Read Online Switch Hitter by Roz Lee - Free Book Online

mantra, his grip getting tighter, the tempo faster. His chest heaved with the exertion. Tears streamed down his temples.
    “I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.”
    Lightning struck in the small of his back then seared his groin. He bucked his hips, fisting his throbbing flesh tighter. The climax soiled his shirt, wrenching a sob and another truth from his lips. “I love you, Sean. Oh, God. I fucking love you.”
     

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Five
     
    Sean traversed the lobby at a fast clip. There was an unofficial curfew on game night, but it had been long past when they arrived. If any of his teammates saw him, they’d keep their mouth shut. Management, however, was another issue. They’d have something to say, but tonight, he didn’t care.
    Let them stop me. Do me a favor, cancel my contract.
    No one stopped him. He hailed a cab, gave the name of a bar on the outskirts of town where he could find the two things he needed, booze and a good fuck. No questions asked. No denial. No hate.
    Paying the driver, he exited the taxi in front of his destination. Muted music cloaked the sidewalk. The auditory aura froze his feet to the steaming concrete. He’d come all the way out here, why not go in, find the solace he needed?
    The door opened. The beat of the music stirred him, but not as much as the couple that spilled out, too blind with lust to notice him. They paused a few storefronts down, unable to keep their hands off each other any longer. He watched for a few minutes, envying them their honesty. What would it be like to have the man you loved want you so bad he wouldn’t care who saw you together?
    The couple realized their circumstances then, after some discussion Sean couldn’t hear, crossed the street, arm-in-arm, to a parking lot on the other side. A few minutes later, he heard a car start. Still frozen on the walkway, he watched them drive away.
    He glanced back at the door. With a resigned sigh, he stepped toward it.
    The loud music assaulted his ears, but he wasn’t there for conversation, so what did it matter? Even for a Friday night, going into Saturday morning, the place was crowded. A small dance floor in the center of the room was a mosh pit of writhing bodies he avoided, heading straight to the bar. Catching the bartender’s attention, he raised an eyebrow in question. Without missing a beat, the man tilted his head in the direction of the far end of the bar. Nodding a thank you, Sean threaded his way to the one empty stool next to the wall and hidden behind the cash register.
    Perfect.
    He’d no more than pressed his ass to the cool leather seat than the bartender appeared, slapping a white square napkin down in front of him.
    “What’ll you have?” he asked.
    After ordering a light beer in the bottle, he slid a twenty across the wood. “Keep ‘em coming until the money runs out.” As self-medicating went, he’d be safe enough if he stopped at a few beers.
    The bartender nodded, anchored the bill with a bowl of pretzels then went off to fill the order. Moments later, Sean raised an ice-cold bottle to his lips.
    Two rounds later, he looked up to see the bartender standing in front of him, waiting for…something.
    “What, more money? How much are these things?”
    “Nah, you’re good. Just thought I’d see if you are looking for something other than a drink.” He glanced over his shoulder then back at Sean. “A couple of people have been trying to get your attention.”
    Realizing he’d made the decision before he’d ever stepped in the bar, he shook his head. “Thanks—” He looked for a nametag. “—Roger, but you can tell them no. I just needed a drink tonight.” He needed more, but not from anyone here.
    Roger shrugged, collected the twenty, and put it in the register. “No problem. One more?”
    Eyeing the empty bottle in front of him, he weighed his choices then stood. “No thanks. Keep the change.”
    “Thanks. If you change your mind, the guys asking are regulars. Come