Page 4 of Game Misconduct

“Yes, well, clearly you never learn from yours,” Leif pointed out.

“From my what? Oh, my mistakes?” Tanner shrugged. “Yeah, I dunno. I always figure everything happens for a reason. So there really are no mistakes. Just choices that determine your destiny.”

He said the last part grandly and Leif scoffed. He really didn’t need a lecture on personal life philosophies fromTanner Claytonof all people.

And now he was going on and on about it, about letting life just … come at him as it pleased.

Trying to keep him on track would be a full-time job, Leif thought.Thank fuck it’ll never be me who has to worry about it.

“Anyway,” he said tightly, cutting off Tanner’s nonsense. “I would appreciate it if you would stop bringing that night up. Or from suggesting iteverhappenagain.”

“You havenotgotten any more fun over the years, have you?” Tanner said, shaking his head. “You need to loosen up, babe.”

“I am not yourbabe,” Leif said through gritted teeth.

He could feel his pulse pounding in his temple the way it always did when Tanner got going.

“Hmm.” Tanner’s tone turned saccharine. “What would you prefer? Honeybun? Sweetie pie? Pookie bear? Lovebug? Pumpkin pie …”

Tanner’s voice turned to static in Leif’s head as he fought the white-hot urge to wrap his fingers around Tanner’s neck and squeeze. Surelythatwould make him finally stop talking.

They wouldn’t even charge him for murder. How much of this nonsense couldanyguy reasonably be expected to take?

“ … Sugar britches? Love machine? Tater tot?”

“Stop!” Leif exploded. “Just shut the fuck up, will you?”

“You know there’s only two ways to do that!” Tanner winked. “Either get your tongue or your dick in my mouth. Which is it going to be?”

“Neither!” Leif protested, although he abruptly realized he’d leaned in a little bit more, and he was staring at Tanner’s mouth. It was very … pink. “Very … biteable.”

“Yeah? You want to bite me? I’m into that. Mark me up, Viking.”

Horrified, Leif realized he’d said the biting part out loud. “I don’t want to bite you. I said you’re veryfightable,” he lied. “Nothing isevergoing to happen between us.”

“Again,” Tanner said with another cheeky little grin. “Because it happened once. You can say whatever you want about it, but you’ll be lying if you claim it never happened. I know your dick is uncut and it hangs a little to the left. Explainthatotherwise.”

“We arehockey players who shower communally,” Leif pointed out, though his mouth was a little dry for some reason. “That’s hardly saying much to point out that you know what my unclothed dick looks like.”

“Yeah, but I know what it tastes like too.” Tanner shimmied a little closer and Leif knew he should pull away but damn it, Tanner smelled good. “Explainthat.”

Over the stench around them, Leif could smell Tanner’s cologne. Something about it always reminded him of Tanner himself, bright and energetic.

Citrusy, maybe, with herbs or something that smelled green and fresh and then this musky note that made Leif want to press his mouth against that spot below Tanner’s ear.

He felt himself leaning in, even though he knew he shouldn’t. “Yeah?” he rasped.

Tanner slid even closer, his breath gusting against Leif’s ear and sending a pleasant little shiver down his spine. He barely tolerated Tanner. So why did this always feel like fucking foreplay?

“Yeah. And I also know that you have a little freckleriiighthere …”

Leif drew in a sharp breath, torn between the surprise of Tanner cupping his groin and how good it felt when he squeezed gently.

It sent a pulse of need through Leif. Fuck, this wasn’t happening. He wasn’t … he wasn’t turned on by this stupid back-and-forth with Tanner.

He couldn’t be. And yet … oh fuck, he was definitely getting hard. He was definitely turned on by this stupid back-and-forth with Tanner.

No, Leif needed to be strong. He needed to resist.