Page 56 of We Were Never Lovers
Sean wasn’t convinced, except Jack’s dick was rock hard between them, his hips trying to push out of Sean’s grip, to get friction on his thigh.
“Just don’t,” Jack said, voice cracking. “Don’t be like, an asshole about it.”
Sean frowned. He let go of Jack’s hip and brought his hand up. He cradled Jack’s face, brushed his thumb underneath his eye.
“I ain’t gonna be an asshole to ya,” he whispered, traced Jack’s bottom lip with his forefinger. “I never wanted to be an asshole to ya.”
Jack opened his eyes, the breath shuddering out of him.
“Me neither,” he said and it was the most heartfelt thing Sean had heard from him. He believed him.
Sean couldn’t fully deal with this other conversation they seemed to be having, but it occurred to him that maybe Jack didn’t like it as rough as he’d made out, as Sean had assumed.
“So you want me to be like, gentle or somethin’?”
Jack’s lips lifted at the corners. “No.”
Sean smiled at him, not mean, not mocking, a real smile as he met his eyes. He reckoned he was finally getting it.
“Ya like it when I’m in charge,” he said.
“Yes,” Jack whispered.
“But I’m never mean about it.”
Jack’s expression changed, he looked pleased. “Never.”
And Sean got it then. Jack liked it when Sean figured him out; it was probably why he wasn’t coming out and telling him all this shit. It was deeper than simply being evasive. He needed Sean to get him. He wondered how the hell they got here before but since they weren’t going back, he needed to figure it out now. And he finally felt like he was.
He kissed Jack softly but tightened his grip on his hip, on his head, and Jack groaned into his mouth like it was exactly what he needed.
20
Jack got waylaid bythe boundary media girl as he was leaving the oval at the Gabba in Brisbane, high on their win.
“Jack Reaver, four goals and a win. You seem to be finding some form out there. What’s changed?” she asked and stuck the microphone under his face, her made-up face grinning up at him, white teeth gleaming around red lips.
Jack huffed a laugh, put his hands on his hips and sucked in pulls of air. “Yeah, ya know, me and the boys just feelin’ it tonight, ya know?”
“Definitely,” she smiled. Alison Carlisle was her name, daughter of an ex-player and coach in Melbourne, her old man was a salty old bastard but a top coach; whereas she was sunshine and rainbows. Jack remembered the one time she’d interviewed her dad on the boundary and the old prick gave her nothing. It’d made him and the others soften towards her,inclined to give her more. Which, come to think of it, might’ve been the old man’s intention.
“But you were showing the form you did back in Melbourne,” she smiled, mascara lashes fluttering and hoping he’d take the bait.
“Dunno about that,” he said as he puffed and smiled. “I reckon I’ve been the same player with Freo as I was there, but yeah, ya know, just feelin’ it tonight. Me and the boys feel like we got somethin’ this season, ya know.”
“There’s been a lot of talk about the absence of Hiller, but tonight you showed that might not be a problem?” she thrust the microphone back under his face and normally, he’d be worried about dripping sweat on it, but the mention of Sean’s name and what she was implying made that evaporate.
“Hiller being out leaves a hole no one can fill. Man’s irreplaceable,” he smiled habitually the way he always did when he had to be firm as if both apologising and asking for no follow up.
“You looked pretty good without him tonight,” she said.
Tampu jogged by and jostled his shoulder, the rest of the team filing past behind him. The oval was stadium-bright with the lights around them, the night sky pitch black beyond.
“Nah,” Jack said. “Hiller told me if I didn’t get it together, he was gonna request a trade. So, he’s still a big part of this win.”
“A trade—”
“I gotta,” he pointed to the bench, to where Sean was waiting, hands in his pockets, low-key smile on his lips. He was still favouring his better leg, had a slight hobble when he walked with the brace, but he was a machine in training, doing everything Jorge asked and more. He’d be back in no time.
