Page 159 of Goaltender Interference

“You don't have to, of course,” Gavin hastily added. “This isn't an order from your general manager. Just, maybe an ask from someone who has his eyes on everything going on in the organization and maybe can't focus too much on the details ofwhat happens around here day to day …” Gavin looked suddenly weary.

“Yeah, no problem. If I see anything that appears to be off, I'll let you know,” Connor assured him.

“Thank you. I appreciate it.” There was relief in Gavin's voice. “Just be aware. He's—he's quite charming.”

Connor nodded, not entirely sure what that meant. It wasn't like Connor was a single man and likely to fall into bed with him.

“I’m just saying, sometimes people get pulled in by the charm and miss that he’s also dragged them into something he shouldn’t.”

“Right.”

“Anyway. I think that's all unless you have anything else you want to discuss today.”

“No, I'm all set if you are,” Connor said truthfully. “Jesse is working with Dakota now so I’ll run downstairs and see if they're done. If not, I can wait there until he is.”

“Sounds good. I think I'll walk there with you, if that's alright. I need to speak to Dakota about something.”

“Sure.”

On the way down to the lower level, Gavin asked Connor about his upcoming holiday plans and they agreed it felt odd to have American Thanksgiving so late this year.

“It’s so nice of your family to arrange something for the whole team and staff,” Gavin said.

“Ma is a rockstar,” Connor agreed. She’d organized an upcoming Thanksgiving open house, where people with other family events could pop in whenever was convenient for them, and the guys who didn’t have family in the area could hang out at all day. “I don’t know where any of us would be without her.”

Gavin shot him a smile.

“What about you?” Connor asked. “Are you doing anything?”

“I don’t usually.”

“Your family’s not that far, right? Just in Pennsylvania.”

Gavin tensed. “That’s where Thad and I grew up, yes. Our parents, uh, moved after the arrest. It was uncomfortable for them to stay.”

“Gotcha. Sorry. Didn’t mean to pry.”

Gavin waved it off. “You’re fine.”

“So you’ll stop by on Thanksgiving then?” Connor asked. “You and Thad are both welcome.”

“I’m not sure what his plans are but we’ll see.”

Honestly that sounded like a brush-off to Connor but he nodded. “Sure. Sounds good.”

Thankfully, they’d arrived at the workout area of the facility and Connor stepped through the open door of the Pilates and yoga studio.

It was a long rectangular room with mirrored walls. Toward the back, rows of Pilates Reformer machines were set up. They always reminded Connor of a medieval torture device. To behonest, they kindafeltlike a medieval torture device when he was on them.

He’d thought he was in shape the first time he’d used one and had been humbled by how challenging it was. Yoga he’d been doing for a lot longer, and while he was nowhere near as flexible as Jesse, he did enjoy it.

At the front of the room Jesse and Dakota were on their hands and knees on the mats, both in profile to the door.

“Okay,” Dakota instructed, “Keep your hips aligned over your knees and slowly walk your hands forward as far as you comfortably can. Good. Now relax the weight of your upper body down toward the floor.”

Jesse gracefully lowered his chest onto the mat, his back arched into a deep bend.

Connor gulped, suddenly reminded of the time he’d fucked Jesse in that exact position.

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