Page 127 of Breakaway Goals

“You want me to be?” Morgan asked, his mouth still close to Hayes’.

“A boyfriend or a stalker boyfriend?” Hayes questioned.

Morgan hummed, not answering right away. He pushed Hayes’ hair back with his fingers, his touch lingering. He didn’t have to say anything, because the desire was written all over his face.

“Whatever you want,” he finally said.

What Hayes wanted was for Morgan to press him down against this weight bench, screw who might walk in, and kiss him deep until he didn’t care who might see. Make him so desperate he’d throw all his fears and worries and logical rules right out the window.

It wouldn’t be very hard. Hayes already wanted to do it.

“What about whatyouwant?”

Morgan laughed. “You know the other night, when I went with Danny and Jacob for a drink?”

This was not the answer Hayes had been anticipating, but he nodded anyway.

“Danny said I looked happy, and I realized, I didn’t really think about that before. I hadn’t thought about it in years. But when he said it, I knew he was right. I’m happy, and I’m happy doing this with you.”

Just when Hayes thought he’d re-aligned his expectations with the blunt truth of what Morgan was capable of, Morgan blew everything right out of the water.

He leaned into Morgan’s shoulder, into his touch. “I’m happy too,” he admitted softly.

“Where’s that leave your question?” Morgan wondered. He took a step away, and even though it was safer, definitely smarter, Hayes hated it.

Stupid,just invite him to lunch.

“I think just a regular kind of boyfriend,” Hayes said. “Maybe a boyfriend who’d go to lunch with me today? After I’m done with practice?”

“Sounds good,” Morgan said with a knowing grin.

Hayes returned to the weights. He was off schedule, and that was okay, but he didn’t want to throw it out completely. Even after Morgan stripped out of his old, worn-out Bandits’ sweatshirt, the 20 on the chest nearly worn off, and was only in a pair of low slung black athletic shorts clinging to his thighs, he tried to focus on what he was supposed to be doing.

Morgan had looked really fucking good six years ago. So good that Hayes had pretty much lost his mind the first time he’d gotten him naked. But he looked even better now. Maybe because it was becoming clearer every single day that hehadMorgan, no questions, no exceptions, no distractions.

He’d been unsure how this thing between them would look and feel andbe. It had made sense a week ago to pump the brakes. It could still make sense, if they ran into more potholes, but so far everything had been fairly smooth sailing. As concerned as Hayes had been before, hurt and afraid and needing him so much it was difficultnotto reach for everything he wanted, it was impossible to doubt how all-in Morgan was.

They texted now. Hayes had even called him when he’d had a little downtime in Raleigh, after morning skate and before his pregame nap. They’d talked after the game briefly, even though it was really late last night when they’d gotten back to Tampa. Morgan had still been up though, dim light in his bedroom, moonlight streaming across his bare chest.

He’d nearly saidfuck itand driven to Morgan’s house instead. Curled up against him in bed, instead of going back to his empty house. But it was so soon. Too soon, maybe.

Hayes finished his set and then went on to his stretches.

Felt Morgan’s gaze on him the whole time as he walked over to the treadmill.

“We should talk at lunch,” Morgan said unexpectedly as he started out with a gentle jog to warm up.

“I wasn’t expecting to spend the meal in silence,” Hayes teased, trying to tamp down the sudden spike of worry that therewassomething wrong and he’d missed it.

“About telling Finn,” Morgan said.

“Oh.” Hayes should have seen this coming. He’d known it was, of course, but he’d pushed it aside, thinking they’d make sure they were on very solid ground first. No timetable on that. But he had a feeling Morgan was going to tell him he didn’t feel comfortable lying to his son for longer than he absolutely had to. Frankly, as Finn’s captain, he didn’t really feel all that comfortable lying about it, either. So far it had just been lies of omission, not actual denials of what was happening right underFinn’s nose. But Finn was not stupid; he was going to sense something was going on sooner rather than later.

“Yeah,” Morgan said. “Think about it. And we’ll talk about it.”

Hayes hummed in acknowledgment and met Morgan’s gaze across the room. “I gotta get to practice.”

Morgan gave him a single nod, and itwasnice to not have to explain to Morgan that he couldn’t stick around, just to flirt and to talk. That he knew Hayes had responsibilities and obligations that he couldn’t flout even if he wanted to. Didn’t argue, or complain, just watched him leave the room with that unique combination of hunger and acceptance and obstinacy that Hayes recognized so well.