Page 62 of Playoff

“That’s it, boys. We’re going to overtime.” Coach Vanek turns and heads down the tunnel as the buzzer sounds and we all shuffle behind him.

The excitement of a few minutes ago has faded to anxious determination.

We have to score first.

That’s all there is to it.

NINETEEN

Rowan

It’s heartbreakingto watch Alaska win game six in double overtime. The guys played so hard but it just wasn’t enough.

So now we’re on to game seven, where it’ll be do or die.

Everyone is fairly dejected as we head back to the hotel, and I go straight to my room. I want to shower and relax. Blake scored two goals, but I know some of the guys are talking about having a few drinks, so I figure I won’t see him tonight. I don’t think we had a plan in place for scoring two goals and losing…

I’ve just gotten out of the shower when I hear a knock on my door and I pad in that direction, peering out of the peephole.

Blake.

He’s obviously as sexually motivated as ever.

I quickly open the door and tug him inside before anyone can see him. “Hi,” I say. “What are you doing here? I thought you were going drinking?”

He arches his brows and slowly looks me up and down. “You think I’d rather go drinking with the boys than go down on you? Seriously?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure… I didn’t think two goals would come with aloss.”

“Tell me about it.” He sinks down on the edge of the bed, all playfulness suddenly gone. “I’m sure my dad is having a field day with this.”

“Hey.” I walk over and sit beside him. “This wasnotyour fault. You played your ass off. You didn’t draw any of the penalties. You scored two goals. You were out there for a long time—this really isn’t on anyone. You guys played hard as a team. They played a tiny bit harder. But it’s not quantifiable. It’s just part of the game.”

“I know.” He leans forward, resting his forearms on his thighs.

“How about a massage?” I ask softly.

“You do enough of that at work,” he says. “You don’t need to do it when you’re relaxing.”

“But I want to.” I stand up and let the robe I’ve been wearing slowly fall off my shoulders, down my back, and eventually puddle at my feet. “And I promise—I don’t give naked massagesat work.”

“Fuck, I hope not. No one would ever want to do anything else.” His eyes darken as he looks me up and down again. “You are fucking beautiful.”

“Thank you, but for this to work, you have to be naked too.”

“That’s not a problem.” He stands up and quickly sheds his clothes.

“Now, face down on the bed,” I say. “Go on.”

“But I can’t see you if I’m face down,” he protests.

“No… but you’ll be able to feel me.”

He lays down and I crawl onto the bed after him, straddling his hips. There’s a faint red spot forming on one of his shoulders and I run my hands over it. “This from that hit in the first overtime?”

“I think so, yeah.”

“Does it hurt?” I put a little pressure on it.

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