Red Zone: Boys of Fall (11 page)

“Growing up is for pussies. My turn.” Oakley took Sadie’s foot in his hand and sucked her big toe into his mouth as she gasped and squirmed. Oakley didn’t release her. Instead, he said, “Sadie. Truth or dare?”

She narrowed her eyes. “God. Both choices are potentially dangerous.”

Oakley gave her a wicked wink.

“Fine. Truth.”

Oakley dropped her foot and sat up. “Good. I was hoping you’d pick that. There’s something I’ve been wanting to know ever since I moved to Quinn, but every time I bring it up, you change the subject.”

It was clear from Sadie’s groan she knew where this was going. Which sparked Joel’s curiosity because he didn’t have a clue.

“You don’t strike me as the Homecoming-Queen type. Tell me how that happened.”

Joel could understand Oakley’s confusion. Hell, he’d voted for Sadie, but he was hard-pressed to remember the conservative, clean-cut blonde, run-of-the-mill girl she’d been then compared to the powerhouse, opinionated, take-no-prisoners, stand-out-in-a-crowd beauty she was now.

Sadie shrugged. “Why can’t you let that go?”

“I’m curious too,” Joel admitted.

She glared at him. “You were there, Joel. Didn’t you vote for me?”

He nodded. “I was a sophomore.”

“Oh yeah. Only the seniors voted.” She looked at Oakley and confessed, “I guess I have changed a bit since high school.”

“That might be the understatement of the century. You’ve changed completely.”

“I was a typical teenager. High school was my rebellious stage.”

Joel thought of the Sadie she was at seventeen vs. the Sadie she was now. The words didn’t compute. “High school was your rebellious age?”

“I was six years old when my mom split. That meant my dad raised me. You’ve met the man. Have you ever noticed anything soft or girlie in him?”

“Jesus, no,” Oakley muttered.

“That’s because there isn’t anything. He didn’t have a clue how to relate to a little girl, so he basically just treated me like a boy. We went to baseball games together, he put me in little league. I did my homework at a table in Pitchers, surrounded by a bunch of drunks and foul language, and I watched more than a little inappropriate making out in the back room. None of that shit fazes you after a while.”

Joel tried to imagine Sadie’s childhood. Compared to his strict upbringing, it actually sounded ideal. Joel’s days were more regimented. School, homework, chores, prayers, bedtime. He’d never heard his mother curse, never seen her drink, and she sure as hell had never gone out on a date. What she had done was work all day, every day, at two different stores while he was at school, then she took on tailoring jobs on the side, sewing at home until late at night to make sure they had enough money for the bills and food. It was a rather lifeless, humorless existence. Maybe that was why he was so attracted to Sadie and Oakley, with their colorful tales and larger-than-life personalities.

“So you decided to rebel?” Oakley asked.

“Yeah. Once I got boobs, the dad who used to let me do whatever I wanted went into meltdown mode. Turned into the overprotective bastard he is today.” There wasn’t a bit of malice lacing Sadie’s tone. In fact, it was pretty obvious she adored her dad. “So I decided to push his buttons. Dyed my hair blonde, started wearing makeup and low-cut shirts. Went a little boy crazy, talking on the phone all night. My dad went ballistic. Didn’t have a clue how to deal with a girlie-girl. It was okay for a while, but my outside didn’t match my insides and that was pretty obvious to the other girls. I’ve never had a lot of friends who were girls. All that drama and squealing and giggling shit gets on my nerves.”

Joel suddenly realized that was part of what made her so attractive. He’d thought it was her blunt honesty, but it was all that other stuff too.

“I guess the fact I was a late bloomer made me a bit more noticeable, more memorable when compared to the other three senior girls who were up for the title. It didn’t help that—while they were all gorgeous—they were also snooty bitches who hadn’t been particularly nice to many people in our class. According to the principal, I won by a landslide.”

“When did you give up the whole rebellion thing?” Oakley asked.

“Just before graduation. Met a badass guy with a motorcycle and tats who smoked like a chimney and I thought I was in love. Turned out I was just in love with the tats and the bike. Even so, I stuck with the loser six months longer than I should have. At the end of the relationship, I had my own motorcycle, a really bad tattoo on my ass, and my father started sleeping better at night.”

Oakley studied Sadie’s naked body. “I love the butterfly tat.”

She grinned. “So do I, but it’s what’s under the butterfly that sucked.”

“Ah,” Oakley said. “And so we get the story. What was it? His name? His face?”

Sadie narrowed her eyes. “Please. I would never be so stupid. It was just his initials.”

Joel laughed until she turned her gaze to him. “Okay, Joel. Your turn. Truth or dare?”

In light of the revelations of the past few minutes, Joel decided to take the easy way out. “Dare.”

“Awesome,” Sadie said without a second of hesitation. “I dare you to kiss Oakley.”

Joel froze, hoping he hadn’t heard her correctly. “What?”

“Kiss Oakley. And nothing lame. Lips touching, mouths open, little tongue action would be cool. And maybe you can grip his hair like you do mine. Because that is totally hot.”

“Sadie…” Joel didn’t know what else to say. Didn’t know how to get out of this situation. Shit, how to get out of this bed and this room.

Oakley didn’t make a peep, his face completely impassive. What the hell did he think of her dare? Why didn’t he step in and say no way?

Because he wanted it.

Oakley wanted his kiss. Joel knew that. Knew it deep down in his soul. God, he’d always known it.

Joel tried to fight down the panic gripping him. His next move had the potential to destroy so much more than this unorthodox affair they’d begun. He was terrified of losing his best friend.

The silence dragged on for too long. And while Oakley had one hell of a poker face, it started to slip, his eyes revealing a sadness Joel couldn’t stand to see.

“One kiss,” Joel whispered as he leaned across Sadie’s body, gripped Oakley’s face and pulled his lips to his.

Joel wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but it wasn’t the explosion of heat, passion and desire that crashed over him like an avalanche.

Oakley had obviously considered what this would be like, and he was ready to take advantage of the opportunity. His best friend wasn’t a passive lover. Joel had discovered that the other night. He may let Joel take the lead in most things, but when he really wanted something, Oakley took it.

Right now, Oakley wanted
him
. His hands reached out to grip Joel’s upper arms tightly. He held him close, allowing no retreat. Not that Joel had plans to go anywhere.

There had been no slow start. They’d gone in with mouths open, devouring, claiming, taking everything and then demanding more.

Joel felt no need to be gentle with Oakley. Instead, he longed for a roughness he didn’t dare show to Sadie. She was soft, sweet and, despite her penchant for pain, he held himself in check. He’d rather rip off his arm than hurt her.

The same didn’t hold true for Oakley. Not that he didn’t care about his friend—he loved him. But because Joel wanted to feel this. Really fucking
feel
it.

Oakley got it. He bit Joel’s lower lip, the sting, followed by the bitter taste of blood, driving Joel out of his mind. He gripped Oakley’s hair and pulled it, hard enough to provoke a pained groan. The sound was almost enough to make Joel stop. Until Oakley gave as good as he got—digging his fingers into Joel’s scalp.

The pain morphed into a pleasure so intense, Joel feared he’d come right there. Oakley hadn’t touched his cock, his hands weren’t even near his dick, and yet, Joel was on the precipice of blowing. Hard.

The realization shook him.

He shoved Oakley away, then rose from the bed. His harsh breathing loud in the quiet room. What the fuck was he doing?

“That can’t happen again.” The words fell out before Joel could think about them.

“The hell it can’t.” Oakley looked just as wiped out, overwhelmed. Shattered.

Joel shook his head. Every molecule in his body was telling him to leave, but his feet were sunk in some imaginary quicksand. Something was holding him there. If he left right now, it would be the biggest mistake of his life.

But staying here was a mistake too.

“I’m sorry.”

It was the first time Sadie had spoken since her dare. But Joel hadn’t forgotten her presence. Not for a single second. And he knew Oakley hadn’t either.

He’d felt her eyes on them as they’d kissed, her arousal wrapping around them, driving them higher.

Oakley reached over and ran a gentle hand through her hair. “What are you apologizing for?”

Sadie didn’t look at Oakley. She never took her eyes off Joel. He couldn’t stand the fear, the sadness in her eyes. This sure as hell wasn’t her fault. Knowing Sadie, she’d thought this dare—this entire game—would help move along something that was inevitable. And it had.

“Not your fault, Sade,” Joel said.

She gave him an expectant look. Clearly she hadn’t given up hope that he’d accept what had happened.

He couldn’t.

“I’m straight.” It was probably the dumbest thing he’d ever said in his life, but for some reason, Joel felt as if he had to keep saying it. More for himself than for them.

Oakley snorted, shaking his head and closing his eyes. Joel could almost hear the cursing dialogue running through his best friend’s mind. Then, as always, Oakley found a place to put the anger. It was a skill Joel envied.

When his eyelids lifted, he captured Joel’s gaze, giving him a smile and a shrug. “It’s okay, man. We tried it. You didn’t like it. No harm, no foul.”

Oakley’s words were a gift. He was letting Joel off the hook, pretending to buy into a big-ass lie.

Because they’d tried it and Joel had—to quote Oakley—fucking loved it.

If he’d been a better man, he would have admitted that. Given something back to his best friend. But in his mind, he pictured the faces of his mother, his teammates, Coach. How would they react if he came out? If he told them that not only was he in love with Sadie Milligan, he was head over heels for his best friend too?

He’d lived his entire life walking the straight and narrow, never rocking the boat. He couldn’t see a way to stop doing that now.

So he greedily took the escape. He smiled and nodded, tried to play it cool. Truth was, he couldn’t have spoken if his life depended on it. His throat was constricted, completely closed, the words trapped behind the steel door.

“Besides,” Oakley said, “you can’t fucking kiss worth a damn. Can’t hold a candle to our sweet Sadie’s kisses.”

Oakley apparently sought to prove that point by kissing Sadie. She’d laughed lightly at his joke before Oakley’s lips covered hers.

Oakley was trying to find a way to take the heavy, too-intense moment and turn it back into something they could all handle. It wouldn’t work, but Joel loved his friend for trying.

Loved him.

When they broke apart, Oakley looked over his shoulder at him. Joel hadn’t moved an inch. He still wasn’t sure which direction to go. That old song from The Clash drifted through his head.
Should I stay or should I go?

“Coming back to bed?” Oakley asked.

For a moment, Joel had imagined their game was over. He was wrong. Oakley had just issued the final dare.

And just like last time, Joel found it impossible to resist.

Sadie sat next to Oakley and pretended to watch the Homecoming football game. The Titans were currently pummeling their rivals and spirits were high. Even so, it would be no hardship for her to depart right after halftime. She was leaving early, heading to Coach’s ranch to help Lorelie do all the last-minute stuff before her party. The rest of the guests would arrive about an hour or so later once the game was over.

It had been nine days since Sadie had instigated that ill-fated Truth or Dare game. Nine straight days of an unending fuck festival. Joel and Oakley had come back to her bed that night like two men possessed, and they’d found a way to be together every single night since then, five times at her apartment, twice in the bar, once at their bunkhouse and one time by a lake in the back bed of their pickup truck.

It was insanity. Beautiful, mind-blowing insanity.

And despite the unending litany of orgasms, Sadie knew they were living on borrowed time. The kiss Oakley and Joel had shared had jarred something loose and, though they were trying to ignore the fact that it was teetering precariously, they seemed to have accepted there was nothing that could stop it from crashing to the ground and shattering.

Worst of all, it was her fault. Neither man blamed her, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t opened Pandora’s box. She had honestly thought Joel merely needed a little push in the right direction. She was certain she hadn’t misread his feelings, but what she hadn’t understood was how strongly he would fight against them.

Even though, she should have realized. She’d known Joel for years. Knew how strongly he stood by his convictions, how much he believed in doing the right thing, in keeping the people around him happy. He’d move heaven and earth for his mother if she needed him. And for Coach. For Oakley…and now, she suspected, for her. Once he cared about someone, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to protect them. Even if that meant denying his own happiness or hiding some intrinsic part of himself that he thought others wouldn’t understand or accept.

“Sadie?”

She glanced up at Oakley’s voice.

“Man, that was a deep thought. I hope it was some dirty fantasy that involved me,” he said with a sexy grin.

She hadn’t mentioned her fears. How could she? She was the one who’d put the two of them in this untenable position to begin with. For years she’d refused their offers to date because she hadn’t wanted to break up their friendship. Looks like she’d managed to drive a wedge between them anyway…and not in a way she had expected.