Chapter Two
Beau
Ihad to calm myself down before I did something stupid.
Like kiss this obviously very straight man standing in my hotel room.
It wasn’t like I had kidnapped him and brought Dean here against his will.
I knew that this was a bad idea. That if we fooled around, both Jackson and Maverick were going to be upset.
Dean and I were going to have to see one another again.
My teammate was engaged to his brother. There was the wedding to think about, games that Dean was more than likely to attend, and—
“Everything all right?” Dean asked.
I turned. He was standing in the living area of my hotel room in nothing but his jeans and sneakers.
I let my gaze sweep over his muscular shoulders, taking in his thick biceps, and down his chiseled chest. He had a flat, toned stomach, and when my eyes moved back up, they picked up the glint of silver shimmering in both of his pink nipples. Holy shit. He hadn’t mentioned those.
I shook my head. “This was a mistake, Dean.” I dragged both my hands through my hair.
“I shouldn’t have invited you here, approached you at the celebration party, and I think you should probably leave.
” I was terrified of what might happen if I touched him.
That I wouldn’t be able to control myself.
His brows shot up. “Like this?” He pointed to the dye in his hair. “I can’t just go out there with bleach in my hair, man. Can’t I at least wash it out first?”
“Yeah, sure, fine.” I kept my eyes on my feet. “I’ll let you do that by yourself.”
Dean shuffled closer. “Did I say something wrong? Or upset you somehow?” When I finally met his green eyes, I saw concern in them. “I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t do anything,” I assured him. “Don’t apologize for something if it’s not your fault.”
A smirk spread over his face, and shit, he was hot.
I saw the resemblance to his brother, but Dean was in a league of his own.
Maverick had a more feminine, beautiful look to him.
Not Dean, though. Dean was all man, with a sharp jawline and more muscles on his body.
Just the way I liked them. He was shorter than me, but I was used to that. I preferred it.
“Are you trying to parent me right now?” He chuckled. “Is this like a kink? You want me to call you Daddy?”
Lust pulsed in my veins as I pictured for a moment what it would be like to be with him. The way his skin would feel beneath the palms of my hands. Letting me fuck him into the bed until neither one of us could breathe.
“Don’t,” I growled.
He closed his mouth with a snap. “I’ll just go wait in the bathroom.” He turned and left me alone with my thoughts.
I had done the curiosity thing with men before.
More times than I wanted to admit, and it was always the same thing.
Thanks, but no thanks. I’m just not into you like that, Beau.
I scrubbed my hand down my face. Dean wasn’t going to be any different.
He would break my heart just like the others before him, only this time I would have to see him again.
His brother and my teammate were together.
Hell, they were engaged now, and I would have to face Dean at their wedding, get togethers, and anything else I was invited to.
“Fuck.” I sighed before I found myself following him.
Dean was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, scrolling through his phone. When he looked up at me, he gave me a shy smile. “Come to kick me out?” His face softened, and it made him look much younger than he was.
“I shouldn’t... That was uncalled for,” I told him. “I invited you here and offered to help you. I’m a man of my word, so I’ll finish what I started.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “That’s not what I meant. We, we can’t happen.”
Dean stood up. “Did Jackson text you again or something?” His green eyes narrowed. “He has no right. I’m a consenting adult.”
“No, Dean, it’s me. I don’t want to end up hurt when I can’t have you. Not the way I want.”
“I wouldn’t hurt you.”
I nodded. “Maybe not on purpose, but it’ll happen. You’re straight. Probably had a high school sweetheart back at home? One you shared all your firsts with?” He blushed, and I felt my stomach dip. Yeah, absolutely not. “Friends, then.”
“What about what I want, Beau?” My name on Dean’s lips made goosebumps break out over my skin. “What if I want whatever this is between us? I don’t... You just... Fuck, you make me feel weird.”
My brows shot up. “Weird? Like how?”
“Like I’ve been spinning in a circle for too long. Remember when we were kids, and we did that? Your eyes would roll around, but your body would stop when you were finished. We’d dare one another to see who could do it the longest without throwing up.” Dean’s lips were pinched together.
“I make you sick to your stomach?” This conversation had taken a strange turn.
He shook his head. “Yes, I mean, not like that. Like my stomach is all queasy, but in a good way. I want you to touch me, but I’m afraid of what will happen.
You have the nicest lips I’ve ever seen on anyone, and that’s including the high school sweetheart you talked about.
You’re beautiful.” His entire face turned bright red, and then he turned away.
“Shit, that was not what I wanted to say.”
“You think I’m beautiful?” I whispered, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Lust burned wild in my veins, and it took all my willpower not to kiss him.
Dean shrugged, his back still to me. “I might.”
“What’s wrong? Can’t face me now?” I teased.
He spun back around, and his nostrils flared as he stared at me. “I need to wash my hair out. It’s starting to burn my scalp.”
I snorted. “All right, assume the position.” I pointed to the floor, then felt my own face grow warm. His eyes widened. “You know what I mean.”
Dean sank to his knees and leaned over the tub as I moved toward him to turn on the water. I grabbed another pair of gloves to slip onto my hands, then rinsed out the bleach, all the while his words were repeating in my head.
“You’re beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful.”
Neither one of us spoke while I cleaned out his hair, washed it with the small bottle of shampoo I had, and helped him towel it dry.
He stood up when he was done, so close to me that I could feel the heat of his body through my shirt.
I towered over him as we stared at one another, his green orbs darting to my lips before moving back to my eyes.
“Thank you.” Dean’s voice came out in a low, throaty whisper.
“For not kicking you out with bleach in your hair?” I teased. He stepped closer. “Dean,” I warned.
His tongue swiped over his bottom lip. “You said I would have to say the words,” he murmured. “So, that’s what I’m doing.” Then he raised his arms up to press the tips of his fingers against my neck. “Fucking kiss me, Beau.”
It happened so fast I almost didn’t remember doing it, but the next thing I knew, my mouth was on his.
I groaned when Dean’s tongue licked softly at the edge of my lips before he sank it between the seam, his nails digging into my skin.
His small frame was pressed against mine as our tongues wrestled inside the concave of my mouth before I finally let him win.
I wrapped my arms around his muscular body, lifted him off his feet, and swung him around to place him on the bathroom counter.
I nudged Dean’s thighs apart with my knee to get closer, my hand suddenly clawing at his damp hair before I dropped my mouth down his jaw, over his throat, and against his Adam’s apple.
The steel of his piercing flicked against my teeth as the kiss went on, and my length thickened inside my pants.
“Shit,” Dean whimpered as he pulled me closer.
My teeth pricked over his skin as I marked him, licking and sucking along the side of his neck. Then he yanked my head up by the hair to stare at me with blissed-out eyes, causing my already hard dick to beg for relief.
“Changed your mind?” My brows dipped.
He shook his head. “No. I need a minute.” Dean let out a low laugh. He combed his hand through my hair before he cupped my cheek. “I meant what I said.”
“About?” I couldn’t help but lean into his warm palm. This was going to break my heart, but maybe it would be worth it. Just this once.
Dean brought his other hand up so he could cup my face. “You’re beautiful.”
I stared at him, into those green eyes that felt like they could dig into the darkest parts of my soul. “No one has ever called me that before,” I admitted.
“Bullshit.” Dean’s nose wrinkled as he continued to stare at me. “You’re serious.”
I gave a quick nod. “I am.” He tipped my head slightly and brushed his lips over mine. “Thank you,” I whispered, because I couldn’t think of anything else to say. “Do you want to finish coloring your hair now or let it rest? It’s a lot to take in one night.”
“Can we make out again?” He blushed at his question.
I chuckled softly. “Sure, we can do that.”
“Can I... Can I touch you?” Dean dropped his chin. “I mean, your body, not just your face.”
I gripped his hips and dragged him closer. “You can touch me anywhere you want. Nothing is off limits here tonight. You don’t have to ask.”
“You can touch me, too.” He nearly whimpered. “If you want.”
I leaned my forehead against his. “You know damn well I want to touch you. Kiss you again, jerk you off, fuck you until you can’t walk.”
“You want that with me?” Dean stared at me with wide eyes.
“I told you I would make it good for you, and I meant it,” I promised. When he leaned forward, I gently pushed him back. “Let’s get something to eat first. Room service okay?” When he nodded, I pressed a kiss to his mouth. “Then we can do whatever you want. Make out, touch each other, anything.”
“I like kissing you,” Dean admitted. “Your lips are so nice. So perfect.” He didn’t blush or look away this time, and a prickle crept up my spine.
I knew this was a bad idea, but I ignored it and surged forward to capture his mouth again.
My tongue easily found his. I liked the way his tongue piercing felt as it rubbed against me.
“Come on, sweet talker.” I helped him off the counter and watched as he grabbed his shirt to slip it on over his head.
Dean reached for my hand. “Can I get dessert, too?”
“You can have anything you want,” I assured him, and his grip tightened before he stopped me.
“I’m going to hold you to that, Beau,” he murmured.