Page 11

“Keep your eyes and ears open. See how Cooper reacts to you and JJ. You might be surprised.” Zoma grabbed my empty glass and set his with mine in the dishwasher.

“And what am I supposed to do if, by chance, Cooper likes me?” As if. I pursed my lips. I was never that lucky.

“Then maybe you and JJ part as friends.” Zoma brushed his fingers over my lower back as he passed. “Once you’re just friends again, then you’d be open to pursuing your true love.” He giggled.

“Oh, brother.” Huffing a laugh, I rolled my eyes.

That evening, Ace and I met with Archer and his boyfriend, Leo, for some dinner at a sushi place in Tempe Marketplace and parked in my spot at the rink.

Zoma was spending some time with his figure skating best friend, Nova, tonight.

The football stadium was a short walk from the rink, but it was hot as hell outside, even with the sun down.

Playing football in this weather was insane. These guys must be tough as fuck.

As we strolled through the gates and showed our tickets, complements of JJ and Cooper, Leo turned to me, his dark hair parted on the side and falling on his forehead over his brown eyes. “I don’t think I’ve been to a game at this stadium since I was in college.”

“Has it changed much?” I looked around me at the hotdog and hamburger vendors, then spied a beer stall. “Hey, beer.” I pointed at it.

“Oh, perfect.” Archer grabbed Leo’s hand and led us all toward the stand. “I remember my first few years here. I wanted so badly to order a damn beer.” He pushed a curly lock of his blond hair out of his brown eyes.

“Yeah, the drinking age is crazy in the USA. You can die for your country at eighteen, but can’t drink a fucking beer at a ball game.” Ace scoffed and peered at me. “You Canucks did it right.”

“But I left before I hit nineteen.” I tagged Ace’s muscled shoulder.

Archer ordered beers for us all and we each showed our IDs while the national anthem played through the stadium. I hoped we didn’t miss the start of the game.

As we made our way to the stairs through an opening into the stadium, I sipped my beer. We had great seats around the fifty-yard line and about twenty rows up. Following them, I sat between Archer and Ace. I had a feeling they made me sit between them on purpose .

The marching band was blaring tunes in a corner of the stadium and cheerleaders whipped their legs and pom-poms around on the field, getting the crowd going.

I gazed at the bright lights above us. The sun threw its final hues of orange across a cloudless sky.

“So JJ is a wide receiver and Cooper is a tight end?” Archer drank his beer, peering at the field.

“Yeah. They’re both starters.” I scanned the field. Players tossed balls around, and a kicker practiced kicking them into a net.

After some introductions, ASU won the coin toss and readied to receive the ball, scattering their guys on one end of the field. I didn’t know much about football. My hockey career gave me plenty to think about.

The kicker for NAU sent the ball flying high toward the ASU end zone and all the players rushed together. An ASU receiver outran several NAU special teams players before being tackled at the forty-two-yard line.

Archer pumped his fist. “Hell yeah. That was a great run.” He drank his beer. “Okay, your guys should enter the field now.” He bumped my elbow with his.

After the huddle, my gaze snagged on JJ first, his long legs impossible to miss as he readied to run at the end of ASU’s offensive line. He threw a look toward us and up-nodded his helmeted head at me.

Yeah, he saw me. My gaze swung to Cooper, crouching close to the linemen, one foot in front, one hand on the grass.

My dick stirred as my gaze took in his rounded ass.

What would it be like to fuck him in that position?

Jesus, Myles, stop . I had stronger feelings for Cooper than JJ. Shit, this was going to be difficult.

“What’s wrong?” Archer eyed me over his beer glass as he drank from it.

“Nothing.” Dipping my head, I twisted my glass in my lap. We’d avoided any talk about my dilemma at dinner and had focused on catching up on hockey rumors instead—who got traded, what newcomers looked good at camp. Important shit.

“Talk to me, Myles.” He leaned toward me.

Ace peeked at us and focused on the game. “Go ASU!” He pumped his fist as the quarterback, Casey, back-stepped with the ball, faked it, and then tossed a quick pass to Cooper.

Ducking his head, Cooper rammed through NAU’s defensive players, twirling around at least once.

A behemoth of a man pounced on Cooper and squashed him to the field.

My pulse raced, and I held my breath. “Fuck, is Coop okay?” That was one hell of a hit.

Cooper peeled off the field, threw the ball to a ref and swiped grass out of the top of his facemask. Jogging toward a new huddle, his gaze found mine, and he flashed a smile.

“They knocked your boy, JJ, down too. Didn’t even have the ball. That’s a penalty.” Archer pointed toward JJ, walking with a slight limp toward the area of the huddle.

“I think that D-man has it in for your boy there, Myles.” Ace smirked and drank some beer.

A ref called a ten-yard penalty on NAU.

“Those NAU guys always play dirty.” Archer chuckled. “Right, Leo?”

“Of course.” Leo tapped his beer on Archer’s. “You don’t play them in hockey, do you?” He lifted his brows.

“Nope, they’re division two.” Archer glanced at me. “Looks like JJ might have hurt himself, but he’s shaking it off. The guy has the legs of a gazelle or something.”

Shaking my head, I grinned and bit the edge of my beer cup.

Apparently, I liked my guys a little beefier, like Cooper.

“Yeah, I’m sure I’ll hear about it when I see him later.

” I drank more beer. The game would amp them all up, just like it always amped us up after a game.

My breath caught. Shit, what if they lost tonight?

Would they be mopey and get sloppy drunk like we used to do ?

“Myles, what’s going through your head?” Archer peered at me.

“I don’t know. Stupid shit, eh? Like I hope they win, so JJ and Cooper will be in a good mood later.” I snickered. I wasn’t into the game. In fact, maybe I found football boring. At least right now it was. “You know what? Hockey is much more fun to watch.”

“I agree, but don’t let your friends hear you say that.” With a cackle, Ace wagged his brows at me. “And don’t let JJ know you were too busy watching Cooper when he got injured.”

I blew out a breath. “Fuck.” It was so obvious. How should I act around them tonight?

“You need to have a heart to heart with JJ, Myles. Even if Cooper doesn’t have feelings for you, it’s not fair to JJ to keep things going if you’re not feeling it.” Archer gave me a pointed look.

“Yeah, I hear ya.” That was such a typical Archer thing to say. But I needed to hear it. “I’ll try to talk to him tonight.” Unless they lose, and he’s already down. I drank a few gulps of my beer and settled in for the game.

After ASU won by a landslide, we left the game.

I said my goodbyes, and I headed to the party, which was close to campus.

As I drove through a housing community of sprawling Tuscan-style homes and enormous trees, my phone buzzed in the drink holder.

Parked cars were everywhere, and younger people were walking toward a two-story home with lights flickering in the windows. That had to be it.

I pulled to the curb, parked and grabbed my phone. A text message popped up.

JJ

Where are you? Can’t wait to see you. We’ve gotta do a shot for my touchdown.

I typed.

Myles

Just parked. Should I just walk in?

I twisted my lips. This wasn’t really my scene.

I much preferred the gay bar on Mill after a win.

Climbing out of my car, I took one last look around the neighborhood.

Some parents had to be on vacation for this party to be taking place.

No way some college kids would rent here.

With a smirk, I strolled up a triple-wide driveway, over a walkway, and to a heavily carved wooden front door with a tall portico overhead.

The door swung open, and Cooper stumbled out with a girl hanging on his arm, a blond with long curls and thick lashes.

My heart lurched. Fuck, I didn’t need to see this. I swung around and rubbed my neck. Nausea balled in my gut. Had she been a cheerleader from the game?

“Oh, hey, Myles.” He grabbed my elbow and turned me to face him. “Uh, hey. This is…” He glanced at the girl, who was giving him a flirty smirk.

“Danica, come on. You know me. I was on the field with you all night.” She giggled and her gaze swept over me. “And you are?”

“Myles. He’s a good friend of mine and a hockey player for ASU.” With his mouth twitching, he looked me over and then dipped his head. “JJ’s in there. He’s waiting for you.”

“Okay.” Chin high, I stomped through the door and into a sea of people, dancing, talking and making out in the dark corners. The place had a high-end modern décor with lots of glass and light-colored leathers. Boy, would the parents be pissed off when they got home.

“Myles.” JJ strode to me, holding two beers in red Solo cups. He set one on a glass sofa table and wound an arm around my neck, kissing my cheek. “I’m glad you’re here.” Stepping back, he beamed at me.

I picked up my beer from the table and sipped it. I still wasn’t feeling it with him, even with my crush outside the house with someone else. A fucking woman, even. Maybe Cooper had finished experimenting with guys. I had to be cheerful for JJ. “Yeah, great win, man.” I tapped his stomach.

“You saw my touchdown, didn’t you? You weren’t like, in the bathroom, right?” His smile grew even wider.

Shaking my head, I forced a grin and said, “Nope, I saw it. It was a great catch. Who knew you could jump so high?” In reality, I’d only seen it after it happened on the jumbotron.

I’d been watching Cooper take a hit again.

Damn it. Heat simmered under my skin. Part of me wanted to go outside and interrupt Cooper with that Danica chick.

“Come on, let’s do a shot. Fireball all right?” Grabbing my hand, he wound us through the crowd and into a large kitchen with high-end appliances and fancy carving on the dark wooden cupboards. A row of liquor bottles and small Solo cups lined the light granite counter.

“Yeah, Fireball works.” I glanced behind me and my heart skipped a beat.

Cooper stood at a keg perched at the end of the long kitchen counter with Danica, fixating on me and grinding his teeth.

What the hell was he looking at? Did he want to join us? As JJ poured our shots, I tagged him in the arm. “Hey, maybe Cooper wants one?” I pointed behind me with my thumb.

He swayed his head and waved at Cooper. “Hey, want another shot?”

Another? How many of these had they had? I pursed my lips. Cooper appeared a little tipsy at the front door.

Cooper strode to us, with Danica following close behind him. “Yeah, give me one.” He peeked at me from under his dark bangs and sipped his beer .

“Not another one, Cooper. Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” Danica pulled on his arm. “Let’s go talk somewhere.” She kissed his shoulder. “Or, you know.” She batted her eyelashes at him.

“Just a minute.” He huffed, stepped between me and JJ, and up-nodded at the bottles. “Pour me one.”

“Okay, but this should be your last one.” JJ peered at him and then at me, as if asking for help.

Planting my hand on Cooper’s shoulder, I said, “Yeah, you’re moving tomorrow. You shouldn’t get too fucked up tonight.” And he was moving into my house. Would he be bringing women over? I hadn’t thought about this. I didn’t think we’d ever had a woman at the squad house.

JJ handed a shot glass to me, one to JJ, and grabbed his own. “To the win tonight.” He held it up.

“And fuck NAU.” I chuckled, tapped my shot on theirs, and downed it, the sweet cinnamon liquor burning down my throat. Any more of those and I’d end up like Cooper. No thanks.

“Wait, you’re moving tomorrow?” Danica tugged on Cooper’s arm, turning him around as he drank his shot.

“I am. Why?” He gave her a dumb stare.

She brushed her long fingernails over his chest and swayed her head, saying, “Well, I thought we’d go back to your place tonight and?—”

“I don’t know. I have to get up kinda early and pack.” He sighed through a breath.

“I’ll help you.” I poked JJ in the ribs with my elbow. “And I’m sure JJ will help, too.” I threw JJ a look.

“What? Oh yeah, sure.” JJ patted Cooper on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, buddy. We’ll get you moved.”

Danica pouted, pawing at Cooper’s shirt. “Where are you moving to?”

“I’m moving in with Myles and his friends.” Cooper’s gaze trailed over me from head to toe and stopped on my lips. “He’s a good friend, letting me move in with him. ”

JJ wrinkled his nose. “If we had room in our place, we’d have let you move in.”

“I know.” Cooper swayed backward, righted himself, and drank more beer.

“All your friends are queer though, right?” Danica eyed me and then JJ.

“Yeah. And so am I.” He met her gaze straight on. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Staring at him, she dropped her mouth open and slowly shook her head. “No, God no. I’m okay with a bisexual man. In fact, it’s kind of hot.” With a coy smirk, she wrapped his arm around hers.

Okay, this was weird now. Why didn’t they go off somewhere and leave us alone? I leaned in close to JJ’s ear and whispered, “Let’s go somewhere else.”

JJ nodded. “Come on.” He hooked an arm around my waist and led me out of the kitchen.

“Hey, where are you going?” Cooper planted his hand on his hip, his gaze hardening.

I’d never seen him like this. But then, I’d barely seen him since high school. Glancing behind me, I said, “We’ll be around. Spend some time with your lady friend.” My chest pinched.