The Rivals
Rugby is like [love]—easy to start, difficult to stop, and impossible to forget.
-Zachary Hildebrand (mostly)
COOPER
C ooper surged toward victory. He was miles in front of the Regina Renegades’ closest player and on track to make the winning try, though their outside center was gaining on him. He willed his legs to move faster, curving away from Number 13 to avoid his advance.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Alexander Bouchard coming in for the tackle. What the fuck was Alex doing so far up field? Why did he always have such a need to come for him? He deked to the left as the eight ma n made a dive for his legs. One of his cleats connected with Alex’s shoulder, and he almost went ass over head but steadied himself enough to land and keep running.
He launched himself over the goal line, connecting hard with the ground. Fuck yeah. Springing to his feet, his fellow Calgary Coyotes surrounded him, clapping him on the shoulders and ruffling his hair.
“Nice fucking run, bud!” Brendan yelled in his ear over the roar of the crowd.
“Someone had to win it for us,” he shrugged, a cheeky smile plastered on his face.
“Oh yeah, and it could only be you, right, Coop?” Mitchell pushed his shoulder.
He looked around at his celebrating teammates. “I don’t see anyone complaining.”
Todd threw his arms around him from behind and lifted him into the air. “No complaints here, man!” He flashed his middle finger at Mitch.
Mitch laughed and flipped Todd the bird right back.
“Damn good game, everyone. Shake hands and hit the showers, boys!” their captain called.
Cooper lined up with the rest of his team and shook hands with their opponents. A chorus of good game s was heard up and down the line. Until he came to Alex, who stared him down like a bull seeking revenge on a morally corrupt matador. Granted, it was a sexy, smoldering stare, but still one full of anger.
“Good game, Bouchard,” Cooper said, sticking out his hand for a quick shake.
Alex opted to check him in the shoulder instead. “Fuck off,” he sneered.
Always such a dick. Cooper didn’t know what pissed-off entity had crawled up Alex’s ass, but whatever it was, it’d been making its home there for the past two years. Ever since Cooper had been drafted to the Coyotes and came on the scene. Jealous, probably.
He chuckled and continued down the line, being an excellent sportsman—unlike Bouchard. When he reached the end, he jogged toward the exit to their locker room and glanced back. Alex was standing in the middle of the field, dark braid draped over his shoulder. He watched his every move with his beefy arms crossed, towering above the staff milling about the field.
A shiver ran down his spine. Not from fear, no. Maybe intimidation? Alex was an intimidating man, but he didn’t think that was it entirely. Cooper grinned nice and wide—followed by a wink and wave—hoping to irritate him further. Alex flipped him off and stomped off the field in the opposite direction.
Mission accomplished.
“Hey, bud. You lost? Away team’s locker room is out the door and to your left, on the other side of the building.” Cooper pointed out the door as he started toweling down after his shower. He was always the last to leave, spending too much time snapping towels at any butt he could find, playing air guitar to their wind-down music, and cleaning up after his teammates.
Alex stalked toward him, his Renegades jersey covered in dirt and blood, stopping only a couple feet away. The furrow in his brow told Cooper he wasn’t in a good mood. “That was a real dick move out there, Fifteen.”
Cooper laughed, wiping down his arms and chest with his towel. “I did nothing wrong, and you know it. You’re just mad I got the winning try.”
Alex always had a bone to pick with him. Cooper supposed it was because Alex was used to being the best player in the league. But ever since Cooper had burst onto the scene—younger, prouder, and better at the game—Alex had been out for blood. But today was the first time he’d crossed into Coyote territory to confront him.
“Like hell I am. The only reason you scored is because Marchand was on the bench with an injury. You need to watch yourself out there.” Alex practically had steam pouring from his nostrils.
Cooper draped the towel over his head and scrubbed it back and forth, drying his damp curls. “Or what?” he asked, his voice muffled by the fabric hanging over his face.
“Or I’m going to teach you a lesson.” Alex took a step closer and ripped the towel away from Cooper, discarding it on a nearby bench.
“Hey now, Bouchard.” Cooper threw up his arms in surrender. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.” He couldn't keep the smirk off his face.
Alex pushed him against the beam between rugby lockers with a flat palm to the chest, stepping into his personal space. “Is this your idea of a good time, Fifteen?”
Cooper shrugged his shoulders against the wood. “I mean…it’s not not my idea of a good time.”
Alex’s gaze fell to the other towel hanging low on Cooper’s hips, cock tenting the fabric. “You couldn’t handle me,” he sneered.
“I think you know I could,” Cooper challenged.
“Prove it.”
Alex may have been an absolute ass on and off the field, but he was fine as hell, and Cooper was eager to call his bluff. He tugged at the waistband of Alex’s scrum shorts, lowering them an inch. Cooper cocked an eyebrow a t him as if to say if you don’t stop this now, I’m gonna keep going.
A smug grin graced Alex’s face. “Lost your nerve, Fifteen?”
“Not even a bit, Bouchard.” Cooper shoved his hand down the front of Alex’s shorts and was met with the warm feel of solid cock against his palm.
Grasping Alex’s erection tightly, Cooper stroked up and down, never breaking eye contact with Alex. He wasn’t one to back down from a challenge. And who knows? Maybe a release would make the serious man loosen up for once in his life.
Alex slowly shook his head and clicked his tongue. “Poor form. I think you can do better than that.”
Withdrawing his hand from Alex’s shorts, Cooper held it up to his mouth and gave his palm a long lick before tugging down his rival’s waistband and finding his lengthy erection once again.
He held tighter and stroked slowly, teasing him with each movement, eager to break through Alex’s stony demeanour. “Better?”
Cooper wanted to hear Alex moan, growl, cry out—something. Some sort of reaction to Cooper’s hand grasping his cock. Because Cooper was definitely feeling things, and if those feelings weren’t obvious before, they were now.
“Somewhat of an improvement,” Alex hissed.
Cooper’s own cock was peeking through the slit in the towel ti ed around his waist. He needed attention, and he needed it now. Asking wouldn’t get him anywhere. Alex liked to battle on the field. He sensed it would be no different with sex.
“I doubt you could do any better, Bouchard. You’re probably all bark and no bite. Just like on the pitch.”
“Is that what you think?” Alex asked, a breathy strain to his voice.
“It’s what I know,” Cooper shrugged. He hoped he was coming across somewhat nonchalant, because inside, his heart was pounding out of his chest. His lips were only inches from Alex’s, and the erection in his hand was driving him wild.
Alex pulled away from him, and his cock slipped from Cooper’s grip. He watched, stunned, as Alex stalked toward the locker room door.
Shit. He’d gone too far.
“Hey,” he called out. “I didn’t mean?—”
Alex turned the lock on the dressing room door.
Oh shit .
Back still to him, one hand lingering on the lock, Alex asked, “Which one of your idiot teammates gets laid the most?”
Cooper furrowed his brows. “What? Why does that matter?”
“Which. One?” he spat out.
“Jordan. Easily Jordan. He always has one girl or another around after the games.”
Alex turned and surveyed the room until his eyes landed on the name Jordan over locker twenty-six. He strode over to it, threw it open, and rifled through Jordan’s belongings.
“What are you?—?”
“This is going to make things a lot better.” Alex turned around and held up a small bottle of lube. “If you’re going to bring your A game, you need the proper tools, Fifteen. Otherwise, what’s the point?” He ripped the cap off with his teeth and spit it to the side.
Ho-ly fuck. They were actually going to do this. Right here in the locker room. With only a shitty old lock keeping anyone from walking in on them jerking each other off.
The idea sent a thrill through his spine.
In four steps, Alex was in front of him, ripping off the towel that sat low on Cooper’s waist. Now, he was stark naked in front of his worst enemy, and all he could think of was how badly he needed Alex to touch him.
“Hand,” Alex demanded.
Cooper quickly obliged and was met with a generous portion of lube being squirted onto his palm. Alex poured some into his own palm, then grasped Cooper’s cock.
“This”—Alex rasped in his ear, stroking up and down his dick in firm, fluid motions—“is how it’s done.” Ale x swirled his thumb over the head of Cooper’s cock, paying it special attention between strokes.
Cooper’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. “Yes, Bouchard. That feels so good.”
“Get to work, Fifteen. You’ve got something to prove to me,” Alex growled in his ear.
His lubed-up palm snuck beneath the waistband of Alex’s scrum shorts once more, and he held his firm cock in hand. So warm. So stiff. All for him.
Cooper had to concentrate to emulate Alex’s movements. Speeding up, slowing down, teasing, rubbing, groping—whatever Alex did, Cooper reciprocated. After all, who understood Alex’s own preferences better than Alex? But he couldn’t think straight with Alex’s powerful hands wrapped around his dick. He let out an involuntary moan as Alex increased his pace.
“That’s right. Give it all to me, Fifteen. Let me hear how much my touch affects you.”
Cooper bit back the groan building inside him. “Only if you let me hear you too.”
Their bodies were as close as they could be without touching. Just their hands on each other’s cocks and hot breath cascading across each other’s cheeks. The slick sounds in the quiet air were filthy and vulgar and so deliciously everything Cooper could’ve wanted.
“Not a chance.” Alex wrapped his free arm around Cooper’s torso, snaked it down his back, and grabbed a fistful of his ass.
Cooper jerked forward at the rough squeeze, but Alex didn’t let go. He held Cooper’s ass tight in his punishing grip, not missing a beat while continuing to stroke his cock.
“Have it your way,” Cooper said. He wrapped his free hand around Alex’s dark, braided hair and pulled.
“Fuck me,” Alex growled.
Cooper couldn’t keep the grin from his face. “That’s the idea.”
“Do it again,” Alex ordered. “Now.”
Alex’s cock was pulsing in Cooper’s hand. No doubt he was getting close. How could he not be? Cooper was ready to bust. Hearing fuck me from Alex’s lips only pushed him closer to the edge.
Cooper yanked on Alex’s braid again. Rough enough to jerk his head back but not enough to hurt.
“Fuck,” Alex moaned. “Fuck, that’s good. Again. Then I’m going to come all over your chest, and so are you.” He squeezed Cooper’s ass again, kneading and massaging, riling him up.
Once more, he wrenched on Alex’s hair, and it sent Alex careening over the edge into his orgasm. Alex slapped Cooper’s ass hard, and he joined him, tumbling into a state of bliss.
Hot spurts of cum decorated Cooper’s chest—Alex’s and his own. Their fluids mixed, a picture of ecstasy, and dripped down his stomach.
Alex yanked up his shorts and straightened his uniform. Swi ping the discarded towel from the bench nearby, he tossed it at Cooper. “Clean yourself up.”
“Wanna join me?” Cooper wiggled his eyebrows. “Room for two in the showers. Technically, room for fifteen, but you get the point.”
Alex headed for the door. “Not a chance.”
“So there is a chance, then. Because just a minute ago, you were saying the same thing before I had you begging for more, so…”
He turned the lock and pulled open the door. Hesitating for a moment on the threshold, Alex shook his head and threw up a middle finger before letting the door fall shut behind him.
Cooper beamed and called after him, “Definitely a chance, then?”
“What the fuck are you doing in here?”
That voice was unmistakable. Alex Bouchard. The way he said fuck was imprinted on his brain. He spun around and came face-to-face with the Viking of a man.
“Coach asked me to find some extra towels before the scrimmage,” Cooper said, rummaging around in a bin near the back of the closet .
“This is for storage, not linens, Fifteen,” Alex grunted.
Cooper rolled his eyes. “Obviously. But then I got a bit snoopy and wanted to poke around in your guys’ things.”
Alex grabbed a piece of fabric next to him and threw it at Cooper’s head. “It’s pylons and old, dirty jerseys. What’s there to poke around for?”
Cooper hucked the jersey back and shrugged. “Just curious, that’s all. I was hoping to find your team’s secret weapon, since we’re on your home turf for this practice game.” He arched an eyebrow, knowing the comment would drive Alex crazy.
“ I’m our secret weapon. Me.” Alex stuck his thumb toward his chest.
Cooper shook his head in mock disappointment but couldn’t keep the shit-eating grin off his face. “That’s not a team mentality I’m hearing, Bouchard.”
Alex stalked over to Cooper, standing mere inches from him in the stuffy closet. “Why don’t you show me your team spirit, then? Get on your knees and teach me something about helping others.”
“I think you’re the one who needs to act like a team player.” Alex was so close. If he leaned forward, he could ignite a fire with just his lips. It would be dangerous. It would be violent. It would be so damn sexy.
Cooper stumbled backward into the shelving unit. What the hel l? Did Alex just push him? His jaw hung open.
“I’ll act like a team player when I damn well fucking want to. I call the shots. Not you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Cooper grabbed a fistful of Alex’s jersey and tugged him against his body. Alex’s hands flew out to brace himself on the shelves behind Cooper. “Don’t mistake my obviously charming and hilarious personality for weakness. I could make you beg for me. Plead for me.”
Alex scoffed in his face. “I’d like to see you try.”
Cooper dropped his hand between them and palmed Alex’s erection straining through his scrum shorts. “I know you would.” The slight groan of approval that snuck out from between Alex’s lips spurred him on. “Show me a little team spirit, and I’ll promise to have you begging the next time we meet.”
Alex’s lips brushed his cheek to whisper in his ear, “How about I give you some team spirit now, and next time, you beg for me ?”
He’d be an idiot to pass that up. Alex didn’t need to know he enjoyed a little begging. “Deal.”
Dropping to his knees, Alex yanked down Cooper’s shorts and wasted no time dipping in for a taste. He sucked on his cock like it was a fuckin’ lollipop. Cooper grabbed the racks behind him. Slowly, his hips started thrusting into Alex’s mouth. He couldn’t help it. Alex’s tongue swirling on his tip, the pressure of his lips, the added hand s troking up and down. Fucking Alexander Bouchard’s beautiful, cocky mouth was all he wanted in the world right now. Screw the match. It was only a practice game, anyway. Just let him fuck his rival’s face. But Alex didn’t seem like the kind of guy that gave up control.
Still—it couldn’t hurt to try. Right?
He weaved the fingers of one of his hands through Alex’s hair, getting a tight grip, and Alex popped off his cock.
“You wanna fuck my face, baby? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?” Staring up at him, Alex shook his head. “I thought you wanted me to be a team player?” The sardonic tone in his voice was not lost on Cooper.
“Be a good boy and let me take control. That’s what teammates do. Put each other first,” Cooper winked.
“We’re doing this on my terms, Fifteen. Sure, I could suck you all day long, but if you’re fucking my face, it’s because it’s what I want.”
How could Alex be such a dick and, well, make his dick hard at the same time was a mystery. But when he was like this—lips swollen, spit covering his chin, glaring up at him like he was wicked pissed—it made sense.
“Do it,” Alex commanded.
Cooper shoved his cock back between Alex’s lips, and his hips picked up speed. He held Alex in a firm grasp, pulling at his hair. The moan from around his cock was all the confirmation he needed to drive himself home.
“Just like that,” Cooper hummed. “You look so fuckin’ filthy on your knees for me. So fuckin’ gorgeous.”
Reaching between his legs, Alex rubbed his own erection. He stared up at Cooper—making sure he was watching him. Where else would Cooper be looking? The god of war himself was on his knees in a dirty closet, letting him face-fuck him into oblivion. Of course, he was looking. Watching. Memorizing.
“I’m close. So close.” God. He was gonna blow in Alex’s mouth. He wanted to spill down the back of his throat. He wanted him out on the field, tasting him for the entirety of the ridiculous practice game they’d driven eight hours for.
Alex took Cooper’s increase in pace without even a flinch, dick sliding in and out between his lips. Cooper grunted and let himself go while still in Alex’s mouth. The orgasm that rocked his body was more intense, more satisfying, and more visceral than their first extra-curricular encounter. “That’s a good boy.”
Pulling away from him, Alex swallowed, wiped his mouth, and stood before him. His six-foot-three frame was only a couple inches taller than Cooper’s, yet he felt small in his presence.
Alex shoved a finger into Cooper’s chest. “I’d normally rea m you out for blowing down my throat without asking, but I’m not gonna do that today.”
Cooper licked his lips, satisfied that his little escapade to find towels had turned into a blow job from Alex fuckin’ Bouchard. “Couldn’t help myself. Guess I should snoop around more often, eh?”
Alex leaned in close and ran his hands up Cooper’s chest. Lingering over each well-defined muscle. Squeezing. Touching. He ran his nose over the soft skin under Cooper’s jawline. “Can I give you a tip, Fifteen?”
Normally, he’d say like hell and make some sort of lewd gesture, but Alex could tell him anything he wanted to in this moment. Anything at all.
“Go for it.”
“Something I’ve noticed is how you play better when you’re tense. Riled up. Agitated.”
Cooper furrowed his brows. What was he on about? “And your point is…?”
“How are you feeling now, baby?” he whispered in Cooper’s ear.
He paused for a second, realization pouring over him like a bucket of cold water. “Do not tell me you just sucked me off so I would play worse against you today.”
Alex pulled away and stepped back toward the door. A smarmy smile decorated his face. “Good luck out there, Fifteen. ”
Cooper shook his head. “You’re the one that’s gonna need luck after this fuckin’ stunt, Bouchard.”
Through his shorts, Alex gave his still visibly-hard cock a rough grab. “I’m as pent up as ever, baby. I’m gonna play the best game you’ve ever fucking seen.”
He turned and threw open the door, sauntering out like he owned the place, leaving Cooper alone in the storage room.
That was the second time Alex had left him behind after a mind-blowing sexual encounter. The second time he’d walked right through the door without as much as a backward glance.
Next time, he’d be the one leaving Alex behind.
And by God, there would be a next time.