Page 44

ERIK

TWO YEARS LATER

MAY

“I’m sorry, Erik. If the Tax Agency sends me another request for information, I’m moving to Denmark.”

That’s an extreme reaction, but I don’t say it. He’s kidding about living with the unserious enemy, so I let it slide.

I rise off the sofa and greet Luke with a gentle hug. “So, I take it your appointment went badly?” I ask, avoiding the itch at the back of my brain and tossing him a much-needed beer.

“Oh, no, it was fine. It’s just annoying going there in person.”

Chuckling, I join him on the sofa. “Well, you lived to tell the tale. I’d count that as a win if I were you.”

Luke cracks the beer open and takes a sip. “I guess. They didn’t even switch to English this time, either.”

“Fuck yeah,” I say.

He faces me, tilting his head. “You’d usually make some joke about how you’re turning me Swedish, but all I get is a ‘fuck yeah’?”

I chuckle. “I have some news. Good news.” I’m tempted to clarify that it’s mostly good news, but that would be way too ominous. “So you know how my agent has been doing long-shot contract negotiations to keep Alvik on their toes, right?”

Luke nods. “Because he wants to take his share of a larger salary.”

“Exactly. So he was making a fuss and hyping me up to NHL scouts this past season, knowing that Alvik is willing to go to the ends of the earth to keep me and Nils together.”

“Right, Alvik and those social media edit accounts want you and Nils to stay on the same team. What are you trying to say?”

I stay silent, and Luke opens his mouth in a shocked smile. “No,” he says. “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything!”

“Who made an offer, Erik? Where are you going? Where are we moving?”

Here goes nothing.

“Boston.”

Yeah, because Boston, the eternal arch-rivals of Toronto, needed some tested forwards and made an offer that’s way too good to turn down. I haven’t signed it yet, but my fingers are itching.

Luke hesitates for a split second, and then he launches into a hug, his face lighting up. “Oh my god, that’s amazing, Erik!” he says, bringing his face to mine and crashing our mouths together.

He’s taking the news better than I thought he would.

Sighing through parted lips, he continues. “Boston plays dirty but I’m still so fucking proud of you.”

And there’s the catch, even if he’s joking.

I pull back and suppress a laugh. “Thanks. Maybe I can be a force for good on the team.”

“Please,” Luke says. “That team is in dire need of honor and grace.”

Objectively, Boston doesn’t bend the rules any more than the other NHL teams, but fans are gonna be fans.

“And you look great in green, so you’ll turn heads when you’re wearing a Boston sweater to games,” I joke.

Luke physically recoils.

“I can’t,” he says, wincing. “My family would kill me. They’d let me off by the skin of my teeth for Montreal, but Boston ? That’s pushing it way too far.”

I huff and cross my arms. “You wouldn’t wear team merch to my games? Way to support your boyfriend.”

Letting out a muffled groan, Luke squeezes my leg and looks away. “I don’t know,” he mutters. “I’d wear your Alvik stuff or something. I can’t drape myself in enemy armor .”

“That’s fine, I guess, but you can’t stop me from wearing what I want.” I smirk, curling my fingers through Luke’s hair and dragging him close to me, my lips next to his right ear. “Imagine this: me in my Boston jersey and you on your knees, gagging on the enemy’s cock.”

Luke rests his forehead on mine. “Erik, you are so lucky I love you.”

I perk up. “So you’d give me head when I’m wearing so-called enemy armor?”

“Only if I get to hate-fuck you afterward.”

“Deal.” I grin at him, and we settle into silence.

But only for a second because that isn’t the only news I have to share.

“Oh, and guess who else is coming to Boston?” I say.

Luke opens his mouth to speak, but we’re interrupted by wild knocking on our front door. “Hold that thought, let me?—”

Nils barrels into the apartment as soon as Luke slides the lock open. Darting his gaze between me and Luke, Nils pauses, pointing at Luke. “Does he know?” he asks.

“Yeah, I do,” Luke replies. “Offer with Boston.”

Nils laughs. “Not only Erik. Someone else, too.” He then points at himself, and Luke’s eyes widen.

“You both got offers? Together?”

“Oh yeah,” Nils says, sliding up to me and suffocating me with a crushing side hug. “The scouts couldn’t get enough of our unrivaled on-ice bromance.”

“And our scoring history,” I add, because our record of assisting each other with goals is what probably caught Boston’s attention.

“Right, that too.” Nils chuckles. “But mostly our bench chemistry, at least that’s what Silja says.”

Luke walks over to join us, smiling wide. “That’s amazing. I’m so happy for you two.”

“And you’re coming with Erik, right?” Nils asks.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Luke leans against my shoulder, and my chest warms up.

Luke and I would stay together and make things work no matter what, but hearing that confirmation again makes my stomach flip.

Nils seems to notice because he ruffles my hair. “Aww, look at you, making your boyfriend move everywhere for your sorry ass.”

Luke is about to defend me, but I speak first. “Are you making Silja go with you?”

Nils’s reply is instant. “Yup, she’s coming too. Her company is doing some kind of job wizardry so that she works for a Boston-based team while still getting paid through the Stockholm office. It’s kind of like putting her on an extended business trip.”

“Huh, okay,” Luke says, sipping his beer. “That’s similar to what I did when coming here.”

“Yeah. Talk to your work about that,” Nils says. “Unless you want to live the good life and make Erik pay for everything.”

Luke crosses his arms. “Not happening. Strong independent man right here.”

Nils gives Luke a high-five. “Awesome. I’m going home so I’ll be there when Silja gets back, but we’re celebrating tonight. The four of us.”

We agree, and then he’s off. Silence settles in our apartment as we take in the sheer weight of everyone’s news.

I’m going to play in the NHL, and Luke is going to be by my side cheering me on. Nils is still my teammate, and Silja is coming as well.

This is perfection.

“Well, I should update my payroll base at work again,” Luke says, breaking the silence.

“Do you need approval for that?”

“Nope! Getting promoted means I can approve my own shit now. I love being powerful.”

I lean over for a kiss, and Luke presses his lips against mine, slow, teasing, and fiery-hot, exactly the way I like. Increasing the intensity, I savor his familiar, comfortable taste.

“Still can’t believe we’re moving to Boston,” he murmurs.

“It’ll be great. Think about it: you can live out your lifelong dream of being an NHL spouse.”

“Shut up, you.” Luke thwacks me on the chest. “That was never my dream, but I’ll still go to your games and get drunk with Silja.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

We go quiet again, and I circle my arms around Luke’s shoulders, squeezing hard against the firm body I’ve come to know so well.

It’s been almost three years since I met Luke, and my life—our lives—have only gotten better since then.

The last time I moved, I had to leave a guy behind, and it almost broke me. This time, that same guy is mine, and he’s coming with me.

Talk about one hell of an upgrade.