Best Man

Jesse Peters scowled at Serena Pendergrast when she hailed him. The bloody woman was a menace, always touching and pushing for more than he wanted to give. He’d gone out with her once—a casual date to the movies. A mistake he lived to regret.

“What do you want?” he asked, his voice containing a growl that would have warned anyone else off. Not Serena. The petite blonde sashayed straight up to him and attempted to kiss him. Jesse grasped her upper arms firmly and pushed her away, holding her at arm’s length when she tried to move closer. “I’m not interested, Serena. Go test your wiles out on someone else.”

“I’m very good in bed. I could make you very happy.” She swiped her tongue over her full bottom lip until it gleamed with shiny moisture.

Hell, she obviously believed in direct marketing. He wished she’d do her advertising elsewhere. “There’s someone else, Serena,” Jesse snapped. “I’ve told you before.”

“Who? I haven’t seen you with another woman.”

Because he preferred men. “I like my privacy.”

Serena’s brown eyes narrowed. “She must be married.”

Jesse shrugged. “I’ve got to go.” He released her and walked away without another word. The woman was a problem he didn’t need, especially this weekend. Bad enough he had to spend time with his teammate Grayson Lynford but he had to share a room with him as well. He’d gone for a walk, hoping the fresh air would help him settle. It hadn’t. Grayson still figured large in his fantasies, the other man constantly on his mind. A few days ago he’d woken up from a spectacular dream, his cock engorged and aching for release, Grayson’s name on his lips. The dream had been so real he’d felt the other man’s mouth wrapped around his cock, felt the silkiness of his dark brown hair as he’d gripped the man’s head. What would happen if he gave himself away this weekend? Grayson was going out with Cindy Malcolm or at least he had been. Grayson had loads of girlfriends. Difficult to keep up with the latest play when it came to women and Grayson. Somehow he remained friends with all of them. Jesse dragged a hand through his hair and cursed. Hell, he needed a drink. He headed for the house. Maybe he could entice Nolan into a game of pool and a few beers—anything to stop thoughts of Grayson and ideas of what he wanted to do to the sexy male.

He found Nolan skulking at the bottom of the stairs. “What’s up?”

“Me,” Nolan said dryly. “Cassie should be here soon. We’re gonna snatch a few hours together before her mother thinks up another wedding chore for us.”

“Sex, huh? Good luck on that. I’m dodging Serena,” Jesse said.

“Cassie told her to stop hounding you.”

“She didn’t listen. Hell, my butt is blue from the pinches she snuck in at the rehearsal dinner last night.”

Nolan sniggered. “I thought a winger could sprint. You should have been able to outrun her. She’s only a wee bit of a thing.”

“Yeah, well, on the rugby field I can let go and tackle or shove the opposition out of the way. I didn’t think that would go down well at the rehearsal dinner.”

“I owe you, mate.” Nolan grinned without an ounce of sympathy.

“Damn straight. I’m going to the billiard room for a few beers. Gonna barricade myself in for a few hours of peace. Have fun with Cassie.”

“Intend to. Hell, tomorrow night can’t come quick enough. I might respect her parents’ wishes about separate rooms but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Nolan clapped him over the back and grinned suddenly. “Cass. Ready to go?”

The intimate timbre of his voice brought forth envy in Jesse. It wasn’t because of Cassie. It was the whole relationship deal, having another person to share the highs and commiserate on the downs of life. Someone to fill the cracks of loneliness.