Noah.
And the look on his face tells me he’s hungry.
For me.
Chapter Eleven
NOAH
Thank God for a day off tomorrow.
There’s no such thing as an easy win, but our last two games, we had to fight for every inch of ice gained.
The Knights have now won three games in a row. Something they haven’t done in years.
And with it, Coach Andrews gave us the morning off from practice before we leave for a West Coast road trip.
I’m thankful for the day off. Maybe I am getting old, but my entire body hurts and doesn’t bounce back like it used to.
As I sip on my beer, the lights of the bar flash around me. A disco ball reflects off the mirrored wall behind the bar as couples dance to the music.
There’s one good thing about being in Nashville—always a place to go.
The gay bar that I found when moving here is one of the few places I like to come. I can relax and be myself with very few people, if any, noticing who I am.
Except for the first time, someone does notice me. A pair of familiar eyes connect with mine. It has my jaw dropping.
Graham?
What in the fuck is he doing here?
It’s like I caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. He swallows down the rest of his drink and flees.
Setting my own drink down, I follow him toward the long hallway that leads to the bathrooms. Graham is easy to follow. He sticks out like a sore thumb in a mess of men in too little clothing.
Easily catching up to him, I grab his bicep and pull him into a dark corner near the emergency exit.
“What the hell?” he hisses at me.
“What the hell me? What the hellyou?” I ask him. Graham’s eyes are searching, like he’s looking to see if we’ll be caught.
If he was worried about being caught, he shouldn’t have come out tonight. At least, not here.
“What’s it matter to you?”
I rest both hands on the wall on either side of his head. The ball cap he’s wearing is pulled down low. Music from the club vibrates through the walls back here.
“Imagine my surprise when I come to my usual haunt and see you on the other side of the bar.”
“This is your place?”
I push the brim of Graham’s hat up to get a better view of him. Stubble lines his jaw. Cheeks flushed pink. Dark eyes taking me in.
“Yes. And I’ve never seen you here before. It begs the question, why are you here?” I ask again.
“What, are you the police now? Monitoring my every move?”
I shake my head, boxing Graham in. “Because I want to know whyyou’rehere.”
