Chapter 5 Damon #2
“I had to memorize my marks and poses for maximum muscle display,” I said. “It’s quite technical.”
“It’s just funny that people don’t realize you have the dumbest sense of humor and you do the worst impressions.” Seth’s hand moved away from my arm, and he tucked it into his pocket. “You’re pretty lame when you think about it, but the world has no clue.”
“And it’s gonna drive you insane to be the only one who knows the truth. Who’s gonna believe you?” I turned a little to face him fully. “You’ll never convince them, gov’ner.”
“Someday, I’ll get ya,” Seth vowed. “And the world will know what a nerd you are. ‘Oh, I miss the stars.’ Pathetic.”
My arm made up its own mind and slid around Seth’s waist, pulling him in until we were pressed together. I smirked and gazed down on his heated face. “I miss your naked ass under the stars, not the stars themselves. It’s an important distinction.”
Seth wiggled a little but couldn’t break free of my hold. For all his nice physique, he wasn’t even close to being my match. “There’s so much willing ass on this campus, you just have to take your pick.”
“I did,” I said.
He tried to laugh it off, but it was forced and strangled. “You know the deal,” he said.
“This doesn’t go against the terms,” I said.
He got his hands up to my chest and rested them there. “Let’s see. Rooftop, food, gifts, and sentimental memories. Damon, this is almost a date.”
“So?” I asked. “I don’t just hook up with people. I can also be nice.”
We both knew that wasn’t entirely true. Seth smiled, though. “I know you can. That’s the trouble.”
I loosened my hold on him. People didn’t tend to say that.
It wrecked my playboy persona. We parted to allow a bit of empty space between our bodies.
Being near him didn’t just make me horny by default; it also clouded my judgment.
“We can keep it simple. We always did.” That, too, was a bit of a lie.
But if he didn’t know things got complicated for me, then what harm was done? “Nobody got hurt the other night.”
Seth bit his lower lip, the memory of the weekend party still fresh, apparently. “It makes me a liar.”
I snorted. “To Nick. What else is new?”
“You’re right,” Seth said. “I don’t hate that I have to lie to Nick, but it’s still lying. And when will it become too much? If he finds out, he won’t take it well. The truth or the lying.”
“He won’t find out,” I said. “I’m not telling him shit.”
“When has an affair ever stayed hidden?” Seth asked pointedly.
I chuckled. “Affair. Makes us seem so fancy, and all we do is fuck.” But he wasn’t amused. “Fine. You have a point. Odds are that on a distant day, when we decide to elope together, Nick will be blowing steam from his ears. I can live with those odds.”
“You joke, but people do that all the time,” Seth said, poking holes in my argument just for the sake of it. I preferred it when we fought by wishing plague on each other. This argument was too close to the heart.
I inhaled a deep breath and decided to lie. “People who have the ability to fall in love might. Do you think we’re in that risk group?”
Seth glanced around, shaking his head, shrugging, shuffling his feet as he took half a step backward. “No. Of course not.”
“So what’s the problem?” I asked. “It’s not like we don’t have the hottest goddamn sex ever. And that’s just oral. You gotta be curious.”
He shot me a look that was all tortured desire and only a little bit of hatred for bringing it up. “Yeah, I’m curious.”
“Then you should come to my place sometimes,” I said.
He sucked his teeth. “Not your place. Too many people live there. And they all see my brother when you play against the Breakers. It has to be my place. And Silas is discreet.” He looked at me, his frown wiped away and replaced by an adorably confused expression. “What?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. It’s just that a minute ago, you had a million reasons not to, and now we’re negotiating locations.”
He snorted. “Yeah, I call that the Damon effect.”
“Making you horny?” I beamed with pride.
His eyebrows flattened into a low line above his eyes. “Making me irrational.”
“Love irrational,” I said. “It’s so much more fun.”
Seth opened his palms and lifted his hands in surrender. “You win. Apparently, I can’t resist that magic dick.”
“Admit it,” I said.
“Admit what?”
I stepped closer. Seth didn’t move. My hand swiped between us. “You’re already hard,” I said, then put my hand on his crotch and found the proof. “And you fucking love it.”
“Wrong. I hate it,” Seth said.
I snorted, letting my hand pass along his dick just enough to make his gaze go a little lost. “No, you don’t.”
“I hate that I love it,” Seth corrected himself, then pushed me away. “Not here.”
I nodded respectfully. “Understood.”
“Old rules apply,” Seth said, turning half away from me. “Nobody can know, Damon. I mean this. I know what he’s like, but he’s still family, and I love him. I don’t want to put that at risk.”
“Got it,” I said.
“And no feelings,” he added.
“You don’t have to tell me that,” I said with fake bravado.
He snort-chuckled. “Oh, am I the weak one?”
“Just sayin’, I’m a famous hockey fuckboy. I have that effect on people.” Laughter bubbled beneath my words.
“Not on me,” Seth assured me coolly. “Drawing the line between that and sex is easy. Nothing else can happen anyway.”
It was lucky that it was dark outside, and he couldn’t see me fucking bleed. “Agreed,” I said, voice artificially light. “And when should I put you into my calendar?”
It wasn’t so dark that I couldn’t see him flipping me a bird.
“Where’s your sense of humor, Seth? You just had it,” I teased.
“I’m free on Friday,” he said. “Silas won’t be around.”
“What’s he up to?” I asked out of curiosity.
“It’ll either be a gangbang or an evening sermon. Don’t think he decided yet.” Seth stepped closer to me again, eyebrows lifting pleadingly, eyes big and twinkling. “I don’t regret hooking up with you, Damon. So let’s not mess it up.”
“That, my dear, is the highest endorsement I’d ever received,” I said, pulling him into my arms again.
He wiggled free of me and hid his expression when the smile split his face. “We have an agreement, then.”
“Love doing business with you,” I said.
As Seth disappeared down the stairs, the night air still humming with his laughter, I stood there grinning like a complete idiot.
Every warning he’d thrown at me, every line he’d tried to draw, only made the victory sweeter.
He could deny the feelings, deny the pull, deny me, but not for long.
Because he still wanted me. After everything, after all the rules and risks, he still wanted this.
And that knowledge burned through me hotter than the ice ever could.