Page 6 of The Winging It Holiday Special

“Do the doctors just give you, like, a prescription for Xanax when you have a kid?” Dante couldn’t tell if he wanted to go to sleep right now or if he’d never sleep again. Likely he’d go to sleep and have a nightmare that made himwishfor insomnia.

“Probably depends on if you’re in the NHL,” Gabe said with a dark humor.

Dante winced. “Okay, what’s a productive way to deal with this trauma? Keeping in mind I don’t have time for therapy.”

Gabe tugged his hair until he lifted his head, then urged him to standing. “Come on, we’re going shopping.”

Dante recoiled. “Oh God,why?”

Gabe rolled his eyes. “For a baby gift, obviously. And a much bigger, nicer gift for the soon-to-be big sister.”

Huh. Bribing the older child into being excited with presents. Now that was some subterfuge Dante could get behind. Even better, it might help him put this traumatizing incident behind him. “Think Yorkie will let us send her a pony?”

4. Veterans’ Day

THE DEKESplayed the Fuel in Indianapolis the second week of November. Dante hated the team on principle. First for stealing away Yorkie in the expansion draft, and second for somehow landing Kitty Kipriyanov in a trade, which added insult to injury.

They’d also finagled a first-overall draft pick—a lanky German kid named Nico Kirschbaum who seemed to alternate between demonic brilliance and suffocating mediocrity.

In net they had another wild card—veteran goaltender Julian Green, a former Vizina winner with probably two years in him before he retired or got relegated to backup status.

This time the Dekes had his number. Dante put up four points, Olie shut Indy out despite eight shots on goal from the German kid, and Gabe notched his seventh career hat trick.

It was probably a good thing they had caught up with Yorkie, Jenna, and Gabby earlier in the day, because nobody was in the mood for it now. Dante had heroically restrained himself from dragging Gabe away from the beat reporters who wanted a sound bite, but he was only human.

“Meet you at the bar later, bye!” Dante said, half shoving a laughing Gabe out of the bus.

Crunch cackled—he was the team newbie and the only one who hadn’t already grown immune to Dante’s charm. “Yeah, right!”

Dante pointed at Bogs, their new center. “Make sure the kid doesn’t destroy his liver. You’re in charge!”

He left the bus to the dulcet tones of the alternate captains squawking. Mission accomplished.

After so many years together, Dante should’ve been used to how hot he got when Gabe hit a scoring streak. But whatever, he wasn’t going to complain about having a hard-on for his husband.

“What’s so funny?” he murmured against Gabe’s lips once the hotel room door had closed behind them.

Gabe kissed him again as he worked open Dante’s belt buckle. A moment later he had his hand on Dante’s cock and Dante broke the kiss on a moan. “Nothing,” Gabe said. “I just love you.”

He punctuated this by stroking firmly root to tip.

“Don’t get sentimental on me,” Dante panted. “You’re not getting out of fucking me hard.”

With a snort, Gabe pulled his hand away, then yanked Dante forward by his tie and shoved him toward the bed. “Take your clothes off, then.”

Dante let himself fall onto the mattress but caught himself on his elbows and started pulling at his tie. “Ooh. Yes, Captain.”

Gabe’s tie hit him in the face. Dante wasn’t supposed to call him that in bed. “You know the rule. Don’t be a jerk.”

“Or what?” Dante teased. He shoved his shirt and jacket off and let them fall onto the floor. “You gonna punish me?”

“What, by not fucking you fast enough?” Gabe dropped his pants to the floor and stalked toward the bed just as Dante wriggled out of his underwear.

Dante scooted backward, parting his thighs to make room between them. “Definitely not the result I was going for.”

Gabe snorted and slapped Dante’s hip as he took the invitation. “We can act out your naughty spanking fantasy later.”

Dante smacked the lube into Gabe’s waiting palm. “Deal.”

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