Page 67 of Breaking the Ice

Gavin gave him a friendly pat on the back. “Come on, go give Finn some work.”

He watched the rest of practice, trying to keep his mind on what his players were doing.

His conversation with Ramsey had been a good distraction, if not a little terrifying. That kid was going to chess-master their team right out of playoff contention if he wasn’t careful.

But then practice was over. He went to his office because if he let himself go home immediately, he was terrified of what that would mean about him. Dealt with some emails. Watched some film on their upcoming opponent. And none of that was nearly distractingenough.

Picked up a sub sandwich on his way home and picked at it as he watched a movie on the couch. Jon had set the appointment for a week from now, after Gavin had claimed that he was busy and that he might also need time to work up to what he’d promised. But well . . .there was no way Gavin was going to need a week. He was already half-hard in his jeans.

He wanted to go to bed. But he alsodidn’twant to go to bed.

Gavin was in the middle of his mental debate about whether he should talk to Zach before or after when his phone dinged. Zach had texted him.

Talked to Ramsey. He said you already talked to him about Brody.

Gavin fumbled with his phone and dialed.

“Hey,” Zach said. “You already talked to him?”

“It just came up at practice,” Gavin said. “I knew we’d be talking later so I didn’t mention it.”

“You seemed distracted today.”

“You and Ramsey are both worrying too much about me.” Gavin reallydidn’t want to talk about what was distracting him.

Zach chuckled. “But Ilikeworrying too much about you.”

Zach had never explicitly crossed the line either. They’d never discussed the two aborted kisses—and whether or not he’d have returned them.

But Zach also was making it clear enough, in a hundred little ways, that he’d definitely be into it.

Gavin’s hand trembled around the phone.

“I’m fine,” Gavin said. “Did Ramsey tell you the bullshit he tried?”

“With Brody and his roommate? Yeah, I yelled at him a bit. I don’t care if he thought Brody needed shaking up or some kind of sexual revolution or whatever. He’s messing with shit he shouldn’t be messing with.”

“Agreed,” Gavin said.

“Brody’ll be fine. And as for him not loving hockey the way he did before the injury? It’ll either come back or it won’t. Orhe’ll end up like . . .” Zach didn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t need to.

“Like you?”

“Yeah,” Zach said. “And that’s okay, too. I’m happy. I told Ramsey that. Brody needs to do what makes him happy.”

“Imagine if the NHL could hear you now. They’d have a heart attack.”

“Probably. Only one way to do hockey, right?” Zach sighed. “It’s such bullshit.”

“He’s got time. I’m definitely not kicking him off the team if he doesn’t want to go pro. He’s too good of a player.”

“Never thought you would.” Zach’s voice was low, intimate.

It already felt like Zach was slumped next to him on the couch—or even worse. Like they were already in bed together. Stripped naked, or close enough that they would be soon. Anticipation and apprehension warred inside Gavin.

Jon hadn’t told him to do this a bunch of times, but he knew once he let the dam break, he wasn’t going to be able to hold back.

He was going to want it allthe time; he was going todoit all the time.