Page 25 of Barn Burner (Love The Game #2)

Brayden

Jesse stands in front of the mirror in my en-suite bathroom, trying to tame his hair with one hand. He’s been staying with me for almost a month, and it’s been the best few weeks. Other than the weeks I spent with him at the ranch, of course.

He had his cast removed yesterday, and we’re waiting to get the all clear on his collarbone so he can start physiotherapy. I managed to find him a physiotherapist through the Bobcats, and I know he’s been itching to get back to the horses.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Jesse in these last few weeks, it’s that he does not like to be doing nothing. The number of times I came home from practice to find him wielding some kind of power tool and fixing random things around the house is more than I can count on both hands.

I didn’t realize I had so many things that needed fixing, but clearly, I’ve been obliviously floating through my days.

Propping my shoulder against the door frame, I catch his eye in the mirror, then trail my gaze down his back.

He’s wearing a dark grey plaid shirt that’s so soft to touch I’ve already rubbed my face against it three times since he put it on.

It accentuates his broad shoulders, the material pulling taut every time he lifts his hand to fiddle with his hair.

My gaze travels further down to where his shirt is tucked into a pair of black Wranglers, and my tongue immediately darts out to lick over my lips at the sight of his ass.

“Brayden,” he warns, low and husky.

“Mhm,” I respond, appreciating his thick thighs wrapped in denim before returning my eyes to his in the mirror. “You’re so fucking sexy, you know that?”

“Only because you like to tell me every day.” He smirks, then lets out a grunt when a strand of hair falls into his face. He lets out a defeated sigh. “Can you sort this for me?”

Nodding, I step into the bathroom. He sits down on the closed toilet seat, and I step between his legs.

I run my fingers through his hair, pushing it back from his face.

Since I mentioned how much I love his long hair, he’s continued to let it grow.

It’s now touching his shoulders, and I fucking love burying my fingers and gripping onto it when he’s driving me wild with his mouth or his cock.

“Are you looking forward to the game tonight?” he asks.

“Yeah, I guess so. Washington is always a tough team to play against. They’re very strong offensively, and a few of their players have a heavy style of play. Very physical. Lots of hits.”

He growls, and I tug gently on his hair, but hard enough that his head tilts back to look up at me.

“Don’t worry, cowboy. I’m too quick for them to touch me,” I say, ghosting my lips over his.

“Good. I’d hate to have to break someone’s face tonight.”

I let out a breathy chuckle, then slide my mouth over his. His hands grip onto my ass, fingers curling around my cheeks until his fingertips graze my crease. My cock immediately takes notice, twitching beneath the fly of my suit pants.

With both hands still buried in his hair, I suck on his tongue, and he moans.

“I better go soon,” I murmur before diving into his mouth again.

He wraps his arms around me and tugs me closer until my cock is pressed against his torso. It’s only when my hips start to grind against him that I reluctantly pull away and take a step back.

He looks at me beneath hooded eyes, lips swollen from my kiss and the outline of his hard cock straining his jeans.

“That’s mine later, just saying.” I wink.

He smirks and adjusts himself. “Brayden?”

“Yeah?”

“Make sure you wear those pants and shirt home later. I wanna know what they look like on the floor after I’ve stripped you out of them.”

Closing my eyes, I dig my teeth into my bottom lip as I tip my head back and groan. “Jesse! Now I’m gonna have to drive to the arena with a boner.”

“You better not touch it,” he orders. He stands up and grips my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “It’s mine, and I’m going to enjoy devouring it later.”

As expected, the game against Washington is tough. Their offense is all over us, breaking through our defense like we’re sitting ducks.

Like us, Washington has been having an incredible season so far. We’re leading the Western Conference, and they’re leading the Eastern Conference. And when you look at the overall league standings, we’re only a couple of points ahead.

Heading back to the bench after my shift, I climb over the boards and take a seat next to William. I pick up a bottle and squirt some water into my mouth.

“They are like fleas tonight,” he says so dryly I crack up laughing.

“Yeah, they’re something, alright.”

“Your man is here, yes?”

I nod, and my eyes instantly find the family suite where he’s watched every one of my games so far since his surgery. Knowing he’s up there has been all the encouragement I’ve needed, and I’ve played some of the best games of my career these last few weeks.

Superstitious? Maybe. I did say he might be my lucky charm, after all.

“Yeah,” I answer and squirt more water in my mouth. “I need to find a way to make sure he’s here for all of them.”

William nods in understanding. He knows how I feel about Jesse and my thoughts about whether or not I should re-sign. I know my agent will bring up the topic in the summer, especially if we have another good run into the postseason. But it’s not just my decision to make.

I want to be with Jesse in every sense of the word, and I know that asking him to leave the ranch behind would destroy him. It’s not something I could ever ask of him, either, because when I think about my future, it’s him and Huxley Creek Ranch.

It’s waking up at the ass crack of dawn and riding to the top of the hill, watching the sunrise with him. It’s watching him care so tenderly for the animals in his care. It’s the mountains and how it felt like home from the moment I saw that wooden sign hanging from the gate.

My home is with him.

The first period goes scoreless, and when we head back out for the second period, the frustrations begin to rise on both teams. I’ve had so many opportunities, but none of them came to fruition. I’m itching to score a goal, but every shot I take on net gets denied.

By the third period, I’m so amped up I’m jumping on the spot in the tunnel, trying to tame some of my energy.

“Okay, who turned Neil into a kangaroo?” Henrik laughs from where he’s bent at the waist and resting his stick on his thighs.

“I need to get a goal in this period,” I say. I stop jumping and twist my upper body from side to side instead.

“Then you know what to do.”

And that I do. Nineteen seconds into the third period, I score our first goal of the game. My teammates surround me in celebration, and then I hear my goal song for this season blast over the sound system.

My teammates teased me endlessly for picking “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” by Big & Rich as my song, but it was a lighthearted way I could incorporate Jesse into my celebrations.

I bend my knees and pretend to ride my stick as I skate toward the bench, but before I reach my teammates waiting for their fist bumps, I glance up toward the family suites.

I can’t see him because it’s too far away, but I know he’s watching.

I bring my glove to my mouth and blow him a kiss.

A little promise that he’ll get the real thing later.

But my luck doesn’t stop there. I end up scoring my first hat trick of the season. For the third time tonight, my goal song blares, and I’m grinning from ear to ear as I gallop on the toe of my skates, and once again, I blow a kiss up to where Jesse’s sitting.

“You are incredible,” Jesse says for the tenth time since I met him in the family room after the game. I’ve just parked my car inside the garage, and I’m eager to get upstairs and celebrate with my man.

I feel my cheeks heat under his praise, unable to stop the broad grin from splitting my face.

“Seriously, Brayden. I’m so fucking proud of you, I don’t think I have enough words to tell you just how much.”

Leaning over the centre console, I hover my lips over his. “Why don’t you show me instead?”

His answering growl goes straight to my cock. We both get out of the car and head into the house. Jesse grabs two bottles of water from the fridge, then follows me upstairs.

I don’t turn on any lights. There’s enough light coming in from the nearby streetlights, and the darkness only enhances my senses.

He places the water on the side, then moves to stand in front of me. Placing his hands on my hips, he ducks his head and runs his nose up the column of my neck.

“You know, seeing the number of people who adore you, who worship you, idolize you… it sparks this primal side of me.” He peppers kisses along my heated skin. “Because you’re mine, and because they don’t know you like I do.”

My eyes flutter closed as my head falls back, granting him more access.

“They don’t get to see your smile as you watch the sun crest over the mountains or when one of my horses steals your hat.

” He lifts his head and cups my face with his hand, guiding me to look at him.

“They don’t get to see the guy who loves with his whole fucking heart, even when he knows it’s going to hurt.

But I see you. I see everything about you.

Your passion and dedication and how you put everything into every single thing you do because you can’t bear to disappoint someone. ”

He becomes blurry as my eyes begin to fill with tears. I’m unable to speak, throat thick with emotion as my heart thunders in my chest.

“You’re my entire world, Brayden, and I feel like the luckiest guy in the world because I get to call you mine.”

A tear slips down my face, but he wipes it away with his thumb.

“I love you,” I say in a choked whisper. “I love you more than I ever realized was possible.”

A soft smile lights up his face. He kisses me so tenderly it sends goosebumps coursing over my entire body.

“I love you, too, Brayden. And I can’t wait to continue loving you for however long you’ll have me.”

“How does forever sound?” I ask.

“Forever sounds perfect to me.”