Page 15

15

BARRETT

I trudged into the clubhouse, throwing my hat into my seat. With each button that came undone on my jersey, I forced myself to relax. The tension in the locker room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Just when I started to think that losing couldn’t suck any more, Stetson Holloway had to burst into my life and tear things up.

It may have been easier if the Thrashers were simply better players, but we held our own. We’d given it our all and in the end, we weren’t good enough.

I wasn’t good enough.

Arms wrapped around my waist, and I banished the feeling. I was not going to sulk. The three of us had only shared fleeting moments over the last few weeks, and I was eager to spend some time together. Levi tickled my sides, and I wiggled in his grip. “I’m disgusting, Lee,” I laughed, grateful nonetheless to have some of the stress melt from my body.

“I know, trust me.” That earned him an elbow to the ribs. “Hose off and get back to the hotel. I’ve got plans, remember?”

At first, I thought he meant Stetson’s punishment. I’d been amused that night, knowing from the beginning that the boy wouldn’t be able to hold out. He’d likely never been told “no” in his life. Levi and I had spent weeks coming up with the perfect way to teach him a lesson. But as I sat in my chair, exhaustion hit me like a freight train. “As much as I would love to help you torture that boy, I’m tired.”

Levi knelt in front of me, running his hands up my thighs with a firm grip. I bit my lip to stifle a moan, the pressure firm enough to ease the ache that came with crouching for hours on end. “That’s not what I meant, Bear. We’ve got all day tomorrow to do that. Stetson’s already on his way to the hotel, so shower and meet me there.”

He straightened to his full height, then leaned over to give me a kiss. Skeptical, I crooked a brow at him. “Why does your voice have that suspicious lilt to it?”

A cocky grin, and Levi shoved his hands in his pockets as he backed out of the clubhouse. “Guess you’ll just have to come find out.”

Baffled, I laughed and shook my head. Levi still had the ability to surprise me.

But I couldn’t help but hope that the surprise was a long, hot bath in a tub big enough for three.

* * *

I smiled all the way to the penthouse suite. Levi truly had pulled out all the stops. When I was alone, all I needed was a place to shower and sleep but with him, nothing but the best would suffice. That’s what he thought, anyway. As the doors dinged and opened, I yelped. A hand snatched me out of the elevator and into a bruising kiss. Stetson. I grunted into his mouth, cupping my hand around his neck and holding him close. Damp hair tickled my fingers. He tasted like toothpaste and smelled like soap. He grabbed my hips and pulled me closer but before he could grind his pelvis against mine?—

“That’s enough, boy,” Levi said from my side.

Stetson whined, but broke off the kiss. I licked my lips in the hopes that his taste would linger.

It did. “Hello to you too,” I whispered. I brushed my thumb along his swollen bottom lip, and I could sense him fighting the urge to suck it into his mouth. “Congratulations on your win.”

Stetson grimaced but before he could say anything about my loss, I silenced him with a finger to his lips. “I don’t want to talk about it.” I wrapped one arm around his waist, and reached for Levi with the other. “For the next twenty-four hours, I don’t want any baseball talk. Understood?”

Levi happily agreed, and I looked to Stetson for his answer. His eyes were trained on my mouth but with a gentle guide from Levi who tipped his chin up, he found my gaze once more. “Yes, sir.”

“Now,” I said, pulling them closer. “Tell me about these plans.”

I already had an idea. I knew Levi better than he knew himself sometimes. The smell of bubble bath wafted in from the bathroom but when Stetson told me to close my eyes, I did. He took one hand, and Levi took the other. Together, they led me through the suite and into the bedroom, where they sat me down on the bed.

“Keep your eyes closed,” Levi instructed.

Nimble fingers slipped beneath my shirt. I hummed. “Don’t worry. I’m all good here.”

My shirt came off, and I kicked out of my shoes so the rest of my clothes could follow. They took me by the hands again and led me closer to the enticing smell of lavender. I did my best to hide my grin until they pulled me to a stop and directed me to open my eyes. I couldn’t have fought my smile then if I tried.

The jacuzzi tub had been decorated with fake candles and rose petals littered the perimeter, dipping into the water. Steam rose off the surface, calling to my aching muscles. And yes, the tub was big enough for three. I regarded the men standing to either side of me. “Why aren’t the two of you undressed yet?”

They stripped in record time, with Stetson grumbling, “If I had it my way I’d have met you at the door naked.”

“And take an eye out with that erection?” That earned Levi a glare, to which he answered, “Look at me like that again and see what happens.”

“Enough,” I interjected, nudging them toward the tub. “Get in.”

They stepped into the water, settling to either side and leaving space for me in the middle. While I nestled between them, Levi activated the jets. I couldn’t help the moan that pushed past my lips. The hot water bubbled around me, soothing all the aches and pains—even the emotional ones. Stetson wiggled, whining as he rested against my chest. Levi tucked in close behind me, reaching around to turn the boy’s chin toward him. Their mouths met in front of my face, Stetson instantly opening up for Levi’s tongue. I watched for a moment before deciding I wasn’t going to be left out. Our mouths met in a messy, three-way kiss. It was sloppy and inexperienced, but it was perfect.

They were perfect.

* * *

We awoke tangled in each other the next morning, with Stetson starfishing out across the bed. He had one leg thrown over Levi’s hips, and his arm splayed across my chest. When my eyes opened and met Levi’s, all we could do was laugh. “We’re going to need a bigger bed,” I commented.

Levi gazed down at the boy, stars in his eyes. Stetson snored away. “He’s worth it.” Then he scrubbed a hand over his face. “I hate that I’ll have to leave the two of you to scout that game today.”

“You sure you don’t want us to come with you?”

“Absolutely not.” Levi sat up, gently repositioning Stetson’s leg without waking him up. “You said no ball talk for twenty-four hours and I intend to let you have that.”

“Well if we can’t have any ball talk, we might have a very disappointed boy on our hands,” I quipped.

Levi shook his head and searched for his clothes. “Stetson’s been a bad influence on you.”

I gazed down at the man sleeping on my shoulder, and my heart melted. He stirred, settling right on my chest. His arm squeezed around my waist in an attempt to pull me closer. His dirty blond hair tickled my bicep, still damp from our late bath the night before. Dark lashes fluttered against his perfect cheekbones. I gently brushed a piece of hair out of his eyes to get a better look, as if I hadn’t already committed every inch of his body to memory. “He’s definitely something.”

I was absolutely smitten with the boy.

“Have you two talked about what he called you last night?”

I shook my head. Between busy schedules and our limited downtime being spent with roaming hands and mouths, there hadn’t been time to talk about much of anything. But that was about to change. It had to if we had any chance of making this work. I’d told Stetson that communication was the most important part of all this, and I’d seriously been slacking.

“I’ll talk to him,” I finally said, lowering my voice in case the boy was only pretending to sleep. “Today. It’s his first time in New York. I planned something special for us.”

Levi smirked. “PUBLIC?”

Damn it. A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth. “Of course.”

He pulled that old Hellbenders ball cap onto his head. I grimaced. I’d been after him for years to replace the thing, but I’d given it to him as a gift when I’d gotten drafted and he refused. He walked around my side of the bed and leaned over. I hummed when his lips met mine. He stretched over me to press another gentle kiss to Stetson’s temple, and only then did the boy stir and open his eyes. “What time is it?”

“Time to get up,” I responded. We waved Levi goodbye and Stetson rolled into my chest to steal a few more minutes of snuggle time. “Or not.”

“Five minutes,” he whispered against my skin. “Then you can commence with your torture.”

I didn’t have to ask what he meant. I’d have an indent of his cock in my hip for days. “Don’t worry, baby,” I whispered, free hand disappearing beneath the blanket.

Stetson gasped and tried to wriggle away. “Don’t, I’ll come.”

“No you won’t.” I leaned in, stealing his lips in a passionate kiss as my hand gave his cock one slow pull. “Because deep down, all you want is to be a good boy, don’t you?”

I let go, allowing my fingertips to linger as long as possible. Stetson’s only answer was a soft whimper against my lips and when I pulled back, he had his eyes squeezed shut. When they opened, the only evidence of that beautiful blue was a thin ring around his blown pupils. “I’m not sure which one of you is more evil.”

I kissed him again, soft and gentle, without an air of any sexual tension. That time, he melted into it. My fingers locked into his hair and held him against me. Fuck , I didn’t realize how much I’d missed him. When his tongue prodded for entry, I was the one cursing Levi for this damn punishment. Reluctantly, I pulled away. “Go shower, Stetson,” I told him. “We’re leaving in half an hour.”

His brow furrowed. “To go where?”

“It’s a surprise.” And his eyes lit up. “Now get up, before I break my own rules.”

Stetson had a dimple in his right cheek. How did I know? Because when he gave us his trademark cocky smirk, it popped—just as it did in that moment. “Is that supposed to motivate me?”

I stood myself, taking the blanket and its warmth with me. “Up. Now.”

Stetson shivered. “See? Evil.”

I watched his perfect, perky little ass disappear into the bathroom and only once the door shut behind him did I let out a breath.

That boy had me wrapped around his little finger.