Page 48 of Rock the Cradle of Love
With a nod, Noah takes a drink and they watch Werenski fly down the ice ahead of a pair of d-men. His shot on goal is blocked by McElhinney, and Marner sends the puck around the boards behind the net.
Taylor can’t believe they’re here. That their relationship is mostly mended. That they’re on a date. He turns to Noah and grins. “We’re on a date. And no one made a comment, made a face, grimaced, twitched, nothing. It’s like…it’s just normal.”
Noah rests his forehead against Taylor’s. “It is normal.”
“Here maybe, but not everywhere. You know that, right?” Taylor’s giddiness fades just a hair. He doesn’t want to think about what kind of reaction they’ll get out in the real world. Being a couple in a professional sports league is going to present enough challenges of its own come pre-season.
Noah sighs, looking sad. “Of course I do. I may be inexperienced, and a hockey player, but I’m up on the ways of the world.”
“Okay then. I guess we’ll face it all together.”
“Together.” Noah’s grin is happy and warm, and he leans in. Taylor obliges with an innocent but lingering kiss. They keep their eyes open, watching each other until they break apart with a laugh.
They talk about watching and playing hockey as little boys and as teens…Noah going through the US Hockey League and moving to Nebraska to live with a billet family; Taylor opting to finish high school, attend college, and play for the NCAA at St. Cloud University, where he’d earned an MBA. He figured it couldn’t hurt to understand how to manage his own career if necessary.
They watch the Jackets game as much as they chatter until Taylor starts yawning and can’t stop. It’s been a hell of a couple of days and they’ve caught up to him all of a sudden, and he says as much.
“Let’s go home then.”
Noah pays the tab and they drive with just the country station playing at low volume in the background, holding hands on the seat between them.
“I had a good time, Noah. Thank you,” says Taylor, once they arrive at Mrs. Drinkwater’s house, and exit the car. “I’ll be at the 350 Motel. Call me in—”
Surprise flashes across Noah’s face. “What? No. Stay here.”
“You sure?” Taylor wants to sleep—just sleep—with Noah more than anything, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to assume anything. Not at this point.
“Sure. Mom has more than one extra bedroom.”
Taylor stills ever so slightly. “O-okay. Great.” Shit. But still better than staying at the motel.
Noah laughs and pulls Taylor into a kiss. “Just kidding…I missed you in bed with me.”
“You ass.” Taylor pushes him away, but he can’t help smiling.
“You should have seen your face.” Noah chuckles, but then gets serious. “But just sleep though. Like I said, no hanky panky until we talk.”
“Oh, hey, no.” Taylor holds up his hands and then freezes. He peers at Noah. “Wait—did you just say hanky panky?” he asks and laughs.
Noah’s lips twitch. “Maybe.”
“Where’d you even learn that phrase?”
Noah tries to look peeved, but he can’t quite pull it off. He’s fighting a smirk. With a shrug, he says, “Marisol, my billet mom, used it a lot. It seemed fitting.”
“Uh huh.”
“Shut up.”
“Make me.”
Noah smacks a kiss against his cheek.
“Will cuddling be allowed?”
“You cuddle in your sleep, Taylor. There’s no way to stop that from happening unless I tie you to the bed.”
“Oooh…kinky. Didn’t know asexuals were into that.” He waggles his eyebrows.
