Page 3 of Game Misconduct

But any time they ended up at a league event—whether it was media day, the All-Stars competition, or something else—Tanner wanted to be besties. Like all had been forgiven and forgotten.

And sure, lots of guys were on rival teams but friendly off the ice. That wasn’t so weird.

But Leif’s dislike of Tanner went way beyond being divisional rivals. Way,waybeyond.

Tanner hadseweredLeif’s chances of getting drafted by the Boston Harriers. That wasn’t just something a guy got over, you know?

But now, Tanner continued, still grinning dopily. “I mean, it was pretty fucking hot the last time I got my mouth on?—”

Alarmed, Leif glanced around.

Thankfully their group had moved on ahead some distance and Matt Carlson was talking loudly, probably drowning out anything Tanner had said.

But still …

Muttering angrily under his breath, Leif grabbed Tanner by the upper arm and tugged him into a nearby alley filled with restaurant garbage bins.

Then shoved Tanner up against the painted brick wall and pinned him in place.

The alley smelled about as vile as one would expect with the oppressive summer heat and lack of airflow making it fester into a soupy mess of disgustingness, but at least it would be slightly more private than the crowded sidewalk street.

“Oh, shit, really?” Tanner reached for Leif’s hips, tugging, trying to pull him close. “I didn’t think you’d go for it, dude, but hell yeah.”

Leif sputtered for a moment when he realized that Tanner had thought he was angling for public sex.

“No!” he finally managed, dropping Tanner’s wrists and pulling back far enough that Tanner couldn’t get any more ridiculous ideas. But he kept him caged between his body and the wall. Forcing him to focus. “God no. I was trying to get you tostoptalking.”

Leif regretted the words immediately because Tanner’s eyes immediately lit up. Even in the shaded, dimmer light of the alley Leif could see that they were brown.

Of course, he’d known that before, but they were … they were quite a nice brown, if a person liked that color.

Which Leif obviously didn’t. He preferred blue eyes in the men he dated.

Or were Tanner’s eyes hazel? Leif wasn’t sure.

Tanner cackled, reaching out and playfully hooking a finger in Leif’s belt loop this time. “Do you remember when you finally figured out how to get me to stop talking?”

“I have no idea what you’re referring to,” Leif said stiffly. “I just didn’t want you blabbing anything about—about our history out where people could hear it.”

Tanner smirked and tried to tug him closer. Leif resisted. At this rate, the tug of war on his belt loop would rip it from the waistband.

It was worth the sacrifice to not let Tanner win.

“Yeah, about thathistory.” Tanner licked his lips. “Remember that night? That bottle of booze that someone smuggled in? Damn, we got so shitfaced. And when everyone else left, you got so fed up with me talking that you told me you’d give me something else to keep my mouth busy.”

Heat crawled up Leif’s neck and it wasn’t from the sultry summer air, sticky and oppressive and making his shirt cling to his back.

“It was amistake,” Leif said firmly.

“Sure didn’t feel like a mistake when I was choking on your dick,” Tanner said with a crooked grin.

He had too. Jesus, he was loud about everything and sucking Leif’s cock had been no exception, sputtering and choking and making those sloppy noises …

Not that Leif had thought about it since then or anything.

It had stayed firmly locked away in the vault in his mind along with every other mistake he’d made in his life. Not forgotten, because he had to learn from them somehow, but sectioned off so they didn’t creep out to infect the rest of his brain.

Thesensibleparts.