His heart sped up as Breck searched his gaze for answers. Unfortunately, Kai wasn’t in a position to give them at the moment.
Max acknowledged the others, then turned back to Kai and gestured down the hall. “C’mon. I’ll show you around while we wait for—”
Another knock resounded.
Max froze and stared at the door.
Kai frowned as he regarded him. The hell? “Is that Sean?”
“Yeah… Uh… Lemme grab that real quick.”
“I got it,” Scott offered. He opened the door. “Sean. S’up.”
Sean nodded, hands in his pockets. “Not too much.” He looked wary.
Max, however, now looked rigid as hell. “Come on in, Sean. Let’s get you and Kai squared away.”
Breck glanced between Kai and Sean.
Kai sighed but said nothing.
Sean entered and smiled at the others, then turned his gaze to Kai. “Hey.”
Kai inclined his head. “Hello, Sean. Nice to see you again.”
Sean’s smile widened.
Max glowered.
Jay’s face lit. “Oh, hey. I know you. You’re the dude who was dancing with Max at the bar.”
Max bristled.
Jay blanched at his glare. “Or… uh… not.”
Sean stifled a laugh. “Nope, that was… definitely me.”
Max scowled. “Yeah. This is Sean. Sean, this is Jay. And that’s Ned. And this guy’s—”
“Breck Harland,” Sean stated. “Yeah, I know.” He looked at Max. “I go to Mason, too, Max. Remember?”
“Ah. True. Right.”
Breck grinned and tipped his chin.
Ned smiled at Sean. “Hey, man. Good to meetcha.”
“I knew it,” Jay continued, beaming. “I knew I recognized you. Although, seriously, how could I forget? You two were quite the spectacle. I mean, damn…” He rolled his hips salaciously. “The way you were—”
“Jay,” Tad cut in tersely. “No need for a recap. Time to go.”
“What?” Jay looked confused.
Tad shot him a stern eye.
Jay grumbled and grabbed his phone. “At least lemme get a picture for Marcie.”
Ned cracked up laughing. “Tact, dude. Tact. My God, you’re pathetic.” Snorting, he pushed Jay out the door.
“But Marcie—” Jay protested.
“Don’t tell her. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
“Dude. She’ll know,” Jay insisted. “She always fucking knows.” His voice trailed down the driveway. “It’s actually kinda creepy. It’s like she sees into my soul.”
Kai’s lips twitched.
Tad groaned, looking embarrassed.
Breck shook his head. But then his focus was right back on Kai and Sean.
Despite his tension, Kai’s insides stirred, just like they always did when under the weight of Breck’s stare. Unable to help it, he returned the scrutiny at length, his eyes going heavy as he drank in the sight. “Nice crossing paths with you again so soon,” he murmured. “Hope this continues.” And a part of him genuinely did.
Breck stilled, then quickly shuttered his expression. “Not fucking likely.” He looked at Sean. “Unless you two plan on being here every Tuesday.”
“Uh… No.” Sean shifted his weight. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Definitely not,” Max interjected. “One-time deal.”
Breck eyed Kai smugly. “How unfortunate.”
His tone stirred Kai’s crotch, like some sensuous challenge to prove him wrong. Kai grinned, heart thumping. “We shall see, jeja. Fate always has its own agenda.”
Something flickered in Breck’s eyes.
Wariness?
Anticipation?
Tad tamped a laugh and changed the subject. “Don’t leave just yet, man.” He gripped Breck’s shoulder. “Stay and have a beer. Your first class tomorrow doesn’t start until noon.”
Breck hesitated.
In truth, Kai wasn’t so sure about the idea, either. He was about to have an introductory session with Sean downstairs. Did he really want Breck in the same house? It might get noisy.
Breck shifted his hips. Rubbed his skull cut. Looked around. Then finally agreed. “Yeah, okay.” He shrugged stiffly. “But just one.”
Kai’s stomach twisted. No. Breck needed to leave. It’d be for the best, given the circumstances.
So why was such a big part of him glad he’d decided to stay?
Evidently, Breck’s mere fucking presence stripped him of rational thought.
Max cleared his throat. “Sean. I’d like to have a word with you real quick.”
Sean looked reluctant. “Okay.”
“Thank you. My office.”
They headed down the hall, then disappeared through a doorway off to the right.
“Um, okay.” Scott scratched his stubble, turning his gaze to Tad and Breck. “Ready for those beers then?”
“Definitely.”
“Sure.”
He nodded, then looked at Kai. “How ‘bout you. While you’re waiting?”
Kai was tempted to ask for a shot instead.
Anything strong to get his nerves to calm.
“Maybe when I’m done.” He smiled tightly. “No drinking on the clock.”
* * * *
Jesus. Talk about fucked up.
Breck stared down at his longneck in Scott’s kitchen, still wrapping his brain around all the what-the-fuck.
Granted, the night had started out well. They’d finished their second weight-lifting session at Scott’s—having relocated their weekly workouts to his basement now that he and Tad were a thing—and for the most part, Jay and Ned had behaved themselves.
But then Kai showed up, and admittedly it’d thrown him for a loop.
Taking a swig, he frowned, eyeing the door Tad and Scott had just disappeared through. Specifically, the one just outside the kitchen that led to the basement.
Earlier, when Max and Sean had emerged from Max’s office, they’d collected Kai and all three had headed down to said basement. Breck had a feeling they hadn’t been going to Scott’s gym, though. There was another door at the bottom of those stairs. Max’s space, he’d been told. But what kind of space? And what exactly would the three of them be doing in there?