To be fair, Max was different. Not your average Joe. Threw all kinds of not-right vibes. God only knew what he had lurking behind that door.
Admittedly, his curiosity had gotten the best of him. But not just about Max’s man cave. He’d wanted to know what was up with Kai. In the foyer, he’d looked uneasy and tense, as if he suddenly hadn’t wanted to be there. So Breck had flat-out asked Tad and Scott what the deal was. They’d swapped cautious looks, but then shrugged in accord and filled him in.
As they’d sat there sipping beers in the kitchen, Kai had been downstairs getting acquainted with Max’s sub.
Intimately acquainted.
In Max’s dungeon.
With Mr. Sunshine, Sean.
Breck’s mind had been reeling in total shock.
Holy freaky fuck. Kai was into kink.
Which in and of itself wasn’t a bad thing. Breck’s homie Ned was as kinky as they came. Hell, even Breck would be open to that shit if ever presented with the right opportunity.
Breck shifted in his seat, and took another swig. Surprisingly, Kai hadn’t stayed downstairs for long. The three had reemerged a half hour later with the whole thing called off. Max had looked stressed, Sean oddly relieved. Kai, though? Suspiciously validated. And low-key amused.
Almost immediately, Max and Sean had left.
Kai, however, remained behind when Scott had offered him a beer. Scott had looked confused and even concerned about his roommate. But all Kai said was that Max pulled the plug and wasn’t as tough as he seemed. Which made no sense to Breck, but whatever. Like any of this did.
Blinking from his thoughts, he again eyed the door that Tad and Scott had just departed through. God only knew they were doing down there now. Granted, they’d bailed under the pretense of having to go edit some workout video—an extra credit deal Tad had going for one of his college courses—but Breck wasn’t oblivious. In earlier conversation, Scott had straight-up said he was going to take Tad to that dungeon. And God, all those conspiratorial looks they’d been throwing each other had been impossible to miss.
Going by Kai’s smirk at the time, he hadn’t been fooled, either.
Next thing Breck knew, it’d just been the two of them in that quiet kitchen.
Fidgeting, he slid Kai a look now as they sat at Scott’s island. He felt off-kilter, the energy between them awkward. At least he wasn’t raring to chew Kai out like he’d been at the club.
The tension was still there, though, for all kinds of reasons, the most prominent regarding what Kai had been doing downstairs with Max’s sub.
Not that Breck had any right to be upset about that, but truth be told, it really pissed him off. All the looks Kai had given him in the past? The things he’d done and said that implied he was attracted to Breck? It’d all been bullshit. He’d just been playing Breck, like he’d suspected.
Chuckling humorlessly, he shook his head. “So fucking fitting.”
Kai eyed him from across the island. “What is?”
Breck slid him a look. “This thing with you and Sean.”
“You think we’re fitting?” Kai lifted a brow.
Breck shrugged. “Tad said you were down there doing BDSM. That’s like with chains and shit, right?”
“Not always. I prefer rope.”
Breck paused to digest that, then forced himself to focus. “Whatever. But there’s always a Dom and sub involved.”
“That’s true.”
“And we both know which role you play.”
Kai’s eyes glittered. “You think I like to dominate.”
“I know you do.”
“Because you know me so well.”
“I know you enough. I took your class, remember?”
“Of course, I remember.” Kai glanced away. “But if that’s what you think…” He re-met Breck’s gaze. “Then you read me wrong.”
Breck chuckled again. “I don’t think so.”
“I’m serious.” Kai held his stare. “I wasn’t trying to bring you to heel. I was merely taking you down a notch. Your superiority complex was hindering your performance.”
Breck stiffened indignantly, then grunted and looked away. In truth, even his friend Charlie had said the same.
“To win a fight, one must be humble,” Kai pointed out. “Otherwise, we run the risk of underestimating our opponent.”
His logic was sound. Breck knew it was. Hell, even on the basketball court that concept rang true. Thing was, he wasn’t an idiot. While Kai’s philosophy may be valid, he’d still enjoyed stealing Breck’s thunder. What else would that constant glint in Kai’s eyes have meant?
Not that he wanted to go down that rabbit hole. That’d be playing with fire. They’d end up talking about their private session. Something Breck was so not prepared to get into right now.
“Whatever,” he muttered around another swig. “Were you all humble downstairs just now with your shiny new toy? You know, so you didn’t ‘underestimate’ Sean while the two of you were fucking?”
Kai glanced away. “I told you, Max stopped it. Nothing happened.”
“Nothing,” Breck drawled flatly. “You were down there for half an hour.”