Page 72 of Play Maker

I turned my head at the sound of Ethan’s voice to find our teammates staring at us in amusement. Not that me and Jace dancing with each other was odd or anything. Everyone was packed into the space, crowded up against each other, it’s not like we were the only ones. Although, most of the guys weren’t grinding against each other. Only the couples, like Kayden and Maddox, and Dane and Jackson, were doing that.

Shit.

Instead of pulling away, Jace laughed and slapped my ass.

“Hey!” I glared over my shoulder.

“Told you he’d come around!” Jace called back to Ethan.

I elbowed Jace and stepped away from temptation. “Not quite.”

“I think Hot’s melted Honey,” Ethan quipped. “Or, maybe it’s the other way around.”

“It’s about fucking time!” Kayden yelled and crowded into us, slinging one arm around my neck and his other around Jace. “I’m so happy you guys are finally getting along.”

Getting along? That was one way to put it.

CHAPTER 23

JACE

Iwoke up the next morning—afternoon—in my bedroom, but on the covers instead of under them, and alone. Still, I could smell Axel, like he was right here beside me. I glanced down with bleary eyes and noticed the gray, stained t-shirt I was wearing. His shirt. Oh God.

Don’t panic.

Maybe Axel and I hadn’t done anything. Maybe last night was all a bizzarro dream.

I slowly got up, stretched, and headed for the bathroom to take a piss.

When I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, I spotted the huge hickey on my neck and stopped short. Not a dream.Very fucking real. I ran a finger over the mark, remembering how sexy it felt when Axel sucked my skin.

Oh God, this was bad. Like, next-level stupid.

And what was with all that ridiculously possessive behavior at the party? From him and from me. Axel wasn’t happy about Lorquin coming on to me, but I wasn’t happy watching Hailey flirt with him either. In fact, I was downright furious at the possibility they’d hook up. Why should I care? Axel and I were,well, we were nothing to each other. Barely teammates, if that. Sort of friends?

Jesus Christ, I was totally out of my depth.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I said out loud to myself.

Fucking around with my teammate was bad enough, but Axel? Not that I had anything to worry about, it was done. He probably wanted to forget it ever happened. That was fine with me.

Or, not fine, if my morning wood was any indication.

After taking care of business—and ignoring my hard-on—I stripped out of my jeans and Axel’s t-shirt, hopped in the shower, and scrubbed away any remaining traces of him. Bad enough I’d worn his shirt to the party. Thank God no one realized. And while our teammates teased us about dancing together, I played it off like we’d come to a stalemate, and it was all in good fun. Most of the guys would be too drunk to remember details anyway.

Fun. Right. That wasn’t the word I’d use to describe the way I’d grinded against Axel. More like necessity, something primal, a need that I couldn’t ignore.

A need that should’ve been sated.

But I knew that if it weren’t for our teammates dragging us into a host of drinking games, Axel and I probably would’ve ended up having sex in one of the rooms of that frat house. Or, back here in my room. Which reeked of stale cum. Part of me wanted to revel in the musky scent, but the smarter part told me I had to get cleaning, now. Get rid of any traces that he’d ever been here or that sex had happened.

Forget about it. Move on.

A flickering memory hit me.

Axel and I stumbling home to the dorm with the rest of the guys, laughing and joking around, too drunk to be worried about anything but feeling good. But then, I was suddenly standing inthe hallway, and Axel was inside the elevator, and we faced off once again. We stared at each other so intently that I was sure I was going to combust right there. I started to take a step towards him, but the doors closed shut in my face.

He was gone and I was alone.

---