Page 9

The oven beeps, snapping us out of our haze, and I pull the pizzas out. After setting them down to cool on a wire rack, I grab two of my cold beers out of the fridge and hand one to Erik.

“Now, where were we?” I say, running a finger along his jaw.

He leans back, away from my touch.

“You good, Erik?” I ask, caution creeping into my voice.

“Things got pretty intense back there,” he starts, pausing to take a breath. “But I was really looking forward to hanging out tonight. Before getting physical, that is.”

Oh, I have got to be dreaming right now.

Erik continues. “Like, don’t get me wrong, I’m so attracted to you, but I also want to spend time with you otherwise and…”

I put a hand on his shoulder, and he trails off. “Yes, of course we can hold back,” I say, offering a smile. “You don’t have to be scared to ask for that.”

He sighs and his body softens. “I’m not scared.”

The way he’s digging his fingers into his beer can says otherwise.

“Well, maybe I am a little because I’m way out of my element with dating,” he continues. “Fuck, I never talk about this, sorry.”

“That’s okay, you don’t say anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

Erik puts his beer down on the counter before immediately picking it back up. “Yeah, I’m pretty reserved, and I could pin this on hockey or moving all the time, but I can’t really change it. You’re the first guy who’s stuck around long enough for me to warm up.”

“Are you saying that guys didn’t even give you a single day to get comfortable?” I ask. “Because that’s how long it took before you started chirping me to death and getting all horny on me.”

He snickers at that last comment while shaking his head at the same time. “No. I’m comfortable with sex, but that’s all anyone has let me have.”

Jesus Christ . “That’s not fair,” I say without thinking. “Hooking up is always a little weird. Those guys were assholes, seriously.”

Setting my beer down, I lean against the counter. “For what it’s worth, Erik, I don’t want to do that to you. You’re fun to be around, and I like getting to know you.”

Erik is holding his beer in front of his stomach, and I nudge his hand up, prompting him to take a sip. “Come on,” I say. “If I didn’t make it clear, I’m crazy about you. Drop your armor, drop your pants, whatever you want. You’re here to have a good time tonight.”

That earns me a light chuckle, and that little grin he has is enough to make me disintegrate. Changing the topic seems like a good idea, so I bring the pizzas over to the table and we settle down.

“This smells so good,” Erik says.

“Yeah, pizza’s great.” I smirk. “It’s my second favorite thing to eat.”

He tilts his head and then scoffs, fighting a grin. “Behave yourself. I actually want to leave the house on this date.”

“Yeah, I’m only messing around,” I say. “Just don’t take your jacket off or unbutton anything if you want me to stay calm.”

“Is that so?” Erik cocks his head and gives me a questioning smile.

And then the asshole undoes another button on his shirt. I put my slice of pizza down, because fuck , that chest deserves my full concentration.

Shy Erik is cute, confident Erik is sexy as hell, and the combination of both is lethal. Call me the world’s most willing victim—he can switch up the vibe on me whenever he wants.

I force my brain to focus on the task at hand, which is finishing my dinner so that I can spend more time having fun with Erik. Actual fun, not the other kind. That comes later.

The two of us are ravenous, so we demolish our food in record time.

After I clear the dishes, Erik ducks into my bedroom to change, and I hang back on the couch.

I might be ridiculously into him, but I can still be respectful.

When the door clicks open, I glance up, and while he’s a full course meal in his blue sweater and black jeans, I can’t help but be a tiny bit disappointed that he didn’t forget a shirt. Or pants. Or clean underwear.

“I’m good to head out,” I say, and Erik follows me to the door.

The night is cold, almost bitingly so, but the walk to the arcade bar takes all of five minutes. We pay cover and head in, taking our jackets off and heading to order drinks at the back.

“What game do you want to try first?” Erik asks.

“Not sure, I haven’t been here in ages.” I manage to flag the bartender over. “Maybe that karate game?”

Erik agrees as I get us two beers, and then we head over to the Karate Champ cabinet.

“Prepare for annihilation,” Erik says.

I scoff. “Bring it on, Norsy.”

Erik annihilates me. Big time. I don’t win a single game of Karate Champ, and by the time we finish our tenth round, he calls it quits.

“You know, you get tired of winning after a while. It gets boring when it’s so easy .”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it. You’re good at this game.”

Erik wraps me in a joking, patronizing hug, but it’s warmth, not condescension that floods my body. “Maybe we can play something where we can be on the same team.”

I snort. “What, so you can carry me?”

Releasing me, Erik offers another one of his charming smiles. “No, because I think we’d work better together.”

“Damn right we do.” I already want to date Erik. Him saying that made me want to date him even more.

We refill our drinks and wander around the bar, searching for a team game, and we eventually settle on Sunset Riders. That’s more up our alley, and when I check my phone for the time after what seems like a few games, it’s almost eleven.

“Shit, it’s getting late,” I say. “Don’t you have a morning practice tomorrow?”

He scratches his neck. “Yeah, I hate to end the night so early, but I should head out soon.”

“Nah, don’t apologize. I had a ton of fun.” I pause, trying to figure out if I should push things. “Besides, we’ll do something like this again soon. I’d like that.”

Erik’s face brightens. “Absolutely. We have to go out again.”

I’m so glad we’re both in agreement on this.

It’s colder outside now, and Erik latches onto me on the way home, sapping my body heat and making me laugh.

“Aren’t you supposed to be a tough, cold-hardened Viking?” I chirp.

Erik shivers. “The Vikings invaded Britain for a reason. It was warmer there.”

I try to think of a witty response, but Erik cuts my thoughts off. “I’m cold. Help me.”

Before I can fully process what he said, he slips his frigid hands under my shirt and presses them against my stomach.

“Ahh! Don’t fucking do that!” I yelp and point a threatening finger at Erik, struggling to contain myself. “Wear some gloves or something, Jesus.”

“Well if you want to put your hands on me later, you’ll have to let me put my hands on you now,” he says, walking up to me and reaching for my body.

I dodge him. “That’s not fair.”

“It sounds fair to me.”

And that’s when I book it, dashing down the sidewalk to the safety of my apartment building. I scan myself in and stand back, but Erik is too fast. He slips through the doors right before they close.

“Huh, you’re fast even when you aren’t on the ice,” I say.

“Damn right I am. It’s my job.”

I can’t argue with that.

Once we’re at my door, I fumble with my keys and manage to let us into the apartment, and my arms are around Erik as soon as we’re inside. He moves to deepen the hug, but his phone beeps. He checks it and then grins back at me.

“I have some good news,” he says, putting his phone away. “Apparently, I’ve been excused from morning practice tomorrow.”

“Tonight keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it?”

“It sure does. Honestly, I’m surprised. I’ve never been excused from a mandatory practice before.” He takes his sweater off, hanging it on the back of a chair. His white t-shirt fits like a glove, arching over his chest and tapering in the waist, rendering me incapable of proper thought.

“I kinda need a shower after today,” he says, sinking into a chair at the dining table. “This is your house, so you can go first.”

While everything in me wants to invite him into my shower again, I’m supposed to take things slow. “You can use the hallway bathroom to rinse off. That’ll save time.”

Erik raises his eyebrows. “That’s so convenient, thanks. I forgot it's a full bathroom.”

“Yeah, you can grab a towel from the sink cabinet. I’ll meet you in bed.” I stand still for a few seconds, and something compels me to walk over and kiss Erik on the forehead.

Holy fuck. Why the hell did I do that?

“Alright, see you in a bit!” I spin around and race into my room before Erik can say anything.

It’s easy enough to hold my own around attractive guys, but when they’re sweet as well? That’s when the crazy comes out. I wrap up my shower, brush my teeth, and slide into bed right as Erik walks in. He’s in sweatpants, and he’s covering his torso with a towel.

“Do you mind if I borrow a sleep shirt again?” he asks. “I usually sleep without one, so I didn’t pack any?—”

“That’s fine, I don’t mind,” I say, far too quickly.

“You sure?”

I make sure to take a breath before replying this time. “Yup. You can do whatever you’re most comfortable with.”

He shoots me a look that wakes me right up. “Even if I want to sleep naked?”

“ Especially if you want to sleep naked.”

He lets out a laugh, hanging the towel on the rack behind my bedroom door, and climbs into bed.

He doesn’t lose the sweatpants, but I’m way too tired to complain.

“Come here, you,” I say, lifting my arm to invite him in.

Instead, Erik pulls me over, pressing me against his bare chest with his powerful arms.

My god , this man gives the best hugs.

And if that wasn’t enough, he fucking kisses my forehead. My chest blooms with warmth and my whole body goes soft. I don’t fight it, or rather, I can’t.

“Got you back,” he mumbles, his voice smug and satisfied. “Can’t forget to kiss the goalie.”

Yeah, no. I’m never coming back from this.

The guys who never gave Erik a chance to warm up to them? They’re idiots. Every single one.