Page 55 of The Home Game

Antoni had some amazing people in his life but Matty … he really wasn’t like anyone Antoni had ever met before.

And Antoni had never been more grateful they’d met.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Antoni shook his head in disbelief as he took in his new bedroom. The space was huge. The room, the bed, the adjoining bathroom, and the walk-in closet … all of them were enormous.

So much more space than he needed.

But he couldn’t deny that it was beautiful. Everything was peaceful and serene with soft white walls and neutral shades. The room overlooked the big backyard and there was a tree out there that would probably be gorgeous once the leaves changed later in the fall.

The bed was enormous and soft-looking, with pillows and blankets that he was tempted to just roll around in because he knew they’d feel nice against his skin.

He loved the sitting area where someone had stacked the boxes marked “Antoni-teaching stuff”. His laptop bag waited on the chair and the desk had notepads and pens and a light to work by already set out.

It was more than Antoni needed but God, a little part of him was already anticipating how good it would feel to retreat here at night.

He yawned, exhausted from the long day.

But he couldn’t go to bed quite yet. Eli and Alexis had a later bedtime than their younger siblings and he wanted to be sure they were all set for the night.

But Antoni could shower.

He shook his head in amazement again as he flipped on the light in the enormous bathroom. Two sinks with a wide vanity and tons of storage. This was a bathroom designed for a couple, not for a single man.

It made sense that Matty felt lonely here, especially when he’d once shared this space with his ex.

Frowning, Antoni flipped on the water in the shower to let it heat, then stripped off his clothes.

He’d seen some pictures of Matty’s ex.

Courtney something or other. She was pretty. Platinum blonde and a bit younger than Matty. Which, maybe it was a stereotype, but that was exactly the kind of person Antoni would expect an NHL player to marry.

But clearly the marriage hadn’t lasted and some of the guys on the team had more similar tastes to Antoni.

Mostly, having male partners.

None of those guys were really Antoni’s type but it was good to know that everyone was so comfortable with the whole thing. And they’d all been so sweet to the kids today.

They’d been so careful to get Eli’s pronouns right.

Steam rolled out of the shower so Antoni stepped into it, letting out a sigh when the hot water hit his shoulders.

God, the water pressure was incredible.

Never mind the fact that there was enough room to have half of Matty’s team in here with him.

Which … Antoni considered that idea. He didn’t hate the thought. They were all very good-looking.

It seemed like most of them were in relationships—though he hadn’t heard anything about Dominic.

And yet, Matty was the one Antoni’s thoughts kept returning to.

Those soft brown eyes and those big arms and … and yeah, that ass.

Antoni groaned, tipping his head back. “Fuck,” he muttered, scrubbing his face with his palms.

Because he really shouldn’t be thinking about Matty this way.

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