Page 117 of Caught Stealing

Damnit.

“It’s gotta be Theo,” I mutter before brushing my lips against his throat. “Maybe if we stay quiet, he’ll go away?”

But when another set of knocking comes a couple of seconds later, I realize those chances are slim to none. Which means telling whoever it is to go fuck off before coming back for another round is my best bet.

“I’m gonna make him leave.”

There’s a suspicious glint in Holden’s eye—like he doesn’t believe me—before he hums a low, “Mhmm.”

“Don’t be like that,” I plead, grabbing my boxers from the ground and sliding them up to my hips.

“I’m not being like anything.”

“Sure. And I didn’t just fuck you halfway to Sunday,” I say with a roll of my eyes. “I’ll tell him to go away, and I’ll be right back.”

Not bothering to wait for a response, I head over to the door, ready to tell Theo to find Noah or Wyatt, or anyone else to room with tonight. It’s his best option, seeing as Holden and I are nowhere near finished.

“Might wanna wipe the cum up first,” Holden calls. “Unless you plan to save that as lube for round two.”

I roll my eyes again despite his point and grab a towel from the bathroom—stepping over our clothes like they’re landmines in the process.

“We can put a pin in that until I take care of this,” I tell him before tossing the cum rag in his direction.

There’s a hint of a genuine smile on his lips when I slip into a pair of sweats, and it makes my own lift in return. However, when another knock sounds, it falters, and I glare at the door some more while swiping my room key from where it lay discarded on the carpet.

“I’m coming!” I shout, annoyance evident in my tone as I go to give Theo a piece of my mind.

“I think you already did,” Holden calls from deeper within the room, and the playfulness eases some of the tension coiled inside me as I flip over the privacy lock and nearly yank the door off its hinges.

“Theo, I told you I’d text you when it was—”

The rest of my sentence dies right there on my lips when the door opens fully, because it’s not my teammate on the other side of the door.

It’s Kason.

Thirty-Two

Phoenix

My heart drops to my stomach and clear out of my ass as I stare at my best friend, but I try to not let the panic show. Instead, I force a smile on my face as I step into the hall and calmly close the door behind me. Not an ideal situation while I’m only in a pair of sweatpants, but inviting him in where Holden is still naked and covered in my cum isn’t exactly an option. And it’s certainly not the way I’m looking to let him know about the two of us, whenever I’m ready for that moment to come.

“Kase. Hey,” I say, my voice coming out a bit pitchy.

His green eyes crinkle at the corner while he looks at me, apprehension written all over his face. “Sorry, I didn’t realize this would be a bad time.”

Try a fucking horrific time.

“You just caught me off guard,” I lie, trying not to wince at how hollow they’ve begun to sound. It seems to get worse with every one I tell him. “What’re you doing here?”

“It’s St. Seb’sweekend.”

The game. Right.

Had I not been so wrapped up in Holden lately, I’d have remembered him making these plans months ago when I first got my schedule for the season. He’d come down and watch the games with my parents before his obligatory drop-in to see his own family.

“Oh, shit. That’s right.” My hand rakes through my hair haphazardly. “I completely forgot.”

“And here y’all sayI’mthe forgetful one,” he says with an awkward laugh before his expression turns more pensive.“Are…we good, Phoe? I know you’ve been busy lately with school and ball and dating again, but it feels like something else is going on.”

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