Page 53 of Breaking the Ice

Zach wanted to stop right in the middle of this sidewalk and shake Gavin until he got it. Orkisshim until he got it.

“We’re just friends,” Zach said dryly. “He just . . .he had a fling with a guy, aplayer, awhile back. Pretty much the stupidest thing he could’ve done. I told him it was a mistake, but he didn’t listen, and now he’s fucked up and in love forever.”

Funny how history repeats itself.

“That really sucks.”

“Yeah,” Zach agreed.

“Maybe youshouldgive him Marcus’ number,” Gavin teased. “He could get anyone out of a slump.”

“Maybe Ramsey,” Zach joked and Gavin choked out a laugh.

“God, don’t,” Gavin said. “Can you imagine—”

“Yes, and I wouldn’t ever, because what a clusterfuck,” Zach finished for him.

“He’s such a beast on the ice,” Gavin mused, and by the time Zach pulled open the door to Sullivan’s, they were chatting easily about the game.

Not surprisingly, the moment they entered the lounge area, crowded with people in Evergreens gear, Sidney swooped in.

“Gavin, there you are. And you brought Zach.”

“He’s a very important component of what we’re doing here,” Gavin said stoutly.

“Well, of course, he’s the one who got you here,” Sidney said. “Now I’ve got a number of people who’re just dying to meet you.”

Gavin shot Zach a look that spoke volumes.

“I’ll just grab us some drinks,” Zach said, touching Gavin briefly on the arm. He tried to avoid touching him most of the time—or at least being thefirstone to touch—but he swore Gavin leaned into it and that pinched anxious look in his eyes faded.

“Great. Whatever beer you think I’d like,” Gavin said. “Thanks, Zach.”

There was a line a few patrons deep at the bar, but Zach didn’t mind waiting. No doubt if more people recognized him, or if he’d been Gavin, the line would’ve melted away like it had never existed in the first place, but he decided it was better this way.

Let Sidney get his claws into Gavin for a bit, usher him around, and then by the time Zach had their beers, he could steal him away.

Sure enough, by the time Zach had two bottles in his hands, Sidney had Gavin at the third group he’d ushered him towards and that pinched look was back in Gavin’s eyes.

“Hey, I’ve got to steal Gavin away for a second,” Zach said, as he walked up to the group.

There was a blond woman there, eyeing Gavin with the kind of hunger Zach felt but never let show. “Oh, that’s too bad,” she cooed. “But who areyou?”

“My assistant coach, Zach Wheeler. You were talking about how good the power play was tonight,” Gavin directed towards the other side of the group, tilting his body away from the woman. “That was all him. He got McCoy and Jones there.”

“I think it’s going to be the best power play in the conference, if what we saw tonight is any indication,” one of the men said.

Gavin tilted his head. “We’ll see,” he said. “It’s early still.”

He turned away, towards Zach, and Zach pressed the bottle into his hand.

“Here,” Zach said. “Let’s go find a quiet corner.”

“God, I forgot how proprietary these people can be,” Gavin said under his breath, shaking his head as Zach led him away to an empty high top table. They might not have a lot of privacy here, but it was a start, at least.

“It was a really good power play,” Gavin said after he took a long sip of beer.

“It wasn’tallme,” Zach argued, though hehaddone a lot of work with Elliott and Mal and the rest of the group.