Stefan couldn’t stop staring at Phoebe, who had changed into jeans and a T-shirt. She was with all the girls and his aunts Charlie and Isabelle across the pub. Jacob sat down next to him and smiled.

“You guys still on the outs, huh?”

“Yeah.” Stefan sighed.

“I don’t know what to tell you. If it were me, I’d wait for Izzy forever.”

“I haven’t been with anyone, Uncle Jacob. I’ll never stop loving her.”

“Then keep fighting.” Jacob hugged him.

 

Damon couldn’t stop looking at Lily. She had changed as well, and her jeans fit her just right. Her shirt hung off one shoulder and Damon was pretty sure he was drooling. “Be still my beating balls.”

Tanner spit out his beer, laughing. “Jesus, Damon!”

Hunter and Jensen were bent over laughing and Landon fell off the barstool. The girls all looked in their direction and Katiana sighed.

“He’s never going to grow up.”

“Who cares? He’s hot.” Katarina giggled.

“Kat!” Katiana smacked him.

“I’ll tell you what, girls. You all better pull your heads out of your butts before some other girls take your men,” Charlie cautioned them.

Katarina glanced over at Joshua and he smiled at her. “I don’t know, Aunt Charlie. I’m so afraid it won’t work out and then I’ll lose him.”

“Pffft.” James had heard her. “It didn’t work out for me and your Uncle Tomas, but we’ll always love each other and be close.”

Isabelle observed all the lovelorn guys. “Look at them, all looking at you girls with lovey-dovey eyes.”

 

“Well?” Nico prodded Evan.

“Nothing. God, I hate being gay and lusting after a straight guy.” Evan sighed.

“Maybe Ryan likes you too?”

“Who knows?” Evan sighed. “I’m meant to die with a raging hard-on and no outlet except for my hand.”

Nico almost choked on his beer. “Wow, you really are just like Uncle Chris.”

“Like father, like son.” Evan winked. “What about you? I see the way you look at Tanner.”

“I don’t know. I want him; I love him. I always have.”

“Then what’s stopping you, Nico?” Evan asked.

“I’m so much older.”

“Oh yeah, I noticed you’d replaced the tennis balls on your walker.” Evan frowned. “For Christ’s sake you’re barely in your twenties!”

“I know. Well, let’s go find out.” Nico pushed out of the chair, heading across to Tanner.

Tanner was mid-conversation when his phone rang. He looked to see Aidan was calling. “What?” Tanner demanded.

“I’m sorry.”

“You should be. You crossed the line; you know what our relationship is.”

“I just thought — I don’t know. I care about you, Tanner.”

“I care about you too, Aidan.”

Nico stopped mid-step and felt his heart break. Tanner had finally moved on from him. Nico had waited too long. He turned and walked out of the pub; he needed air and fast.

“Look, I do care for you Aidan, but as a friend okay? My heart will always belong to Nico no matter how old he is.”

“Okay, as long as we’re still friends.”

“Always Aidan. ʼBye.”

Sergio surveyed the group. He could tell who was in love with whom just by watching them. Ryan was in love with Evan, that he could tell right away. He was so attentive with him — pulling his chair out, fixing his shirt. It was adorable. Nico and Tanner were easy to peg. The way they gave each other longing looks while the other wasn’t paying attention was classic. Hunter was watching Jensen and he took his hand and smiled at him. The look on Jensen’s face told him everything he needed to know about those two. He sighed as he watched Stefan and Phoebe; they were still so in love. All of them so in love and so oblivious to each other.

James headed his way.

“What’s up, Greco?”

“Damn, you got even bigger, Sergio. Nice ink, by the way,” James noted his tattoo.

“I’ve got two more but I don’t want you to feel small looking at my chest.” Sergio chuckled.

James rolled his eyes. “Just show me.” Sergio picked up his shirt and James’ jaw dropped. “Okay, put it back down. I do feel very small.”

“Pull it back up!” Charlie encouraged.

Sergio winked. “Dirty girl, Charlie.”

“Hell, yeah!”

Brandon pouted. “And all this time I thought you were holding a torch for me, Charlie.”

“I am.” Charlie kissed him. “You’re the kissing champion!”

Michael rolled his eyes. “I’m so glad you’re gay, Brandon.”

“Me too.” Justin laughed.

Tanner had been looking for Nico everywhere. He finally found him. He was with Stefan, packing their rental car. “Where are you going?”

“Back to Malta. We were only here for the ceremony.” Nico threw his bag in the trunk.

“So that’s it? You just breeze in and breeze out?”

“Well, I have a job, Tanner. I have to get back to it.” Nico turned away from him; it hurt just to look at him.

“I thought maybe we could spend some time together.” Tanner moved closer.

“We did.” He fought to keep himself from looking at Tanner.

“We were sleeping!” Tanner turned him around. “Why can’t you go later? Don’t you want to spend time with me?”

“Of course I would but I really have to get back.” And there it was, the look of hurt that he caused every time he was with Tanner.

“Nothing ever changes does it? Goodbye, Nico. Have a nice trip.” Tanner turned and ran.

Nico watched him run away and held onto the car for support.

“I know.” Stefan hugged him tight.

“Why can’t I stop loving him?”

“I wish I had an answer to that question myself.”

“Let’s get out of here.”

Stefan and Jordan stumbled back to the cottage at two in the morning and Stefan collapsed on the bed. He watched Jordan shuck off his jeans and sighed.

“Have you been working out more than lifting the remote and performing your yoga singing?”

Jordan preened. “You noticed.”

“Look at that tight ass!”

“Ya want it?” Jordan shook his ass.

“Bring it here,” Stefan growled.

“Hot damn, baby!” Jordan jumped on top of Stefan.

“No.” Stefan pushed Jordan down and stood at the end of the bed. He flipped him onto his stomach and spread his cheeks apart.

 

Jordan closed his eyes as Stefan’s tongue went to work on him. The gentle lapping and soft thrusting of his tongue spurred Jordan to stroke himself.

Stefan flicked his tongue across Jordan’s balls and pulled him onto his knees. He slid in slowly, gripping Jordan’s hips and pulling him up against his body. Jordan’s arms looped behind Stefan’s neck and he pushed himself down onto Stefan’s cock.

Stefan turned his head and caught his lips, kissing him passionately as he gripped his hips harder and pulled him down with more force.

 

Jordan couldn’t stop moaning as Stefan kissed him. One hand had left his hip and was now tracing patterns on his stomach and chest, finally making its way back down to cover his own hand. They stroked together. They moved together, with equal force. Stefan’s fingers gripped Jordan’s hips more tightly as his orgasm grew closer. He pushed upward, hitting Jordan at the precise moment he was coming down, and Jordan cried out. Stefan came up hard again and his own orgasm claimed him. He pushed Jordan down and let it take over. Jordan flopped over the bed with a smile on his face. He never got tired of Stefan. He never would.

“I love you,” Stefan whispered in his ear, kissing it softly.

“I love you, Stefan, always.”

Nikolai hated being back at school in Russia. Right now, he and his football teammates were taking the field. The guys weren’t too bad, once they had hung out with him long enough to realize he wasn’t going to kill them. But the rival teams? That was a different story. Guarding his friend, Sebastian, the quarterback meant one thing — no one would touch him. During the first game, two players had rushed him and they hadn’t even knocked him down. They had both crashed into him and went down while he stood there, smiling.

“Markov!”

“Yeah?” Nikolai looked at his coach.

“Stop scaring the other team.”

“I’m not doing anything.” Nikolai smiled.

Colin was up in the stands. He hadn’t told Nik he was coming. It was a surprise visit before school resumed in Fort Worth. They started back after Nikolai did so he was able to come watch Nik in action. He was turned on beyond belief. Nikolai was in the huddle with his team; he could see his last name on the jersey and checked out his ass.

“Break!”

Nikolai spied two huge guys charging toward Sebastian as he finally found his man down the field; he threw the ball and it sailed forty yards. Nikolai twisted around, avoided getting hit, and smiled when the two defenders crashed into each other as Sebastian stood safely a distance away.

The receiver caught the ball at about the same time Sebastian joined him in the end zone and both were promptly leveled. Helmets came loose and the pair went down like a sack of rocks. Nikolai took off down the field, headed straight for the two guys who had hit them. They looked like deer who were sure they were about to become jerky.

“Oh, shit,” Nikolai’s coach muttered.

“What the fuck?” Nikolai demanded, staring down both defenders. “The play was over! And Bastian was just congratulating them — this was a chickenshit move!”

“Nik! Stop, I’m okay,” Sebastian called out.

Sebastian was one of his closest friends. He didn’t care what Nik’s parents did or used to do and Nikolai could trust him. “You sure?”

“Yeah.” He reached up and Nikolai hauled him and the receiver to their feet. “Thanks, man.”

“Don’t think we are afraid of you, Markov.”

“You just made my night,” Nikolai told them, smiling dangerously wide.

Colin couldn’t help laughing. Nik was in the thick of it for the rest of the game. He not only played his own position, but tackled, blocked, and even ran the ball some. They won easily and Nik finger-waved at the other team.

“Buh-bye, guys! See you next time.”

Sebastian caught sight of the media horde and grabbed Nik’s hand. “We gotta go.”

Colin saw the reporters on the field and hurried down that way. He knew it happened a lot after games — whenever they could find Nik alone they went after him. He looked in the stands and saw his uncles heading down the stairs. He waved and caught their attention, pointing to the reporters. He could see their looks of anger immediately.

“Nikolai, how does it feel to have fathers who murder people?”

Nik bristled and kept walking. He wasn’t going to answer any questions. They twisted everything he said, anyway.

“Do you plan to join the family business?”

Nik turned slowly, giving them his best smile. “I’m thinking about it right now.”

Sebastian grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the locker room. “Don’t, Nik; they are baiting you.”

Colin ran in between Nikolai and the reporters. “Back off. Right now.”

“Colin?” Nik was shocked.

“And who might you be?” One of the female reporters eyed Colin.

“Colin Greystone. Make sure you spell it correctly.” Colin arched a brow.

“Greystone?”

“Is it hitting you yet?”

“Get away from my son.” Vince got right in their faces.

Sebastian had stopped breathing. He had seen pictures of Colin before but to see him in person was another matter. He was stunning. His dark hair and those mesmerizing brown eyes were irresistible. He almost sighed just looking at him.

“Nikolai, go get changed. Your father and I will deal with this,” Andrei instructed his son.

Nikolai took Colin’s hand. “I’ll see you in a few?”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Hi.” Sebastian could feel his cheeks getting red; he put his hand out to Colin. “I’m Sebastian.”

“Hey, nice to meet you. Colin Greystone.” Colin shook his hand.

Nikolai was watching Sebastian’s face. “So, yeah, let’s go, Bastian.”

Andrei was talking to the reporters and Vince looked at Colin and shook his head. Colin looked angry; if there was one thing Vince knew for sure it was that Colin Greystone had feelings for his son. He was fiercely protective of Nik, had always been.

“It’s good to see you.” Vince hugged him.

“Thanks for loaning me the jet.”

“Well, when you said you wanted to catch a game before you went home I couldn’t refuse.”

Nikolai watched Sebastian, who had a dazed look on his face. That look when he had seen Colin had him worried. “So you like Colin, huh?”

Sebastian blushed. “Was I that obvious? Oh, are you guys like dating?”

“No.” Nikolai turned around and faced his locker. He didn’t want Sebastian to see the anger in his eyes.

Sebastian could see the muscles tense in Nik’s back. “I wouldn’t hit on him, Nik. I can tell you have feelings for him.”

Nikolai blew out a breath of relief. He liked Sebastian and he wanted to keep him as a friend. “I want to tell him, I just don’t know if he feels the same way.”

“Won’t know if you never try.”

Nikolai knew Sebastian had feelings for him, he could tell, but his heart belonged to one guy. “I appreciate everything you do for me, you know that right?” Nikolai took his hand.

Sebastian’s heart raced and he looked away. “I know.”

Nikolai crouched in front of him on the bench. “I’m serious, you put up with the whispers behind your back and the looks because we’re friends. It takes a lot to be my friend. I really do appreciate it.”

Sebastian couldn’t help himself; he palmed Nikolai’s face. “You’re worth it.”

Nik took his hand and held it, humbled by the way Sebastian was looking at him. “I know how you feel about me.”

Sebastian blushed. “I didn’t know you knew.”

Nikolai looked into Sebastian’s big, blue eyes. His blond hair was slicked back wet, and he had an incredible face. “I do and if my heart didn’t belong to someone else…”

“I know.” Sebastian got up. “It’s okay, Nik, really.”

Nikolai pulled him into a hug. Sebastian’s arms went around him and he closed his eyes; he did care about him, but his heart belonged to one guy and one guy only.

“Thank you,” Nikolai whispered.

Colin had walked into the locker room and saw Nikolai in the arms of Sebastian. He backed up, hiding behind the wall as his heart broke into a million pieces. He ran down the hallway looking for his uncles and found them by the car.

“Is Nikolai almost ready?” Andrei asked.

“I think so.” Colin turned his back and closed his eyes.

The ride back to the mansion was so quiet Nikolai could swear the car was empty. His dads were holding hands and looking out the window, and Colin was in the corner doing the same thing. Something had happened between the time he had come off the field and gone to the locker room. He took Colin’s hand and threaded their fingers together. Colin looked at him and smiled sadly.

They got back to the mansion and Lelantos promptly attacked Colin. He hit the ground with a grunt and was licked from head to toe. “Eww!”

“He’s making sure you’re clean.” Nikolai chuckled.

“I’m clean!” Colin wrestled Lelantos to the ground and scratched his side, smiling when his leg started moving. “Oh, you like that, don’t you?”

Nikolai smiled and helped Colin up. They looked at each other and Nikolai opened his mouth to say something when Andrei broke in.

“Are you hungry?”

“I’m not, just tired.” Colin shrugged.

 

They had gotten into bed and Colin was on his side. Nik was at his back and he closed his eyes, loving the feel of his arms around him. The vision of Nikolai in the locker room was still haunting him and he tried unsuccessfully to put it out of his head.

“Colin? What’s wrong?” Nik asked.

“Just —” Colin tried to come up with something. “Those reporters pissed me off.”

“Stop lying.” Nikolai rolled him over. “I can hear it in your voice.”

Colin looked into the eyes searching his. “Are you and Sebastian —?” Colin was trying to find the right words.

“No. He’s not my boyfriend. He’s a really good friend.”

Colin closed his eyes; he held back his sigh of relief. “Oh.”

Nikolai pulled him into him and sighed. “I missed this.”

Colin relaxed and sleep finally crept in. “Me too.”

Nikolai spent an hour listening to Colin’s even breaths. He was becoming more and more convinced that Colin’s feelings for him had changed. He was going to have to find a way to test that theory.

Jack was laughing his ass off. Hunter was in the boxing ring with his opponent and the guy looked as if he wanted to run away screaming. Even though he was taller than Hunter, Hunter was bigger; his biceps had most of the girls sighing. The bell rang and the fight started. Winston Prep was losing this time around but with Hunter in the ring he knew they would come back.

Hunter took a punch to the jaw and taunted back. “That’s all you got?”

“Oh hell!” Jack laughed. “You pissed him off now!”

Hunter hit him with a right hook, his mouthpiece flew out, and he went down. The bell rang, signaling the end of the round. Hunter went to his corner and cracked his neck from side to side.

“Damn, Trevino.” Jack slapped him on the back.

Hunter smiled and took a sip of his water. His eyes scanned the room and that’s when he saw him — the guy from the food court. He was sitting with his friends and he smiled when their eyes met. Hunter nodded and looked back at Jack. “The guys from Fairfield are here.”

“No shit?” Jack looked around and saw Devon. “They’ve been known to come to the boxing matches.”

The bell rang again to restart the fight. Hunter charged to the middle of the ring. He kept his focus and bobbed and weaved around the guy who was missing his shots. Knowing he could handle it, he let him connect with a shot to his stomach. Hunter was biding his time, tiring his opponent out, waiting for that one moment to take him out.

It finally came.

Hunter hit him with a combination and this time when his opponent went down, he didn’t get back up. The crowd was counting down and the referee raised Hunter’s hand. Winston Prep had won again. Hunter celebrated with the rest of the team, but covertly scanned the room for the guy from the food court. When he found him, he was still there, staring. Hunter flexed his pectoral muscles and smiled when the guy’s eyes went wide.

 

“Jesse?”

“Huh?” Jesse dragged his eyes away.

“He looks good half-naked, huh?” Devon teased.

“Shut up!”

 

Jack watched Hunter exit the ring and he handed him his bottle of water. After Hunter took his shower, they headed out to the parking lot. They hadn’t even gotten halfway across the lot when the other boxing team blocked their path.

“You really think we’re letting you off that easy?”

Jack stepped back. “We don’t want any trouble, guys.”

“But we do.”

There were at least six of them; Hunter didn’t like their odds. “Come on guys, it’s a sport. And this is six against two — kinda fucked up, don’t you think?”

“No, now it’s six against six.” Devon stood behind them with Jesse and the rest of their group. “You guys were always sore losers,” he tossed at the other team.

“Take your loss and go home. This just makes you look even more stupid.” A fist hit Jesse’s face out of nowhere; he hadn’t seen it coming. He took it and narrowed his eyes. “Ah hell, now it’s on!”

It was a full-blown fistfight in the parking lot and the school security guards had their hands full. They pulled Hunter off one of them and Jesse had another guy on the ground shoving his face into the concrete. A guard yanked Jack off another guy and they threw him to the side, next to Devon.

“This shit isn’t over, Walker!”

Jesse laughed, wiping his face. “Bring it!”

They gave their statements to the police and Jack nudged Devon. Jesse and Hunter were standing next to each other and Hunter was checking him out. “I think he might be a little gay.” Devon smiled.

“Yeah?” Jack smiled at Hunter; he was checking out Jesse’s ass. “I think you might be right.”

They all headed to their cars and Jack smiled as Jesse couldn’t stop looking at Hunter.

“Hey, Devon, thanks for the back up.” Jack winked.

“Anytime, Donovan. You know I like my exercise.”

“So…” Jesse looked at Hunter. “Maybe we can all get together and play some football at the park?”

“You really are itching for an ass kicking aren’t you?” Hunter grinned.

Jesse felt his knees go out. God, his smile! “Uh huh, and that’s why Winston is fighting our petition?”

“That’s the school, not the football team.” Hunter crossed his arms.

“I’m up for it. How ʼbout you Devon?” Jack was watching Hunter and Jesse.

“Oh, hell yeah.”

“Jesse Walker.” Jesse put his hand out.

“Hunter Trevino.” Hunter took his hand and their eyes locked. Hunter couldn’t look away.

Devon let out a short cough, trying for Jesse’s attention. “So, see you guys later.”

Jesse finally snapped out of his daze. “Yeah, see you later, Hunter.”

“Yep.” Hunter watched Jesse walk away and as he got to the car, he turned around and their eyes met again. He smiled and Hunter smiled back. Jack stood beside him. “What?”

“Nothing.” Jack smiled. Well, now he had an idea about whether Hunter was gay. The way he had looked at Jesse had told him everything he needed to know.