Page 96 of Claimed (The Courtside King Duology 2)

“—and I refuse to be a plaything in your closet.”

That shut Breck up. Then his big body sagged. He knew what Kai was saying but clearly still had no intention of ever going public.

Gaze dropping to the floor, he gripped his nape again and started kneading. Long moments later, he lifted his eyes and cleared his throat. “Then maybe we can go back to how shit was before. You, a rigger. Me, a rope model helping you practice. I’ll be leaving soon for Hawaii anyway. After that, I’ll be busy as shit again getting ready for the Draft.”

Kai’s heart fisted at the meaning behind Breck’s words. Crossing his arms, he frowned and leveled him with a look. “I’m not interested in being just a good time for you. Or that fun little secret you keep ‘on the low’ till life gets back on track.”

Breck stilled, then paled. “I didn’t mean it like—”

“It doesn’t matter. Things are different now, and I’ve got no desire to keep pretending they’re not.” Breck, and everything that came with him, was just too much. There were plenty of rope models around that wouldn’t fuck with his head.

Breck’s face fell as he searched Kai’s eyes. Kai schooled his expression as best he could and held his gaze. Was it convincing, though? Could Breck sense his emotions? That distraught look on Breck’s face wasn’t helping his cause. He was miserable, too. Caught between a rock and a hard place. Stuck at a crossroads with two diverging paths.

Problem was, Kai knew which path he was choosing. And while he’d initially been optimistic, last night’s debacle felt like the final straw.

Sighing, he dropped his arms. “I need to get back to packing—”

“Wait—” Breck flicked a glance toward Tad’s bedroom, then looked back at Kai. “Tell me what to do.”

Kai eyed him, his jaw tight, but his insides tighter. “You want me, Breck? Then take me out of your closet.”

Breck groaned, the sound so dejected, and peered up at the ceiling. “Why that? YouknowI can’t. I’ll doanythingelse—”

Kai turned back toward the kitchen.

“Kai, wait—” Breck reached for his arm just as Tad’s bedroom door swung open. Breck jerked his hand back and quickly stepped away.

Sigh.

And yet, hardly a shocker.

Tad emerged with a box, his handsome face flushed, his light brown hair tousled, his t-shirt slightly askew. Scott exited behind him emanating the same post-fuck glow, his big, dark eyes sated—as they stared at Tad’s ass.

Tad spotted Breck. “Oh, hey, Harland. Didn’t know you were here.” He flicked a glance at Scott, then cleared his throat. “We were um… just packing up the bathroom… and stuff.”

“No worries.” Breck pocketed his hands. “Just got here.”

Tad stacked his box atop the others. “Cool. Thanks again for coming.”

“Yeah, much appreciated.” Scott tipped his chin, then set the box he carried on the second dolly.

“No problem.” Breck cut a look Kai’s way.

Kai headed back into the kitchen and resumed packing.

Tad’s voice carried through the opening of the breakfast bar. “Scott and Kai are getting ready to do another run. I was thinking, maybe while they’re gone, we could tackle that interview we talked about.”

“Yeah… Sure…” Breck sounded distracted.

Kai forced himself to focus on his current task. Filling up boxes with shit he cared nothing about. He finished a minute later and closed things up, then carried his box out with the others and added it to the stack.

Scott was closing up a box of his own. Tad and Breck were at the entertainment center packing up DVDs.

Kai kept his gaze averted. Not the easiest of tasks.

“All set.” Scott smiled. “You ready?”

Kai gripped the first dolly’s handles and tilted it backward. “I am. Let’s go.”

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