Page 5 of Goaltender Interference

Fuck!

Part of Connor was tempted to drag the bottle upstairs now and get his hand on himself while he replayed the feel of Jesse’s tongue in his mouth and the sound of his low moan. The hard press of his body …

The other part of Connor felt frozen, like he was waiting for something to jolt him out of this stupid spiral of drunken confusion.

Connor gulped down the water, the sound of someone’s laughter making him glance back toward the lobby. Several more people streamed in through the front doors and he wondered if maybe the reception was winding down. It sure looked like it.

He froze, whiskey glass halfway to his lips, when Jesse sauntered past.

No matter how annoying Webber could be, he looked damn good in his tailored navy-blue suit. He had the jacket draped over his shoulder, shirt on but only half-buttoned, hair a mess.

Possibly still from Connor’s hands. He flushed at the thought.

Somehow, Connor always thought of Jesse as being a blond but his hair was actually quite dark brown, streaked through with lighter strands, like he’d been out in the sun this summer.

He reminded Connor of the yuppies from the wealthy suburbs of Boston, the country club assholes whose parents had gobs of old money. Guys who’d gone to prep schools and had private development coaches from the moment they got on skates.

The kind who summered on the Vineyard or the Cape.

Jesse Webber was from Ontario andConnorwas the one who’d grown up in Massachusetts with a rich father who took them on trips to Cape Cod and paid for his sons to have as much private skills development as they wanted, so maybe it wasn’t a fair comparison to make, but Jesse definitely had thatlook.

He glanced over, catching Connor’s gaze, and Connor sucked in a breath at the intensity.

Jesse did have that square-jawed, high-cheekboned pretty boy prep-school look though. The clear blue eyes and the cocky quirk of his full lips.

The ones that had felt so good against Connor’s own …

Connor was on his feet before he could think twice, tossing down a bill from his wallet.

The bartender glanced up. “That’s more than enough to cover the bottle and a tip, buddy.”

Connor looked at the denomination on the bill, shrugged, and pocketed his wallet. “Keep them both.”

“Thanks,” the guy said, sounding surprised, but Connor was already halfway across the bar.

He strode to the elevators but people were already piling on, the car filling quickly. Jesse stood in the back, surprise lighting his face when his gaze met Connor’s.

Connor wanted to apologize for running earlier. Wanted to pull Jesse out of the elevator and drag him into his room to kiss him again and see what he looked like under that suit?—

The elevator doors closed and Connor cursed, stepping forward to jab at theUparrow. The car on the other side opened and Connor hurried inside, searching for theDoor Closebutton.

“Hold the door please, young man!” a woman called and Connor tried not to curse as an elderly couple toddled slowly toward him.

He bit the inside of his cheek while he held the door for them, politely asked what floor they needed, then waited as patiently as he could manage while they got off.

Fuck! He had no idea what floor Jesse was getting off on.

With a sigh, Connor admitted he’d lost his chance and that was probably for the best. He leaned his head against the mirrored wall, eyes closed, waiting for the elevator to whisk him to his floor.

Once there, he stepped out, expecting the hall to be empty, freezing when he spotted a man in a navy-blue suit disappearing through the door a few down from his.

“Wait!” Connor called out, jogging toward it, hoping desperately that it was Jesse and not some other random guy with a great ass and shoulders he was chasing down. “Wait.”

He pressed his palm to the nearly closed door and a moment later, he was face-to-face with a confused Jesse Webber.

“I’m sorry,” Connor said, a little softer now. “I’m sorry I bolted earlier.”

Jesse arched an eyebrow, studying his face for a moment before he nodded. “Want to make it up to me?”

---