Jordan tailed Kim through the hallways back to the green room, trying his best not to let his thoughts dwell on the man walking beside him.

But it was hard. Not only did Eric send his libido into overdrive, but he also smelled good enough to eat.

Eric had it all—looks, money, a great game, and he was cucumber-cool under pressure. Then there was the whole “giving back to kids” thing, which Jordan secretly hoped was an act. That would certainly make it easier to resist the pull he felt every time he looked at the other man. An arrogant golden boy who had no clue how blessed his life had been was resistible. A complete package who was grateful for what he had, went out of his way to give to others, and smelled like sex on a stick wasn’t so easily dismissed.

“Wait here, it won’t be long,” Kim said, opening the door to the green room.

“Why is the green room never green?” Eric asked, making the perky redhead giggle as she closed the door behind her.

“I can’t believe you don’t know. You seem to have all the answers,” Jordan said, walking toward the craft services table. He needed to put some distance between them. Eric had him off balance and that was not a place any quarterback liked to be.

Eric didn’t take the hint. Or he simply ignored it, more likely.

The man trailed him across the room until he was standing so close that Jordan could feel Eric’s breath on his neck. “What makes you think I don’t know the answer?” he asked in that husky voice of his.

Lightning and thunder crashed at the same time, making the air tingle with static electricity. The lights flickered once, twice, and went dark. Now he and Eric were standing alone in near blackness, with nothing but pale gray light filtering in from the small window in the corner to keep them honest.

Eric’s breathing quickened on Jordan’s neck, sending unspoken signals to every nerve ending in his body. And he got the message loud and clear.

He swallowed dryly. His cock jumped, thickening in his pants as his breathing synchronized with Eric’s. The darkness amplified Jordan’s awareness of the larger man, of the way he smelled of fresh rain and leather and the way his energy drew him in. Silence was the only thing touching him, but his entire body was coming to life with a hunger he hadn’t felt in years. All he could imagine was turning around, grabbing Eric behind his neck, and pulling him into a bruising kiss.

Hell, he could almost taste it, feel the way the other man’s stubble would rasp across his face as their tongues fought a war that ended in their complete surrender.

“I don’t know,” Jordan finally said, trying to keep his tone distant and cool. “Because you asked the question?”

“Maybe I was just trying to make polite conversation.”

“Polite isn’t the word I’d use to describe you, Brick.”

“No? Then what word would you use? I’m curious, sunshine,” Eric said, inching closer.

Jordan gripped the corner of the table. He was close to cracking the wooden surface with his bare hands, just so he wouldn’t turn around, grab Eric, and kiss that smartass comment away.

“Can I call you sunshine?” Eric asked. “In honor of that sunny disposition of yours?”

“Fuck off, Eric,” he said, his throat so damn dry he could barely swallow. He couldn’t do this. Couldn’t take the bait.

But here they were, alone in the green room, and there was no doubt Eric was sending out signals. And damn, the cocky bastard smelled like heaven. Jordan was so turned on, his dick was threatening to burst the seam of his pants.

“I don’t want to fuck off,” Eric whispered. “Truth is, I’ve thought about that day in the locker room, watching you shower, more than I’d care to admit. You had the hottest body I’d ever seen. I was so fucking turned on. Watching your hand sliding down your stomach, seeing you start to get hard. It made me wish it was my hand and that hard-on was because of me.”

Jordan tightened his grip on the table. Resist. He had to resist.

Eric eased closer. “After that comment in the studio, I assume you knew I was watching?”

Don’t answer. Don’t give in. But desire curled through him. Getting the better of his brain. He answered with a husky, “Yes.”

“Did it bother you?” Eric asked, his voice a soft, sexy rumble. “Does it bother you to know that as soon I got home that day I jerked off thinking of you? I came so fucking hard I almost passed out in the shower.”

Jordan’s breath hitched. He was ready to throw the table out the fucking window. Or throw Eric down on it and rip his clothes from his body.

He could barely take it. The man was millimeters from him. He was so close that he could feel Eric’s heat burning the back of his body. And then Eric shifted even closer.

Fuck—Jordan’s eyes squeezed closed. Now he could feel the outline of Eric’s erection against his ass, as thick, hot, and long as he’d imagined it would be. The bulge in Jordan’s pants throbbed and his balls ached with a heavy, insistent pulse. He was craving Eric, ravenous for him. There was no other word to describe the insatiable need.

“This can’t happen,” he said roughly.

“Why not?” Eric pressed into him. “I don’t think I’m the only one who could use a little…relief.” Eric’s hand smoothed around the front of Jordan’s hips, rubbing his erection through his pants.

Jordan’s breath shuddered out. God, Eric’s touch felt so good.

Sex was out of the question—he couldn’t take the risk—but what would one kiss hurt? He could fuck Eric’s hot mouth with his tongue, show the other man what he was missing, and then walk away.

Jordan was a hot second away from turning around to face Eric when the lights popped back on. Jordan quickly shifted away, severing the contact between them.

What in the actual fuck had he been thinking?

This couldn’t happen. Ever.

He turned to look at Eric and shook his head sharply, making sure to keep his gaze stern, humorless, and irrefutable. His hard-on for this guy was a dangerous distraction that would bring nothing but more shit into his life.

And he had plenty of that on his plate already.

Without a word, Jordan turned and walked out of the room.