asshole.”
“Eh. In hindsight I can admit he kind of started that way, too.”
“I’m also sorry he convinced you that dating another player was a bad idea.”
Alexei sighed. “Actually, I knew that before I dated Erik. He just added more proof.”
“I wouldn’t leave.”
“What?”
“If I was dating someone, if I loved him, I wouldn’t end the relationship just because I got traded away.”
Alexei’s expression stayed perfectly neutral. “Good to know.”
“Yeah, well, I just thought I’d mention it.” And, you know, way overplay my hand.
Time to change the subject. Though he did have one more related question.
“Do you have a lot of exes?” he asked as casually as he could manage. It wasn’t easy when he was still plotting when he could go out and run over Larsson with his fucking car.
No, better, he’d take Alexei’s truck—
Alexei smirked and turned to unlock his door. “A few.”
“And they’re all men?” Because he was starting to think he’d need a reinforced bumper.
“Did Erik Larsson look like a girl to you?”
Mike smiled. “You really want me to answer that? I wouldn’t want to insult your taste in men.”
Alexei rolled his eyes and threw open his door. Mike could have sworn he heard him mutter “you’re one to talk” under his breath.
Chapter Ten
Alexei chucked his bag in the corner and made a beeline for the fridge. He needed a fucking beer.
Mike was killing him. Every time Alexei had turned around today, there Mike was. And no, that wasn’t actually different than any other day, but today it was making Alexei crazy. And it was his own damn fault. What the fuck had he been thinking last night when he’d crawled into bed with Mike? Never mind this morning when he’d blown the guy.
And now he’d told him about Erik, of all things.
Jesus, he had no self-control around this man.
Like, right now he should send Mike back to his apartment, banish him from sight, but Alexei didn’t bother. He was afraid he’d only go looking for Mike in the end.
He spun to give Mike a beer and found him standing six inches away.
“Back off!” he barked.
Mike immediately stepped back.
Alexei sighed. What the fuck am I doing?
“Look, Mike, this morning…the other night. It was nice.”
Mike made a face.
“Ok, fine, it was fucking fantastic. But it can’t happen again.”
“Why not? What part of fucking fantastic isn’t working for you?”
Alexei slammed his beer down on the counter. “You don’t understand. I’m not like you.”
“What does that mean?”
Shit. He really didn’t want to have to explain this. “Just trust me. I’ve been around the block. A few times. You were a virgin the day before yesterday.”
“I never should have told you that,” Mike muttered.
He grabbed Mike’s arms and yanked him in close. “I’m glad you did, because—because otherwise—” Otherwise, I might have been able to ignore all the obvious signs that we are not compatible. Because god, look at those lips. Right there. So close. He shoved Mike away and took a step back. “You need to find a nice man who can make love to you the way you want.”
“And what the hell would you know about that?”
“Will you just trust me?”
“I’d trust you with my life,” he said looking Alexei right in the eyes, his gaze glinting with the determination he brought to all of their arguments. “But I’m not going to let this go.”
Alexei gritted his teeth. “That’s just it, Michael. You like to argue with me. Debate everything . And that doesn’t work for me. Not in bed.”
It would eventually be, Alexei was sure, the goddamn deal-breaker.
So why the hell was Mike suddenly kissing him? And why the hell was Alexei kissing Mike back?
God, Mike’s tongue. Lips. His taste. Alexei could kiss him like this all night.
With a frustrated growl, he shoved Mike away again. “Did you not hear me?”
“I heard you fine,” Mike said quietly, calm in the face of
“Eh. In hindsight I can admit he kind of started that way, too.”
“I’m also sorry he convinced you that dating another player was a bad idea.”
Alexei sighed. “Actually, I knew that before I dated Erik. He just added more proof.”
“I wouldn’t leave.”
“What?”
“If I was dating someone, if I loved him, I wouldn’t end the relationship just because I got traded away.”
Alexei’s expression stayed perfectly neutral. “Good to know.”
“Yeah, well, I just thought I’d mention it.” And, you know, way overplay my hand.
Time to change the subject. Though he did have one more related question.
“Do you have a lot of exes?” he asked as casually as he could manage. It wasn’t easy when he was still plotting when he could go out and run over Larsson with his fucking car.
No, better, he’d take Alexei’s truck—
Alexei smirked and turned to unlock his door. “A few.”
“And they’re all men?” Because he was starting to think he’d need a reinforced bumper.
“Did Erik Larsson look like a girl to you?”
Mike smiled. “You really want me to answer that? I wouldn’t want to insult your taste in men.”
Alexei rolled his eyes and threw open his door. Mike could have sworn he heard him mutter “you’re one to talk” under his breath.
Chapter Ten
Alexei chucked his bag in the corner and made a beeline for the fridge. He needed a fucking beer.
Mike was killing him. Every time Alexei had turned around today, there Mike was. And no, that wasn’t actually different than any other day, but today it was making Alexei crazy. And it was his own damn fault. What the fuck had he been thinking last night when he’d crawled into bed with Mike? Never mind this morning when he’d blown the guy.
And now he’d told him about Erik, of all things.
Jesus, he had no self-control around this man.
Like, right now he should send Mike back to his apartment, banish him from sight, but Alexei didn’t bother. He was afraid he’d only go looking for Mike in the end.
He spun to give Mike a beer and found him standing six inches away.
“Back off!” he barked.
Mike immediately stepped back.
Alexei sighed. What the fuck am I doing?
“Look, Mike, this morning…the other night. It was nice.”
Mike made a face.
“Ok, fine, it was fucking fantastic. But it can’t happen again.”
“Why not? What part of fucking fantastic isn’t working for you?”
Alexei slammed his beer down on the counter. “You don’t understand. I’m not like you.”
“What does that mean?”
Shit. He really didn’t want to have to explain this. “Just trust me. I’ve been around the block. A few times. You were a virgin the day before yesterday.”
“I never should have told you that,” Mike muttered.
He grabbed Mike’s arms and yanked him in close. “I’m glad you did, because—because otherwise—” Otherwise, I might have been able to ignore all the obvious signs that we are not compatible. Because god, look at those lips. Right there. So close. He shoved Mike away and took a step back. “You need to find a nice man who can make love to you the way you want.”
“And what the hell would you know about that?”
“Will you just trust me?”
“I’d trust you with my life,” he said looking Alexei right in the eyes, his gaze glinting with the determination he brought to all of their arguments. “But I’m not going to let this go.”
Alexei gritted his teeth. “That’s just it, Michael. You like to argue with me. Debate everything . And that doesn’t work for me. Not in bed.”
It would eventually be, Alexei was sure, the goddamn deal-breaker.
So why the hell was Mike suddenly kissing him? And why the hell was Alexei kissing Mike back?
God, Mike’s tongue. Lips. His taste. Alexei could kiss him like this all night.
With a frustrated growl, he shoved Mike away again. “Did you not hear me?”
“I heard you fine,” Mike said quietly, calm in the face of
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