My Dark Jock: The Complete Series (My Dark Jock Series)

by Arden Long

“You-said we weren’t going o-out. You’re not interested in me like-like that.” His words come out in gasps and jolts. I twist my fingers in his hair and bite down harder. I know what I said, dammit. And I was a fucking idiot.

“Can you stay here tonight?” he asks. “With me?” I take a deep breath. “Ok.” The smile that spreads across his face is almost blinding. “Thanks.” “But no cuddling or whatever,” I say quickly. Damage control. His face is so fucking smug I want to hit him and kiss him at the same time. “Sure. Let’s not go crazy.” Smug little shit.

This scene, us here like this, is so close to the fantasy I have of us in my head as a fully-fledged couple, and now for the first time, I actually believe we can get there. We can make this work. We just need a little longer to allow Mal to fully inch out of his shell. Like an adorable little bad-tempered hermit crab.

“Fuck yeah!” He does a dance that involves shaking his shapely ass from side to side. “I’m the best. It’s official.” For fuck’s sake. I’ve been training him too well. He’s become too strong, and now he’s turned on his maker. Is this how Frankenstein felt?

The guys see him and cheer, raising their beer bottles. Then they notice me, and they all fall silent as one, like I’m a turd they’ve just found in their birthday cake.