Page 95 of Hotshot
“No. No good luck, no good-bye,” I choked out. “I have something to say, and I need you to listen.”
“What is?—”
“I love you.”
Hank stilled his hand on Bess’s flank. “You…love me?”
“Very fucking much.” My voice cracked, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop…not now. “I’ve been my own worst enemy for a long time. Maybe I’ve had good reasons, but I don’t want to let days and months and years go by, living in a bubble on the ice, living for the next shot, the next game, the next season. I want more. I want you.”
“Denny, I?—”
“No, I mean it. Remember when I said I didn’t want the big love story? I was lying. I’m just…scared. But I do want it. With you. I want your stories, your smiles, your body, your brain, your patience. I want to ride horses with you, make dinner with you, talk to you, sleep with you, wake up next to you. And I want you to call me sweetheart every day ’cause it’s the only fuckin’ nickname that matters to me. You matter to me, Hank. I love you.”
He pulled me close and crashed his mouth over mine, kissing me till we were both breathless. “I love you too, but it’s not so simple. You have a big life ahead of you, Den. A hot career and a lot of eyes on you. Admitting you’re bi is one thing, but being in a relationship with a man is another.”
I nodded. “I know. It’s probably naïve to think we can have everything we want right away, but I have a proposition.”
“Oh, yeah?” His eyes shone and his lips twitched in amusement.
“Be mine from now until…always.”
“Done.”
“That’s not how a proposition works. It’s an exchange of goods and services,” I reminded him with a shy smile. “I tell youwhat I want, and you tell me what it’ll take to close the deal. Say the word, and I’ll do whatever it is to make you the happiest motherfucker in the world. I’ll muck out horse stalls, bring you coffee in bed, run errands…you get the gist. I want you…what do you need from me?”
Hank held my face in his hands, tracing my jawline with his thumbs. “I want you to play hockey.”
“Wait, I wasn’t talking about hockey.”
“It’s what I want, Den. I love you, and I want you to crush your goals and every record on the books. If we’re in this together, we can have it all. I want you to make your dreams come true. And I’ll be here for you…in the background. I’ll be the guy waiting at home, clothing optional. You be the hotshot. I’ll be your compass, your home for as long as you want me, sweetheart.”
“Forever.”
He beamed. “Forever it is.”
We kissed again, slowly as if we had all the time in the world. And maybe we did.
I let go of fear. I said good-bye to my old ghosts, and opened my heart completely…to Hank. He was my rock, my home, my cowboy, my happy place. And this was the beginning of our big love story.
EPILOGUE
“Come live in my heart and pay no rent.” —Samuel Lover
Five yearslater
TimeMagazine
Fresh off his second Stanley Cup win, Denny Mellon has catapulted to an unprecedented level of fame, thanks to his talent on and off the ice. In fact, he’s entered the single-moniker name status. Just Mellon will do.
Out Magazine
Mile High City’s Number 11 is flying high! Even if you’re not a hockey fan, you’ve probably heard of Mellon. The twenty-seven-year-old star famously came out as bisexual five years ago and is rumored to have secretly wed his partner, developer Hank Cunningham.
Travel + Leisure
The Four Forest area is Vermont’s greatest secret. Quaint towns along the winding rounds through picturesque forests provide an enchanting backdrop. The newly revitalized Wood Hollow is a must see! Its transformation from mill town to vibrant community is thanks in part to mill owner Hank Cunningham and sponsorship from some of hockey’s biggest stars.
People