Page 32 of Loving a Warrior

“No need to apologize.” Shane quirked his lips. “I kind of enjoyed it.” He trotted off to retrieve the ball, leaving Matt standing there stunned.

He enjoyed what? Touching me?

Heartbeat once again thundering in his ears, Matt took up a guard position near the basket as Shane advanced on him slowly and steadily, at the last minute evading Matt’s block to score on a perfect layup.

He flashed Matt a triumphant grin, but Matt couldn’t even be mad, engrossed as he was in watching the play of muscles in Shane’s back and shoulders, his palms still tingling from their contact with his sweaty skin.

If he didn’t know better, he’d think Shane was flirting with him…

“We gonna play ball or what?” Shane’s impatient voice had Matt glancing over at him. “I can see your abs turning to mush from here. In fact—oh my God—I think you’ve grown a potbelly.”

Despite knowing how ridiculous that was, Matt couldn’t help but look down at himself.

Shane lost it. “Hahahaha.” He cackled. “You’re too easy, Soup.”

With an annoyed huff, Matt stalked over to him. “Gimme the ball,” he snarled. “It’s my shot.”

Shane smirked at him, twirling the ball on the tip of his finger for a moment before shoving it at Matt’s chest. “Take your fucking shot.”

Matt backed up to center court. “You ready to feel some pain, clown?”

Dropping into guard stance, Shane raised his eyebrows insolently. “Nah, you’ve been on a losing streak all day. Why stop now?”

Growling, Matt drove toward the basket, but with lazy grace Shane chopped the ball out of his hands and scored. Matt fought for the rebound and faced him again, breathing hard. “So much for a ‘friendly’ game of one-on-one, huh?”

Shane grinned.

Matt hadn’t imagined basketball to be much of a contact sport before, but they managed to turn it into one, hitting each other with flagrant fouls along with elbows to the gut, pushes and shoves. It seemed to Matt that Shane was taking every opportunity he could to touch him.

“C’mon, take a shot,” Shane drawled while Matt paced back and forth at center court, dribbling, his body screaming with adrenaline and arousal. “If you make it, we’ll call it a win.”

“And what do I get if I win?” Matt had meant for the words to sound challenging, but to his horror they came out low and husky.

Shane’s nostrils flared. “Well, how ’bout you win first? Then we’ll, uh, discuss it.”

Matt’s legs felt heavy, uncoordinated, but he pushed toward the hoop at a slow lope, easily evading Shane’s half-hearted guard.

He’s letting me win.

Just as the thought flashed through his mind, his right foot slid out from under him on the slick concrete. He flailed for purchase, the ball skittering away. With a shout Shane lunged to grab him around the waist but Matt’s momentum was too great. He crashed helplessly to the ground, dragging Shane along with him.

They sprawled on the wet pavement, gasping for breath. Shane hovered above him, his face flushed with exertion, his eyelashes spiky with sweat and rain. As they stared at each other, the desire swirling its way through Matt’s blood hit fever pitch. His fingers tightened on Shane’s biceps, and Shane lowered his head, parting his lips…

Holy shit, he’s gonna kiss me. And I’m gonna let him.

“No,” he choked, wedging his arms in between them and shoving Shane away. “We can’t.” He stumbled to his feet and snatched the basketball up from where it had come to rest against a chain-link fence.

“Matt!”

Matt ignored him and ran as fast as he could toward Shane’s house, thanking God he hadn’t locked the door. Once inside he flung the basketball away and grabbed up his duffel, rushing back out onto the porch, only to find Shane leaning against the support, arms crossed over his chest.

Matt froze as they locked eyes, the yearning in Shane’s weakening his resolve. Backing slowly down the stairs, Matt whispered, “We can’t. You know we can’t.”

Shane didn’t try to stop him as Matt hurried to his truck and peeled away from the curb with a chirp of the tires.

Chapter Eight

Shane sat bolt upright in bed, his heart beating its way out his chest.