Page 97 of My Brother's Teammates

He studies my face before tipping his head to the side. “Freaking out?”

I shake my head. “Waiting for it to hit, but so far, it feels pretty… right.”

The way he smiles untangles all the knots in my chest, making it easier to breathe again. “Good. In case you’re curious, I’ll be your boyfriend, too.” The corner of his lips tug into a secret smile.

“Obviously.” I laugh, but it falls short. “What if someone finds out about us? There’s a lot more news coverage this time of year.”

“I don’t care.”

My brows draw together, and I tilt my head to the side, watching him, waiting for him to laugh it off, but he doesn’t.

“I mean like the media. Is it something…?” Fuck. I drag my fingers through my hair. My heart’s galloping again, making it hard to focus on anything but the building panic in my chest. We haven’t talked about everything else. I couldn’t give a fuck about our socials, but what about how the public will see our relationship? We’ll become a news story. Our pictures will be front and center in the gossip magazines.

Things will likely be different on the ice—and in the locker rooms.

Am I worth the headache?

“You want me to put a picture on my socials with our tongues in each other’s mouths?”

“Not quite.” I mean, I wouldn’t say no. “You know how reporters can be. Something like this…”

He nods, the ghost of a smile still on his face. “You want to know if we’re ‘out out’ or just out in private?”

Fuck. This is a bigger conversation than I was prepared for. I might puke.

He cups my face with both hands. “Are you fine with the world knowing you’re bi?”

I nod, hoping with every cell in my body he’s as okay with it as I am.

Mercifully, he doesn’t make me wait. “Me too. I don’t care who knows, so don’t sweat the small stuff, okay? Besides, if they do any digging, they're not going to find much. We don’t drink, we don’t party. We watch romcoms, read romance books, and play hockey. Most nights we’re in bed by eleven.”

I grunt. “We’re like an old married couple.”

Something warm flickers in his eyes. “With any luck.”

I don’t get a chance to react before his soft lips capture mine in a time-stopping kiss, sending a power surge through my body.

“We’ll figure Charlotte out when she’s ready, but otherwise…” He brushes his nose against mine. “You’re mine, and I’m yours.”

I can only nod, emotion clogging my throat while I stroke a hand down his.

He kisses me again, this time balling my shirt in his fist before he pulls it over my head, skimming my chest and stomach with his palms. My muscles ripple under his touch, and he groans into my mouth.

Our kiss turns fevered, and we’re a mess of tongues and teeth. It’s like we can’t get close enough, like the grief flowing through us is only driving us together. There’s an urgency in how he claims me, and my heart stutters in my chest as we claim each other.

My hand tightens around his throat as I walk him back against the front door, but he surprises me, stepping out of the way and reversing the situation.

His fingers flex around my neck, and a growl rumbles in my chest. There’s a feral flare in Roman’s chocolate stare that makes my balls ache and my cock stand at attention. “Let me take care of you for a change, Teo.”

I hesitate just for a moment, staring into his eyes and the vulnerability swimming in their depths levels me. He needs this, so I give him a curt nod.

He drops to his knees, taking my pants and boxers with him. My cock springs free, bobbing against my abs, and Roman licks his lips, his thumb gliding from one rung of my ladder to the next.

His breath ghosts along my dick, and it twitches in anticipation. Roman only smiles, continuing his gentle exploration, and I’m ready to jump out of my skin.

“Are you ready?” Roman looks up at me, a grin spreading across his face.

Desire shoots up my spine, and I couldn’t be more ready to make this real, to celebrate our newly labeled relationship. I want this—him.

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