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The remainder of the California trip was uneventful.

The team lost to LA in overtime, though it had been a tighter game than expected, and although Gavin hadn’t had any luck in getting Jed Reilly to commit to a trade, they had enough of an understanding that Gavin was hopeful it would amount to something eventually.

Gavin had been tempted to message Dakota and see how he was feeling about things since the encounter with Thad, but Dakota had been cool toward him, rebuffing any attempts to talk in person.

After they arrived back home, Gavin did what he did best, buried his head in work.

He went to a shitload of meetings, attended games, and spent a lot of time either on the phone or staring at his computer screen. There were always scouting reports to review, updates on how their AHL affiliate in Concord, Massachusetts, was doing, and player metrics to look over.

All teams were beefing up their analytics departments and Boston was no exception. They had a good set of statistics nerds working out of the head office who were constantly sending him reports and breakdowns.

Gavin couldn’t say that was his favorite part of his work, but it was important, so he focused on it to the exclusion of pretty much everything else, and by Saturday morning as he drove to HCI, he once again had a raging headache.

Because the team had been on the road, he and Dakota had skipped last week’s in-person yoga session, but Gavin was looking forward to the one today.

Not only because doing yoga had proven beneficial, but because it would be a chance to be alone with Dakota.

But Dakota was all business when he arrived. His hair was pulled back in a stubby little bun that made Gavin think of him dancing in the club in LA, and when Gavin attempted to start a friendly conversation, Dakota rebuffed him.

“So, we’re going to focus on your calves, hamstrings, and glutes today,” he said briskly, his tone at odds with the mellow music playing in the background. “Word of warning, you’ll probably hate this even more than the work on your feet and ankles.”

“Oh good,” Gavin muttered under his breath. “Can’t wait.”

“Do you want my help or not?” Dakota snapped.

“I do!” Gavin protested. “I do. Sorry.”

Dakota was right. It was hell.

Gavin did his best to breathe through it like Dakota instructed but it was a struggle and by the time they were done, Gavin felt like a limp, sodden towel. It was both better and worse than last time, and he lay there on the mat, staring up at the ceiling, wondering how he was ever going to convince himself to get upright again.

“How’s your head?” Dakota asked, his tone softer now.

He’d lost the brittle edge as the session went on, softening into the more familiar warmth and ease Gavin was used to seeing from him lately.

“Better,” Gavin admitted. “Kinda thinking about never getting up off these mats again though. I live here now. Bring me my laptop and some food and I’m good to go.”

Dakota laughed. “Well, it’s up to you, but I think some people will be less than thrilled.”

“Probably.” Still, Gavin didn’t get up, just let his head loll to the side. “Hey, so, can we talk?”

Next to him, Dakota drew his knees up against his chest. “About what?”

“About … whatever?” he offered. “I hate the way we left things in LA.”

Dakota glanced toward the door and Gavin followed his line of vision. It was tightly shut, the facility still more or less empty at this hour.

“I mean, it looks like you were right,” Dakota said slowly. “Thad obviously hasn’t said anything to the ownership group, or we’d have heard about it.”

“Agreed.”

“But I can’t help but feel like it’s stupid for us to risk it again.”

“Probably,” Gavin agreed.

“There’s the Code of Conduct too, you know.”

“I know. But that’s aimed at people abusing positions of power.”

Dakota shot him a pointed look.

Gavin held up his hands. “I’m aware. Our involvement looks bad from the outside.”

“It really does.” Dakota looked away. “And we both know that as gay men, we have less leeway than the straight guys.”

With a sigh, Gavin nodded. “True. So, is that it then?”

“It should be.”

“Yeah, it should,” Gavin agreed. “But is it?”

Dakota huffed. “Despite all the risks, you still want to keep going, don’t you?”

Gavin shrugged. “Call me reckless, but yeah.”

“Oh, you’re definitely reckless,” Dakota agreed.

“But you’re not?”

“I didn’t say that.” For the first time since they’d come face-to-face with Thad outside of the elevators, there was a trace of humor in Dakota’s voice.

“Okay,” Gavin said, reaching out to touch his shin. He didn’t pull away. “So what now?”

“Now, we banter until you force me to admit I actually want it and we hook up again, I guess?”

“Hey, no force here,” Gavin said, shifting onto his side with a groan, so he could get a better look at Dakota’s face. “No pressure. I get why you’re worried about your career and how bad this could look if it got out. I want to keep going, but if you don’t, that’s your call.”

He looked him in the eye and Dakota nodded, reaching out to touch Gavin’s hip. “The situation with Thad makes me nervous because of the Code of Conduct but I’m in. No more back and forth.”

“Yeah?” Gavin asked, elated. “You sure?”

“I’m sure,” Dakota said with a small smile.

Gavin was tempted to pull Dakota down for a kiss, roll him over, and chase their next orgasms right here on the yoga mats, but he had a meeting in half an hour, and he really needed to shower and change. Also, they were at the team facility, and he had no idea how Dakota felt about hooking up here. Besides, he wasn’t entirely sure he had the energy to do any of that, even if Dakota was on board. “Perfect. Have any plans tonight?”

“No,” Dakota said slowly. “What did you have in mind?”

“You’re living with Violet and her family, right?” Gavin reached down and wrapped a hand around Dakota’s ankle, rubbing his thumb against the prominent bone there.

Dakota nodded.

“Then come over to my place. I have a condo downtown.”

Dakota’s swallow was audible in the quiet room. “Okay.”

“It’ll probably be a little late,” he admitted with a frown. “I’ve got a dinner thing. Can I text you when I get out?”

“Sure. That’ll work.”

“Perfect. I’ll send you my address.” Gavin gave Dakota’s ankle a squeeze, then sat upright with another tired groan. “You might need to do all the work tonight though.”

Dakota grinned, looking a lot more at ease now. “Yeah? Why’s that?”

“Because yoga with you was the second workout I’ve gotten in today,” Gavin admitted, leaning in. “And sex will be the third. Take pity on an old man.”

Laughing softly, Dakota snuck a glance at the door before he curled his hand around the back of Gavin’s neck and kissed him.

“And where are you off to so late, mister?” Violet teased as Dakota passed by the kitchen on his way out the door later that night.

Dakota winced, pausing to look at his sister. He’d kinda hoped he could scribble a note on the pad of paper they used for communicating rather than talk to her face-to-face, but she was up with Lily, who was peacefully sucking down a bottle.

“Uhh,” Dakota said. “Hookup.”

Violet grinned. “Good for you!”

“Are you sure that’s something you should be cheering me on for?”

Shrugging, Violet stepped closer. “Why shouldn’t I? I respect you want a break from dating, but why not at least get laid?”

He laughed. “True enough.”

“So, how’d you meet this guy?” she asked.

“Uhhh.” His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out to see a message from Gavin letting him know he’d left the restaurant.

On my way, Dakota typed out and hit Send .

“Gotta go. Tell you more tomorrow!” he said hastily. He kissed Violet’s cheek and then Lily’s before bolting for the door.

“You better!” she called after him as he fumbled to get his shoes on.

Dakota was still smiling and fastening his coat as he pulled the door closed behind him. He’d successfully dodged that bullet, though he didn’t think he’d be able to continue dodging for too long. He hated the thought of lying to his sister, but he couldn’t tell her he was sleeping with the team’s GM. His boss .

Ahh fuck. This was so monumentally stupid.

And yet … here he was.

It was a cold, crisp night, but thankfully the walk to the MBTA station was short and even at this hour, there were still fairly regular trains running from Quincy to downtown.

As Dakota settled in a seat on the train, he realized that depending on how late he stayed at Gavin’s, he might need to get a rideshare home. Ugh, he really didn’t have the budget for anything extra.

Still, they were both worries for future Dakota. Current Dakota was too eager to get laid to care.

Despite the risks, despite the inherent stupidity of it all, he was looking forward to tonight. He’d hemmed and hawed about it often enough between their second hookup and the talk with Gavin this morning, but he was right. It was stupid to keep second-guessing everything.

And although it made it a little more personal to go to Gavin’s place tonight, it was much, much safer than their previous hookups.

Half an hour later, when Dakota left the train and walked to the address Gavin had given him, he was unsurprised to find the building was extremely high-end. Inside a lobby that rivaled some of the hotels the team stayed at on the road, Dakota gave his name to the concierge at the desk and was directed to the elevators.

He was whisked up to one of the upper-level floors and easily found Gavin’s condo.

He’d barely finished knocking when the door was yanked open and Gavin pulled him inside, quickly shutting it behind them. Before Dakota could even speak, Gavin had him pressed against the door, his mouth already seeking Dakota’s, hot and hungry.

“Hey,” Gavin managed when they finally pulled apart, both breathless and desperate for oxygen. “You made it.”

Grinning, Dakota gently pushed at Gavin’s chest, urging him to step back. “Did you think I might not?” he asked, shrugging out of his coat.

Smiling, Gavin took it from him and hung it in a nearby closet. “No, just glad to see you.”

“Oh.” Surprised, Dakota let himself be pulled in for another heated kiss. But when Gavin began to drag him farther down the hall, Dakota pulled away.

“Hey, gotta get my boots off too,” he pointed out, crouching to unzip them.

“Sorry.” Gavin rocked back on his heels, hands in his pockets, the almost-bashful gesture at odds with the rest of him.

He was dressed all in black from his finely tailored trousers to his button-down shirt and the loosened tie around his neck. His feet were bare. From Dakota’s position looking up at him, he looked both powerful and vulnerable and it made Dakota’s chest feel oddly tight, like he couldn’t quite catch his breath.

After his boots were off, Dakota stood, grabbing Gavin’s tie and tugging him down the hall toward the rest of the apartment. “So, where’s the bedroom?” he threw over his shoulder.

Laughing, Gavin followed, his hands warm when they landed on Dakota’s hips, steering him in the direction he needed to go.

Dakota got a vague impression of sleek, modern design throughout the space before they reached the bedroom. He only had time to laugh that Gavin had black sheets on his bed too, before he was pressed down onto them, Gavin’s mouth on his again.

Clothes came off, though Dakota couldn’t exactly say how, but what did it matter when he could feel every inch of Gavin’s body pressed to his? Nothing else mattered when Gavin’s teeth scraped lightly along the side of his neck and Dakota’s cock rubbed against Gavin’s stomach, the soft abrasion of his hair sending tingles through Dakota’s body.

Dakota moaned and arched up, Gavin’s cock fattening against his thigh as they kissed again, teasing little nips of teeth and slides of tongue that drove Dakota crazy. He dug his fingers into the thick muscles of Gavin’s shoulders and tore his mouth away, panting as he rocked his hips, chasing his orgasm with a frantic desperation he hadn’t experienced in years.

It was so good, but even with the sweat beginning to slick their bodies, the abrasion against the sensitive head of his cock was a little too much and he clutched at Gavin’s short hair, urging him to lift his head.

“What?” Gavin asked, a small frown beginning to furrow his brow. “Everything okay?”

He started to turn away, but Dakota wound his legs around Gavin’s hips, encouraging him to stay right where he was. “Yeah. Everything is fine. But do you own lube? Because I know the last few times were spontaneous, but it would be nice not having to make do with spit and sweat this time if we can avoid it.”

“Oh.” Gavin’s face lightened as he grinned. “Yeah, one sec.”

He rolled and, because Dakota still had his legs wrapped around Gavin, he rolled with him. Dakota ended up on top, eyeing the pull of Gavin’s muscles with interest as he tugged open the bedside drawer and rummaged around inside.

He was still grinning as he produced what he’d been looking for. It was one of those expensive brands that put everything in glass bottles. Dakota could appreciate that it was more eco-friendly, but it always made him wonder who the hell spent that kind of money on lube.

Gavin, apparently, but that became a dim, distant thought as Gavin rolled him over again and sat up. Watching his chest and arms flex as he stroked his cock was far more important.

“Hey now. I thought you didn’t like these vanity muscles,” Gavin teased.

Dakota hid a smile.

Damn Gavin for noticing. He was putting on a show on purpose now, exaggerating every movement, and fuck if it wasn’t working. His chest and abs were carved, the muscles and tendons in his arms flexing with every stroke, highlighting the ropey veins crossing his biceps and snaking down to his broad hands.

“They’re okay, I guess.” Dakota attempted nonchalance, but clearly, he didn’t pull it off well because Gavin was still smiling as he moved his hand down to Dakota’s cock.

“Just okay ?” Gavin teased, twisting his wrist and pulling a moan from Dakota before he could stop it.

“Yeah,” he said breathlessly, hips straining, seeking more, even as he tried to hold back. “Whatever. You’re not that hot.”

Gavin threw his head back and laughed and another funny little jolt went through Dakota’s chest before he reached for Gavin’s shoulders and pulled him down into a kiss.

Gavin chuckled against his mouth at first, but that dissolved into a moan as Dakota reached between their bodies and batted Gavin’s hand aside. He pulled Gavin’s body tightly against his, rocking his hips, showing him what he wanted.

“Yeah?” Gavin asked, sounding pleased as they frotted together.

“Yeah,” Dakota agreed with a sigh. “Yeah, like this.”

And then they were moving together, the slick glide of their cocks pinned between their bodies sending a heady rush through Dakota. He moaned against Gavin’s lips, reaching up to guide Gavin’s hips into a steady rhythm.

Because of their difference in height, when their lips were touching, Gavin’s dick slotted into the groove along Dakota’s hip, while Dakota’s cock rubbed against his stomach, the abrasion of his hair pleasant with lube to slick the way.

He moaned again, louder this time, and Gavin shuddered.

“Yeah, let me hear you,” Gavin rasped, sliding a hand into Dakota’s hair, their foreheads pressed together now. “Let me hear you let go, sweetheart.”

Dakota had a flickering thought that he really should hate the sound of that endearment on Gavin’s lips but a gentle tug on his hair and a particularly good rock of Gavin’s hips sent Dakota’s orgasm careening through him, pleasure exploding in waves from the center of his body outward, leaving his fingers and toes tingling.

With a few more rough, jerky thrusts, Gavin came too, gasping for air, his body hot and hard over Dakota. When the orgasm was over, Gavin went limp on top of him, forcing the breath from Dakota’s lungs in a noisy rush, before he shifted onto his back and Dakota could breathe again.

But Gavin didn’t pull away, didn’t do anything but tug Dakota closer until his face was buried against Gavin’s neck, his nose filled with the heady scent of Gavin’s sweat and cologne.

Dakota had another dim thought that he should … move. Do something.

Should shift back or get up or do anything to put more space between them but he was so comfortable and his bones had liquified and really, it was fine. Just because they were in Gavin’s bed and cuddling , that was no cause for concern.

They were on the same page about what this meant.

Weren’t they?