3. Jesse

3

JESSE

"Please, please, please, please," Hannah pleaded.

"No." I didn't bother looking up from my phone.

"Pretty please with a Camaro on top," she tried.

"What year?" I looked up to find her making begging hands at me.

"1969," she blurted.

"Which model?"

"The… A class?"

"A class?"

"Yeah, A for asshole." She tossed a wad of balled-up paper at me. It bounced off my shoulder and fell to the floor.

"Never heard of it." I pointed to the paper ball. "You dropped something."

She heaved a big, theatrical sigh and looked up at the ceiling. "Lord, give me strength with these boys."

Adam came up next to her. "Why do you look like you want to strangle him?"

"Because he's being difficult."

"What else is new?" Adam grinned. "What did he do now?"

"I asked him one teeny tiny little favor, and he said no." She pouted, but it was in that fake way she did when she was playing around.

"Why'd you say no?" Adam slung his arm around Hannah's waist. "It's not like you have a life or anything."

"You're pretty mouthy for someone who's asking for a favor."

My brother grinned. "Am I wrong?"

Reaching down, I scooped up the ball of paper and tossed it at my brother. "Go away. It's my day off."

I'd made the mistake of coming over to my dads' house to hang out with their dog while they were at work. Adam and Hannah had shown up twenty minutes ago to get something out of the attic and had been disturbing my peace ever since.

"So what I'm hearing is that you have all the time in the world to bring some boxes to the cabin." Hannah grinned mischievously.

"You might want to get your hearing checked because I said nothing of the sort." I couldn't stop my smile at their antics. They were ruthless when they teamed up.

"That's totally what I heard." Adam shot me a lopsided grin.

"You're annoying."

"I know." He batted his eyelashes at me. "And you know how much worse I can be."

"What is it, and why do you need me to bring it up to your cabin?" I asked Hannah, relenting.

"You're the best." She beamed a big smile at me. "It's just some stuff to open it up for the season. Adam was going to drive it up while I went back to work, but your pops called and needs him to cover the office while he meets with one of his suppliers."

"Fine." Standing, I put my phone away. "But you owe me."

"Thank you!" Hannah darted forward and hauled me down to peck a kiss against my cheek. "You're the best."

"I know," I sighed. "Where are they?"

"In my car." Adam pulled his keys out of his pocket. "Ready to grab them?"

I nodded and fell into step behind him. This wasn't how I'd planned on spending my day off, but at least the drive should be nice.

I was in a foul mood when I pulled my truck to a stop in front of Hannah's family cabin.

I hadn't been up here in almost five years, and the drive was nothing like I remembered. The roads were shit, and several stretches were nothing more than dirt paths with huge potholes and parts that looked like they'd been washed away at some point. The signage was mostly hidden, making it nearly impossible to see if you didn't know exactly where to look, and my GPS kept trying to redirect me to a roundabout route that would have added almost twenty minutes to the hour-long drive and taken me on what looked like a path right into the nearby lake.

Needless to say, Adam and Hannah owed me big.

Putting the truck in park, I shut down the engine and took a deep breath, looking up at the cabin in front of me.

It wasn't big like most of the cottages in the area, but it sat on a massive plot of land that made the remote location even more isolated. The building itself was two stories tall and had a sharply peaked roof, a dark wood exterior, a ton of windows, and a large wraparound porch with a balcony in the back. There was also a firepit and barbeque area to the left and a covered hot tub and outdoor shower on the right.

Movement on the left side of the cabin caught my attention. Sebastian stood on the deck near the firepit, his arms crossed as he stared at my truck.

What the hell?

Adam had mentioned that Sebastian was helping them open up the cabin, but he hadn't said anything about him being here now.

Fucking perfect.

With a disgruntled sigh, I pushed my door open and climbed out.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, jumping down from the deck.

The long, silky basketball shorts and worn white tank top he had on should have made him look unkempt and sloppy. Instead they emphasized his lean muscles and the mass of tattoos covering his arms, chest, back, and most of his sides. His jet-black hair gleamed under the sun, and his hazel eyes were suspicious as he came to a stop in front of me.

"Is that any way to greet someone who did you a favor?" I tossed him a lazy smile.

Sebastian was gorgeous, but not always in an obvious way. In junior high, he'd been a scrawny, gangly music nerd with wild hair that always stuck up in random directions. In high school he'd been a skinny music nerd with long hair that brushed his shoulders.

Then he turned eighteen, and suddenly the nerd with headbanger hair was gone, and in his wake was a chiseled frontman who could have graced the cover of any music magazine.

I'd always thought he was hot, even back in his nerd days, and hated it. He wasn't my usual type—and he was straight—but for some reason, my dick was into him.

"A favor?" He arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I've got a bunch of boxes of your crap in my truck bed."

"I thought Adam was bringing them up?" He looked between me and my truck like he expected it to come to life like a Transformer and chase him into the woods.

"He was, but Pops had a meeting with a supplier and needed him to watch the office. He asked me to do it, and being the magnanimously generous person I am, I agreed."

He smirked. "Magnanimous and generous mean the same thing. You're that guy who asks for chai tea or naan bread, aren't you?"

"Nope. I'm just so awesome I needed to say it twice."

He cracked a smile. "Might as well toss benevolent in there if you're going to toot your own horn."

"Who else is going to toot it?"

Sebastian opened his mouth like he was going to answer but closed it with a shake of his head. "Yeah, I'm not touching that one."

Not bothering to hide my smile, I waved at my truck. "Hop to it."

He narrowed his eyes. "Bossy much?"

"Only when I'm being benevolent." I had no idea if that even made sense, but I took the win when Sebastian's frown deepened.

"Whatever." He walked past me and to the back of my truck. "You just stand there, Mr. Benevolent, and I'll do all the work."

"Sounds good to me." I leaned against my truck and casually crossed my arms.

His exasperated grunt tickled my ear, and I fought back a smile.

Pissing Sebastian off was fun. I had no idea why I enjoyed it, but I couldn't deny the little thrill I felt every time he glared at me or tossed one of his angry barbs my way.

It had always been like this between us, and after almost eighteen years, I didn't see it changing anytime soon.

Sebastian lowered the tailgate of my truck and reached under the cover to grab two of the boxes. He hauled them out and stacked them in his arms.

Not wanting to be shown up, I pushed off my truck and went to grab the last two boxes. I didn't need him calling me lazy or making cracks about me not being able to carry some stupid boxes.

"I thought you were too busy being benevolent to help?" Sebastian paused with his back against the door, keeping it open for me as I caught up with him on the porch.

"Didn't want you to strain yourself." I walked right past him and into the cabin. "Where do you want these?"

He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "up your ass."

"What was that?" I asked cheerfully.

He smiled sweetly at me. "I said, anywhere you like is fine, thank you."

I contemplated dropping them on the floor but put them on the couch instead.

The inside of the cabin looked pretty much the same as the last time I'd been here. It wasn't especially fancy, but it was cozy and had an eclectic charm that was interesting.

Most of the cottages around here were giant luxury homes with brick facades, huge pools, and massive entertainment areas.

The cabin had a large living room with a giant fireplace, a wall of windows, and high ceilings. Overlooking it was a loft that had been split into multiple bedrooms and a bathroom. A functional kitchen, a small dining room, a huge pantry, a powder room, and another door that I assumed led to a storage area were all tucked under the second floor.

The decor was a mix of rustic and old world, like a Tuscan villa or something like that, with lots of wooden accents, intricate woodwork, and tons of natural light.

It was the type of place I'd pick over a giant McMansion if given the choice. Not that I'd ever tell Sebastian that.

"Is that it?" he asked.

"Yup."

"Thanks for bringing them up," he said awkwardly, like the act of thanking me was physically difficult for him.

"I'd say it was no problem, but the roads suck." I followed him outside. "Glad I don't have a low-rider, or my undercarriage would be strewn all over the forest."

"Yeah, they're getting really bad."

"Why don't you fix them?" I asked, not sure why I was keeping the conversation going.

"Fix them?" He tossed a smirk over his shoulder. "It's cute you think I have that much power."

"I didn't mean you, like you in particular." I fought the urge to roll my eyes, even though his back was to me and he'd never see it. "I meant you as in all of you who own property here. It's not like this zip code can't afford it."

"You'd think they'd fix them to protect their fancy cars, but rich people don't like spending money on things like roads when they're blowing their disposable income by suing the state to allow motorized boats on the lake." He stopped near where my truck was parked and faced me.

"Your neighbors are suing the state so they can use boats on the lake?" Why did I just repeat what he'd said like a moron?

"Yup. They bought in knowing they're not allowed, but now they all want fancy boats and are pissed they can't have them." He raked a hand through his dark hair distractedly.

I knew the property had a private beach, but from what I remembered, it wasn't more than a small strip of sand and a dock that had seen better days.

"Anyway, thanks for bringing the stuff up." He stuck his hands in his pockets, looking awkward again.

"Yeah, no problem." I glanced at the house. "You know, a nice person would offer me a drink or something after driving over an hour to bring them a bunch of incredibly heavy boxes."

He snort-laughed. "You might need to up your workout, Miller. The boxes you carried were full of linens."

It had been an age since he'd called me by my last name, and awareness prickled in my chest.

He'd spent the better part of our teen years calling me Miller, the same as most of my friends, because that's what student athletes did. Only Sebastian had done it to mock me.

"Heavy linens," I countered.

He rolled his eyes dramatically. "Do you want a drink?"

I was tempted to say no, just to be a dick, but I was thirsty.

"I would love one. Thank you for offering."

He narrowed his eyes and glared at me.

I smiled serenely back at him.

"Do you want water or juice?" he grated out.

"What kind of juice?"

"Orange and cranberry."

"Does the orange juice have pulp in it?"

"No."

"Water is fine, thanks."

With a huffing sigh, he stomped into the cabin, the door banging shut behind him.

Snickering at how easy it was to rile him up, I looked around, paying closer attention.

It was beautiful. The surrounding forest was thick and lush, creating a natural sound barrier that made the whole area almost completely silent. Only the rustle of the breeze in the leaves and the occasional animal or bird call could be heard. The near quiet was soothing in a way I couldn't quite explain.

"Here." Sebastian stuck a bottle of water under my nose.

I took it and unscrewed the cap.

"What were you doing?" I asked, tipping the bottle back and taking a sip.

"What do you mean?"

"Before I came." I motioned to the side of the house as the sunlight glinted off something metallic.

"Nothing." He crossed his arms.

My eyes fell to his bicep without my permission. The last time I'd seen him in a tank top was years ago, and he hadn't had as much ink then as he did now.

His tattoos were incredible, the images flowing into one another, almost like they'd been designed to look like one giant sleeve and not a collection of smaller tats.

Covering his bicep was a mishmash of black and white music imagery like music notes, a treble clef, and the lines from sheet music. Mixed in with them were vividly colored space-themed tats, like star clusters, planets, and swirls that could be galaxies or nebulas. His other arm was covered in nature pieces, everything from flowers to birds to vines, and geometric shapes and intricate patterns snaked across his upper chest. I'd only gotten a glimpse of his back piece when I'd followed him into the house, but the edges of what looked like giant wings and an intricate flame pattern peeked out from the edges of his tank top.

Did he have more ink on his sides now? His lower legs were still untouched, but I knew he had a few pieces on his thighs. Did he have more there too?

Why the hell was I wondering that at all? I had a few tattoos myself, and most of my friends were inked up, but it wasn't like I had a thing for them.

I'd noticed at the party that his tattoos ended at his wrists, and his neck was also free from ink, making it possible to cover them up with a long-sleeved shirt.

Something about the contrast between seeing him at the party to today was making my brain itchy. He'd looked like a regular, buttoned up guy then. A brooding, emo-haired hottie, but still like any other guy our age who had an office job and a 401k.

Seeing him in sports shorts and a tank with all his ink on display, large black disc earrings that were made to look like gauges, and his hair messy and a bit fluffy instead of tamed with product was like looking at a completely different person.

"Nothing?" I tore my eyes from his arm and took another sip of water.

Fuck, he better not have caught me checking him out.

"Putting a grill together," he said grudgingly.

"A grill?"

He shot me a glare. "Are you just going to repeat everything I say?"

"Nope." I smirked and downed more of the water, not taking my eyes off his.

He met my gaze full-on, the challenge in them clear.

Apparently we were twelve again and about to have a staring contest.

Keeping my eyes locked on his, I finished drinking from the bottle and lowered it. Just to fuck with him, I dragged my tongue over my lower lip.

His pupils dilated, and something that looked suspiciously like heat flashed in them.

What?

That couldn't be right. Even if Sebastian was into guys, there was no way in hell he'd ever be attracted to me. He'd spent our school days making sure I knew just how much he disliked everything about me.

Which was fine because the feeling was mutual.

He broke eye contact and looked away, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Do you need help?" I offered, the words leaving my mouth before I was fully aware I was going to say them.

"What?" He blinked at me like I'd just asked him to recite pi to the twentieth decimal point.

"With the grill. Aren't those usually a two-person job?"

He shrugged. "Usually, but I'll manage."

"Before or after you blow up your family's cabin because you didn't hook up the gas line properly?" A teasing lilt slipped into my voice.

He batted his eyelashes at me. "Awww, I didn't know you cared."

"I don't. But I'm pretty sure an explosion would lower the property values out here. I'm just looking out for your inheritance."

"Aren't you the sweetest," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Next you're going to tell me that only I can prevent forest fires?"

"If the bear shoe fits." I grinned and finished the rest of my water.

He muttered something that sounded a lot like "asshole."

"Do you want my help or not?" I capped the bottle and extended it to him. "Be a doll and take care of this for me."

He glared at me, his nostrils flaring and his breath coming out in an angry huff.

For a second I thought he might take a swing at me, but he just swiped the bottle out of my hand and stomped back toward the house.

I should go. Just get in my truck and drive home without another word. I'd delivered the boxes like I said I would. My business here was done.

Instead of heading to my truck, I jumped up on the deck and checked out his progress with the grill.

He had most of it already assembled, but the problem was clear as day. The base and the grill body needed to be connected, but there was no way in hell one person could hold both pieces together and screw them in.

"How were you planning on finishing this?" I asked, sensing rather than hearing him come up behind me.

A wooden plank cracked, and the slightest touch of warmth brushed over my skin. Like the caress of sunlight through a window.

I glanced over my shoulder, my hackles—and my dick—rising. He was right behind me, so close the front of his shoulder nearly brushed the back of mine.

"Relax, sweetheart." He smirked. "I'm not copping a feel. You just picked the worst place to stand. It's either here, or I climb on your back."

I'd stopped about a foot from the stairs and next to one of the support beams. With the grill pieces spread out in front of us, the only free space for him to stand without the risk of falling was directly behind me.

Refusing to let him see how much the heat from his skin was affecting me, I focused my attention on the grill. "Maybe I stood here so you wouldn't be all up in my business."

"Too bad for you I never back down from a challenge."

"Challenge?" I let out a spluttering laugh. "You think this is a challenge?"

He leaned forward the slightest bit, his shoulder brushing mine as he leaned closer. "Isn't it?"

His hot breath fanned over my cheek and ear, sending tingles up and down my spine. I shivered and jerked away, nearly falling off the deck.

Sebastian grabbed my arm, steadying me with a snickering laugh that grated on my last nerve. "Somebody likes that," he teased.

My ears had always been one of my hot spots. Damn him for figuring that out.

"Fuck you." I shook off his hold.

"I plan to later," he said with a low chuckle.

Flashes of Sebastian lying on a bed and stroking himself flickered in my mind.

I shook my head, chasing away the images as my cock hardened into a semi.

Fuck.

The loose shorts I had on would be less than helpful in covering my boner. I needed to get out of here before Sebastian saw it. No way in hell would he ever let me live that down.

"Whatever." I hopped off the side of the deck. "I was going to be a gentleman and offer to help but forget it. Blow yourself and your damn cabin up. See if I care."

"Don't be embarrassed," he called after me.

I stopped dead in my tracks. "I'm not embarrassed." I didn't bother turning to look at him. The urge to lay him out was getting stronger by the second, and I didn't feel like explaining to Hannah or my brother that I'd knocked Sebastian out because I was pissed off he made me hard.

I was taking that to my grave.

"It's fine," he continued, his tone mocking but still cheerful. It had the same effect as someone dragging their nails over a chalkboard, and every nerve in my body tensed, prepping to either run or attack.

"I have that effect on people. It's not your fault you can't control little Jesse around me."

"Fuck off." I whirled on him, not caring that my semi was on full display.

He flicked his gaze to my crotch, a shit-eating grin on his stupid face. "Or maybe I should call it mid Jesse."

"Really? You're making fun of my dick size?" I managed to keep my voice relatively steady, even as I was internally seething and actively stopping myself from wiping that smug smile off his lips with my fist.

"Not making fun of it, just stating facts." He waved at his crotch. "It's big, just not as big as mine."

My eyes dropped to his midsection. He wasn't hard, but the outline of his dick snaking down his leg was obvious now that I was looking at it.

Christ, he was big. Bigger than me, and I wasn't exactly lacking in the dick department.

His low chuckle slid into my ear like warm honey. Angrily, I snapped my gaze up. Great. Now he'd caught me staring at his dick.

"You're an asshole."

"Maybe." He smirked. "But what else is new?"

"That's not going to work." I pinned him with a look, my cock finally deflating now that my anger was taking over.

I'd spent years figuring out ways to control my temper, but all that progress immediately went out the window the moment Sebastian opened his damn mouth.

"What's not going to work?" he asked innocently.

"Whatever head games you think you're playing. You want to make gay jokes about me, fine. Go ahead. It's not like I haven't heard this shit a million times."

"Who's making gay jokes?" He looked genuinely shocked. "I don't give a fuck that you're gay. Never have."

"Really? Then what's all this?" I motioned between us.

He shot me a crooked smile that didn't reach his eyes. "It's nothing. Just us having a friendly conversation."

"Whatever." I threw up my hands in exasperation. "And just so you know, that wasn't because of you."

"Okay." He smiled in that serene way that made my blood pressure rise a few points.

"It wasn't!"

Jesus fuck. Now I was getting defensive. Sebastian had a unique talent for bringing out the worst in me.

"Sure it wasn't." He crossed his arms, an amused smile tilting his lips.

"My ears are one of my hot spots, asshat. I would have reacted that way to anyone blowing on them."

"Of course." He pressed his lips into a tight line like he was trying to squash his smile.

Anger flowed through me like a living thing, tightening my muscles and setting my entire body on edge.

What the fuck was happening?

I'd always had a temper, and I'd gotten into my fair share of fights over the years, but I hadn't been this close to snapping in a long time. And I'd never felt this out of control, like I was one more snarky comment away from losing my shit, and Sebastian wasn't even fighting with me. He didn't have to.

The fact that he could rile me up like this while he was having a grand old time only served to piss me off even more.

"Do it," he taunted.

"Do what?" I ground out.

"Whatever you're thinking. Come on. We both know you're itching to lay me out. Go ahead. Do it."

"Fuck you." I drew in a shaky breath. "I'm not about to put hands on you so you can go crying to whoever will listen that I attacked you. Try again."

He let out a condescending chuckle. "I'm not afraid of you."

I silently counted to five.

It did nothing to calm me down.

"Everything is a goddamn joke to you, isn't it?" I demanded, anger bleeding into every word. "You're all about having fun and fucking around while the rest of us have to actually work to get where we are."

He glared at me, his cheeks going red as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

I should shut the fuck up and leave. Just get in my truck and drive away before things went completely sideways.

But now that I'd started, I couldn't stop. It was like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube. Once I gave into my anger, I was powerless to do anything except ride out the wave and hope to fuck I didn't say or do something I couldn't take back.

"You think I didn't work to get where I am?" he asked, his voice unnaturally low and quiet.

"I think you worked damn hard to get to where you are," I said, not backing off even though I knew I should. "But you still ended up right back where you started with nothing to show for it."

His eyes flashed, and his nostrils flared as he stood stock-still, every fiber of his being zeroed in on me.

Fuck, I was being an asshole. That was too far, even I could see that, but something about his anger exhilarated me and fed my own, creating a sort of feedback loop of awareness that was downright addictive.

I hated being angry, hated feeling out of control and letting people see what was truly going on in my head. I'd spent years learning how to hide my emotions.

But something about the energy between us was different from before. It was electric and alive—and the most real thing I'd felt in years.

"Fuck you," he spit out. "You don't know me."

"Newsflash, asshole. We grew up together. Your sister is basically my little sister. I know you."

"No. You. Don't." He stepped closer with each word, halving the distance between us. "You have no idea what my life has been like, what I've had to deal with." He glared at me, his chest heaving as he drew in harsh, panting breaths. "You're so blinded by your privilege you can't see two feet past your own ego."

" I'm privileged?" I threw back my head and laughed.

"Yes." He was practically vibrating with rage.

"Oh, really." I swept my hand around in a wide arc. "Which one of us has a cottage with a private beach? Which one of us grew up in a house with twice as many bedrooms as people? How the fuck am I the privileged one between us?"

"You're not exactly a pauper, Miller." He flexed his hands like he was trying to stop himself from punching me. "You can't really say shit to me about privilege when we grew up in the same neighborhood."

He wasn't wrong. Sebastian's family had generational wealth, but my family wasn't struggling. My parents weren't rich, but they were well-off.

"But it's no surprise you're so blinded by your perfect life you can't see it." His mouth twisted up in a sneer.

"You think my life is perfect?" I spat out, the edges of my vision shimmering and narrowing.

"Isn't it? Look at you." His expression was dark and ugly. "You were literally born on third base. Star student. Superstar athlete. Mr. Popular with a crowd of admirers following you around and applauding your every move." He slow-clapped, a wide, slightly deranged smile splitting his lips. "Is this what you need? Some validation to go with your ego?"

"Shut. The. Fuck. Up." I forced each word out, my vision narrowing even more.

"No." He stopped clapping and stepped closer.

"Back off," I warned, my head pounding as blood whooshed through my veins.

He stepped closer. Now only a foot separated us. "And what are you going to do if I don't?" he challenged.

"Take one more step and find out," I warned again, my voice shaking.

With a smirk, he closed the distance between us, stopping when our toes were nearly touching. He was so close our chests would have brushed if either of us had taken a deep breath.

"Figures," he huffed out a laugh, that stupid smirk still on his stupid face. "I knew you didn't have it in you."

"Back the fuck up." My hands shook with adrenaline.

God, I wanted to fuck him up. Wanted to wipe that smirk right off his face and mess up his unflappable demeanor.

I wanted to bury my hands in his hair and tear at his clothes. Destroy his perfect facade and make him feel as out of control as he made me feel.

"Or what?" He leaned closer, his face only inches from mine.

Red seeped into my vision, obscuring his smirking face.

His laugh penetrated my haze, and the last of my control snapped.

I wasn't even aware that I'd shoved him until he was stumbling backward, his arms windmilling as he fought to stay on his feet.

"Feel better?" He caught his balance and stood up straight, an eerie grin tilting his lips.

"Fuck you." I balled my hands into fists but kept them at my side.

I shouldn't have put my hands on him like that, but he didn't seem all that put off by it as he continued to grin at me like the Joker.

"I thought we already talked about this. Later. When I'm alone." He leered, his eyes flashing with something that could have been heat.

"Keep fucking with me," I bit out. "I dare you."

"Do you double dog dare me?" He got right up in my face, so close I could smell apples and something spicy, like peppermint.

"Do you want me to fuck you up?" I demanded.

"Do you want to fuck me up?" he asked innocently.

"Trust me when I say you don't want that."

He laughed, and I saw red.

This time, I was fully aware as I planted my hands on his chest and shoved, but instead of sending him flying, I held onto his shirt and walked him backward, forcing him to stumble along until his back hit one of the pillars holding up the porch roof.

He laughed again, his eyes glittering with amusement, and grabbed my wrists. "Feel better?"

Just for good measure, I slammed him against the pillar hard enough his breath came out in a little whoosh .

"It's almost like you want me to put hands on you." I crowded him against it, our bodies flush and our faces so close his features blended together.

"Maybe you're the one who wants to put hands on me," he said, wheezing slightly under my weight.

Something hard poked into my hip.

A grin spread across my lips. "Now which one of us is hard?"

His eyes narrowed in a glare. "Don't look so smug, asshole. You're rubbing up against me like a cat in heat. Of course I'm hard."

I pushed him tighter against the pillar, barely suppressing my smile when he gasped and let out the softest little grunt. "Is it because of the friction, or is it because you're a freak and being manhandled is turning you on?"

His glare intensified and he shifted his body, breaking my hold on him before I even realized he was moving.

"What the fuck?" I exclaimed as he hooked his foot around my ankle and knocked my hands off him.

The move destabilized me, and I tumbled backward.

Instead of slamming into the ground, Sebastian used his strength to control my fall, guiding me down so the impact was just hard enough to press the air from my lungs, but not hard enough to knock the wind out of me.

Like a jungle cat, he scrambled on top of me, using his knee to pin down my right arm as he sat on my thighs. His grip on my left wrist and the way he leaned his weight down on it were enough to leave me completely immobile except for my legs.

"The hell?" I spluttered. How the fuck had I gone from being in control to finding myself flat on my back with Sebastian pinning me down?

"Not used to people fighting back, huh, Miller?" he snarled, his eyes flashing with rage.

"How the hell did you do that?" I strained to get my wrists free from his hold.

Sebastian was only about an inch shorter than me, but I had twenty pounds of muscle on him. How was he winning right now?

"You might be stronger than me," he said in an eerily quiet voice that was somehow scarier than when he was raging out. "But strength isn't everything. Some of us had to learn how to use our smarts and not our muscles."

"Get off." I bucked my hips to try and throw him off me, but he just adjusted his stance and grinned like I was nothing more than a mild annoyance.

"You're the one who slammed me against the deck," he pointed out. "You're the one who started this. Can't handle someone else getting the upper hand?" He sat more heavily on my thighs.

I stopped bucking as my dick brushed against his. The slight contact sent a zing of pleasure through me.

What the actual fuck?

Sebastian's eyes gleamed with something I couldn't place. "You're into this," he said smugly.

"Fuck off." I glared up at him, not daring to move and risk embarrassing myself further.

I couldn't hide my boner or my reactions to him inadvertently touching it, but neither could he.

"And it's not like I'm the only one." I ticked my chin at his equally hard dick.

"Guess we're just a couple of perverts, huh?" he said, echoing my earlier words.

"One of us is," I said, my voice dripping with contempt. Fuck him for making me lose my shit. "And it's not me."

He huffed out a laugh, but it was devoid of any humor. "Oh, really? You're just as hard as I am."

"You're the one getting all hot and bothered rubbing up against a guy. That's not very straight of you," I shot back, still seething at being at a disadvantage.

"Who said I'm straight?" He leaned closer, his expression a strange mix of serious and vulnerable.

"What?" I went limp under him. The hell?

"I never said I was straight."

"You're…not?"

He shook his head.

Holy shit. Had Sebastian just come out to me?

My brain was having trouble keeping up with everything that was happening.

"Are you…"

He'd dated girls in high school, not many, but I'd only ever seen or heard of him being with women.

"I'm bi." He swallowed, his throat working.

His vulnerability was unnerving, and I forgot to be angry for a moment.

"Does anyone else know?"

"Not here."

The fact that we were having this conversation at all, let alone while he was pinning me to the ground, was a huge mind fuck, and I was having trouble processing everything.

Sebastian was bi. He'd just come out to me, and no one else in town knew about him.

This was beyond weird. We weren't friends; we were barely acquaintances. And we definitely weren't the type of acquaintances who shared secrets.

Was this a secret? Why had he told me? What was I supposed to do with this information?

His hand tightened on my wrist, breaking me free from my thoughts. "Don't go soft on me now, Miller."

My confusion melted away and was replaced by…not anger, but excitement.

One of the reasons I'd had such a bad temper as a kid was that, to me, anger felt like excitement, and excitement was close to happiness. When you didn't have much to be happy about, you latched onto anything that made you feel good. Even if it wasn't good for you.

Sebastian wasn't good for me, but our decades-long rivalry was one of the few things that made me feel anything at all.

"Who's going soft?" I flicked my gaze to his dick, which was still as hard as mine.

He grinned, dark and feral.

I had no idea what to do with his coming out confession, but the challenge in his eyes set my blood on fire.

Using one foot to propel myself, I kicked the other up and lifted my hips. I wasn't flexible enough to get my leg around him to throw him off me, but the suddenness of the move was enough to loosen his hold on my wrist.

I took advantage of his surprise and threw our combined weights to the side.

He let out a surprised cry, then a low grunt as he hit the ground. I landed on top of him, my hips between his spread thighs.

"Well, well, well." I adjusted my grip on his forearms and used my weight to keep him pressed against the ground. "Look who's on top now."

He glared up at me, his tank top askew and one of his nipples peeking out from the neckline.

My eyes were drawn to the little peak and the outline of his pec. He didn't have much chest hair, but I knew he had a dark treasure trail from the countless times I'd seen him shirtless in the past.

Sebastian bumped his hips up, dragging his dick against mine and changing tactics.

Stars exploded in my vision, and I gasped involuntarily as he did it again.

His soft chuckle slid into my ear, but this one was low and throaty, like he was trying to cover up a moan.

Rather than scare me off, the sound fed my anger. Only now there was something else mixed in there that wasn't just excitement. Something that made me want to shut my brain off and give in to the overwhelming desire to not just dominate him, but fucking own him.

I wanted to see his face twist up in pleasure, wanted to hear him moan my name. I wanted to watch him submit and let me make him come, not because I wanted to give him pleasure per se, but more because I wanted to fuck with him.

It was insane. We didn't even like each other, but that didn't stop the last rational part of my brain from shutting down, leaving my lizard brain in charge.

Tightening my grip on his arms, I rocked my hips, scraping our cocks together. Two could play this game.

His gasp was the sweetest sound I'd ever heard.

"What?" I asked innocently, spreading my knees wide and humping him like the proverbial cat in heat he'd accused me of being earlier. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

"Fuck. You," he panted, glaring up at me like he was picturing my untimely death.

"Later," I quipped, a weird sense of euphoria replacing my earlier rage. "When I'm alone."

He wiggled under me, struggling to get out of my grasp. I used my weight to keep him down. He might be stronger than I thought, and he was wiry, but I was too heavy for him to move in this position.

A gasp fell from my lips before I could stop it, more of those damn stars exploding in my vision.

Fuck, that felt good. Every wiggle and twist of his hips made the silky material of our shorts slide together, creating the most incredible friction on my dick.

"This is how I'd take you," I rasped, trying like hell to ignore how good he felt under me. "I'd spread you out just like this. Make sure you knew exactly who was getting you off."

"You wish," he ground out, ceasing his attempts at getting free.

Leaning down, I pressed my chest to his and stopped frotting against him. "You'd love every second of me fucking you."

"Keep telling yourself that." He strained against my grip but couldn't shake me off.

"I bet I could make you scream." I chuckled, knowing that would piss him off. "Are you a screamer? Or would that be something you did just for me?"

He bucked up into me, nearly slipping out of my grasp.

"I know I could make you beg."

"Never," he hissed.

"Now that would be a sight to behold. You on your back, begging me to fuck you." My dick pulsed and throbbed, and not because of friction.

The thought of having Sebastian completely at my mercy was appealing in a way I didn't really understand.

What I was feeling wasn't desire, not really. It was darker than that. It was an intense need to see him submit. To see him come apart and know that I was the one who'd done that to him.

He must have sensed my distraction because the next thing I knew, he was squirming out of my grip, and I was falling toward the ground.

"Oof." I landed hard on my stomach, barely managing to catch myself with my hands so I didn't smash my face into the dirt.

He scrambled on top of me, one hand on the back of my neck and most of his weight on my back and thighs. Hooking his feet over my legs, he pressed his dick against my ass, pinning me down.

"This is how I'd take you," he growled in my ear.

The combination of his hot breath and the rumbling tone of his voice forced a whimper from my throat.

Jesus fuck. Had I really just whimpered ?

"Get you helpless under me, fuck you until you whimper my name." His tone was triumphant and annoying enough to cut through the confusing haze of desire that surrounded us.

Sebastian might be good at grappling, but I'd grown up with a younger brother and an older stepbrother. This wasn't my first rodeo.

Moving as quickly as possible, I pushed up in a sort of sit-up, getting my body high enough off the ground that it knocked him off balance. As soon as he let go of my neck, I rolled onto my back and threw him off me.

"Fuck." He hit the ground hard, his chest heaving and his muscles tight.

Before he could even think about moving, I was on top of him again, pinning him to the ground as I tried to grab his wrists.

He switched tactics, and instead of trying to overpower me, he wrapped his arms and legs around me like a baby koala, locking them tight and squeezing hard.

I clawed at his arms, trying to rip them off me as my ribs cracked from the force of his bear hug.

We rolled and scrabbled on the ground, both trying to get the upper hand and neither of us conceding.

Adrenaline and something akin to lust swirled around inside me, clouding my brain and making me revert to pure instinct as we fought.

We weren't trying to hit each other, although I did get a few elbows to the side and a knee in the thigh that made my muscle cramp. I didn't want to hurt him, not really.

I wanted to win. I wanted him to concede and submit. To give in and look up at me in defeat.

My muscles and lungs burned from exertion and the myriad of emotions pelting me, but all I could focus on was Sebastian's hard body and powerful grip, how his soft grunts and cries mixed with mine, creating a symphony of aggression that was way too hot.

My back hit the ground with enough force that I was momentarily dazed and gasping for air.

Sebastian lay over me, his eyes wild and his hair a mess. Dirt was smeared on his shoulder and stained his shirt.

"Give up?" he demanded, his voice scratchy and rough.

"Never." I gave another feeble attempt at freeing my arms, but it was mostly for show at that point.

We were both slicked with sweat and dirt, our chests heaving as we panted. My muscles were shaky with fatigue, but I refused to let him see how spent I was.

"You look good like this," he said, his tone mocking and his eyes dark with something I couldn't read.

"Like what?" I ground out, hating that he once again had me on my back and at a disadvantage.

"Helpless and disheveled." His grin deepened.

I glared up at him.

"Give up yet?" he asked again, dropping a little more of his weight on me.

I paused.

What the fuck was our endgame here? Did he want to punch me? Was his goal to humiliate and fuck with me like mine had been with him, or did he truly want to hurt me?

This kind of fighting wasn't my style. The few times that I'd had to throw hands had been quick and dirty, with my only goal being to walk away less injured than the other guy.

This wasn't that. I had no idea what the fuck it was, but I couldn't deny how much I was enjoying it.

How much it turned me on.

"Well?" he taunted, his breathing calming slightly. "Are you going to admit that I won?"

"Are you going to admit that I let you win?" I asked sweetly.

I didn't let him win, but I knew saying that would piss him off and get a rise out of him.

He let out a feral snarl and threw his body weight on me, rage flashing in his eyes as he glared down at me.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"You didn't let me win," he growled.

"I didn't?"

"No!"

"Oh. Okay. Whatever you say, Sebastian." I lay limp on the ground, making a big show about not putting up any resistance. "You win."

He let go of my arms and sat up, a sneer twisting his features.

Using his distraction to my advantage, I shoved him off me and dove on top of him, reversing our roles.

"Asshole!"

"Maybe." I slammed his wrists into the ground for good measure. "But it looks like I won."

I expected him to try and get out from under me or call me a bunch of names.

I never expected him to lean up and press his lips to mine.

I froze.

Sebastian was kissing me.

What the ever-loving fuck?

Was this another tactic to make me give up?

I was about to pull away, to admit defeat and take the L, when his tongue brushed against my bottom lip.

Sparks detonated on my skin, sharp and electric. He did it again, harder and with more confidence.

Every particle of my being zeroed in on Sebastian as my brain blinked off and I kissed him back.

Our kiss was rough and demanding, more of a battle of teeth and tongues than an actual kiss.

The groan I let out was loud and embarrassing, but I was too far gone to care.

Adrenaline from our fight mixed with the exertion from rolling around to create a hunger I'd never felt before.

I didn't just want him; I needed him.

No !

I tore my lips from his.

No. This wasn't right. This wasn't what we did.

We argued and sniped and annoyed the shit out of each other, but we didn't put hands on each other or kiss.

Sebastian was staring up at me in shock, his hazel eyes wide and a bit scared.

The urge to run hit hard, and instead of fighting it, I scrambled off him and did a weird sort of backward crab walk to put some distance between us before falling on my ass in exhaustion.

He sat up slowly, his eyes never leaving mine.

We stayed like that for a good minute, covered in dirt and bits of the forest as we stared at each other, our breathing harsh as we recovered.

"This never happened," I said when I could finally speak, fumbling over the words slightly.

He watched as I got to my feet, swaying slightly from the fight and the shock that I'd kissed Sebastian Lake. The guy I'd hated since we were eight.

"Never happened," he repeated, not moving from the ground.

The enormity of the situation hit all at once, and I did the only thing I could think of in the moment.

I ran.

Just turned tail and sprinted to my truck.

When I reached it, I threw open the door and dove onto the seat.

Sebastian was still on the ground where I'd left him as I started the engine, put it in gear, and did the world's sloppiest three-point turn to get out of there.

What the fuck had we done?

And more importantly, why had I liked it so much?