Page 83 of Hell or High Water
“Sorry,” Ramsey murmured into Nate’s neck as Nate pressed him into the wall.
If anyone peaked around the corner, they’d see them five seconds out from a heated embrace. Theoretically.
“Don’t be,” Nate reassured. “It’s . . .I’m okay.”
“Are you?”
Nate squeezed his eyes shut. He wasn’t okay. He wanted him. Cock embarrassingly hardening in his jeans from a little flirting, and even the suggestion that he could kiss Ramsey.
“I will be,” Nate said roughly.
He knew he should take a step back. Get some air. Get some fucking perspective.
But Ramsey was so perfect like this, caged in by Nate’s bigger body. Those blue eyes on his face, like they couldn’t look away even if they wanted to.
Ramsey reached up and tapped his cheek with his fingertips. “I wouldn’t have.”
And that was the thing; Nateknewhe wouldn’t have crossed the line. He didn’t know when it had happened, but he trusted that. TrustedRamsey.
Considering how long he’d carried his frustration and resentment for what had happened on the night they’d met, that was astounding.
But not really all that surprising. He’d been heading here, every time they’d seen each other since.
“I know,” Nate said. “I trust you.”
Ramsey’s face softened, astonishment in his eyes. “You do?”
He shouldn’t say it. Should swallow it back. But he couldn’t help it. “I think . . .I think Iamgetting to know you.”
Nate watched as Ramsey swallowed hard. But he didn’t look away. “Maybe you are,” he admitted.
Nate knew he should say something else. Puncture this mood, anyway. Yank them both back to the land of sanity. Remind them they were just faking this whole thing.
But before he could, Levi poked his head around the corner, sly grin on his face. “Y’all are too much,” he said. “You should be relieved Aidan sent me instead of himself.He’ddump cold water all over you.”
Nate wanted to laugh and say,maybe we need it, but he didn’t. Instead he stepped away. Couldn’t look at Ramsey, the long, gorgeous line of him up against the wall.
“Good thing you did,” Ramsey said lightly. He gave Nate a playful shove the rest of the way. “I think you’re definitely going to win now, baby.”
Nate wasn’t so sure about that. His brain still felt submerged in what had just happened between them. What he’d almost done. Because sure enough, when he let himself think about it, he’d been not even twenty seconds away from saying,fuck everythingand kissing Ramsey, despite everything he’d said he didn’t want to do.
“I think so too,” Nate lied.
But still, when he finally got into the living room, among the catcalls and pointed comments, he surprised himself by winning the whole goddamn tournament.
The whole time, Ramsey gazed at him, knowing, and Nate wasn’t sure that he’d been wrong, after all.
Chapter 11
Fivedayslater,inPhiladelphia for a Sunday afternoon game, Sterling pulled Nate over at the end of warmups.
“He good?” Sterling asked.
Nate wished he didn’t know whohewas. Wished he could pretend ignorance.
But there was an intensity in Sterling’s dark brown eyes that told Nate that he wouldn’t find the joke particularly funny.
Still, Jordan always seemed fine, at least up until things went sideways.
