Heated Rivalry (Game Changers, #2)

by Rachel Reid

It was the first time that Shane felt it. It was like the air in the room had thickened. Everything inside him was buzzing and on edge, like he was about to jump out of a plane.

Fuck. This was really gay.

Ilya told himself the twisted feeling in his stomach was just jealousy, but he was terrified that it was something much, much worse.

And Shane left. He realized, when he was back in his room, that they hadn’t even kissed. He also realized, with horror, that he regretted that.

That admission would have been embarrassing enough, but Ilya had also slipped in an “and on top of everything, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you and I don’t know what to do about it.”

“I am not alone,” Ilya said. “You are here now, yes?” Shane’s hand flew to his chest to make sure his heart was still beating; he could have sworn it had just melted into a gooey puddle.

“I’m fucked,” he murmured in Russian. “I am so fucking in love and it’s horrible.”

“We’re not alone,” Shane slurred. “Ilya. They can see us.”

“Years,” Ilya sighed. “Years I have wanted to have you in your real bed.”

“Do you want the problem to go away?” “No,” Ilya said seriously, looking Shane dead in the eye. “I do not want the problem to ever go away.”

“I have been with lots of women. That was not...fake. But...” He looked at Shane, and Shane held his breath. “I have only been in love with one person.”

“Nineteen,” Ilya said at the same time Shane said, “Eighteen.” Ilya shot him a curious look. “We were nineteen the first time we—” “Oh,” Shane said. “I thought the question was the first time we felt, um, sparks.” His ears were bright red and Ilya wanted to bite them. “Yes,” Ilya said. His voice had gone soft, but he didn’t care. “Eighteen, then. That’s right.”

Ilya sighed. “I mean... I am yours, yes? To protect that, I will do anything.”