It was the first game of the season for his English boarding school and Jensen was pissed. One of the reason’s he and Evan had chosen this school was because they played American-style football in addition to soccer. Right now, the other team was trying to take them out individually and Jensen’s temper flared higher with each play. He drank his water and watched his team line up. Evan was poised to run his route, taking off when the center snapped the ball. He watched Evan speed down field, skirting bigger players until he was in the end zone. The ball flew into his hands and he held it up triumphantly.

“Hell, yeah!” Jensen shouted.

Evan saw one of the defensive players heading straight for him. The play was over but they planned to take him out regardless. One knocked him to the ground and hit him hard enough that his helmet flew off. The next thing he knew, his roommate had sent one of them flying.

“I swear to God!” Cameron stood over the player. “Keep this shit up and I will take you out permanently!” he growled.

Jensen put his helmet back on and ran onto the field, heading to the end zone. He laughed as Evan’s roommate pushed one of the players and got in his face.

“Looks like you have a bodyguard.” Jensen chuckled.

Evan stood up, shaking his head clear. “God, he annoys me to no end!”

“Maddox!”

Jensen turned to see their quarterback, Max Remo, looking at him. He almost sighed at the sight. “Yeah?”

“Please try not to kill anyone. I’d like to win this game.” Max chuckled.

Cameron asked Evan, “Are you okay?”

“I can take care of myself.” Evan rolled his eyes.

Cameron watched Evan walk away with Jensen and sensed Max looking at him. “What?”

“Your crush is showing,” Max teased.

“Fuck off, Remo.”

Next time the offense took the field, Jensen lined up opposite the guy he was covering and winked. The center snapped the ball to Max, who looked downfield and saw Evan wide open. He threw the ball and watched Cameron make a beeline for the player headed for Evan. He knocked him so hard he flew at least ten feet, landing on his back.

Cameron stood over the player and smiled. “I warned you.”

“Dammit, Dalton!”

“What’s wrong, Edward, ol’ chap? Can’t handle me?” Cameron teased.

Edward stood up and glared at Cameron. He wanted to push him but what was the point? Cameron Dalton was six-foot-three and huge. He settled for giving him a nasty look. “That was uncalled for.”

“Oh, was it?” Cameron gave him his best English accent. “I’m having a jolly good time.”

Max cracked up. “Come on.”

Cameron put his hand out to Evan and pulled him up. He picked up his helmet and gave it to Evan. “I know, I know, you can take care of yourself.”

Evan looked up at him. “Thanks.”

Cameron watched him walk back to the huddle and saw Jensen looking at him. “What?”

“Nothing.” Jensen smiled.

Jensen was watching Max’s back on the next play. The center snapped the ball and Jensen ran right into the nose guard who was trying to take Max out. He bounced back, landing with a loud grunt and Jensen stood over him and smiled. Max came up next to him and looked at the guy on the ground and shook his head.

“You guys just don’t learn, do you?”

The game ended in their favor. Max was getting his helmet when he saw the rival team’s quarterback headed his way. He smiled and put his hand out.

“It was a noble effort, Charles.”

“Oh, bugger off.” Charles laughed. “Drinks at the pub?”

“Yeah, just give me ʼbout a half hour.” Max wiped his forehead.

“Bring Dalton,” Charles demanded.

“My, my, do we have a crush on Cameron?” Max winked.

“Lord, who doesn’t?” Charles watched Cameron stripping his jersey off. His biceps were huge and his chest was well defined. “How do you not fall at that man’s feet?”

Max studied Cameron and smiled. Most guys who were gay followed him around like puppy dogs; even the cheerleaders knew he was gay and still wanted to ‘convert’ him. “I’m immune. Besides, I think he has his eye on someone.”

“Voronova.” Charles sighed. “So, I was not imagining things.”

“Nope.”

“Hey, we going out?” Jensen walked up.

Evan had joined them and asked Charles, “How are we feeling?”

“Very funny. We are going out to the pub, you coming?”

Evan looked at Jensen. “Well?”

“Hell, yeah.” Jensen smiled.

Max watched the two of them leave and suddenly realized Cameron beside him. He smiled and clapped him on the back. “Why don’t you say something?”

“Why don’t you?” Cameron knew Max had a crush on Jensen Maddox. Max didn’t know if he was gay, though, and had been trying to find out since the first second he laid eyes on him.

“He’s your roommate, you can’t figure it out?”

Max smiled as Cameron watched Evan walk down the field. “So, how about your roommate?”

“He hates me. I know he’s just waiting to kill me in my sleep.”

Max laughed. “Come on, big guy, let’s go drinking.”

Hunter sat at the food court with one of his teammates. Jack was watching girls and guys walk by, giving Hunter a commentary on what they were wearing and why.

“So what about that guy?” Hunter pointed to a guy sitting at another table with his laptop in his lap.

“Watching porn. Which is why he’s wearing an oversized shirt.”

Hunter laughed and watched a group of guys enter the food court. One of them caught Hunter’s eye right away. He was at least six feet tall, with short brown hair. As soon as he looked up, Hunter’s eyes met his and Hunter’s skin broke out in goosebumps. His eyes were beautiful, and his lips curled up in a smile.

“Now, that guy —” Jack nodded toward him, “is a football player.”

“How do you know?” Hunter blushed as the guy kept looking at him.

“Because they’re from Fairfield. They’re lobbying with the school board to be able to play against us.”

“Why can’t they?”

“Even though they’re two miles away, they aren’t sanctioned to play us. It’s stupid. I think our school is just afraid of getting beat by them.” Jack smiled.

Hunter watched as the group claimed a table across the food court. The guy he had been studying faced him and Hunter felt his temperature rise as the guy continued to stare.

 

“Jesse?”

“Huh?”

“See something you like?” Devon asked. Jesse was watching the guy across the food court intently.

“Who is that?” Jesse smiled when the guy looked up again and their eyes met. Even from where he was sitting he could see the blush creep into his cheeks.

“Well, hopefully you’ll be playing him soon. He’s from Winston Prep.”

“No shit? How do you know?” Jesse turned to Devon.

“The wolverine on his shirt kinda gives it away. Besides that’s Jack Donovan with him and he goes to Winston. Want me to find out who the other guy is?”

“Are you trying to hook me up?”

“Don’t you need to be? No one on the team cares that you’re gay. You win games and you are an awesome friend— so hell, yeah, I’ll get the info if ya want.”

Jesse looked at the guy again. God, but he was beautiful. And huge. Jesse could see the biceps straining against his shirt. “Do you know if we will play them?”

“We’re fighting for that right as we speak; hopefully by next season.” Devon snapped his fingers and caught Jack’s attention.

Jesse was getting nervous now. “He might not be gay.”

“Well, won’t know unless you ask.” Devon clapped him on the back. “I’m going to go talk to Jack, be back in a second.”

Jesse watched Devon head to the soda machines and then Jack went for a soda too. He watched the guy sit at the table alone, doing everything in his power not to look up. Jesse smiled when he finally did and their eyes locked again. Jesse felt his pulse race; the guy looked back down and Jesse sighed.

“Shit.” He watched Devon laughing with Jack and then he was on his way back. He sat down and leaned in.

“Jack doesn’t have a clue but he said if he gets the intel he’ll let me know.”

“What’s his name?” Jesse watched the guy fumble with his drink while trying not to look his way.

“Shit, you wanted to know that too?” Devon laughed at the look on Jesse’s face. “I’m kidding. His name is Hunter Trevino.”

“Hunter.”

“Oh, someone’s got a crush. Are you gonna start doodling it in a heart on your notebook?” Devon teased Jesse. The guy had had had it rough and Devon would do whatever he could to help him out. They had never won many games until Jesse joined the team.

“He’s so…” Jesse sighed. When Hunter and Jack got up, he caught sight of his ass. “Wow.”

“I hope we get to play them sooner rather than later.”

Jesse watched as Hunter walked away with Jack. He looked back and their eyes met. “Me too.”

Katiana watched two of the guys from the football team talking in the lunchroom. One of them looked up and as their eyes met, Kat felt her cheeks heat. Joe Weiss was gorgeous. She hadn’t heard from Landon in over a week. He had his own life in New York and their phone calls were getting increasingly shorter.

“Forget about it,” Katarina told her. “You’ll never get permission to date him.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Katiana looked him over.

“He’s not Landon. You know how your dad is, not to mention Nikolai. Any guy you date will have to know who your brother is.”

“I can handle Nik.”

“Yeah, but your dates might not and if there’s one thing I know for sure — it’s that most people are scared shitless of your ‘little’ brother!”

“The girls aren’t.” Katiana waggled her eyebrows.

“Well, hell, look at him!”

Katiana made a face. “Eww, that’s my brother!”

Katarina watched Joshua and Colin approach. Colin looked sad and she knew it was because Nik was back in Russia. Joshua sat down next to her and her heartrate increased. His arm went around her shoulders and he kissed her cheek.

“What did we miss?”

“Kat eyeing Joe,” Katarina told him.

“Not gonna happen.” Colin shook his head. “You know Nikolai will make him pee his pants.”

“And then some,” Joshua agreed.

“Why is everyone so dead set against me dating?” Katiana demanded.

“Because, there’s only one guy you belong with.” Tanner appeared behind her.

“Ugh!” Katiana stood and took off for her locker.

Tanner sat down shaking his head and Joshua chuckled.

The player in question approached the group and asked, “Hey, is Kat single?”

Tanner opened his mouth and Colin put his hand over it. “Yes, she is.”

“Okay.” Joe walked away.

Tanner smacked Colin on the arm. “What the hell?”

“Two words: Nikolai Markov.” The whole table erupted in laughter.

Landon sat at a picnic table looking over his homework. He sighed and turned the page. He was never going to use this shit. School was okay; he had made friends as soon as he tried out for the football team.

“Reynolds,” a guy named William called out as he sat down.

“Asswipe.” Landon chuckled.

“Oh, hell. Here comes Chloe.”

Landon stuck his nose in his book and tried not to make eye contact. He heard William laugh softly and kicked him in the shin.

“Well, well — Landon Reynolds.” Chloe sat next to him.

Landon sighed and looked up and that’s when a girl sitting across the quad caught his attention. Her hair was in a ponytail and she was talking to another girl and laughing. She was beautiful.

 

Penny looked out over the grass and saw a guy staring at them. She nudged Bree. “Hey, a football player is looking over here.”

Bree sighed. “Must be looking at you. I’m a geek.”

Penny smiled at him and he didn’t return it, which meant he was looking at Bree. “No, he is looking at you.”

Bree looked up and her eyes met his. He was too far away to see his eye color but she saw him smile and she checked behind her.

“I told you, he’s looking at you.” Penny chuckled. “There’s no one behind you, Bree; he’s looking right at you.”

Bree sighed. “It doesn’t matter. You know the rules; football players date cheerleaders, not geeks.”

“Maybe this one is different?”

Bree looked back at him and he was still looking at her. She sighed. “That would be a nice change of pace.”

 

William noticed Landon staring across the grass in a daze. Chloe was shifting closer to him and Landon inched away from her. It wasn’t that she wasn’t pretty, just that she was annoying and slutty — not Landon’s type at all.

“Well, I gotta head out. Later, William.” Landon grabbed his books and took off across the quad at a jog.

Chloe asked William, “Is he gay? He never even looks at me.”

“Maybe he has taste.” William stood up.

“Fuck you,” Chloe snarled.

“Been there, tapped that.” William winked. “He’s not going to fall for your slutty ways, Chloe. Landon is a gentleman. Try to keep your legs closed, sweetheart.”

Chloe threw him a dirty look and then looked across the grass to see what had caught Landon’s attention. Bree Sinclair was sitting with Penny Griffin at another table right in the direction Landon had been looking. “Oh, hell no.”

Stefan had been bored out of his mind as he and Nico sat in a shareholders meeting for Santorno Inc. until someone said something that finally caught his attention.

“Miss Greystone, it is good to see you.”

Phoebe put her hand out and shook the other man’s hand. “I’m glad to be here. When you expressed an interest in Greystone Inc., I had no choice but to come and hear what you had to say.” Phoebe sat down, crossed her legs, and clasped her hands in her lap. “Now, let’s discuss what you have in mind.”

Nico kicked Stefan under the table. He could tell Stefan was in shock. They discussed Santorno’s plans for Greystone and Phoebe smiled and nodded. She tried not to look in Stefan’s direction but more than once she found her eyes drifting in that direction. He was wearing a pinstriped Armani suit, and he looked absolutely gorgeous. He was still wearing the ring she had given him so long ago. He’d obviously cared enough to have it enlarged. The meeting continued for more than hour and Stefan tried so hard not to look at her but his eyes kept drifting to her legs and then up.

“I’m surprised your father sent you in his stead, Miss Greystone.”

Phoebe smiled. “I may not be college graduate but I am well versed in matters of Greystone business.”

“I believe you are.”

Stefan cleared his throat. “Well, gentlemen, I believe it’s lunchtime. Perhaps we should take that time to stretch our legs?”

The boardroom cleared and Phoebe grabbed her paperwork. Stefan stood by the window and, as hard as she tried, she couldn’t stop herself from walking over to him. He took his jacket off and turned to find her near him.

“You look good, Stefan.” She held onto a chair back as he loosened his tie.

“I didn’t know Uncle Paul was sending you.”

“I didn’t either.” Phoebe put her papers down. “How have you been?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I thought we were still friends and I could ask that question.”

Stefan turned away from her and looked out the window again. “I’m tired of being your friend, Phoebe. Friends talk and we barely do that.”

“So, that’s it?” Phoebe managed. “You’re just going to cut me out completely?”

Stefan looked into her eyes and saw tears just under the surface. “What do you want from me, Phoebe? Do you want me to pretend we never dated? That I don’t still love you and want you?” Stefan caressed her face. “I can’t do that; that’s not the way I work.” Stefan grabbed his jacket and started walking. He heard her whisper something and turned around. “What?”

“I said I still love you.” Phoebe looked into his eyes.

Stefan crossed the space between them in two steps and pulled her into him, kissing her with years of pent-up emotion. Her arms snaked around his neck and he picked her up, deepening the kiss. His tongue found hers and they tangled. There was a loud moan from Phoebe and he cupped the back of her head, pulling her closer. He broke from the kiss slowly, leaving light kisses on her lips before pulling away. She was breathing hard, and her face was flushed.

“See how that works, Phoebe?”

“What?” Phoebe was trying to get her mind back. Stefan knew how to kiss. Holy hell.

“You have a boyfriend. I just kissed you, and you didn’t even try to stop me.” Stefan grabbed his jacket. “When Jaime kissed me, I pushed her off immediately because I loved you. You cut me out of your life for it, even after I apologized for something I didn’t initiate or respond to! So, tell me again why you have a boyfriend.” Phoebe just stood there, her mouth hanging open. “That’s what I thought. It was good seeing you, Phoebe.”

She watched him leave and hung onto the table. Her knees were weak from his kiss and she felt dizzy. She sat down in the chair and put her face in her hands.

“Phoebs.”

Phoebe looked up. “Nico.”

He held her as she broke down. He felt bad for her, he really did, but he had seen every day what her rejection did to Stefan. Both of them were stubborn jackasses.