Page 151 of Breakaway Goals

“Gonna be better than good. It’s gonna be great,” Jacob muttered.

Morgan elbowed him again. “Don’t wanna hear aboutthat.”

One of the arena staff was by the entrance. “They’re waiting for you,” she said, gesturing towards the ice. And when Morgan looked up, there Hayes was, holding the Cup, smile on his face wide.

Just waiting for him.

Morgan had never moved faster. They’d put down a carpet to make the presentation easier on anyone not wearing skates, but he would have made it even without that.

They collided. One of them was laughing. One of them was crying. Maybe they were doing both.

“God, angel, you did it,” Morgan said, pressing himself firmly into his boyfriend’s side. “I’m so fucking proud of you.”

Hayes set the Cup down, likehe,Morgan Reynolds, was the real prize. Gripped him hard, face wet with sweat and tears, and pressed their mouths together.

They hadn’t really been bothering with plausible deniability. The first time Morgan had been caught by a fan wearing his Montgomery jersey had pretty much destroyed that entirely. But this was a different level. This was a declaration, and Morgan’s heart throbbed with happiness.

He’d never thought he’d have this, and now he hadeverything.

“I love you,” he murmured into Hayes’ mouth. “No matter what happened. If you’d won. If you lost.”

Hayes grinned. “Yeah, but winning is a hell of a lot more fun, isn’t it?”

Morgan couldn’t deny that. “I’m gonna remind you of this in a year, in two years, intenyears.”

“Yeah, you’d better. Remind me that I can pick it up and I can put it down again, okay?”

“Always.”

Hayes nudged him. “Go congratulate your Stanley Cup-winning son, okay? He deserves it.”

“First full year as a starting goalie and he wins the Cup? I’m never gonna stop crowing aboutthat,” Morgan said, and Hayes laughed. “I will. I just . . .I want one more minute with you, first.”

“You can have as long as you want,” Hayes said. “I told the boys I wouldn’t be coming in, not until we were done out here.”

Morgan cleared his throat, emotion clogging it. “How about forever?”

Hayes put a hand on his cheek. “Sounds perfect to me.”

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