Page 37

“That was incredible ,” Dakota said with a happy sigh, standing up from the table that overlooked the stunning blue waters and white sand beaches of the resort.

They were on day four of their vacation and had eaten an amazing dinner on an open-air deck at sunset.

“Glad you enjoyed it.” Gavin smiled, looking impossibly handsome in his white linen shirt and perfectly tailored khaki shorts.

Their stay at the luxury resort included a concierge and, apparently, Gavin had arranged for some special vegetarian meals for Dakota, and fish for himself.

Dakota had no idea what they typically offered, but every bite of dinner had been mind-blowing from beginning to end.

“It was perfect. Thank you,” Dakota said softly. “I appreciate the effort you’ve gone to.”

“I enjoy it.” Gavin smiled. “Ready to head back to our bungalow?”

Bungalow was a hell of an understatement when it came to describing the luxurious one-bedroom structure they were staying in. The interior was gorgeous, but it was the uninterrupted view of the ocean that Dakota couldn’t get over.

“Maybe a walk along the beach when we get there?” Dakota asked hopefully.

“I’d love that.” Gavin took his hand and squeezed.

He looked amazing. Vacation life suited him, and he was tanned and well-rested.

And yeah, he’d gotten some phone calls and worked on his laptop on the shady patio while Dakota did yoga nearby or read on one of the lounge chairs. But they’d managed to spend plenty of time snorkeling, hiking, and paddle boarding as well.

Now, they meandered down the wooden walkway, lit with softly glowing lights that illuminated the nearby palm trees, walking hand in hand.

They turned to the right to head toward their bungalows just as another couple approached.

Dakota shifted to get out of the way, but the taller guy stopped.

“Gavin?” he said, sounding surprised but delighted.

Dakota stared, half-expecting to see Rory or something. That would be just his luck to run into Gavin’s ex here.

But no, the guy was older. Maybe a decade older than Gavin, even. Although handsome, he didn’t have the vibrant blue eyes Dakota remembered from the photos he’d seen online of Rory.

And Gavin looked much, much too happy for the guy to be his ex.

“Holy shit. What are you doing here, Cannon?” Gavin said, laughing. His whole face lit up with a grin and he reached out, shaking the guy’s hand before pulling him in for a quick back-slapping hug.

“The same thing you are, I’m guessing,” the guy—Cannon—said. “Enjoying bye week with my partner.”

He gestured toward a guy closer to Dakota’s age. He had thick brown hair, hazel eyes, and an impressive set of tattoos snaking up and down his toned arms.

“Dakota,” Gavin said, turning to him, still all smiles. “Meet Wade Cannon. He’s a top-notch hockey agent. Wade, this is my boyfriend, Dakota. He works as the yoga and Pilates instructor for the team. He’s only been with us since the beginning of the season, but he’s done an incredible job already.”

Dakota smiled at Gavin’s praise, holding out his hand. “Great to meet you, Wade.”

Wade shook, then gestured to the guy beside him. “Trevor’s a very skilled defenseman for the Evanston River Otters.”

“Oh, fantastic,” Dakota said, holding out a hand to him too. “Great to meet you.”

“You too.” He shot Dakota an assessing gaze, a little smirk playing at the corner of his mouth as he eyed him up and down.

“Funny, we both met our partners through work,” Wade said with a chuckle.

“How in the hell else would we meet anyone?” Gavin replied, laughing. “We’re always working.”

Trevor snorted. “Ugh. Tell me about it. This guy had to take phone calls instead of going deep sea fishing with me earlier today.”

“Ouch,” Dakota said. “At least Gavin’s made it to all of our dates.”

Gavin squeezed his hand.

“Hey!” Wade protested, though amusement lurked at the corners of his mouth. “I’m around when it matters.”

Trevor leaned in, whispering something in his ear, and Wade threw his head back and laughed, pulling Trevor closer. They were an attractive couple, that was for sure.

“Have you guys done the sunset dinner on the deck yet?” Gavin asked.

“No, that’s scheduled for tomorrow.”

“We just finished,” Dakota said, looping his arm through Gavin’s. “It was incredible.”

“How was the salad?” Wade asked, smirking.

“Delicious,” Dakota answered just as Gavin said, “So far, so good.”

Dakota frowned, giving him a puzzled look.

There was obviously an inside joke there, but he had no idea what it was. He did have a vague memory of Gavin saying something about getting food poisoning at an inopportune time once though …

Wade must have noticed his confusion because he winked at Dakota. “Have Gavin tell you all about that story later.”

Gavin shot Wade the finger. Ahh yes, sometimes, Gavin was still exactly like the guys on the team.

The four of them made small talk for a few more minutes, then said good night.

“I mean it, text me if Wade can’t make it to any more of your planned excursions,” Dakota told Trevor after they’d exchanged numbers. “I’ll be happy to fill in.”

“Same, man,” Trevor said. “If Gavin pulls that shit on you.”

“You know, it must be nice to have a job that doesn’t require being glued to your damn phone, huh?” Wade joked, slapping Gavin on the shoulder.

“Tell me about it,” Gavin said with a wry twist of his lips.

But the guys hugged goodbye once more and they went their separate ways.

The minute Wade and Trevor were out of earshot, Dakota turned to Gavin. “So, tell me the salad story.”

Gavin sighed heavily. “Well, it happened like this …”

When he was done, Dakota was still laughing, but he managed to say, “Something tells me that would have been a lot of big dick energy in that hotel room anyway. I’m not sure either of you would’ve been flexible enough to make it work.”

Gavin made an offended noise, but Dakota held up a hand. “Now, yes. But not then.”

“Yeah, fair enough,” Gavin conceded.

“I have some ideas about what we could do tonight though,” Dakota said teasingly as the wind off the ocean lifted the hem of his shirt and ruffled his hair. “Assuming the salad doesn’t decide to ruin our evening.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“Well … I’m thinking after our walk on the beach, we could go out in the pool in front of the bungalow and do a little skinny dipping.” That was hardly revolutionary, since they’d done that every night since they arrived, but he continued. “And then … we’ll play it by ear.”

Gavin grinned. “Sounds like a plan.”

Later that night, the sound of Gavin’s buzzing phone pulled him from a deep sleep.

He rolled over, fumbling to silence it before it woke Dakota. When he sat up and turned to check it, he found Dakota sleeping on his side, his expression peaceful. Moonlight spilled in from the window and, for a moment, Gavin felt disoriented.

The moon never came in through his condo windows in Boston …

But they weren’t in Boston. They were still at the resort, on vacation.

Gauzy curtains covered the windows instead of room-darkening drapes. The sky was dark and filled with twinkling stars instead of the glow of city lights.

For a moment, Gavin just looked at Dakota, tracing his gaze across his smooth forehead, down over the bridge of his nose, and then to his full lips.

He looked peaceful. At ease.

And Gavin felt that contentment too.

The sun-drenched days and sultry nights on the island had eased the ever-present tension in his shoulders and unraveled the tightly wound ball of stress in his chest.

Even when work intruded, Gavin did it all with a lighter mood. Feeling more hopeful about his life.

This was the success he’d dreamed of.

Not the ‘looks good on social media but feels like shit to live through’ kind he’d shared with Rory.

But something softer. Something more genuine.

Gavin felt a rush of gratitude for everything that had led to this precise moment. Turning forty, getting divorced … they’d been hard. But so worth it now that he was on the other side.

He didn’t just have material and career success now. He had happiness . Love. And he was finding the balance in his life that had been so sorely missing.

He smiled at the thought that it was a yoga instructor who’d helped him find that. Fitting.

Beside him, Dakota shifted in his sleep, a lock of hair tumbling across his face and obscuring his eyes. Gavin reached out, stroking the back of his finger across Dakota’s cheekbone to softly brush the hair away without waking him.

“Love you,” he whispered before he stood and tugged on boxer briefs.

Gavin carried his phone and earbuds out onto the patio, quietly closing the door behind him.

The change from the air-conditioned villa to the steamy island air was startling, the humidity making sweat break out on his skin. But a moment later a breeze came up off the ocean, cooling him.

He took a seat on one of the comfy loungers and connected his earbuds. The earlier call had been from Jed Reilly, GM of the LA Stars, so he re-dialed the number.

“There you are,” Jed answered.

“Yeah. Sorry I hung up on you earlier. My partner was asleep, and I didn’t want to wake him.”

“You’re fine,” Jed said. “Congrats on the new relationship, by the way. Bold move you made stepping down that way, but it’s impressive.”

“Thanks.” Gavin smiled. “It’s going well.”

“How are you feeling about bringing Finn O’Shea on board to fill in your old role?”

“Fantastic,” Gavin said. “It’s nice to know that not every fire in the organization needs to be put out by me anymore.”

Jed chuckled. “I hear that.”

“So, why’d you call me at this hour of the night?” Gavin asked. “Do you have something cooking?”

“Yeah. The heat just got turned up on a player,” Jed said grimly. “But not on who you think.”

“Oh?” Gavin crossed his ankles, staring at the glint of moonlight on the small plunge pool a few feet away, illuminating the stretch of white sandy beach and the ocean beyond in muted shades.

A few palm trees swayed in the breeze.

Yesterday, he and Dakota had spent at least an hour in the hammock between them, kissing and quietly talking.

Planning for their future.

Jed cleared his throat. “Look, I know you were interested in Tommy Higgins, but there’s no way we’re meeting in the middle on that, unless you’re willing to throw something more into the trade to sweeten the deal.”

“You know I’m not,” Gavin said with a laugh. Jed had been playing hardball. Gavin wanted Higgins, but not that badly. Not enough to lose an asset they so desperately needed.

“Can I interest you in Tom Bass?”

Gavin sat up straight, though outwardly he merely chuckled, trying not to give away his piqued interest. “Sick of having two Thomases on your roster?”

Jed chuckled too. “Nah. They usually go by Tommy and Tommo in the locker room. The guys make it work.”

“So why are you interested in getting rid of him?” Gavin asked warily. Because Tommy Higgins was a nice piece to pick up. Tom Bass was an asset. A major asset.

Jed sighed. “Believe me, it’s the last thing I want. But there’s been a weird situation here since last fall. A fan got … overly invested in Tom and started stalking his wife and family.”

“Oh right, I remember hearing about that,” Gavin said with a frown.

“Unpleasant stuff. Security and the police have been dealing with it, but it escalated recently and Tom’s wife’s not happy staying in LA. She took the kids out to Massachusetts where her family’s from. Tom’s itching to be with them of course. He’s committed to us through the end of the season but he’s going UFA this summer.”

“Ahh,” Gavin said, the pieces clicking.

“Yeah, we’ve got no leverage to keep him. I’m tight up against the cap and can’t afford to pay him what he deserves. He’s gonna go big this summer.”

“But you’re willing to let him go a little early if you can get something worthwhile for him,” Gavin guessed.

“ Exactly . Tom, he’s a good guy. I’d love to keep him here, but he’s already mentally checked out of the team and if I have to lose him, I might as well get what I can in return, you know?”

“Okay,” Gavin said, drumming his fingers against his thighs. “What are you thinking?”

They discussed potential options, bouncing ideas back and forth for a while. Getting Bass would require giving up another of his high draft picks, but that was exactly why Gavin had stocked up on so many of them in the past two seasons.

Jed tossed out a couple of names of guys who regularly filled the bottom six forward roles and Gavin considered that possibility. He didn’t hate the idea. They weren’t contributing as much as he’d like, and it would give the organization the chance to pull guys up from Concord and see what they could do. There were a few who were ready …

“Yeah, I could do that,” Gavin agreed.

Jed chuckled. “That’s cute that you think that’s all I want.”

“Hit me with it,” Gavin said drily.

He laughed outright at the suggestion of a trade involving Luke Crawford. There were very few guys like him in the league and there was no way in hell Gavin was letting him go. If they intended to take a run at the Cup, they needed Crawford.

But he paused when Jed suggested one of their forward prospects in Concord who had filled in for a handful of NHL games lately. He had the makings of a fine player but lacked the experience and seasoning.

Gavin didn’t love the idea of losing organizational depth, and he had the makings of a fine player, but it could take years for him to be NHL ready.

With Bass, they’d have a better shot at a Cup run now . Gavin was wary of leveraging the future recklessly, but if he had enough cap space to pay Bass what he wanted this coming summer …

“Maybe,” he hedged, unwilling to commit just yet. “Let me crunch some numbers and get back to you.”

“Sounds good.”

They said goodnight and Gavin ended the call, then snuck back into the villa to retrieve his laptop.

Thankfully, the Wi-Fi signal was solid on the patio, and he spent a while reviewing the team’s cap space, what the projected cap increase would be this summer, and what the rumors were about what Bass would go for on the open market.

It would be tight, but the Harriers could probably swing it, especially if he pitched the idea just right and got Bass’ agent on board.

Who was representing Bass? He needed to refresh his memory on that. Oh, right, Mac Sanders. That was a good sign. They’d worked together well in the past and he’d seemed particularly happy with the way Gavin had handled Jesse’s trade.

Not to mention the fact that all of the press about Jesse had been positive lately. They were eating up his goalie goal, solid play, and dancing on the ice, not to mention his relationship with Connor and Connor’s kids.

Jesse’d had endorsement deals coming out of his ears recently.

Gavin had just dialed Mac’s number when he heard the quiet sound of the door of the bungalow opening behind him.

“What are you doing out here?” Dakota asked sleepily just as Mac answered, “What do you want, Racine?”

Gavin glanced over his shoulder at Dakota to see him wearing a robe and looking sleep-rumpled. He spoke into the phone as he said, “I wanted to discuss a potential trade for Bass.”

Dakota got a chagrined look on his face and gestured like he was going to go back inside but Gavin waved the mouthed apology off and set his laptop aside. He spread his legs and motioned for Dakota to come sit between them.

“Yeah?” Mac said, his voice rough, presumably because Gavin had woken him. But there was a hint of interest in his voice.

Dakota ambled over, his gaze on Gavin’s as he undid his robe tie and shrugged the fabric off, letting it flutter to the patio floor. He was nude below and Gavin shifted on the lounger at the sight of him.

Maybe he was going to go skinny dipping? They’d done that earlier, but Gavin was quickly learning that Dakota was a big fan of being nude. Not that Gavin had any complaints about that …

Gavin watched with interest as Dakota sauntered over to the lounger and set something on the table beside them.

So, not planning to go for a midnight swim then.

“Yeah, I just got off the phone with Jed,” Gavin said, quietly hissing in surprise when Dakota settled between his legs and ran his hands up his thighs. He’d expected Dakota to sit with his back to Gavin’s chest so they could cuddle while he talked on the phone. He hadn’t expected Dakota to kneel on the lounger facing him.

Or to tug on his underwear.

And oh, Gavin suddenly realized exactly what he had in mind …

Dakota glanced at him questioningly, eyebrows arched, teeth sunk into his lower lip, waiting for Gavin’s okay.

Gavin nodded, lifting his hips encouragingly.

“… so you know why Tom wants to leave LA,” Mac finished.

“Yeah,” Gavin said, tuning back into the conversation. “Yeah, I mean, if his family doesn’t feel safe there …”

“Exactly.” Mac’s tone was grim. “So, what’s Jed suggesting?”

Gavin ran through the trade possibilities that had been discussed, lifting his hips a little higher as Dakota slid his boxer briefs all the way off, tossing them on top of his robe.

When Gavin was done, Mac grunted. “That seems a little steep for a rental.”

Rentals were players who were traded when they were on the last year or so of their contract by a team that had little to no chance to either re-sign him or make it to the playoffs. The team that got him were ones who had big playoff aspirations, but no interest in holding onto the player long term.

“That’s because I’m not interested in a rental,” Gavin pointed out, stifling a moan when Dakota wrapped a hand around his cock.

Dakota’s skin was dry and still a little cool from the air-conditioning inside, but his touch was gentle as he stroked Gavin, teasing over the top of the head and making Gavin shiver.

“You want to lock down Tom now?” Mac guessed.

Dakota shimmied onto his stomach on the lounger, pressing Gavin’s still-soft cock up and out of the way and licking a stripe across his balls.

Gavin bit back a groan. Fuck that felt good.

“Yeah,” he said as steadily as he could manage. “What kind of numbers are we talking, Mac?”

He chuckled. “More than you’re gonna want to pay, you tight-ass.”

Gavin let out a laugh, a little breathier than he would have liked, when Dakota met his gaze and gently sucked one of his balls into his mouth while he stroked Gavin’s shaft.

“Tight-ass?” he managed. “I’m not that bad.”

“You know you are.”

“I like to think I can be pretty open, actually,” he said, grinning down at Dakota and sinking a hand into his soft hair. It was still a little tangled from the salt spray and wind from their walk along the beach earlier.

Dakota laved at his sensitive skin, and the sensation of his warm mouth was so exquisitely intense, Gavin trembled.

“Yeah, well, you’re not the only one interested in Tom. There are plenty of GMs who’d like him on their team,” Mac pointed out.

Dakota pulled back, but only to slip his mouth over the head of Gavin’s cock, gently bobbing over it.

Gavin was hard now, his head swimming with the pleasure of Dakota’s touch. He slid a hand down, cradling Dakota’s jaw, rubbing it softly to let him know how much he liked what he was doing.

“Sure there are,” Gavin agreed, attempting to keep his voice steady when Dakota sucked harder. “Look, we, uh, we both know Massachusetts is where Tom wants to be though. If his wife and kids are there …”

“Look, out east, it’s not like most of the Western Conference where a flight takes forever,” Mac argued. “He could play in New York, New Jersey … they’re not that far from Boston.”

Dakota slid off with a swirl of his tongue and wet two of his fingers, his gaze never leaving Gavin’s.

“Clearly he’s a family man,” Gavin said. And that information wasn’t just what he’d gleaned from his conversation with Jed, it was his reputation around the league. If Gavin remembered right, Tom had a couple of toddlers. “He’s not going to want to have to squeeze in time with his wife and kids around his hockey schedule.”

Gavin widened his thighs, giving Dakota more room to work.

Dakota grinned, tossing his hair off his forehead before he reached down, teasing at Gavin’s entrance with his slick middle finger.

Gavin bit his lip, breathing through the stretch. Dakota had fucked him yesterday afternoon, so he wasn’t as tight as usual, but it always took him a moment to adjust to the burn.

After a moment, Dakota slid his hand away, slicked two fingers with lube, then carefully worked them in. Gavin shivered when he was knuckle-deep.

Dakota lapped at the tip of his cock before sinking down over it again. The combined stimulation was almost too much, and Gavin shuddered.

“What was that?” Gavin asked roughly because he’d missed what Mac had just said.

“I said he could make it work for the rest of the season.”

“Or,” Gavin countered, abs and thighs trembling from the exertion of keeping his voice steady as Dakota carefully fucked him with two fingers and began to suck in earnest. “T—Tom agrees to a trade to Boston and once he’s here, we hammer out a deal to lock him in and he avoids all of the stress of going to the free market this s-summer.”

Mac made a humming noise then fell silent.

Gavin tightened his grip on Dakota’s head, wondering if the soft slurping sounds were audible over the phone.

“I’ll discuss it with him,” Mac finally said.

“Good of you,” Gavin said tightly. “Hey, before I forget, he is going to be okay with the sexuality of some of the guys on the team, right? Because I?—”

“Not a problem,” Mac assured him. “Tom’s wife is bi, and he’s been pretty outspoken in his support of her and the community in general.”

“Good, good,” Gavin said, his eyes fluttering shut as Dakota took him deeper, his throat constricting around the head of Gavin’s throat.

“You shouldn’t have to worry about anything there.”

“Great. Talk to your client and get back to me tomorrow. Night, Mac.”

The words came out in a rush and he got a bewildered-sounding, “Sure thing, Gavi—” before Gavin abruptly ended the call.

Gavin ripped his earbuds out and groaned, finally able to focus on Dakota. But, to his dismay, Dakota pulled off his cock, leaving it exposed to the warm night air.

Despite the heat, the breeze was still cool on his damp, sensitive skin and he shivered, missing the heat of Dakota’s mouth.

“I thought you might enjoy that.” Dakota grinned at him.

“ Enjoy ?” Gavin tightened his grip on the back of Dakota’s neck and rubbed. “You have no idea how incredible you feel.”

“Good. How do you want to come?”

Gavin was half out of his mind as he reached down, stroking his cock, aware that Dakota’s fingers were still buried inside of him, unmoving, but still creating that amazing pressure and fullness. “I don’t care,” he said with a gasp. “I just need to come soon .”

It hadn’t even been that much buildup, but he was frantic with need. Desperate . They were out in the open night air where anyone could see them. Overhear them. And to do it while he was on the phone discussing a trade … it only made it hotter.

A sudden surge of love went through Gavin at how well Dakota knew him. How perfect he was for him.

“What if I want to ride you?” Dakota slid his fingers free of Gavin’s body, leaving tingling little sparks in their wake and making him clench on nothing.

“Yes,” Gavin said, urging Dakota to shift toward him. “That sounds amazing.”

Dakota laughed. “You would have said that about whatever I suggested.”

“Yeah, well, what can I say?” Gavin growled, pulling his legs up onto the lounger so Dakota could straddle his hips. “I need you.”

“I’m yours.” Dakota lowered his head, kissing Gavin as he sank over his cock in one fluid motion.

To Gavin’s surprise, Dakota was already slick and open, and Gavin moaned, imagining him preparing himself.

“How long were you thinking about this?”

“A while. I woke up when you came in to get your laptop I think.” Dakota lifted his head enough to look down at him, his hands braced on Gavin’s arms. “I thought maybe you just couldn’t sleep and were doing some work. I didn’t realize you were on the phone but … I thought I’d see if you were up for a little fooling around while you did your work.”

“It was fucking incredible.”

“Good to know.” Dakota leaned in. “Don’t think I haven’t fantasized about sex in your office at HCI too.”

Gavin groaned, tipping his head back and tightening his grip on Dakota’s hips to keep it together. The mental image of that was so overwhelming Gavin nearly came right then and there.

When he lifted his head, Dakota’s face was partly in shadow, but Gavin could see his teasing little half-smile, like he was pleased by the way his words had gotten to Gavin.

The sight of it made Gavin fall in love with him all over again—that tumbling, heady feeling that was so addictive. Only this time, there was a foundation built beneath it. Something sure and lasting that Gavin knew would continue to grow.

And then Dakota began to rise and fall over him, strong lean thighs flexing as he rode Gavin, taking him deep, lifting his hips, then sinking down again.

Over and over in a dizzying rhythm.

Gavin’s head spun as he licked his palm and wrapped it around Dakota’s cock, toying with the foreskin and making him groan, low in his throat.

The breeze whipped up, sending prickling goosebumps across Gavin’s skin.

“I thought about this, you know,” Dakota whispered roughly as he braced his palms against Gavin’s chest. “That night in LA. I thought about how thick you’d be inside me. How good it would feel to ride you like this.”

“I thought about it too,” Gavin admitted. “But I wanted—I wanted you to know you could trust me. I wanted you to feel safe with me.”

“ Gavin .” Dakota threw his head back, every muscle in his body tensing with the effort as he sped up, riding Gavin harder and faster.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Gavin coaxed, swirling his thumb across the sticky head of Dakota’s cock and tugging at his foreskin a little. “I want to feel you let go.”

“Are you going to come inside me?” Dakota asked, clenching around him.

“ Yesss ,” Gavin rasped, the realization hitting him all at once. They’d taken care of testing recently and agreed to go without condoms. Agreed that there was no one else for them.

Since then, Dakota had fucked him a few times. Personally, Gavin preferred to avoid the mess, so they were still using condoms when he was the one getting fucked, but his head spun at what Dakota had just suggested.

Because Gavin’s cock was bare now and this was the first time he’d fucked Dakota this way. “ Yes . If you want.”

He wanted it desperately, wanted to fill Dakota up, but he held back, trembling on the razor’s edge of release, waiting for Dakota’s answer.

“Yeah,” Dakota panted. “I want it. Give it to me.”

At those words, need slammed into Gavin, and he gripped Dakota tighter. There was nothing to do but hold on as Dakota rose and fell over him, skin sheened with sweat and glistening in the moonlight as he brought them both closer to release.

“ Please , give it to me, Gavin,” Dakota begged.

The naked need in his voice pulled Gavin’s release from him with little warning and his orgasm slammed into him, tightening his gut and making him grip Dakota’s hips harder.

Head tipped back, the stars whirling above him, he cried out Dakota’s name and let go.

After, when they were tangled together on the lounger, the salty ocean breeze caressing their sweaty skin, Gavin turned his head and brushed his lips across Dakota’s forehead.

In the morning, he’d have a thousand phone calls to make.

He’d need to talk to Finn—mostly just to bounce the idea of trading for Bass off him. He’d need to review some analytics and crunch more numbers and talk to Bass personally, but for now, there was just this moment.

Just the crash of the surf and the feel of Dakota’s body against his, his fingers idly playing with Gavin’s chest hair as he hummed contentedly.

Gavin swallowed past the tightness in his throat and whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Dakota lifted up far enough to look Gavin in the eye. “Earlier, I thought I dreamed you saying that to me, but you actually did say it, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.” Gavin smiled. “Guess I’m the man of your dreams.”

Dakota pressed his cheek to Gavin’s shoulder again. “Every time I think you might be getting more humble, there’s that big dick energy again …”

“Hey, you weren’t complaining about my big dick a few minutes ago,” Gavin teased, reaching down to play with Dakota’s ass, rubbing the pads of his fingers against Dakota’s entrance and teasing just a little before pushing one inside.

A jolt of pleasure went through him as the slickness of lube and his own cum eased the way.

“It is messy, isn’t it?” Dakota said thoughtfully.

“It is.”

“You love that, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Gavin admitted, because a part of him really loved knowing he’d left his mark inside of Dakota. “But in the end, all I want is for us to both enjoy ourselves.”

He’d enjoyed everything else they’d done lately just as much.

“I know,” Dakota said, smiling. “And I want that too. That’s what makes stuff like this enjoyable with you. I never feel like you expect it from me.”

Gavin nodded, pressing a kiss to his hair, though it was interrupted by a yawn.

“Uh-oh,” Dakota said, stretching and patting his chest. “We should get back to bed before you pass out here.”

Gavin ran a hand along his back. “Yeah, in a minute,” he whispered. “I want to enjoy my time cuddling with you first.”

“Look at you learning to live in the moment instead of stressing about what comes next,” Dakota teased, but his tone was loving as he wrapped an arm around Gavin and snuggled in closer.

“I am learning,” Gavin agreed, though another yawn interrupted whatever he was about to say next.

“You know what? I’m impressed by you,” Dakota said a little while later as they walked into the bungalow. “How hard you’ve worked to grow and change since we met.”

“Thank you. Just promise you’ll keep growing and changing with me?” Gavin asked, turning to face him.

Dakota lifted up onto his toes and kissed him. “Every step of the way.”

Thank you so much for reading Body Check ! I hope you enjoyed Gavin & Dakota’s story.