Pretending he hadn’t heard him, Roan continued walking, stopping only when a big hand landed on his shoulder. He dropped his head in resignation. He was not going to get out of here without facing this man.
“How’s it going? Roan, right?” Seg asked, sounding as though he was catching up with an old friend.
Roan pivoted to face him, cocking an eyebrow and hoping to hide his surprise at being approached like this. Here. In front of all these people.
What was Seg doing? He should’ve just let Roan walk away and they could’ve pretended not to know each other. The handshake was the clincher though. Acquaintances coming face-to-face again.
“Fine. You?” Did he sound as casual? He hoped so.
Roan took a quick look around to see who was watching. They all were, damn it.
“You were great tonight,” Roan said, trying not to meet Seg’s eyes.
“Yeah. Thanks. Hey, the guys go over to the Penalty Box on nights we win.” Seg glanced over at Cam and Gannon, then back to Roan. “It’s not too far from here. Maybe you and your friends can stop by. Hang out. Have a beer to celebrate. It would be great to catch up.”
“Sorry. Can’t. I’ve gotta get home. Need to check on…” Roan shook his head. He didn’t need to explain himself to this man.
“All right. Cool, man.” Seg seemed to be studying him. “Good to see you.”
“Yeah. You, too.” Roan didn’t want to sound like such a prick, but it hadn’t been all that easy putting Seg in his past the first time around. He didn’t trust himself around him, and he damn sure didn’t have the time or patience to deal with this. He had more than enough on his plate, and a one-night stand repeat sounded just about perfect to him right now.
However, it wouldn’t sound good tomorrow.
Maybe he was imagining it, but Roan thought he saw a glimpse of hurt in Seg’s eyes. He tried to remember what he could’ve said to put that look there, but he couldn’t come up with anything. They’d both agreed to one night. The next morning, Roan had bolted before Seg even opened his eyes, which had seemed like the right thing to do. He hadn’t expected to encounter the guy again. And he certainly hadn’t anticipated the man approaching him.
Roan glanced over and noticed everyone was still watching them.
Ahh. Maybe that was what Seg was worried about. That Roan had leaked his secret.
“Later, man.” He purposely tried to sound “straight” enough for Seg to get his drift.
As he held Seg’s gaze, Roan realized it would’ve been so easy to head over to whatever bar Seg had mentioned, pretend to be friends with Seg for a little while, then sneak away, go back to Seg’s house, and let him fuck the daylights out of him one more time.
Yeah. Stupid idea.
“Why don’t you give me your number,” Seg suggested. “Maybe y’all can come hang out sometime.”
Roan knew if he turned Seg down, the others would start asking questions. They would want to know why Roan didn’t jump at the chance to hang out with the Arrows players.
Instead of telling him no, Roan sighed, then fished a card out of his wallet. He kept a few for the marina on him. He was simply going to pass it over, but Seg produced a Sharpie marker out of thin air, and he had no choice but to write his number on it. That was what Seg wanted, apparently.
If Seg only knew all the stuff Roan was dealing with, he’d probably put his hands up in surrender and run—not walk—away. He damn sure wouldn’t be considering a repeat, and based on the heat Roan saw in Seg’s eyes, he was definitely considering it.
After jotting down his cell phone number—he would kick himself later for that one—Roan passed over the card and the marker. Then, rather than wait for Seg to say anything more, he turned and walked away. He didn’t even wait for Cam and Gannon. They would catch up to him eventually.
DAMN, HE LOOKED GOOD.
Seg watched Roan until the man disappeared out of sight. He had to fight the ridiculous urge to follow him, to chase him down just so he could talk to the guy for a little while. However, he knew that would be insane. Namely because he couldn’t show his interest.
Not here anyway.
He’d already taken too much of a risk as it was. There were too many eyes on them, and although Seg had played it off as seeing an old friend, he didn’t want these guys getting any ideas.
He had to figure he’d pulled it off considering the incinerating look Roan had given him when Seg pretended to hardly remember him. Oh, Roan didn’t have to worry about that. Seg remembered him. In fact, he recalled every little detail about the man.
Squaring his shoulders, Seg turned back to Roan’s friends. “Great to meet you guys. The invite to the Penalty Box stands if anyone’s interested.”
For a second, he thought they might take him up on it, but then they each started rumbling off things they had to do. Seg boldly met the blue eyes of the biggest guy, holding his stare for a moment. He could see a million questions in the man’s eyes. Seg didn’t miss the fact that the guy was holding hands with the skinnier guy with glasses standing beside him. Clearly they were open and out, and if Seg had to guess, this guy was trying to imagine Seg and Roan together.
“Cool,” he said, starting back down the hall. “Have a good night.”
Shit. He’d been stupid to approach Roan in the first place, but the instant he’d seen him, he couldn’t help himself. He usually had more self-control than that. Especially since his entire career could go down the drain if he was outed. He could practically picture the looks on his teammates’ faces. And opposing teams… Yeah, no thank you.
No guy was worth that hassle.
Of course, that thought triggered the memory of that one night he’d spent with Roan. The one night he desperately wanted a repeat of because there was absolutely no way it could’ve been as good as his memories claimed it was.
“Great to meet you,” the big guy said.
“Y’all played awesome tonight,” the guy with glasses stated.
Seg offered a curt chin nod as his only response to Roan’s friends. He tried to pretend those weren’t curious glances he got, but unfortunately, he knew they were. And that meant Seg was going to have to find some chick to bang in order to counter any of the fucking rumors that would likely start because he hadn’t been able to hide his surprise when he saw Roan.
He tried to tell himself that the only thing he wanted to do was talk to Roan. To ensure Roan hadn’t mentioned their encounter to anyone, maybe to find a little closure because he’d spent far too much time thinking about the man over the past year. Unfortunately, he had never managed to get Roan’s phone number or address. Why would he? It’d been a one-nighter.
Seg fingered the card in his hand. But he had Roan’s phone number now.
“Shit.” He pivoted on his heel and headed back to the locker room. He needed to spend some time on the bike before he called it a night. If he didn’t, his muscles would lock up and he’d be hating life.
Forty minutes later, as he walked to his SUV parked in the players’ lot, Seg pulled up his contacts and added Roan’s information in his phone. Then he hit the button to send a text. Once inside the Range Rover, he started the engine and then took a moment to shoot off a message.
It was great to see you tonight. Wondered if maybe you’d like to get together. Hang out. Talk. Maybe you could stop by my house for a drink sometime.
There. That sounded hetero enough.
He hit send.
Seg didn’t expect a response, but he needed to make the effort. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about Roan. For months on end, he had thought about the man. Fourteen months, to be exact. To the point of distraction even. The fact that he’d stressed over being outed could’ve very well been the underlying reason for Seg’s shitty end to the season last year. The team was going through some major changes right now thanks to the way they’d handled things, but until Seg had some assurance from Roan, he wasn’t sure how far past it he’d be able to go.
Or so he told himself.
The fact that no one had looked at him sideways since then should’ve been enough confirmation. He seriously doubted Roan had said anything. If he had, someone would’ve called him on it. Even the guys Roan was with tonight seemed none the wiser.
Still, he worried.
It hadn’t been until the morning after, when Seg had woken up to an empty bed, that he’d started sweating it. He and Roan hadn’t done a whole hell of a lot of talking that night. In fact, before he’d drifted off, Seg had made a mental note to talk to Roan the next morning. Make sure he wasn’t going to say something and to let him know that if he did, he’d deny the accusation.
Dropping the phone into the cup holder, Seg shifted into drive and started out of the parking lot, memories of that one night with Roan flashing in his mind.
“Fuck, yes,” Seg hissed. “You’ve got a fantastic mouth.”
Seg sat naked on the kitchen counter, holding tight to Roan’s hair as the man deep-throated him like a pro. So much for grabbing snacks from the refrigerator. He much preferred this interesting turn of events.
“Mmmm…” Roan hummed, making electrical sparks shoot straight to Seg’s balls.
As good as the blow job felt, he wasn’t ready to come again. Not yet.
“We need food,” Seg mumbled, tugging on Roan’s hair.
“I’ve got what I’m hungry for,” Roan countered.
Using a little more force, Seg managed to pull Roan back. He quickly hopped off the counter, jerking Roan into him and kissing him hard.
God, he could get used to this. Never had he been this consumed by lust before. His entire body seemed to vibrate with it.
“I say we eat,” Seg suggested. “Then we shower.”
Roan leaned in closer, nibbling Seg’s ear. “I agree. Then I say you let me eat your ass.”
Fuck. Seg’s ass clenched at the thought. No one had ever done that to him before. And vice versa.
Roan’s gaze stroked across Seg’s face, and he wondered if Roan had figured him out yet.
Seg grinned. “And then I get to fuck you again. This time while you’re looking at me.”
Something passed in Roan’s eyes, but Seg didn’t know what it was. He chose to ignore it because it didn’t matter.
He slipped out from between Roan and the counter and made his way to the refrigerator. There was plenty of food to choose from. The housekeeper had made sure to stock his favorites, even prepared him a few meals he would simply have to heat up. Seg wasn’t big on cooking for one and he’d started boycotting fast food long ago. Eating alone at a restaurant wasn’t high on his to-do list either, so he’d learned to stock up on stuff that was easy to put together.
Roan reached around him and grabbed a beer while Seg pulled out what he needed for sandwiches. He was starving, and if he intended to go at this all night—which he did—they both needed to replenish.
Half an hour later, Seg had fumbled his way to the shower with Roan practically wrapped around him. They’d made quick work of the food, but his hunger was still burning hot. Only this time, he wanted to devour this man.
They managed to soap up and rinse off, although Seg wasn’t sure how that happened when they were basically glued together at the mouth. Kissing Roan was unbelievably good. Not once had Seg ever felt anything like this. The notable differences being the rough scrape of Roan’s stubble against his cheek, the firm, callused fingers stroking over his skin…
It was as though Roan had found a knob that turned his lust up to scalding. No matter how much he touched and tasted, Seg couldn’t get enough.
“Turn around,” Roan demanded.
Seg turned around, planting his hands on the tiled wall.
“Spread your legs,” Roan instructed, his lips trailing down Seg’s back.
His legs spread on their own.
Closing his eyes, Seg focused on the heat of Roan’s mouth as it moved down his spine, over his ass, then down the crack. Roan’s hands were firm as they caressed his sides, easing their way downward.
“Fuck,” he moaned when Roan pulled his ass cheeks apart, his tongue searching, teasing.
His lungs locked up as Roan’s breath caressed sensitive skin. Seg’s heart pounded, his body tensing, coiling tighter and tighter until…
“Oh, fuck.”
Seg hadn’t known what to expect, but the instant Roan’s tongue speared his asshole, he damn near lost his balance.
He couldn’t help himself, he began rocking against the intrusion. It felt good. Too good. He’d never allowed anyone to play with him like this. For him, sex was usually more about the means to an end, with the end being him coming as hard and as fast as he could.
With Roan … Seg wanted more. He wanted to experience everything he’d denied himself over the years. He wanted to find a way to sate these urges and get this out of his system. He couldn’t be with a man. Not in the long term, but this would work.
Roan’s tongue disappeared and his hands roamed back up Seg’s back. He was tempted to turn around, but Roan wouldn’t let him, his palm flattening between Seg’s shoulder blades.
“I want to feel you,” Roan whispered against his ear. “Let me feel you, Seg. Let me slide my cock deep into your ass and feel you.”
Goddamn. His ass clenched again.
But dammit, he couldn’t. He’d never…
Seg shook his head. “Can’t.”
“Can’t? Or won’t?” Roan didn’t sound pleased.
His brain was telling him to turn around, but his body wouldn’t move.
“Ever let a man fuck you?”
Seg shook his head.
“It doesn’t make you any less gay because you’re the top.” Roan’s tone sounded both amused and disappointed. “Let me, Seg. Let me be the first man to take your virgin ass.”
Although he knew he shouldn’t, Seg wanted that so badly.
Never had he been tempted to give in, but with Roan, he found himself nodding.
Roan’s lips continued to work over his back while Seg remained stone still, his forehead pressed to the tile, the warm water raining down on them. He heard the rustle from the condom, heard the click from the bottle of lubrication. It was going to happen. He was going to let Roan fuck him.
And Roan would be his first and probably his last.
“You ready?” Roan asked, his voice rough.
Seg nodded again.
“I’m gonna use my fingers first.”
“Ahh, shit,” Seg groaned as one finger pushed inside him. Slowly, gently. His body acclimated to the intrusion, chills racing down his arms as the sensations intensified.
“Okay?”
Seg nodded.
Roan added another finger, stretching him. Seg groaned, closing his eyes as he let the pleasure take over.
A strangled groan escaped him when Roan pushed in three fingers.
“Relax.”
Easier said than done, but Seg did his best.
He didn’t move, trying to enjoy it, trying to ignore the bite of pain that accompanied it. He was overwhelmed with sensation when suddenly—“Oh, fuck… Oh, fuck … Roan…”
“You like that? That’s your prostate. Feels good, huh?”
Good? That was an understatement. What he felt was something beyond good, bordering more on unreal.
Roan’s fingers continued to penetrate him, fucking into him slow and easy. If the man wasn’t careful, Seg was going to come long before Roan had the chance to fuck him.
“Still good?”
Shit. It felt so damn good it was a wonder Seg hadn’t gone off like a rocket. He’d come precariously close though.
“Want more?” Roan inquired, his fingers retreating.
“Yeah,” Seg breathed. So fucking much more. “Want to feel you.”
Seg tensed when Roan aligned his cock, pushing against the tight ring of muscle.
“Relax,” Roan whispered. “You’ve seriously never done this before?”
Seg shook his h
ead.
“I’ll be gentle, I promise.”
Roan pressed in gradually while Seg took deep, slow breaths.
“Push back against me,” Roan ordered.
He did. The pain was intense, but it quickly morphed into pleasure. And every time Roan’s cock brushed against his prostate, Seg saw stars.
“That’s it,” Roan urged, his fingers digging into the flesh of Seg’s hips. “So fucking tight.”
Seg let himself get lost in the sensation as Roan rocked into him over and over. Roan didn’t fuck him hard or fast. He simply filled him. In. Out. In. Out.
When Roan’s arm circled him, his fingers wrapping around Seg’s cock, he jerked, his body on the verge of explosion.
“Come for me,” Roan said gruffly. “Come for me while I come in your ass.”
Yep. That was all it took.
Seg pulled his SUV into the garage and hit the button to close the door. He should’ve gone out with the team tonight, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not after seeing Roan. He needed to get his shit together and figure this out. No way could he keep going on like this.
At the time, giving in to Roan for one night had seemed harmless. Unfortunately, thanks to the fact the man made him want things he knew he shouldn’t want, it turned out to be anything but.
Two
“YOU WANT US TO COME inside with you?” Cam Strickland-Burgess asked Roan as he steered the car down the narrow road lined with duplexes.
“No. I’m good.”
Funny. Cam didn’t think Roan sounded good. Not good at all.
“You sure?”
“I’m sure. I’m not a kid, Cam. I can take care of myself.” Roan’s tone was a little harder this time, and Cam knew he had to stop pushing him.
But damn it to hell. It’d taken an act of congress to get Roan to agree to go to the game tonight. And then after… If Cam didn’t know better, he would’ve sworn Roan had no interest in meeting the Austin Arrows players.
“All right.” Cam stopped at a stop sign. Took a right. “So, how do you know Seg? Seguine?”
“I…”
Cam peered at Roan in the rearview mirror, waiting, watching. For months, Cam had gotten the impression that Roan was hiding something. At the very least, he knew Roan had lied to him a time or two. About what, he hadn’t figured out yet.
Harmless (Pier 70 Book 4) Page 3