Page 24

CHAPTER ELEVEN

MYLES

A fter eating dinner and cleaning the kitchen, we settled on the couch for a movie.

I tucked into a corner of the sectional and Cooper sat beside me.

The next time he brought up his agent, I wouldn’t act like a baby.

It wasn’t his fault I might not be good enough for the NHL. I needed to support him more.

“Before we figure out what movie to watch, I have something to talk to you about.” He hung his head, his hands wringing in his lap.

“Yeah? Okay.” He looked nervous. Was this bad? I shifted to an angle and watched him, my pulse picking up.

He sipped some Gatorade, set it on the coffee table, and faced me. “I want to come out to my family.” His throat dipped with a hard swallow.

“You what?” I dropped my jaw. Where the hell had that come from?

He released a ragged laugh. “I, uh, invited my parents here for Thanksgiving and I thought, well, I thought we should come out before they got here.” His smile faded. “Shit, that didn’t come out right.”

Gaping, my gaze searched his face. He was serious. Wait, he was serious about us . This wasn’t casual dating behavior. “O- kay…” My stomach fluttered with warmth. My brows twitched. Or would he have done it, anyway? “Tell me more. Like, how did the conversation go?”

“You mean start from the beginning?” His shoulders shook with a soft chuckle, and he rubbed his eyes.

With his attention drawing to me, he said, “Like I said before dinner, I spoke to my dad on the phone today.” He breathed in, his eyes growing wider.

“And he mentioned he wanted to be here for Thanksgiving and see my game.” He pursed his lips.

“I-I told him we were living together?—”

“Living together?” Raising my brows, I touched my fingers to my lips. He didn’t mean it the way I’d taken it. “Oh, you mean like roommates.” I exhaled.

“Yeah, like roommates.” He smirked and then his face went slack. “I told him I was living with Ace, but I didn’t mention he was gay or had a boyfriend who lived with us.”

“Okay.” Nodding, I pursed my lips. “Were you thinking of coming out to them anyway, like before we’d gotten together?” Surely, he wasn’t doing this for me. I wasn’t even out to my family yet. There’d been no need.

“Uh, no.” He side eyed me. “I guess I thought that since we were starting something, I should tell them about us. And them coming for the holiday made sense.” With a grimace, he grabbed his Gatorade from the table and sipped it.

“I need a beer.” Smacking the bottle down, he hopped from the couch and strode into the kitchen. “How about you?”

Neither of us had been drinking tonight in solidarity of his game tomorrow, but one or two wouldn’t hurt.

“Yes, please.” I stared at the coffee table.

I needed a response. He was coming out for me.

He saw a real future with us. My pulse jack hammered in my chest. This was a lot. It’s what I wanted though, right?

He fell onto the couch beside me, holding an open beer can to me. “That’s okay, isn’t it?” He took a few gulps of beer and peeked at me .

I rocked once. “Yeah, yes. It’s great, eh.” We’d been sort of casual with things this week. Did it mean he wanted more? Could I ask?

“Myles, talk to me.” He placed his hand on my thigh. “There’s a lot going on in your head and I want to be a party to it.” He sipped more beer.

“You know I’m not out to my family.” I’d start there. Drinking some beer, I let the cool bubbles wash down my throat.

“I know. But they’re not visiting for the holidays, are they?” He sputtered a chuckle. “I’m not asking you to come out, if that’s what you're worried about.” His brows wrinkled. “But I want you to know I don’t see our relationship ending anytime soon.”

My gaze snapped to his, and emotion swelled inside me. It figured he’d put it like that. “S-so you want to tell your parents about us and invite them here for Thanksgiving dinner?” It sounded so unreal. But why? I deserved this. I deserved a boyfriend like him.

“Yes.” He nodded once. “But only if you’re cool with it.

” He uncurled his arm behind my shoulders on the back of the couch, scooting in closer to me.

“Myles, I really like you and I don’t, I mean, this sort of thing doesn’t happen to me.

” He looked deeply into my eyes. “I want my parents to know about us. It was weird not being able to say anything about our situation.”

Twisting my lips, I studied him. Was I dreaming?

How was this happening? “I’m uh, I guess I’m just stunned.

We were supposed to be taking things slow.

” I edged to his side, my heart flip-flopping.

“But whatever speed this is, I’m good with it.

” I dipped my head to his shoulder and came back up.

I should say something better. “I really like you too, Cooper.”

“I know.” With a smirk, he drank more beer. “You already told me you have a crush on me, remember?”

With a sharp laugh, I shook my head. “Yeah, guess I did.” Maybe I should have kept my crush to myself for a while to keep him guessing. But playing games wasn’t my style .

“Okay, so what do you think?” Parting his lips, he fixated on me.

“I think you should come out to your family when you’re ready and if you’re ready now, then go for it.

” I fingered the tab on my beer can. Could my family find out from them?

“Hey, your sister is a year younger than my brother, but they both went to our high school together, right?” They might be acquaintances.

“No, my sister ended up in a private school.” He worried his lower lip. “If you want, I’ll let them know you’re not out to your family. They won’t tell anyone back home.”

I huffed. That was lame. “No. Then what would they think of me, eh?” My gaze snapped to his. I’d have to give this some serious thought. “Just say nothing at all. I need to see how it goes when the season starts and…” And I’d come out? I couldn’t promise that. “Let’s see how it goes.”

“And what if they ask me?” He wrinkled his forehead.

I breathed in deeply, tipping my head back. “You can’t lie to them. I guess tell them the truth. It’s complicated, eh?” My chest squeezed. This was fucked up. I should talk with Leo or Jett. They’d both been afraid to come out to their families, too. They’d help me. I pressed my lips together.

“Okay, I’ll tell them it’s complicated, but you’re working on it. How’s that?” The ghost of a grin played over his mouth.

“Perfect.” I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulders. “You know Ace usually cooks Thanksgiving dinner and we have the squad over. With the schedules this year, I don’t know what’s going to happen.” I drank some beer.

“I’ll talk to Ace, make sure it’s cool with him.” He shrugged. “If nothing else, my parents said they’re getting a VRBO, so maybe you and I could spend the holiday with them at their place.” He kissed the top of my head. “So, are we cool?”

I peeked at him. “Yeah, we’re cool.” I’d have to open up more to him at some point. He deserved it with all he was giving me. “What are we watching? ”

Leaning over, he plucked the remote from the coffee table and turned the television on. “You pick.” He handed me the remote.

After an action movie and a second round of beers, I was thoroughly relaxed against Cooper’s side. Cuddling with him had become our thing, but we still hadn’t slept in the same bed overnight. As the credits rolled on the screen, I said, “Movie is over.” I lifted off him and rubbed my eyes.

“Time for bed?” He smirked and ticked a brow. “And by bed, I don’t mean sleep.” Cupping my cheek with his palm, he drew me to him, pressing a deep kiss on my lips. Resting his forehead on mine, he said, “Been waiting all night, taking things slow.”

My cock perked up in my shorts. “Yeah?” Kissing him again, I slid my tongue against his, tasting him fully. “Maybe the superstition will help you, too.”

“I don’t believe in that stuff. We’re going to win either way, but I’ll still take superstition sex.” He chuckled and rose from the couch, pulling on my arm.

“Is that what we’re calling it now? Superstition sex?” Smirking, I stood and followed him toward the bedrooms. “Ace did say to keep it in the bedroom.”

“He did.” He led me into his room, flicked on the nightstand lamps, and closed the door behind us.

“Come here.” Stepping to me, he wrapped his arms around my neck and devoured me in toe-curling kisses, his mouth slanting against mine, low moans rumbling from his throat. “Fuck, Myles, you do things to me.”

“Yeah?” I skimmed my hand down his stomach and cupped his plumping junk through his shorts. “I see that.”

“I’m not just talking about making my dick hard.” With a smirk, he backed to his bed and, locking his gaze to mine, he lifted his shirt off and dropped his shorts and briefs. His thick cock bobbed between his thighs. “Tonight, I want to try some things.”

I widened my eyes. Shit, we should have been in my bedroom then. Holding up a finger, I said, “Wait just a minute.” I rushed into my room, grabbed a plug and lube from my nightstand drawer, and jogged back to him. “Okay.” I held up the items.

He sat on his bed, staring at the toy. “Oh, shit. Okay.” Nodding, a wicked grin worked over his mouth. “I see how you are.” He crawled backward onto his bed and laid at the headboard.

“Yeah? How am I?” I set the toys and lube on the nightstand and then quickly undressed, throwing my clothes into the corner. “Have you ever tried a blowjob with a plug?”

He swallowed hard, and his dick pulsed over his stomach. “Nope. Can’t say that I have.”

As I crept onto the bed, he lifted his knees and spread his legs wide, opening his arms. “I want you right here first.”

As warmth bloomed in my heart, I snuck between his legs and hovered over him on straight arms, then dropped, our hot cocks together. My breath hitched as his skin met with mine and his muscles flexed below me, his hips rocking.