CHAPTER FOUR #2
And then Leif had been all up in his head about his performance and it had been more of a relief than a pleasure when it was over.
In the end, they’d both gotten off at least.
Leif had rolled out of bed immediately, not wanting to linger while Sérgio continued to preen in the mirror and had even pulled out his phone to take a couple of pictures.
Leif had quickly cleaned up, dressed, then kissed Sérgio on the cheek and thanked him. Sérgio had given Leif an insincere, “I’ll text you next time I’m in town,” and Leif had lied through his teeth when he said he was looking forward to it.
On the ride home, he’d laid his head against the back seat window, watching the city lights go by as he’d mulled over why it had been such a spectacularly boring experience.
Sérgio had clearly been a shallow guy and a shitty lay—which, whatever, sometimes guys just were duds, but worst of all, the sex had felt almost perfunctory. An item for Leif to check off his to-do list. No more exciting or enjoyable than drinking a protein shake or cleaning out his refrigerator.
Certainly good for his overall well-being but sorely lacking in anything more. There had been no spark. No fire.
Leif had been with plenty of guys who were great in bed but even they had lacked a certain something. And, as Tanner leaned in to say something to Zane and put his hand on Leif’s thigh again, Leif had to admit that the hookups with Tanner had been something out of the ordinary.
Not just because he knew how to use his mouth and hands. But it was that spark, that friction between them, that had made the memory linger in Leif’s head.
Tanner glanced over at Leif. He had gone really quiet a while ago but damn he looked good. Something about him reminded Tanner of sex.
Maybe it was because the shot had made him pink-cheeked. He’d been running his hands through his hair a lot and it was all tousled and shit, shiny and gold in the restaurant lights.
Tanner liked the uptight ice princess vibe but he was hot like this too.
And he hadn’t pushed Tanner off him. In fact, he was kinda … shifting around his seat now. His whole right side was pressed against Tanner’s too.
Innnteresting.
Tanner slid his hand a little bit higher and Leif’s spine straightened and his jaw—his crazy sharp jaw—tightened.
He glanced at Tanner out of the corner of his eye and his tongue swept across his lips.
His face had been all freckly this summer from spending time in the sun but it had faded after half a season indoors. Too bad. Tanner had wanted to lick them.
Leif probably would have decked him for trying.
Tanner laughed aloud at the thought and everyone at the table turned to look at him.
“What’s so funny?” Mickey asked with a frown.
Tanner shrugged. “Nothin’. Just thinking of ways I can annoy Ice Princess here.” He tilted his head toward Leif.
Leif made an irritated noise and knocked his hand off his thigh, shifting away from him. “You breathing annoys me, Clayton.”
“Okay,” Zane said with a soft laugh. “Well, on that note, I think it’s time we head out. It’s getting late and I have a busy day ahead of me. Have fun this weekend, guys. But, uh, not too much fun.”
He looked Tanner in the eye and Tanner flushed. “Uhh, got it. I’ll be good.”
Leif scoffed and Tanner dug his elbow into his ribs.
“Hey! I know how to behave,” he protested and held up his glass of water. “Look, I’m even hydrating.”
Leif shot him a glance, but he also reached for his water.
“I won’t let the team down,” Tanner promised Zane.
Zane smiled. “I know that. You wouldn’t be here if we thought you would. We know what you bring to this team and we’re glad to have you on it, Clayton.”
Leif groaned. “Oh don’t feed his ego. It doesn’t need to be any bigger.”
Tanner smirked. “I’ll show you something—”
Leif clapped a hand over his mouth. “Don’t say it.”
“—big,” Tanner said, his voice muffled.
Ryan snickered and Zane shot him a look too before he looked at Tanner and Leif again. “Well, I’m looking forward to your rivalry this weekend. Please don’t kill each other before then.”
Tanner licked Leif’s palm and when he yelped and pulled away, Tanner grinned at Zane. “I’ll do my best. He is really annoying though.”
“I’m the annoying one?” Leif protested. “You have to be kidding me!”
He was still bitching about how Tanner was the annoying one as Zane and Ryan said their goodbyes, went to the bar to close their tab, then left the restaurant.
As they walked out the doors, Ryan’s hand rested low on Zane’s back in a way that made Tanner think that they were probably going to go have sex.
Lucky them. Tanner was stuck with a bitchy ice princess who wouldn’t stop yammering about how annoying he was. Ugh.
Unfortunately, after the retired guys left, the party kinda wound down.
When they went to close out their bill, they found out Zane and Ryan had already paid the tab for everyone at the table, which was just the kinda classy move that Tanner would have expected from them.
Everyone hugged and said goodbye, then crammed together in a couple of elevators, still talking.
Tanner ended up sandwiched between Leif and Rafe. Rafe was big and took up a lot of space and Leif’s ass kept brushing against Tanner’s fly every time one of them moved.
Gotta love hockey butts! Tanner thought with a smile.
Guys were staying on multiple floors and by the end, it was just him, Leif, and Gabriel left.
After they got out of the elevator on their floor, Gabriel murmured good night and headed left when Tanner and Leif turned right.
Leif side-eyed him as they walked down the hall. “Are you following me?”
“No!” Tanner scoffed. “Why? Are you following me?”
“Of course not! I don’t want to be anywhere near you.”
“You could’ve fooled me on the elevator,” Tanner teased. “I felt you grinding up against me in there.”
“Grinding?” Leif yelped. “I wasn’t grinding on you.”
“You say that now, but that’s what it felt like to me. I mean, if you want to take me dancing, babe, all you have to do is ask.” Tanner winked and did a little shimmy.
“I don’t want to do anything with you except beat you at hockey!” Leif protested. “And the elevator was packed earlier. Where was I supposed to go?”
“Sounds like excuses to me,” Tanner teased. “It’s okay. I know you want me.”
“I don’t want you!”
“Then why did you follow me to my room?” Tanner pulled out his key card and slipped it into the reader.
“Mine is right next door!” Leif sputtered.
“Yeah, and you walked right past it,” Tanner pointed out, pulling the card out and stuffing it in again.
Leif was still making outraged noises as the card reader finally beeped.
Tanner opened the door, propped it open, then turned and smirked at Leif. “If you want to hook up, all you have to do is say so, you know?”