Creed reaches for my arm and squeezes my wrist. “We know. But we’re worried about you.”
“We’re also not convinced you’re eating,” Meddy adds. “So we brought food.” He raises the casserole dish in his hands. Several others around him do the same. “We’re going to eat. Consider this an intervention.”
“That’s unnecessary,” I start, but Ethan is already making his way by me. “I’m going to eat,” I insist, but it’s too late now as my teammates make their way inside.
“Do you always walk around with a flag in your pants?” Asael asks.
I scowl at him. “Yes. I really?—”
“Who are you?” I hear Sacha ask from down the hall.
With a heavy sigh, I let my head fall back. Fuck’s sake.
“Lo?” Jakub asks.
“Hey, Bozik.”
Great.
“Come in,” I mutter and shut the door with a snap. I make my way through the big bodies of my teammates until I reach Lo leaning against the wall in the hall. In his underwear. Also tenting. My cheeks heat.
“Would you believe that his car broke down?” I ask.
Snickers fill the room behind me. Lo’s smile widens.
“I’ve been wondering who to text to make sure Caulder’s eating,” Lo comments, his eyes scanning over my teammates. They were my friends once. Now I’m not so sure! Ugh. “Pretty much anyone on the team. Good to know.”
“How long have you been here?” Creed asks, voice still filled with surprise.
“Less than twelve hours. Late flight,” Lo says.
“No, I mean?—”
“Couple months,” Lo interrupts. “Since the All-Star Games.”
“It’s only been two months?” I ask, shaking my head. “Jesus.”
“This last month has been hell for you,” Creed says, wrapping his arm around my waist briefly and giving me a one-arm hug. “I bet it’s felt like it’s never ending.”
I nod, feeling that fatigue creep up again. Lo’s smile has softened now as he looks at me. When he looks at me like that, my heart races. I leave the gaggle of my teammates and join Lo. He wraps his arm around me, pulling me into him. My cheeks heat.
“You, uh… know everyone?” I ask.
Lo shrugs. “More or less.”
“I’ll quiz you later—Jakub, Ethan, Creed, Three, Meddy, Asael, Astor, Phalyn, Lucas, and Sacha. This is Lo, Laurent Duval.”
“Interloper,” Sacha calls out. “Sleeping with enemy!”
Lo laughs.
“You really didn’t need to do this,” I tell them. “Lo being here aside, Iameating.”
“Forgive us, but we don’t believe you,” Meddy says, continuing through my house. I see the light in the kitchen turn on, and my teammates follow him. “To make sure you’re eating, we brought you food and we’re having lunch with you. We made enough for Lo too.”
Lo kisses my temple. “You have some great friends.”
“I would normally agree, but I’m not sure I can right now.” I turn my body into him, pressing my determinedly half hard cock to his thigh.
