Page 135 of On the Breakaway

I shift on my feet, getting comfortable under the bar while I dip down. The motion is ingrained in me after years of perfecting my form, so once I start moving, I let my mind drift again.

Physically, we’re both on the same page. Every time we’re together is better than the last. Not a minute can pass without one of us making contact with the other as if we’re magnets being pulled together. I’m not complaining one bit. It’s the best sex of my life.

My mind immediately supplies the image of Avery bent over her kitchen counter, which is a terrible fucking thing to think about while holding a loaded barbell. My cock twitches in my pants, and I stumble right when I hit the deepest part of my squat, almost dropping the bar.

Shit.

Wyatt catches it while I steady myself.

“You good, man?” Nathan squeezes the water into his mouth.

“Yeah, just got, um, distracted,” I stutter before steadying myself and trying to finish out my set.

Liam starts talking again, and I pretend as if I’ve been paying attention the entire time.

“It’s bullshit,” he continues. “Absolute bullshit. We win tomorrow, and do we get a couple of days to enjoy it? No. We don’t get to go out. We don’t get to celebrate. We don’t even get to sleep in. We immediately get shoved into the next series like we’re cattle.”

Nathan tosses a roll of tape at his head. “If we win tomorrow.”

“We’re going to win tomorrow,” Wyatt corrects.

I don’t say anything, too focused on not embarrassing myself a second time. Even still, my legs are shaky as I dip into my last squat.

Liam points at him and grins. “Exactly. Then we’ve got Tampa or Atlanta waiting for us, which means more travel and planes.”

Wyatt squints at him. “You do realize you’re a professional hockey player, right?”

“That’s my whole point. What good is being a professional hockey player if I can’t reap the benefits?”

“You mean benefits like a shot at the Stanley Cup?” I ask, reracking the weight.

“No.” He drags both hands down his face before groaning dramatically. “I mean getting laid.”

Nathan doesn’t even bother looking surprised, which makes sense considering how long they’ve been friends. “There it is.”

“I’m serious,” Liam says. “All this travel is killing my free time. Do you know how hard it is to maintain a healthy social life when you’re constantly in a different city?”

“A healthy social life?” Wyatt stares at him, taking his place at the rack. “You hooked up with someone last week.”

“Thank you for proving my point.”

My eyebrows lift. “How does that prove your point?”

“Because that was a week ago. Do you know how long that is?”

“Probably about a week,” Nathan offers.

Liam flips him off. “It’s a fucking eternity.”

I can’t help but laugh.

“Speaking of your dick,” Nathan starts, but I cut him off.

“Maybe we don’t speak of his dick?”

Liam’s eyes gleam. “I mean, it’s a pretty great dick. In my opinion, it’s not talked about enough.”

“Fucking gross, bro,” Wyatt manages to say in between reps.