“It’s none of your business, Jacobson.” The boxer raised his eyebrows at me in a way that let me know he wasn’t going to repeat himself and turned on his tail, obviously sure I was going to follow him out.

I was already standing up.

“You don’t have to go, you know?” Mark said, but he was leaning back on the sofa again, all cool and collected, like he was suddenly uninterested in what I did.

“It’s probably about our work tomorrow,” I said before following Travis’s trail out.

Chapter 9

Travis

When I saw Scott fall to his knees in front of me in that dark closet, something inside me stilled. I’d been angry, annoyed, and frustrated, but all of that had gone out the window as soon as I saw the blond-haired Prince on his knees for me, wanting to get my cock into his mouth.

Fucking that perfect smile had been even better than I had imagined. I’d given myself fully to it, forgetting the frustration and resentment of seeing Mark, and instead given in to the desire that had been plaguing my thoughts for weeks, ever since the Prince had started unknowingly eye-fucking me across the room.

I still remembered the flush on his cheeks, the glassy sheen of his eyes with unshed tears, the way he’d finally let go and allowed me to take charge and give him what he’d been silently asking for.

It made me ache on the inside. I’d been telling myself for weeks not to indulge in this stupid attraction, not to long for things I shouldn’t, to put a stop to this, but it had been useless. I was already obsessed. Obsessed with our games, with the illicit connection we shared, giving us a false sense of closeness from the shared unspoken secrets between heated glances.

I’d kept looking at him, justdaring himto do something about it, and when he finally had, he’d given me the best blowjob of my entire life.

I’d obviously done the work. Used his mouth for my pleasure. I’d wanted to show him just how good it could be to give in, to let go. I wanted to dominate him, give him everything and more. Scott’s moans would haunt me. The actual act had been almost earth-shattering, changing things in a way I didn’t dare look too closely at.

But then he’d run.

I shouldn’t have been surprised.

It had been an intense experience, even for me, and I wasn’t the one struggling with my sexuality and accepting my sexual preferences.

I’d spent the rest of that Tuesday in a foul mood. I’d just had to go ahead and fucking do it, hadn’t I? Break every promise I’d made to myself—from having to focus on boxing and stop these stupid games, to not fall for the same sort of guy that had fucked me up so badly in the past.

Wednesday wasn’t much better. Everyone at the boxing club had kept a wide berth from me, mourning the poor souls that had to practice with me. Even Coach narrowed his eyes momentarily at me, wondering if he should say something, but deciding not to.

Scott couldn’t justleavelike that, not after such an intense experience. It would fuck with both of our minds.

But he had.

By Thursday, I’d decided to really put a stop to things. With a sharp look Scott’s way at lunchtime, I’d steeled my resolve and ignored him for the whole of it. Ignored the way he stared at me like a lost puppy and the insistent voice in my head that told me to just give in. Scott could get the fucking hint. I wasn’t doing this shit again, not for all the money in the world.

I thought I might just make it.

But then he justhadto show up at this frat party, didn’t he? I knew I shouldn’t have listened to Andy when he’d suggested we come. I’d known Mark would be here, but a part of me was masochistic enough that I wanted to come anyway, see his stupid asshole face, and be reminded of justwhygetting tangled with Scott Matthews was a horrible idea.

Being faced with Mark trying to get into Scott’s pants hadn’t been part of the plan.

“Stare at him any harder and people will start making bets about when your fight will be,” Andy said, resting the pool stick on the ground and watching me with barely contained amusement.

He wasn’t talking about Mark—but Mark wasdefinitelythe one people should have been betting on me punching the living lights out of.

“I’m not staring at him,” I said even while I watched Jacobson squeeze Scott’s shoulder as they spoke to Henry Campbell.

“Sure, if that’s what you like to tell yourself to sleep well at night.”

I couldn’t help it. It was a train wreck waiting to happen. It was like watching a shooting star, brilliant and untouchable, slowly fall down to Earth, waiting for the inevitable crash.

Scott didn’t belong here. Hewasthe star, with his blond hair, perfect good boy looks that belonged in romantic movies, and watchful blue eyes taking in the scene. He was surrounded by sharks, and if he wasn’t careful, he was going to get eaten.

I was being a little melodramatic here. The guys around here weren’t all bad, I was sure most of them were decent, even if not perfect enough to be part of Scott’s good-boy crowd. The only snake was the one next to him, and the sight of him leaning toward Scott, like he was planning his slow, sleazy seduction, was enough to make my blood boil.