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“ Wowww ,” Violet said when Dakota joined her and Jeff in the living room after he got home from a game. “My brother’s actually gracing us with his presence instead of skipping out to get laid.”

Typical . He really should have seen that coming. “I can go ,” he said with a laugh.

“No, no, stay!” Jeff said. “Violet will behave.”

Dakota’s, “No she won’t,” overlapped with Violet’s, “No I won’t,” and Jeff shook his head.

“Sometimes, you two are scary,” he said, but there was nothing but admiration in his tone. He was an only child so he was perpetually amazed and a little terrified of Dakota and Violet’s relationship.

“Just sometimes?” she teased. “We’re going to have to step it up.”

She winked at Dakota and he grinned, feeling a wash of affection for his sister. God, they really had been there for each other through thick and thin. He couldn’t imagine what his life would be like without her.

A wave of sadness went through him at the thought of Gavin and Thad’s fractured relationship. Bad enough to be on the outs with a sibling, but they were twins . How much worse did that have to be?

“I wanted to hang out with you,” Dakota said, more softly and earnestly than he would have otherwise, and Violet shot him a surprised look. But rather than say something snarky, she nodded, reaching out to take his hand.

“We have missed you,” she said.

“So why aren’t you heading over to your guy’s place tonight?” Jeff asked.

“He’s not my guy,” Dakota said automatically.

“Well, I don’t know what else to call him.”

“Fair.” Dakota shrugged. “And honestly, it’s because he’s working late tonight.”

They’d made tentative plans, but Gavin had messaged him a bit ago saying he was stuck in a meeting, and that he’d let him know when he was done but it would probably be very late and he understood if Dakota didn’t want to make the trek into the city tonight.

“Hmm,” Jeff said. “So, I think your theory he’s a trainer has merit, Vi.”

“You two have theories ?” Dakota asked before he realized that was a truly stupid question. Of course they did.

“Hell yeah.” Jeff grinned. “You know the conspiracy theory guy meme? Our bedroom walls look like that now.”

“I honestly wouldn’t put it past either of you,” Dakota said.

“It’s nice to see you looking so happy lately,” Violet said, her tone unusually earnest.

“Do I?” Dakota asked, startled. He hadn’t realized it but he supposed he had been feeling more cheerful lately. Great sex would do that to a guy though.

“Absolutely! You spent the first few months here doing nothing but work. If it wasn’t your job with the Harriers, it was your job as a trainer on that workout app. You looked miserable .”

He shrugged. “Hey, it pays the bills.”

“You know we’d help you with the debt if you’d let us.”

Dakota smiled tightly. “But I won’t. You have the kids’ college funds to consider.”

“We could manage both. The problem is you’re a stubborn fuck,” Violet said.

“Takes one to know one,” he shot back.

“I still can’t believe Bryce bailed and left you with all of that debt,” Jeff said, interrupting their bickering with a sigh. “What a fuckface.”

Dakota scrubbed a hand over his own face. “Me either. But here we are.”

“What the hell do you want, Racine?” Wade Cannon asked later that week.

Gavin threw his head back and laughed at the agent. “Hello to you too, Cannon.”

“Seriously. What do you want? It’s late. You know I like to keep my work during reasonable business hours as much as possible.”

“Yeah, you picked the wrong damn job, buddy,” Gavin teased.

Wade huffed. “Tell me about it.”

Wade owned a small boutique sports agency. He was a former player who’d remained in the closet for the entirety of his hockey career, then come out after. Following a messy scandal within the Evanston River Otters organization, Wade had quit his job working for a big agency and opened his own. It appeared to be thriving, and he now primarily worked with queer players.

Being his own boss gave Wade more opportunities to control the time he put in, but Gavin was desperate right now and had taken a chance and called him during his “off-hours.”

Besides, they went way back. Although Wade was about ten years older than Gavin, they’d played together in the league for a short while. Gavin would never admit it aloud, but he’d had a hell of a crush on Wade growing up.

He’d had a killer slapshot in the era where they were king, and the posters of Wade Cannon posing with his stick, fully dressed in gear from the waist down and bare from the waist up, had graced plenty of guys’ walls and had probably led to more than a few sexual awakenings.

Though Gavin and Wade had never really interacted when they were both playing, they’d run into each other years later at a hockey event. By then, Gavin had become general manager for the Harriers’ AHL affiliate and Wade was an agent and out of the closet.

They were both single at the time and after a few drinks and a little careful flirting to feel each other out, they’d nearly hooked up.

Would have hooked up if Gavin hadn’t had a horribly embarrassing case of food poisoning. The night had not ended the way Gavin had hoped and although they’d exchanged numbers and talked about getting together whenever they were single and in the same state, it had never worked out.

In the end, they were probably too much alike, ambitious and driven to the point where work always came first, and their personal lives second. Though, maybe not so much now, at least for Wade.

“So, Gavin, I’d bitch you out for interrupting my time with my son and my boyfriend, but honestly, Brayden is out with friends and Trevor’s in Nashville for a game tonight. Tell me what you want.”

Wade’s partner, Trevor Underhill, played for the Evanston River Otters.

Gavin cleared his throat. “I’m interested in Rafael Moon.”

He resumed pacing his office at HCI, vaguely aware of his head throbbing. The building was dark and quiet, and other than some night security, he was probably the last one there.

“Okay,” Wade said slowly.

“Look, I already spoke to Asa Jackson,” he said, referring to the general manager of the Minnesota Acorns. “He should have messaged you to let you know?—”

“No, he did,” Wade said. “He told me he’d granted you permission to speak to me and Rafe directly. Honestly, I’ve been expecting your call. I wasn’t expecting it tonight .”

“Surprise!”

Wade laughed. “So you want Rafe to waive his no-trade clause.”

“I do.”

“And you’re assuming the reason he didn’t want to come to Boston was because it wasn’t queer enough.”

“I hoped,” Gavin admitted.

“And you think because O’Shea and Webber are dating, that’ll make him more interested?”

“Again, I hoped ,” Gavin said, humor lacing his voice. “I mean, having a gay GM, captain, defenseman, and netminder can’t hurt, right?”

“No, it can’t.”

“Besides,” Gavin said, “he’s gotta want to get away from his ex.”

Using a guy’s personal life as trade leverage was maybe a little bit of a cheap shot, but Gavin knew Wade well enough to get away with it. Besides, he was getting desperate and wasn’t afraid to use whatever he could to get what he wanted.

Mickey needed this guy; he was sure of it. And the team needed to beef up their defense.

Gavin didn’t have to be talking to Wade on a video call to know that he’d probably winced at the comment about Rafael’s breakup, although his tone was neutral enough when he said, “It would be an incentive, yes.”

Because while Rafael Moon and Logan Walker had told the press they’d dated and had broken up amicably, rumor was things were a bit messier behind the scenes. Although many of the recent queer romances in the NHL between teammates had worked out, there were a handful that had turned sour, leading to awkward tension in the locker room. Asa Jackson wasn’t happy about it and he was motivated to move at least one of the guys off Minnesota’s roster.

Gavin had his eye on Rafael for the Harriers, and he’d be damned if he let him get away.

“So, talk to Rafael,” Gavin urged. “Float the idea out there at least.”

“I will. I can’t make any promises, but I’ll let him know your interest and that circumstances in Boston have changed.”

“Perfect. So now that we’ve got business out of the way, how’ve you been?” Gavin asked, his shoulders lowering with relief now that he’d gotten this far.

Oops, Dakota would probably yell at him for being so tense in the first place.

“Good.” It sounded like Wade was smiling. “Things have been great with Trevor, and Brayden’s really doing well in school this year.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Gavin stopped pacing, shifted into a balanced stance, then began lifting his toes in slow, rhythmic pumps like Dakota had taught him, feeling the stretch in his calves, hamstrings, and all the way up to his lower back. “Brayden must be getting big.”

“Yeah. Hard to believe we’re going to be thinking about colleges soon.”

“Wild. And he has no interest in hockey?”

“Playing? Hell no. He’s actually hoping to go into graphic design and work on video games.”

“Huh. Very cool.”

“So what about you? Are you seeing anyone?”

Gavin hesitated. “Not seriously.”

“And unseriously ?”

“There’s someone I’ve got a thing going with,” Gavin said vaguely. “It’s good. Just not …”

“Not the kinda guy you want to build a life with?”

“Honestly,” Gavin admitted. “ I’m the one who’s a little gun-shy there. I did that once and failed spectacularly.”

“Yeah, I hear that. But you never know. Sometimes it works out with someone else.”

Gavin considered the idea of Dakota as a long-term partner. He certainly was nothing like Rory. Dakota appeared to have no interest in his money or status. Or, for that matter, commitment. “Even if I were interested, he’s adamantly against it too.”

Wade snorted. “Yeah, well, so was Trevor when we met. We both were, really. Trust me, neither of us had a long-term relationship in mind when we started hooking up.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Gavin said slowly. “But this guy, he’s … prickly. And pushing him will only make him retreat.”

“Don’t I fucking know how that goes,” Wade said with a laugh.

And okay, fair enough. If Underhill was anything like his on-ice persona in private, he’d definitely be a challenge.

“Any advice on how to handle it?” Gavin asked, shifting into a runner’s lunge. While he might not be thinking long-term relationship, he wouldn’t mind if Dakota was a little more open to spending the night sometimes or having dinner together occasionally, even if it was in the privacy of Gavin’s condo.

“Well, Trevor and I had some really serious shit going on that forced us to work together and rely on each other,” Wade said slowly. “It really deepened the emotional bond. While that worked out for us, I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“The Malone situation?”

“Yeah.” Wade’s tone was grim. “That’s the one.”

“No, I’ll happily skip that,” Gavin agreed.

Because finding out a player was not only abusing his wife, but assaulting women in the organization had been a nasty surprise for many. Of course, in that case, Evanston’s GM had known about it and hidden it. Had, in fact, been involved in a much further-reaching cover-up.

Gavin shuddered at the thought. That was the whole damn reason the Code of Conduct existed at all. And here he was, hooking up with his employee.

Consensual or not, it wasn’t going to look good if it got out.

“Without a crisis?” Wade hummed. “I’d say be patient. Give him time. When he does open up, listen. And show you’re there for him if and when he does need you for more than a good lay.”

Gavin laughed at the last part. “Thanks, man. Appreciate the advice and the compliment.”

“I’m serious!” Wade protested, laughing. “Though, thanks to that bad salad you ate, I wouldn’t know if you actually are a good lay. But hey, if you’re half as good in bed as you are at negotiating, he’s a lucky guy.”

“Thank you. And let me know what Rafael thinks. We’ve got a great organization, and I think he’d like it here.”

“I will. Take care, Gavin.”

“You too, Wade.”

Gavin hung up, looked at the clock, then typed out a message to Dakota. I know it’s late, but I finished work for the night. You up for coming over?

I was about to go to bed.

Is that a no?

No.

“Hey, are you coming to the family holiday skate tomorrow?”

Dakota squinted at Violet over his cup of coffee. He rarely drank it, didn’t like the jittery way it made him feel, but he was desperate for something to wake him up. He’d stayed at Gavin’s incredibly late last night and had finally relented to Gavin’s offer to pay for his rideshare home.

And, of course, the team had an afternoon game today, so he had to be at the arena earlier than usual. Ugh .

“The what now?” Dakota asked, trying to process his sister’s earlier words.

“Family holiday skate,” Violet repeated, sliding a warm-looking headband over her glossy blonde hair and making sure it covered her ears. “It’s at the Hawk’s Nest. You should have gotten an email about it.”

“I saw it come in but didn’t check it. I thought that event was for players and families.”

“No, staff are invited too. Particularly ones with kids, but everyone’s welcome. Sometimes people even bring their dogs! We went last year. Daisy was too little to skate on her own and, obviously, Lily wasn’t born yet, but we took Daisy out in our arms and had a blast. C’mon, you should come. The food is great and there’s a guy dressed as Santa and it’s always really fun seeing the guys let loose and relax. Daisy is old enough we can put her on skates for the first time. You won’t want to miss that, will you?”

Dakota sighed. “I’ll think about it.”

“Great!” she said, like it was already a foregone conclusion he’d eventually give in. Damn it, she knew him well.

She tugged on her mittens. “Now, are you sure you don’t want to come on a run with me this morning?”

Dakota laughed. “Absolutely fucking not. It’s cold and snowy. Why the hell would anyone want to run in that?”

“It’s exhilarating!”

“Sure it is, you weirdo,” he said affectionately. “Go for your run. I’m going to do some private client work before I head to the arena for the game today.”

“Your loss,” Violet said cheerfully before she ducked out the door.

After a surprising win following a short string of losses—because the team was definitely struggling with consistency right now—Gavin popped his head in the locker room to tell the guys how well they’d played, then headed to the gym. He hadn’t had time to do his full morning workout because of the early game and he was determined to get it in before the end of the day.

There were a few players doing some cool-down work but for the most part, the gym was empty. He nodded at the guys, then stuck his earbuds in and got to work.

Half an hour later, the gym was empty, and Gavin had finished jogging when Jesse stuck his head in the door. He waved, presumably to get Gavin’s attention, so he pulled one earbud out and lifted an eyebrow.

“Hey, Webs. You need something?”

“We’re heading to O’Neill’s tonight to celebrate the win. You wanna come?”

Gavin was tempted to join them at the team’s unofficial hang-out spot, a low-key Irish pub the O’Shea family favored, but he caught a glimpse of Dakota through the open doorway and shook his head. “Nah, I’ve got other plans. Thanks for the invite though. Have fun!”

“Sounds good. See you tomorrow at the holiday skate?” Jesse asked.

“I’ll be there,” Gavin promised, stepping off the treadmill.

“Cool. Enjoy your evening.”

“You too,” Gavin said with a smile. He hastily scrubbed the treadmill with a towel and some cleanser, then went in search of Dakota.

He’d decided to take Wade’s advice and go for it. See if he could convince Dakota to let him through a few of those high, high walls he had built up.

Gavin found him in his studio, wiping down the Pilates equipment. “What are you still doing here?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Dakota glanced up. “Hey. Just finishing up after I got a workout in. I’ve been struggling to find time lately.”

Gavin knew the feeling. Their hookups were amazing, but he was getting even less sleep than usual, and he was starting to feel it. All of it. He was doing his best to do the daily stretches Dakota had given him, but some other things had fallen by the wayside.

Gavin stepped into the room, pulling the door closed behind him. “You want to come over tonight?” he offered.

“We hooked up last night,” Dakota said quietly.

Gavin shrugged. “I have a high sex drive.”

Dakota scoffed. “My sex drive isn’t the problem. I want you too. I need to start getting more sleep though.”

Gavin had tried to coax Dakota into spending the night at his place, but no dice. He had allowed Gavin to pay for the ride share though, so that was something.

“Yeah, I need more sleep too. That’s why I suggested tonight. It’s not even dinner time so we could wrap up earlier than usual. We could head out to my place after I’m done here. I’ve gotta take care of something first.”

Dakota crossed his arms. “So, I’m supposed to hang around the arena waiting for you?”

Gavin sighed. “Well, I’d offer you the key to my place and say you can hang out there instead, but I get the feeling you’ll be pissed at me for even offering.”

“Why would I be pissed?” Dakota asked, his brow furrowing.

“Because you get prickly if I do anything nice for you,” Gavin pointed out.

Dakota pursed his lips, then held out a hand. “Fine. Give me the damn key.”

Gavin couldn’t hide his grin. “Well, look at that! He can be flexible. And not only in the yoga studio and in bed.”

“Fuck off,” Dakota said, but it was without heat, and if they were anywhere more private, Gavin would’ve leaned in and kissed the hell out of him. “I’m taking a nap on your couch when I get there, you know that right?”

“A bed’s better for your back,” Gavin pointed out. “Ask me how I know.”

When Dakota opened his mouth—presumably to argue—Gavin shot him a look. “You know it’s true. And if you feel weird about sleeping in my bed, use the guest room. I really don’t care either way.”

That was a lie, but he was learning to pick his battles with Dakota and Gavin wasn’t about to unpack all that shit right now.

“We’ll see,” Dakota said vaguely.

“You’re a pain in my ass,” Gavin muttered.

Dakota grinned. “I’m not. But only because you haven’t let me fuck you yet.”

“Oh, now who’s got the big dick energy?” Gavin teased. “But fine. You can finger me while you blow me later.”

He sighed, like he was feeling particularly put-upon.

Dakota’s expression stayed neutral, but Gavin caught the small flaring of his nostrils and the sharp, indrawn breath. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. If you agree to let me pick up dinner for us.”

“I can eat on my way,” Dakota pointed out.

“Or I can order us sushi—veggie-based for you—and you can let me eat it off your body.”

“I thought you didn’t eat carbs,” Dakota said, his voice filled with disbelief.

“I’m a fiend for salmon nigiri and besides, I do allow myself cheat days,” Gavin pointed out.

“You do know severely limiting your diet and having cheat days are socially approved restriction and binging, right?” Dakota shot back.

“Says the man who has cut an entire section of food out of his diet,” Gavin said with a snort.

“Yeah, but that’s for animal welfare and environmental reasons, not food restriction.”

“Why does arguing with you make me horny?” Gavin asked with a sigh, itching to get his hands on Dakota.

“You’re a masochist?”

Gavin grinned. “Sweetheart, I was a pro hockey player. Trust me, we’re all masochists.”