Cross the Line Read online

  We looked at one another silently for a moment, then the questions that had been rolling around in my head came out in a rush. “What happens next? What is this thing between us?”

  He rubbed at his face, then rolled onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow. “First off, I like you. I want to see where this thing goes.” His hand traced a pattern over my chest. “I’ve never been with a guy before, but I…I’ve been interested. Everything that we’ve done—it feels right. Like it was meant to be. I never had that with a girl before.”

  I reached up and pushed his hair out of his eyes as he continued speaking, his voice going quiet. “I don’t even think it’s because you’re a guy. I think it’s because it’s you.”

  Swallowing hard around the lump in my throat, I stared at him. “I want this. What about school?”

  His gaze turned serious. “Fuck, I don’t know. Can we take it slow, see what happens? I don’t want to hide, but I want…time, I guess.”

  “Time. I can give you that.”

  “You sure you want to be with a delinquent? I might be a bad influence on you.” He smirked, and I pulled him down to me.

  “You sure you want to be with an American who can kick your ass on the soccer field?”

  “You calling football ‘soccer’ might be a deal breaker.” I growled at that, biting at his bottom lip, and he laughed in response. “Wait ‘til I’m back from my suspension. You and me, we’re gonna be unstoppable. The dream team.”

  “Only if you don’t try and hog the limelight.”

  “Never.”

  “Have you looked in the mirror today?” Kian asked me around a mouthful of toast.

  “No, why?” I stared at him over my mug of coffee.

  He finished chewing, then grinned at me. “You might wanna check out your neck.”

  I picked up my phone and turned on the selfie camera. “What the fuck, man?” My neck was covered in purple hickeys. “I can’t leave the house looking like this.”

  “Wear a scarf,” he suggested with a laugh, picking up his coffee and taking a large gulp, before placing it back on the kitchen island. The bastard was enjoying this. “I like my marks on you.”

  “Yeah? What if I leave one on you?”

  “Go ahead.” He shrugged, tilting his head to the side, his eyes sparking with amusement.

  I slid off my bar stool and crossed the island to him. My arm snaked around his waist, and I put my mouth to his neck, licking across his skin.

  “Come here.” His voice lowered, and he tugged me between his legs. Breakfast forgotten, he gripped my jaw and kissed me.

  Hot, heady kisses, his tongue against mine, his hands gripping me tightly…I couldn’t get enough of this guy. He broke the kiss, panting, and I went for his throat, sucking at the skin while he groaned, his hand going down between us to my sweatpants.

  “So fucking hard already,” he husked. “I want—” His phone suddenly blared loudly, vibrating against the wooden surface of the island.

  “Shit. It’s my dad.”

  I went to pull away from him, but he held me in place while he answered the call. I could only hear his side of it, but the voice on the other end sounded angry.

  “Yeah?… Fine… Whatever, it’s not like you care… You’re not coming home?” His shoulders slumped, and my arms tightened around him. He listened intently to the voice, his jaw clenched, his eyes darkening.

  Then he was speaking, low and furious. “You didn’t appreciate seeing me holding hands with a man? Guess fucking what?” He took a harsh breath, then snarled the words that left me reeling. “That’s my boyfriend, so get fucking used to it.” With that, he ended the call, throwing his phone down on the island. His head dropped to my shoulder, and I held on to him tightly until his breathing slowed and his arms loosened.

  He drew back to look at me. “Sorry you had to hear that.” His voice was raw and defeated. “My dad…he’s a fucking asshole. Both my parents are. I don’t know why I keep trying. They couldn’t even be bothered to show up for my eighteenth birthday.”

  “What?” I couldn’t keep the shock from my tone.

  “Yeah. They said we’d go out, make the most of my status as a legal adult at some amazing Michelin-starred restaurant, but neither of them bothered to show.” His voice cracked, and it fucking broke me.

  “You have me, now.” I inclined my head to kiss him. “You know, I only got to celebrate my eighteenth with my parents. It wasn’t long after we’d moved here, and I didn’t know anyone yet. What do you say we plan an epic party? Celebrate both our birthdays, or whatever other excuse you want. Make up for it?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “Yeah. Fuck, yeah. Let’s do it.” His lips slammed onto mine.

  When he pulled away, he was smiling. “Thanks for making me feel better.”

  I returned his smile. “Anytime.” My eyes searched his, and I took a deep breath. “Did you mean what you said to your dad on the phone, by the way, or was that just to rile him up?”

  One eyebrow pulled up. He gave me a knowing grin. “Oh, yeah. I meant it, boyfriend. We might be taking things slow, but I only want you.”

  “And I sure as hell don’t want anyone else.”

  “That’s settled, then.” His smile turned satisfied. “I think we need to celebrate our new relationship status.”

  “Yeah? What did you have in mind?” My words faded to a hoarse whisper, as his mouth went to my throat.

  Drawing back, he licked his lips, slowly, deliberately, as his heated gaze ran over my body.

  He reached down to the waistband of my sweatpants.

  “I have a few ideas…”

  11

  NOVEMBER

  “Morning.” Preston’s fingers brushed mine as he passed me on the front steps of Alstone High, where I was standing with Carter and Xavier.

  “Morning.” This was going to be harder than I thought. I hadn’t seen him since I’d left his place on Saturday, before his parents came home. He seemed to understand my need for space, to process everything that had happened. Before Halloween I was Kian Courtland, Alstone High’s resident fuck-up and disappointment to my parents. Now, I was still me, but Preston had managed to work his way under my skin, and I’d somehow ended up with a boyfriend. I’d been raging at my dad when I’d told him Preston was my boyfriend, and the words had just come out without any conscious thought, but as soon as I said them, I meant them. What was the point in denying it? I wanted him, he wanted me and there was no reason to pretend otherwise. I knew he had his doubts about whether I wanted to get into a relationship so quickly, but the truth was, from the second I’d kissed him, I knew he was different. Before that, even, if I was being honest with myself. No one had ever affected me the way he did, and the truth was, being with him felt so fucking right, that I couldn’t even consider not being with him. Not after Friday night.

  Staring after him, I watched him enter the building, and all I wanted was to go with him. Hold his hand, announce to the world that he was mine.

  But I couldn’t do it.

  It was too fucking hard.

  My attention was off all morning. I was on edge, my head pounding. Were people looking at me differently? Did they know? What would happen if I told everyone I was bi?

  The second I sat down in the cafeteria at lunchtime, Preston’s eyes met mine, and I could tell he knew I was on the verge of panic. I couldn’t breathe—I needed to get away. Smoke, drink, smash something up…anything to stop my brain from overthinking, twisting me in these knots that wouldn’t go away.

  “Kian.” His voice was soft but commanding, and the table went silent, looking between us. “Are we still training over lunch?”

  Carter cut in, which was good because at that moment I seemed to have lost the ability to speak. “Since when are you two friends?”

  Preston glanced at him, then back to me. His eyes were dark and worried, but a small smile briefly curved over his lips, and yeah, I wanted to kiss him right then. “I don’t know if ‘f
riends’ is exactly the word I’d use…but we’ve come to a…uh…an understanding. Right, Kian?”

  Pulling my lip ring between my teeth, I nodded mutely, and Carter raised a brow. “Miracles do happen, after all.”

  There was a ringing in my ears. Preston said something about me showing him some of my tricks on the pitch, but I couldn’t concentrate on anything. I needed to get out of here, to catch my breath.

  “Kian.” Preston’s voice cut through the white noise, and I stared at him. “Want to go now?”

  My lunch was forgotten as I grabbed my bag and stood and began walking towards the doors. Behind me, I heard the scrape as Preston pushed his chair back, and someone calling me a “moody bugger,” but I ignored all that. I needed to get out of there. Now.

  Preston caught up with me as I was stalking across the quad. “Follow me.” He led me through the school grounds towards the gym, but instead of heading inside, he took me around the back, where we were finally alone. Stopping, he dropped his bag to the floor and leaned against the wall, his hands in his pockets. The breeze ruffled his blond hair as he scuffed his toe against the floor. “Are you okay? Are you having second thoughts about us?”

  My eyes flew to his, seeing the concern and apprehension written all over his face. He wouldn’t look at me.

  “Golden Boy.” Dropping my own bag, I stopped in front of him. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with much-needed air, before I cupped his chin in my hand, forcing him to look at me. Planting my other hand on the wall next to him, I ran my thumb across his jaw. “There’s no fucking way I’m giving you up.”

  His whole body seemed to relax, and I stepped closer, sliding my hand around the back of his neck. I nipped at his bottom lip, and he groaned, removing his hands from his pockets and pulling my hips into his. “If you are, though, please just tell—”

  “I’m not.” Pressing my mouth to his, I flicked my tongue against his lips, and he finally opened up for me. The voices in my head fell silent at last, and all I saw was him. This was worth whatever shit was coming. He was worth it.

  Our kisses turned aggressive, hungry, as I pressed his body up against the wall. His cock, already hardening, rubbed up against mine, and he groaned into my mouth.

  “Fuck, Preston.” I moved my lips to his jaw, biting and licking across his skin as he rolled his hips against me. “I want—"

  Shouts sounded from the other side of the gym building, and we sprang apart, both breathing heavily.

  “We need to be somewhere else for this.” Preston ran a hand down his face.

  “Yeah. Like in your bed.”

  His eyes darkened as he stared at me, and I couldn’t help leaning forwards and claiming his mouth again in a kiss that was way too short.

  “This is harder than I thought it would be.” He leaned back against the wall with a heavy sigh.

  “Yeah, it’s very hard.” Smirking, I reached down and palmed his cock through his trousers, unable to help myself.

  “Tease,” he growled. “I’m gonna pay you back for torturing me like this.”

  Retreating to a safe distance where I wouldn’t be tempted to touch him again, I met his eyes, willing my dick to behave, reminding myself where we were. “Being serious. I’m not having second thoughts about you. I’m just…I’m struggling to get my head around everything, okay?”

  “I know, and I’m not going to pressure you. I said I’d give you as much time as you needed, and I meant it. It’s just…we hadn’t spoken, and…” He trailed off with another sigh, his mouth twisting.

  “You’re my boyfriend. That’s not changing, unless you change your mind about us.”

  “Not gonna happen.” He shook his head, a smile finally appearing on his face, which I returned.

  “Come on, Golden Boy. Let me show you some of my football skills. That was why you wanted to get me alone during lunch, wasn’t it?”

  “It was the only excuse I could think of.” Picking up his bag, he gave me a grin that made my stomach flip. I let my eyes trail over his body, taking my time to enjoy the sight of him filling out his uniform in all the right places.

  “Fuck, you’re hot.”

  His lips curved in amusement, but he deliberately raked his gaze over me. “So are you.”

  “I know.”

  He shook his head at me. “Come on, before your head gets any bigger. I want to see your ball skills in action.”

  “I know you like me playing with your balls.” I gave him a suggestive smile as he passed me, and he laughed.

  “Couldn’t resist, huh?”

  “Nope.” We headed back around the gym entrance and used our passes to enter. “Did anyone notice your neck?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Did anyone notice the mass of hickeys my boyfriend left all over me? Why would you think they would? They’re barely even visible.” Pushing the door to the changing room open, he indicated for me to go through first. “If you’d turned up in the cafeteria about five minutes earlier, you would’ve heard everyone joking about it.” There were a few other guys in the changing room, and he lowered his voice. “I changed the subject to the Fright Night pranks the guys had pulled, and…” He shrugged. “Most of them like to talk about themselves.”

  “Yeah.” We finished changing in silence, aware of the presence of the others around us, then headed out onto the football pitch. The repetition of the drills focused my mind as we passed the ball back and forth, but I knew I’d have to face up to things sooner or later.

  We couldn’t hide forever.

  12

  My phone buzzed, and I discreetly opened it, shielding the screen with my palm so I could read the message without anyone else seeing. Across the cafeteria table, I felt Kian’s hot gaze boring into me, and I shifted in my seat.

  Delinquent: Guess what I’m thinking about?

  A smile played across my lips as I replied.

  Me: What?

  Delinquent: You. Me. In your shower

  My cock twitched, and I bit back a groan. Oh, man. The effect this guy had on me… Blowing out a heavy breath, I kept my face neutral as my fingers flew over my phone keyboard.

  Me: Mmm. I like your mind

  Delinquent: Is it wrong that I’m hard right now?

  My smile grew wider, even as I struggled to control my own reaction to the thought of Kian, across the table, getting hard from the thought of us together.

  Delinquent: You look sexy when you smile, Golden Boy

  Warmth spread through me, and before I knew it, I’d sent him the question I’d been wanting to ask him for a while now. The few weeks we’d been together had been better than anything I could’ve hoped or imagined, despite the fact we’d been sneaking around, sharing stolen moments between classes. We’d spent as much time together as we could out of school, though, and now, I wanted more. I wanted to share everything with him.

  And that included my family.

  Me: Want to meet my parents?

  Across the table from me his eyes widened, and I heard his harsh intake of breath.

  “You okay, mate?” Xavier raised a brow at him.

  “Fine,” Kian said brusquely, returning his attention to his phone.

  Taking a bite of my sandwich, I kept an eye on my own phone, waiting for the message notification to come through. When two alerts came through in quick succession, I placed my sandwich down and swiped open our message thread, taking care to hide it from the guys next to me.

  Delinquent: That killed my boner

  Delinquent: Seriously??? You want me to meet them?

  Me: 100%

  I watched him closely as he played with his lip ring, having some kind of internal debate with himself. His fingers hovered over his phone for a moment, before he straightened up.

  Delinquent: OK

  Me: Good

  When he looked up and met my eyes, I mouthed thanks across the table. He gave me a tiny smile that was almost shy, before lowering his gaze back to his phone.

  Making a snap decision
, I put it all out there.

  Me: I want to tell the soccer team about me. Being gay

  Delinquent: You sure?

  We’d spoken a bit about it, and he knew I’d been planning to tell them, but something about Kian’s willingness to meet my parents…I couldn’t help thinking it was a significant step for us. And that meant I needed to be honest with everyone about who I was, otherwise, how could I ever hope that Kian would choose to be open about us, one day?

  Me: Sure. I need to do this

  Delinquent: OK. Start with Carter. He’ll appreciate the heads up since he’s the captain and if you can get him on board the others will be easier

  Delinquent: I’ve got your back. If you want me to speak to him with you I will

  Me: Thanks. I’ve got this but I like knowing you’re there for me

  Delinquent: Always

  Slipping my phone into my pocket, I turned to Carter, keeping my voice low so I didn’t attract unwanted attention. “Can I have a quick word? In private?”

  He gave me a curious look, but he answered immediately. “Yeah, of course.” We both stood, and Kian gave me a small, reassuring nod. I headed outside to a table at the far side of the quad, where we wouldn’t be overheard. My legs suddenly felt like they were going to give way, and I threw myself into a seat before Carter noticed.

  He remained standing. I blew out a heavy breath, forcibly tensing my leg to stop it from bouncing. “Can you sit down? You’re making me nervous.”

  As he sat down, I concentrated on breathing, trying to gather my thoughts. My stomach rolled.

  Carter interrupted my thoughts. “Mate, spit it out. You’re making me nervous, now.”

  Right.

  Here goes nothing. “Sorry, man. I need to tell you something. I wanted to give you a heads-up, since you’re the soccer team captain.” I held his gaze, resting my elbows on the table in front of me. “A couple of people know already, but before rumours start spreading, I wanted to tell you myself. I’m…I’m gay. I want to tell the rest of the team. Get it out there, you know?”