Page 15

“Sure does.” I breathed in the buttery pastries, filled with meat, cheese and vegetables. Unrolling my silverware from my napkin, I said, “I’ll talk to him when I get home and let him know he’s a better football player than a matchmaker.”

“I hope he’s not too upset about it.” He barked out a laugh. “God, and I was afraid I was going to break your heart, or some shit, and Cooper was going to kill me.”

I cut into my pasty, mustard cream sauce and melted brie spilling out of it. “I thought I’d be breaking your heart.” I chuckled. He didn’t seem hurt, and all I felt was relief.

“Ah, maybe last year you would have. I don’t know what changed. Maybe realizing the two of us will end up in different states after we get signed. I don’t know.” He ate a bite of his pasty.

If I get signed. My chest squeezed. I wouldn’t mention my insecurities to him. But I’d told Cooper about it…

“It doesn’t matter. We’re still friends and if you want more tickets to the football games, just ask.” He sipped his pint.

“Same goes for the hockey games when they start up. I can get you seats, eh.” I held up my fork to him. “But I’m warning you, it’s a much faster paced game.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He cut into his food. “But there’s, like, no strategy. You guys just skate around in circles, hoping to grab the puck at some point. ”

I bit the side of my lower lip, giving him a pointed look. “Don’t be starting a fight with me now.”

He was attempting to get a rise out of me. With a wide smile, he said, “Isn’t that also what you do in hockey? Start fights?”

“Not in college. You’ll get kicked out of the game and maybe even the next one for that shit.” Shaking my head, I chuckled. Things were easy between us again and I had my friend back.

After having an enjoyable dinner with JJ, I headed home and parked my car in the garage. We’d both been a little stressed with the whole dating situation. It was nice to have it behind me. I climbed out of my car and strolled into the kitchen from the garage.

The television flickered in the main room with a sitcom playing. In the sectional, Cooper turned his head of dark hair. He threw his arm over the back cushions. “Hey, how’d it go?”

Had he been waiting for me? “Fine.” I dumped my keys into my backpack, still by the kitchen island where I’d left it. With a sigh, I strolled to the couch and dropped in beside him. “I’m not dating JJ anymore.” No use sugar coating it.

His eyes grew wide. “You’re not? Was he okay with it? How’d it go down? Are you still friends?”

“Jesus, calm down.” I chuckled. “He’s fine with it, and it was quick.

Yes, we’re still friends. In fact, I’d say we’re even better friends now.

” I patted his thigh. “Turns out he wasn’t feeling it either.

He said last year he’d been attracted to me, but I guess it wore off, or he grew out of it or whatever.

” I took in the way his chest muscles filled out his athletic shirt, his nipples pushing at the fabric.

My cock woke, and I bit my lower lip. With JJ out of the picture, I might be even more attracted to Cooper. How should I navigate this?

“Okay.” Leaning over, he grabbed the remote from the coffee table, shut off the television and then angled toward me. “No hurt feelings at all?”

Through a sharp laugh, I said, “No, in fact, we had a pleasant dinner as friends. The pressure was gone.” Why was he so invested in my relationship with JJ?

“B-but do you think it didn’t work out with JJ because you’re not in the right head space for dating? Or was it something about JJ?” He raked his teeth over his lower lip, his gaze searching my face.

“I think…” I lowered my brows. What was he really asking me? There was more behind his questions. Could I tell him the truth? No. “It was JJ. Just wasn’t feeling it with him.” I shrugged. But I definitely felt a connection with Cooper. Fuck.

Cooper locked his gaze on mine. “Myles?” He leaned in closer, his gaze dipping to my mouth.

“Uh, yeah?” What was he doing? I inched away as he came closer still, his whole body leaning toward me.

“What if... I wanted to...” He kissed me gently at first, his lips tasting mine, then with more intensity, his hand encircling the back of my head, trapping me in place.

My eyes popped wide open, and my gaze found his, darkened and hooded. I parted my lips, and he slipped his tongue inside, gliding it across mine, exploring yet needful. As I closed my eyes, I lost myself in the kiss, hooking an arm around his neck and urging him closer.

A soft moan freed from him, and he slanted his mouth, claiming me again and again.

My cock swelled inside my briefs, straining to break free through the band, and my balls tingled. Holy fuck, this was the best kiss of my whole damn life. And it was Cooper?

He shoved me back onto the couch and pushed between my legs, his hard dick pressed to mine through the thin fabric of our clothes, his lips and tongue crushing mine. As he rolled his hips, he rubbed over me.

My skin heated, and shock waves of pleasure sparked up my spine. I groaned and slapped my hands to his muscled ass, digging my fingers into him. We should stop this. We should talk about this. But fuck if I wanted it to end. It was everything I’d been missing with JJ.

He quickened the pace of his hips, brushing my hair from my face and biting my lower lip, only to dip his tongue inside my mouth again and again, gliding it over my own.

As sensation knotted in my gut, I met his thrusts with my own. If we kept going, I’d come. Is that what he wanted?

He left my mouth and gasped as a shudder rolled through his body.

We needed to stop this now. If this was just a quick hookup between roommates, it might kill me. “Cooper,” I said, my voice husky and raw. “Hey.” I pushed on his shoulders.

Taking quick, deep breaths, he lifted to his elbows and looked deeply into my eyes.

His cock pressed maddeningly and hot against mine.

“What? Shit, I’m sorry. You don’t want this.

” His brows tensed and he climbed off me.

“Fuck, I’m sorry.” He straightened on the couch, his feet hitting the floor, and fisted his bangs, pulling at them.

With his gaze darting across the floor, he said, “I-I shouldn’t have done that. Not right after you?—”

“No, no, no.” I sat up and grabbed his arms, pulling his hands free from his hair. “I’ve wanted this for a hell of a long time.” Way to be subtle, Myles. I bit the corner of my lower lip. I glanced toward the hallway. Were Ace and Zoma home? Now would be a terrible time for them to come out.

“You have?” Cooper snuck a peek at me from under his brows.

I nodded. I was about to spill my whole truth. I knew it. No way to keep it inside now. “I’ve had a crush on you since high school.”

He stared at me, gaping. “What?” His hands dropped to his sides and the edges of his lips jerked. He tilted his head. “Wait, you had a crush. Do you still have a crush on me?”

Oh, shit. “Um, yes. Yes, I do.” My pulse pounded in my temples and my gut tied in knots. This could end badly. We were fucking roommates now.

“S-so, when you were with JJ, were you not feeling it for him because you were feeling it for me?” His lips quirked into a soft grin.

Warmth flooded my cheeks, and I freed a choked laugh. “Pretty much.” I dipped my head, running my fingers along the smooth fabric of the couch. Oh my God, I sounded like some lovesick teenager.

He lifted my chin, forcing my gaze to his. “Myles, I like you. I can’t stop thinking about you. All the fucking time. It’s insane. You, you’ve been driving me insane.” A full-on smile spread over his mouth. “Can we date?”

My heart did a happy dance. But how would this work? What would JJ think? Wouldn’t it be strange with us already living in the same house? “Sure.” I gave him a sharp nod.

“I-I have to talk to JJ first, though. You know, bro code. I have to make sure he’s cool with it.” He adjusted himself. “Fuck, Myles, that kiss blew me away. I almost nutted in my shorts.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, same.” How was this even happening? Would I wake up and realize the entire night was a dream?

“I’ll talk to JJ tomorrow. But until then, we should probably cool it, don’t you think?” He winced. “I hope he’s not pissed off at me.”

“Judging by what he said at dinner tonight, I don’t think he will be.” I freed a long breath and relaxed my shoulders. “Cooper, we’ll need to figure out how to date and live together and not make it weird.”

“Why would it be weird? Seems to me it’ll be convenient.” He wagged his brows at me.

And out came easy going Coop. The guy that let nothing bother him. “We’ll talk.” I grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

“Uh, okay, now?” He raised his brows.

“Did you have something else to do?” I glanced at his laptop resting on the coffee table. Surely he would have studied already.

“Nope, I’m all yours.” His breath caught, and a sly grin slipped across his mouth. “Well, you know.”

“Yeah…” His words rumbled through my head. He had to make sure JJ was cool if we dated? “Cooper, what if JJ doesn’t want us dating?” Though, I couldn’t imagine why after our dinner conversation. I pursed my lips.

“I don’t know.” He snuck his hand around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. “Should we do it behind his back?”

Shaking my head, I said, “No, that’s not cool and people always get found out, eh.

” I gnawed at my lower lip. We couldn’t let JJ stop us, could we?

But Cooper had only met JJ this year. “How bad would it be for you if we dated even without his blessing? Like would the entire team turn on you?” Placing my hand on his thigh, I faced him.

“Shit, I don’t know.” He stared across the room and rested his hand over mine, still on his thigh. “Let’s just see what he says tomorrow.”

My gaze crept to his. I’d better not get my hopes up, just in case. “Okay.”

“With me moving in here, I’m afraid he might think we got together behind his back.” He pulled at his earlobe and scoffed.