The guys were too frazzled to chirp me in the shower. Theo stood under the nozzle next to me, and after rinsing shampoo from his hair, he leaned in. “Your boy did well. You seeing him tonight?”
I hesitated, then shrugged. “Maybe. I need to text him.”
As soon as I dried off, I found my phone. A message was already waiting.
PACK: You guys aren’t flying out until tomorrow, right? Come to my place? I want to see you.
A smile spread across my face.
NICO: Yeah. I’ll Uber in a few. What’s the address?
23/
packy
By the timeI hung my suit in the closet, my hands shook so badly I fumbled opening the tie drawer. The house was too warm, and the living room seemed smaller than usual. It was useless trying to sit because I couldn’t stay still.
When I’d texted Nix to come over, I’d told myself it was no big deal. We’d have a snack and talk about our next PR trip. If something else came up, we’d deal with it.
Now, the “something else” was all I could think about. I needed to know how he looked at me when the arena noise was gone and our teammates weren’t watching. The edits online made our chemistry impossible to miss, but I didn’t need the internet to tell me what I felt. His kisses had rewritten the meaning of need.
No wonder I couldn’t stop pacing. If we didn’t talk about what was happening, we could lose it before we figured out what it was.
My phone buzzed, and I nearly ripped my pocket getting it out.
NIX: Almost there.
I checked my reflection in the foyer mirror and winced. The sweaty man looking back at me did not look calm.
Headlights swept across the window, and a moment later, a car door thudded shut. Footsteps made the porch boards creak, followed by the knock I’d been waiting for. I opened the door.
Nix stood with his shoulders hunched and a parka zipped up to his chin. I moved aside, and then we were in each other’s arms. His hug quieted the chaos in my head, and his lips felt better than anything I could imagine.
“Let me take your coat,” I said, unzipping it before he could answer. I wanted to tear off his clothes, but if we didn’t talk first, we might not get the chance. He’d be on a plane tomorrow, and the idea of waiting again made my chest ache.
“Congrats on the hat trick,” he said while I hung his coat. “You played like the hockey gods had possessed you.”
I turned, smirking a little. “Something did, I guess. With all the excitement, it’s a wonder I remembered to text you.”
Why the fuck did I say that? Had to be nerves.
He groaned. “Don’t rub it in.” Leaning close enough for his breath to tickle my lips, he added, “You can rub anything you want in bed, though. Speaking of which, you want to…?”
God, yes. But not yet.
“How about food first?” My voice was rough. Before he could argue, I took his hand and led him to the kitchen.
I made grilled ham and Brie sandwiches. While we ate, I couldn’t stop looking at him. He kept glancing up like he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. A muscle twitched under his eye.
The sandwiches disappeared, and so did my courage. I didn’t know how to say what I needed to.
While I loaded the dishwasher, he came up behind me and pressed close. His warm breath brushed my neck, and I froze.He kissed a slow line down my skin as his hard cock dug into my butt. My resolve faltered.
No, not yet. We need to talk first.
We couldn’t go straight to bed. I needed to be honest about what I wanted and what it meant. So I grabbed two beers from the fridge and opened them with shaky hands. Handing him one, I raised my eyebrows. “Living room?”
He grinned. “That’s what the kids are calling it now?”
