If Marlon pulled me into a stall in the men’s room right now, I wouldn’t give a flying fuck about getting caught. Enough of my brain remains switched on that I know that’s bad, like really, really bad, but I’m this close to losing my grip on my self-control.
Instead, Marlon pushes open a random door, unsteady on his feet like me, and instead of the gents’, we stumble out into open air. Marlon laughs, breathlessly, then whistles quietly. “Shiiit,” he slurs. “We probably shouldn’t be here.”
It’s not a public-facing space, with its cracked concrete ground and stacks of empty beer kegs. A rickety table is covered in cigarette butts overflowing from an ashtray, some garbage bags piled up in a corner. It’s so early the sky is no longer fully dark, pale blueish half-light discolouring everything around us.
“Let’s stay.” Fresh air can’t hurt in my current state. I lean against the wall perpendicular to the door, close my eyes and sigh. A grin still tugs on my lips—firmly in place since the finalwhistle yesterday. I’ve won titles before, with youth teams, but this is something else. It’s the best. It’s addictive.
It’s the reason I could never be anything but a football player, no matter how difficult it makes life sometimes. Already, I want to do it all over again. Start a new season, set new personal records, bask in adoration and applause.
There’s a quiet grunt and I open my eyes again. Marlon has hefted an empty keg into the air, holding it askew so beer dregs drip into his mouth.
Oh my god. He can’t be serious.
“Bro!”
He’s already put the keg back down and now blinks at me innocently. “What?”
“Don’t do that, that’s disgusting.” Ew. I’ve seen my fair share of disgusting things—it’s part of the package deal, growing up constantly surrounded by other young men—but draining the remains of a used beer keg? That’s too low, even for me.
“Yeah?” Marlon’s eyes are slightly out of focus, which makes his glare a whole lot less intimidating. “You didn’t think I was disgusting when you licked salt off my chest earlier.”
I get goosebumps at the memory. Yeah. We did do that. In front of everyone. Shit. Nobody took us seriously, of course, but fuck, I was this close to keeping my mouth on him. Licking that spot under his collarbone, maybe, where I could see sweat glistening. Or maybe his stupid, gorgeous mouth. Or his even more gorgeous dick… “It’s notyouwho’s disgusting,” I say, then pinch my eyebrows together, confusing myself. “No, wait. You are. But…thisis disgusting. Likereallydisgusting.”
Marlon laughs. “Want a taste?” Before I can react, before I’ve even fully grasped the meaning of the words, he lurches forward, grips my shirt, and presses his lips to mine.
I freeze and my mind blurtsDanger, Freddie Robinson!But there’s no world where I could push Marlon away, no matterhow much I should. Especially when Marlon intensifies the kiss like his life depends on it, and it’s been three months since we’ve been this close.
So I grab his hips and pull him close to me, kissing him back hungrily. Marlon moans into the kiss and I tighten my grip even more. He’s so different from everyone else I’ve ever been with. I enjoy men more than women, but nobody of any gender has ever made me feel the way he does.
Before sleeping with Marlon, I thought willowy, androgynous men were my type, but there’s nothing better than being held in his strong arms, having to tip my head back a little to reach his mouth.
I hastily push him backwards until we finally hit a wall and I can press him against it, trying to touch as much of him as I possibly can. Do I care about anyone potentially stumbling out here, the way we did? An innocent bar hand seeing us when throwing out the garbage? Ruining our careers when they’ve just started?
Not one fucking bit.
Not in this moment.
Instead, my fingers slip under his shirt, finally able to touch him the way I want to. The way I’ve wanted to all evening. Finally, I don’t have to hold anything back, and I breathe him in, enjoy every single inch of his body pressed against me.
I could stay like this forever, but unfortunately, the cool air clears my head a little and I eventually pull out of the kiss, regretting not having his lips on mine anymore the second we part. I hastily bury my face in his neck to avoid going back for more.
My heart is racing for all the wrong reasons and I struggle to remember why all of this is such a bad idea when it feels soright. So I lick the warm skin of his neck and let myself fall into easybanter before I blurt out things teammates should never say to each other. “You look so bloody ridiculous.”
Marlon laughs, carefree and bubbly, a sound I’ve never heard from him before. Warmth balloons in my chest as it washes over me. “You can’t even see me.”
“Don’t need to.” I press a kiss to the spot where his neck widens into his shoulder. “The image of you in that hat is burned into my memory forever. Unfortunately.” He chuckles again, taking the insult in stride, and I sigh and wrap my arms around his waist. “You know what sucks though?”
“Mmm?” Marlon’s voice is lazy and blurred and I love it.
“You’re still the most beautiful guy I’ve ever met.”
CHAPTER 7
Marlon
Oh,no. Shit.
Did Freddie just say that? I freeze, my mind suddenly much too alert for my own liking. It was so nice, making out and enjoying each other without having to think about it too much.
