Page 28 of Testing the Goalie

Of course, there are still things I don’t know, but I make a silent vow to myself to try and be whatever he needs me to be. I won’t be the one who walks away from him.

“What about you? Where are you from? How did you grow up?” Ben asks after a brief pause in the conversation.

“I’m from Detroit. I grew up with an annoying younger sister and some pretty fantastic parents. I have two dads and two moms,” I inform him, and he turns to glance at me over his shoulder.

“Like stepparents?” he asks, and I shake my head.

“I have two sets of gay parents. Hank, my dad, and Charly, my pops, are married, and their best friends are a married lesbian couple. Trinity, who my sister, Katy, and I call MoMo, and Abigale, who we call Mom. When Dad and Pops decided they wanted to have kids, they chose to go the surrogate route but struggled to find the right candidate. Mom and MoMo, being the best friends they are, offered to help. Since Mom is self-employed, she offered to be the surrogate. MoMo, of course, fully supported her. My dads were over the moon at the suggestion. My moms stayed very much involved in my life even though we technically lived with our dads. I guess I started calling Abigale, Mom, and no one had a problem with it, so it just stuck. It never confused Katy and me that we had two dads and two moms. It was just how it was. I just figured I was extra lucky to have that much love.”

“You are lucky,” Ben whispers, and my heart immediately hurts for him. I guess he senses it because he shakes his head. “Don’t feel sorry for me. I’m glad you grew up having that many people to love you. They sound like pretty awesome people.”

“They’re the best.”

We stay in the tub until the water turns cold, and even then, Ben complains about getting out. His pout is adorable, and I have to fight back a chuckle at his cuteness. Once we’re out, I wrap a towel around my waist and grab my fluffiest one for Ben, draping it over his shoulders and gently rubbing him, drying his body off the best I can.

“Come on, sweet boy. Let’s sleep,” I say, pulling him into my room.

“I didn’t bring a change of clothes,” he grumbles but doesn’t fight me.

“I’ll set an early alarm so you have plenty of time to go home and change in the morning,” I assure him.

That appears to be all the encouragement he needs, climbing into my bed and holding the blankets open so I can join him. My heart beats a little faster at the way he’s smiling softly.

It’s becoming blatantly obvious that I’m going to fall hard and fast for this boy. I’m just not sure if there is anything I can or even want to do about it.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

BEN

My body is sweating when I wake up. I try to kick off the blankets that are clearly making it too warm but freeze when a deep grumble comes from behind me. Shit, it isn’t the blankets causing my body to overheat, it’s the fucking furnace of a person holding me.

An almost paralyzing panic rushes up my spine but calms when a familiar voice whispers, “We have another thirty minutes before my alarm is set to go off, go back to sleep.”

It’s Ian, not some random stranger, not a predator, and not someone who wants to hurt me. I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself. Slowly, my heart rate returns to normal.

I’ve never spent the night with any of my previous hookups. I didn’t want people to get the wrong impression.

I never realized the absolute fear and terror that would take over my body when I woke up with someone wrapped around me.

“Are you okay?” Ian asks, sensing something isn’t right.

I roll over to rest my head on his chest, kissing him there. “I think so,” I reply quietly. “Just had a minor panic attack when my brain was still sleepy. I forgot where I was and who I was with.”

“Is that common for you?” he inquires.

“I don’t know. I’ve never spent the night with someone. It might have something to do with growing up in the foster system.” Ian’s body stiffens at my words, and I rush to continue, not wanting him to jump to the wrong conclusion. “I was never touched or anything, but kids talk. It wasn’t uncommon to hear about foster parents crawling into bed with kids and making them promise not to say anything.

“Some kids considered it better than being beaten or starved, so they never told any other adults. I’m pretty sure it’s something all foster kids worry about, even if it hasn’t happened to them.

“Since I’ve never brought a hookup back to my house and haven’t slept over with anyone until last night, I didn’t realize that fear still lingered deep inside.”

Ian kisses the top of my head, and I melt a little, which is way too dangerous for someone like me.

I cannot fall for him.

Not ever.

Things might be light, new, and fun right now, but the start of hockey season is right around the corner, and I’m going to be busy as fuck. That’s why I came up with the friends-with-benefits scenario. I don’t have time for a relationship, and I definitely don’t need feelings fucking things up.

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