"What works?" I laugh.
"For my schedule. Practice starts at ten and I can take my time getting back since you’ll be busy in the afternoon."
"We’re not seeing each other every day." Right? People in relationships see each other every day. And we’re not that.
Duncan tilts his head to the side like a dog trying to understand the words I’m saying. "We’re not?"
"No, I mean, we’re friends-with-benefits, we’re not dating."
"I hang out with my buddies every day during the season. How would this be different?"
"They’re your teammates, you see them at practice or at games. For work. Not for, well, you know."
His smile spreads slowly across his face and he knows he has me cornered.
"For what Charming?"
"Don’t." I warn him with a snap of the tongs in his direction before I turn back to the grill.
"Oh I think I will. What do you and I do that makes it different from me and my teammates hanging out?"
I hate his teasing, I feel so exposed. But the warmth in my cheeks isn’t embarrassment alone. I’m thinking about what we do and that makes me blush too.
"You know, sex." I shrug like it isn’t difficult to get the words past my lips.
"I do know sex." Duncan says from right behind me. He slides his body against mine and I instinctively lean back into his strong hold. "This isn’t a big deal. I travel half the time once the season starts. I’ll just swing by when I can and you can come to my place too. Oh." He snaps his fingers as he stands up taller. "You could come to my games! I’ve never had anyone besides my family in the stands for me."
"I don’t think that’s a good idea." I stay focused on the food so I don’t disappoint him.
"Right, I’m your dirty little secret. Well fine then, you can just be waiting for me at my place after games." He slides his arms around my waist and hugs my back to his front. "We can celebrate wins together and you can give me blow jobs after losses. Vlad says it’s the best cure for feeling sad."
"Vlad?"
"My teammate. His wife, Ivanna, has a whole line of lip balms she’s launching made specifically for protecting lips for BJs. Something about beeswax I think."
"Won’t your teammates find out?"
"Nah, they rarely come to my place anymore." I feel his shoulder shrug. "I usually head to their places to pop-in. And now I get to pop-in at your place too!"
Duncan rests his chin on my shoulder and I can feel his excitement. Fuck it. I’m excited too. "Pop-ins? What else?"
"Oh, I’ll be borrowing your clothes. Especially these sweats. They are so fucking comfortable." He steps to the side before using his palms to flatten the fabric, making the outline of his cock even more prominent. "And I look fucking stacked in them."
"Priorities."
"Of course."
"Shit man, this is going to be so fun!"
I laugh at his enthusiasm. This is what I wanted. I asked to get the gig just so I’d be closer to him. "I can’t wait." I agree with a bite to my lip.
Suddenly my feet are off the ground as Duncan wraps his arms around my waist and twirls me around. "Fuck yes!"
A deep laugh rumbles out of my chest as he sets me down. I turn to him and his smile matches mine, except his cheeks are pushing his glasses even higher up his face.
Fucking adorable.
I lean into him for a peck to accentuate the moment when he wraps a strong arm around my body and keeps me pressed up against him. The kiss is chaste, no tongue, but my toes tingle against the concrete patio all the same. He pulls back and grins at me.
