With Caution

his and Jake’s.
    “Thanks. How much do I owe you for these?”
    “You don’t. Jake’s uncle runs the place.”
    Well, shit, how many more surprises was he going to get tonight? Remi nodded, looking around for Jake. Jake had gone and joined the guys at the pool table. He was now talking to Tank and Gadget. He seemed so commanding, with his wide shoulders and straight, confident posture.
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    The image of Jake standing over Remi sprang to mind and he shivered. His cock got hard instantly. No! Wanting to please Jake was another mate thing. That was all it was.
    He had enough to deal with. He was certain he had a problem with being a submissive…didn’t he?
    The overwhelming urge to give in to Jake had been there from nearly the beginning.
    It felt natural to lean into Jake’s touch, to trust Jake. That was another thing, he trusted Jake…really and truly trusted him. Remi couldn’t think of one other person he felt he could depend on like that, except for maybe his brother.
    As if he knew Remi was thinking about him, Jake walked up to Remi and Rhys as they reached the table and took the scotch from Remi. “Thanks.”
    “Hey, Remi, you play?” Nick asked, holding up a cue stick.
    “Yeah. What are you playing?”
    “Nine ball.” Nick tossed him the cue.
    Crap. Remi wasn’t expecting it and he had his drink in the wrong hand. He opened his left hand in an attempt to catch it, but Jake snagged it from midair then handed it to him.
    Jake pointed his finger at Nick. “Watch it.”
    “Sorry, Remi. Wasn’t thinking.” Nick grimaced.
    Whoa, Jake had actually sounded angry with Nick. What was that about? Remi handed his drink to Jake before addressing Nick. “No problem. Warn me next time.”
    Dago, who was seated on a tall chair near the table, extended his leg and shoved Nick’s leg with his foot. “Kind of hard to hustle pool if you knock out your opponent before the game starts, asshole.”
    Remi laughed, forgetting about his latest dilemma for now. “Well, if you’re hustling me, I get to break.”
    “What the fuck kinda rule is that?” Nick grinned and stepped back, motioning to the cue ball.
    Remi lined up his shot, aiming for the one ball. Please let him hit the one ball hard enough to get a ball in the pocket. Here goes nothing. Remi took the shot, satisfied with www.samhainpublishing.com 83
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    the loud crack and the way the balls scattered. How many had to hit the rail for a legal break? Four? He couldn’t remember, but several did, so he was probably okay. Six ball in the corner pocket. Two ball in the side. Nine ball in the corner… Holy shit. He’d sank the nine ball on the break. He’d only ever done that once before and just like this time it had been completely accidental, not that he was going to tell Nick of course. A refrain of holy shits, goddamns and fuck mes went around the table, followed by laughter.
    Excitement bubbled inside Remi, making it impossible not to smile. Turning to find Nick standing with his mouth open, Remi raised a brow.
    Tank laughed so hard he grew red in the face. Dago was nearly rolling on the floor.
    Even the somber Rhys was grinning.
    Gadget held out his hand for a high five.
    Remi slapped it and doubled up his fist and bumped knuckles with Gadget like they’d been friends for years rather than new acquaintances.
    Jake was leaning against the wall, a smirk on his face. He caught Remi’s gaze, raised his glass and winked before taking a drink.
    Remi got a fluttery feeling in his stomach. His chest felt a little tight.
    Nick bowed to Remi and threw his hands in the air. “Okay, we gotta talk. You’re supposed to throw a couple games first.”
    “Oh no, last time I had anything to do with hustling pool I damn near got my ass kicked, and it wasn’t even me doing the hustling.”
    Tank frowned. “Yeah? Man, you gotta be careful with shit like that. Next time you go, let me know. I’ll watch your back.”
    Whoa. The offer puzzled and pleased Remi. Something told him he was going to get along well with Jake’s friends. “Cool. Who wants to play?”
    “I’ll play if you let me break.” Zack stood.
    Dago shook his head. “Hey, no fucking around with the rules, Zack. Winner breaks.”
    Zack pointed his cue at Dago. “Bullshit. He’s the one hustling, I get to break, he said so himself.”
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    Remi gave them his best innocent look. “What if I said it