“The thing where you physically restrain yourself.” He gestures to my crossed arms. “Like you’re afraid you might forget you’ve been trying to ghost me.”
I feel heat creep down my neck. “I’m just standing here.”
“Uh-huh,” he says, stepping closer. “I know you had fun that night, Forest. You probably want to do it again, but you don’t want to lead me on.”
That’s exactly right, and the accuracy of his assessment makes me shift uncomfortably.
“I’m not as clueless as you think,” Beck continues, his voice dropping lower. “Well, not about you. I see through your tough-guy routine.”
“Beck—“
“Oh, shit, I almost forgot,” he interrupts, digging into his pocket. He pulls out a small envelope and hands it to me. “Ice Cats game on Sunday afternoon. Four tickets. In case you want to bring Charlie or some friends. I promise not to read anything into it. Free seats are free seats.”
I take the tickets, careful not to let our fingers touch. “That’s… actually really nice. We’ve been trapped at home this week.”
“It’s okay,” he says with a shrug. “Your life is complicated. But just so you know, I’m not fooled by the crossed arms and the ghosted texts. You’re totally down for a repeat.”
Before I can formulate an argument, he leans forward and grabs my sweatshirt in one hand. Then he presses his lips to mine.
My brain shorts out at the first brush of his scruff against my face. The kiss is slow but insistent, and confident in a way that seems utterly at odds with his earlier panic. My arms unfold of their own accord, hands hovering uncertainly for a moment before one traitorously finds its way to the back of his neck.
And, fuck it. Since we’re here already, I slide my tongue into his mouth. He tastes like hot wings and hotter times. I forget for a long, achy minute why I’m not supposed to do this.
When he finally pulls away, I’m embarrassingly breathless. “Good luck with your lunch,” I manage to say, trying to regain some composure.
Beck grins, looking entirely pleased with himself. “See? Not such a tough nut to crack after all. Although most nuts aren’t. Except Brazil nuts. Those are cast iron.” He opens the door and steps out into the cold. “Happy New Year, Forest. Tell Charlie I’ll show him that secret dungeon next time.”
Next time. As if it’s already decided.
I close the door behind him and lean my forehead against it, feeling the cold seep through from the other side. The worst part is, I’m already looking forward to it.
Thirteen
Even the Backup Goalie
Beck
Coach Powers lives in a kickass house at the top of a hill. Not that I expected anything less from an uber-successful coach who also dominated the ice during his years in the big leagues.
Yesterday, he’d texted to say that he’d rather make lunch for us both than eat out. Cue a fresh wave of panic over what to bring, because my mom taught me to never show up empty handed. I hope the box of bakery cookies I picked up doesn’t seem too random, in spite of the hour I spent in front of the counter picking them out.
Now here I am, parking my old Jeep on the meticulous gravel driveway to the side of a half-timbered garage. Inside is a gleaming Mercedes, as well as a sporty SUV.
I pat my Jeep on the fender as I leave it behind. “Someday you’ll be a racehorse, too.”
If only. I’m still not sure why I’m here, except to bow down and kiss the ring. And maybe absorb an ounce or two of big-league wisdom.
Oh, and to make a good impression on Coach Powers. If at all possible. Just in case he has a strange desire to promote a socially awkward goalie whose stats have sucked donkey balls for most of the season.
I clearly need a pep talk. Or at least a hug from my favorite bartender. I’m still thinking about that moment in Forest’s entryway…
Focus, James. I knock on a front door so massive that it could be used for an airplane hangar.
A few moments later, the door swings open to reveal Coach Powers. He’s wearing a Cougars track suit and an apron that says I’ll Feed All You Fuckers.
Huh. I guess I didn’t have to sweat over my clothing choices.
“Hey, Beck!” he says with a big grin. “Sorry to drag you all the way up this hill, but I’m doing some meal prep, and I thought we could eat well at the same time I set myself up for a busy week.”
