Page 26 of Goaltender Interference

Who was he kidding? His ass always looked good.

He expected a snarky retort from Connor so when none came, he glanced over his shoulder. Connor was staring out the window, jaw clenched.

Ahh shit.Talk about a joke not landing right.

“Dude, I was kidding,” Jesse said, because he could tell he’d touched a raw nerve he hadn’t meant to poke at. “I bet you’re a great dad.”

Connor didn’t glance in Jesse’s direction. “Shower. Now.”

“Fine …”

Leaving the clothes behind, Jesse disappeared into the bathroom, not bothering to shut the door. Hopefully Connor would be curious enough to take a peek.

Jesse flipped on the water, then looked around. It was a nice bathroom. He’d been too tired to care what it looked like last night, just stumbled into a hot shower, then stood under the running water with his eyes closed. But in the light of day, thespace was long and narrow, with a marble vanity and marble-walled shower. Clean and bright and stylish.

Gorgeous, but something about it didn’t quite feel like Connor.

Jesse felt slightly more alive by the time he got out of the hot shower. After a quick brush of his teeth, some skincare, then putting a little product in his hair and blow-drying, he was done.

He was surprised to come out into the bedroom to see Connor gone.

With a shrug, Jesse looked around the room. He hadn’t had time to inspect it last night either, too tired to give a shit about anything but sleep. But it was also beautiful, bright and open with white walls and tons of natural light. A bay window overlooked Monument Street and two chairs and a little table were tucked underneath.

The bed was massive and even if Jesse hadn’t been so tired last night, he was pretty sure he’d have found it incredibly comfortable.

Honestly, it wouldn’t be a bad place to live for the season. As soon as he convinced Connor to chill the fuck out and agree to hook up occasionally, this would beperfect.

Jesse dressed in jeans, a tee, and a hoodie, then jogged down the stairs, assuming he’d probably find Connor there. He glanced around the open-plan living/dining/kitchen area, which was as clean, bright, and stylish as his bedroom suite had been—and equally not quite Connor.

Jesse found Connor standing by the island, eating. Mouth full, he pointed to a plate and mug of coffee.

Jesse took them, then settled on a leather swivel stool at the counter. “Thanks. This looks good,” he said, staring at the plate of food. There was a breakfast burrito—homemade from the look of the pan and cutting board sitting beside the sink—fresh fruit, and, best of all,coffee.

Jesse pulled the mug toward him.Oh yeah, come to momma.

Jesse glanced around and, still chewing, Connor pointed to sugar and cream. Smiling, Jesse stirred in some cream, forgoing the sugar.

The coffee was great and so was the breakfast. By the time it was all in his stomach, Jesse was still exhausted but at least he didn’t feel like death anymore.

“Thanks,” he said quietly. “That was nice of you to make me breakfast.”

“Well, I didn’t want any more cracks about my shitty hospitality,” Connor said gruffly, reaching for Jesse’s plate.

“Honestly, I am sorry I got in so late and had to wake you up,” Jesse said. “I didn’t … I didn’tmeanto.”

Connor softened, just a fraction, but it was enough for Jesse to see a hint of a smile behind his beard. “I know. And I should have told you about the weird street names. I know it’s confusing and it isn’t the first time this has happened.”

“But I made it in one piece!” Jesse said.

“That’s good. We do need a goaltender.” Connor sighed and glanced at the clock on the wall. “But we need to get going now. Do you wanna carpool?”

“I can drive!” Jesse protested. “I want to get a feel for the city, you know? It was pretty in the dark but I want to see it in the daytime.”

“Well, you’ll have plenty of time for that,” Connor said with another faint smile. “But if I can trust you to actually get there on time … sure, you can drive.”

“Hey!” Jesse protested. “Unless I cross a border or get behind another lube spill, I should be fine.”

“And I’ll make sure you have the right address this time,” Connor said drily. “Give me your phone so I can pull up the Harrier Community Ice Arena on your navigation app. Otherwise you’ll probably end up at the arena instead of HCI or something.”

---