Jesus Christ," Charlie mutters after our third perfect play. "Save some chemistry for the bloody games, will you?"
If he only knew.
My body remembers exactly how perfect our chemistry was in San Diego. How incredible it was when his control finally cracked. How he felt under my hands. The sounds he made when...
Focus, dammit.
Austin's getting more aggressive with each drill, but never in Rylan's direction. His checks on me are getting harder, and his passes are a little too sharp when they're aimed my way. But with Rylan, he's still the solid dependable linemate protecting his captain like always.
When he slams me into the boards during a rush drill, probably hoping I'll fuck up the play with Rylan, something in me snaps.
"Problem?"I growl, getting in his face before I can stop myself.
"Just making sure you're paying attention,"Austin sneers, his eyes flicking toward Rylan.
"Hey!"Rylan's voice cuts through the tension."What the hell, you guys? Cool it."
His captain voice brooks no argument. But there's something else in his eyes when they meet mine. Something that sends a rush of blood south.
Jesus Christ, I need to focus.
"Line change!" Coach calls. "Second line up."
I skate to the bench, making sure to keep space between Rylan and me. But I can't stop watching him. The way he shifts seamlessly into Captain Mode, offering quiet advice to the rookies. How his hands move when he's explaining plays. Those same hands that gripped my shoulders in San Diego, that trembled when he allowed himself to touch me the way he wanted to.
The memory hits me so hard I almost miss Coach calling us back out.
This time he has us running full-contact scrimmage drills. Which means I have to get up close and personal with Rylan. I have to battle him for pucks while pretending I don't remember what his skin feels like under my fingers. Or the way he gasped my name when I talked him through touching himself.
"Focus, Pirelli!"Coach barks as Rylan strips the puck from me for the third time."Where's your head at?"
In a hotel room in San Diego. On FaceTime two nights ago. Everywhere except where it should be.
The rest of practice is sweet torture. Every time Rylan and I connect on a play, the electricity between us ratchets higher.And I know I'm not the only one affected. Rylan's breathing gets uneven when we're close, and he keeps unconsciously licking his lips, making me remember how they felt against mine that night.
Austin notices too. His protective hovering gets more obvious as practice goes on, always finding ways to put himself between us. But even he can't deny our chemistry when Rylan and I execute a perfect give-and-go that leaves the defense spinning.
"Alright, that's enough for today,"Coach finally calls."Hit the showers."
Now I'm going to have to navigate the damn locker room without giving away how badly I want to push Rylan against hisprecisely organizedstall and kiss him until he makes those sounds again.
Chapter 24
RYLAN
Acouple of weeks later, the afternoon crowd atBean There DoneThatcoffee shop fills the air with laptop clicks. From our corner table, the tip of the Space Needle disappears into the low clouds, My phone sits face-up beside my americano, waiting for the weekly update from Dad's rehab facility.
So he'sreallydoing the work?" Louis asks, stirring another sugar into his coffee. "Like, actually participating?"
"Yeah. The counselor says he'sevenvolunteering to lead group sessions."
Austin shifts in his chair."That's... good, right?"
"Yeah, it is."But this sense of hope is weird to me. I can't remember the last time I felt hopeful when thinking about my dad."They say the first thirty days are crucial. But heseemslike he's genuinely committed."
"When can he have visitors?"Louis asks.
"After the first month."I take a sip of my coffee."They want him focused on the program right now. No outside contact except for weekly email updates."
