Page 31 of Breakaway Goals
“Yeah, we can’t get away with those mistakes every time. We gotta be on our best game,” Morgan said.
“We will be,” Hayes reassured.
“But—”
But Hayes had had just about enough of this. “Come here,” he interrupted.
Morgan’s eyes met Hayes’. “What?”
Hayes sighed. “Come here,” he repeated, gesturing this time.
He didn’t come immediately. Which tracked, honestly. Had anyone ever told Morgan Reynolds what to do in years? Had anyoneevertold Morgan Reynolds what to do?
But he did eventually slink over, blinking away a mixture of astonishment and confusion as he approached where Hayes sat on the edge of the bed.
“What?”
Hayes curled a hand around his shoulder and tugged him down a few inches until their mouths were nearly slotting together.
“Stop worrying,” Hayes murmured against Morgan’s lips.
He’d never have been this aggressive normally. He’d have believed that the hookup ended with their orgasms and wouldn’t have assumed Morgan wanted to chat or debrief—or even to cuddle—but then he’d lingered even though he had no reason to stay.
Except if he wanted to.
“I’m not—”
“Yeah, you are,” Hayes interrupted again. This time he gave Morgan a soft peck. Not sexual, just comforting. Unsurprisingly Morgan didn’t fight him and finally softened underneath his touch.
“You get it,” Morgan mumbled. “I’m . . .I’m me. And if I don’t . . .”
Morgan didn’t finish his sentence but he didn’t have to, because yeah, Hayesdidget it. Probably better than almost anyone else.
“Yeah,” Hayes agreed, “and if that happens, we’ll cross that bridge. But there’s no point in angsting over something that hasn’t happened yet. Worrying isn’t going to change anything. It’s only going to make you miserable, and I don’t like you when you’re miserable.”
Morgan barked out a soft laugh. “No?”
“No, you make everyone else miserable too.”
Morgan didn’t argue. Just stood there for a minute in silence, letting Hayes slip his fingers underneath his sweatshirt, humming as he stroked the skin between his neck and his shoulder.
Finally, he straightened. Hayes wanted to snatch him back, but he looked calmer now, and itwaslate. There was no reason for him to stay any longer.
“Thanks,” Morgan said, his voice rough around the edges.
“Any time,” Hayes said with a smile.
Morgan, already half-turning to head towards the door, turned back. “You mean that?”
Hayes let his smile widen. Say everything he didn’t necessarily know how to say with words—or maybe hedidknow, but he knew Morgan wasn’t going to be able to hear them. “Yeah, I do. Wouldn’t have said it otherwise.”
Chapter 5
Morgandidn’tthinkhe’dever been so worried that when the puck dropped in a game, he wouldn’t be able to lock in the same way he always did.
After all, Hayes wasright there, just across the ice in warmups and right there on the bench, an inescapable presence at his right shoulder.
But to his surprise, it felt like their connection made him playbetter. Elevated his game and seemed to do the same with Hayes.
