Russell didn’t come in for the entire week, and while at first Armi struggled at meetings to make his voice heard, with the help of Hayden’s superior notes and studying every night together, his confidence grew every day. He’d never been happier—coming home to eat dinner, working side by side in the greenhouse and garden with Hayden asking questions and even helping him. He’d never dared to dream of a future before, but he couldn’t deny watching it unfold in front of his eyes.

“Look at this.” iPad in hand, Hayden walked into his office at close to five p.m. on Friday. “That article in Out in Sports just released.” His eyes twinkled. “You made the cover. See how hot you are?”

Armi rolled his eyes. “Oh, for God’s sake. You’re just saying that because…you know…” His face grew hot.

Hayden closed the door behind him and put the tablet on the desk. “Because you are?” He hesitated. “Gorgeous and sexy and insanely hot. And all mine.”

Then why did it feel like all this was a dream? “I like hearing that. I’ve really enjoyed being with you every night, even if you do leave in the morning without me.”

“You know why.”

“Yeah, but I wish you didn’t have to,” Armi challenged him.

Unfazed, Hayden leaned against the desk. “You’re cute when you pout,” he teased.

“Stay with me this weekend? Please?” Having Hayden in his house would be the bow on the present of the week they’d shared since coming home from the scouting trip.

Hayden’s eyes dimmed. “I can’t. I haven’t been home the whole week. I have mail and dry cleaning to pick up, and I have to check out what died in my fridge.”

“Okay, so go tonight after work, and then you can come home to mine.”

Hayden cocked his head. “Or you could stay at my place. Would you mind?”

Puzzled, Armi felt as if it were some kind of test. “Why would I mind? I don’t care where we stay. I want to be with you. But it sounds like you might have a problem with that?”

Hayden pointed to the ringing phone. “I have to get that. We can talk later.” He picked up the receiver. “Armand Winters’s office. How may I help you?…Oh, yes, Mr. Anders. He’s right here. One moment, please.” His pushed the hold button. “It’s Russell. I think you need to confront him on his little plan that failed.”

“I know I do,” Armi scowled. “But I want to do it in person, not on the phone. Maybe I’ll go visit him, and then after, stop by my house to pick up clothes for the weekend. Meet you at your apartment. How does that sound?”

“Sounds good. I’ll leave you to your call.” Hayden walked out.

Armi picked up the receiver. “Russell?”

“What’s going on? Why are you screening my calls?”

“I’m not. That’s part of Hayden’s job—to answer my phone. How are you feeling?”

“Like shit. I thought I’d have seen you by now.”

“I was planning on coming over this afternoon, if that’s okay. I want to talk to you about some things.”

“About time. It’s been a whole week,” Russell grumbled. “I saw the scouting reports. Those two kids might have some promise.”

That reluctant approval was about what Armi expected. “Yeah. I’m going to leave now. I should be there in less than half an hour, depending on crosstown traffic.” Russell lived in a pretty town house on the Upper West Side. “Can I bring you anything?” It must be hard for an active man like Russell to be alone and laid up.

“Lucy has me covered. You’ll stay for dinner. We can talk then.”

It sounded like a command rather than a question. “Uh, I’m sorry. I have plans.”

“Plans? Like a date?”

“Russell, I have to go. There’s someone here to see me. Be there soon.”

He hung up and pulled up the article from Out in Sports . He was less concerned about how he was portrayed than if Hayden was mistreated. He read through it twice and called Hayden. “Could you come here, please?”

Hayden opened his door. “Something wrong?”

“Did you read the article? The Out in Sports one.”

“Not the whole thing. I’ve been doing the weekly reports.”

“There was no mention of you. And it was pretty favorable to me. I mean, a little of the what-does-he-know-about-football nonsense, but on the whole, it was positive.”

“Really?” To say Hayden looked relieved was an understatement.

“Yeah, really. I think both of you have gone on to have productive lives. Mistakes happen. You’re not that desperate seventeen-year-old kid anymore. We all grow and learn to move on.”

Hayden left his chair and kneeled by his side. “Don’t ever think about changing who you are for me. I like you exactly the way you are.”

The air between them sizzled, and pressure built inside him to say what had been tumbling around in his chest. He’d never imagined he’d be in this position, but he couldn’t do it in the office. Hayden deserved so much more. Armi swore he could feel the blood beating in his veins.

“I’d better go. I’m seeing Russell, and then I’ll come to you.”

Armi gathered his things and closed down his computer. He waved good-bye to Hayden, who was typing away and on the phone with the press office, checking quotes on the article they were planning to promote. In the car, he contemplated how to handle Russell, deciding to face the problem head on. The housekeeper let him into Russell’s home. “Mr. Anders is in the library.”

Armi smiled at her. “I know the way, thank you.”

The house was a testament to Russell’s life in football—memorabilia in every room and photographs of him as a college player and pro. Armi recognized his father in many of the pictures. Several large-screen televisions took up wall space, and Armi knew his father would often spend afternoons or evenings here, watching tapes of the games. He could count on one hand the number of times his father had invited him to join them.

Russell reclined in a club chair with his leg raised and crutches by his side.

“Damn ankle,” he groused. “Have a seat. You want a drink?” He tipped his head to the array of bottles and glasses.

“No, thanks, I’m fine. Do you want anything?”

“Scotch. There’s ice in the bucket.”

He fixed the drink and handed Russell the tumbler. “How’re you feeling?” Reflexively he winced as Russell, in obvious discomfort, shifted in his chair. “Can I get you a pillow or something?”

“No. Tell me about the weekend.”

Heart pounding, Armi sat opposite him and crossed his arms. Confrontation wasn’t in his DNA, but Hayden was right. If Russell had planned on seducing him, he deserved an answer.

“No, first I think you have something to tell me. Don’t you?” Meeting Russell’s eyes, Armi had expected some kind of remorse or apology. Instead, Russell remained unconcerned.

“What?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Are you going to play dumb?” It was a struggle to keep his temper. “You booked us one room. One bed. What was that about?”

A slight smile tugged at Russell’s lips. “Surprised? I’ve watched you for years. Could never do anything about it because of Randolph.”

“You’re…gay?” He’d gotten the vibes right, but hearing Russell—whom he’d known all his life—say it still sent shockwaves through him.

“I’m bisexual. I figured the weekend would’ve been perfect for us to explore the attraction.”

Armi didn’t know whether to be flattered or annoyed as hell at Russell’s presumptuousness. “So let me get this straight. You figured we’d hook up over the weekend—that because we’d share a bed, I’d be open to fucking you?”

Russell’s eyes gleamed. “Oh, no. I do the fucking. Trust me, you’d be begging for it.”

His face burned. “I can’t believe this.”

Russell leaned forward, his face urgent, his voice soothing. “Come on. You can’t tell me you didn’t notice things were different between us in the office since your father’s been gone.”

“You were helping me get on my feet with the team. At least that’s what I thought.”

“I was—still am. Think of it. You and me running the Kings…it’s perfect.”

A sudden thought came to Armi. “And you would’ve come out? To the team and the league?”

Russell blinked. “What? No, of course not.” His smile turned slightly feral. “Just you and I would know. There’s something to be said about secret relationships. Makes it hotter. Tell me you haven’t thought about it. You and me. Together.”

Armi’s stomach turned. He needed to leave. “No. I haven’t. Sorry. I’m not attracted to you. But I know what this is all about. It’s the team, isn’t it? That’s all it’s ever been for you and my father. You think by getting me into bed, you could influence how the team is run. And soon you’d be running it completely. Tell me, did you think I’d sign my ownership over to you?”

The lunch in the restaurant with Martin Price came to mind, and he recalled Russell being there.

“You talked to Martin Price after my lunch with him, didn’t you? You wanted him to write a hit piece on me. It was you. You were the one sabotaging me all along.”

It shocked him to the core that Russell wasn’t in the least fazed by his question and had no shame. “Come on, Armand. What did you expect? You have no idea what you’re doing. Randolph never meant for you to inherit full ownership. Sure, you’d get some percentage of the Kings, but he wanted me to have the majority share and run it. I’m the logical choice.”

“So you figured to get both—me and the team.”

“A win-win.”

Russell’s snide tone disgusted him, and Armi couldn’t wait to get the hell away. He rose. “You’re the loser this time. Because you don’t have me, and you’ll never own the team. You know what’s funny? At one point I was thinking it was all too much and maybe you should take over. Then Hayden told me to prove everyone wrong and show what I could do.”

Russell snorted. “That little bitch?”

“He’s more of a man than you’ll ever be.” Armi regretted the words the moment they came out of his mouth. The last thing he wanted was to give Russell any ammunition against Hayden.

Russell’s eyes lit up. “You two are fucking, aren’t you? I knew it. He’s been sniffing around you since he first got here.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Hayden is a professional.” But his face grew hot, and he damned his lack of self-control and how easily he blushed.

“He went with you this weekend. Is that who replaced me in the bed?”

Armi lifted his chin. “I don’t have to explain anything to you. I hope you heal quickly. I have to go.”

**

Later on, in Hayden’s apartment, they lay on the couch, and Hayden fumed when Armi relayed the conversation. “That bastard. I knew it. From the first I didn’t trust him. He wants the team, and he figured he’d get it through you.” As if realizing what he’d said, Hayden stopped ranting. “I didn’t mean that he couldn’t want you anyway. You know that.” He sat up and pulled Armi close. “I’d want you even if you had nothing.”

Armi cupped Hayden’s cheek and brushed their lips together, loving how Hayden’s breath grew short at his touch. “If I have you, I have everything.”

For a second, Hayden rested his brow to Armi’s. “I never meant for this to happen.”

Armi didn’t speak—he couldn’t. Hayden’s damp hair hung over his brow, and Armi pushed away the strands to see his eyes. They stared back at him, full of longing and disbelief. As if they held a secret he was on the verge of revealing. Armi traced the generous pout of his lips, the cut of his cheekbone, then lightly trailed his fingers down Hayden’s neck to follow the patterns of all the tattoos on his shoulders and biceps. Hayden’s chest rose and fell rapidly, and Armi moistened his lips.

“You’re so beautiful.” Armi pressed his lips to the curve of Hayden’s shoulder, licking a path along his collarbone. Hayden sighed, his dick hardening, and Armi continued, teasing the tight point of his nipples poking through the thin fabric of his shirt. Armi hiked up the shirt to reach his bare skin, while rubbing the bulge at Hayden’s crotch.

“Fuck, that feels so good. Harder.”

“Not so fast.” Armi kept up a steady but light motion on Hayden’s dick until he squirmed.

“Goddammit, more.” Hayden moaned. “Need you.”

Armi slid his fingers past the elastic waistband to grip Hayden’s straining cock. The smell of Hayden’s desire rose around them, sending Armi spinning into a lust-filled haze. He started to inch the shorts past Hayden’s hips, when the buzzer from downstairs sounded.

“Fuck it. I’m sure it’s nothing.” Hayden lifted his hips. “Suck me. I need your mouth on my dick.”

Armi pulled the shorts to Hayden’s knees, his hungry gaze latched on to the sticky, leaking head of Hayden’s erection. The buzzer had stopped ringing, but Hayden’s cell phone vibrated over and over.

Hayden flopped back on the couch. “Shit. I have to get that. It won’t take long. Get naked.”

Armi shucked his shorts and pulled up his shirt, but he heard Hayden’s panicked voice and stopped.

“Mom?… What?… Here? Now?… You’re in the elevator?”

Reversing course, Armi frantically pulled on his clothes with fumbling fingers.

“Okay. Yeah. Be right there.”

“Someone let them into the building.” Hayden fixed his shorts. “Nothing like hearing your mother’s voice to drive all thoughts of sex out of your mind.” With a rueful smile, he pressed his hand to his rapidly softening cock. “We’ll have to wait until later.”

A little shaky, Armi smoothed his hair. “Do I look okay? I’ve never met anyone’s parents before.”

Hayden kissed him. “You’re perfect. My parents will love you.”

Armi wasn’t so sure why that would be the case. His own father barely acknowledged he existed.