CHAPTER 15- YOU'RE MY PREY

A soft knock sounded on the bathroom door.

“Everything okay in there, pretty boy?”

Shit.

Liam froze mid-stroke, his cock still throbbing in his fist, cum streaking his fingers and the edge of the sink. His heart slammed against his ribs like a panicked puck ricocheting off the boards. The bathroom smelled like sweat, sex, and shame. The dream — Raphael’s low moans, the weight of his cock in Liam’s hand, the filthy promises — was still burning behind his eyes.

He heard me. Fuck. He definitely heard me moaning like a fucking slut.

Panic exploded through his body. He yanked his sweatpants up with shaking hands, nearly tripping over them as cum smeared across his thigh. He grabbed a towel and frantically wiped the sink, then his hand, then the counter, his movements jerky and desperate.

“I’m fine,” he snapped, voice cracking badly. “Fuck off!”

There was a pause on the other side of the door. Then Raphael’s low, amused chuckle filtered through the wood, smooth and far too knowing.

“Alright. Just checking. Sounded intense.”

Liam braced both hands on the sink, staring at his flushed, wild-eyed reflection in the mirror. His face was red, hair damp with sweat, lips parted as he tried to catch his breath. His cock was still half-hard in his sweatpants, betraying him even now.

What the fuck is wrong with me? I just came thinking about him. Jerked myself off to a dream where I was stroking his cock, moaning his name like I wanted it. And now he’s right outside the door, probably laughing at me.

Fuck my life.

He wanted to punch the mirror. He wanted to scream until his throat was raw. He wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

This is all his fault. He started this. Licking my ear. Pressing against me. Whispering that he wants to fuck me. He’s the one twisting my head, making me dream shit like that. I’m straight. I’ve always been straight. This is just… a reaction. Proximity. Stress. The Calder Cup pressure. Anything but him.

But even as he thought it, the dream flashed again — Raphael’s hips thrusting into his fist, the way he’d groaned “just like that,” the heat of his body against Liam’s.

Liam splashed cold water on his face aggressively, over and over, until his skin felt raw. He dried off, straightened his clothes, took several deep breaths, and unlocked the door, like a man ready to face his nightmare.

He stepped out, trying to look normal. His face was still flushed. His hands trembled slightly at his sides. He avoided looking toward the kitchen as he headed for his room.

Raphael was sitting casually on the kitchen counter in nothing but gray sweatpants, legs swinging lazily, a mug of coffee in his hand. The lightbulb caught on the defined lines of his abs and chest. He gave Liam a long, knowing look as he passed.

“Sounded like you had an interesting time in there,” Raphael said casually, voice laced with amusement.

Liam stopped dead in the hallway, heat flooding his face again. “You’re a fucking creep, you know that? Listening in on shit that’s none of your fucking business.”

Raphael took a slow sip of his coffee, eyes never leaving Liam’s face. “I heard weird sounds coming from our bathroom. Thought a tiger had snuck in or something. I was just making sure you weren’t dying in there.”

Liam’s ears burned. “Well, I’m not. So fuck off and stop being a pervert.”

Raphael raised his hands in mock surrender, still smirking. “Sorry for ruining your private moment. You can go back in and continue if you want. I’ll give you all the privacy you need.”

Liam was red with embarrassment, fists clenched at his sides. “Thorne, I swear to God...”

Raphael’s smirk softened just a fraction. “I’m just looking out for you, man. You seemed to have a lot of pent-up energy you needed to release. Rough night?”

Liam panicked. He needed an excuse. Any excuse. “Emma was so fucking hot I had to hold a boner all morning,” he lied quickly, the words tumbling out. “Then I couldn’t get off properly because you brought a guest into our house without properly informing me.”

Raphael tilted his head, looking mildly amused. “I did text you. And if she was that hot, you should’ve followed her around until you got the chance to fuck her properly. Or at least finish what you started.”

Liam scoffed, trying to sound confident. “I’m not a wild animal like you.”

Raphael’s smile turned sharper, eyes darkening. “I don’t deny being a go-getter. If I want something… or someone… I go after them. It’s just a matter of time.”

The air between them suddenly felt charged. Liam could swear Raphael was looking straight at him when he said it. Why did it sound like he was talking about me? His pulse spiked dangerously.

He tried to look unaffected. “You’re a fucking predator.”

Raphael let out a hearty chuckle, the sound low and warm. “And you’re my prey, pretty boy.”

Liam’s stomach flipped. He remembered Raphael saying he was too uptight for his taste. It had to be a joke. Raphael was just being his loud-mouthed, cocky self.

“Fucking joker,” Liam muttered, turning away. “I’d love to see you try.”

Raphael’s voice followed him down the hallway, low and confident, carrying just enough heat to make Liam’s skin prickle.

“Is that a dare, Captain?”

Liam didn’t answer. He slammed his bedroom door behind him, chest heaving, heart racing, and a fresh wave of unwanted heat pooling low in his gut despite everything.

He leaned back against the door, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor, head in his hands.

This can’t keep happening. I can’t keep letting him get in my head like this.

But the dream, the shower sounds, Raphael’s smirk, and that damn line “you’re my prey” kept replaying, louder and louder.