Passing to Payton (2 page)

Payton rubbed a hand down his face then dropped it to his side, revealing a boyish grin and a blush that had Jamie’s heart racing. “I had this whole thing, even what I was gonna say, planned out in my head.”

A red flag raised to tamper down on Jamie’s arousal. “
Planned
?”

“Yeah. I’d lag behind, make some dumb excuse about the hot water, then I’d come out to you. We’d talk about it and then, maybe... You’d...”

Jamie could tell Payton was stumbling. The problem was, Payton was stumbling over all the wrong words. “Maybe I’d what? Become your first gay fuck? Is this some kind of joke? Did Peterson put you up to this as some sort of birthday-bash prank?”

“What? Peterson-”

“Peterson is about as creative as they get,” Jamie muttered. “He pulled this same shit last year as a bet with Vickers. Have a laugh! Trick the gay quarterback into coming on to a player and get his queer ass kicked off the team!”

“Dammit, no man,” Payton’s expression grew heated to match Jamie’s ranting. “Tucker said you liked me, so-”

“Tucker?” Jamie’s stomach dropped. God. A month ago they’d gotten plastered after their win over the Aggies, and Tucker had asked if Jamie liked anyone. And Jamie, in a moment of vodka-blinded brilliance, had told him
everything
.

He had a serious crush on Payton Remy. That first practice together, Jamie had missed more tosses than his whole first season, and Coach had nearly had an aneurism; all because Jamie had been blind-sided by the gorgeous man who joined the team. Fuck. Straight men weren’t supposed to be that beautiful.

Then, the man had opened his mouth. Payton’s brain was every bit as sexy as the rest of him. Payton admitted to playing football mostly because it was letting him get a degree in history so he could teach. And that, along with every other thing that Jamie learned about Payton over the season, had Jamie’s crush edging into territory he couldn’t step into.

His heart wasn’t supposed to fall for a teammate. It wasn’t supposed to fall at all, because falling always opened the doorway to getting hurt. And now, here he was, butt-naked and heart-aching because his friend Tucker had helped Payton and Peterson play some stupid joke.

“I think I’ll go grab a shower at the Hall.” Jamie headed for the locker room. “Tell Peterson he’s an asshole even the last gay man on Earth wouldn’t touch.”

“Dammit, Jamie, wait!”

The sound of a bottle hitting the tiles clattered through the shower room as Jamie quickened his strides. A thud, a curse then silence. Jamie could only assume Payton figured it was easier to lose the bet than chase some naked faggot across the locker room.

Faggot. Queer. Ball-tosser. Ha-ha, get it? Ball-tosser.

So much for making headway with LGBT acceptance in the sports arena. The joke had been on Jamie the entire time.

Go pro? Ha! He couldn’t even enjoy the best damn game of his university career without someone making a fool out of him.

Not just
someone
. Payton was a friend. At least, that’s what Jamie had let himself believe.

And Tucker?
No.
No way would Tucker have done it on purpose.

It must have seemed like the perfect setup to Peterson – Jamie having a huge infatuation with Payton. Maybe that’s why it seemed like Payton had been avoiding him for the past week. Must’ve freaked him out, learning that a gay guy had a crush on him. Jamie had to wonder how much Peterson had bet him. If it was anything like Vickers, it was all for one damn bottle of Crown Royal.

That’s all Jamie’s dignity was worth, apparently.

After a rushed job of getting dressed, his shirt now on inside out, he stomped his way to the Headington Hall athletic dorms and straight into the apartment-style room he shared with LeBron, Tucker and Payton-
Ah, shit!

Why did he ever think living in the dorms was a good idea? Because, LeBron and Tucker had begged him last season so they wouldn’t get stuck with some party-freak like Peterson. Then Payton moved in after that soccer player, Falcone, left to play pro in Brazil. Or Spain. Or... Someplace Jamie now wished he was.
Fuck!

Jamie cussed his way past Tucker’s closed door and into the bathroom they shared. The shower he took was hot and searing as he tried to burn away the ache in his chest. He’d never been so humiliated. Putting up with Peterson was nothing compared to how he’d let himself get his hopes, and dick, up about Payton.

Payton being gay... Jamie’s wet dream come true.

Yeah, right. That should’ve been Jamie’s first red flag that it was a trap. Bastards probably had a camera hidden someplace, and his pale ass and hard dick were now on their way to the campus rumor mill.

‘
Sooners’ Queer Quarterback Gets It Up for the Tight End!’
Jamie could see the headlines now.

“Hey, Jamie? That you?”

Jamie flinched at the sound of Tucker’s voice. “Fuck off, Tuck.”

“Aw, c’mon man!” Tucker’s voice was coming from right outside the shower. “I wanna know how it went. Did you talk to Payton?”

Jamie twisted the tap off and reached past the edge of the shower curtain to yank down a towel. “So, you did know about the joke...”

“Joke? Uh, what joke?”

Jamie wound the towel around his waist and opened the door between the shower-toilet area and the rest of the bathroom. Tucker had the most confused look on his face that Jamie had ever seen, and Tucker got confused
a lot
. “You know, the joke you helped Peterson set up?”

“Peterson?” Tucker’s bushy unibrow raised as his huge arms crossed over a barrel chest. “When the fuck have I
ever
helped that prick?”

Jamie huffed, leaning back against the counter that supported a double sink layout. It wasn’t Tucker’s fault the poor guy was an idiot sometimes. “I’m sure you didn’t mean to, but apparently Peterson tried to pull another Vickers on me with Payton.”

“What?” He scratched his head. “Nah, man, that can’t be right. Payton came out to me a week ago, so I told him he should take you out on a date.”

“You...
What
?”

Tucker got a proud grin on his face. “Yeah! Remember, you said you were like, in love with him or whatever? Huge crush, right? I thought, man, Tucker, that’s like, fate! Payton coming out to me, I mean, not even a month after you told me you liked him.”

“You...” Jamie’s gut flipped sideways. “So, Payton told you he’s gay, and you
believe
him?”

“Yeah. He said he liked you, was tired of ignoring it, and that he was gonna come out to Coach, ask you on a date and make it the best damn birthday he’s ever had!”

“Oh. Shit.”

“But,” Tucker scratched his head again. “What are you doing back here? Payton had this whole shower thing planned. LeBron said he was being a total girl about it, and that he should just tell you, but I thought it was sweet, and...Uh, Jamie? Man, are you okay?”

“No,” Jamie wheezed out, his head dizzy. “I thought it was a joke. I told Payton to fuck off.”

“Uh-oh,” Tucker set a hand on Jamie’s wet shoulder. A shutting door was followed by a commotion from the living space, thudding footsteps and then Tucker squeezing Jamie’s shoulder. “Holy shit, Jamie! You hit the poor guy?”

“What?” Jamie raised his eyes and met Payton’s serious, green-eyed gaze, then he noticed the welt on Payton’s cheek.

“I fell,” Payton answered.

“Now look,” Tucker crossed his arms again. “I don’t want to come between a lovers’ quarrel, but domestic abuse is-”

Payton’s serious expression broke down into a chuckle. “No, seriously Tucker, I fell. Slipped on a damn bar of soap when I went to chase after our quarterback.”

“Oh.” Tucker looked back at Jamie. “You
ran?”

“No,” Jamie huffed. “Okay, maybe. Yeah.”

“Dude,” Tucker shook his head. “And they say
I’m
dumb... Well, I’ll let you two sort this out then. I’m meeting LeBron out front of Wentz Hall to pick up our dates and take them out to dinner before we take you out to get plastered. Uh, we are still going out to Taters tonight, right?”

“Am I turning twenty-one?”

Tucker scratched his chin then grinned with a nod. “Awesome. Okay, see you there at nine, and be prepared to close the place down!”

As Tucker left, Jamie was attempting not to hyperventilate. He was once again alone in a bathroom with Payton while practically naked. His fist held tightly to the Sooners towel around his waist.

“I’m sorry, Jamie,” Payton spoke first. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. As encouraging as Tucker was for my stupid idea, LeBron was right. I should’ve just told you as a friend, while fully clothed, instead of making a pass at you in the shower.”

Jamie looked back up to Payton’s strong jawline and nervously twitching smile. “So, you
were
making a pass at me?”

“Wow. Yeah, but apparently I failed horribly at that, too. This is all new to me, you know? I just... Dammit, I like you Jamie. But, I also respect you, and if you just want to be friends, then I’ll accept that.”

“I like you, too.” Jamie’s eyes bugged as his heart spoke without checking in with the rest of him first. Of course, his dick was all on board with the direction this conversation was going and took the opportunity to bob against the towel.

Aw, fuck it...

“I’ve liked you for a while,” Jamie continued. “I mean, you’re fucking gorgeous. You know that, right? And you’re smart... And funny... And... I’m going to shut up now.”

Payton stepped up to the counter and leaned into Jamie’s space. “Don’t stop on my account. But, if you wanna talk about being
fucking gorgeous
, you should look in a damn mirror, Jamie.”

“Oh, please,” Jamie lowered his gaze as the heat rose up the back of his neck. He could toss a football, sure, but he wasn’t one of those quarterbacks that became poster-boys for sports drink commercials or pinup calendars. “I’m just a hick.”

“With a dimple the size of Texas on your left cheek when you smile, and brown eyes that turn to gold in the sunlight. And the way your whole body moves when you arch back, looking for an opening, or when you wink at me as you hand me the ball to make a run for it... God, it’s a wonder I’m able to run straight and find the goal line.”

“I do not wink... Shit. Do I really wink at you?”

Payton chuckled and posted his arms against the counter on either side of Jamie. “Every. Single. Time.”

Jamie swallowed hard. On the field, he was confident and cool under pressure. Off the field was a different story. And right now, faced with Payton’s body so close, Jamie was an anxious ball of knots.

Mustering his courage, he lifted his gaze back up to meet Payton’s. The communication was silent, but obvious. Payton leaned down as Jamie pushed up from the counter, and that first kiss was like scoring the winning touchdown against the Wildcats all over again.

Jamie swore he even heard a crowd cheering in the background, but that’s all it was – background noise. His whole focus became consumed with passing his tongue between Payton’s suckling lips and the play Payton’s hands were making against the towel. As Payton’s palm pressed over Jamie’s tented groin, Jamie let out a long-held moan.

Payton’s hand pulled back, his eyes searching Jamie’s for direction; the same way they did during a hand-off. “I don’t wanna mess this up,” Payton whispered. “I... We could date first, or... Dammit, I want you, Jamie, but I want
you
more. Does that make any kinda sense?”

Jamie smiled. It was the perfect play. “Yeah, it does. And, we
will
date. But right now, I’d really like it if you’d kissed me some more.”

Just like out on the field, Jamie didn’t have to relay the instruction to Payton twice. With a boyish grin that turned all of Jamie’s insides to jelly, Payton leaned back in. The kiss was sweeter this time; a tease of Payton’s tongue across Jamie’s bottom lip. Experimental. Unpracticed, but full of potential.

It had Jamie panting as Payton moved from Jamie’s lips to his neck. Then, Payton’s hand was back on the towel. Then under the towel. Then-

“Mmmfuck,” Jamie squirmed as Payton’s big fingers gloved his cock like a forward pass.

“You like that?” Payton whispered against Jamie’s neck. “I’ve never... With a guy...”

“Feels good,” Jamie offered encouragement and thrust up against Payton’s palm.

“God damn, hearing you say that has me so fucking turned on.”

“Oh?” Jamie was all about turning Payton on, and couldn’t believe Payton may have a thing for dirty-talk like he did. “I love the way your hand feels on my cock, Payton; the way you stroke it. Can’t you feel how hard and wet my dick is for you?”

Payton shuddered. “Fuck. You’re gonna make me blow.”

“That’s the game plan.” Jamie untucked Payton’s shirt. “First, I want you out of this shirt.”

Payton groaned, his fingers brushing across Jamie’s sac. “That means I gotta let go of your dick.”

Jamie’s back arched as his balls tightened. “Momentary sacrifice,” he managed to huff out, not wanting the hand to move any more than Payton. “But, it’s all about the end game.”