Page 19

Cody

Rafael skull-fucked me in the locker room of a public ice-skating rink right before he drained my cock like his mouth was a Hoover vacuum.

Needless to say, I was an emotional wreck.

What was I doing? I’d gone off the fucking rails and was careening into a brick wall with Rafael’s face graffitied on it. Did I have no dignity? He called me pathetic. Then, I let him tie me to a fucking pole and choke me with his dick.

Which I loved.

More than loved. I’d spent the last four days yearning for more. I lingered too close to Rafael, hoping he’d give me a signal that he wanted to take me to the shed out back, tie me up, and pound the living daylights out of me.

I went fucking feral when he shoved his fingers down my throat. That feeling of being entirely at his mercy and used for his pleasure was a toxic mix of something I’d never known I wanted. The way he looked at me when he fucked my throat. He looked so mean. It was perfect. He was perfect.

Rafael is perfect.

Oh no…

No, whatever this was had to be strictly sexual. It was a kink. I was just a little kinky. Who knew? Rafael. How did he read me like a book? He handled me with such confidence, such ownership. Everything he said turned me into a puddle on the floor.

He said I was his, and I couldn’t deny my desire to be his. Maybe it could be something more? Eventually?

No. It couldn’t be. He wouldn’t kiss me and spent the next four days avoiding me. Rafael made it very clear—it was nothing but sex. Afterward, he turned back into a scowling little prick.

And he was drinking.

I knew he had liquor hidden in his room. Yes, I snuck in and searched for it. I also looked through his laundry basket. I also stole a dirty jock.

Jesus, who really has the problem here?

“Earth to Cody. Are you high or something?”

Asher’s question pulled me out of my mental spiral. “Huh?”

He rolled his eyes as he fidgeted with the game controller. “Dude, you’ve been sitting there like a zombie for half an hour. You’ve barely said a word. What’s up?”

You know our new left winger, who is also my stepbrother? I think I have a thing for him. Any advice?

Yeah, I wouldn’t be talking about this with anyone anytime soon.

Rafael had been to three practices and was showing why he deserved to be on the starting line. He still had haters, but they were quiet. Rafael’s talent was undeniable, and he was pretty cool to everyone on the team.

Except for me.

When he wasn’t shoving his cock down my throat, he was avoiding me .

I looked up to find Asher staring at me, blinking, and I realized I hadn’t answered his question. “Oh, sorry. I’m just distracted. Maybe I’m tired. Practice was brutal today. Hughes knows how to run us ragged.”

“Tell me about it,” Asher agreed. “But, he means well. He pushes us because he wants us to be better.”

Asher and Hughes were incredibly close. Coach Hughes stepped in a few times when Asher’s mom brought home men who got physical with Asher.

He and I had similar backgrounds in that single moms raised us, but his mom was nowhere near as nice as mine. She had an addiction to drugs, and Asher’s life had been a long journey of navigating around the lowlifes his mom brought around. I was so glad that he had Coach Hughes as a stable adult in his life.

Asher looked at his phone. “Where the fuck is Theo? He’s supposed to bring the pregame.”

Case in point: he and Theo were about to pregame in Asher’s bedroom, and his mom didn’t care. She was passed out in front of the TV when I arrived. It wasn’t even nine o’clock.

Rowan’s parents were out of town, and he had invited pretty much all of the 18U team and every beautiful girl at our high school for what was supposed to be a party of epic proportions. His parents were wealthy as hell, and his house was palatial. I’d been there a couple of times; it was more like an estate than a house.

It had a massive pool, a Jacuzzi, enough space for dancing, and even a movie theater. I didn’t plan on utilizing any of it, though. Parties made me uncomfortable, and I despised alcohol because of my Dad.

But nobody wants to be the odd man out, so I tagged along and served as the designated driver; nobody was going to drive drunk on my watch.

The buzzer sounded, indicating someone was at the front entrance of Asher’s apartment building. He ran out of his room to buzz them in.

Theo’s massive feet lumbered up the stairs, quite literally causing the walls of the old apartment to vibrate. Asher greeted him, and they engaged in their usual bro thing—exchanging insults—when I heard another voice that made the hair on the back of my neck stand.

No.

I wasn’t sure if Rowan invited him. What the fuck was he doing with Theo?

As if on cue, Theo barreled into the room and made a beeline for me, wrapping his arm around my neck and giving me noogies. “Wassup, bitch!”

Once Theo had thoroughly manhandled me, I was released. I looked up, and there he was.

Rafael leaned against the doorway, his backward Yankees cap and black hair falling from the sides. His blue eyes locked with mine, and we stared at each other. Then, he released a devilish smirk that sent my heart racing, and I looked down at the floor.

Fuck why did he do this to me?

Theo sat on the bed next to me, then motioned to Rafael. “Look who I found at the liquor shop.”

He would be at the liquor shop.

“He didn’t even know there was a party tonight. What the fuck, Cody? Not even telling your brother that there’s a party.”

Rafael and I said simultaneously, “We’re not brothers.”

Theo held up his arms in surrender. “Whoa, you fuckers have got some sibling rivalry going on. You can cut this hate with a knife.”

“There’s no hate,” I spit out through clenched teeth.

Rafael came further into the room, closing the door behind him. “Nah. No hate. I don’t care enough to hate him.”

Oh, fuck you.

“Quick, let’s do this up and get out,” Asher said. “If my mom wakes up, she’ll want to party with us.” He walked over to his desk and rummaged for a shot glass.

Theo reached into his backpack and pulled out a bottle of the cheapest Vodka you can buy when Rafael stopped him. “No, no, we’re drinking this tonight, boys.” He shook his leg, and out fell a bottle of expensive rum from the bottom of his pant leg.

Fuck, why did that turn me on so much?

Rafael continued, “We’re having good shit tonight, and I haven’t let it rip in a minute what with old boy scout over here to compare to now.” He twisted off the cap. “Would the host like to do the honors?”

Asher held out the shot glass and chuckled. “Fill her up, baby.”

“Who are you filling up tonight?” Rafael asked Asher as he took the shot and grimaced.

“Fuck, that burns. Um…I’m playing it lowkey tonight. Not really on the prowl.”

Theo ripped the glass out of his hand and motioned for Rafael to pour him a shot. “Well, I don’t know about you, but my goal is to get this dick wet tonight.”

“Yeah, wet with your piss,” Asher remarked. “Don’t overdo it again, big boy. I can’t believe someone as big as you can be such a lightweight with the booze.”

Theo inched closer to Asher, holding up a finger to his face. “I didn’t fuckin’ piss myself, bitch, someone spilled on me.”

Asher just shook his head. “Yeah, whatever you need to tell yourself, big boy.”

“What about you, Golden Boy? You getting that cock tugged on tonight?” Rafael took a shot, then held my gaze.

I already hated situations like this. Partying wasn’t my thing, and I was still a virgin. Now, Rafael was playing games with me, knowing exactly who I was hoping might tug on my dick.

“I’m DD,” I said through clenched teeth.

Rafael rolled his eyes. “Of course, you are. You can still get your dick played with, no?”

I didn’t say a word. Rafael stood there, eyes glued to mine. The tension felt like a physical force that invaded the room, making the atmosphere thick and humid.

Theo broke the silence. “Well. Let’s not get all awkward as fuck now. How about we take another shot and hit the road?”

They all took another shot. Asher and Theo poked fun at each other, utterly oblivious that Rafael didn’t take his eyes off me.

To be honest, I couldn’t take my eyes off him either.