Dean walked Colton to the front door and smacked his ass. “Go get ‘em tiger!” Colton yelped, then chuckled.
At the elevator, Colton turned back and smiled. “Thanks again. I’ll call you in a few days.”
Dean waved and closed the door.
Chapter 16
Colton
Practice had ended and Colton couldn’t get out of the facility fast enough. It had been a rough day. The team watched film from last weekend’s game and the coaches ripped them to shreds.
It went on for hours. It had been a pretty dismal performance all around, and the coaches took the time to point out every flaw, every bad play, by every single player. Colton reeled from the reaming. He needed to get away from the facility and relax. He needed to laugh, and fast.
Immediately, he thought of Dean, and reached for his phone in his bag…
Colton: Hey Dean! I’ve had a pretty shitty day. I need to relax and laugh. Want some company?
Dean: Aww, I’m sorry to hear that! You bet! Come over whenever.
Dean answered the door with a sympathetic smile and Colton stepped forward, dropping his forehead on his shoulder. He felt Dean take a sharp breath, and his body temperature immediately increased by about 100 degrees.
Dean gently rubbed the back of Colton’s head, running his fingers through his hair. “Bad day, huh?”
Fuck, he smells good.
The moment Dean started rubbing the back of his head, the tension in Colton’s body immediately floated away. Resting against Dean’s strong, warm body, with his hand gently holding his head, Colton could exhale, let the stress release, and feel safe and secure.
“The worst!” Colton dropped his bag in the entryway. “The coaches tore into us for hours. I’m gonna be walking funny for days from the ass reaming I just got.”
Dean cackled and patted his shoulder, leading him to the sofa. “Sit. Relax. Let’s have some fun.”
Colton fell into the cushions of the sofa, burrowing himself amongst the blue pillows. “Thanks, man. I’m so glad you were home. And I’msofucking glad we have a bye week this week so I can have a few days off from the facility.”
“Oh, you’re off for a few days?”
“Yup. And I need a drink, or three!”
Dean flashed a devilish grin. “I’ve got just what you need.” He walked over to the bar along the wall, rummaged through the bottles, and turned to present 2 unopened bottles of Patron tequila. “Añejo or Reposado?”
“Fuck it! Why not both?” Colton grinned back.
“I like the way you think, my friend.” Dean winked, grabbing two fancy tasting glasses from the shelf.
Dean poured the drinks and passed a glass to Colton, who took a healthy sip. “Fuck! That’s good shit!”
Dean winked and swirled the golden liquor in his glass. “That’s the Añejo. The Reposado is even better. Wait ‘til you taste that one.”
Colton dropped his head back onto the sofa and sighed deeply. “I feel better already. Thank you, Dean.”
Colton still couldn’t pinpoint it, but there was something about Dean. A wave of calm washed over him whenever they were together. One look into Dean’s eyes, or his smile bright enough to fill a room, and Colton felt immediately at ease, at peace.
“You’re welcome, Colton. Like I said when you were sick a while back, Mi casa es su casa…and now mi tequila es su tequila.” He joked, flashing a big goofy grin.
Colton cackled and slapped Dean’s thigh. “I knew you’d make me laugh!” He sighed again, dropping his head back onto the sofa.
Dean smiled with a little chuckle before grabbing the iPad off the coffee table and starting some music.
“Hey, wanna order a pizza?”
