Page 101 of On Ice

He murmurs, “No, you’re not a good man. Not really.” His fingers lightly tease my ribs. “You’re good in bed though.”

“Thanks. But I already knew that.”

He laughs. “God, you truly are an egomaniac.” He inches closer, resting his head on my back. He rubs his stubbled cheek against my skin, and my cock stirs.

He’s being so affectionate, it should make me uneasy. But it doesn’t. I like it. I enjoy that he wants to be near me, even though we’ve already fucked. I probably should have had him go back to his own room, but I want him here in my bed. It makes no logical sense, but it feels natural to have him beside me.

“You have a game against the Boston Titans this week, right?” I ask. I’m already thinking ahead to when I can get Evan back in my bed. Some players believe that not having sex before a game helps keep them focused and aggressive on the ice. I’m curious where Evan stands on that.

“Yep. Wednesday. I’m hoping the home-ice advantage gives us the edge.”

“Oh, you’re going to bury them,” I say confidently. “I’ve watched enough of their games to know that.”

He lifts his head, grinning. “Yeah?”

I nod. “The Ice Hawks will run them out of the building.”

His grin widens. “You know, I wasn’t sure at first, but you actually love hockey, don’t you?” He moves to lean on his elbow, watching me. “You didn’t just buy the Ice Hawks for gambling. You actually love the game.”

My face warms and I shrug. “Yeah, I do. I don’t really let anyone know that though, so don’t spread it around. My dad didn’t approve of my fascination with the sport.”

His smile fades. “Why not?”

“He didn’t want me to have any interests that weren’t connected to the Barone family business,” I say quietly. “So I kept my outside interests to myself.”

“Seriously? You weren’t allowed to be interested in anything else?”

“Let’s just say it wasn’t encouraged.” I grimace. “Anyway, when’s your next game after the Boston Titans?”

“Saturday against the Toronto Strikers. It’s an away game. Why?”

I push up onto my elbows and meet his curious gaze. “What’s your take on sex before a game?”

He blinks at me, looking thoughtful. “Uh… to be honest, I don’t think much about it. If I want to hook up, I hook up. If anything, sex helps me relax and sleep better the night before a big game.”

“I like the sound of that,” I rumble, running my gaze over his body.

He lays down, facing me. He reaches out and runs his hand down my back, grazing my bare ass with his nails. “Does that mean I should knock on your door more often?”

“Yeah, if I don’t knock on yours first.” I get on my knees and move to straddle him. He smiles, putting his hands on my hips. I lower my head and take his mouth in a slow, seductive kiss. I nudge his nose with mine, smiling down at him. “Fuck, I like it when we get along, Evan.”

“Me too,” he mutters, his eyes glittering with lust.

“Maybe we should get tested so we can skip the rubbers.” I watch his face to gauge his reaction. He doesn’t look put off by the suggestion. If anything he seems excited.

“Fuck, yeah.”

Pleased, I stretch across the bed to grab another condom from the bedside table. “But until then, we’re stuck using these.”

“I’m just glad we’re finally enjoying the benefits of our arrangement.”

I tear open the condom package with my teeth. “Me too. We wasted a lot of time being at each other’s throats.”

“Yeah.” He takes the condom from me and slowly rolls it down my length. I shiver as he gently strokes his palm over my balls. “Let’s not waste anymore.”

****

It’s the end of the week and Marco and I are riding in my SUV with Danny at the wheel. We’re on our way to meet with Vincent and his second for a business lunch. Marco is getting around much better and is down to one crutch, so he’s back on the job.

---