WRECK
971 Words
Michael let go of my throat and looked at me for a long beat as a slow, satisfied smirk curled his lips. He didn't say a word, but instead just turned, unlatched the door, and walked out of the stall to leave me standing there in the steam.
Two minutes passed while the sound of the guys laughing outside started to fade as they moved to the sauna.
My head cleared once the haze of lust evaporated and was replaced by a cold, stinging wave of irritation. Looking down at the mess I'd made, my jaw tightened.
Again. My body had taken the lead once more when my mind was supposed to be in charge, but Michael Rossi knew exactly how to short-circuit my brain.
"f**k," I whispered, turning on the cold water and stepping under the spray.
I needed to get a grip since this wasn't a game I was winning.
"You have a really high opinion of yourself, don’t you?" I asked while trying to pull my hand back.
Michael didn't let go, tightening his grip instead as his thumb traced the bone of my wrist in a way that felt dangerously like a caress. "It’s not an opinion, Axel. It’s a fact. Look at your hand. You’re shaking. Is that because you hate me, or because you’re remembering how it felt to have those fingers in your mouth three hours ago?"
"Don't," I hissed, my eyes darting toward Liam. "Not here. People are listening."
"Let them listen," Michael said in a smooth, low hum. He leaned further across the table so the amber candlelight caught the wicked glint in his eyes. "The more they hear, the more they believe. And right now? I want them to believe you belong to me. Every inch."
"I don't belong to anyone," I snapped, though my face was betraying me by flushing a deep, traitorous red. "This is a contract. A business arrangement. Once the season is over, I’m going back to my life and you’re going back to being a prick on the wrong side of the ice."
Michael’s smirk widened. "Is that the plan? Because your body seems to be renegotiating the terms every time I touch you."
I opened my mouth to shoot back a stinging retort just as the air in the room suddenly felt heavier. A shadow fell over our table, and the smell of Michael’s cologne was joined by something I used to find comforting but now felt like rot: Liam’s body spray.
"Axel."
The voice was stiff and forced, so I looked up to find Liam standing there with his hands shoved deep into his pockets and his shoulders hunched. Chloe was half a step behind him, her arms crossed over her chest while she looked at me with a mixture of pity and confusion.
"Liam," I said, my voice flatter than a dead puck, and I didn't move my hand from under Michael’s because I couldn't.
"What the hell is this, man?" Liam asked, gesturing vaguely between me and Michael. "Rossi? Really? The guy who literally tried to goad you into a fight last week?"
Michael didn't look up from me or even acknowledge Liam was there until he’d taken a slow, deliberate sip of his water. "It’s called growth, Liam," Michael finally said, his voice dripping with mock-boredom. "Some people move on to better things. Some people stay stuck in the past, stealing scraps."
Liam’s face turned a violent shade of red. "I wasn't talking to you, Rossi."
"Funny," Michael leaned back, finally letting go of my hand only to drape his arm over the back of my chair to effectively cage me in. "Because when you talk to my boyfriend, you’re talking to me. You got something to say to Axel, say it. But keep it quick. We’re in the middle of a date."
"A date?" Chloe chimed in, her voice high and skeptical. "Axel, you’re straight. You’ve been straight since I met you in middle school. This... this doesn't even make sense."
Feeling Michael’s fingers brush the back of my neck in a silent, grounding pressure, I looked Chloe in the eye as the sting of her betrayal gave me the edge I needed.
"Maybe I just hadn't found the right person to change my mind," I said, the lie tasting like ash, but the look on her face was worth it. "Turns out, I was looking in the wrong places. For a long time."
Liam stepped closer, his jaw working. "You’re full of it. You’re doing this to get back at us. It’s pathetic, Axel. You're using a Rebel to make a point? Everyone knows you two hate each other."
"Hate and passion are two sides of the same coin, Liam," Michael interrupted as his voice dropped into that gruff, possessive territory. He stood up slowly to tower over Liam, making the height difference glaring. "But if you want to keep questioning what we have, why don't you stick around? Or better yet, mind your own business before I decide to make your business mine on the ice next weekend."
"Is that a threat?" Liam barked.
"It's a promise," Michael said, his eyes narrowing. "Now, my boyfriend and I are trying to enjoy a very expensive meal. Unless you're planning on paying for it, I suggest you take your girl and find a table on the other side of the room. You’re ruining the vibe."
Liam looked like he wanted to swing, and I saw his fist clench, but he looked at Michael and then at me. He stared at the way I was sitting in the shadow of the guy who had replaced him as my closest confidant before he hissed out a breath.
"You're making a mistake, Axel," Liam said, his voice low. "He's going to wreck you."
- Writer
