Take Me Out

Take Me Out by Gabrina Garza

Amber Quill Press www.amberquill.com

Copyright ©2007 by Gabrina Garza

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Take Me Out by Gabrina Garza

TAKE ME OUT By GABRINA GARZA **** ISBN 978-1-60272-135-7 Amber Quill Press, LLC www.amberquill.com

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Also By Gabrina Garza Adeno Circle Of Friends: All Wet The Countess Of Suburbia Hot Phoenix Nights Jax and the Giant's Bean Stalk River Of Time: Dreamwalker Sex Between Strangers

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CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 About Gabrina Garza ****

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CHAPTER 1 Between Fargo and Chicago there was nothing to do but sleep on the bus or watch the miles pass. Reading on a dark bus gave Ty a headache, and if he listened to every song on his iPod one more time, he'd probably kill the pitcher sitting a row ahead of him. He stretched his long legs out on the empty seat beside him and rested the back of his head against the window. Thank God they were almost to the hotel where he could have the room to himself and take a long, hot shower without worrying about Zember in the next room flipping through channels or talking to the latest girl he'd picked up on the road. Seven days of Zember-free travel had Ty smiling. They'd been roommates far too long where they'd become more like brothers than teammates. Respect him as he did, Ty thought Zember was a big, fucking slob. In the four years he'd played professional ball, he'd never roomed with such a pig as Joe Zember. The bus finally rolled to a stopped at a hotel in Iowa. That's about all the players needed to know. Far enough away from South Dakota, but not near enough to Illinois to warrant passing through, another nameless town would become home sweet home for the night. One by one the players stood and walked like zombies down the aisle, each of them sore and stiff from a doubleheader. With his gray eyes gritty and eyelids almost stuck 6

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together, he didn't need to look at his watch to know it had to be near three in the morning. It was the only time of day he felt certain he could fall asleep standing up, his dark blond hair a sweaty mass beneath his baseball cap and his clothes crumpled. "What'sa matter, Parker?" the catcher Navato Yepano said, tapping Ty on the chin with his meaty fist. "You miss Big Z already?" Ty grunted and stepped off the bus in front of Yepano. One night all to himself. No snoring. No farting. No socks left in the ice bucket. Paradise awaited. "Not a chance in hell." **** "Sorry, Parker." Ted Ansen, the Arsenal's manager for the last five years, shrugged and handed Ty his room key. "You get the new guy." "What new guy?" He scowled, snatching up the plastic card. He hadn't seen a new guy on the bus—and with all the taunting they did between one city and the next there was no way in hell some guy fresh off the farm would skate by without being beaned in the head with a peanut or something else much more disgusting. "Big Z's replacement. The new guy." Ansen rolled his eyes. "You didn't think I'd leave you all alone in your room, now did you?" "Who?" "Jaegar Wise." 7

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Ty cocked a brow. "I thought he wasn't joining us 'til tomorrow." Ansen shrugged. "Technically, it is tomorrow. Suck it up and room with him." Ty growled in frustration, his shoulders dropping. In four years he'd only roomed with Zember, and despite Z having poor hygiene, he was at least a trustworthy roomy who respected the privacy of others. If anything, he would have preferred rooming with the first baseman Armstrong, or Pecci, who'd been on the team longer than anyone else. Exhausted beyond belief, Ty dragged himself to the elevator and closed his eyes as he and six other players stood and waited for it to deposit them on the third floor. No one bothered to speak, partially because they'd spent almost every moment of the last two months together, and mostly because it was too damn late to be friendly. They had less than twelve hours before they played the Dragons. They'd talk on the field. Ty leaned against the door and pushed it open, greeted by the sound of the shower running from the bathroom and a rolling cloud of steam. Spicy body wash scented the air, his first introduction to the new third basemen—the temporary third basemen. Head lowered, he walked into the room and threw his suitcase beside the bed farthest from the door. A neat pile of clothes had been left at the end of Wise's bed and his suitcase had been left open to reveal pressed and folded shirts and pants, with socks and underwear rolled up. Definitely not Zember. 8

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The shower turned off just as Ty reached for the remote control, the sound of water replaced by the new guy whistling Gun's N Roses "Paradise City." He turned on ESPN as he struggled to remove his shirt, and placed it in a plastic laundry bag. Game highlights from the major leagues streamed past and he half-watched, half-listened while he unzipped his suitcase and rummaged for shorts to wear to bed. "Hey, you must be Ty Parker." Ty glanced up from the ground and followed long, sturdy legs up to a toned, tapered, and very naked waist. His gaze lingered a little too long at the semi-hard cock nestled in dark, thick pubic hair. He wondered if his teammate had just masturbated in the shower, just stroked himself to climax and allowed his seed to spill down the drain. Ty began to salivate, to think of the taste of another man—something he hadn't experienced in a long time—but he forced his eyes to meet his roommate's. "Yeah. Jaegar, right?" "Jae's fine." He secured a white towel around his hips and stepped forward, apparently unhindered by Ty's greeting. Dimpled cheeks met him, greeted him with a boyish grin that didn't quite fit the strong jaw and square face. "Sorry. I've been here for an hour and didn't realize the bus had arrived." "You're fine." Ty turned away and dropped the remote on his bed. Jesus Christ, "you're fine." Fine? Not, "that's cool" or "don't worry about it" but "you're fine." "I heard you guys won today." 9

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"Yeah, four to two in the first game and a shutout in the second." Ty didn't bother to face him. Goddamn he wanted to look him over, see if he'd missed any part of that chiseled torso and hard chest, but he didn't want anyone to see the longing in his eyes, least of all the new guy. Hiding what he felt, what he was, had been damn near impossible in the four years since he'd gone pro. One wrong look, one comment to give himself away, and he feared rejection from his teammates. No matter how good he was on the field, he knew respect was all a matter of perception to some guys. The bed creaked as Jae flopped down. "Mind handing me the remote?" Ty tossed it to him without a glance and crawled into bed, not bothering to get beneath the blankets. He ran his fingers through his flattened waves of hair, felt the tingle in his scalp from wearing a baseball cap too long. "I'm ready to collapse. Watch whatever you want." **** Sunlight and a slap to the face woke Ty with a brutal start. "Fuck!" he shouted, ready to pound Zember's ass into the wall. "What the hell's wrong with you?" He peered up and found Jae standing over him, toothbrush dangling from his mouth and a rolled up newspaper in hand. Somewhere between his zombie walk up to his room and waking again he'd forgotten that Zember was on the seven day disability with a sore shoulder. Being inactive on DL, he'd stayed at home to undergo physical therapy rather than travel with the team. 10

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"Cider," Jae said, a white line of toothpaste emerging from the corner of his mouth. "What?" "I shed cider." With each word he spit just enough for Ty to feel the cool, wet saliva on his outstretched arm. Squinting, Ty rolled onto his back. "Cider what?" Jae walked into the bathroom and returned a few seconds later sans the toothbrush. "Spider. Big, hairy thing, too." He gestured while still holding the newspaper until he held his hands apart to the size of something near a softball. "This place is crawling with them. I woke up with one on my pillow." Ty looked him up and down, drank in the dark, hairy chest and belly. "So you hit me with a newspaper. Thanks." Jae shrugged and hefted his suitcase onto the bed. He looked at Ty from the corner of his eye and smirked. "It was either that or whisper sweet nothings into your ear until you woke up." Ty paused, his heart hammering. By how he'd been acting it was possible Jae had guessed all those glances weren't an accident, but there was no way in hell he'd prove him right. "I think I prefer being hit," he mumbled. "Man, you sleep like a freaking rock. I must have said your name three or four times." With Jae yapping away, trying for another twenty minutes of sleep wasn't about to happen. Sitting up, Ty scratched his chest and yawned. He glanced at the clock, then at Jae. "It's only six." "Yeah." 11

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Ty collapsed and turned onto his side, facing away from his roommate. "You'll see me in about five more hours." "I'm going next door to get breakfast. You want anything?" His stomach growled, but Ty shook his head. The last thing he wanted was Jae bringing him breakfast in bed. Too risky, too obvious ... too right. "I'll grab something later." "Alright." Jae rummaged around in his suitcase before the rasp of a zipper and the thump of heavy luggage sounded his departure. "Watch out for spiders." "Yep." He held his breath, waited until the door closed and muted footsteps disappeared down the hall before he turned over and released the pressure of his weight from his throbbing cock. Even after being whacked in the head with a newspaper he'd maintained his erection—or maybe the taste of violence only turned him on more than ever. It didn't matter what had turned him on, only that he needed to get off. Now. Stretched out on the bed, he held onto his dick with his thumb and forefinger and pulled, his eyes closed and soft groans left his parted lips. He imagined what would happen if Jae were still in the room, what the Arsenal's third baseman would say or do if he ever suspected the team shortstop wanted him. Turning onto his side, he fumbled for a bottle of hand lotion and coated his right palm, sweeping it over his erection. He didn't need the scent of almond and cherry lotion, which he'd bought on accident, he needed Jae's familiar scent to tease him. With his balls aching, he shoved off his shorts and padded into the bathroom, turning the shower on full blast. He stood 12

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with one hand against the cold tile and poured body wash onto his chest, smelling his initial contact with Jae. It hardened him, made his knees weak and balls tight. He bit his lip and ran the palm of his hand over the head of his dick, stroked the sensitive tip until he could barely stand it. "Suck me off," he murmured, spreading his legs wider. He cupped his testicles, felt the surge of climax in his veins— close, but not close enough, not yet. He tilted back his head, felt the hot spray of water leaving the shower head. Licking his lips, he visualized Jae standing over him, masturbating. He imagined the spurt of semen hot as water from the faucet spurting onto his face, how he'd lap up every drop before he stood and kissed him hard, allowed him to taste himself. They could lay side by side, head to feet, and pleasure each other. In all his years of being a professional player he'd always fantasized about taking a man while he was on the road, but Zember wasn't any man's fantasy and he wasn't gay, either. But Jae? He had something about him, an indescribable, appealing way that drew Ty to him. He wanted to believe they had some sort of connection, but he'd been wrong before and paid the price—brutally. Now wasn't the time to think about that. He swallowed hard and allowed hot, soapy water to cascade down his chest and between his legs, steamy, invisible fingers that raked through the hair on his chest and down his thighs. He stroked harder, pulled faster than before until the ache turned to pleasure. His breathing turned harsh, the musk of his sexual desire mixed with the spice of Jae's body wash. 13

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"Fuck me," he murmured, drops of water beading on his lips and the stubble on his chin. "Fuck me with your mouth. Oh, God, take it, take all of it, Jae. Suck my prick." His arm began to tremble as he worked up and down his stiff shaft. He tried to pull his thoughts away from Jae Wise and think about the two men he'd been with before, of the girlfriends he'd tried to love, and the one Scottish actor in that bad Dracula movie that he'd thought was pretty damn good looking. Nothing worked. He wanted Jae, craved him without understanding why. Frustrated, he pulled with such violence that he groaned, his need for release outweighing his ability to think or breathe. "Fuck, I want you," he growled. Climax jolted him, hot and unexpected. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a ragged breath, inhaling the humid air. With a deep breath, he turned off the water and didn't bother reaching for a towel. He needed the cool hotel room air to bring him back to reality, drop him down to the world around him that could never know who or what he was—not until his career ended. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he nearly pissed himself. Jae Wise stood near his bed and adjusted his hat in the oval mirror beside the television. Ty didn't need to see his expression to know he'd heard every damn word spoken in the shower, each private longing. "I forgot something," Jae said. He looked at Ty in the mirror. And smiled. [Back to Table of Contents] 14

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CHAPTER 2 Ty managed to fall asleep on the bus next to Pecci, who drowned out the world in a blast of heavy metal music. The Italian drummed his fingers on the seat in front of him but otherwise made for a halfway decent traveling companion who even nudged Ty when the bus stopped in front of the stadium, unlike some of the guys who would let him sleep until the bus reached the depot. Ty hadn't said much to Jae since that morning, and he didn't know what to say, if anything. All they needed to do was get through seven days together and then Zember would be off the disabled list and Jae would no longer be signed with the team. Seven days of pure, unadulterated hell. Not that he was complaining. It could be worse. If he could have shaken the image of Jae naked in the shower, he may have been able to think of something else. While everyone stood and stretched, he looked out the window and saw a short redhead standing next to his car. She had a backward baseball cap and a faded jersey with his number on it, which made him smile. "Restraining order no longer in effect?" Pecci gave a crooked grin before he headed down the aisle, following a long line of baseball players. Ty didn't say anything. He milled down the aisle after several more players left their seats and found himself standing behind Jae. In one breath he took him in, the scent 15

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of shaving cream and masculine perspiration. It stiffened his spine as well as his cock, which he adjusted as he walked. The headphones blaring what sounded like Led Zeppelin prevented Jae from knowing that Ty stood only a breath away, which gave him a voyeuristic pleasure. If they were alone, he knew he would have leaned forward and kissed the back of Jae's neck, nuzzled the soft, sensitive flesh at his nape. God, he wanted to touch him, grab him by the arms and tell him, "Look, you son of a bitch, I know you want what I want. Now give it to me." But instead he stared out the window at the redhead swatting flies away. She had a sign tucked under her slender, toned arm. The moment he stepped off the bus she squealed and flung her sign above her head, proudly showing off red, allcaps letters that read: TRADE PARKER HE SUCKS Below it she'd drawn a smiley face—as if he'd ever believe she was joking. She catcalled as he approached, and if he'd had any other means of transportation he would have hitched a ride with someone, anyone other than London Perez. But a friendship stemming from second grade couldn't be ignored, and he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and felt her firm breasts against his chest. "I thought you guys would be here two hours ago." "Traffic. You know how Chicago is in the summer." 16

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"A parking lot." She hurled a bag of greasy food at him and grinned. "I know how you like your meat." He glared at her and caught movement from the corner of his eye. Naturally he found Jae staring at the two of them, his sunglasses shielding his gaze. "Who's that?" London asked. "Big Z's replacement." She cocked a brow. "What's he waiting for?" "His ride." Before he'd finished speaking, London put her fingers in her mouth and gave a shrill whistle that made everyone in the parking lot turn and stare at her. Several players groaned, thinking his bizarre girlfriend was up to her antics again. In an annoying way she made a good beard—cute, perky, full of energy and spunk—and she genuinely liked him. Since junior high he'd known she'd had a crush on him. He'd also known from that point on he'd never fall for her, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself she could be the one for him, the key to an acceptable life that fit into his career. But his affection for her stopped at friendship. Not even her perfect, natural boobs or completely uninhibited sexuality turned him on. He wondered why she bothered torturing herself and moving two states away to be near him. "Hey!" London shouted, crazed banshee that she was. "New guy!" Jae looked around the parking lot before he stared at her. He didn't dare take a step forward and Ty couldn't blame him. 17

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For someone who'd barely made it to five feet tall, she could scare the hell out of anyone. "Hey what?" he shouted back. "If you're a good lay, I'll give you a ride." Ty took off his baseball cap and ran his fingers through his hair. Now that was a way to start a conversation, London style. She rolled up her sign and tossed it in the back seat before jogging up to meet Jae, her boobs jiggling as she trotted toward him. "How do I know you're any good?" he asked, looking at her from over his sunglasses. She threw her arms out and struck a pose like a goddess carved in stone at the art museum. With her head cocked to the side, she eyed him with unabashed interest. Even the most flaming gay man in the world had to give her credit— she spared no expense when it came to flaunting what she had—and she had a lot. "Honey..." She looked him up and down, immediately claiming his attention. "I'm always good." **** Ty sat in the back of his sedan with a bag of food offering consolation now that Jae had replaced him as the owner of shotgun in his own car. With his knees spread wide, he imagined being the driver and having Jae to himself. While Chicago expressways blurred, he wanted to feel Jae go down on him, suck him to life and get him off as they went sixtyfive past semis and dozens upon dozens of unaware motorists. A rush of adrenaline fueled his bloodstream, sent 18

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his heart racing with the possibilities of being caught and keeping his life a secret. He didn't know what he wanted more. Unable to find relief for his fantasies, he sat back and stuffed his face full of salty French fries and greasy, overcooked burgers—the very best Oslin, Illinois had to offer—and listened to the driver flirt with her new passenger. "Where am I taking you, Jae?" she cooed, glancing at him as she took a corner hard. Ty often thought of her as a cross between a NASCAR driver and demolition derby. "I don't have my assignment yet for a host family," he replied. London wrinkled her freckled nose. "Then I guess I'm keeping you." Ty stopped chewing and stared straight ahead, wanting to thank her and slap her upside the head. Now this was worse than before, the be all, end all rock bottom suck fest he hadn't anticipated. They were supposed to room for a total of three nights, not spend the week living in the same house, adjusting their schedules to stay out of each other's way. "Why do I get the feeling I'm going to be tied to your bed after the game and told to lick your boots?" Jae asked, his voice smooth and silky. London stared at Ty in the rearview mirror. "Baby, you need to find a new home for the week. I like this one." She pulled into a gas station and Jae hopped out of the car to get a soda from inside. The moment he left, she leaned into the car and played with a strand of Ty's hair. "I don't stand a chance with him, do I?" 19

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He looked at her, tried not to feel sorry for her when she deserved a hell of a lot better than falling for someone who would never love her. Rather than answer aloud, he shook his head. "Have the two of you—" "No," he snapped, irritated with her and frustrated with himself. Everything had become knotted and nothing had happened yet. "Well, one of us should tap that." She smiled, leaned in closer to kiss his cheek. "I'll lay off." "If you stop now he'll know something's up." "I'm good at subtle." "You?" He couldn't help but snort. "Subtle?" "Watch me." "What are we betting?" "The usual dirty bet." He smiled. Dirty bets had become a mainstay, but he'd lost way too many of them to her. So far he'd bought her sixteen new sex toys over the last year and a half, while she'd only had to buy him one DVD that ended up being disappointing. "I can finally add to my collection." "Ha." She stuck her finger in his chest. "There's a Rabbit with thrusting action that's so mine." **** With one more mouth to feed, London secured her winning spot in the Dirty Bet by traipsing off to the store for luau ingredients. Exactly what that entailed she didn't say, but she 20

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promised both Ty and Jae there would be lots and lots of juicy meat. If she hadn't left the house immediately, he would have done serious bodily harm. "You two live together?" Jae asked as they spent their last two hours bumming on the couch before they needed to head to the stadium for batting practice. "Yeah, she's like my sister." Ty stared straight ahead, feeling Jae's gaze penetrate him, seep into his pores and examine him. "Your suggestive and horny sister." He grunted, flipped through the channels faster and faster. "Yeah, that, too." Jae stretched his legs out and scratched himself, and from the corner of Ty's vision he swore the man he'd been fantasizing about had a hard-on. He couldn't bring himself to look, couldn't bring himself to allow for hope or a let down. His skin prickled with the need for sensation, for one touch that could turn into an afternoon of groping and petting, searching one another for the truth they both knew existed. "If you didn't want me staying here, you could have spoken up," Jae said, his voice sandpaper rough. "What?" Ty glanced at him, forgetting just long enough that one glance could be too much. "If you don't want me staying here—" "Why the hell would I care if you're here or not? We roomed together last night. I don't give a fuck where you stay." 21

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Jae shifted his weight, spread his legs wider apart until all Ty could think of was kneeling between them and licking Jae from the root of his dick up to the tip. He wanted to know if he tasted as spicy and alluring as he smelled, if the tang to Jae's arousal would make his mouth water more than it already did. "I'm just saying—" "Saying what?" Jae gestured with his hands before he stood. In a dark blue polo shirt and khakis he looked clean-cut, the exact type Ty had always found himself attracted to from the moment he realized he'd never marry a woman. "Look, I know." Ty paused, anger burgeoning within him, heat rising in his veins. He exhaled hard and slammed the remote on the end table. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jae bent down, put his hands on Ty's knees and stared him straight in the eye, caught him like a pitcher staring down the batter from the mound. He had him right where he wanted him, right where Ty feared it the most. "I know," Jae said, his voice still rough, his lips velvety smooth and inches from Ty's. One twitch of muscles and they'd be connected, lightning shared between them in a single, forbidden kiss. "I know what you're hiding from yourself." Ty shoved him away as emotions ripped through and prevented him from what he wanted, what he thought he needed in order to take his next breath. He fought for air, for sanity to keep him from breaking apart. 22

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"I'm not hiding anything from myself. I know what I am." "Then you're hiding it from others." "Don't you?" he challenged, pacing like a beast trapped before the hunter. "I don't hide it, but I don't flaunt it," he answered. "Never have." "Good for you." Jae looked him over, stared at him as though he saw Ty for the first time and liked everything about him. "I'll be out of here after the game," he muttered. Ty barely heard him over his harsh breathing and unsettled heart. He ached inside, mourned what he couldn't have—or couldn't allow himself to have. Not yet. Not now. Jae shook his head and turned, but something inside of Ty itched too badly to be ignored. His hand whipped out and caught Jae by the forearm. "Wait." [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 3 Jae turned toward Ty and searched his face. Neither one of them spoke, but the energy between them filled the den, sending shockwaves of desire straight into Ty's groin. Looking into Jae's deep blue eyes reminded Ty of his first time, of the humiliation of being taken behind a bar, of being too drunk to realize what they were doing. "Pull 'em down. Hurry the fuck up." The blue-eyed stranger he'd met an hour earlier had shoved him against a wall, left him submissive despite his substantial size and his unanswered desires, the confusion of a kid who looked much older than eighteen. He'd never forget waking the next morning, thankful to find a condom wrapper shoved in his pocket. He'd never do it like that again, never be taken for a fool. Now he knew what he wanted and how he wanted it—and who he wanted to be with. Somewhere between being a dumb teenager and a man he'd realized his sexual preference didn't mean he had to stand shoved up against a brick wall and be someone's tool. There could be more than that, so much more than that—with someone like Jae. Ty swallowed, finding he had no words, only thoughts stuck in his head he couldn't possibly speak. He caressed Jae's arm through his sleeve, but wished he had skin against skin, the exchange of body heat and pheromones. Jae's hand found Ty's, gently stroked his knuckles and threatened to turn the slight tremble into an earthquake. 24

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Anticipation consumed him, burned through his fingertips where Jae rubbed him, giving him just enough to keep him ravenous for more. "I, uh," Ty started, his voice hoarse, strained with everything left unsaid. "The goddess has returned and she bears food!" London shouted, slamming the door behind her. Both Jae and Ty jumped apart, despite being downstairs and far from view. They stared at one another, a cavernous distance keeping them apart yet keeping them together. Even if he'd wanted to, Ty couldn't have looked away. He swallowed hard, knew there was too much to say and no time to say it. "London..." he started. He cleared his throat, dropped his gaze low enough to see Jae's cock strained against his fly. "Doesn't mind if you stay here." Jae's lips twitched. "What about you?" Ty brushed past him, risking one last touch before he left to help London carry groceries from the car. "What do you think?" **** They kept a distance between them, straying from eye contact and more conversation than necessary as they dressed for the game and took to the field. With Ty at shortstop and Jae at third, however, they couldn't stay far from one another until they entered the dugout. Ty wondered if the other players could feel the strain of pure sexual attraction, wondered if the vendors and the 25

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regulars sensed a different vibe, a need that threatened to grow inning after inning. He played like a man distracted. He struck out twice looking at bat and when they took to the field, he missed an easy groundball he should have been able to field with his eyes closed. On the error he found Jae looking at him, but he ignored the nod of encouragement and hit his fist into his battered glove. He told himself there would be time later to acknowledge him, to dote on him with every ounce of attention. In the bottom of the eighth they'd tied the Dragons and had two men on with one out. First, second, and third batters were up—Mueller, Parker, and Wise, all of whom had made it to base at one point but hadn't scored. "Calm down out there," Jae said under his breath as he added weight to his practice bat and swung, stretching the muscles in his arms and shoulders. "I know what I'm doing," Ty murmured, watching as Mueller took another strike on the outside corner, which put him behind in the count. "You're better off talking to Mule." He tapped his bat against the inside of his cleats just as Mueller struck out on a breaking ball and walked back to the dugout shaking his head as though he didn't quite know how that happened. From the stands London hooted and hollered over his theme music. He took two practice swings and stood in as Aerosmith faded away. Down in the count with two strikes, he got hit in the shoulder by a wild pitch and tossed his bat to the ground before jogging to first. With the bases loaded and 26

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Jae up, he didn't look back, didn't want to give any indication that he hoped they'd have something to celebrate. The Dragons switched pitchers just as Jae took his place at bat, and everyone stood back. Ty hated whenever he stood ready to bat and a new relief pitcher came into the game. It meant waiting, losing the focus and mindset of being the next at bat. He stole a glance at Jae and found him practicing his swings, concentrating on hitting a groundball or lobbing one over the second basemen's head and into the outfield. A homerun would leave him at the bottom of a dogpile, groped and congratulated in a way acceptable by men their age as long as it was for the team. When the pitcher finally warmed up, Ty took several steps away from first base, prepared to run the moment Jae connected with the ball. He fouled out to right his first at bat, then straight over home plate and behind the netting on the second. Adrenaline pumped through Ty's blood. The new guy didn't need to be the star of the game. With one out they still had a chance to win—a hell of a good chance to win—but he wanted this to be Jae's moment. He tried to look at the player, not the man, tried to focus on the game rather than after the game. "Just a hit," he muttered. "All we need is a hit, Wise." Jae connected on the swing and hit the ball directly to second, which should have made for a double play. The second basemen, however, fumbled the ball, allowing a run into home to win the game. Not quite a flawless, heroic finish, but a win nonetheless and the crowd let them hear it. 27

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Somewhere in the knot of masculine energy Ty managed to find Jae and give him the traditional slap on the ass. He'd always thought that with bats, balls, all the scratching and patting on butts, baseball was a hell of a lot more homoerotic than anyone wanted to believe. "Beer should be ice cold by now, eh?" Jae asked as they congratulated each other on the field before walking to the locker room. "Sounds good, don't it?" **** London insisted Ty ice his shoulder, which had developed a welt from being hit by a wild pitch. He sat with his feet propped up on the tub of beer while Jae flipped burgers and London told him how she would have done it. "It's like I moved back in with my mom," Jae muttered as he joined Ty at the picnic table. "Sometimes it's worse." Jae made a face. "How'd you two end up living together?" "Bad luck." London slid into her seat and opened a bottle of beer. "I found a job near Chicago, he signed a contract for the team." She shrugged and took a sip of beer. "We've known each other forever. Rather than pay rent separately, it ended up easier this way." Ty only nodded. He owed her for keeping his life a secret and handling the smaller details he always seemed to forget. She worked as a bank manager and made sure his bills were paid on time, especially when he went on the road for weeks at a time and came back not knowing if it was July or August. 28

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Every time he looked at her, he knew she would have been perfect, but he knew a lot of people felt that way about men and women in their lives. If they could have changed the way their hearts beat, they could have fallen in love with ideal mates. "I hope you boys don't mind, but I had plans for this evening before I knew Jae was staying with us, so I'm going to eat and run." London flashed Ty a look that told him he'd better surrender his credit card for whatever turbo powered sex toy she planned to add to her collection. "How will I ever know if you're a good lay?" Jae cocked a brow, giving her a dimpled smile that made Ty's cock twitch. He had perfect, full lips Ty wanted to feel wrapped around his dick. "You are gonna break my heart," London replied, smacking him in the arm. She took her greasy paper plate and sauntered into the house, waving before she told them bottles went in the recycling bucket and trash went in the garbage can. They sat in silence as the engine started in the driveway and London officially left for the evening. Ty stared at his plate and pushed his potato salad around, unwilling to be the first to speak, the first to initiate what could lead to an unforgettable evening. "How's the shoulder?" Ty removed the ice back and dropped it on the table. "I'm fairly certain I'll live to see another day." Those irresistible dimples appeared, melted Ty the moment he risked a glance and found Jae's penetrating dark 29

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blue eyes staring through him. His breath hitched as it hadn't done in years, a snare that wrapped around his insides and tugged, strangled him until he had no choice but to wait for his command. Jae stretched his legs out and borrowed the other side of the beer tub. Long, bare feet arched and drew Ty's attention, delivered him to an unfamiliar longing he'd held back for years. He wanted Jae, every inch of him, every heartbeat, moan, and drop of sweat and come. "Did you ever find out who your host family is?" Ty asked, his voice hoarse and unrecognizable. "Never asked." Jae's voice had changed, too, turned darker, raw and urgent. "It's only a week." He didn't know if he said it as a warning or because he feared their time would end before it started. More on edge than ever, he took his feet off the tub lip and leaned forward for another beer. The courage he needed to either step up or walk away lived in his third beer of the night. He reached for the bottle neck just as Jae swung his legs down and planted them on the concrete, his legs wide open and inviting, his knees bent over the edge of what Ty intended on grabbing. Arm outstretched, he paused and stared at the ice and beer, at the long, muscular legs dusted in dark hair. He could almost taste the salt of Jae's sac in the back of his throat, smell the coppery musk, the pure essence of male. He didn't need to meet Jae's eye to know those dark blue eyes studied him. That lingering gaze had burrowed under his 30

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skin, made his prick jump and frustration rise, a tide of need that would drown him. A wide, steady hand clapped down on Ty's knee and he glanced up, staring at the image of man against man, an innocent yet forbidden pleasure. He sucked in a breath, wished to God they'd been sitting closer together, somewhere more private than a backyard where they could lean into one another and escape. One deep breath became two. Ty couldn't decide if he'd started to settle down or if panic and desire rattled through him harder and faster than before. "How long have you been on the team?" Jae asked, his voice soft and inviting, a key to unlocking the door Ty had held shut for longer than he could remember. "Four years. I went to school downstate and came up here. Signed a contract and have been with the Arsenal ever since. You?" "Just got released from Cincinnati about a week ago. Don't know what I'm doing after this week. Sorta been hoping Zember will fall and break his kneecap or something before my week is up." He smiled again, still crooked and filled with promises. As he grinned, Jae ran the tips of his fingers through the coarse, golden hair on Ty's leg, drew short, sensual lines inching up his thigh. "Nice." He swallowed, felt as though he might shatter if he remained immobile. With everything inside of him, every fear of rejection and every hope for something more than he'd had, he placed his hand over Jae's and held it, soaking up the warmth and feel of flesh, bones, and veins. He stroked down 31

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the length of long, thick fingers, felt the protrusion of knuckles and the lines of veins pulsing with life, Jae's life. They stared at one another, held captivated by each other's grasp, prisoner to their own desires. "Mosquitoes are coming out," Jae murmured. He reached to his shorts and adjusted his cock, the outline of which had turned obvious. Ty resisted the urge to fall on his knees and plunge that thick, hard dick into his mouth. He nodded, stood, and took one last sip of beer. "The Sox might be playing." They cleaned up the porch in silence and then Jae followed Ty inside, their bodies close, the heat and scent of sex and anticipation thrumming between them. The sliding glass door slammed shut, and as Ty turned, wanting to tell Jae he'd lost control of his mind, hot hands grabbed him around the waist and stilled him. Together they stood in the shadows, Jae's hips pressed to Ty's ass, his breath on the back of his neck, his chest against his shoulders. Eyes closed, Ty savored the warmth and strength, the feel of broad hands skimming up his sides to grasp his chest and thumb his nipples. It had never been like this, never tender and sensual, slow and perfect. He'd only been with two men, the first a nightmare, the second a comfortable friendship ruined by lust—one that had seemed secondary to his college career. He'd hurt Jack, destroyed the only loving male relationship he'd ever had for the sake of the game, and swore it would never happen again. But this needed to happen. 32

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Ty leaned back against Jae's chest, tilted his head back and turned, searching for lips, for a face to meet his. He found it, the soft, damp kiss he'd craved. Lips parted, he tasted Jae, ran his tongue along the seam of his teammate's mouth until they both groaned. Turning, he found himself in the arm's of a man, in the clutches of a dream that had eluded him. Jae ran his fingers through Ty's hair, stroked the back of his neck where the muscles had bunched and knotted, tense with frustration and the life of an athlete. With greater tenderness than Ty thought possible, Jae massaged him, kneaded his sinewy shoulders and neck until Ty moaned in pleasure, in relief he hadn't expected. "What are we doing?" Ty murmured, the feathery caress of lips against his. "I think it's obvious," Jae replied. He dropped his hand down over Ty's pounding heart. Their foreheads touched and for a long time neither of them spoke, both drifting in their own personal heavens and hells. "Look, Ty, I'm attracted to you and I think you feel the same—no, I know you feel the same." He swallowed, still petting Ty's hair, still soothing him. "But whatever you want is cool with me." "I've never done this before," Ty blurted out. Jae lifted his head and met his eye. Hunger lingered, melded with what Ty thought looked like dread. Frustrated, Ty pulled away, feeling as though every seam holding him together would give way. He turned, preferring the safety of a nonjudgmental refrigerator to the gaze of a man he wanted. "I've been with others, just not like this." 33

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The same hands that had caressed him gripped his shoulders, steadying him when he knew for certain he couldn't hold himself up. "We've got a week to get it right." "Can you wait a week?" "I will," Jae answered, his tone as soothing as his voice. "If that's what it takes." "What would you do if we were together now?" Ty rasped. Jae trailed his hands down Ty's front, his fingers splayed as he explored the hard plane of Ty's chest and maneuvered over the divots of ribs and chiseled abs. Ty silently willed him lower, begging him to reach into his shorts and touch him, feel him as he hadn't been touched in a long time by either a man or a woman. Damp lips planted fiery, wet kisses along the column of his throat, along his racing, soaring pulse. Ty swallowed, closing his eyes to the tremendous weight released within him. "I'd do this," Jae murmured, reaching around to unbutton Ty's shorts. He felt the masculine bulge at his back, the thick, hard outline of a cock he wanted to touch, but he couldn't move when Jae had his arms around him. Mesmerized, he watched Jae's broad hand dip into his loosened pants, and he groaned as his erection became free, the strain of clothing released. "You're bigger than I thought," Jae panted, his teeth grazing Ty's neck, sinking into his shoulder to mark him, claim him as a lover. Ty couldn't resist. He reached back and yanked at Jae's belt, fumbling blindly to touch his partner. Chest heaving, he turned and unzipped Jae's shorts, pulling them down around 34

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his knees before he sank his hand into Jae's briefs and grasped the length of his rock hard cock. Jae shivered, releasing a harsh breath that only encouraged Ty. They looked at one another, studying each other's faces with glazed eyes, and instincts of a predator seeking its prey kicked into full gear. "I want to suck you off," Ty said, barely able to believe his words, his request. He'd never said what he'd wanted, always went along with the flow—no matter how it left him in the end. Jae swallowed and nodded. He pushed on Ty's shoulders and guided him to his knees on the hard tile floor. As though to soothe him again, he ran his fingers through Ty's hair, caressed his cheeks and jaw, rubbed the shell of his ears. Ty inhaled deeply as he pulled Jae's underwear down and took in the sight of the engorged head and heavy, large testicles. He ran his thumb along the plumb-shaped crown, smoothed the pad over the sensitive ridge and watched Jae's prick twitch, saw the flat, toned belly inhale sharply. He ran the tip of his tongue up Jae's shaft, felt him lean forward as his lips reached the head and tasted him, all of him. Jae's fist balled in Ty's hair, a silent request for more, but Ty realized he was in control. He had the power of how and when they would make love. Boldly he gazed up and saw the feather of long lashes shielding blazing, deep-blue eyes. He watched Jae's lips part, saw the frustration ebb as pleasure filled his roommate—and he filled Ty's mouth. 35

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Ty took him in, nudged Jae's legs farther apart and swept his fingers along the insides of Jae's thighs, feeling the smooth, velvety skin hidden beneath hair. His head bobbed, mouth sucking on Jae until he felt the head of Jae's cock at the back of his throat. He slid Jae's dick from his mouth, licked at his own saliva and the beads of arousal coating the tip while his hands wrapped around Jae's hips and gripped his ass, pulling him closer while at the same time spreading him wide open. Jae thrust forward as Ty fingered his hole, penetrating him slowly. He licked and sucked faster than before, allowing Jae to shove his cock deeper into his mouth. They found their quick, hard rhythm, both men groaning as they experienced each other. Ty took Jae into his mouth faster as he prodded at his housemate's tight hole. Jae felt impossibly hard and ready to explode as Ty massaged his prostate, caressed the smooth, firm inner wall of his lover and wished he could stroke him with his dick. "Ty," Jae growled. Ty gazed up at Jae and found the third basemen staring down at him, his gaze heavily lidded, his lips twisted in need. Ty roughly grabbed Jae's ass cheeks and urged him to fuck his mouth harder, give him every drop of seed. With a groan Jae found relief, his fingers digging into Ty's shoulders. His eyes squeezed shut as his hips gave several lighter, slow thrusts. A rush of heat filled Ty's mouth and he swallowed, taking in the taste and feel of sperm on his tongue and the roof of his mouth. He groaned, showing his pleasure 36

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and appreciation as Jae pulled him to his feet. For the first time since he'd lowered before his lover, Ty realized his knees hurt like hell. The surreal fantasy came to an end as Ty looked Jae in the eye. He didn't know what to say or do, whether they'd lie in each other's arms or sit on opposite sides of the couch and watch the game as though nothing had happened. Reaching down, Ty adjusted his own aching cock and cleared his throat. "It's probably in the seventh inning by now." Could he be any lamer? Jae only grinned and zipped up his shorts. He eyed Ty while the two of them stood in the kitchen, an awkward silence growing between them. Just when Ty didn't think it could get worse, Jae walked past him and paused at the stairs leading to the den. His dark blue eyes burrowed into Ty, making him keenly aware the night had only begun. "You could turn on the TV," he said, "but I guarantee you won't be watching the game." [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 4 Ty sat down first and spread his knees, giving his throbbing dick extra space as he turned on the television for background noise and found the game tied. He didn't much care about the score or who was batting. If something didn't happen soon in the den, he'd be on the DL for a severe groin injury caused by an endless erection. "Are you a Sox fan?" Jae asked as he lowered to one knee on the couch and straddled Ty's right leg. His fingers ran through the dark hair on Ty's inner thigh. Body tense, Ty felt his balls tighten, ready to explode. As he watched Jae, he realized he'd never been with anyone and felt ready to come before he'd had any physical stimulation. With Jae, Ty felt pretty damn sure all his partner had to do was smile to get him off. Distracted by the hands kneading his chest, Ty stammered, his brain overloaded and unable to form words. "Uh, they're okay. Everyone became a Sox fan when they won in 2005." "It happens." Bending, Jae pressed his lips to Ty's for a soft, brief kiss that was anything but innocent. A surge of pure sexual desire left Ty breathless and more than willing to surrender. He wanted Jae to touch him, stroke his sides and grab his hips, plant kisses on the head of his cock, and get him off with his hand or mouth. It didn't matter as long as it was Jae in control. 38

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Ty put his arms around Jae's neck and pulled him close, sinking into male warmth. It felt forbidden but right, a secret pleasure he hadn't experienced in the privacy of his own home. In college, it had been a tiny apartment with paper thin walls. He and Jack had done everything quick and silent, always afraid someone would find them together, always wary that a knock on the door could be one of the guys on the team. But he and Jae were alone, and even if she hadn't come out and said it, London wouldn't be back until late. For the first time Ty groaned aloud, drawing Jae to him. They lay on the couch, Jae's hard body kneeling over Ty, who tilted his hips up to increase the friction between them. The aching became unbearable, and Ty grabbed Jae's free hand and guided it between his legs. With one sweeping touch, Jae knocked the breath from Ty's lungs and caught it with a hard kiss. His dick twitched, begging to be released. He grunted, lifting from the couch as Jae fumbled to unzip Ty's shorts. His fingertips grazed the head of Ty's cock and he held his breath, afraid he'd come before they got started. Ty pulled his head back and licked his lips before he nuzzled Jae's throat and inhaled his familiar scent. With no need for words, he merely kissed Jae where his jaw met his neck, flicked his tongue against the fast, steady pulse—the heart that beat for him. Long fingers wrapped around Ty's length, engulfing him in body heat. He groaned to the sensation of his cock and sac being stroked in a gentle yet steady rhythm. His eyes 39

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squeezed shut, lips parted as he exhaled hard, letting Jae know exactly what he did to him. Jae lifted Ty's shirt and bunched it high on his chest, then pressed his lips to Ty's bare flesh and ran the tip of his tongue along the flat disc of his nipple. Ty reached up, ran his fingers through Jae's thick, dark hair while he ventured lower, kissing and licking Ty's ribs and belly until he breathed hard and hot between Ty's hips. "Do you know when you first had me?" Jae murmured. "Hmm?" He couldn't bring himself to speak. "When I heard you in the shower and knew you were thinking about me." Jae ran his tongue from Ty's hip and around to his belly button, which he nibbled. He cupped Ty's testicles, ran his thumb between the two tight balls and around to the back until it pressed behind Ty's scrotum and made him groan. "You're hard to forget," Ty said under his breath. "I like to watch," Jae said, the heat of his every breath low on Ty's belly, a temptation he could barely resist. "When men are in the shower, I like to watch them touch themselves, the way they cup their own balls and wash their dicks." "You want to watch me?" "Later." His lips brushed Ty's engorged head. Needing more, Ty pushed his hips up, arching his back until the crown slipped between Jae's waiting lips. His hands balled into fists, teeth clamped down on his bottom lip to stifle a scream of ecstasy. Every muscle in his body tightened, every nerve wanted to react, to release waves of pleasure until it overwhelmed and exhausted him. 40

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Jae licked Ty from his sac to his tip, his tongue zigzagging along the sensitive ridge, sliding easily over the head and down the rock hard length until he consumed all of him. Ty struggled to hold on as he lifted his head and watched his dick disappear into Jae's mouth; two broad, sun-bronzed hands gripped his thighs. "I'm going to come," he murmured, not knowing if it was a warning or a promise. He tossed his head back, squeezed his eyes shut, and cursed loudly, unable to hold back what had been neatly contained for far too long. The swell of arousal turning to release made his hips jerk. He clawed at Jae's upper arms, his shoulders hunched as climax rippled through him. With a groan he ran his finger's through Jae's thick, dark hair and savored the feel of him. Crawling up Ty's body, Jae kissed him again, this time slower, a lazy exploration of mouths and lips. Eyes closed, Ty lay back and enjoyed the feel of him, his hands trailing along Jae's back, kneading the long, corded muscles. "Do you have any toys?" Jae rasped, his lips still against Ty's. "Upstairs." Jae grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him into a sitting position, jolting him from one blissful moment and forcing him into another bout of arousal. The look in his eyes promised it would be different this time, no longer for the pleasure of one but for both of them—and nothing would stop them from enjoying every minute they had alone. "What kind?" 41

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Ty chuckled to himself as they both stood. He felt dizzy with pleasure, an intoxicating state he didn't want to lose. "A couple of different things. Nothing to brag about, though." Jae cocked a brow, his thumbs still massaging Ty's shoulders. "I've got a stainless steel dong." Jae nodded in approval. "It was sort of a joke from London. Long story short, she felt she owed me a dong because of all the vibrators I've bought her." "This sounds like something I want to hear more about later." Jae nudged Ty toward the doorway and they walked out of the den without bothering to turn off the TV or check the score of the game. **** "You're very ... organized," Jae said as he followed Ty into his bedroom. "Were you in the military at some point?" "Went to military school." He shrugged. "But not for very long." "What happened?" "Well, London spent the night away from home and somewhere along the way my parents thought I'd knocked her up. She got kicked out while I got sent away so I wouldn't be tempted to screw every girl who came along. Once they ended up finding out she was still a virgin, I came back home and she ended up staying with my grandmother because she wouldn't back down or accept an apology." 42

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Jae didn't reply, but Ty didn't expect him to say anything. Even as a teenager he'd known it was a fucked up situation. His parents were extremely strict and didn't allow talk of sex in their household, which resulted in his older sister becoming the school's slut. Her reputation at least took the focus off his sexuality. His parents were already convinced he'd go to hell for shacking up with London, whom he'd yet to actually impregnate. If they discovered what he really was, they'd never speak to him again, which was already an issue. London's parents were worse than his by a long shot. She hadn't spoken to them since junior year in high school, and he remembered her calling their house one Christmas Eve with intentions of making amends and reconnecting with her mom. From the den where he sat playing Halo he heard her scream at them over the phone, though he didn't know who had started it or what had been said. Unable to do anything more for her, he sat her on the couch and let her rest her head in his lap until she cried herself to sleep while watching It's A Wonderful Life. Everything in their lives would have been easier if he could have changed himself. He'd spent all night wondering if she'd tell him he ruined her life, but she never did. "Then I'm guessing you've always been a neat freak," Jae said at last, nodding toward a spotless dresser. "You've got it half right," he mumbled. "Well, you have a dong you've never used which you claim London owed you. So freak? That sounds about right." Ty shook his head, unable to stop a grin from spreading across his lips. "I guess I'll take what I can get right." 43

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"You don't strike me as the kind who takes it often." Ty rolled his tongue along the inside of his cheek and crossed his arms, unsure of the meaning behind Jae's words. "I just come to play ball and mind my own business." "Keeps people out of yours?" He nodded. "For the most part." "So ... no one knows?" "Can you imagine what would happen if they did?" "London obviously knows." "That's different." Ty took a seat at the end of his bed and looked up at Jae standing in the middle of the room. "Because she's in love with you?" Ty's lips parted, but he couldn't bring himself to reply. In a way he wanted others to think they were in love since it made everything appear normal, but he didn't want Jae to notice. Somehow that was too big of a lie too soon. "We've shared the same place for a long time." Jae pulled up a chair beside the bed and straddled it. "Do you have feelings for her?" He trailed his fingertips down Ty's knee while he looked him in the eye. "I wish I did." He hadn't expected misery soaked into his every word, hadn't thought it would stab him deep inside to admit what he would never have. "You don't think you're torturing each other?" Ty exhaled. "We're friends who share a house and it's always worked for us. That's the beginning and the end of it." Jae nodded and leaned in closer. "How much longer do you think she'll be gone?" 44

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An unspoken promise lingered in Jae's words, and Ty pursed his lips. He wanted more than a blowjob, he wanted the start of a relationship, no matter how briefly they stayed together. Ty had never thought in terms of the man of his dreams, but he'd always wanted someone who shared his interests, which Jack hadn't. While Ty watched baseball scores, Jack obsessed over tennis and CNN. He didn't have wild fantasies of sex in the locker room, though he'd stared at the box seats at The Cell and imagined it would be pretty damn hot to make love during a White Sox game and coming just as the home team scored a grand slam. "Another hour or so?" Jae questioned when Ty didn't answer. At last Ty shrugged. "Maybe another two hours." His heart rate sped up; his hand closed over Jae's and gave a firm squeeze. He thought about all of the lube in his sock drawer and how he wanted Jae to coat his fingers and slowly enter him, work him in and out until he was ready to take him fully. His cock jumped, turned uncomfortable in his shorts and forced him to spread his legs. Jae stood unexpectedly, and Ty followed him to his feet. Before Jae had a chance to speak, Ty grabbed him by the hips and pulled him forward, smashing Jae's chest to his. He wondered if Jae could feel his heart pounding against his chest, wondered if the third basemen knew how much he wanted him. Ty smiled, feeling Jae's growing erection push against their joined hips. With a soft groan, Ty ran his fingers up and down Jae's back, brushing against his firm, round ass before he 45

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slipped his hands beneath Jae's waistband and teased his seam. "Show me your toys," Jae murmured between kisses. Ty reached back and fumbled with opening the dresser drawer. He rummaged his way blindly through socks and loose change until he found a condom, a tube of lubrication, and the dong's cool, smooth surface. Jae had Ty's pants unbuttoned and unzipped before Ty showed him the dong. In frantic silence they kissed and groped one another until their shorts and underwear pooled at their ankles. Jae lifted Ty's shirt and thumbed his hardened nipples, sending waves of pleasure directly into Ty's groin. He'd never done much nipple play as he'd considered it mostly a feminine act, but Jae's heated breaths and wet tongue made him reconsider. Swallowing hard, Ty flipped the cap open and squeezed lube onto his fingers. He kissed Jae's bare shoulder and sucked his earlobe while he fingered the third basemen's hard ass. "Do you want to play with me?" Jae murmured. "God, yes," Ty exhaled, his voice a hiss of desire. He looked Jae in the eye, saw his heavy-lidded gaze alight with need. He wanted to see Jae's expression change, watch his visage contort as the dong sank into him, parting him inch by inch until he eased past discomfort and found himself at the height of pleasure. Pushing on his chest, Ty guided Jae onto the bed and moved his muscular legs up. Jae rested his head on a pillow and placed his hands beneath it, propping himself up for a 46

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better view while Ty stroked and petted Jae's large, heavy testicles. He teased Jae's balls, rubbed his index finger behind the sac until he circled the tight, waiting hole. Jae lifted his hips, groaning in anticipation while Ty drew back and traced circles on Jae's inner thighs. "You're fucking cruel," Jae muttered, smiling as he closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Ty licked his lips. "We have plenty of time," he replied. Jae spread his knees, his thick cock resting against his belly. While he continued to play with Jae's balls, he watched the veins spread through the neglected member. Bending, he licked Jae from his sac to the engorged head, tasting familiar pre-cum. He had to adjust himself as he listened to Jae moan louder, needing more stimulation. Squirting lube onto the rounded tip, Ty knelt on the bed and pressed the toy to Jae's ass. He worked it slowly in, feeling Jae open to him. "Fuck," Jae muttered. He lifted his arm and settled his hand between Ty's legs, forcing them open. Ty paused, drew his gaze away from Jae's hips and stared down at the fist wrapped around his cock. Jae's thumb swirled along the tip of Ty's rock hard dick, lubed him with his own arousal. When he felt Jae push against the toy, Ty tore his gaze away from Jae's hand and guided the stainless steel dong farther into his partner, watching as it disappeared into him. His anus tightened as though in memory of the first time he'd lay awake in darkness and masturbated, feeding his sexually starved body with an intense release. He wanted Jae to 47

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experience that with him, to feel the tug on the inside as the promise of a hard climax became a sense-rendering finish. "Harder," Jae panted, his ass clear off the bed. Ty pushed the dong fully into Jae and turned it as he pulled it out, making Jae's legs tremble and balls tighten. His neglected dick stood inches from Ty's face, an irresistible delicacy Ty couldn't wait to taste again. He bent further over Jae and waited until he rose again as the dong entered him fully, then bent over him and caught Jae's dick between his lips. Jae cursed again, louder than before as he lifted, thrusting himself deeper into Ty's mouth. Ty pounded the dong into his lover and felt Jae's balls become tighter, his dick hard as the stainless steel toy deep in his ass. It came as a surprise when Jae collapsed onto the bed, strings of sperm spurting from his cock and into Ty's mouth. He pushed at Ty's hand until he removed the dong and then he sat up and wrapped his arms around Ty, holding him tight as he kissed him hard. They locked together, Ty cradled between Jae's opened thighs. With the toy and lube discarded, they focused on one another, Ty still petting Jae's shoulders as he ran his fingers through his lover's thick, dark hair. Jae pumped Ty's cock, stroking him hard until Ty thought for sure he'd come in Jae's hand. "Fuck me," Jae said in Ty's ear, his fingers digging into Ty's shoulders. He rolled almost into a ball, his legs bent and body curled until Ty's dick rested against Jae's hole. With his teeth, Jae opened a condom and rolled it down Ty's cock, still 48

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stroking him to keep him hard—as if he'd lose his erection now. With his weight supported on his extended arms, Ty groaned and felt Jae guide him in. He found it almost impossible to control himself, but he knew from experience that he needed to be slow and gentle, to allow Jae a moment to adjust. There were ways to work past pain, to ensure his partner experienced little to no discomfort. Ty listened to Jae breathe, felt him relax and surrender. He shifted his weight and ran his fingertips along Jae's cheeks and lips, which parted to suckle his index finger. He thrust his hips forward and felt Jae wrap around him, smooth, tender flesh against masculine flesh, the heat of their bodies and breaths joining. They both groaned, both gave themselves to the moment and became one, inch for inch. Ty paused when he felt his testicles against Jae's and realized he was in to the hilt. He looked down at Jae, saw the intense pleasure in his partner's gaze and knew they were both ready, both in need of satisfaction. Between them, Jae's cock had already recovered and settled hard between them, which made Ty want to fuck him as hard as possible and make him come again. He glided in and out of Jae, stroked him with long, slow thrusts. Together they grunted and sighed, their eyes locked on one another and adding to the intimacy they shared. Jae's face crumpled, his sighs turned to long, heaving breaths that told Ty his lover had reached the apex. He braced himself, his shoulders aching as he took Jae faster, 49

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pounding into him until the bed creaked beneath their combined weight and the headboard slammed against the wall. This was as loud as he'd ever been during sex, even the handful of times he'd tried to force his mind and body to want a woman. He gritted his teeth and growled, his balls slapping against Jae's body, his dick deep inside his partner's tight hole. They came together, both of them cursing and groaning as Ty spurt into Jae and the third basemen shot his load between them. When he could no longer hold himself upright, Ty pulled out and rolled onto his side beside Jae, draping an arm over the hard, heaving chest of his partner. He could feel Jae's heart thumping as he rested, their bodies slick and fitting together, two men lost in their own pleasure and each other's arms. Ty felt as though he should have said something, but he didn't know what to say. Instead he closed his eyes and smiled when he felt Jae shift and plant a soft kiss on his mouth. "I get to play with you next." [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 5 London never came home before Jae and Ty had to leave for the ballpark. They took the old beater usually confined to the garage and ended up asking the next door neighbor to jump them halfway down the street. "Should we try to call and see if she's okay?" Jae asked. "I already tried." Ty's hands gripped the steering wheel, his jaw tense. "She must have forgotten to turn on her phone." Or she'd been raped and killed. Maybe kidnapped. Held for ransom. Thrown into the river. Fuck, he hated when she disappeared like this and didn't bother to tell him. He had no control of her life, but during a home stand he preferred knowing she'd made it through the night no worse for wear. She didn't pull this kind of shit often, but by now she should have known it brought out the caveman in him, the nonsexual yet overprotective side that wanted to make sure she was safe. He'd kill anyone who hurt her, no questions asked. "I guess you'll know when she's at the game." Jae shifted in his seat and attempted to roll the window down since the rusted Ford didn't have air and the car had turned into an oven on wheels. "Yeah." Ty exhaled and stepped on the gas. She'd better get her ass to the game. They were already twenty minutes late and counting, but Ty knew Mueller, who lived three blocks from the stadium, would probably be the last man in. A morning spent 51

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showering with Jae and more foreplay before they'd finally dressed made the twenty minutes worth it. He'd stood beneath the steaming hot water while Jae leaned against the tile wall and watched him masturbate. Something about being watched had turned him on and he'd found himself working his shaft harder than usual, cupping and fondling his own balls for Jae's pleasure. Once he'd come, he'd changed places with Jae and helped him get off, fingering his partner's ass until he'd shot his wad all over Ty's stomach. He'd definitely never experienced anything like this in his life, but now he had other things crowding his mind. "She probably had an even better night than us," Jae said. He reached over and squeezed Ty's knee. "If that's humanly possible." Ty smiled and glanced over at Jae. His pulse raced as he looked at the hand resting on his knee. They weren't far from the stadium, and in his tiny, rusted car, trucks passing could see the intimacy between them, the forbidden affection he didn't want to hide. But whereas Jae had a temporary contract with the team, Ty had until September before he could walk the other way. This would be his last season no matter if the Arsenal went all the way or swan dived in the playoffs, but he knew his teammates could make the rest of the season pure hell. It was just the way the game went. He'd participated in enough hazings to know the strength in numbers. "Do you want to make some calls or something?" Jae asked, sliding his hand into his own lap. "I don't know where she went last night." 52

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Awkward silence fell between them as they pulled into the parking lot. Several of the guys who worked in and around the stadium were walking into the locker room and waved before they disappeared into the air conditioned confines. "She'll turn up," Jae said. He walked up beside Ty and patted his shoulder, the startling closeness between them causing Ty to hold his breath. "Yeah," he said, and he quickened his pace until Jae was forced to follow behind him. **** By the seventh inning with the game tied 4-4, Ty found himself searching the half-empty stadium for London each time he went up to bat. She normally arrived late on Sundays since she slept in, but she'd always arrived before the top of the third. She would have chewed his ass for striking out twice, but he preferred her bitching rather than missing. "Not here yet?" Jae sat next to Ty and guzzled his watered down sports drink. He shook his head. "I usually hear her before I see her." "So I've noticed." "By now she's usually hoarse." Ty took off his cap and ran his fingers through his damp hair. Whether she came to the stadium or not was none of his business, but he was a creature of habit and this pissed him off. He went through the motions, his head out of the game and rifling through their earlier conversation in case he'd forgotten what she'd said. 53

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"Hey." Jae slugged Ty in the shoulder in the top of the ninth and nodded toward the opposing team's dugout. "She's here." It took Ty a moment to find her scrunched up in the stands with her bare toes wiggling against the seat in front of her. Two big guys sat a row ahead of her in a section otherwise empty and in the shade, which was odd for her. Normally on a Sunday afternoon she soaked up all the rays she could get while she screamed at the top of her lungs. No wonder he hadn't found her as she sat with her baseball cap pulled down over her eyes and an oversized jersey—probably one of his from the previous year—wrapped around her. With sunglasses blocking her eyes, he couldn't tell if she'd had a rough night, though normally she came home sober. The responsible one in the household, she only drank when they had the party at their house. Seeing as how she hadn't come home, though, he had no idea what state she was in. "Thanks." Ty looked up to smile at Jae, but the third basemen had grabbed his glove and left the dugout as the Arsenal took to the field. Pecci handed Ty his glove and hat and hit him in the center of the chest. "You look like hell and you're playing like shit. Must have been a good night." "Jealous?" he asked as he followed Pecci out to the field. "Of you? Hell, no." "Yeah, you are the resident stud." "Your girl looks tired, too," Pecci said before he sprinted away. "Must be from her time with me," he shouted. 54

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"Must be." Ty kicked at the brick dust and smacked his fist against the inside of his weathered glove. He milled around as the relief pitcher warmed up and the interns tossed promotional T-shirts into the crowd. Jae wandered closer to him, a bag of sunflower seeds in hand. "Did you see Cogan almost choke on these in the bullpen?" A smile spread wide across Jae's face, his blue eyes creased, as he passed the sunflower seeds to Ty. "Typical day with the Arsenal." The tips of their fingers brushed and Ty almost yanked his hand back. He stared at Jae briefly, wondering if they stood too close together, wondering if their posture gave away their relationship. He grinned back and poured some sunflower seeds into his open palm. "Do you have plans after the game?" Jae asked. "A nap." He tossed the barbeque flavored seeds into his mouth before he crumpled the bag and threw it back to Jae. "What are you? Ninety?" Ty cracked his knuckles and twisted from side to side, feeling the muscles in his back strain. Every day left him sore, though the last few days had been much worse since he'd spent a lot of time sleeping on the team bus. "Something like that." The music faded and the announcer introduced the Arsenal's relief pitcher. With a wink, Jae tucked the bag into his back pocket and started back to third base. Ty watched Jae leave, then looked past him into the stands where London had disappeared. 55

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Her secret rendezvous and late arrival gnawed at him, though he couldn't justify his concern. They were both adults, and even though they shared a house they didn't need to check in with each other. The batter hit a line drive straight at Ty, which he heard before he saw. He leaped into the air and tipped the ball with his glove, sending it over his head and into the outfield. Pecci called it and ran behind him, scooping it up and throwing to first where the batter was called safe. "What game you watching, Parker?" Pecci grumbled as he headed back to second. Ignoring him, Ty took up his position and waited for the next play, trying to keep London from his mind. With his thoughts on her, he left himself little room to think about the game, and as it was, the Wizards and the Arsenals were too evenly matched to allow for mistakes on his part. With the end of the season only three weeks away and several teams on the fence between making the playoffs and going home early, they couldn't afford to lose this one. The Arsenals managed to get out of the inning on a double play and Ty went up to bat. With his focus returned to the game, he didn't bother looking for London, though he found himself listening for her high-pitched whistles as he regrouped after the second strike. Down in the count, he took two more practice swings before he stood in and waited for the next pitch. After a foul ball, the catcher called a time out, which left Ty to practice swinging again. He hated when anyone called 56

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time. The surge of music, this time Bon Jovi, and birthday announcements took him out of his groove. He'd always heard players talk about the zone, though he didn't have one. His concentration was more of a dead-end street where he could see everything happening but couldn't escape it. One of the regulars he nicknamed Doc sat in the front row along the third baseline still dressed in his scrubs and yelled, "We need a hit! Don't you dare screw this up like you usually do, boy!" He liked it when the fans didn't pressure him, and he loved it when they had faith in his ability to play. Doc's voice succumbed to the cheers and various ballpark noises while Ty stood ready, waiting to see what the Wizards' relief pitcher would deal him. He swung at a fastball, which shot across the infield, hitting the pitcher's mound as it bounced directly toward the second baseman. Ty tossed his bat to the ground and heard it roll across the ground. Teeth gritted, he ran toward first despite it being an easy out. He'd learned anything could happen—and to his surprise, the ball hit the brick dust and changed direction. The hitting coach signaled him to base, the crowd on their collective feet, yelling and screaming as they cheered. While the ball rolled to the right and into a pocket between the second basemen and first base, Ty ran like hell until he reached second, where he was called to a stop. The outfielder hurled the ball to the short stop, who stood several feet away. The cacophony turned shrill, the noise urging him 57

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on. He took two more steps and dove head first, arms outstretched and legs straight. Sliding into second, he glanced up and saw the umpire call him safe. The crowd roared with excitement, and as music and three thousand voices filled the stadium, he stood and brushed his pants off, his white uniform stained with red from the infield. For the first time since he'd spotted her, London managed to outdo the crowd with her shrill whistling. Ty squinted and saw her cheering for Jae, who had stepped up to bat. He mouthed something to Ty, who thought it might have been, "You lucky bastard." Tugging at his hat, he grinned back and stepped away from second, prepared to run if Jae got a base hit. Jae swung on the first pitch and caught nothing but air. The pitcher threw to second, attempting to catch Ty off guard before he set up again and threw the second pitch, which was way outside and called a ball. Ty inched along the baseline, waiting for the perfect moment to steal third and bring the Arsenal one step closer to winning the game. Come on, Jae. They needed this win, this celebration. He watched his teammate, his lover, stand in and swing again for another strike and felt his own heart slam against his chest. Another win before they headed back on the road would make the evening run smoother. Before London showed up he'd already imagined a post game spent alone, just the two of them together in the dark, no fear of being caught. "Just a hit," he mumbled as the pitcher threw the ball. 58

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Jae swung again, this time connecting with the pitch. It wasn't a hard hit, which Ty had expected from the moment Jae swung, but it got past the infield and landed several feet behind them, almost in the same spot where Ty had hit the ball. Ty watched for only a split second before he took off running to third and rounded the base. The hitting coach signaled him into home and he ran, ignoring the crowd and the commotion around him as the outfielder snatched up the ball and hurled it toward home. He didn't need to see the play—he'd seen it thousands of times before in major league games and in situations where he was the defense. One run scored and the game was over, the perfect sendoff for another road trip. Arms out, Ty dove into home, dust and dirt pelting his face. His shoulder hit the catcher's shin pad and knocked his opponent off balance before he could field the ball and force the out. Ty scrambled to turn and touch the plate as the catcher reached for the ball, which had become trapped beneath his outstretched leg. The crowd behind them called Ty safe, their collective voices clear and demanding. With his scratched and bloodied hand planted firmly on the base, Ty lay outstretched and waiting for the call, sweat trickling down the back of his neck. The ump stared down at him and the catcher who struggled to keep his foot on the base. The ump finally spread his arms, and the crowd went wild before Ty could hear the official call him safe. Jae pulled Ty to his feet as the dugout emptied. 59

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"Way to run, Grandpa," Jae said as he put his arm around Ty and thumped him on the back. "Nice hit," Ty replied. He pulled back and looked Jae in the eye. Swallowing hard, he forced himself to stand farther back, afraid the adrenaline thrumming through his system would make him embrace Jae harder. If only they'd been alone, if only they could have shared a moment together, he would have wrapped his arms around Jae and tackled him, sending them rolling in a heap on the ground. Then, when he had him pinned on the sun-warmed grass he would have kissed Jae on the mouth, tasted and touched him as he had the previous night. Tangled together, he would have murmured how much he wanted to share this victory with him. A tangle of hard, sweaty bodies gathered at home plate and surrounded them, forcing them both apart. The blare of fire engines, the traditional victory sound at Benton Field, echoed through the stadium as the Arsenal lined up and congratulated each other on their own turf while the Wizards returned the dugout and filed back to their locker room. Someone patted Ty on the ass and he turned to find Zember standing behind him. Big Z looked like something that had ventured down from the hills with his scraggly beard and unkempt chops. Curls of wild, dark hair showed beneath his cap and he grinned. "If we were still roommates, Parker, I'd spoon you tonight." "I appreciate that, Big Z." 60

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Zember lumbered off as the team headed back to the locker room. With the stands half-empty, he gazed around one last time for London and found her up top talking to one of the ushers. She was playing with her hair, a sure sign something had made her uneasy. He waited a moment to see if she'd look at him, but Jae came up beside him and squeezed his arm. The charge he felt between them was instant and unbearably strong. If they'd been alone, he could have easily lowered onto his knees and sucked Jae off, smelling the pine tar on the third baseman's hands, feeling the warm summer breeze on the back of his neck as Jae ran his fingers through his partner's hair. Then they could switch places, switch hitting in a completely different style where Ty could stand, groaning and grunting as he gazed at the empty skybox seats, then down at his lover pleasuring him. It wasn't until Jae lightly nudged him in the chest that he realized they were still standing in the field while the rest of the team had gone back to the club house or signed foul balls and tickets for fans. Jae squinted at him, a twinkle in his deep blue eyes. "I don't know about you, but I think I'll grab a cold one and shower at home." [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 6 Ty and Jae left together once they both showered, which Ty said was a personal requirement. He expected to see London waiting in the friends and family waiting area just outside of the club house and hoped she'd offer to buy beer and cook out again. Several host families and girlfriends watched television and enjoyed complementary beverages, but London wasn't part of the dwindling crowd. They exchanged looks before heading to Ty's car and opened all four doors to let out the hot air before they got into the Rusted Inferno, as Jae called it. Zember strolled up, dancing to some song in his head, and kicked the front passenger tire. "Ditching your girl for the new guy?" "Threesome," Ty said. "Sweet." Zember looked him over, grinning like a big idiot. "How come I never got invited to a threesome?" Jae picked dirt and grass out of his cleats and tossed it onto the cement. "He couldn't handle you," he said. Zember scratched himself. "Few can handle the Zember Express." He stood with his feet shoulder's width apart and planted his hands on his hips, which Ty recognized—for reasons he didn't want to think about—as the piss stance. Never one to shut doors or look for privacy, Zember often peed with the bathroom door wide open. He was sort of like the Superman of urination. "Seriously, dude, where's London? 62

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We were going to blame the game on her not losing her voice, but you managed to pull your head out of your ass." His jaw twitched, his gut tight. "She's not feeling well." "Uh oh." Zember hawked and spit. "Baby Parker on the way?" Ty glanced at Jae. "Who do you think it belongs to? Me or you?" Jae turned his head to the side and squinted. "Tough call." At last Big Z seemed satisfied and pulled his car keys out of his pocket. "Do me a favor and don't take it up the ass too many times, Park," he said, tossing his keys into the air and catching them. "I don't want you to think I'm slacking off when we're back together." "Does he know?" Jae asked as he climbed into the car and Ty followed. Ty started the engine and waited until they were out of the parking lot before he answered. "He's never said it outright but, yeah, he knows." "And he's cool?" Ty forced a smile. "He didn't really have a choice. We're roomies. Have been ever since we played together. It's like part of our contracts now." "He could be an ass about it." "Yeah, he could. In general he is an ass." Jae placed his hand high on Ty's right leg and rubbed the tips of his fingers along Ty's inner thigh. He instantly spread his legs, a jerk of desire pulling at his muscles. The last person he wanted to talk about was Zember. 63

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"What do you want to do tonight?" Jae asked. His voice had changed, turn low and rough, just like his touch. Without looking at Ty, Jae had managed to unbutton Ty's shorts and slip his hand into his pants. He stroked his fingers through the hair on Ty's belly and the thicker hair surrounding his cock until he gently rubbed the head of his aching dick. "You know," Jae said, leaning closer. "I wouldn't mind if everyone else on the team saw us right now." The click of a seat belt being released momentarily tore Ty's gaze from the road. He glanced at Jae from the corner of his eye, then back at the semis in front of them. His foot hit the gas pedal harder, too hard. Goddamn, he had to slow down before he got pulled over for speeding. Ty sat back, his hands clasped tight around the steering wheel. His belly tightened the moment he felt Jae lean into him, his breath coming in waves against Ty's exposed flesh. He glanced down again at the dark, glossy waves of hair spilling out from beneath a navy blue baseball cap and couldn't help himself—he had to feel the back of Jae's head. Eyes fixed on the road again, he pulled off Jae's hat and tossed it into the back seat. "Do you want me to suck you off?" Jae murmured. "Yes." He swallowed, his legs tense, his gaze switching between the road, the speedometer, and his lover's head in his lap. "Tell me." "I want you," Ty answered. "How bad?" "So bad I might scream." 64

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Jae ran his tongue along the head of Ty's cock, and he almost jumped out of the driver's seat. He wanted to plunge into Jae's mouth, fill him to the back of his throat. "Tempting," Jae said. "Very tempting." He kissed Ty's engorged head, his lips soft and wet, a welcome sensation that left him breathless. Ty gritted his teeth, groaning as Jae continued to tease him with gentle kisses and licks. Each time he grew louder, Jae offered a little more, allowing Ty to experience deeper yet still unfulfilling pleasure. Cars whipped around them, the drivers laying on their horns as Ty coasted by their exit. "Shit," he said under his breath. "What?" Jae lifted his head and eyed him. "I just drove past Lake Street." Jae grinned up at him and reached into Ty's shorts, cupping and fondling his tight sac through his baggy pant leg. "You can drive to Canada for all I care." Ty smiled, reaching down to run his fingers through Jae's hair. "I might run out of gas before we're done here." "Then I guess you better start screaming." His lips brushed against Ty's rock hard length, his tongue flicking out to play with the sensitive ridge of flesh on the underside of his dick. Pressure built inside Ty's chest, the need to voice his desire consuming him. But fear made him hollow and wary. In the summer heat there were still many cars on the toll road with their windows down. If they heard him yelling, they'd look at him—not that they could see what was going on, but when he was bouncing around in his seat they'd catch on quickly enough. 65

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Jae slowed his pace, taking Ty into his mouth from tip to root until all Ty could feel was a hot, wet mouth surrounding him. He swallowed, sounds that weren't his own leaving his lips, begging for release. "Louder," Jae said, kissing and stroking Ty with his hand. "Why?" He could barely speak, barely think about anything other than getting off. The road became a tunnel, an endless passage unfurling before them. "Because you need to do this." Ty straightened, his hips lifted from the seat. The car jerked forward, the engine revving in protest twice before he eased off the accelerator and allowed the car to coast back to the speed limit. He risked another glance down and watched Jae's head bob, felt the tug of tongue and lips on his dick, skin against skin. "I don't want you to stop," he said, begged for what it was worth. Jae's strokes had slowed to the point where Ty could barely stand it. He jerked upward again, forcing himself deeper into Jae's mouth. All he had to do was take his hand off the wheel, grab a handful of Jae's hair, and fuck his mouth hard. But he wanted Jae to pleasure him almost as much as he wanted to come in his mouth. His legs were trapped against the inside of the door and the steering column, his groin aching, with climax seeming farther and farther away. "Scream, Ty," Jae said between kisses and long, sloppy licks. He sucked only the head, pulled at the bulbous crown until Ty's every breath hissed through his teeth. "Damn it, scream." 66

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His hands fisted around the steering wheel, a whiteknuckled grasp of fury and desire. He let out a groan, a long, roaring plea as he stomped on the gas pedal and sent the car flying down the expressway, past trucks and cars that had passed them miles ago. The wind rushed past his face and tugged at his baseball cap until it joined Jae's in the back seat. But he barely noticed, and he didn't give a damn if he lost it. His groan turned into a scream, his hips pumping his dick into Jae's mouth until he felt his lover wrap one arm around his lap and steady him. The speedometer reached seventyfive—twenty miles over the speed limit—and Ty reached his limit. He slammed his fist against the steering wheel, growled for Jae to keep going as a hard, blinding orgasm took hold. His foot slipped from the gas pedal, the car's engine quieting as they slowed down. Jae drank him in, petting his inner thighs until Ty pulled at his shirt and made him sit upright. He'd never experienced a climax like that, one that seemed to border life and death. It seemed impossible for anything else to ever compare to the way he'd felt, the way he still felt. "How far are we from home?" Jae finally asked. Ty gave a crooked smile. "About fifteen miles." **** They were both starving when they finally made it to the driveway. London's car was parked on the curb, which Ty took as a sign she may have been leaving again soon. "Grab two beers and I'll meet you outside," Ty said. 67

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Jae nodded and walked through the front door and into the kitchen while Ty paused just outside the foyer and looked upstairs, finding London's bedroom door ajar. He stood for a moment, unsure of what he should say or do, but knowing he needed to speak with her. It wasn't like her to keep her distance, especially after the game when she could glean all of the attention. He tapped her bedroom door and found her at her computer desk, punching numbers on a calculator that spit out tape. "Hey." She glanced up, her reading glasses balanced on the tip of her small nose. "Hey yourself." "Are you busy?" "If keeping you out of financial ruin counts as being busy, then yeah, a little." She smiled as she glanced at him and scooted her chair back. "You and Jae made a very nice play there." "I didn't think you'd make it to the game in time to see it." Her lips pursed, chin lifting. "Me neither." Ty ventured closer, his gaze fixed on a small framed picture of the two of them in high school shortly before she'd been kicked out of her house. The black and white photograph showed them sitting on a bench together. Waistlength ringlets of thick, dark hair escaped from her knit cap, the color unknown. He stared at it for a long time, studied the way she'd leaned into him, her arms wrapped around his neck, her smile wide and teeth gleaming. She looked happy, glowed with affection for him as he sat with a crooked, pasted 68

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on smile. It became obvious that she wanted more than he could ever give her. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" She pushed her chair back and removed her glasses. "If you want to be out on the streets because I messed up your finances, by all means." "London." He took a seat at the end of her bed, the springs groaning under his weight. "Come on." "Fine, what do you need?" She turned away from him and began messing with the computer. Leaning forward, he grabbed the arm of her chair and wheeled her toward him. He waited a moment, wondering if she'd get up and walk out of the room. "What's going on?" She looked down her nose at him and arched a brow. "I have no idea what you're talking about." With his jaw set, he waited, unwilling to argue with her. Eventually she'd talk to him, tell him what he'd done—or what he should do. "Don't give me that look," she said at last, her socks unable to find traction on the wooden floor. "And let go of my chair." His grasp tightened, locking her into place as she put her hands over his and tried to pull him away. "What the hell's wrong with you?" she snapped, staring at his hands. "Don't you have someone waiting for you?" At once he released her and she rolled across the floor, her chair hitting the wall. With a huff she rose and stormed past him. "Why the hell are you in here, anyhow? Changing your mind or out to experiment?" Just as she spoke she turned 69

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away from him and pressed her forehead to the doorframe. For a long moment she stood with her back to him. "Damn it, Ty, can't you see I'm still attracted to ... I'm still a fucking idiot." He rested his head in his hands, felt his pulse in his fingertips and against his temple. Knowing was different than hearing it said aloud, than having her words replayed in his mind over and over again. She walked back into the room and shut her bedroom door, which made him look up. As she stood over him, he watched her, preparing himself for an onslaught of anger. Whatever she wanted to say, he'd listen to her without interruption. After all the time they'd spent together, he felt as though he owed her as much. For years he'd expected her to take care of him, attend games, and pretend she was more to him than was possible. "What are we doing?" she muttered as she nudged him and sat down on the bed. "Lying to ourselves." She grunted and glanced at him, making no attempt to keep the tear from rolling down her cheek. "Why?" "Because it's always been easier than the truth." "We suck." He nodded. "I think we swallow." At last she smiled and shook her head. "I can only speak for myself, but I'll definitely talk to Jae and make sure you're not lying to me." "Do you really want to know?" 70

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Lips pursed, she gazed at him, a silent plea for physical contact. He nodded at her and pushed her head onto his shoulder until their stance mirrored the picture beside her computer. "I'm happy for you," she said. "I like him a lot, better than anyone else you've been with before. Seeing the two of you together on the field and hanging out together is a nice change. Keeps me from babysitting your sorry ass." "Then what's the problem?" "It's stupid. I know it's incredibly stupid." "What's stupid?" "It's just ... I guess I've always hoped for more even though I always knew it wouldn't happen. Seeing you alone, me being alone ... it made me want more. Every time you'd come home from a game and sit on the couch with me I kept thinking maybe tonight will be different, maybe he'll finally give in and see me differently. But it doesn't work that way and I know it, I've always known that." Her cheeks reddened and she looked away. He grunted, wondering what would happen to their friendship. Outside of being unable to love her, he didn't want to lose her in his life. She'd become part of him in a way too deep to explain. "I wish I could want the same thing," he told her. "No, you don't. You'd want to strangle me after one night together." "You're being generous in giving me the whole night to want to strangle you. Usually it's five minutes after I walk in the door." 71

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"Look, I'm happy for you to have a real relationship, but I guess I'm still jealous." "Of what?" "Of not having you all to myself. It's not about the sex, Ty, it's about having you depend on me, which is incredibly lame of me to say. I don't want to lose you as a friend." All of her girlfriends had married, moved away, or started families. Almost ten years after high school, they were the only two left. Somehow, despite how much they cared for one another, they'd stalled each other. "We wouldn't let that happen." They sat in silence for a moment and watched screen savers bounce along the monitor. He rested his head against hers, content and hoping she'd found a sense of comfort with him. "Ty?" she whispered at last. "We can't do this anymore." "I know. I don't want to keep you from seeing someone." Her head lifted from his shoulder. "You have your secrets, I have mine." "What's that supposed to mean?" Her brows arched again. "Let's just say that in a week Duracell battery stocks will be plummeting." "Huh?" She rolled her eyes. "After tonight, I'm not going through as many batteries as I used to and it's about damn time." Her words finally registered. "You're cheating on me in our fake relationship?" Her nose wrinkled. "Not quite yet, but I will be." "Who is he?" 72

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"He's a pathologist." Before he could ask, she grinned. "He's a doctor. I met him last year when you pulled your hamstring. I happened to strike up a conversation with him in the hospital cafeteria and a conversation about biopsies somehow turned into me giving him my number." "Why didn't you say anything?" "Because you needed me. Well, you didn't really need me, but you needed me there." "Has he been here before?" he asked, feeling defensive and protective. His brotherly side, the instinct he'd felt strongest toward her, came out full force. "Yeah, I hide him behind the couch and pop him out when I'm randy." "What's he like?" "Very tall, very dark, very, very straight, thank God." "How long have you been seeing him?" Her face brightened. "He's been trying to get in my pants for the past six months. That's all I can say. He might be coming over tonight for dinner, if that's okay with you." "It's as much your house as it is mine." He paused, wondering if she had a night of candles, massage oils, and kama sutra planned. "Do you want us to take off?" "Why would I want that?" "I'm just thinkimg maybe I should sell my stock in batteries." "Trade it for condoms." He looked her over, wondering if this guy was good enough—wondering if anyone would ever be good enough for her. "Are you happy?" 73

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"Yeah." She laced her fingers with his. "I'm happy, Ty. Are you?" He nodded. "Then I don't want either of us to hide it." [Back to Table of Contents]

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CHAPTER 7 "I'm disappointed in the lack of alcohol around here," Jae said as Ty walked onto the patio. He swung his legs down from the ottoman and shook an empty beer bottle. "This was the last one." Ty pulled his keys out of his pocket and frowned. "Let's go." An ice cold beer with beads of condensation slipping between his fingers had made his mouth water as he walked down the stairs, leaving London to call up her pathologist. She'd practically shoved him out the door and locked it the moment he stood in the hall. The last he'd heard was her flirty laughter and some baby talk, which only proved she was in deep. "Everything okay?" Jae asked. He put his hands over his head and stretched, his movement pulling his shirt up enough to show the definition of his abs and the dark hair across his belly. "Yeah, it's fine." He stared at Jae's stomach, at the reddened marks he'd left behind from the previous night as he'd bitten and licked his way lower. Just as his dick started to grow hard, Jae lowered his arms. "Where's London?" "On the phone." He slid open the back door and waited for Jae to follow him. "She's inviting her man over for dinner."

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Sandals hit the linoleum and came to a halt just as Ty had expected. He turned to find Jae standing with his hand on the brass door handle. "Her who?" "She's got a pathologist." "No kidding." "Nope." "What about—" "We're ending our fake relationship." He turned away and tossed his keys in the air. It sounded strange to say they were over when they'd never been together. Broad hands snaked around his waist, long fingers prying at the waistband to his shorts. Jae pulled him close, his breath hot against the side of Ty's neck. The sensation of hot breaths and strong arms made his cock jump. He turned his face to the side, rubbed his cheek against Jae's nose and felt his partner's soft lips and rough, unshaven chin scrape against his flesh. He hadn't shaven, either, and the friction made him exhale, his tongue flicking out to search for Jae's. "Are you starting a real relationship?" Jae murmured. "I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. I only know what I want." He turned in Jae's arms and embraced him, concentrated on the space between their bodies as it disappeared, savored the feel of hips and stomach, of a chest against his and hands slipping into his underwear to cup his ass. He wanted Jae to spread him, to finger him until his dick grew painfully hard and he had to jerk off or be sucked off. Raw, uninhibited, and masculine—he needed Jae like he'd never needed anyone—and he hoped his lover wanted him. 76

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Jae kissed him, his lips tender despite the iron hold he had on Ty. They stood in silence, both of them struggling for their every breath, neither of them able to look away. Beer no longer sounded satisfying compared to tasting Jae. "Do you want to wait until after the season?" Ty pressed his forehead to Jae's and ran his fingers through his lover's thick, dark hair until his nails scraped his scalp. Their erections pressed together, both contained by too many layers of clothes. "To be with you?" Ty asked, his voice hoarse, raw as he felt inside and out. "To say you've been with me." Ty swallowed, cupping Jae's face, wanting to hold him and never let him go. He'd lost control of himself the moment Jae had arrived, and by the feel of it, he wasn't about to regain his composure or his heart any time soon. "I don't know what I'll do," he answered, hoping an honest answer would be enough. Fear of being discovered kept him from going to the movies with men he found attractive; unspoken guidelines in his profession kept him from making eye contact with men whom he knew shared his same feelings. Knotted emotionally, he wanted to have someone in his life, something honest—something no one could take from him. "I don't know where you'll be once Zember's off the DL," Ty added. Jae closed his eyes and nodded. "About an hour north of Chicago. I rent my grandpa's old house in the off season and work for my father." 77

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Ty's lips parted. They would be no more than two hours apart—a distance, but a workable distance. "You could be signed by another team." "I could be," Jae agreed. He reached down and unbuttoned Ty's shorts before he slid his hand inside and enveloped him in the heat of his hand. "But the season ends in a few weeks." Ty's brain threatened to short circuit. He fit his lips over Jae's and kissed him hard, his tongue searching for Jae's. They held one another, strong hands gripping toned, athletic bodies, both of them exploring the curve of muscles stretched and strained. With each kiss Ty drew another breath from Jae and stole it, took everything he could from him, tasting and touching him until all he could think about was how good Jae felt in his arms, how right it seemed to have him this close. Depending on the situation, weeks could be short or endless. They could text message each other, occasionally talk about sports, but a serious relationship, an open relationship—for now that was impossible. Jae drew back and frowned, his lips swollen and moist from their kisses, his eyes a darker blue than Ty had ever seen before. "If there's something worth waiting for, I'll wait." Without another word, Jae walked past him and out the front door, leaving Ty to follow him. **** "My, my," London said as she looked over the grocery selection Ty and Jae had returned with for their twilight soiree. "Well, somebody call up Wheaties and put y'all on the box now. Two cases of Corona, Doritos, generic donuts, beer 78

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nuts, and the spray cheese make you two the healthiest athletes I've ever seen. Dr. Orsini should love this." Jae took off his hat and reshaped the bill. "I went for the produce section." "Like hell you did," Ty said, shoving him back. Jae thrust his hand elbow deep into the beer tub and pulled out a can of beer, which he passed to Ty. "I did because it's right in front of the chip aisle." Rolling her eyes, London headed for the patio door and entered the house. "There's real food in here, which you will be required to eat." "Yes, ma'am," Jae said. She shot him a look. "You're lucky you're hot, sweetheart, or I'd slap you for your mouth." He leaned toward her and arched a brow. "What if that's the game plan?" "Baby, baby, baby," she said, wagging a finger at him. "Keep me in mind just in case things don't work out between the two of you." The doorbell rang and her face lit up. "You two play caveman and fire up the barbee. I expect to see sixfoot high flames when I return with Lan." Once she trotted inside and closed the door, Jae turned to Ty. "So ... what are we doing here?" Ty glanced up from the grill, where he'd been rearranging the coals and adding hickory chips. A new bottle of lighter fluid stood on a TV tray with a Post-It note that said, "Do not use all of this," stuck over the label, which was London's warning for Ty's inner firebug. "Eating." 79

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Jae shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "No, I mean are we teammates, friends—" Ty doused the coals with lighter fluid, adding a little more than London would have thought appropriate, and lit a match. Flames leapt from the grill and he stepped back to admire the view of his fiery creation. No wonder cavemen were always depicted as ecstatic over the discovery of fire. Millions of years later, men still experienced a rush the moment the match hit the grill. "I don't think it will come up in conversation," he said, though he assumed if London had mentioned a male housemate to her doctor, she'd also made it perfectly clear that they only lived together. "I'm not worried about conversation," Jae replied. "I want to know how far I have to be from you tonight." Ty stared at the flames, watched them lower and the coals burn bright red. He poked at them, watched the ash fall away and reveal the heated centers. He stabbed at them just as Jae's question had prodded at him. In his own home, with the man he loved, he shouldn't have to lie to anyone—but the truth was complicated, a stigma not everyone accepted, even when people claimed it made no difference to them. He looked up and met Jae's gaze, unsure of what to tell him. Before he could answer, London bounced onto the patio with an olive-skinned man at her heels. Dressed in a polo shirt and khaki shorts, her pathologist was younger, taller, and much more athletic than Ty had expected. He scrutinized the doctor while London introduced 80

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the three of them, and Ty tried to ignore the way she smiled and touched Lan's arm. "This is my friend Ty Parker, whom you've probably heard of," London said. "You've played some great games. It's an honor to meet you." "You, too." Kiss ass. "Ty, this is Dr. Phelandro Orsini. You can call him Lan." Damn ... is that his name or his last diagnosis? I'm sorry to tell you this, but you've got a case of Phelandro Orsini. Antibiotics should clear that up. The pathologist turned and smiled at her. "No one has ever called me that in my life, until you." He kissed her and ran his finger down her nose, which made her shrug in that flirtatious way girls seemed able to master. Lan turned toward Ty. "I normally go by Landro." Once they shook hands, London curled her arm around the doctor and leaned into him, gazing into his eyes with what he could only describe as puppy dog affection. "He said someday the zoo will name Panda bears after us, Lon and Lan. Isn't that cute?" "Never heard anything cuter," Ty said. And he'd never seen sensible, usually horny and inappropriate London caught up in sugary sweet romance. How had she managed to hide this from him? Behind the happy couple, Jae lifted his brows and gave Ty a look. He hadn't lived with them for long, but he apparently noticed London had been replaced by Lovesick London. 81

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She whirled around, almost catching Jae as he made faces. "Oh, and Lan, this is Jae Wise. He just signed with the team and he's staying with us while he's with the Arsenal." Landro gripped Jae's hand as Ty abandoned the grill and stood closer, his heart slamming against his chest. He found London staring at him, her lips turned up in an enigmatic smile. "Nice to meet you, Jae," the pathologist said as he pumped Jae's hand. "I'd love to hear about your career over dinner." He glanced at Ty and smiled. "Both of you. I've heard a lot about the team from London." "You'll have to get all of the info from Ty," Jae said, placing his hand on Ty's shoulder. "Why is that?" London asked. Her gaze had fixed on them, flitting between Jae's hand and Ty's face. His heart had stuttered the moment they'd made contact, the moment Jae had stepped across an unspoken boundary. Ty couldn't bring himself to move, afraid if he brushed him away, Jae would keep a distance the entire night—afraid moving away would show the doctor they had something to hide. "There isn't much to tell," Jae answered, his grip tightening. "By the second bite I'll be repeating my career history to you." Ty looked over his shoulder and met Jae's eye. "You put them to sleep and they won't notice if I burned the food." London planted her hands on her hips. "I don't know if I should defend Jae or if I want to see the two of you go at it." 82

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Landro wrapped his arms around her and guided her toward the glass top table while Jae slid his hand down Ty's spine and into his back pocket. Their dangerous game ended as Landro seated London and kissed her again. He ran his fingers through her hair and murmured something in her ear. Ty flipped burgers and watched the pair from the corner of his eye, intrigued by their interaction. They'd clearly been together for a while, sharing secret moments—or at least secret to Ty. The way they looked into each other's eyes, caressing hands and offering smiles, showed Ty this wasn't a substitute for what she couldn't have. She genuinely cared for Landro, even if he did have a complicated name. He envied her for her freedom and sighed as his gaze cut to Jae, who sat at the end of the table gesturing with his hands. The candle in the middle of the table wavered as his knees hit the glass bottom. Both London and Landro laughed at whatever story Jae had told them, and the electricity returned, an unmistakable current that buzzed in the air and caught hold of Ty. This man was his secret, the best relationship he'd ever been in—and he didn't want to lose what he had, not to distance or standards. Each time Ty turned away from him, he wanted to gaze into those dark blue eyes, memorize the waves of dark hair kept confined under a baseball cap. He wanted to be with him, share bus rides and intimate moments—he wanted to have their lives entwined, tangled in all of the forbidden love he couldn't deny, at least not to himself. 83

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Jae caught him staring and smiled. "Hey," he said, scooting his chair back. "I'll man the food for a while. You come over and brag about your time in Triple A ball." "Can I trust you?" Ty asked as Jae sidled up beside him. Jae looked from the grill to Ty. "With this?" Ty didn't answer. He waited until Jae looked him in the eye and murmured, "With everything." Jae reached for the spatula in Ty's hand and held onto him for a moment, their shoulders and the length of their arms touching. "I'm not into games." His smile and irresistible dimples returned. "Well, besides the obvious." Ty took a deep, ragged breath and allowed the spatula to slip into Jae's hand. As they stood side by side, he slid his arm around Jae and held him close. He didn't have to look at London and her date to know they saw him with Jae—and to his surprise, he didn't care. "Are you sure about this?" Jae asked. "I'm sure about you." [Back to Table of Contents]

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About Gabrina Garza Mom, crazy person, and animal rescuer. That's the gist of it. A native of the Chicago suburbs, Gabrina Garza writes to get out of doing the dishes. When she's not writing or dodging household duties, she's either embarrassing her children in public or walking her foster dogs, of which she has way too many. Check out her website for all you never wanted to know: www.gabrina.com. **** Don't miss Adeno, by Gabrina Garza, available at AmberHeat.com! An Amber Heat Wave Contest Winner! Freedom can be denied, but desire and love know no bounds... Nasora, a born healer, finds herself increasingly drawn to a young fighter named Adeno. Her only purpose in the arena, however, is to heal the fighters if they return alive and victorious. And time and again, Nasora brings back Adeno from the brink of death. Adeno's body is meant only for combat, yet the connection Nasora feels toward the arena warrior deepens into something primal ... something forbidden. 85

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When at last she decides she can no longer see Adeno enslaved, and he no longer wishes to be physically healed, Nasora wonders if she has the strength to heal him in a different way. And will she be able to free her lover after his owner, who also has designs on Nasora and seeks revenge against Adeno, interferes with her plans? **** Don't miss Seduction In Black And White, by Jaime Craig, available at Amber-Allure.com! History doesn't always die. Sometimes, it lives on. Discovering it can be too seductive to resist. A chance encounter on their first vacation in years introduces Jesse Madding to Marcus Brooker, a man who claims to have known the woman for whom vampire Gideon Keel abandoned his evil ways to fight for good. Though Jesse would rather get those answers from his lover, Gideon isn't nearly as forthcoming. So Jesse pursues the truth the only way he thinks he can. Gideon agreed to the New York trip, hoping for three weeks of pure pleasure with his human lovers. Pleasure is not all they found. **** Don't miss The Weaver, by M. J. Konevich, 86

Take Me Out by Gabrina Garza

available at AmberQuill.com! Marcus Bradley has a gift ... he can see the future. But, like all great gifts, it comes with an even greater price. The events he can see always end in murder. It is up to him and his best friend, detective Jennifer Paxton of the Boston Police Department, to solve the latest murder of a mother and her young daughter. What Marcus finds along the way, however, will forever change the way he sees reality. This was no ordinary murder. This was planned and carried out by a being from another reality, one where the world is rapidly falling apart. Its designs are simple ... to destroy the Weaver, an allpowerful crystalline shard that holds all the realities separate. If it should succeed, all the worlds will crumble. Now it is up to Marcus and Jennifer to find a way to stop this from happening and, if they can, repair the Weaver before it is too late... [Back to Table of Contents]

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Do you know about Amber Quill's Rewards Program? For every ten books bought, receive one free! Visit all three of Amber Quill's web sites and earn free books with Amber Rewards! **** AMBER HEAT EROTICA Gimme Fever!! Steamy, sensual genre fiction... www.AmberHeat.com **** AMBER ALLURE Where love is blind to gender... www.Amber-Allure.com **** 88

Take Me Out by Gabrina Garza

AMBER QUILL PRESS, LLC Quality Books, Print And Electronic Genre fiction at its best! www.AmberQuill.com

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