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“You let her touch you. I could see you smiling at her.”

“How?”

Nico wasn’t about to admit that he’d been lurking in a back room, watching the VIP area’s camera feed. “Take out my dick, Bennett.”

Eager fingers plucked at Nico’s belt, threading the leather through the metal buckle and undoing it, the clink loud in the quiet room. The button on his suit pants opened easily, then the zipper lowered with methodical precision, like Bennett was in no rush and took great pleasure in making Nico wait for it. Except Nico couldn’t take any more. He’d reached his limit. Shoving his trousers and briefs down his hips, he grabbed his dick in his fist and aimed it at Bennett’s face. “Suck, now.”

Bennett didn’t hesitate. He eased forward and lowered his jaw, tongue flicking out over the tip before he drew the crown past his lips. Nico braced both hands on the wall and watched as Bennett took him deep. Fuck. The squeeze, the wet warmth . . . It was even better than he’d imagined. He hit the back of Bennett’s throat, all the way inside until Bennett gagged—but he didn’t pull off. “That’s it. You are so good at this,” he whispered. “So perfect. Mmm, my dick could live in your mouth and I would never tire of it.”

Bennett’s nostrils flared as he dragged in air, as if to calm himself, then he went to work, dragging his lips and tongue along Nico’s shaft, brushing the sensitive underside each time. He concentrated, eyes closed, moving steadily, deliberately, in no hurry whatsoever. This wasn’t a partner giving head out of obligation or expecting pleasure in return; this was a man who enjoyed it. Nico may have ordered Bennett to his knees, but that was where his control had ended.

Mozzafiato.

Nico’s fingers curled as if testing the strength of the drywall. What Bennett was doing with his mouth was so good. Nico’s brain went white and all he could do was to watch as Bennett’s head bobbed, Nico’s spit-coated shaft pushing in and out of those plush lips. “You love it, no? You love having my dick in your mouth. That’s it. Show me how good you can suck my cock.”

Bennett seemed to take these words to heart. He kept a steady pace and consistent pressure, performing a little swirl with his tongue on every upstroke, and Nico began to fear how long he could last. He could already feel the pressure in his balls, deep in his groin. The familiar tingling that preceded an orgasm. Embarrassing to come this soon, but he couldn’t help it. Bennett was focused on Nico’s dick like he focused on scoring goals, and Nico was beginning to think he’d underestimated this man.

“Merda! It is—no, not yet. You are making me come too soon.”

A pleased sound rumbled out of Bennett’s throat and vibrated along Nico’s dick, and Bennett began moving faster. The tingles in Nico’s legs increased, and he grabbed a handful of Bennett’s hair, holding on as his hips began to thrust. He didn’t want this to end so soon, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself from taking, taking, taking⁠—

Then the pleasure crested, a blistering rush of euphoria that overcame him, his balls tightening just before he came into Bennett's mouth. There was no time to warn the other man, either, but Bennett didn’t pull away. He continued to move, hollowing his cheeks as he sucked and swallowed, an impressive display of coordination and skill.

Nico slumped when it was finally over, woozy like he’d downed half a bottle of grappa. Holy fuck. He had to use the wall for support because he wasn’t sure his legs would support him. His eyelids refused to work. It was as if Bennett had pulled the orgasm deep out of Nico’s soul and stripped him of all his brain cells. Dimly, he felt Bennett release him and stand, then hitch Nico’s briefs and trousers up on his hips. “This is where you say thank you,” the stronzo said, smugness apparent in his tone.

“Is it?” Nico forced out. “Or would you like to come instead?”

“Can’t I have both?”

Smothering a grin, Nico wrapped his hand around Bennett’s throat, enjoying the feel of the rough skin, the way the other man’s pulse fluttered under his fingers. It helped to realign his brain and bring him back from whatever just happened with that outstanding blowjob. This was what he needed—to be the one calling the shots. “Take your dick out.”

“No.”

Nico paused, the reaction far from what he expected. He leaned back. “Did you just tell me no?”

Bennett’s skin was flushed, his eyes wild. But there was a resoluteness there, a hard edge Nico hadn’t seen before. “I like this,” Bennett said, dragging the pad of his thumb along Nico’s jaw. “You, wrecked. It’s better than the alternative. I think I’ll leave it here, like this, so we both remember.”

He slid out from the wall, under Nico’s arm, and Nico was too surprised and light-headed to stop him.

Then Bennett reached the door.

“Where the fuck are you going?” Nico refastened his trousers with clumsy fingers. “We aren’t finished here, Verreault.”

“Oh, we are definitely finished, Marzano. Enjoy the rest of your night.” He slipped out the door and disappeared, the latch catching softly as it clicked shut.

Then Nico was alone, his dick spent, mind still spinning as he tried to make sense of what the fuck just happened. He didn’t want to admit the truth: I got jealous and angry, then Bennett Verreault gave me the best blowjob of my life. No, there had to be another explanation for what occurred tonight. Messy emotions weren’t Nico’s style. He controlled the pace of his encounters, not the other way around, and they never meant anything more than a simple exchange of fluids.

So, why were his knees like water?

Why was he disappointed that Verreault hadn’t let him return the favor?

Why was he standing here instead of chasing the other man down and forcing him to come back?

No good answers came to mind. But Nico wasn’t wrecked, as Verreault claimed. He was perfectly fine. And he’d come up with reasons for his odd behavior shortly, just as soon as his brain resumed functioning.

Bennett drifted over to the dot to take the face-off. The third period against Carolina was winding down and his team was trailing 3-1. He felt heavy and tired in a way that was new. This wasn’t end of season fatigue; this was fatigue fatigue. Thirty-one-year-old fatigue.

“Benny, you look tired.” Carolina’s top center, Andrei Novikov, lined up on the opposite side. “No homemade cookies today?”