Page 27 of Gamechanger

I nibbled gently on his lower lip, relishing the soft moan it brought out. Our tongues danced together, and my heart pounded so hard I was sure he could feel it.

The rest of the world faded away, irrelevant in the face of our intimate connection. Moose's hands roamed my back, each touch igniting sparks under my skin. His moans vibrated through me, making my toes curl. I clung to him, overwhelmed by the intensity of my feelings, by the rightness of it all.

When we separated again, I was a little dizzy, intoxicated not by the eggnog but by Moose himself. I laughed, feeling giddy and lightheaded. "That was… wow. I think it's more than okay."

Moose grinned, his cheeks flushed a deep red that extended down his neck. The kisses left his lips slightly swollen. "Yeah? You liked it?" he asked, with a hint of wonder.

"I did," I breathed, tracing his jawline with my thumb. I gazed into his eyes, seeing my emotions reflected back at me. All of my doubts about whether we should be together were gone, swept away by the tide of affection and desire coursing through me.

My heart celebrated the new connection. "I do think maybe we should keep taking things a little slow. Let's figure this all out."

He nuzzled my neck. "I agree. We've got plenty of time."

I settled up against Moose's chest, listening to the steady pounding of his heart. I'd found my home in Portland.

Chapter nine

Moose

While I sat in a plush velvet seat at one of Portland's hottest new farm-to-table restaurants, aromas of roasted garlic and seared meat swirled around me, but they couldn't hold my concentration. My thoughts were elsewhere. Finn lightly brushed his leg against mine under the table. The contact sent me right back to my apartment on Christmas night. We'd kissed—kissed—and he was still there for me.

"Earth to Moose. Everything okay?" Quinn's voice cut through my thoughts. Finn and I were out to dinner with Axel and Quinn to celebrate New Year's Eve. "You've been staring at that menu for the last five minutes like it's written in Klingon."

I blinked and did my best to concentrate on the present. "Sorry, I'm just considering my culinary destiny."

Finn snorted. "I bet that's just a fancy of saying that you're having a hard time deciding between the steak and the salmon. One thing that might help—they're both great, and we can come back for the other one later."

I grinned. "Hey, these are important life decisions. It's my last major food choice of 2024, and it could set the tone for my entire 2025." I held out a hand. "Stay with me on this one. What if I choose the wrong option, and bad food karma curses me for the next twelve months?"

Axel rolled his eyes. "All respect, but only you would insist food karma is a thing."

I chuckled. Quinn joined my side. "Hey, maybe he's got a point. One time, I ate bad gas station sushi before a game. It was a big mistake. My gut karma was off for the next several weeks."

Finn shook his head. "That wasn't karma. It's called the consequences of making a poor life choice."

They all thought I was slow in deciding on my meal. Axel had yet to get past the cocktail menu. He interrupted my big-picture discussion of life. "Speaking of questionable choices, who's with me on being brave enough to try the Lumberjacks's Folly drink? This menu says it comes with a tiny axe as a garnish."

"I'm so in." Quinn practically bounced in his seat. "Moose? Finn? You guys game for it?"

I glanced at Finn. "Why not? But I'm not leading the trek to Coach Fraser's office to explain if all three of you go down to start the New Year."

My affection for the men at the table surged as our server approached. As usual, Quinn overflowed with enthusiasm for life. Axel couldn't hide the caring nature buried beneath his gruff exterior, and Finn… he was the new center of my life. Itseemed like it happened overnight, but we'd circled each other for months.

After the server took our drink orders, I cleared my throat. "Um, guys, Finn and I have something to share with you. Nobody else knows, but the two of you are kind of special. Now, don't go getting big heads, but—"

Quinn raised an eyebrow. "Kill the editorial comments and out with it already. You've gotthatlook on your face." He grinned. "Just know, tomorrow's a game day, so I can't jet to Vegas later tonight."

For a moment, I wanted to kill him. It sounded like my news wasn't news. I'd been totally transparent to Quinn since we met. Maybe that's how best friends were supposed to be.

Finn chuckled, and he reached under the table to take my hand. His touch steadied me.

Axel held out a hand and mimicked a referee dropping a puck. "Let's get this going."

"Well, you see…" I started, but then words failed me. What was the best way to say it?

Finn did his best to help it. "We, uh…" We glanced at each other.

Quinn groaned. "For the love of hockey sticks, will one of you spit this out already? I'm dying from the suspense."

---