Page 53 of Tamed (The Courtside King Duology 1)

“Ow!” Jay howled.

Breck grinned.

Jay shot him a glower. “You kicked my shin, you big ornery bastard.”

Damn straight, he did. Served the fucker right, all messing with him on his birthday like that. Besides, it’d gotten Jay to stop. Worked so well, in fact, that Breck decided to raise a glass to celebrate. Smirking, he grabbed another shot.

Down it went in one fell swoop.

Tad grinned in approval. Or was it relief? By the look of his easing shoulders, it seemed they’d managed to dodge being detected.

But then Tad froze again.

Fuck. Maybe not.

Breck tensed but refused to look. He couldn’t handle seeing Kai in his current state. All drunk, with his defenses down. It wouldn’t bode well.

Watching the dance floor—and pretending Kai wasn’t there—would be a whole lot safer.

He shifted his gaze to the throng of teeming bodies. Some clearly knew how to move, others not so much. And there were lookers in the mix. Both women and men. All bumping and grinding in a big ole orgy of drunken foreplay. Might as well be watching the prelude to porn.

And yet, as provocative as some of the hotties were, not a single one held his interest. Not while he was keenly aware that Kai was in the building. Next thing Breck knew, he was back to studying Tad, gleaning as much information as he could from his demeanor. If Tad looked nervous, then Scott was definitely headed over.

Tad exhaled and averted his gaze.

Which Breck took to mean that the coast was clear.

And yet, Tad looked dejected. Breck wondered why.

He’d seemed just as eager to avoid their notice as Breck had been.

Grabbing Tad’s attention, he eased forward and dropped his voice. “I know why I don’t want them coming over, but what’s your reason? I thought Scott was your friend.”

Tad fidgeted, as if uneasy with Breck’s question, then motioned to Jay and Marcie. “Not exactly eager to subject him to that.”

Breck glanced at the drunken lovebirds, all jabbering and snorting their asses off.

Okay, so yeah, he made a solid point. Breck laughed. “Good call.”

Tad smiled and tipped up his beer… then stiffened as he peered yet one more time over Breck’s shoulder.

Shit. Scott was on his way over.

Breck could see it in Tad’s hazel eyes, all anxiously churning with nervous energy.

Breck clutched his beer bottle. Shifted tensely.

If Scott was headed over, then so was Kai.

All too soon, Scott pulled to a stop at their booth. Kai and another guy flanked his sides.

Kai met his gaze. Breck’s stomach clenched, his heart rate accelerating. The guy may annoy him but was always heaven on the eyes.

And goddamn did he look fine.

Breck drank him in, loving his sexy attire: a black, tailored button-down, all hugging his torso and arms, its cuffs, spear-point collar, and buttons an enticing shade of caramel. Breck followed those buttons down to a pair of black jeans. Mother of God, the way they hugged his thighs. Breck’s blood pumped hotter. He’d never seen Kai dressed like this.

He liked it. A lot.

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