“He didn’t seem like the friendliest guy.”
“He’s just one of those guys you have to get to know.” Matteo shook his head. “The problem is getting to know him is like taking a test you’re not prepped for.”
“But you know him well?”
Matteo shook his head again. “You can never quite reach Cooper Callahan. It’s like he’s right there, but always so far away. We played together for two years and had great chemistry on the field, but off the field? Forget about it.”
“So the accident didn’t turn him into an asshole?”
Matteo turned to him with a disapproving glare. “Deep down, I think he blames himself. That car accident broke something in him.”
“Like he went crazy?”
“No, I mean like we were all at the hospital after the crash. Callahan was beat up pretty bad, had a few surgeries, but I’ve seen guys come back from much worse after a stint on IR. But what the hell do I know? I’m not the doctorwho signed off on letting him out of his contract without penalty.” Matteo gestured to the black SUV pulled up to the curb of the training facility. “Your chariot awaits, princess.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
“See you on the other side of Portland.”
At the turn of midnight, Nico lay awake, staring at the still ceiling fan. His feet nudged the cotton top sheet bunched at the foot of a bed too short for his long frame. To the left of the bed, the shades hung over the floor-to-ceiling windows were open, showing off the unimpressive Columbus skyline from the vantage point of the twenty-second floor.
Nico wasn’t fond of the dark. It was a fear instilled into him at a young age that he hadn’t been able to shake. But just as he could see out the windows, he imagined others could see in.
He climbed out of bed, his bare feet gliding along the cool hardwood floors as his erect cock throbbed in his white Calvins. He pulled the shades to a close and bounced back into bed, laying sideways. He reached into his underwear and palmed his hard cock with one hand while he grabbed his phone with the other.
He hung his head backwards off the edge of the bed, and aimed the phone at the oversized mirror that adorned the adjacent wall.
Opened up the camera.
Clicked record.
The flash lit up the room, the reflection onthe mirror bounced the light back onto the bed and exposed Nico’s bare chest. He watched himself in the mirror. Watched as he drew a finger to his lips. Watched as that same hand trailed a path down the length of his throat, over a forest of rough stubble. Watched as he caressed a path down his bare chest, smooth and muscular. Taunting. Teasing. Gaze unwavering as he stared straight into the camera and the mirror.
He zoomed in a little as he bucked his hips upward, forcing the bulge constricted by Calvins into view. The video honed in on the rough strokes, his knuckles testing the elasticity of the fabric. He gave himself a few rough strokes more and palmed the head of his cock against his inner thigh. Applied just enough pressure that he swore he could feel his heart beating through his dick.
Little Nico liked being watched almost as Nico did.
His cock cried for release, precum leaking through white cotton.
But this wasn’t about release. It was about putting on a show for a one-person audience.
A way to not feel so alone, to pretend to have someone to send the video to.
He shifted to his knees and held the camera over his shoulder. Aimed it squarely at his ass, where the shadows of the crack wasn’t quite titillating enough. He bent forward just enough so he was able to pull the underwear down the curve of his muscular ass. Just enough to catch a peek of the tiny rabbit foot tattoo on the right cheek.
He cocked his head over his shoulder and blew a kiss at the camera.
When he was done with his little one-man show, he puthis phone back onto the nightstand and nestled his head into the comfort of a four-hundred dollar pillow.
The most comfortable pillow in the world and it still wasn’t enough to ease him to sleep. His mind raced, replaying the memories of the last week and a half. Replaying the memories of the day.
The scolding
The camaraderie.
Meeting Cooper fucking Callahan.
His cock twitched.
