Twenty #4
A look full of accusation flicked my way, but Leo Mannering kept his tone smooth as he replied, “I don’t think anything. I just don’t appreciate other people trying to coach my player.”
“So, it doesn’t bother you that I suck dick?
Or that I take it up the ass?” Miles glanced around at the rest of his team as he spoke before fixing his gaze on his coach, seemingly calm while my heart slammed into my ribs.
“Doesn’t bother you that I beg for it? That I like being held down and fucked?
That I get off on having a cock deep in my throat? ”
“This is hardly appropriate conversation for—”
“Hardly appropriate for me to find out if the people I work with every damn day have a problem with me being a big nelly bottom who likes getting railed before matches?”
Words I’d never heard him use about himself.
I couldn’t but think of how hesitant he’d been the night he’d first told me he preferred to receive, and wonder if he was challenging his own preconceptions of what it meant about him, not only theirs.
But if he was hoping for a reaction, he was to be disappointed.
Leo met the question with a blank stare and a calm, “So long as you work hard and play well, it’s none of our business, is it boys? ”
Mannering looked to the team as he spoke and got a chorus of murmurs and headshakes.
They were the right words in the moment, but they were also manipulative and disingenuous and I wanted to tear the triumphant little smile off the man’s face.
“Feel better now you’ve gotten all that out?
” he went on when Miles didn’t answer. “To make things easier, Tarelli won’t press charges, but it’s only reasonable that Russo keeps his team—”
“Mat has an amazing dick, you know?” Miles interrupted, sending heat flaring into my cheeks. “Huge. And I let him use me however he likes. Multiple times a day even because I’m his bitch.”
He was stretching the truth now, trying to get a rise from his coach, but though Leo Mannering’s jaw tightened, he wasn’t fool enough to be goaded into a retort.
I looked at Tina, silently begging her to do something and she stared back, equally shocked, equally silent.
Beside her, Miles’s physio was staring at his feet, his assistant coach had his lips pressed tight like he was trying not to laugh, and his strength and conditioning coach shot me a disgusted sneer. But Miles had eyes only for Mannering.
“I ride it,” Miles said, eyes bright as he took a step closer to his coach. “I suck it. I take it. I beg him to come inside me.”
I ought to say something, ought to save him from himself, but who was I to speak? I was just the safe fuck, not someone with any right to interfere. Besides, what could I say that wouldn’t undermine him? Wouldn’t be telling him he was going too far and being too much, when he was the one hurting.
“And you know what people will wonder the day they find out all this about me?” Miles went on in the face of Mannering’s growing scowl. “Whether the great Leo Mannering only came out of retirement because he got offered my amazing ass.”
“Miles.” Mannering’s jaw set hard like his teeth were damming his anger.
“You watched for a long time when you caught me with that guy in Dallas. How long have you wanted to fuck me, Leo? Teach the brat a lesson. Is that why you put up with coaching a queer? In the hope one day I’ll be very grateful and let you have me?”
The slap connected like a whip, the weight of it snapping Miles’s head to the side in a sweep of dark blond hair.
“Shut your fucking mouth, you little faggot,” Mannering snarled, his fingers curling into fists like he would follow it with a punch.
It wouldn’t have mattered if he had. He’d already lost.
As Miles turned slowly back, the smile that stretched his lips was frighteningly cold for something so triumphant. “There, was it really so hard to admit I disgust you? Goodbye, Leo.”
When no one moved, the whole room seemingly frozen, his furious gaze swept over the rest of his team and for the second time he pointed to the door. “Go! Now!” Miles shouted. “Why do I have to repeat myself? You’re all fired!”
Turning silently on his heel, Leo Mannering strode for the door, sweeping past Tomas and Macca as though they didn’t exist. The rest followed, Tarelli in silence, his assistant coach with a mumbled apology.
Only his physio dared to stop and speak.
“Sorry, Miles,” he said and genuinely looked like he meant it.
“I should have spoken up whenever they . . . or told you . . . Sorry.”
“I appreciate you saying so,” Miles said, “but you’re still fired.”
“I wasn’t expecting different, you just . . . didn’t deserve this.”
When the door finally closed behind them all, the two of us were left with only Tomas, Macca, and Tina. And a very unlucky paramedic who was packing his bag and trying to appear invisible at the same time.
“God, Miles,” Tina said, breaking the silence with a shaky laugh. “You just fired a lot of people who know a lot of things.”
“Oh, you think I should have put up with that shit just to keep them quiet?” he asked, turning on her. “Clearly sniggering behind my back wasn’t cutting it anymore. Where did they even see the damn photos?”
“Don’t look at me!” she cried. “Miles, I would never. I thought they were wiped. And of course I don’t think you should put up with that, I’m just aware how quickly this could get out of hand if someone goes to the press. And Mom and Dad are going to be furious.”
“Then go clean up my inconvenient gay mess like you always do!”
She looked like he’d slapped her, her jaw dropping slowly open, but before she could reply, her attention was caught by the paramedic heading for the door. “Wait,” she said, hurrying after him. “If you could give me your name before you—No, never mind, let me just walk you out.”
As Tina disappeared with the unfortunate paramedic, Miles snorted and started toward the door. “Come on,” he said as he passed me. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Hold on a sec.” Leaving him to stride out, I turned to Tomas and Macca. “Hey, uh—”
“Don’t worry about us,” Tomas said, gesturing for me to go. “He needs you. We’ll make sure all is right with the hotel.”
“And see if Tina needs any help,” Macca added with a guilty grimace. “Least I can do after I set all this shit off. Probably should have kept my mouth shut.”
“No.” Tomas’s frown grew fierce. “He needed to know.”
Scuffs on the grey, corporate carpet heralded Miles’s return, frowning around the door. “Are you coming?”
“Yeah, sorry.”
Tomas waved me away, only saying, “Just don’t forget you’re both playing tomorrow!” as I reached the hallway.
“I know!” I called back, though tomorrow’s match didn’t seem so important anymore.
I fell in beside Miles as he strode along the deserted side passage back toward the hotel bar, a glittering look in his eyes. “Are you all right?” I asked, setting my hand on his arm to stop him.
“Yeah.” He nodded, his jaw tense. “In fact, I’m better than all right.
I thought I was going to have to wait to get rid of them, but now, I’m free.
And you—” Pressing me to the wall, he kissed me fiercely without even looking around.
The recklessness was unlike him, yet when he drew back, he was smiling, wicked and bright. “You are coming with me.”