“You don’t have to tell me twice,” I had mumbled my reply against Logan’s lips, who had grinned and returned my kisses with just as much if not more enthusiasm.

Now, though, I was bouncing on my heels as he scanned the card to his room and opened the door for us to enter.

“I was only partly kidding about getting laid tonight, by the way,” I told him after he kicked the door shut. Logan had just dropped our bags and looked like he was about to advance on me, his hands clutching themselves into fists as if he was struggling to restrain himself before he tilted his head to the side and asked, What?

“I just mean that,” I took a deep breath to keep myself from bouncing on my heels, sitting calmly on the hotel bed that was perfectly made, “If you’re too tired, I’m just happy sharing space with you. You could fall asleep right now, with me wrapped around you like a koala bear, and I would be perfectly content.” I grinned.

Logan’s shoulders dropped, and a look of relief seemed to cross his face.

Oh, damn, he really must have been exhausted then.

“Seriously, it’s no worries,” I lifted my sneaker onto my knee to start untying my shoes when suddenly, Logan’s hands were there swatting mine away. He knelt down and started untying my sneakers, tugging them off with my socks.

I self-consciously tried to tuck my toes away from his grip, afraid that airport traveling and jumping at his hockey game gave my feet an unpleasant smell, but he held onto my ankles and slowly started to slide his hands up my legs.

He let his large palms make it as far as the tops of my thighs, his thumbs dangerously close to an area that was immediately excited for his touch.

And then he stood up, the warmth of his hands leaving me cool.

I should rest, Logan signed, smirking at the surprised look on my face, But I don’t want to. I grinned at that.

I’m glad, I signed back to him. I have been doing that more and more lately. I knew that he had asked Courtney to vocalize to him when they first met, and that he didn’t care if people vocalized to him while he signed in return, but I wanted to learn. And he was willing to let me use my beginner’s skills on him until I hopefully became as fluent in ASL as he was.

I stood up and started unbuttoning my jeans just as Logan’s eyes flared and he lifted a hand for me to halt my movements.

I need to go to John’s room. I furrowed my eyebrows at that.

“Why?” My fingers had just undone the button of my pants, and Logan was trying to go hangout with his buddy?

We need to swap gloves. Logan had bent down to unzip his hockey bag and pulled out the gloves he wore during the game, it’s part of a tradition after every game we win.

“That’s so gross,” I wrinkled my nose, and Logan responded by waving his stinky gloves near me before I swatted him away with a giggle, “But fine. Go do that now, and then thoroughly wash your hands, because you’re not leaving this room again tonight.” I knew he and his teammates had silly superstitious traditions, like a lot of professional athletes did.

Logan’s eyes flared with excitement, then he bent down to kiss me deeply, his tongue making a leisurely sweep in my mouth as if in promise before he rose again and left the room in a clear hurry.

“Men.” I laughed to myself, glancing around the room. I sat up from the bed and made my way over to the entertainment center that had a minifridge underneath. I opened the fridge, disappointed to see it empty.

I opened the other doors and drawers, and realized nothing but empty glasses and tap water was available. I had a feeling that I would be way too thirsty in about an hour to tolerate room temperature tap water.

I decided that I would make a quick trip to the ice machine, since I had seen it near the vending machines down the hall. I grabbed the two glasses left on the bathroom countertop and decided I’d fill them before Logan and I got busy. I slipped my loose sneakers back on my feet, not bothering to tie them because I was going to be quick. I might even run into Logan on the way there or back.

But when I opened the door to the hall and didn’t see anyone, I decided to send Logan a quick text that I was getting ice before I locked myself out of his room by exiting it without the key that he took.

I was humming to myself, a little skip in my step as I held a glass in each hand and wandered down the hall to where the vending machines were, just next to the elevators. There was a little opening that looked like it was missing a door, considering the size of the entry to the space, but it left the little room open to the hallway. Convenient for the late-night munchies, I guessed.

There was already a decent amount of ice made, so I simply scooped the two cups into the ice chunks and collected what I could, before turning to browse the snacks.

A shadow fell over me, blocking the hall light coming in from the doorway. In the glass of the vending machine I saw a figure come into the space and stop. I recognized that face immediately.

“Connor.” I whirled, pasting on as friendly of a smile as I could.

He had a bucket in his hand, clearly intending to grab some ice as well. Where the hell did he get a bucket? Our room didn’t have one. He must have gotten a nicer room than Logan.

But that train of thought died on my lips when I met his gaze and noticed the way his brow bunched. The way he widened his stance as he took me in, taking up the entirety of the doorway.

“Eloise.”

25