Page 118 of Goaltender Interference

Connor laughed, a big, loud, booming laugh, and the warm sensation inside Jesse’s chest grew.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Three days later, Jesse woke in Connor’s bed to the sound of Connor snoring lightly. It wasn’t obnoxious, much softer than Matty Carlson had been. He’d practically made the Toronto plane shake with his snores when he slept on the flights. By comparison, this was like a kitten’s purr.

Kinda cute, actually.

A glance at the clock showed Jesse they had about ten minutes before the alarm went off and they had to dress for the game against Evanston, so he settled his head on the pillow again, allowing himself to drift. Connor’s arm was warm and heavy against his ribs and he smelled good.

Like the warm, spicy bodywash he used at home.

Jesse smiled sleepily when Connor began to stir a little, his hand reflexively tightening against Jesse’s abs, then loosening. He shifted closer, brushing his lips against the back of Jesse’s neck, making him shiver.

It wasn’t the start of something—Connor wasn’t into sex before a game and Jesse understood—but Connor still swept a hand up and down across Jesse’s abs, his palm warm, his lips even warmer as they trailed across Jesse’s spine.

Jesse shifted back until he could feel every inch of Connor’s body against his, winding their ankles together. He liked this new ritual they had, their pre-game nap together in Connor’s darkened bedroom. The house was quiet and still because Nolan had a game tonight too and the girls were at their grandparents’ place.

Connor pressed one final kiss to Jesse’s shoulder, then pulled away with a quiet sigh. He didn’t speak—he was always very quiet after his nap, at least until they got to the arena—and Jesse assumed it was part of his pre-game routine.

“God, I slept well,” Jesse said, sitting up and stretching. “Seemed like you did too. You were snoring.”

Connor shot him a faint smile as he walked over to the closet.

He didn’t say anything, but he never seemed to mind Jesse’s perpetual chatter either.

Jesse tugged sweats on over his underwear, then went in the bathroom to pee and brush his teeth. When he came out, Connor was dressed in a subtle gray and midnight blue check suit with a crisp white shirt and a midnight blue tie hung loose around his neck.

Jesse gave him a blatant appreciative up-and-down look and Connor flushed, gaze darting away to look at his reflection in the mirror and focus on knotting his tie.

He was so funny when he got bashful.

Jesse pressed against his back, kissed his warm cheek, then patted his chest before he left the room.

In his own bedroom, he picked out a suit, going for a dusty teal with a subtle windowpane pattern, white shirt, and black tie with small polka dots in shades of teal, salmon, lavender, and tan that reminded him of little sprinkles of confetti. A touch of something fun and whimsical to make Jesse smile.

Connor drove them to the arena, stopping on the way for Dunkin’ Donuts. Jesse was deeply unimpressed with the coffee chain—he was a Timmies’ guy, through and through—but it was part of Connor’s pre-game ritual and even Jesse wouldn’t mess with that.

Connor ordered his usual coffee and Jesse got hot water. They didn’t have the orange pekoe he used to order from Tim Hortons, so Jesse had taken to stocking his own. Connor had rolled his eyes when Jesse stashed some in his glove box but when Jesse had reminded him pre-game rituals were important, he’d nodded and added the “large hot water” to his order.

Now, he handed it off to Jesse, who dropped his tea bag into the cup and inhaled the fragrant steam. It amused him that Connor made the “no-talking” exception for his coffee order and nothing else, but after they pulled away from Dunkin’, Jesse resumed his earlier topic of conversation, undeterred by Connor’s silence.

“I am stilldyingto know more about Thad Racine,” Jesse said. “Can you believe Gavin gave him a job as assistant social media manager?”

Connor shrugged.

“I mean, total nepotism there, right? But it makes sense if the guy desperately needs a job. I’m sure a burglary charge makes it hard to get employment.”

Connor sipped his coffee.

“He’s good-looking though, no? Hot in a different way than Gavin.”

With a grunt, Connor side-eyed him.

“Oh, don’t get your boxers in a bunch,” Jesse said. “I’m not interested in either of them. I’m just pointing out they’re hot. You know people have thought about getting in the middle of a sandwich like that.”

The vaguely disgusted look Connor shot him told Jesse how he felt about that and he laughed. “I’m not sayingIdo. They’re brothers so that would be a little weird. Although I dunno. Maybe that’s something to think about. You’ve got three brothers …”

Connor’s eyes bugged out and he made a strangled noise, tugging at the knot in his tie.

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