Page 75 of Zero Pucks

“No. I fell down an internet rabbit hole today,” I told him, then darted off to avoid embarrassing myself further.

Pulling the board out of the fridge, I stared at it. It was missing something…bread. It was missing bread. I grabbed a knife and sliced up the baguette I’d grabbed from the bakery section, then threw a few pieces on each side before walking back to where Tucker was waiting.

“I forgot to ask you what you like to eat, so I went with a meat and cheese board.”

His brows lifted. “Charcuterie?Fancy.”

I flushed. “It’s not put together nicely, but, um…well.” It was an idea I’d had, and now I was doubting myself because he was a grown man and athlete who probably needed a whole hell of a lot more than pieces of lunch meat and overpriced soft cheeses.

“Deo?” he asked quietly.

“S-sorry. Sorry.” I stumbled forward and set the tray down without spilling it on him, which was a small triumph. “Drinks? Water or…water. All I have is water.”

His mouth twitched. “I think I’ll go with the water.”

I spun on my heel and rushed out, taking a ridiculous amount of time to pour two glasses. When I came back, he was sitting on the floor with his back to the couch, mouth stuffed full of salami and bread. He grinned at me as I sat and held his hand out for one of the glasses.

“This is delicious.”

“It’s not enough, is it?”

“Is that what you were freaking out about?” He set the glass down, then pinched my chin and kissed me. He tasted like a deli counter smelled. “I usually have a protein shake for lunch. This is perfect.”

I couldn’t tell if he was lying to make me feel better, but it sounded on brand for him. “If there’s anything I do wrong, please tell me. I’m not afraid to face it when I fuck up.”

His expression went stormy. “Deo.” My name came out like a growl, and he took a deep breath, held it, then let it out.

Shit. I’d made him angry. “S-sorry. I just?—”

“No. Baby, no.” He swayed into me. “You’re not a fuckup.”

“That’s not what I said,” I answered weakly.

He snorted. “Yeah, but it’s what you were thinking.”

I couldn’t argue. It was.

“You’re not a fuckup. I don’t care if you served me a pile of slop with a stale bun on the side, okay? The fact that you took the time to do this was kind. And I’m not sure I’ve done enough to deserve it.”

“You mean, aside from being amazing to me, making me feel welcome, and…well…the way you made me feel last night?” I flushed so hard I got dizzy, but I was emboldened by him. I couldn’t let him feel like he didn’t deserve every good thing that happened to him.

Letting out a breath, he twisted his body and reached for me, his arms sliding around my shoulders. “I like you.”

My ears were warm. “I like you too.”

“I—” He stopped abruptly and shook his head.

“Tell me.”

I wasn’t sure he was going to. I watched his face go on a journey I couldn’t quite read, but he was struggling with something. “Kiss me, then say you’ll come to dinner at my place tonight.”

I knew then that wasn’t what he’d meant to say, but I let it go because I wanted to kiss him. And I wanted to say yes, that I would have any meal with him whenever and wherever he wanted. His lips were so soft, so careful with mine, and I closed my eyes, basking in the weight of him as he pressed into me.

He broke it off and knocked our foreheads together. “I want to fool around, but I have to get back soon. I have two more lessons, then an interview with the Legends owner.”

“For the coaching job?”

He grinned as he leaned back. “Yeah. It feels…I don’t know. Odd.”

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