Page 72 of Rookie Attraction

Stop eye-fucking him.

I remind myself about where we are and who we are, turning my attention to my other teammates. It works for a while, but not forever.

After everyone cleans up, it’s off to dinner. Every time Sel makes eye contact, I have a hard time breathing, never mind making conversation. I manage to get in some words as we toast our teammates and get toasted, and roasted, in return.

Afterward, we head back to the hotel and the packed rooftop bar. Sel sticks close, and conversely, so do I. We orbit other people from time to time, but inevitably, throughout the night, we find our way back to each other.

The high of our win lingers, but I notice as the night wears on, Sel appears distracted. Our group attracts a lot of attention, so I figure he’s still wary of being at the center of it. The more people who gather, the more I’m feeling the same. Sel and I end up at one end of the bar with Makela, while the rest of the team holds court with a group of fans at the other. Sorensen and Tullmore leave first, Berg and Kuznetsov are busy talking to a beautiful brunette, and the rest of the guys are paying their tabs and preparing to head back to their room.

“I’m gonna go up,” Sel announces.

“One more drink?” Makela encourages, glancing at Sel then me.

“Travel day tomorrow,” I remind my teammate, and gulp down the last of my beer. I’ve only had two tonight, since we’ve got a busy day coming up. Alcohol tends to wind me up, and I sure as shit don’t need that. “I’m off too.”

“So wise for a newbie,” Makela teases and signals for the bartender. “I’ll take care of yours.”

“What? I can’t let you do that.”

“It’s done. Go.”

“Thanks, Mats.”

“Next time is on you, rook.”

I nod and offer my hand. He shakes it and pulls me in for a bro hug.

“You got it.”

Knowing Makela, it’ll be a fancy-ass Manhattan club with the most expensive champagne in the city.

“You want us to wait for you?” Sel asks.

Makela shakes his head.

“I’m going to stay awhile, but thanks.”

I pat Makela’s shoulder. “See you tomorrow.”

As I exit the bar, I’m hyperaware of Sel a step or two behind me. I’m filled with a heady kind of relief and an unrelenting tension, all the nerves in my belly kicking up full force. A random hotel guest wanders past us, but other than that, it’s a ghost town at this time of night. My mouth is suddenly drier than the air in this hotel, and I reach up, undoing another button on my shirt.

“Beer warm you up?” Sel murmurs as he taps his key card and pushes the elevator button.

“Nah, it’s my reaction to the game,” I quip as we stand side by side, waiting for the doors to open. “Winning really gets me going.”

Amongst other things… namely you, Mr. Kirkland.

“It can be hard to come down from that high. I always have a ton of audiobooks downloaded on my phone, and I find listening to them helps me unwind.”

“Is that what you listen to while we’re traveling?”

Sel nods. The doors finally open and he motions for me to step in first.

“Yeah, music too, but mostly books,” he continues as we enter the elevator. “Depends on the book, though. Sometimes I find it way too… uh… stimulating.”

Speaking of which, I’m now alone with my crush in a confined space. A space that’s dimly lit and not much bigger than a closet. I’m feverishly aware of his body heat and his scent, deep and spicy. Sel smells unreal and it’s making me feral. My blood beats fast and the sudden tightness in my pants can’t be denied. Trying to be stealthy, I slowly move my hands down to cover myself. Sel doesn’t appear to notice, so I take long, deep breaths to calm down. Staring up at the ceiling, I wait until my cock is under control. Mostly.

Talk, Finn, that always distracts you.