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Riley arrived in Toronto the day before Adam’s operation. He spotted Adam right away in the domestic arrivals section of the airport because there were at least six people gathered around him, getting autographs and selfies.

Adam’s face lit up when he spotted Riley.

“My friend is here,” Adam said, politely but firmly. “Excuse me.” He stepped out of the circle of fans and into Riley’s arms.

“You need a fake mustache,” Riley said as he wrapped Adam in the kind of friendly, manly hug that wouldn’t raise eyebrows.

Adam patted him twice on the back. “I was thinking about growing a beard. I might get recognized less.”

“Still hoping to be a bear, are you?”

Adam laughed, then his lips brushed Riley’s ear as he said, “God, you look good.”

“Same.”

They broke apart and began walking toward the parking garage, Riley wheeling his small suitcase behind him. “How was your flight?”

“Fine. Short. No legroom.”

“I really appreciate you being here. I know you’re busy, and I know you’d probably rather be anywhere on earth than Toronto in July, but I’m glad you’re here. Thanks.”

Riley nudged him with his elbow. “I can think of worse places to be.”

Adam smiled, but it didn’t last. “I feel bad, making you give up the best part of the year in Avery River to be my nurse for two weeks.”

“You’re not making me do anything. I have my whole life to enjoy summers back home. Being here with you is important.” Riley nudged him again. “And it’s not two weeks. It’s three.”

“What?”

“Surprise.”

“Riles, no. You can’t—”

“I did a bit of research, and it sounds like you’ll need help for at least three weeks, and I know that’s when the kids get back from France, so I figure you might have some extra hands then. But until then, I’m staying. So deal with it.”

Adam’s pinkie brushed against Riley’s hand. “Well, I guess that’s okay.”

* * *

“You did say you live alone, right?” Riley asked as he stared up at Adam’s giant house.

“Yes.”

He glanced at Adam and then back at the house. “Just checking.”

“I know it’s big for one person, but the kids stay with me sometimes.”

“Remind me how many kids you have again? Twenty-six?”

“Okay, fuck off.”

Riley laughed. The house was exactly what he’d been expecting: a recently constructed brick luxury home that looked a lot like the one Adam had shared with Maggie. It also looked like every other house in the neighborhood, with the same tidy patch of lawn, wide cement driveway, and three-car garage. Riley had never been a fan of the style, but houses like this one had been popular with his teammates.

Adam had parked his dark blue Porsche Cayenne in the driveway, maybe so he could introduce Riley to his home through the front door, rather than through the garage. It was a hot afternoon, the sticky kind of humidity that Riley wasn’t used to anymore. Even the walk from the car to the front door made his T-shirt cling to his back.

The inside of Adam’s house was blissfully air-conditioned. Riley sighed in relief as he walked through the door.

“I have a pool too,” Adam said. “If you’re looking to beat the heat. I won’t be able to use it for a while after tomorrow, but I won’t mind watching you.”

Riley smiled. “Is that what I’m here for? Eye candy?”

Adam closed the door and stepped toward him. He was wearing blue shorts and a white linen shirt and had a bit of a tan. “My doctor said it was important.”

“He did, did he?” Riley placed a hand on Adam’s hip. Goose bumps erupted all over his forearms, from the aggressive air-conditioning and from anticipation.

“ She , and I’m pretty sure she said something about how having a hunk around the house would speed recovery.”

“Can’t hurt,” Riley said, then kissed him. Adam surged against him, quickly transforming the kiss from hopeful to spine melting.

“Thank god,” Adam said when they broke apart. “I was worried we might not be doing that right away.”

Riley smiled. “I was going to try to hold out longer.”

“Fuck that,” Adam said, and then they were kissing again.

They kissed until they were both breathless, then Adam rested his forehead against Riley’s and said, “We have to have so much sex tonight.”

“Yeah?” Riley was on board with that. He, of course, hadn’t been with anyone since Adam had left, and the grief that Riley had slowly been working through had been spiked by horniness. It had been a confusing and intense cocktail of emotions.

“I’ll be out of commission after tonight,” Adam explained. “I’ve got to stockpile orgasms.”

“Is this your doctor’s advice again?”

“She’s a really good doctor.”

Riley laughed. “I forgot. I brought you a cinnamon bun.”

Adam gasped. “From Paula’s?”

“No, from the airport. Of course from Paula’s.”

“And you’re just telling me now ? Jesus, Riles. Sex can wait.”

Mid-cinnamon bun, Adam proposed pizza from his favorite place as his “last meal,” which sounded perfect to Riley.

“I’m pretty sure you can eat a few hours after your operation,” Riley said. “It’s not that long without food.”

“Yeah, but it’ll be hospital food tomorrow. That doesn’t count.”

It was expected that Adam would only need to stay one night in the hospital, and then Riley could take him home. That was if everything went well. Riley wasn’t letting himself think about any other possibilities.

“Are you nervous?” Riley asked later, as they were eating pizza at Adam’s kitchen island.

“Nah,” Adam said. “I’m a pro at operations at this point.”

Riley wasn’t sure he believed him, but Adam wouldn’t be the first hockey player to pretend he wasn’t scared, so he let it go. “You have your bag packed?”

“Yep. And you can just drop me off at the hospital. You don’t have to come in and wait around.”

Riley narrowed his eyes. “The fuck I don’t.”

“It’ll be boring. Come on. Who wants to hang out in a hospital? Do something downtown at least. See the aquarium!”

“I’m not going to a fucking aquarium while you’re in surgery, Adam.”

“But you’ll—”

“Adam,” Riley said sternly. “I’m not leaving you.”

Adam’s lips twitched, then curved into a wobbly smile. “Okay.”

Riley nodded, satisfied that he’d won.

* * *

“You can hang your stuff up in my closet, if you like,” Adam offered. Given the usual crisp state of Riley’s clothes, he assumed he wasn’t keen to live out of a suitcase.

“Thanks.”

Riley had his suitcase open on Adam’s bed, rummaging for the gift he’d apparently brought. Adam had his fingers crossed for five more cinnamon buns.

“Here,” Riley said finally, then turned around. “Thought you might like one of your own.”

He held out a silk robe, similar to the one he’d tantalized Adam with back in Avery River. This one was black with large white flowers. “Oh wow,” Adam said as he reached for it. “For me?”

“You don’t seem to do color,” Riley explained. “I also think it’ll make your eyes look sexy.” He paused, then corrected himself. “Sexier.”

“I love it.” Adam rubbed the liquid fabric against his cheek. “And what do you mean I don’t do color?”

Riley counted on his fingers. “Black, gray, brown, navy, white.”

“Those are all colors.”

Riley sighed. “Technically.”

At the moment, Riley was wearing a pale purple T-shirt and teal shorts that couldn’t have had more than a five-inch inseam. He’d changed into them before the pizza had arrived and Adam had been losing his mind about them ever since.

“It’s just what I’m used to,” Adam argued. “And those colors all go together.”

“Hm.”

“You want me to try this on?” Adam asked. “You packed yours, right?”

“I did. But I have to warn you,” Riley said gravely, “once you put that on, you are officially super gay.”

Adam laughed, then unfastened his belt.

“Need help?” Riley asked, then started unbuttoning Adam’s shirt.

“I might need lots of help, after today,” Adam said. “Dressing, undressing, bathing .”

“That doesn’t sound as hot as you think it does.” But the way Riley kissed him then suggested otherwise.

Eventually, they broke apart and Riley carried a small stack of shirts toward the closet. The double doors were already open.

“ This is your closet?” Riley asked. “Jesus, no wonder you didn’t want to leave it.”

Adam laughed so hard he had to sit on the bed. He was still laughing when Riley returned from the closet.

“I’d worry about never finding my clothes again in there,” he said, “but they kind of stick out.”

“I get it. It’s big.”

“Big? It’s fucking huge. There’s a couch in there. You take rests on that thing while walking across the closet, or what?”

“I like clothes, okay?”

“Yeah, me too, but that’s like Céline Dion level.”

Adam snorted and started laughing again.

“I’ve never seen so much navy and brown,” Riley continued. “It was like being in a lake.”

“Then take me shopping, asshole. Since you’re the expert.”

Riley lit up. “Could we? Before I leave? If you feel up to it?”

Adam smiled at him. “Sure. We can go shopping.”

“The fashion options aren’t great back home. Halifax is okay, but it’s not Toronto.”

Adam stood. “Okay. I’m putting the robe on.” He’d been wearing only underwear since they’d kissed. He slipped the robe on and let out a weird little sigh. “Oh, that’s nice.”

“Shit,” Riley murmured. “Yeah.”

Adam examined himself in a mirror. He’d never worn anything like this. Had he ever worn a floral print? Probably not; he barely wore prints at all. He’d always focused on looking classy and stylish and, well, straight.

“Oh, hello,” he said to his reflection. “I like this.”

Riley came up behind him and their gazes met in the mirror. “You look really fucking hot.”

Adam tilted his head back against Riley’s shoulder. “Yeah?”

“Mm.” Riley slid a hand down Adam’s bare chest and kissed his neck.

“Riles,” Adam breathed. He dropped a hand down to the hem of Riley’s little shorts and dipped his fingertips under. He teased at the soft hairs on Riley’s thigh while Riley sucked on his neck and circled a finger over Adam’s left nipple. Adam never took his eyes off the mirror. They looked so good together.

He watched the way Riley’s lips pressed against his skin, the way his huge hands slid along Adam’s skin, and the way his own cock grew hard in his black briefs. The robe slid off Adam’s right shoulder, and Riley kissed the exposed skin there.

He turned his head and captured Riley’s lips in a messy, frantic kiss. Riley’s erection bumped against his ass and, yeah. Adam wanted it.

“Oh fuck,” he moaned when Riley reached down and cupped the bulge in Adam’s briefs. He watched their reflection, watched Riley’s eyes grow dark as he massaged Adam’s cock.

“Look at how fucking sexy you are,” Riley rumbled in his ear.

Adam mostly wanted to look at how sexy Riley was. “Want you,” he managed.

Riley slipped his hand inside Adam’s underwear and pulled his cock out. Adam gasped from the relief of being free, and from how fucking debauched he looked in the mirror.

“You wanna get fucked, Shep?” Riley asked as he stroked him.

“Yes.” God, it was pretty much all he’d been able to think about since Riley had fucked him the first time. “I loved it.”

Riley growled. “You wanna see how close I can get you first? You wanna watch that happen in the mirror?”

Oh, Christ. “Yeah. Fuck.”

Riley kept the pace slow and easy, reminding Adam of how much time they had. Three weeks. Of course, Adam wouldn’t be in peak sexual condition during that time, but still: three weeks!

But it was the idea of everything after those three weeks that was really making Adam’s heart race. This could be his life from now on. Riley and hot sex and silk robes and a home that Riley filled with beautiful things.

Riley snapped Adam’s waistband. “Take these off.” Then he pulled his own shirt off. In a few seconds, Riley was naked. Adam left the robe on.

“Don’t get it dirty,” Adam warned.

Riley chuckled. “Then don’t come.” He went back to stroking him, and Adam melted against him. They both watched their reflections, Adam’s gaze darting between where Riley’s hand was working him, and Riley’s face. Riley’s eyes were hazy with arousal, his jaw set as if he was struggling to hold back. He was rocking his erection against Adam’s ass, against the silk, and, god, that probably felt incredible. Adam would have to try it.

“So good. I missed you so much, Riles.”

“Missed you too. Fucking dreamed about this.”

“Yeah? Me too. Couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

Riley grunted and stroked him faster.

“Fuck,” Adam panted after not nearly long enough. “I’m getting close.”

For a moment, he thought Riley, seemingly lost in his own bliss, hadn’t heard him. Adam was quickly reaching the moment when warnings wouldn’t matter anymore, when, with a frustrated huff, Riley released him and took a step back.

Adam squeezed his eyes shut, trying to come back from the brink. “Holy shit,” he gasped.

“Yeah. Fuck. Me too.”

Adam opened his eyes and saw Riley squeezing the base of his own erection. Adam turned to face him properly and put a hand on Riley’s hip.

“Don’t,” Riley gritted out. “Wait.”

“Really?”

Riley laughed shakily. “You look too fucking good like that.”

Adam let the robe drop to the floor. “How about now?”

“Fucking hell.”

This time they tried it with Adam bent over the bed, his forearms resting on a big pillow, and Riley standing behind him. It was, Adam was happy to learn, extremely successful, with Riley holding him with firm hands and driving into him with exactly the right balance of strength and caution. Yes, Adam’s shoulder complained a bit, but he would be throwing it in the garbage tomorrow, so who cared?

After, they cuddled in bed, both naked and sleepy. Despite Adam’s earlier desire to have “so much sex tonight,” he wasn’t in his twenties, and neither was Riley. Instead, he rested his head on Riley’s chest and mourned all the lost years he could have had this every night.

“I’m sorry I was such an asshole to you,” Adam said.

“What? When? I’ve got no complaints about what we just did.”

“Back when we played together.”

There was a tense silence, then Riley said, “We were young. We were both assholes.”

Adam raised his head. “I was definitely worse.”

Riley held his gaze. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not angry anymore. I forgive you, and I forgive myself. And, Shep? That’s a fucking amazing feeling.”

Adam swallowed hard. “I’m really glad to hear that.” He wasn’t quite ready to forgive himself, but knowing Riley had let go of his anger would help. He wanted to give him something in return; something honest and sweet.

“The first time I ever kissed you was terrifying. It felt so huge and good and, I don’t know. It was scary, but it was also, like, the best thing I’d ever felt.”

Riley’s fingers paused where they’d been stroking Adam’s stomach. “Same. All of that.”

“You’d kissed guys before, though.”

Riley was silent a moment. “You were different,” he said finally.

Adam snorted. “I was probably a much worse kisser.”

“No,” Riley said seriously. “It was perfect.”

“It was,” Adam agreed. He hadn’t meant to darken the after-glow by dragging their past into it, but it felt important. “I just wanted you to know. Despite how I acted after, that first time together meant everything to me.”

Another long silence and then Riley said, “Thank you.”

He went back to gently stroking Adam’s skin. He didn’t need to tell Adam what that first time had meant to him. Adam knew.

And he also knew that, now, nearly twenty years later, he was in the arms of the man he loved, and if Riley would let him, he would devote the rest of his life to letting him know that he still meant everything to Adam.