All Bets Are Off

by Marguerite Labbe

  Ash laid his hand on Eli’s leg as the sexual tension slid up another notch. He’d been right about there being muscle underneath his clothes, and not the bulky kind, either. Ash grinned slow and easy as those expressive eyes met his. “Now here’s the real question. Do you want them to win or lose?”

  Eli laughed softly and leaned closer himself. “I don’t think it really matters, does it?”

  “Nah, not really. I just wanted to hear a Red Sox fan commit blasphemy.”

  “If I get struck down by lightning it would really put a damper on the evening.” Eli sucked in a breath as Ash’s hand drifted higher up his thigh.

  “Admit that you’d rather be doing something else.”

  “Yeah, I would. But I have to say that I’m also enjoying this slow buildup we’re having,” Eli said, moving his own hand to Ash’s leg under the table. His fingertips slid to Ash’s inner thigh, sending a spark of heat straight to his groin. “Are you that afraid of losing your hat?”

  “Oh, I can play as long as you can, Eli.”

  Another roar came up from the crowd near the bar, but Ash barely heard it. “I think someone just scored.”

  Eli glanced toward the screen and grimaced. “No, we just went into extra innings.”

  Ash drained the last of his beer, tossed some money on the table, and caught Eli’s hand, giving it a squeeze as he shot his companion a sideways glance. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He wasn’t about to deny himself. He’d had his share of one-night stands, though not with anybody he’d known for such a short amount of time. He’d been thinking of being with Eli for weeks now and did not want to wait a moment longer before having the chance to kiss him. “My place is just up the street, within walking distance.”

  “If we take my motorcycle, it’ll be even quicker,” Eli said with a heated gleam in his eyes and added money to Ash’s to pay for his half of the meal.

  Ash bit back another groan and headed for the exit. He wouldn’t turn down an opportunity to have his arms wrapped around Eli as he pressed against his back.

  Chapter Four

  Eli’s heart thrummed as he caught Lu’s gaze, and he nodded toward the door to let her know they were leaving. Her brows shot up and then she gave him a little grin and a shooing motion before going over to the bar to distract Neil. His friend would never understand the necessity of leaving a game early, and Eli didn’t want to draw attention to himself before he slipped out.

  In fact, he’d be all for skipping the rest of the game. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on Ash’s body. He had been hungering for the feel of the man’s skin since he’d first seen him. He joined Ash out on the sidewalk, and they walked in silence over to his bike. It was getting late and as a result, Main Street had emptied. Dingers was the only establishment left with lights on. Eli appreciated the solitude as Ash climbed up behind him on the motorcycle.

  “You know, I do like a man with a bike,” Ash murmured against his ear, his hands lingering in a slow slide down Eli’s ribs to rest on his hips. His voice was husky, with that drawl that was melted honey over his senses.

  “Fair enough,” Eli replied with a smirk back at him. “Because a military man has always pushed my buttons.”

  Ash laughed, his grip tightening as they took off with a rumble. Eli was almost sorry the ride was only a few blocks. He enjoyed the intimacy of Ash pressed up against him and the cool night air rushing over them. It was a beautiful night for riding, with the moon full and the town quiet. The trip ended far too fast.

  They pulled into the little lot behind Ash’s apartment, and as Eli slowed to a stop, Ash stuck his hands in Eli’s back pockets and kissed the side of his neck. “That was nice,” he drawled next to his ear. A shiver of awareness rippled down Eli’s spine.

  “You’ve got my complete attention, Georgia,” he said as he shut off his engine. He loved that accent that had only thickened with the desire in Ash’s voice.

  “Does that mean we can forego the bet and skip the rest of the game?”

  The heat of Ash’s breath against his ear distracted him, and it was all Eli could do to not turn around and capture those lips that teased his senses. He bet that Ash kissed just the way he sounded, all slow, liquid, southern heat, as potent as twenty-year-old whiskey.

  “Is that lust or fear talking?” Eli asked with a chuckle, turning his head to look at Ash in the moonlight. He flicked the brim of Ash’s cap. “Unless you want to go ahead and forfeit; seems only fair since you’re going to be able to watch me strip down.”

  Ash swung off the bike and pulled his keys out of his jeans. “I suppose my ego can handle not being able to distract you from the rest of the game.” He caught Eli’s hand in his, twining their fingers together as he led him up the outside staircase to the apartment on the second floor. To Eli’s amusement, Ash actually locked his front door, unlike most of the other residents in Amwich.

  “I’m sure I can be persuaded, after all you did get me out of the bar. I might, however, find the persuading quite fun.” Ash drew him into the apartment, and Eli blinked as the lights came on. He caught the brief impression of a rather bare living room with a poker table in the corner and two giant pictures, one a framed poster of Hank Aaron and the other the famous print of the dogs playing poker.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Ash murmured, turning his Atlanta Braves cap around and pinning Eli to the door. He smiled slowly. Eli liked the way his eyes crinkled up at the corners as he did. Ash had gorgeous eyes, a dark green with flecks of gold. They were even better than what he’d imagined. Only right now they were shadowed, and lines of weariness were etched on his face.

  Perhaps Eli should call it a night and let Ash get the rest he obviously needed. Before he could voice that thought, Ash leaned closer and their lips met. It was a soft, sweet kiss, a promise of more to come, and Eli savored the sensation of Ash’s firm lips as the heat between them smoldered. Eli’s lips parted, but before the kiss could deepen, Ash stepped back, leaving Eli wanting more. His breath caught, stomach fluttering as Ash smiled and led Eli over to the longer mismatched couch with a tug of his hand.

  His focus remained on the sexy man standing before him while Ash clicked on the game. “Not that I think I’ll be able to pay much attention to it, but at least we’ll know who won,” Ash said and then tugged Eli down onto the couch with him.

  Eli glanced at the screen and winced. That was a mistake. The Yankees had managed to score during the short time since they left Dingers. “You’ve let me jinx them,” he sighed mournfully. “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to walk out before a game is over?”

  In truth, he couldn’t seem to muster up any kind of upset over the game. Not with Ash drawing him closer with a teasing light in his eyes. He had a clean, tantalizing scent that stirred Eli’s senses as Ash started to nuzzle his jaw line. Eli shivered, turning his head and arching his throat for those wandering lips.

  “It’s not taking much effort to distract you,” Ash said, grinning against his skin. Eli lifted his head, and their breath mingled on each other’s lips as their eyes met.

  “I don’t even want to watch until we’re at least tied.” Eli’s stomach fluttered as those smooth lips met his own for a brief touch before pulling away. Ash was such a wicked, sexy tease. “But the truth is, I don’t believe that I can resist your brand of temptation for a moment.”

  “Ah, Eli, flattery will get you everywhere.”

  They kissed again, deeper this time, their tongues brushing against each other as they tasted and explored. Ash’s thumb rubbed along Eli’s jaw, and he wondered what it would be like to have those fingers elsewhere on his body. As impatient as he was to feel it, he was really enjoying this slow, drawn-out seduction. Eli cupped his hand around the nape of Ash’s neck, seeking more contact as hot, little licks of fire filled him.

  As they drew back again, Eli’s heart pounded harder. For a moment Eli considered pulling away to take things slower. Ash seemed to be just too perfect, and Eli knew all t
oo well his luck with those few guys that he clicked with. Some strange twist of fate seemed to conspire against him, every time. Right guy, wrong time.

  Then Ash grinned, and Eli couldn’t decide what was sexier, the hint of a dimple on his cheek or the stray freckle near his mouth that begged to be kissed. He did just that, tongue flicking out to taste that tiny spot. Eli leaned back into the cushion, tugging Ash against him so that he was sprawled over him. His misgivings melted away with the sensation of Ash’s hard body against his own.

  Ash glanced at the TV. “Your boys managed to keep them from scoring again. Do you think they can catch up?”

  “They’d better at least get one run ahead, because I’m not interested in drawing this out for a whole other inning.” Ash’s cock stirred against Eli’s hip as he shifted, followed by an answering tingling in his balls. Screw the game and any lightning that might come down to strike him for thinking it.

  “That’s good to know.” Ash nuzzled at Eli’s lips before claiming them, his tongue thrusting deep into his mouth this time. Eli groaned and kissed him back, the heat kicking up another notch. He itched to slowly take off Ash’s clothes and feel all that naked skin against his own. They both drew long shuddering breaths as they parted and glanced at the baseball game on the screen.

  “One man on base,” Eli murmured.

  “Then there’s still hope for me.” Ash’s green eyes gleamed as he looked down at him. “Do you prefer pitching or catching?”

  “I’ve gone both ways,” Eli replied with a grin, his hands skimming down Ash’s sides. “We could always wrestle for top or bottom since we already have one bet between us tonight.” His hand slipped underneath Ash’s T-shirt and flattened against his hard stomach. “Given the way you’re built, I don’t think I’ll stand a chance.”

  “Try ten years in the Marine Corps combined with construction on the side. You should’ve seen me before I enlisted. I was an awkward, lanky reed.”

  Eli laughed with Ash, remembering his own teenage years, when he seemed to grow taller every day without any weight to back it up. “Well, I have ten years of teaching under my belt. I don’t think it’s going to hold up against your experience.”

  “Maybe, but I bet there’s plenty that you could teach me.” Ash sucked in a breath as Eli slid his hand upward, exploring his chest. The reaction sent another punch of lust straight to Eli’s gut. This was far hotter than any of his fantasies had ever been and they were just getting started.

  “We’ll see, won’t we?” Eli replied, groaning as Ash’s mouth came down to tease his throat. He slid his fingertips along the muscle over Ash’s ribs. There was an unnatural roughness to the skin there, and before Eli could make out the reason, Ash kissed him again. Coherent thought skittered away, and Eli slid his hands up higher along Ash’s back and shoulders.

  Ash lifted his head at the cracking sound of a bat striking a ball and glanced at the screen. “Your boys have another man on base.”

  “Do they now? That’s promising.” Eli gathered his disjointed wits together and tried to think past the insistent throbbing of his cock to look at the stats on the screen. “Damn, but they’ve already struck out once.”

  “Don’t you have any faith?” Ash sat back on his heels and tossed his Braves cap on the couch arm before tugging his T-shirt off to join it. Eli’s gaze roamed over his chest and stomach like he’d been longing to do since he’d first seen Ash working on the roof. He had the build of a man who worked hard for a living, instead of spending hours at a gym. Livid scars marred Ash’s skin along his side, from the length of his ribs down to disappear underneath the waist of his jeans. They looked like a combination of healed burns and shrapnel scars.

  Ash tensed, a haggard, guarded expression crossing his face. “Do they bother you?” he asked in a clipped voice.

  “Not at all,” Eli said, meeting Ash’s eyes so the other man could see he wasn’t bullshitting him. Eli sat up and kissed Ash’s dog tags lying against his bare chest as he slid his hand up to caress the roughened flesh again. Sympathy welled up inside of him. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how much that had hurt. He had no frame of reference at all to base it on.

  Ash relaxed, an apologetic smile coming to his lips. “Sorry, I’m not normally so touchy. I tend to get that way when I’m running on too little sleep.”

  “No need to apologize,” Eli said, wrapping his arms around Ash to draw him closer. If anybody rejected Ash because of those scars, they were idiots. He wanted to ask Ash how he’d gotten them, but there was a lingering tightness about his eyes that warned Eli to leave it alone.

  The question must have been in his expression when he looked at Ash, because before he could ask it, Ash shook his head. “That’s a story for another time.”

  “Understood.” Eli smiled and nuzzled Ash’s lips, his hands not stopping their slow exploration of Ash’s body. Questions could wait for another day, because he would damn well make sure there was another day for the both of them, and right now desire made him ache. “Now, where were we?”

  Ash kissed him hard before starting to undo the buttons on Eli’s vest. “Getting you half-naked too.” He stripped Eli’s vest and shirt off, his hands settling on Eli’s shoulders. His mouth quirked into a pleased smile as he looked Eli over.

  Eli might not have been ripped like Ash, but he was active enough to not feel self-conscious under Ash’s scrutiny. Ash’s hands slid over his lean chest and stomach in a lingering caress. “Very nice, guess you don’t just watch baseball.”

  “Hiking, every day. There’s a ton of trails around here,” Eli said, his fingers running along the waistband of Ash’s jeans. “Some rock climbing too, when I can find a buddy to go with.”

  “I might have to join you sometime.”

  Their mouths met again in a hot, consuming kiss. Eli groaned as Ash’s fingers deftly undid the button of his jeans. A hand cupped him through his boxers, and his cock surged in response, pressing against Ash’s palm. He broke his mouth away, arching the lower half of his body with a groan. How a simple touch could feel so good he didn’t know. “Damn, Ash.”

  “Even though I have a chance to win your boxers, I was still imagining you going commando,” Ash said, giving his cock a light squeeze that had Eli’s hips bucking for more contact. “You only said that to screw with me.”

  “Maybe.” Eli kicked off his shoes and unzipped Ash’s jeans. A little reciprocation was in order, and, as his hand slipped inside Ash’s jeans, the crowd roared on the TV. They looked over, and Ash let out a short bark of laughter. “Jeez, you have got to be kidding me. How much longer are they going to drag this out?”

  Eli grinned. Normally at a moment like this he’d be sitting on the edge of his seat, tense with anticipation, but now a whole different kind of anticipation thrummed through him. “It’s the bottom of the tenth. They’re ahead by one. We have the three men on base and two outs. Sounds like a typical Red Sox/Yankees game to me, exciting to the end.”

  “So the fate of my hat rests on the next hitter? Are you sure you won’t strip for me if I lose?” Ash teased, his lips moving along Eli’s throat, making his pulse pound.

  “You’re screwed, my friend. Look who’s up next.” Eli tugged him back down until Ash sprawled over him. He wrapped his arms around Ash’s waist and maneuvered so that they were reclining side by side. “That hat is as good as mine.”

  “Not if he can’t hit the ball. Strike one.” Ash snickered as Eli nipped his shoulder.

  “All we need is one run to tie and another to win, unless it goes into another inning or two. Or you could just forfeit now and give me the hat.” Eli shut up as Ash growled and attacked his mouth. The rest of his teasing thoughts fled as Ash’s hands seemed to be everywhere at once. The game had better not go into another damn inning.

  Eli’s hand slid into Ash’s jeans again. His hand curved over warm, naked ass, and he thought he would have a coronary. Good thing he hadn’t asked for Ash’s boxers or he would’ve come up short. An
d his ass was as tight as it looked. Hot damn.

  A roar of protest came from the TV, and they both glanced over as they kicked their shoes off onto the floor. “Strike two.” Ash’s eyes were warm with laughter. “Do you want me to put on some music for you to strip to when you lose? I think I have ‘Hot for Teacher’ somewhere here.”

  “Trust me; you don’t want to watch me attempt to dance. But, while we’re waiting for the outcome….” Eli kissed him as his hand slid to Ash’s hip, where the scars extended down another couple inches before tapering off. For once, he didn’t feel the disappointment that he usually did when the Red Sox were on the verge of blowing a game. How could he when Ash was sprawled out half-naked next to him?

  For a final time, the crack of a bat drew their attention, and they both looked in time to see the ball sail out of the park. “Oh, fuck me,” Ash said, shaking his head. “Really?”