It had seemed so much fucking easier when Graham was stretched out on the deck of his boat, with Madison’s long, tanned legs in his view. When he could smell her perfume and hear her laugh and listen to her talk to her friend about some upcoming photoshoots and brand collaborations for her career as a recipe developer and food creator.
It had been easier to push away thoughts of Thad’s body andhislaugh andhisphotoshoots and okay, maybe Graham had a type that transcended gender.
But he still wasn’t sure what the fuck was going on because this wasn’t supposed to be so complicated. He was supposed to be able to keep everything separate. He’d done little to help the team in their push toward the playoffs last season and that was unacceptable.
Another point here or there would have made the difference. Maybe not enough of a difference to get them out of the first round. But at least a shot at the first round.
Atasteof playoff hockey.
But no, Graham’s head had been filled with confusion about Thad and what this all meant and how he’d gone from being one-hundred-percent sure he was straight to … whatever he was now.
And every time he thought about it, it messed with his head, and he needed to befocusedthis season. Honestly, he probably shouldn’t even be dating Madison right now.
She hadn’t wanted to break up in the first place last spring, but he’d been kinda freaked out by the kiss with Thad and the horror at doinganything with anyonebut the woman he was dating. He’d never cheated on anyone, despite plenty of opportunities,and it had made sense to him back in April to confess he’d kissed someone else and regretfully end things.
She’d been a little hurt but understanding about it and, like all of Graham’s previous relationships, they’d managed to part as friends.
In May, when she announced a new social media campaign with a brand she’d been dying to work with, he’d texted congratulations.
They’d talked more regularly after that, and it had felt natural when that turned a little flirty, then had turned into Madison admitting she still had feelings for him and he’d admitted he missed her … and well, that had turned into getting back together …
Graham had promised himself what happened with Thad had been an aberration and now he was with Madison again, he was going to focus on hockey and his relationship with her, but it was clearlynotan aberration. Thad was still making his skin prickle and heat and making him feel upside down and …
“Okay, look at the camera, Graham,” Thad coaxed. “C’mon, you should be a pro at this by now.”
Graham swallowed hard as he stared at the lens and hoped that on the other side of it, Thad couldn’t see what he was feeling inside.
Couldn’t see how much he wanted him.
CHAPTER FOUR
“So, how was your summer?” Thad asked later that night as they stood in the basement rec room at the O’Shea family home. He took a long drink of beer as much because he needed something to do with his hands as any need for alcohol.
“Uhh, good,” Graham said, his gaze landing on Thad’s face before darting away. The plastic water bottle in his hand crinkled a little.
He looked great but he’d seemed … odd all day. Skittish, almost.
Thad had thought the time apart would make the awkwardness between them go away, but apparently not.
“Lots of boating?” Thad asked. “You look very tan.”
He wasn’t going to admit he had spent way too much time looking at Graham’s social media this summer.
That he’d looked at the pictures of Graham andwanted.
All those shots of him lounging on the boat in swim trunks, tight abs on display, his skin getting darker and his hair getting blonder with every day.
Living the kind of life Thad could only dream of.
Thad was pretty sure he was back together with his ex. Which was fine, it wasn’t like Thad hadn’t hooked up with plenty of people this summer too.
“Yeah,” Graham said, fiddling with the label on his water bottle. “Lots of time on the boat. Training. All that good stuff.”
“You did the skills camp in Evanston, yeah? The one Anders Lindholm runs?”
“Yep.”
“How was it?”
