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“Price!” Coach Johnson shouts from the other doorway. “He in here?”
“Showers, sir,” DeGraw calls back. He has Ilmari’s stall now, which means he gears up next to Jake for every game.
Coach looks around for one of the assistant captains. “J-Lo, with me,” he calls, turning and ducking back out.
J-Lo shuffles off, still in his skates.
I step fully into the locker room, moving over towards DeGraw. He’s a handsome guy. Young and fit. Unattached. The Jacksonville bunny network went crazy with his trade. But he doesn’t seem into that life. He’s a bit of a closed book all the way around, really.
“Hey,” I say at him. “Ilmari watched your game.”
He perks up immediately. Ilmari Price is akin to a living god in the hockey goalie world. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. You played good. You’re watching your right side better. He noticed.”
He flashes me a smile, giving a relieved nod. “Hey, thanks, bud.”
I nod and slip past him, ducking into the showers. It takes me no time to see Jake isn’t there, so I slip into the connecting changing room where the guys keep their warmup gear and street clothes.
I hear him before I see him. It’s his magnetic laugh. It hooks me deep in my chest and reels me in. I can’t not follow that laugh. I need to see him. Need to feel him. I won’t be able to breathe until he’s in my arms.
I step in the doorway to see Jake standing in the corner, his dark hair sticking up all over like he just roughed it with a towel. His toned ass flexes as he tugs a pair of grey boxer briefs up his wet legs.
“Hey, Sanny,” Langley calls, pulling on his shirt. “Did you see our captain out there tonight?”
“Playoffs, baby!
“Stanley, here we come!”
The other guys hoot and shove each other, still celebrating their win. But I only care about one guy.Myguy. Jake turns, glancing over his shoulder at me, smile still on his face. I cross my arms, leaning against the doorjamb and level my gaze at him, heart pounding. Fuck, he’s so goddamn beautiful. How did I go nearly ten years surviving on our “just friends” bullshit?
“Where are the babies?” he calls over at me. He peers down, as if he expects to see Jamie dart around the open door. Our kids are a feature of the home games. This arena and the practice facility are practically their second homes.
“With Mars,” I say.
“How bout that last goal, eh?” says Perry. “I think Cap is gunning for a forward position.”
“Yeah, and you’ll be the first one benched,” Langley teases, throwing his wet towel at him.
Perry catches it, dropping it to the floor.
I haven’t taken my eyes off Jake. I tell him everything I’m feeling. Everything I need. Let’s see how well he’s listening. Because if he doesn’t take the hint and come to me in the next sixty seconds, I’ll be making this private moment real fucking public. I’m about to scar his teammates for life.
Come on, angel.
Jake smirks, giving me a little half shoulder shrug as if to say, “What’s your problem?”
I wait.
We hold eye contact a second longer and I give him everything, letting this burning feeling coiling in my chest burst outward.
Fucking come here to me. Crawl. Beg. Now.
His cheeks bloom pink as he looks quickly away and I smile.
Got him.
Snatching for his shorts and shirt, he tugs them on. I don’t wait. Spinning on my heel, I duck out of the changing room, using the door that leads out into the hallway. I turn sharply left and start walking down the hall towards the storage room.
