Page 26 of Slam Dunk
“Sorry.”
Irritation flashed in Jathan’s eyes. “Don’t be sorry. Just rest.”
Quince settled down, determined. He had already stolen a month from Jathan.
Jathan pulled a necklace out from beneath his shirt to show him. A championship ring hung from the chain. “I played. I knew you’d never forgive me if I didn’t.” He toyed with it for a second and then tucked it beneath his shirt again. “Anyhow, I have three cracked ribs. They’re on the mend.”
“My baby.” Quince whispered the words. He was going downhill fast, but he hoped Jathan heard the pride in his voice.
He watched a tear slip from the corner of Jathan’s eye. Jathan swiped it away. He sniffed. “Sorry. I was so fucking scared I had lost this. You should’ve never risked yourself for me.”
“Shut up and sleep with me.”
A sad smile touched Jathan’s lips. “Okay.”
Quince might have laughed if his chest didn’t hurt so badly and he knew he would start coughing again. Plus, his eyelids were just too heavy. Tomorrow, he would tell Jathan all about how he would die for him any day of the week. Right now, he just wanted to hold his miracle and sleep.
The smell of hay and horses was Sterling’s aromatherapy. This barn had been more of a home to him than any house had ever been. He brushed down his final horse for the night with his mind on lockdown. His brain had always been a very dark and ugly place.
“Don’t you live in Miami now?”
A smile tugged at Sterling’s lips at the sound of Buck’s voice. That was another part of this barn that was as familiar to him as breathing. “I still have a house here too, thankfully. If it weren’t in Tip’s name, Mom likely would’ve sold it the second she noticed I was gone.”
“You’re safe, then. She likely never noticed.”
Ouch. Except it was true, and so it shouldn’t hurt anymore. There hadn’t been a single day in his life when he had been wanted. It didn’t matter how much family he had on paper; Tip was his only family.
“How are you enjoying being the new foreman? The position fits you.”
“It’s only temporary. Quince will be back. In fact, I came out here to tell you Quince is awake. Now you have an excuse to go see that guard you have your eye on.”
Sterling tossed the brush aside and focused on Buck. Damn. He was still just huge and… huge. His chest hurt. “Jealous?”
Buck snorted. “You’re still the same spoiled kid who thinks everyone wants him.”
If only that were true. Truthfully, he was just a fucked-up guy who saw sex as affection because absolutely no one wanted him. The worst part was he knew that about himself and didn’t know how to fix it. Sex was still better than being ignored. Buck had always been way too good at ignoring him. That only made Sterling want him more. “Not everyone. That’s never been true. I still have a dildo named Buck that I can’t get enough of.”
In a flash, Sterling found his back against the wall. Nearly three hundred pounds of solid pissed-off cowboy had him pinned. “One of these days, being a tease will get you hurt.”
Sterling untucked the T-shirt Buck wore beneath his unbuttoned flannel. He held Buck’s dark blue stare as his hands slipped beneath. Buck’s skin was slightly damp from working in the heat all day. Sterling wanted to lick every inch.
“Quince won’t choose to come back. He has Jathan now. You deserve the foreman position.”
Buck didn’t soften. A muscle in his jaw ticked. “Don’t try to make me want things I’ll never have. That’s all you ever do.”
Sterling couldn’t help it. He wanted things he would never have. Sterling didn’t know how to stop passing that pain along. He slowly drew Buck closer. Anger and hatred flashed in Buck’s eyes, but he gave in—the way Sterling knew he would. His kiss was violent. That had the pains in Sterling’s chest doubling.He still remembered when Buck’s kisses had been filled with love and hope. Buck had treated him like precious glass, while whispering how he would marry Sterling someday. Now he bit and sucked, treating Sterling like the whore he was. He moved to Sterling’s neck and Sterling’s eyes burned. The urge to cry nearly brought him to his knees.
“You still smell the same.” The cracked and pained-sounding whisper was out of his control.
Buck dropped his forehead to Sterling’s shoulder. His body expanded so hard with each breath, it was like he had run for miles. He would shove Sterling away soon. This was the last time Buck would touch him if Sterling didn’t do something.
“Tell me you hate me. It’s okay. Say you don’t even think about me because I make you sick. Tell me all the things I deserve to hear. It’s okay.” Sterling didn’t know why he kept saying that. It really wasn’t okay. He had never been fine.
“You’re right. I hate you.” He shoved himself away from Sterling and didn’t look back.
Sterling’s eyes closed. He kept them squeezed shut as he banged the back of his head against the wall. Maybe he hated Buck too. He couldn’t tell anymore.
Everything tipped on its head and Sterling’s eyes burned as he found himself over a very solid shoulder. “Fuck you for this.”
