Page 35 of Game Changer
Scott shook his head. “No, it’s...” He put his takeout container down on the coffee table, switched off the hockey game, and turned to face Kip. “We should probably talk.”
Kip’s heart sank. He braced himself for the words he had been unhappily anticipating since they’d first hooked up.
“I’m, um...” Scott started, uncharacteristically fumbling for words. “You know I’m...”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to—”
“I’m closeted,” Scott continued. “I guess. I mean, that’s accurate. I need to hide that part of me. If it got out that I...”
“Right,” Kip said, his eyes focused on the floor so Scott wouldn’t see how dejected he felt.
“I’ve never...dated anyone.”
Kip turned his eyes up, stunned.
“I’ve hooked up with men. Not here. I’ve never hooked up with anyone in New York. I’ve never brought anyone to my home before.”
Kip’s stomach flipped. “You haven’t?”
Scott looked at him seriously. “No.”
“Oh.”
“Like I said, I’ve never dated anyone,” Scott said. “I’ve never... I thought I didn’t need to. That I could maybe live without that.”
Kip heard the past tense in what Scott was saying. “And now?”
Scott exhaled. “I don’t know. I feel like...maybe I hadn’t met the right person yet, you know?”
Holy shit.
“I’m just saying,” Scott said, “I don’t think it’s the smoothies.”
Kip didn’t say anything. He wanted to hear what Scott was going to say next.
“I want to. Date you. I know we barely know each other, but...”
Emotion bubbled inside him, pushing a lump into his throat. “Me too,” he choked out.
Scott smiled at him, a little sadly.
“I mean, obviously, yes. I’m in,” Kip said.
“Iwantto,” Scott clarified, “but I don’t know how we can.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Kip said, still completely overwhelmed. “I can keep a secret, and it doesn’t have to be... You know, it can be casual. Whenever you have time.”
“You deserve better than that, Kip.”
Kip laughed, becauseseriously?“I can settle for you.”
Scott grinned and kissed him. Kip kissed back with everything he had, because he was pretty sure this incredible dream man had just asked him to be hisboyfriend.
“You won’t have to settle for anything,” Scott murmured against his ear. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”
* * *
They made it to the bedroom, but barely. Scott slammed Kip against the wall as soon as they were inside the door. They threw their shirts off, then Scott pushed up so hard against him that Kip’s feet were almost being lifted off the floor. Kip was a tall, solid guy, but Scott made him feel small. He loved how Scott could manhandle him.
