Page 56 of Kiss and Make Love

Something about the fucking idiot goofball had wormed its way into his brain and wouldn’t leave him alone. He’d never admit it out loud, but Cooper was a decent player. Alright, more than decent. He was fucking phenomenal. Perhaps that’s what stirred him up so terribly. Alex was used to being the best, the fastest, the strongest. He worked his fucking ass off to be. Then Cooper comes strolling along in his red and white jersey, pantsing his teammates, hanging off their shoulders, taking nothing seriously, and sticking out his beautiful fucking tongue like a golden fucking retriever.

He wanted to taste that tongue. Needed to. Cooper was like a drug. One moment of weakness in the locker room, and he was hooked. Who could’ve resisted? Water droplets still clinging to his body. Blond curls dampened from the shower. Cheeks rounded from his cocky grin. White towel slung low on his hips. Cooper’s cock was his in that moment, and he’d made it happen. And again in the storage closet.

They’d played each other twice now and weren’t scheduled for a re-match anytime soon. If he wanted to see Cooper, he’d have to make a point of it. Noaccidentalrun-ins happened when you lived eight hours apart. But after their practice match, Cooper had snuck into the Renegades locker room and stolen his equipment bag. Not just his street clothes, not just his backup jersey—everything but his wallet. How fucking kind. Every single thing was gone, and Alex ended up bumming a ride home from Michael in his dirty uniform, using the spare key hidden under his mat to let himself in the door. Because Cooper had taken his keys, too. Thank fuck Alex had backups of everything.

He needed to teach Cooper a lesson. Show up on his doorstep in Calgary and take back what was his. And maybe take something else… He knew he wouldn’t be turned away. For as much as Cooper put up a fight, Alex knew he wanted him just as bad.

They had the long weekend off. That was in nine days. He’d drive to Calgary on Friday, then be back in Regina for Monday morning. He needed to get his things. Had to. Friday night, he could stop at Cooper’s, rough him up a bit, and take back his stuff. Spend the rest of the weekend checking out the Saddledome or…shit. What did they have there? The Calgary Tower? That one infuriating blue ring they considered art?

Alex didn’t even know where Cooper lived. How was he supposed to storm up to his door when he didn’t knowwhere Cooper lived?

Someone had to know. He’d text Brendan—he had a brother on the Coyotes. No doubt he’d be able to get some information that way. And if anyone asked, Alex would just say he had a bone to pick with Cooper.

In person.

As soon as humanly possible.

COOPER

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Cooper yelled toward the front door. “Sheesh.” What kind of heathen pounded on someone’s door at eleven thirty at night?

He let out a heavy sigh as he threw open the door.

Oh.

Thatkind of heathen.

Alex stood at the threshold of his foyer, looking like a crazed silverback gorilla escaped from the zoo. Cooper’s eyebrows shot up. “Uh…what are you doing here, bud? You know it’s almost midnight, yeah?”

Alex cocked an eyebrow and asked, “What do you think I’m doing here, Coop?”

“Honestly?” Cooper hesitated. There wasn’t a good explanation as to why the loose forward for the Renegades was standing in front of him at that very moment. “I don’t have a clue, Bouchard.”

“You took my fucking things. Where’s my equipment bag? Where’s my fucking house key?”

Cooper schooled his features, knowing full well Alex’s bag was sitting in his garage. “Who said I have any of your stuff?”

“I know you took it. Jason saw you skulking around our locker room right after the practice match.” He pointed directly in Cooper’s face.

Pushing Alex’s invasive finger out of his line of sight, Cooper said, “Even if I took it, which I didn’t, who would drive all the way here from Regina on their weekend off just to get it back? That’s a bit much.”

“Taking all my shit is a bit much, Fifteen. I need it to play,” Alex grumbled.

Cooper wrinkled his nose. “Again, it’s the long weekend. No teams are playing. You don’t need your stuff right this instant…”

Alex huffed. “So you have it. Give it back, and I can be on my way.”

Shaking his head, Cooper said, “There’s no way you drove all the way here and had the audacity to basically kick down my door just to get your shit.”

For a moment—just one moment—Alex’s stern expression faltered before he replied, “That’s exactly why I’m here.”

This was a cover. He’d bet his left nut. Cooper couldn’t keep his eyes from bulging at the realization. “You came allthe way to Calgary to see me, didn’t you?”

“Fuck it.” Alex pushed past him and entered Cooper’s townhouse. “You got a roommate? Roommates?” he asked, scanning the living area and peeking down the hallway.

“One. He’s in Peace River for the long weekend visiting his family.”

Tipping his head to the ceiling, Alex closed his eyes for a second and mouthed something Cooper couldn’t quite make out.

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