OVERTIME (6 page)

Before he could get his thoughts under control and form words, Colton had broken into another one of his wild laughs and clapped him on his back. “Calm down, Wildcat. I’m just messing with you. I don’t plan on playing with that beautiful body of yours until you beg me for it. Okay?” He smirked. “So…you don’t have a thing to worry about, do you?” His eyes glittered. Every move he made was so blatantly confident and arrogant. It made Jagger even more uncomfortable and less confident.

Fuck, Colton could easily see straight through him. No matter how much he denied it, the bastard knew how badly he wanted him, how badly he wanted Colton to take him, to do what he’d promised four years ago. His mind felt dizzy, confusing him, making him think these stupid thoughts. “No,” he answered in a voice much too quiet and without much conviction at all.

“See? Nothing to worry about at all. We will however be flying to Key West and I would think you might want an overnight bag.” He rubbed his hands together with excitement.

Key West? What the fuck? He wasn’t flying anywhere with Colton! He couldn’t trust himself.

“I’m not flying to Key West with you, Colton. We’ll spend the entire time on a plane. That’s just stupid. We can do something around here, let everybody see me with you and that should be humiliation enough for me and the team. That’s what this is all about, right? Humiliate me and my team? It’s going to be pretty damned hard to do that in Key West. Let’s
just torture me here, shall we?” He wanted to take another step back but absolutely refused to do it…plus he knew Colton would just close the distance again. Dude clearly knew nothing about boundaries, limits, and personal space.

“You finished talking, wildcat? That’s about the most words I’ve ever heard you put together all at once,” he joked. “We’re already getting to know each other so very well.” His head swiveled around the room. Jagger was sure there were a million negative remarks floating around in Colton’s head about his dorm room. Like, why the fuck would a senior still be in a dorm room? Yeah, that would be the main one. Why did it look so empty, all doom and gloom like the most boring person in the world lived there? He’d like to say it was because he’d already moved all his shit out but it was because the most boring person in the world had lived there the past four years. All of his shit had been carried out in one pathetic load.

“I don’t need an overnight bag and I’m not flying anywhere with you,” he stated flatly. Key West? He’d always wanted to see Key West. Tough shit. He wasn’t going to see it if it meant seeing it with the only man that made him want things he shouldn’t. There would probably be some stupid documentary he could catch on the television—he could see everything he needed to see safely in his new apartment, whenever he found one he could afford. “Pick another form of torture or this date ends before it even begins.”

Colton shrugged. “Sleep naked; I seriously don’t care, Wildcat. Hell, I prefer it.”

The dude’s eyes never once stopped twinkling. The idiot seriously looked like he was having the most absolute time of his life. Toying and embarrassing poor people to Colton must be like a ball of yarn to a kitten.

They had a stand-off, neither even considering backing down. Colton, all hot muscles and right up in his space, had his arms crossed over his chest, feet braced apart…looking sexier than hell. Jagger knew he was standing there, looking terrified, more nervous than a blushing bride, and, pretty much, an all-out loser. He was about Colton’s size, a bit leaner, his muscles not quite as bulky, so he crossed his arms over his chest and mimicked Colton’s stance.

Colton drew in a deep breath. “Are you seriously going to embarrass your team this way? Let them down in a way that hasn’t happened not one single time since the Captain’s challenge originated all those years ago?” He started shaking his head from side to side like Jagger was the biggest let-down this side of the Mason-Dixon Line. “Just think of all the guys before you. They fulfilled their obligations and they had to do some pretty shitty shit over the years. Entire
teams were brought to their knees.” He shrugged his awesomely hot shoulders again, making his muscles do things that made Jagger’s mouth water. “Some might have even had to stand on turnpikes, wearing nothing but speedos and jerseys from the opposing team. All you have to do,
Wildcat
, is spend twenty-four hours with me…an old friend from home. Personally, I think you’ve got it pretty easy but here you stand, whining and crying.” He tapped his foot, clearly waiting for Jagger to take the bait.

“You’re an idiot, a complete and utter idiot. If you want to waste your money and time on a plane trip to Key
West
, that’s fine by me. It just seems stupid to spend all that time at the airport doing airport shit and then flying half way across the country. It’ll be time to turn around and come straight back as soon as we land.” Jagger, once finished, was pretty sure he wished he’d thought those words through a bit more before he let them spew out of his mouth.

An evil grin spread across Colton’s face, pissing Jagger off even more. “Sounds like somebody is afraid they’re going to be short-changed on our hot date. Not to worry, Wildcat, I promise it will be a date you’ll never forget.” He paused, inched in even closer, and added, “I always keep my promises.”

It didn’t take a fool to know Colton was referring to his promise from four years ago. Jagger nearly melted into a puddle right at his feet. Instead, though, he gave Colton’s chest a firm shove, knocking him back a few, but much-needed, inches. “Let’s just get this over with,” he growled, unsure of whom he hated the most—himself for wanting Colton or Colton for making him want him. Either way, he was fucked. Literally.

“No p
roblem,” Colton answered. “So…
we’re going with no bag, I assume?” He glanced around the empty room again. “Where’s all your shit, anyway?”

“Riley’s place,” Jagger answered without a thought. It took a split second for him to realize he’d said something to piss Colton off. Yeah, the Colton whose face had held nothing but an arrogantly confident smirk ever since they’d met at the bar where he’d laid his demands down, was no longer smiling. He was actually doing the very opposite of smiling.

“What the fuck is your stuff doing at Riley’s apartment,” Colton demanded through gritted teeth and an angry glare.

Oh…this could be fun.

“Because that is where he is living now,” a voice broke into their conversation. Jagger jerked his head around and saw Riley lounging against the doorframe, a frown that equaled
Colton’s marring his handsome features. Jagger would have laughed out loud at the alpha stand-off going on between the two men, but the overnight bag in Riley’s hand kept him silent.
What the fuck
?

“The hell he does,” Colton growled in response. You could practically sniff the testosterone floating around in the room. Jagger felt like a bitch between two wolves and that thought made him a bit queasy.

“Shut up…both of you,” Jagger hissed. He knew a deep blush was staining his cheeks and that pissed him off even more. “What are you doing here, Riley?”

“I brought you an overnight bag,” he answered, still glowering at Colton. “One of my Key West friends dropped the bomb on me this morning that Colton was bragging to everybody that he was bringing you to his place for a visit this weekend and I thought you might need some of your stuff.” Dismissing Jagger, Riley turned his full attention on Colton. “I have friends in Key West…your friends, apparently. If you try any shit with Jagger, I’ll know about it and I’ll be there to kick your ass before you even think about trying to run and hide.”

The muscles in Colton’s shoulders tightened. “I think you should maybe mind your own business, Riley. Jagger’s a big boy. He doesn’t need a bodyguard, especially when he’s with me.”

Riley opened his mouth to argue but Jagger cut him off. “Both of you need to shut the fuck up. Give me the damned bag, Riley. I’ll see you in exactly twenty four hours. Colton’s right; I don’t need a bodyguard. I can easily kick his scrawny ass if it calls for it.” To Colton, he said, “You, asshole, need to understand nothing is going to happen between us. This
date
is simply my punishment for getting beat in basketball, nothing more and nothing less. Try any stupid shit and I’ll punch that stupid smile off your face and leave you lying wherever you’re at.” He slung the bag over his shoulder, wondering what the fuck he was doing, and headed out the dorm room door. Shit, he was excited. He should be furious, but he was crazy excited. He did, however, make certain his face remained as blank and expressionless as always. He’d rather die than let either man know he wanted to go on this ridiculous date.

Chapter 6

The ride to the airport was tense, to say the least. Well, it was tense for Jagger. Colton chattered nonstop about absolutely nothing…and touched on just about every damned thing. Obviously nothing had changed over the years. He still clearly did not understand when someone met your comments and questions in silence, he wasn’t interested in talking to you. Nope, not Colton. He completely ignored all those fuck-off signals and talked, and talked, and talked. Jagger found himself smiling at most of the comments, wanting to know more, wanting to tell Colton more. His lips remained sealed tightly, though.

“You are even more talkative than you used to be, Wildcat,” Colton commented as they waited their turn to board their flight. “You’re
kinda
hogging the conversation here. Maybe you could slow up and let me get a word in every now and again?”

Jagger answered with an eye roll and then turned his attention back to the lady taking everybody’s boarding pass. He was actually surprised—Colton wasn’t flying first class. He wouldn’t have been at all surprised if Colton’s seat had been in cushy first class and he’d been stuck in the back seat, next to the toilet. Instead, they were both midway back, Jagger’s a window seat and Colton’s plastered right next to him.
How the hell was he supposed to sit that close to him the entire flight?

“How long is this stupid flight?” He muttered, suddenly terrified of what lay ahead. Every nerve in his body was on
freakin
’ high alert from being within a one mile radius of Colton. Stay politely aloof? Was that even possible when Colton’s body did weird things to his insides? He desperately fought the urge to allow his gaze to dip below Colton’s chin…and lost. He was dressed casual in butter-soft jeans, black T-shirt, and sandals. Every stitch of clothing clung seductively to the hard lines and muscles of his body. All that tanned, firm skin made him,
literally made him
, lick his lips. He knew every inch of Colton was rock-solid—he’d done enough hand-checking during their championship game.

“He speaks!” Colton squealed in an excited voice. He turned to the teenage girl standing behind them and said, “Did you hear it? He can actually speak!”

Teenage girl popped her gum right in Colton’s face and said, “He just doesn’t like you, dude. It’s pretty obvious to everybody except you.” Another bubble popped. “Maybe you need to give up?”

A laugh burst from Jagger’s mouth. Teenage girl continued popping gum, looking very pleased with herself. Colton glared at both of them.

“Maybe you need to mind your own business,” he told bubble gum with an exaggerated pout that only made his lips look even sexier. Jagger bit down on his bottom lip to keep from moaning his appreciation. He figured reaching down and adjusting his package was totally out of the question, so he clenched his hands into a fist instead. He
really
needed to do some adjusting.

Bubble gum snorted. “Maybe you shouldn’t have dragged me into the conversation then, arrogant boy,” she countered, not at all intimidated by Colton’s glare. She was sporting a smirk that equaled anything Colton had ever whipped out and her eyes were dancing with a naughty gleam. “I seriously have been considering trying to rescue your captive for the past thirty minutes. Hell, anything to shut you up.”

Jagger felt an unfamiliar smile spread across his face. He liked bubble gum. He liked her a lot. Apparently, so did Colton because his smile grew as well. Nothing seemed to drag the guy down—not even a smart-ass teenager putting him in his place.

“That’s it, kid. Turn around and mind your business. We have some adult talk to attend to and I don’t want to be the one responsible for warping your innocence.” Colton made a waving motion with his hand. “Shoo! Go away, little one.”

That got him another eye roll. “
Puullease
, dude. I’m nineteen years old and I’m pretty sure I know more about sex than your captive does.” Her head nodded toward Jagger, making him feel like the kid in the group. She shrugged. “Anyway, I know how your shit works. My brother is gay. I know all about the tops and bottoms and sucking and fucking.” She grinned even bigger at both Jagger and Colton’s blushes. “See? My innocence is already warped.” Her eyebrows wiggled. “And I like it!”

“You look twelve,” Colton argued in disbelief. “You seriously look twelve years old!”

“Yeah, well you seriously look desperate. You’re coming on way too strong. Give him some room.”

Colton crossed his arms across his chest. “Let me get this straight; you think having a gay brother makes you an expert? I don’t think so, twelve-year-old-bubble-gum-girl,” he argued.

Jagger couldn’t believe the exchange. Clearly Colton and bubble gum were having a good time and he was pretty sure a lot of it would end up at his expense, but what grabbed his attention the most was their carefree smiles and flirty gestures. Always so withdrawn and quiet, it never ceased to amaze him when he watched other people act so differently than he did. While they were fun to watch, it made him ache with loneliness. He could never be like that—so lighthearted and entertaining.