Page 27 of Changing the Play

“I spilled my water on my lap. I thought I’d have more time to change before you got here.”

“Ah, yes,” I mumble, face burning. “That’s my bad.”

“What’s wrong? Am I not your type?” He’s teasing me. “I’m a little offended you turned around so quickly.”

“You don’t need me to stroke your ego.” My dick thickens, my mind racing to the things on him I’d like to stroke instead.No.

“Hey, I’m dressed. Are you okay?”

“Fine.” It comes out high-pitched and kind of shaky, though.

“You can turn around.”

I glance down, and it seems mysituationis mostly hidden. He’d pretty much have to be looking to see that I’m having a problem. Which he’s not going to do. I turn around, and my jaw almost hits the floor. “I thought you said you were dressed.”

West looks down at himself. “I am.”

Only he’s barely dressed. All he has on is a pair of gray freaking sweats slung so low on his hips that the band of hisunderwear is showing. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was doing it on purpose. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

I nod. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

He sticks out his lower lip, pouting at me. “I’m a little hurt that you turned around so quickly. I thought I was at least a little nice to look at.”

My eyes dart down against my will, tracing over the definition of his chest and stomach. I mean, yeah, he’sreallyfreaking nice to look at. Crap. My face flushes and I look up. I shrug. “Eh.”

West lets out a laugh, stepping closer to me. A wave of his scent hits me and almost knocks me backward. He smells so good. Clean and warm. I know that makes zero sense, but I don’t make the rules. “Just, eh?”

I nod. “I turned because I wanted to be respectful and not make things weird.”

His eyes light up and it’s only then that I realize I didn’t deny him outright. “Hmm, interesting. So you do find me attractive.”

“I didn’t say that.”

He grins, smug. “You didn’tnotsay that either.”

He crosses his arms over his chest, making the muscles there flex. “Your ego is seriously out of control.”

He shrugs. “Can you blame me? I’m standing a foot in front of you, and you can’t even make eye contact.”Oh.I force my eyes up to find that he’s smirking at me. “You like what you see?”

Oh my God. I’m over here fighting for my life and he’s teasing me. Fine, two can play at that game. “Yeah, actually. I am a red-blooded gay man, and you are indeed much too hot for your own good.”

If I thought that would throw him off his game, I was sorely mistaken. Something flashes in his eyes, there and gone so fastI have no hope of figuring out what it was, then he’s leaning in closer. “Is that so? Then why did you turn around so fast?”

I swallow, my heart pounding so hard I’m not sure how he can’t hear it. “Because I’m respectful, and I have self-control.”

West watches me for a second, his eyes dropping to my lips, before stepping back and making his way to the couch. I let out a shaky breath, trying to calm my heart. He sits down, patting the spot beside him. “Come on. Get your self-controlled ass over here. We have football to watch and cookies to demolish.”

Chapter 9

Weston

Seeing Darcy all flustered is kind of adorable. He’s usually so put together that knowing he’s all flushed and nervous because of me is a hell of an ego boost. Which is not something I thought I’d say.

He’s just… so much smarter than I am. And even if he doesn’t think so, way cooler too. So that I can make him all messed up this way? I love it.

He makes his way slowly to the couch and when he sits down beside me, my back twinges from the motion. I wince, and Darcy picks up on it immediately, his eyes shooting to mine in concern. “Are you okay? Did you pull a muscle giving me crap at the door?”

I bark out a laugh. “No. Although that would have been way cooler. I messed it up somehow at practice today.”

---