Page 99 of Slew Foot
What if he’d made the situationworse?
He’d have to move out of the apartment, probably. There was no getting around him and Rafe being paired together on the ice or being teammates oranyof that.
But maybe if he got some space the rest of the time …
A warm hand around his forearm made him look up and when he did, he saw Rafe had dressed in a pair of shorts and looked unusually serious. He didn’t say anything though, just tugged Mickey over to the bed and gently pushed him down onto it.
Mickey blinked up at Rafe for a moment before he manhandled Mickey until he sat with his back to the headboard and his legs stretched out on the bed.
Rafe knelt on the mattress for a moment just staring at him before he shifted to his side. He settled his cheek on Mickey’s thigh, but rather than looking toward Mickey’s feet like he had when they watched TV like this in the past, he faced his head.
Rafe reached out and grabbed Mickey’s T-shirt, not doing anything with it, just pinching a fold of it like he needed something to hold on to.
Mickey’s heart did a little flip at the gesture, and he reached down and sank his hand into Rafe’s damp hair. Rafe sighed, burrowing against his leg, the tension in his body finally softening.
“That’s better,” he whispered.
“For me too,” Mickey admitted, equally quiet.
The room was dim, with only the lamps on the nightstand and the desk lighting it. It was enough Mickey could see Rafe’s face clearly as he licked his lips, staring up at him.
“Hey, I’m sorry about Logan, by the way,” he said, gently tugging at Mickey’s shirt.
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” Mickey pointed out. “He was the one who slew-footed me.”
Rafe frowned, like he wasn’t sure if that was the right word and honestly, Mickey wasn’t sure either. But whatever. That didn’t matter right now.
“But he did that because ofme,” Rafe said.
“If he’s pissed you’re not dating anymore and that you’re playing for Boston now, he shouldn’t have been dumb enough to let you go,” Mickey pointed out. “That’s onhim.”
“It’s just notlikeLogan. He’s never been a dirty player.”
“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” Mickey said drily. Because he wasn’t known for his temper either and he’d struggled all night to keep it in check.
And look wherethathad gotten him.
Well, it had gotten him an invitation to Rafe’s room and their bodies tangled together on Rafe’s bed, so it wasn’t all bad, Mickey admitted to himself.
But that was beside the point.
Mickey frowned, remembering something. “Hey. Didn’t you have plans with your friend Zach tonight?”
Rafe shrugged. “Yeah. I cancelled.”
“Why? I’ll be fine.”
Rafe glared at him.
“I’mfine,” Mickey protested. “If you’re that worried, you could go meet him downstairs at the bar even.”
“No,” Rafe said flatly. “I’m not letting you out of my sight tonight.”
“I’ll have to use the toiletsometime,” Mickey pointed out in an attempt at humor. The shower was bad enough, but a man needed some privacy sometimes.
Rafe, however, was not amused. “You can leave the door open. It’s not like we don’t piss right next to each other at the rink anyway.”
That was true, but …
