Chapter 10
OLI
I brushed my hand over the dry-cleaning bag draped on the back of the couch. “Huh?” I barely got a semblance of the question out, and KC laughed from the kitchen. I headed toward the happy sound.
“It’s my suit for the game tonight. Aren’t you adorable in jeans and no shirt?” He brushed his hands over my sides. I gasped at the soft heat of his palms, then yelped as he lifted me onto the island with a chuckle.
“You look cold. Let me warm you up.” He waggled his eyebrows and stepped closer, spreading my legs so that I had to wrap them around his waist. I might be barely awake, but I would have to be one hundred percent dead to not appreciate this position.
“Mm.” I slid my hands up his chest, tilting my head back to give him room to work.
He snickered as he dipped down and brushed his mouth over mine. I chased him and sucked on his bottom lip, then frowned. “What’s that taste?”
“What?” he asked sharply, taking a step back and pulling all those wonderful muscles away from me.
“Chalky. Vanilla.” The gears turned slowly in my brain.
I spotted the rinsed-out blender in the drainer next to the sink.
I glanced toward the hallway. Ren was still in the shower because he was the last out of bed today, since KC had ridden his cock while I was trying to catch a few more minutes of sleep.
I’d ended up groggily rubbing off against the mattress instead.
“What’s wrong?” KC bit the corner of his lip and used a finger to tilt up my chin, studying my face.
My stomach went into free fall. He was so fucking handsome. His damp red hair was darker than usual and he looked fucking amazing in a black T-shirt under a white zip-up hoodie.
That taste.
The blender.
A light bulb went off in my brain. “You made a protein smoothie!”
His mouth fell open, and an awkward silence stretched out while rain pelted the windows, getting louder by the second.
“N-no.” He glanced shiftily toward that blender, the water sliding down the clear plastic into the drainer below.
“Oh my God. You’re lying! You don’t lie!”
He pouted. “No, I didn’t.”
“I could taste it on you.” I sounded as baffled as I felt.
He covered his mouth as if it had betrayed him. “No, you couldn’t!”
“Yes!” I hopped down and went around the kitchen, opening the cupboards near the floor. I didn’t spot one of those stupid plastic cans of protein powder. Then, I started on the upper-level cupboards.
“Stop, this is stupid.” He tried to laugh, but it was too high pitched.
“The blender is in the drainer,” I muttered darkly, opening the last cupboard.
He cursed as I spotted the incriminating can of protein powder on a high shelf that only tall people could reach.
“There!” I pointed and glanced at him. Normally, this would mean he would rush over and grab me whatever I wanted, but not today.
He groaned and rubbed his cheeks with both hands. “That’s Ren’s!”
I glared at him. “Maybe Ren bought it, maybe he didn’t.”
His nostrils flared.
“Either way, you used it this morning.”
He crossed his arms and jutted his jaw. “So what?”
“You’re not supposed to be using it anymore, that’s what! I’m throwing it away. It’s bad for you.” I slammed the cupboard, then opened it and pointed again, but he still didn’t budge.
He snorted in an asshole way that was completely not him. “Go ahead. Try. You’re too teeny.” He walked over and patted the top of my head. What a jackass.
“You’ve been spending way too much fucking time around Ren. You’d think you’d have learned a lesson by now from watching how that works out for him.” I slapped his hand away.
“You can’t reach it. Do your worst.” His eyebrows ticked up.
I saw red and hopped up onto the counter in a flash, nearly slipping and blasting my nose on a shelf in the cupboard.
“Shit. Oli. Be careful!” There was my KC. The concern in his voice was exactly what I would’ve expected, but I was still shaken up from seeing the side of him that could be a fucking jerk. That was not what I needed first thing in the morning.
“Oh, I should be careful,” I snapped. “What about you?” I groped toward the protein powder.
“This is stupid.” He tried to reach around me to grab the container, but I got it first. In the scuffle, I ended up curled around the protein powder like the container was a football.
He tried to reach around me and steal it.
I shook my head.
He got an edge of the bottom and tried to dislodge my grip, but I twisted away, nearly toppling off the counter.
“Give it!” he shouted.
“No!” My heart hammered. KC didn’t do things like this. His face was an angry scowl that had never been directed at me. I bit my lip and refused to hand over the powder.
“Fuck!” He wrapped his arms around me and picked me up. Just lifted me off the counter. I flailed and kicked, and he dropped me to my feet with a string of curse words flying free that sounded a hell of a lot more like Ren than him.
“You should be eating real food. The doctor said so!” I tried to run, but he boxed me into a corner with his arms out.
“What do you know about it? You’ve never done sports. You’re not bulked up.” KC lunged and got his hands around the protein powder and yanked, but I held on, anger sinking its venomous fangs into me.
“You’re right.” I spat the words in his face. “I’m just a scrawny runt. Maybe you should go fuck someone else. Someone stronger.” Bitterness boiled in my veins. “That’s what you think about guys with less muscle, right? They suck?”
“Shit.” KC tugged again, teeth bared, and dragged me across the floor, but fuck him. Like hell I was letting go now. “How are you holding on?” A smile flickered to life on his lips.
“Do you think this is fucking funny? You were in the hospital,” I snarled. I hated every part of what was happening. KC was always the good one. Solid. Stable. He could be counted on to have my back and be a gentleman—for the most part. My stomach twisted into a knot.
We had never fought. What was happening?
I sucked in a deep breath. “Ren!”
“Damn it!” KC let go of the protein powder and covered my mouth with both hands. Adrenaline coursed through me and I wasn’t sure what I was feeling beyond pissed off.
“I’m going to get Ren,” I mumbled with a huff, cradling my prize—not that I wanted it.
“Noooo.” His nostrils flared and he shook his head. “You don’t have to do that.”
I nipped one of his fingers, and he pulled his hands back. “Really? Because you seem to care about what he thinks way more than what I think.” Did that extend to the rest of our relationship? I slam-dunked the protein powder into the garbage can and stood there with my arms crossed, guarding it.
KC scrubbed the nape of his neck with one hand while the color drained from his face. “That isn’t it. Just, please, don’t say anything. You know how Ren gets.”
Fuck, I did know how Ren acted. He cared way more than he would ever say with words, but he would become that regimented, eagle-eyed protector again and drive us all up a wall with his unspoken worry over KC.
“Fine. But if you touch this protein powder or buy more, I’m telling.” I fought the urge to stick out my tongue and only barely won.
KC grinned. “I can’t believe I was jealous of the way you dig your heels in with Ren.”
“Careful what you wish for,” I mumbled.
He stepped closer, but I was still on high alert, so I moved well away from the garbage can before I let him envelop me in his warmth. I nestled my face against his chest and breathed him in. Fuck, what had just happened?
KC tilted my chin up and kissed me, and I wanted him to do it because I needed those happy KC vibes he usually spread far and wide, but all I could taste was the motherfucking protein powder.
My lips didn’t budge.
KC stiffened as he backed off and frowned down at me.
I wanted to cling and tell him I was sorry for upsetting him—which, even though it was fucked up, I was very sorry—but what was I supposed to do? Ignore the garbage supplements that hurt him?
“Eat food. Like last night.” I poked his chest. “It was yummy.”
He made a face, and my stomach plummeted to my toes.
“Hey! My guys were hiding in the kitchen. What were you two doing?” Ren asked, glancing back and forth between us. My attention was snagged by the shirt in his hands.
Before I could rat out KC, he said, “Nothing.” He kissed Ren’s cheek, then darted away to pour cups of coffee—probably to hide the taste of the protein powder.
I glared at his back from the corner of my eye. I didn’t like being put in the middle, and I definitely didn’t appreciate being asked to lie for him, especially when I agreed with Ren that KC shouldn’t be scarfing down protein powder six meals a day anymore.
“Come on, Oliver. You’re going to be my good-luck charm.”
“What?” I asked, focusing on Ren while confusion roiled in my head.
KC leaned against the counter and sipped his cup of coffee, the dick.
Ugh. I didn’t like calling him a dick. The world wasn’t right. It was too early for this.
“Hands up!” Ren tickled my abs.
I smiled, doing as he’d ordered. I actually enjoyed following his commands. They settled me and let peace unclench my muscles. He tugged a jersey onto me. The material was soft from being washed a million times and smelled like fabric softener, nice and homey.
I brushed a hand down the jersey. “The Blue Demons?”
He hummed and adjusted the fabric on me, a smile on his angular face. The jersey was big but not quite as huge as KC’s. “Yep. This is from my high school hockey days. You wearing it will guarantee I do well.”
“Plus, it wouldn’t exactly fit anyone else.” I rolled my eyes.
He snorted and kissed the tip of my nose. “Can’t get anything past you.” He sounded grumpy but looked proud of himself, so I only sighed while he pulled me in for a hug.
“You guys didn’t eat yet? We better get a move on.
I have a good-luck charm, but I have to be sturdy on my legs.
” He hustled to the freezer and pulled out a box of sausage sandwiches.
KC made a yuck face, but I knew there wasn’t a chance he was going to tell on himself.
Ren plopped all six sandwiches on a plate and stuck them in the microwave.
I didn’t miss how instead of putting the empty box in the recycling, KC stuffed it in the trash to hide the protein powder. Well, at least it would be gone after this.
Unless he bought more.
After the microwave dinged, Ren devoured three of the sandwiches, leaving KC with a reasonable two and me with one. I wanted to hug KC because he looked genuinely disgusted by the food, but mine tasted fine, so I shrugged it off.
On our way out the door, I grabbed Ren’s black leather jacket because I wanted that scent tinged with sweet vanilla in my nose.
“Oh yeah, I love it. You wearing my clothes today is perfect. I’ve never had anyone to wear my stuff.” He tickled his fingers over my jaw.
My heart swooped. “Yeah?”
He nodded, swallowing hard. “Maybe KC and I can take turns covering you in our . . . clothes.” He winked, then swooped in to nibble my earlobe. Heat streaked to my cock and it twitched awake. The scrape of his teeth was softer than usual—a tease.
Was that what last night’s gentleness had been about? Driving me crazy? I had no idea.
But one thing I did know, I had to tell Ren that KC wasn’t doing as well as we’d thought. Ruining his day could wait until after tryouts. I didn’t want him to start calling me bad luck, after all.