Chapter Eight
Thrilled as he was that his team had won and secured their spot in the playoffs, Danny’s victory high was overshadowed by the fact that it was taking every ounce of willpower he had not to hobble out of the change rooms post-match. He gritted his teeth and smiled for the fans, but inside he wanted to scream.
He couldn’t let anyone know he was hurting. Just a few more games for the season, and then it was all over.
Once he got through the hordes of fans—which he appreciated most days, but couldn’t wait to be free of today—he was glad to see Eliot standing at the back of the crowd. A friendly face was a friendly face, and he’d seen Eliot cheering a few times while he’d been playing in his ridiculous purple scarf.
That felt nice. He knew Eliot didn’t care about sport, so it meant something to Danny to have him cheering him on. Ridiculous as the scarf was, it was a nice gesture, too. Eliot was trying.
To Danny’s horror, the moment of relief coincided with his knee giving out completely. He stumbled, lurching toward Eliot, images of crashing into him flashing through his mind. If it didn’t blow his secret wide open, it’d at least start speculation about him having hurt himself.
To his surprise, he didn’t fall. Eliot caught him, which was no minor feat, since Danny must have been twice his weight. Eliot was tall enough, as tall as Danny was, almost, but willowy and not physically powerful.
All the same, he held Danny up.
Danny was too busy being relieved again to notice as Eliot shifted his hold, putting both hands on Danny’s jaw and holding him in place.
To kiss him, Danny realized belatedly, around the time their lips had actually connected. Up until that point, he’d still been in panic mode.
It wasn’t a gentle kiss. For some reason, Danny had expected Eliot to be hesitant and gentle, maybe even bordering on awkward. He was the opposite of that in every way, sucking on Danny’s lip, forcing his mouth open, moving one hand to grab hold of his hair and pressing their bodies together.
That part was probably to stop Danny keeling over, but the rest of it… the rest of it didn’t seem entirely necessary.
Eliot smelled of cedar and lemon, and tasted faintly of peppermint. His lips were impossibly soft and agile, and the sheer force he was capable of shocked Danny. He remembered Eliot saying he liked sex when he’d last talked to him in person. Based on the way he kissed, no-holds-barred, Danny understood now what he’d meant.
Danny broke off for a breath, his head spinning and his lips swollen and tender. Eliot’s glasses had been knocked askew, a single strand of hair had flopped over his forehead.
Danny swallowed. That was… kind of hot?
Not evenkindof. If he hadn’t been in agony, he would have had the world’s most embarrassing hard-on right now.
A particularly shrill wolf-whistle reminded him they were still in public. Danny had been too busy staring at Eliot to notice for a handful of seconds.
Eliot straightened his glasses and leaned in again, pressing a kiss into his cheek. “Put your arm around my shoulders and lean on me,” he murmured, barely loud enough to hear, and then laughed the same surprisingly convincing laugh he had on their lunch date.
Danny followed his instructions, grateful for the support. Eliot laughed again as they were walking away, as if he was having the time of his life.
How the hell had he known? He had to have known to react so quickly.
Danny definitely owed him one, but he had a ton of questions as they headed out to the parking lot, toward his car.
He didn’t even know how Eliot knew which one his car was.
“How did you…?” Danny asked, not sure what he wanted an answer to first.
“I saw it at your house.” Eliot ducked out from under his arm, leaning him against the car but sticking close to his body.
In case anyone was watching, Danny realized a moment later. Not because Eliot suddenly couldn’t get enough of him.
“Keys,” Eliot added, holding his hand out. Danny hesitated.
“Are you gonna drive with a busted knee?” Eliot raised an eyebrow.
Sighing, Danny accepted that it wasn’t an option, and handed Eliot the keys. Eliot smiled at him like he’d won something.
“Can you get around the car by yourself?” he asked.
As embarrassed as he was, Danny wasn’t used to anyone caring like this. It was so simple, but it was enough to make him feel a whole lot better.
