Page 79 of Cold as Ice

“You got this,” Ivan crowed. “On your right! No! On your left!”

Finn growled, but he barely managed to move his goalie into place just in time to deflect Ramsey’s last shot.

His expression was a mask of determination, and he pushed back immediately, and before Ramsey could get into position, he was sinking another goal.

“Goal!” Ivan cried, patting Finn on the back excitedly. “See!”

Ramsey shot Finn a rueful glance across the table. “Told you that you had it.”

Finn rolled his eyes, clearly downplaying how much winning had meant.

But Elliott could see it; he’d doubted his instincts, after those two goals today. And now, he didn’t have to anymore.

He’d just proven they were solid and strong.

Elliott looked over at Ramsey, and his face was full of exaggerated disappointment, but underneath? That was all opaque. Elliott couldn’t read it.

“We’re going to take off. Got to get Elliott prepped for this big test, in two weeks,” Mal said.

His excuse was a little overdone—if Elliott hadn’t been participating, he might’ve guessed what wasreallyhappening—but none of the guys seemed particularly interested in what they were going to do.

Even Ramsey was still carefully watching Finn.

“Good game,” Elliott said to Finn, patting him on the shoulder and then tugging him into a quick hug. “Both of them.”

A few minutes later they were out on the sidewalk, heading towards Elliott’s dorm in silence. There was only the pitter patter of the leftover raindrops, from the still-wet leaves, hitting the ground, but it had actually stopped raining while they were in the arcade.

“I’m pretty sure Ramsey threw that game,” Mal finally said, breaking the quiet, “but damned if I know how he did it. It seemed really legit, all the way up til—”

“Til it was obvious just how much Finn needed that reminder that he was fine?” Elliott nodded.

“Yeah,” Mal agreed.

“Ramsey’s a great guy. And he did Finn a solid there.” Elliott bumped Mal’s arm. Ignored the itch he felt to reach down and just take it, grasp it. He’d feel Mal’s callouses. He was almost as familiar with them as he was with his own, at this point. It had been too goddamn long since they’d touched, and it was maybe an hour and a half, atbest.

You are so done for.

“Finn needs to learn how to do himself a solid,” Mal said.

Elliott didn’t disagree, but then nobody knew how tough it was being in Finn’s skates, except for Finn.

“He’s getting there,” Elliott reminded Mal. This time Mal bumpedhimback, and okay, maybe they were both in this same situation.

They turned the corner towards Lewis, Elliott’s dorm, and went up the stairs, finally hitting the foyer. They could either take the stairs or the elevator.

It was an easy decision. He was tired. They were probablybothtired, and if he had to wait one more freaking minute to get Mal alone? Well, he didn’t know if he could.

The moment they were in the elevator, Elliott wasted not a second more of time.

He pushed right into Mal’s space, nudging him against the back wall, pressing his palms against his chest.

After the game, Mal had put on a thick plaid flannel shirt, and from the wedge of skin Elliott could see at the neck, he was pretty damn sure he wasn’t wearing anything underneath it.

Elliott was also pretty damn sure he was going to undo every single one of those taunting, tantalizing buttons with his teeth.

“What are you doing?” Mal asked, having the nerve to look surprised.

“What do you think I’m doing?” Elliott retorted, amused.

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