Page 71 of The Friend Zone

“Because teammates help each other?” Ryker’s shit eating grin would piss me off if he wasn’t literally saving my ass.

“Yeah, but—” I begin backtracking, but Ryker sweeps in to win the argument once and for all.

“No butts. Teammates help each other, so my final offer is that you’re going to move in and stop bitching about paying rent. Seriously man, I don’t need your money. I just need your help to run some drills on the ice. Do that for me and we’ll call it even. If you still feel like you want to repay me with money, just buy me a nice dinner when you get your signing bonus. If we go to the Country Club, it’ll probably cost you like a couple of months rent anyway.”

Shit.

I knew I liked Ryker when we immediately hit it off during summer training camp, but I would have never guessed how real a friend he would turn out to be.

If sharing Bay’s time with him didn’t sound impossible before, his generosity makes me feel even more confident thatwe’ll be able to work out any problems like good friends. Like brothers even.

“Thank you, man. I seriously owe you.”

Ryker nods. “Don’t sweat it. Now, let me go back downstairs. I want to make sure they really took out the trash. I’ll leave you two kids to all the things I’m sure you want totalkabout.”

His knowing smile says that he thinks Bay and I aren’t going to do much talking. Once again, I appreciate the space he’s willing to give us. I know how hard it must be.

“Thank you, Ryker. It seems that’s what I keep saying tonight.”

He chuckles, touching Bay’s lips with his in a quick goodnight kiss. “Just make sure that you have some fun,” he says with a wink in my direction and a playful slap to Bay’s butt. “And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

The second Ryker closes the door behind himself, my eyes meet Bay’s.

I couldn’t even say who makes the first move, but she’s in my arms in the blink of an eye.

“Baby,” I say, my lips a breath away from hers. “I love you so much. I’m so sorry for how distant I’ve been lately. It wasn’t just Topher’s threats. I was also trying to protect myself from my own feelings. I was sure you didn’t feel the same way about me.”

Bay shakes her head, a playful glint in her eyes. “I was sure you found me physically repulsive when you refused to kiss me.”

I gasp. “Repulsive? Bay, do you need to get glasses? Because just look at yourself, baby. You’re the most beautiful woman in the world. I would have to be blind not to find you attractive. I almost kissed you at that party, right before Topher interrupted us with that stupid kissing game.”

It’s Bay’s turn to gasp. “You were? I thought you might, but then you started avoiding me like I had the plague. I was so confused.”

I close my eyes, resting my forehead against hers. “Your ex did everything he could to keep us apart, but I can’t believe we almost fucked this up. If that party game hadn’t gotten us to kiss, I might have never told you how I feel, Bay. I was seriously convinced I was just a friend to you.”

Her gaze softens. “I don’t blame you, Cole. I thought the same thing about you. But I’m glad things worked out the way they did. My plan was to make out with Ryker in front of Topher to mess with him. We were lucky the bottle ended up pointing to you.”

I trace her jaw with my gentlest touch. “And now, I can kiss you any time I want. Right?”

Bay’s smile turns mischievous. “I hope you’ll do a lot more than kiss me. We’re alone in this beautiful room, with that huge bed waiting just for us.”

I’d be lying if I said that her words don’t go straight to my cock. They do. But as all my blood begins rushing south, my chest fills with anxiety.

“Baby,” I’m embarrassed, but we’ve seen what keeping secrets almost did to us. “I want nothing but to spend all night showing you how much I love you…”

She pulls back, just enough to look me in the eye. “Is there a but? Cole, if you don’t want me?—”

“Fuck no,” I cut her off. “I want you more than I want to win a Stanley Cup. More than fucking air. It’s just… please bear with me on all this. I’m going to need a second chance.”

She tilts her head, confused. “A second chance? At what?”

I sigh. If Bay and I are going to be together, I need to learn to open up. “At sex. I promise I’ll take care of you, but the first time we do it, I might last five seconds.”

Bay laughs. “Oh come on, sweetie. I’m excited too. We’re going to?—”

“No, I mean it. You have to understand. Being with you this way is all I’ve been dreaming about for a long time. It’s not just that finally I get to have you, Bay. It’s also been a while since I’ve been with anyone. So the huge dry spell plus being with you, might mean I’m going to be the biggest two pump chump in history.”

Her reaction isn’t what I expected.

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