OVERTIME (22 page)

Rory leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked tired, like he hadn’t slept much through the night, but he was still alert enough to enjoy taunting his friend. “Well…he clearly didn’t want to be in your bed, so…” He shrugged.

“You fucking bastard! I’ll knock that smile right off your fucking face!” Colton wailed. “So help me God, if you laid a hand on him, I’ll…”

“Colton…” Jagger interrupted as he tried to untangle himself from the sheets. It was light outside the window, so he must have finally managed to doze off. Turning away from the window, he glanced up at Colton…and froze under his icy glare. His beautiful face was marred with a dark smudge surrounding his left eye. He’d done
that
.

“I’ll deal with you in a minute,” Colton roared at Jagger.

Jagger sat on the edge of the bed, a look of disbelief and anger etched over his face. Colton towered over him but his attention had already returned to Rory—dismissing Jagger the way he always did when he wasn’t in the mood…completely forgetting him. He was sick and tired of being pushed aside by Colton…sick and tired of being a toy in some rich boy’s game.

“What did you say to me?” He hissed.

The tone of his voice must have been enough to make his fury apparent to Colton because he suddenly had the other man’s undivided attention. “You did
not
just fucking say you would deal with me later…did you, Colton? That dumbass shit would not have come out of your mouth. You cannot be
that
stupid!”

“Uh oh; Wildcat has some claws, Colton, and he apparently isn’t afraid to use them when somebody earns it…and you just fucking earned it,” Rory said. He wasn’t even trying to hide how much he was enjoying himself as he watched the hostile interchange between the two very frustrated men. If he wasn’t mistaken, Colton might be on the road to earning himself
another
black eye. Yeah, they’d all noticed that as soon as he’d walked in this morning. Yeah, they’d all laughed. Well, everybody except for the hot piece of ass that had shown up this morning looking for Jagger—Riley was his name and, fuck him seven ways to Sunday, but he was about the yummiest piece of yummy he’d ever laid eyes on. His friend Landry had called Tobias and he’d found out where Jagger was before Colton. And, oh, how he had come running to Jagger’s side.

That pretty little fact had rubbed Colton the wrong way within the first second he’d walked through the door. Riley had been in his face, demanding to know what the fuck Colton had done to hurt Jagger, his stance threatening Colton in ways words never could. Apparently whatever truce they had reached at the bar last night had been tossed out the window when Jagger had gone missing.

“Shut up!” Both Colton and Jagger yelled at Rory, jerking his mind away from the
hottie
in his kitchen and back into the bedroom where two grown men were about to resolve their fury between the sheets. At least, that’s what he hoped would happen. Once Colton and Jagger were on the road to
Fuckville, he could focus his attentions on Jagger’s friend.

“Okaayy
; I’ll leave you kids to it then,” Rory answered. He turned to leave but whirled back around to say, “And for the record, he puked all over his clothes. All. Over. Them. It was
either put him to bed naked or covered in puke. I figured you would prefer him naked when you came to collect him, Colton.” He shrugged. “Poor kid can’t hold his liquor very well.”

Jagger waited until Rory left the room, closing the door behind him, before unleashing his wrath on Colton. He was tired of the head games the bastard was playing with him—making him think he wanted him, getting him all hot and bothered, and then shoving him aside like he wasn’t good enough. Hell, he knew he wasn’t good enough but Colton was a real prick to keep reminding him of it.

He was done. Out. Of. Here.

Rory’s words roared back into his head, telling him Colton was in love with him, and he desperately tried to squash them back down. He couldn’t afford any signs of weakness right now. Dealing with Colton was going to take every last ounce of strength he possessed. He had to hold it together in front of Colton. When he got back home, he could lose it but not here, not in front of Colton.

“You fucking asshole!” He hissed. “If you ever talk to me like that again, I will tear your fucking head off! Fuck…just leave it with you
never
talking to me again, period!”

He was certain he would have sounded or looked a lot more badass if he’d stood up and got up in the bastard’s face to yell at him, but he was naked so it would make him look even more pathetically weak. So he sat on the edge of the bed, his body quivering with anger…and hurt. Shit, the pain was threatening to make his chest collapse.

Even now; after he’d been rejected by Colton twice, his traitorous body was humming just from being near him. Like a fucking animal, he’d caught his scent the moment he’d walked into the room. How pathetic was that?

“I’m sorry, Jagger,” Colton murmured. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you the way I did.” He tangled his fingers through his hair in frustration. “My jealousy got away with me for a second and my mouth took over.”

Jagger spat out a hysterical laugh. “Jealousy? Seriously, Colton, that’s the bullshit story you’re going with? What exactly would you be jealous of? Letting one of your friends hit something you keep tossing aside?”

Colton stared down at him several intimidating seconds before finally opening his mouth. “How in this ever-
lovin
’ world could you not know how badly I want you, Jagger? How?”

Jagger couldn’t do this; not anymore. It was killing him. “Will you just get me some clothes so I can get the fuck out of here?” He felt so very tired…so very much like the poor little boy that had never fit in anywhere. He’d thought he’d left him behind but was suddenly faced with the realization that he had been right with him all along, mocking his efforts to try and be someone better…someone worth loving. Apparently he would never really be able to escape the clutches of that boy. The job waiting for him back in Kentucky; it wouldn’t do it. Every dime of money he’d saved over the past four years; it wouldn’t do it. His 4.0 GPA; it wouldn’t do it. He would always be the trash his last name screamed.

There wasn’t an ounce of fight left in him; no fight and no pride. Just…nothing.

“Are you sober, Jagger? Completely sober?” Colton asked softly.

Jagger would have laughed at him if he’d had anything at all left inside him. Why the fuck did he care if he was sober? Was he suddenly afraid he’d be too drunk to get rid of this morning? “I’m perfectly sober, Colton. Don’t worry about it. I can get myself to the airport,” he finally answered, his voice weary and defeated.

“Good,” Colton answered. Without another word or glance in Jagger’s direction, he turned and walked to the door.

Jagger felt his heart breaking with every step, but he forced his face to remain emotionless. When Colton’s hand reached for the door knob, he finally had to look away…needed to stop torturing himself. If he didn’t, he might fling himself in Colton’s direction and beg for yet another chance to try and seduce him into his bed.

In the deafening silence in the room, the sound of Colton locking the door sounded like an explosion.

Chapter 13

Jagger’s head jerked around when he heard the lock click into place. What he saw in Colton’s eyes sent shivers racing through his blood. “What…what are you doing?” He heard himself asking. He sounded breathless and excited, trembling with need. All his anger dissipated in an instant and another dangerous emotion replaced it—lust.

“Locking the door, Wildcat. I’m not interested in any more interruptions.” He crossed the room and stood over Jagger. Slowly and with a heated smile, he started removing his clothes. His T-shirt slipped over his head, revealing tanned skin and hard muscles, and was tossed aside. “There are plenty of things for us to talk about—like why in the hell you would think I didn’t want you.” His large hands grasped the waistband of his sweats and shoved them down his legs. “Or why in the fuck Riley is out there accusing me of all sorts of shit and completely ignoring the truce we’d signed last night.” His boxer briefs disappeared before Jagger could even realize what was about to happen. “Or I could beg your forgiveness for hurting you and disappointing you.”

“What?” Jagger asked breathlessly. He wanted to have the strength to not look at Colton’s naked body, but he was falling way short. His eyes flickered to each and every glorious ridge and valley that belonged to Colton. Muscles rippled with each movement. An ever-
lovin
’ sexy V dipped from his hip bones and led to his shaved cock and balls. Jagger felt his tongue swipe across his lips as his eyes hungrily devoured the sight before him.

“Over the years, I’ve dreamed up hundreds of ways to get you in my bed, Wildcat. I’ve gone from trying to woo you with all sorts of gifts and trinkets to going to straight kidnapping you and locking up in my bedroom and just taking what you wouldn’t freely offer to me.” His hand reached down to cup his cock and stroked it, causing Jagger’s mouth to start to water with a hungry need that embarrassed him. Embarrassed or not, his eyes wouldn’t look away—they were locked on that large, tanned hand, stroking slowly.

“When I saw our team was going to make it to the playoffs, I was fucking tickled that I would at least get to see you again. I was as fucking giddy as the ugly girl that finally got a date to the prom just from thinking I would get to see you again.” His hand rubbed up and down,
massaging and teasing, causing the length in his hand to grow harder and longer…thicker. Jagger felt himself gulp.

His eyes remained transfixed on that growing piece of flesh, though. The head was bulbous shaped and a beautiful dark color. Sexy veins roamed the length and he wanted to trace them with his tongue. His balls were heavy and hanging between his legs, begging Jagger to reach out and touch them, test their weight, roll them around in his hands until he had memorized every detail.

“Then you know what happened, Wildcat? I heard about the stupid Captain’s wager and a fantasy started forming in my mind. Could we do it? Could we actually make it all the way to the finals? A fantasy wager developed in my mind and game after game, it grew stronger and wilder. The desire to win completely consumed me and it quickly caught fire with the team. They just wanted to win the fucking championships. I wanted to win the fucking champion.”

“Colton…don’t…just don’t…”

Colton took a step, then another, then another, not stopping until he was standing next to the edge of the bed, inches away from Jagger. With an arrogance that should piss Jagger off, Colton wedged himself between his knees, forcing them wide enough apart to allow him to slide between them. The flimsy sheet was tossed aside, leaving him as exposed as Colton. Jagger felt his eyes blink…probably fucking flutter when he realized Colton’s cock, hard and dripping with
precum
, was mere inches from his lips. It was fucking beautiful and Jagger felt his tongue swipe his lips again in what had to appear to be desperate hunger. Hell, that’s exactly what it was. He wanted to taste him. It was as if he’d waited his entire life for this moment.

“Don’t what, Wildcat? Don’t tell you how this all came about? Don’t tell you how I paid each of my teammates five thousand dollars to let me pick my own wager? Don’t tell you I would have paid more if they would have demanded it?”

Jagger felt a finger caress the side of his face, trace the plumpness of his lips, and then settle under his chin, forcing him to raise his head and look Colton straight in the eyes.

“My plan was to woo you with a good time on my island and let you see what an awesome guy I am. I planned to make you laugh even when I knew you didn’t want to because you never seem to want to laugh or share that beautiful smile you have. I fantasized about you falling for me…making you realize how perfect I would be for you…demonstrate my sexual prowess until you couldn’t even think about anything but me. Just
me
.”

Colton smiled down at him and then continued pulling at his heart-strings, saying all the shit Jagger’s eyes and heart begged to hear. He felt like a needy bitch. One minute he was ready to fight Colton and run straight to the airport and now he was yearning for so much more.

“When I look into those beautiful eyes of yours, I see a softness, sadness, and loveliness that makes my heart ache, makes me want to snatch you up against me and protect you against all the evils that have hurt you over the years. “ He brushed a fingertip along the side of Jagger’s face. “Then I look closer and I see a strong, powerful determination that tells me that’s not what you need from me. You are, baby, the most beautifully strong person I’ve ever known and I don’t intend to ever let you go.”

He placed one knee on the bed next to Jagger and used one of his hands to push Jagger flat against the bed mattress. “We will talk about all those things and plenty more but we’re going to do it after I’ve proven to you how badly I want you.” Jagger hissed out a breath of surprise when Colton suddenly grasped him under the arms and pulled him further onto the bed, not stopping until he was right in the center of the king-sized mattress. Before he could even get settled in his new spot, Colton had straddled him, perching himself on his upper thighs, putting their cocks so close together that Jagger couldn’t have kept his eyes from straying in that direction if he’d known someone was going to kill him if he looked. Oh fuck…it looked fucking hot. When Colton’s hand wrapped around both of them, rubbing them together, a whimper slipped from between his lips. A fucking whimper!