Page 97 of Icing the Play

“What’s next is the scout will talk to the Seattle coaches and my agent and hopefully I’ll get an invitation to development camp.” I tensed my lips. “It’s not a done deal, even if I get invited. I’ll still have to prove myself. But if I don’t?—”

“Stop it, Myles.” Ace clomped his big hand on my shoulder. “There is nobut. Don’t even consider it. Be positive. You’ll succeed, and we’ll all be behind you to make sure of it.”

I stared at Ace. He never doubted himself. He even turned down the Redwings for a spot with the Coyotes that hadn’t been guaranteed. He just knew he could get to where he wanted to be. “Okay, Ace. I’ll make it. Whatever it takes, I’ll be a Kraken next year.”

“Damn right, babe. And you know I’ll be right there with you. We’re going to up our game in the gym this summer. The Kraken won’t know what hit ‘em when they see a player with not only great hockey moves, but great football moves.” Cooper’s eyes twinkled through the phone.

I chuckled. “Will you show me how to hit a guy and throw them over my back?” I noticed he did a lot of that in games.

“Hell yes. I’m going to teach you everything I know,” Cooper said.

“He’s got a point there. In figure skating, we use ballet as a backup to help with our sport. And did you see the football player who also plays rugby?” Zoma sipped his white wine.

“Nate Ebner. The guy is a tank.” With a smirk, Ace drank some beer.

“He’s built like you.” Zoma brushed his hand down Ace’s back.

Ace’s mouth went slack as he eyed Zoma. “Wait a minute, you think he’s hot?”

“Well…” Zoma’s cheeks grew pink. “Not as hot as you.”

“Okay. The whole point here is combining the best of two sports can make a person a better player in both, eh.” Shaking my head, I peered into my screen. “Show me how to hit like a footballer, babe. I’m on board.”

“Hell yes. And you can show me how to hit like a hockey player. We’ll be unstoppable.” He gave me a warm grin. “Anyway, I’ve gotta get on the plane now. Love you and I’ll see you soon.” He turned away for a beat. “Yeah, I’m coming, Eli.”

“Love you too. Bye now.” I hung up the call and drew a deep inhale. He’d be home late, after I was in bed. But I’d be waking up with his hand wrapped around my dick. It was completely natural to me now. I chuckled to myself and drank more of my beer. “I’m going to change into my sweats. Can we play NHL when I come back out?”

“Of course.” Ace gave a knowing look to Zoma. “Babe, can you be the goalie tonight?”

With a huff, Zoma said, “Sure.”

A few weeks later,I sat at the kitchen table with Cooper, studying for our spring midterms. We’d both gone home to Chicago for the holidays to see Tyler and Rowan and spend time with our families. I’d also spent a weekend in Seattle meeting with the Kraken organization. It had all seemed like a dream. Cooper’s regular season was over, and he was preparing for the NFL scouting combine, which was next week in Indianapolis.

ASU fell short in this year’s Frozen Four championship, but I was satisfied with our season. And then Cooper was kicking myass in the gym. No surprise there, but I was excited to see what his training would do for my game.

“Babe, on this lead generation thing. What sort of white paper would you use?” Cooper tapped a mechanical pencil against the side of his head, his face stuck in his open laptop.

“Uh, I think it depends on the type of company and what you’re selling as your expertise.” This class had turned out harder than I’d thought, but it would prepare me for what I might face on social media once I hit the NHL. I watched him, my heart warming.

My phone buzzed over and over on the table beside my laptop.

I glanced at it.Dean Wilsonscrolled across the top. “Shit, it’s my agent.” With my pulse stammering, I nabbed the phone, fumbled it and then answered. “Hello?” I pressed the phone to my ear.

“Myles, good news. We have a deal with the Kraken,” Dean said.

“A-a deal?” As my stomach flounced, I stared at Cooper, who looked at me with a grin spreading over his lips.

“Yes, they want you and Neuman. They’re trading some players and decided to sign you both.”

My jaw dropped. “You mean it’s not just an invitation to development camp? It’s a real contract?” This meant we’d be moving to Seattle after graduation.

“They’re all real, Myles.” Dean chuckled. “You’re getting a two-year entry level contract. They liked what they saw this season and they want a firm deal.”

“Okay.” I swallowed hard, my heart climbing into my throat. All the hard work had finally paid off. “S-so…”

“Pack your bags, Myles. And let your boyfriend know to pack his too.” In a lower voice, Dean said, “You didn’t hear this from me, but I have a friend who’s a scout with the Seahawks and they can’t wait to see what Cooper can do on the field at the combine.”

“Are you shitting me?” With an open-mouthed smile, I crept my gaze to Cooper, watching me intently.

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