer in your crack?”
“Nah, five minutes of sun a day is good for the soul. The ass-soul.”
“What did you do during winter?”
“Same thing.” He lifts his head to grin at me from between his legs. “I just had to recover my balls when I was finished.” Those same balls that I’m trying very, very hard not to notice right now.
Madden and I went to college together, and even though he was better friends with my bestie, Will, we haven’t lost contact since. So when I called him one night after an epic fuckup that was totally my fault, he suggested I pack up my life and move across the country for a fresh start.
It feels like I’ve run away from all of my problems, but my hometown was feeling too small. Too stifling. I had no idea what I was moving to, but I’ve only been here a few weeks, and I already know I’m going to like it.
