Page 62 of Good Pucking Luck

“Yes, sir.”

“Oooh. I like that. Say it again.” He pumps his brows, and even while I’m shaking my head, a grin pulls at my lips. I’ve never known someone like Rylan. Someone so playful and fun-loving. Someone who doesn’t take life too seriously but is also incredibly responsible and a hard worker. It’s like nothing ever gets to him, nothing brings him down because he looks at the world and all he sees is the sunshine and never allows himself to focus on the rain. “What?” he asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Hmm?”

“You’re staring at me funny.”

“Oh, just spacing off.” I hurry away from him, give Puck some love, and then rush to the downstairs bathroom to get changed, reminding myself that none of this means anything…and lie to myself again that I don’t want it to.

*

“How often doyou see your parents?” Rylan asks while we’re lying on a large blanket on the sand. There’s a basket next to us with food. We’re both on our backs, but he turns to his side, arm bent and head resting in his hand.

“Once or twice a year. They stay fairly busy with the hotels and traveling. They like to spend a lot of time in London.”

“Do you still like traveling? I know you did a lot of it when you were growing up, and you still do once in a while now for work.”

It’s not something I’ve had to do since my trip to Seattle, but I never know when it might happen. If there are problems at one of my hotels, I always go.

“Yes and no. I appreciate being able to stay in LA most of the time. I like feeling settled.”

“I can see that.” Rylan reaches over with his other hand and rubs a finger over one of my nipples.

“What about you?”

“I can’t pretend it doesn’t get exhausting during the season. Over forty games a regular season are on the road, and that doesn’t count the preseason or playoffs, but it’s cool that I’ve gotten to see so many places. It wasn’t a possibility for me when I was a kid.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, and he frowns.

“Why?”

Shit. Was that the wrong thing to say? “I don’t know. Clearly, there’s nothing wrong with not having traveled, but I know things were difficult when you were young. Sometimes I wonder why me, ya know? It’s strange the way the world works, the things some people are given compared to others, but then I also look at your relationship with your parents compared to mine. I love them, and I know they love me. They’ve always accepted me and supported me, but we don’t have that bond you have with yours. I guess everyone’s lives are just different.” Which sounds like the dumbest thing I could have said. What is wrong with me? “I’m sorry if I said something I shouldn’t have.”

“You didn’t.” He leans in and presses his mouth to mine. He’s been doing that a lot, and it’s making my head spin. Rylan’s hand lowers to my belly, which again, isn’t nearly as hard or muscular as his. “The thing is, we grew up in totally different worlds, in totally different ways, but we have things in common too. We both grew up with parents who love and support us. We both felt a little out of place in the world.”

I frown. “Why did you feel that way?” I can’t imagine that for Rylan. He’s such a big personality, so confident and strong and…everything.

He shrugs, then flops onto his back. I push up on my elbow and look down at him.

“I think partly because of my biological dad. I couldn’t help feeling unwanted or like something was wrong with me because he chose not to be in my life. Even with Mace around, and as much as I love him, there was always the truth that the man whose blood is in my veins decided I’m not good enough.”

“That’s not true!” I rush out. “You’re incredible.”

He turns his head slightly. “Thanks. I know that now. Then? Not so much. When I started playing hockey, I put all my extra energy into that. I didn’t do a lot of things just for fun because my parents were working so hard to make my dream come true.I didn’t want to let them down. And I didn’t always allow myself to connect to the guys on my youth teams because I was afraid money would get in the way and hockey would be taken from me.”

I trace the bruises on his torso, listening to him, feeling him open up for me.

“Then, as I got older and started to realize I was queer…well, I worried that would get in my way too.”

“But then you decided you would be true to who you are no matter what. That was brave, especially in the sports world.” And very much on brand with who Rylan is.

“Or maybe I was just horny and wanted to be able to fuck guys without worrying about it,” he teases, grabbing me and pulling me on top of him.

“Oh my God. Stop!” But really, I’m not putting up a fight. Being pressed up against a hot body? I’m not a fool.

“Wanna go into the water with me?”

I nod. “But not deep.” Drowning isn’t on my to-do list. Ever.

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