Page 7

“Anyway,” he says. “We’re going back to yours?”

I nod and lead Luke out of the rink, wincing through the ache in my bruised leg.

He follows me for the short walk to my apartment and I let him in, slightly embarrassed at how messy and dull it is.

Luke’s apartment screams “stable, career-driven adult.” Mine gives off “exhausted athlete who doesn’t put his socks away. ”

At least said socks are clean .

“Wow,” he says, with more surprise than I was expecting. “It smells nice in here.”

I cock my head. “Did you expect my house to stink?” Luke dodges me as I try to bonk him in the head with my stick again. “Who do you think I am?”

He lets out a noise that’s half-huff, half-laugh. “Okay, in my defense, every hockey player’s house I’ve been to smelled like unfiltered ass. Don’t blame me for my prior trauma.”

“The difference,” I start, pointing to myself, “is that this hockey player is gay. That has to mean something, right?”

Luke shakes his head. “Nah. I’m not sure if that makes a difference…” he trails off, catching himself.

I fix Luke with a questioning stare, and he blushes. “Luke, how many gay hockey players’ houses have you been to?”

He stays silent.

“Come on,” I prod, jabbing him in the side.

“Shut up. Just one before yours, I swear. What are you trying to say, anyway?” he asks. He sounds serious, but his eyes give him away.

“Do you have a thing for hockey players?”

He turns as red as a radish, so I might have read him right.

“I have a limited history,” he admits. “But to be fair, I was into you before I knew that you play hockey.”

“You’re into me?” I ask automatically, as if he didn’t tell me a few seconds ago.

Luke grins at me. “Oh, I’m sorry, do I need to suck your dick again to prove it?” He theatrically drops to his knees, his face hovering dangerously close to my crotch. That alone is enough to make me weak—if I wasn’t so sore from the game, I’d lean forward in an instant.

“It’s already been made clear that I’m not the world’s most observant person, not to mention awkward,” I say, sinking down onto the bed.

Even if Luke does have a huge thing for hockey players, at least he’s being a decent guy. I’ll take what I can get.

Luke squeezes my shoulder before freezing. “Shoot, I haven’t showered and I smell bad,” he says, lifting an arm and giving himself a cursory sniff. I don’t miss the way his arm flexes as he brings it up, and my mouth goes dry.

“You smell fine, but go ahead and rinse off. Spare towels and travel toothbrushes are under the sink, and you can use whatever products you find.” Rising to my feet, I walk over to the bathroom to prepare it for Luke, but my thigh throbs.

Luke notices and tilts his head. “Lie down and relax while I shower. I can take care of all that.”

“Sounds good.” When Luke is in the bathroom, I painfully strip down to my boxer briefs and put on an old shirt.

He emerges a few minutes later with a towel hanging on his hips, and damn, that’s one hell of a view. My cock firms up, and then I realize I should offer Luke some clothes because he probably doesn’t want me to perv on him.

“Let me get you a shirt or something,” I say. I roll over to reach for the drawers under my bed, only for my leg to protest, and I try to cover the entire distance with my arms.

“Hey, you don’t need to,” Luke tells me. “I’m good to stay in a towel if you’re comfortable with that.”

“Comfortable? Covering your body should be a crime.”

“You won’t catch me in prison, then,” he says, straddling my waist. The fabric parts at the bottom, and if Luke wasn’t putting pressure on my thighs, I’d rip that towel off in an instant. Instead, I wince.

Fuck . Luke probably came over expecting another hookup. I’m the usual post-game mix of tired, buzzing, and horny, but my body is in no state to perform. Not at all.

I take a sharp breath and prepare to disappoint Luke. “Sorry, my legs are killing me after the game. I don’t know if I can do that much tonight.” His face isn’t giving anything away, and he jumps off.

I brace myself for Luke to head out.

Instead, he surprises me and settles on my right. “I saw. That must have hurt like hell.”

“Spot on. And my massage gun broke.”

Luke tilts his head. “Do you want me to massage them? I really don’t mind.”

Whoa. That’s a lot. And so damn nice of him.

Breaking into a smile, I shuffle up to give Luke better access. “That would be so great,” I say, trying to downplay my nervous excitement. Getting my legs massaged is soothing. Getting my legs massaged by a naked Luke on top of me? That’s the kind of stuff you only get in your dreams.

“Sounds good. Let me know which of your three legs I should focus on.”

It takes a second to click, and I lose it when I realize what he’s talking about, shaking the bed with my laughter. “Luke, you’re such a horndog! Focus on my two actual legs for now, if you can stop yourself.”

“Oh, I’m a horndog? Pot, meet kettle.”

I let out another dry snicker as my dick pulses in my underwear, as if to prove his point. “Guilty as charged. But again, I can’t reciprocate. I’m way too sore.”

He shrugs, still smiling. “Hey. You don’t need to do anything tonight, it’s totally fine.” He brings his hands to my bare thighs, and the jolt of energy that slams into me is impossible to ignore. “I’ll take care of your sore legs, and then I’ll suck you off if you’d like, no big deal.”

If I’d like. His dirty flirting makes my arousal skyrocket , but it quickly ebbs into something warm and comfortable as Luke begins massaging my legs.

He’s perceptive as hell and manages to zero in on all my painful spots, applying firm, soothing pressure.

I can’t stop myself from falling into a daze.

“Oh yeah, that’s so good,” I moan as Luke’s fingers make light, languid presses along my legs.

Like before, every touch sends spikes of heat shooting through my core, but this time, they’re also relaxing me.

The throbbing aches dissolve with every pass of Luke’s hands, and I’m struggling to keep my heavy eyelids propped open.

“Hey,” Luke says, digging delightfully into a knot above my knee that’s been bugging me, “are you falling asleep?”

“Sorry.” That’s all I can get out as sleep spreads through my body.

“Don’t stay up for my sake.” Luke lightens his touch and gives my calves a gentle squeeze. “I’m pretty tired, too.”

The sight of Luke’s hot-as-fuck torso reaching over me is the last thing I see before he turns my lamp off.

He stayed. We didn’t have sex, but he stayed.

Maybe this could be promising. Maybe we could go somewhere. I just need to keep my mind clear, be patient, and slow down .

Sure, Luke has been amazing to me, and I’ve already warmed up to him, but this is uncharted territory and it shows.

One second, I’m nervous, only for Luke to drop a flirty line that makes me more comfortable than I’ve ever been with anyone else.

Even though I don’t know what to do with that, I know I like it.

Then again, moving too quickly and being too eager could still scare him off.

I’ll follow his lead—I don’t want to lose out on something good before it has a chance to begin.