Page 8 of Dead Ball Situation

“I understand why you’re worried, and I can’t make you stop, but I wish you would. You can trust me and you can trust Baylor. The way you work your ass off for Baylor outweighs my feelings. Baylor needs you so he can stay at home with Chipper and adopt all the kids. Without you, he’d have to immediately go back to working himself to death. Even if all of that wasn’t the case, I’m not the kind of guy who’d run to my best friend, expecting him to fire someone because my feelings are hurt.” Bandit leaned away and held Sacha’s stare. He looked so sincere. “Do you honestly think that badly of me?”

Gah. He sounded so mature. There was also little doubt Bandit slept with everyone, and Sacha wasn’t important enough to involve Baylor anyhow. Plus, he was so nice. “I couldn’t see you hurting anyone. Off the field anyhow.”

Bandit laughed.

Sacha wasn’t a weakling. Under normal circumstances, he would flirt and sweep Bandit off his feet. There was nothing normal about the way Bandit made him feel. A surge of renewed confidence ran through him. Sacha shifted positions and straddled Bandit’s lap, taking his power back. He wasn’t a shy little bitch. He was Sacha Petrenko. Sacha didn’t back down from anything. The way Bandit immediately shifted to get more comfortable and grabbed Sacha’s ass to haul him closer said he, too, wasn’t one to play the coward.

“We were interrupted yesterday.”

Bandit didn’t give him time to lower his head. He took the kiss he wanted. Sacha held on while Bandit plundered. This time, Sacha had been a little better prepared for the hungry way Bandit kissed. He still lost his breath and went hard, like going zero to a hundred.

Bandit’s mouth moved from Sacha’s mouth to his neck. He sucked and bit. “I have a confession. I’ve wanted this for a really long time.”

The words snapped what little patience Sacha had left. He stood. While holding tightly to Bandit’s hand, he headed for his bedroom. Sacha had wanted this for a long time too. He didn’t bother turning on the lights. There was enough light filtering through the blinds from the streetlight right outside his window to find his way. Sacha didn’t stop moving until they were locked inside and on the bed, picking up where they left off. He didn’twant to get caught on the couch while finally getting what he always wanted.

Bandit’s touch was every bit as demanding as his kiss. He had them nude in no time, but he didn’t jump on Sacha. Instead, he kissed and restlessly moved against him. His skin itched with desperation to have Bandit inside him. It seemed Bandit was set on dragging things out. He thought he might scream.

“Tell me what you like?”

When Bandit’s question came between kisses, it hit Sacha. He might not have been purposely torturing Sacha, but rather unsure of how to ask his preference. Sacha was too far gone.

“I want you to fuck me.”

“Goddamn.” The low growl nearly made Sacha blow. He was already a man on the edge. “Please tell me you have lube around here.”

With a nod, Sacha rolled one way to his side table. Bandit rolled the other to find his wallet. They came together with a purpose. Bandit ripped open the condom with his teeth. Sacha made a show of lubing himself. The moment Bandit was properly suited, his mouth covered Sacha’s again. He took over the job of playing with Sacha’s hole. He fingered him, stretching as he went. Sacha unabashedly rode his fingers. He was ready to fly apart.

“I feel like I’m screwing you out of some sort of foreplay or something.”

Sacha grabbed Bandit’s dick. “Inside me. Now.” He knew how he sounded—almost inhuman in his need. It had been literally years since he’d had anything other than toys inside him. Too many times to count, those toys had filled him while he whispered Bandit’s name.

Bandit didn’t fail him. After hooking his arm beneath Sacha’s knees, he dragged Sacha closer. His crown pressed against Sacha’s asshole. He held his breath, expecting Bandit fucked the way he kissed. Bandit slowly inched his way inside. A low moan vibrated from Sacha as it happened. He thought he might fly apart.

“Damn. I swear that sound came out in your accent.” Once he was fully seated, Bandit rocked, as if testing angles. “I could listen to it forever.”

Another one slipped out as Bandit massaged him internally, just the way he liked.

“Yeah. Like that.” That was all the warning Bandit gave before he took Sacha. Once he had Sacha moaning, begging, and tearing at his skin, Bandit never stopped pounding at the perfect angle. He kept the rhythm and speed while licking and nipping at Sacha’s nipples. Sacha couldn’t even think. He heard the embarrassing sounds and babbling that came from his mouth, but he had no control. Bandit was a professional athlete. He studied and practiced all the perfect moves to win. He put that same dedication into fucking Sacha.

The edge drew closer. Sacha’s fingertips dug into Bandit’s skin. “Oh, God. Don’t stop. You feel amazing.” His muscles tensed. Sacha held his breath. He focused everything on the building and tightening. Everything exploded, ripping a shout from his lungs. His body convulsed. His mouth found every place it could reach, as if praising Bandit for a job well done.

A sexy-as-hell sound came from the back of Bandit’s throat. His thrusts quickened until he sawed in and out of Sacha at a rapid pace. When he blew, he whispered Sacha’s name. Sacha’s eyes filled with tears. He wanted to keep him.

Chapter Four

A smile kept pullingat Sacha’s lips. Their fingers played. With his head on Bandit’s chest, Sacha savored the sound of Bandit’s heartbeat. He couldn’t sleep if his life depended on it. Happiness coated everything. He hadn’t dared dream. Now he couldn’t shut out the fantasies.

“How did you end up taking care of everyone?”

A sad smile pulled at Sacha’s lips. He liked the way Bandit’s voice vibrated against his ear while pressed against his chest, but he hadn’t seen that question coming. Sacha knew he would have to answer it, eventually. It was better Bandit understood nowhow complicated Sacha’s life was. “Do I get to ask a personal question too?”

A sexy, deep chuckle cut through the dark. Sacha’s eyes closed as the sound washed over him. Hunger for a different life slammed into him. He wanted this intimacy every night forever. “You can always ask me whatever you want. I not exciting enough to have secrets.”

Sacha’s fingertips skimmed the sexiest of slight abs. He took a steadying breath. With his eyes closed, he could still picture the way those abs had moved and bunched. He could easily become addicted. “I disagree. I find you very exciting.” The desire in his voice couldn’t be missed. Sacha forced his mind away to focus on Bandit’s question. He didn’t want to seem as if he avoided it. “Russia invaded Ukraine.” It really was that simple and horrible.

“I’m sorry.”

Sacha’s hand rose and fell in a helpless gesture. He went back to stroking Bandit’s stomach. “Me too. We were happy here. Sometimes it was a little crowded, being under one roof between my parents, my cousin, Artem, Baba, and me. But everyone had their own room and space. We could shut ourselves away if we needed. Then the war came, and my parents couldn’t reach our family back home. My cousin, Danylo, was scared for his parents. They had sent him here because he stayed in trouble with the wrong crowd there. It truly was best for him. He ended up being a model student here. But once he couldn’t reach his parents, he was determined to go home. So my parents took him. It was every bit as bad as they feared. Our family—like we once had—lived on the border and was the first to be taken.” Sacha’shand fell still. Bandit covered it, as if lending him strength for—no doubt—knowing exactly how this story ended. “They were all dead. My father and Danylo were determined to stay to fight. My mother refused to leave them.” Sacha shrugged. He felt the dismissive gesture happen against his will. There was no stopping the desire to minimize the pain. “They’re all gone now.”

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