Kai groaned against his lips. “What are you doing?”
“Taking your shirt off.”
Kai gripped his wrists and stopped him.
“What?” Breck panted.
“You’re drunk. And emotional. I’m not doing this with you right now.”
“Why not? You want it, too.”
“When you’re coherent.”
“I’m coherent.”
“You can barely stand.”
“Bullshit.” Breck laughed and went for his mouth again. “Stop being difficult.”
“I’m not being difficult.” Kai dodged his lips. “I’m being an adult.”
Breck pulled back and glared. “And I’m fucking not?”
Kai eased him away. “Not five minutes ago you punched me in the face.”
“You pissed me off.”
“I know I did.”
“So now we’ve made up.”
“Yeah, no, we haven’t.”
“Fine.” Breck went for his mouth again. “So, let’s have angry sex then. I heard it’s amazing.”
Kai tamped a humorless laugh and pushed him back. “Go home.”
Breck stared at him, heart racing. The hell? After what just happened, Kai was turning him away? He’d never experienced such a passionate kiss—and knew for a fact that Kai was rock fucking hard. He didn’t understand.
“Go home, Breck,” Kai repeated softly.
And just like that, rejection nailed him like a punch to the chest. Humiliated and hurt yet again by this impossible man.
Breck stepped back, putting more distance between them, his insides feeling raw and off axis for the millionth fucking time.
Kai eased off the wall and thumbed his lip a second time. Breck’s punch would leave a mark. Good. He fucking deserved it.
“Don’t come to another game,” Breck rasped.
“Don’t worry. I won’t.”
And didn’t those four words feel like another hit to his heart. Kai’s acquiescence should have been a relief, but instead, all it did was make Breck feel miserable and dejected.
Fresh anger surged like some instinctive defense, devising all the reasons why he should be bitter instead of sad. Kai’d just been playing him like he always did. Acting like he wanted Breck, only to slam the door in his face.
Grinding his molars, Breck shook his head. He’d fallen for that motherfucker’s games yet again. Chest aching, he leveled Kai with a glower, then turned and walked out the door.
— FOURTEEN —
Kai sighed as he glanced at his phone. 8:47 PM. Scott had invited him to go to an exhibit tonight; Max, an art instructor at George Mason, was hosting a show for his students at the local art gallery. It must’ve been important to Max, because it’d definitely seemed important to Scott. As Max’s best friend, Scott wholeheartedly supported him in virtually everything he did.
Kai slid his phone into his slacks’ back pocket, then shouldered on his slate blue, silk Armani button-up. In truth, he wasn’t all that excited to go. Was once again just doing it as a favor to Scott.
Leaving his hair down, he crossed his apartment, recollecting how his most recent favor to Scott had gone; Max had stopped Kai’s little meet-and-greet with Sean which, in turn, put him back in the kitchen nursing beers with none other than Breck.
Grabbing his key fob, he slid on his casual dress shoes, then exited his flat and descended the stairwell to his garage. Their following encounter had been an entirely different ballgame, with Breck paying him a visit, wasted as hell and completely pissed. Allegedly, Kai had derailed his game, but the real reason for Breck’s anger had been raging just beneath the surface. He was furious that Kai had that power, that effect. Breck didn’t want to want him, but he did. And Kai could totally relate. He didn’t want to be attracted to Breck, either, but he was. Even after he’d punched him. So what did that make Kai? Insane? Thing was, he understood Breck’s frustration, and in all honesty, regretted his role in Breck’s distress that night. Had he known the disturbance he’d cause, he never would’ve gone to that game.
Hitting the vestibule, he ducked into his garage, then strode to his Camaro and pulled open the driver-side door. The scent of leather instantly greeted him. He drew in a lungful, then dropped into his seat and fired up the engine.
In hindsight, he should’ve responded to Breck’s aggression differently. Showing some remorse wouldn’t have killed him, as he did feel bad. And goading Breck with that dick comment clearly wasn’t so great. Breck’s words, though. His fiery anger. They’d stung more than Kai had anticipated, and before he knew it, he was back on the defense. A state he didn’t typically reside in. And yet, where Breck was concerned, it seemed his brand-new MO.
Behaving out of character and acting recklessly.
Like that slap, for example. Definitely not smart. He’d known it wouldn’t just stun Breck, but redirect all that heady aggression. A stupid move, given the circumstances, he’d admit that. But in the heat of passion, he’d just… well, he’d just reacted. Triggered by the emotional engagement, then completely pulled from his calm by the ensuing altercation, his mind careening back to that day when they’d grappled on the mats. When, for whatever reason, he and Breck had allowed themselves to get lost in each other.