Page 36 of Puck My Stepbrother (Pucked and Possessed #2)

LEVI

S ometimes Quinn just needed a little push.

I knew what was in my stepbrother’s heart, and he did, too.

Something always stopped him from reaching out and taking what he wanted.

That’s why he needed someone to nudge him along.

That’s also why I didn’t sweat his nervousness at the head table.

Anyone would’ve felt their share of reservations with so many others within earshot.

Most importantly, I knew what was in my own heart, and I couldn’t let it go. I loved Quinn Standish. My life would be nothing without him in it. I could go for it, even if he couldn’t. I’d never shown any quit on the ice, and I wouldn’t succumb to it in my love life, either.

Once outside, I led him to a grassy park adjacent to the church. It wasn’t ideal, but at least it got us away from the reception.

“Is this actually a park?” Quinn asked.

“That’s what the sign says.”

“It must be the smallest park in Buffalo.”

“Maybe it is! That’s not what I care about right now, Quinn.”

He turned to me, and I knew I could have him in my clutches in no time.

When I stared into his eyes, I couldn’t help feeling light and dreamy, like I’d drifted from reality.

I felt entranced every time I looked into Quinn’s eyes, but never like this.

Enchanting as it felt, I needed to stay firmly in control.

“Come here.” I ensured the command remained present in my voice.

“What?”

“You heard me, Quinn. I said come here. Don’t make me tell you twice.”

He didn’t jump like you’d expect someone like him to, but he still wasted no time in doing what I’d told him. He shuffled over to me immediately, and my arms closed around him once he drew near enough.

Notes from “Dance with my Father” by Luther Vandross began to drift out from the reception hall, and I wrapped my arms around Quinn’s waist, locking my hands at the small of his back.

He threw his arms around me and rested his head against my chest. We moved back and forth, dancing in the dark, because we couldn’t do this inside with everyone else.

Only that was bullshit. We could do this with everyone else.

They’d see us, sure. They’d notice that the newly minted stepbrothers looked way too cozy with one another.

And they’d start talking. That was what people did.

Part of me didn’t give a shit if the place erupted in gossip.

After all, I didn’t feel ashamed of who I loved.

My common sense reminded me that Quinn would see this differently, and urged me to move at his pace.

So dancing outside would have to do for now.

“This is amazing.” I could barely make out Quinn’s murmured words, but I understood them. I felt the same way.

“You mean that, don’t you?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I know what you want.”

Silence settled over us. He knew what he wanted, too, but I knew he dared not say it aloud. That would dig him in deeper. He’d already made himself vulnerable by telling me about Jeff and submitting to me in the church basement.

Even after all we’d been through together, something deep inside of him kept putting up walls. He wasn’t just denying me—he was denying himself. I couldn’t let him do that. He needed someone to lead him and assure him that everything would be okay, and I wouldn’t let my sweet Quinn down.

“I know how things are meant to be,” I said. “It’s us. Forever. We were meant for each other.”

“We can’t do this.”

“Yes, we can.”

“But…but…”

I drew a deep breath. When Quinn lifted his head, I stared deep into those beautiful eyes, swooped down, and kissed him squarely on the mouth.

My tongue didn’t slip past his lips, but our mouths did open.

I kept my arms snug around him, squeezing him tight.

I didn’t feel a hard-on brush against my leg, which suited me fine.

In that moment, I only cared about tasting Quinn’s lips and having our chests pressed together, our hearts beating as one.

When our lips parted, Quinn’s head returned to my chest and we kept moving to the music.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Don’t be sorry.”

“I’m just scared.”

“I know you are, but there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Oh no?”

“No. I promise.”

He didn’t respond right away. Maybe he wondered how I could make that promise.

Don’t worry, I hadn’t lost touch with reality.

Most people would freak if they knew the true nature of our relationship.

I couldn’t say that it wouldn’t matter. I just wanted to believe that I could always make things okay for Quinn.

“We don’t have to worry about what other people think,” I said.

“Yes, we do. People judge enough as it is—and you have more at stake than anyone.”

“How do you figure?”

“You’re not thinking straight, Levi.”

“You do that to me, you know.”

“And you do that to me, too. But we’ve got to think about this. Won’t it be hard enough to have people knowing you as the gay hockey player?”

“We’ve already had gay players on the Larkin Lions. Remember how positive the reaction was to that? And besides, who said I was gay? I’m bi, remember?”

“You know what I mean. Labels aside, you’ll be the hockey player who isn’t just into guys, but in a relationship with his own stepbrother. Big difference from Kayden Preston and Erik De Ruiter.”

But you weren’t my stepbrother when I met you, I wanted to tell him.

Not that I felt Quinn was making up excuses or anything.

He believed what he was saying—and he wasn’t wrong, either.

Erik De Ruiter and Kayden Preston had been one thing.

Quinn and I were another. The sports media would have a field day with that if they learned about us.

But I didn’t care. I only cared about Quinn.

In that moment, I understood that the little ginger-haired nerd I’d once bullied was all that had ever mattered.

“You have your hopes and dreams to think about,” he said.

“But you are my hopes and dreams.”

“What about hockey?”

“Hockey’s just a game, Quinn. You win some games, and you lose some. What we have is bigger than hockey could ever be to me.”

And I meant that. I knew I’d fed endless lines of bullshit to people over the years. I only did that when I wanted to get in their pants. It was a different story now that I loved another person with all my heart.

“You really mean that, don’t you?” he asked.

“Of course I do.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why?”

“Why would someone like you fall for someone like me? Why would you invest so much of your life trying to make me yours?”

“We’ve been through this before, Quinn. I’ve felt this way about you since we were kids.”

“And you just didn’t know what you were feeling at the time.”

“Right. I didn’t know my ass from my elbow in those days, so it shouldn’t be surprising I couldn’t make sense of what I felt.”

“How’s that any different from now?”

I couldn’t help laughing at that.

“I’ve been through so much with you, Quinn, that I can’t help but see clearly now. I know it doesn’t matter what happens with hockey. That shit will figure itself out. It doesn’t matter what happens with anything else, either—as long as I have you.”

It sounded cheesy, but I meant it. When it came to love, I never said things I didn’t mean.

“That’s got to be the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard,” Quinn said.

“And there’s plenty more where that came from. I love you, Quinn.”

Saying that exhilarated me and sapped all my strength at the same time. Saying those words freely topped the hottest sex I could have with him.

Quinn looked up at me again, and I stared into those eyes once more.

Then I leaned in and kissed his lips. This time, my tongue did slip into Quinn’s mouth, lapping over his.

My hands migrated lower, cupping his ass and squeezing.

But I wouldn’t push for sex. Sure, the thought of an outdoor romp where we could be caught excited me, but this moment contented me too much.

That kiss felt more magical than any we’d shared before. It was a kiss that I hoped would never end. As we swayed back and forth to the music, the entire world fell away, leaving only Quinn and me.

When the song ended, our lips broke apart. We stared at one another and smiled. The satisfied glow in Quinn’s eyes warmed my heart. I released him from my grip and threw an arm over his shoulders as we headed back inside.

As amazing as the moment had felt, one glaring thing stood out: he hadn’t told me he loved me back.