Danny’s stomach went cold. He turned on him, tempted to throw his stick down, but stopped himself at the last second. This wasn’t the time, and aside from it being unorthodox to start a fight like this, Danny wasn’t sure he could win. He’d spent some time as an enforcer when he was younger, but now…
Now, some elderly people could have taken him if they knew where to hit him. It wasn’t just his knee. He was riddled with weak spots.
As much as he hated that, there wasn’t anything he could do.
Well, except win the game.
If he hadn’t been hell-bent on it before, he was now.
Ignoring the remark, he glided past, took a deep breath, and waited for his opening. A moment later, everything fell into place, leaving a clear line between puck and goal.
The fact that Danny was ten feet away from it suddenly didn’t seem like an obstacle. He took a dive, ignoring the fear of the inevitable fall, ignoring the urge to tense up before he hit the ice, reached out, and made the most accurate, technically correct hit of his entire career.
Miller, who’d started the game in defense, grabbed him by the back of the jersey to catch him before he completely lost balance.
Danny watched the puck sail right past the goalie’s knee and into the back of the net, then burst into laughter.
He was going to kick some asses tonight.
Chapter Nineteen
Eliot still didn’t know much about hockey, despite Danny’s multiple, patient attempts to gently educate him. He had no framework for understanding how organized sport worked, and he’d come to a point where he’d decided that was okay.
One thing he had learned, all by himself, was that it was kinda hot.
Despite the baggy outfits and the padding, there was something that appealed to his deepest, most primal instincts when he saw grown men ramming into each other at full-tilt.
Besides, he liked seeing Danny smile, and the grin on his face when he’d scored had been amazing. Whatever else was going on between them, Eliot could accept that if he wanted Danny, hockey came along with the package.
It was a shame it wouldn’t be for long. He’d enjoyed watching a whole crowd of people cheer for his boyfriend.
Well. Were they boyfriends?
That was definitely what Eliot was supposed to be, contractually. He wasn’t sure where they stood with each other right now, but he also wasn’t in a rush to find out. Things were good, and he didn’t want to upset them by seeming clingy or pushy.
He remembered what Danny had said about relationships. The last thing Eliot wanted right now was to make him uncomfortable.
While he waited for Danny down the hall from the locker rooms—Danny had made sure he had a pass, this time—Walter approached him, holding out an envelope.
Eliot didn’t want the money now that they were sleeping together, but he also didn’t want to get into an argument about it with Walter. He didn’t want Walter to know that there was more than business going on between them. He took the envelope, looking around to make sure no one was paying attention before pocketing it. Danny could have it back later.
The whole thing suddenly made him uncomfortable.
“Could that have been any more public?” Eliot asked. It was true that there were only a few people hanging around, but still. Anyone could have seen, and any of them could have gotten suspicious enough to dig.
That was probably Eliot’s paranoia talking.
All the same, being paranoid didn’t mean no one was out to get you.
“Don’t worry yourself,” Walter said, waving away Eliot’s concern. “Thought you oughta know you’re good for business. I’m weighing up some very promising offers for Danny right now.”
“Shouldn’t Danny be weighing up his own offers?” Eliot asked. It seemed strange for him not to know about them—and he definitely didn’t, because he would have mentioned them to Eliot.
“He doesn’t like to worry about that kind of thing. That’s what my cut’s for.” Walter smiled.
It wasn’t a kind smile. It reminded Eliot of an alligator.
Before Eliot could respond, a freshly-showered Danny appeared in his usual t-shirt and sweatpants. The sight of him made Eliot smile, despite his discomfort from a moment earlier.
“Hey,” Danny moved to stand close to Eliot, nodding to Walter. Eliot took a deep breath, basking Danny’s warmth.
As much as he hated to admit it, Danny made him feel safe.
“I was just telling Eliot about some exciting offers you’re getting, thanks to him,” Walter said. “I’ll send the details through to you.”
“Awesome.” Danny grinned. “Thanks, man.”
“No problem. I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it,” Walter said, winking dramatically before he turned to walk away.
It seemed odd that Walter had said Danny didn’t like to deal with that kind of thing one moment, then turned around and told Danny he’d give him the details the next. Now didn’t seem like the time to argue, though. Danny was bound to be tired, and there was probably stuff Eliot didn’t know.
Whatever Eliot thought of Walter, Danny trusted him. Danny had also known him a lot longer, and it wasn’t as though he was an idiot. A little naive sometimes, maybe, but that was one of the things Eliot liked about him. He was basically a giant puppy.
Brushing his worries aside, Eliot turned to Danny and smiled at him.
“You did great out there,” Eliot said. “Or at least, I think you did. It looked good.”
“Thanks.” Danny blushed. He was adorable when he blushed, and Eliot couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion toward him.
He wasn’t quite ready to give that emotion a name, but it felt good all the same.
Eliot reached out, settling his hands on Danny’s hips, hitching up the hem of his shirt with his thumb to brush the soft skin of his belly. Danny’s hair was still damp, his skin still warm from his post-game shower, and Eliot had never been more attracted to him.
He leaned in and brushed his nose against Danny’s, pecking him on the lips with a giggle. Danny wouldn’t want to get caught in the middle of a makeout session if someone else on his team came past, but Eliot couldn’t help craving a little contact.
“Can’t wait to get you home,” he murmured in Danny’s ear before pulling back. He could last until then. Anticipation would make it all the better.
Danny’s face flushed darkly, but he was smiling. He was stunning.
How he didn’t have people constantly falling all over him was a mystery.
Danny hesitated for a moment, but then took Eliot’s hand. He didn’t seem like the kind of man who held hands often, but then, he’d never had the chance.
“Does that mean you’re staying over?” he asked shyly, tugging Eliot toward the exit.
“As long as I’m invited,” Eliot said, squeezing Danny’s fingers.
“You’re definitely invited.”
“Good, because watching you play was really hot,” Eliot admitted. He suspected Danny would want to hear that.
“Yeah?” Danny asked, getting out his car keys. He obviously wasn’t suffering too much tonight, which was a good sign. The pain seemed to come and go in cycles, which, as far as Eliot knew, was how pain worked.
He doubted Danny was in no pain, but he’d probably learned to deal with a base level by now.
“You should know I’m exhausted,” Danny said sheepishly.
“All the more reason to get you into bed as quickly as possible.” Eliot grinned. “I’ll be gentle with you.”
“Sounds good,” Danny mumbled, letting go of Eliot’s hand as they approached his car. Eliot missed the contact, but he knew he’d get more of it soon.
“It will be,” Eliot said. “You’ve earned it.”
Danny laughed softly, then took the car keys out of his pocket. “You wanna drive?”
Eliot’s heart sank. “Is your knee hurting you?”
“Kinda,” Danny admitted, clearly ashamed. Eliot made a soft, sad noise, and took the keys from
him.
Rather than let Danny dwell on the pain, he darted in, kissing him hard and pressing him up against the car, leaning his entire weight into him to hold him in place. Heat sparked in Eliot’s stomach, all his senses lighting up in anticipation.
The kiss only lasted a handful of heartbeats, but it still left Eliot’s head spinning. He was never going to get tired of kissing Danny, not if it was always like this.
“Let’s get you home,” Eliot said softly, brushing his nose against Danny’s.
He hated to think of him in pain.
That was how Eliot knew he was in way deeper than he should have been with Danny. All he wanted in life, right now, was to be near him as often as possible. When they were apart, even if it was only for the space of a hockey game, he couldn’t stop thinking about when he’d get to touch him again.
Not necessarily for sex, just to be close enough to him to reach out and prove to himself that Danny was still there.
It should have been terrifying. Eliot had never felt like this before about anyone.
It wasn’t, though. If anything, it was comforting. He was so sure about Danny. So positive that this was the real thing, that it wasn’t just a combination of lust and loneliness. That he wasn’t taking advantage, or being taken advantage of.
Eliot was in love.
Not only was he in love, but he was okay with it. He knew Danny wasn’t ready to hear it yet, but he could wait. He could wait as long as it took.
“You just wanna get me naked,” Danny said.
Eliot smirked. “Always.”
He could wait. He could wait for as long as Danny needed him to.
Chapter Twenty
Danny had barely been able to contain his excitement all afternoon, and now that Eliot was sitting at his dinner table, waiting to eat, he was having an even harder time. He didn’t want to scare Eliot away with his enthusiasm, but it was hard to keep it under control.
This was becoming their regular thing, now. It wasn’t a one-off, and Eliot hadn’t gotten tired of him. It wasn’t just about sex, either.
This was something real, and special, and Danny couldn’t stop himself from grinning every time he thought about it. He loved spending time with Eliot, and Eliot seemed to be into it, too.
“You know, if someone had told me a while ago that I’d be voluntarily waiting for a professional athlete to make dinner now, I wouldn’t have believed them,” Eliot said, looking over at Danny with his chin resting in his hand.
“Are you saying sports guys can’t cook?” Danny raised an eyebrow.
Eliot shook his head. “No, not at all. I’m seriously impressed that you can, and you didn’t have to, by the way.” He cleared his throat. “Don’t get weird about this, but I was a little scared coming here the first time.”
“That’s not weird.” Danny said. “I was a stranger, and it was your first big assignment way outside your comfort zone.”
“No, I was scared of you. Of how you might react to me.”
Danny looked up. Eliot’s tone had changed, there was a catch in his voice. He didn’t want to push him to keep going, but he could tell there was more Eliot wanted to say.
“I, umm…” Eliot paused to swallow. Danny got to work plating up the pasta he’d made for dinner, waiting to hear what Eliot had to say. “People like you did not treat people like me well when I was younger, is all. I was the kid wearing eyeliner and lip gloss and pink t-shirts, and it just… didn’t go over well. But you’re not like that, and I’m sorry for ever thinking you would be.”
Danny’s heart sank. Needing a moment to think about what he was going to say in response, he gathered the plates and brought them over to the table, setting one down in front of Eliot and the other in front of the seat opposite him.
“I’m sorry,” Danny said. “And I understand, and I don’t blame you. I saw what kids like me did to kids like you when I was in high school, and I wish I could tell you I stopped it, but I didn’t. I should have.”
Eliot shook his head. “No. You were scared of them turning on you as well. I don’t blame you. That’s… kind of what I’m trying to say, here. I wanted to hate you when I first met you, but you made that impossible from pretty much the first moment. My point is, I like you a lot.”
Danny smiled at that, picking up his fork and poking at dinner. He was starving, but he needed a moment to recover. Eliot didn’t open up like this. He wasn’t a vulnerable kind of person. This was a special, important moment, and Danny wanted to appreciate it as such.
“Thank you,” he responded eventually. “For telling me, and for trusting me.”
“You’re welcome.” Eliot smiled a tiny smile. “I was scared of telling you that, too, but it seemed important. It was important to me, anyway.”
“If it’s important to you, it’s important to me,” Danny said. He was surprised by how much he meant it. Eliot… Eliot was important to him, and there was no way of getting around that.
“I, uh,” he started, figuring that if they were doing heart-to-heart talks, now was a good time to get his own worries off his chest. “I told you when I asked you to pretend to be my boyfriend that I wasn’t ready for a real relationship, and I just… I want you to know that I’m a little scared of all this, and I’m not sure where it’s going, but I’d like to try. With you. If we can kinda take it slow?”
Eliot, who’d already started in on dinner, chewed and swallowed quickly. “Slow is fine. Good, even. I’m not very good at relationships, either. All of my previous ones have been… weird. Not that this isn’t weird.”
Danny chuckled, twirling his pasta around his fork. “It is a little weird. Weird isn’t always bad, though. I just want to give this a chance to turn into something. I mean, I’m scared that I’m doing exactly what I was afraid of, latching onto the first person to show me a little affection, but it doesn’t feel like that. And I trust you.”
“I appreciate that,” Eliot said. “Obviously, you only have my word for this, but I’d never intentionally hurt you. I kinda have a thing for you.”
Shifting in his chair, Danny smiled a small, shy smile down at his plate. He’d never been with someone like Eliot before, and he felt so lucky to have him now. It never would have occurred to him to look for someone like Eliot, someone so unlike himself.
He owed Walter one for the idea.
“That’s good, ‘cause I kind of have a thing for you, too.” Danny grinned. “So, you wanna tell me about your day? Or anything at all, really. What’s happening at work? Tell me everything.”
He knew he sounded over excited, but that was because he was. This was the first time in Danny’s life where he’d had the opportunity to share more of himself than just his body with another person. Real relationships had been impossible before, the fear of being outed too great.
Now, he didn’t have to worry about any of that. With Eliot, he was safe. He could have a nice, normal relationship.
“My editor is trying to give me a chance to do some other stuff. I should be working on something right now, but I can get up early again and work on it then. Getting to do this with you is worth it.”
Danny smiled at that. Eliot really did think he was worth a little inconvenience. Maybe it wasn’t much, maybe he was getting too excited over nothing, but it seemed like a lot.
“So your editor is like your boss, right?” Danny asked. The world of journalism was more or less a mystery to him, despite the fact that he had a lot of contact with them.
“Yeah, more or less,” Eliot agreed. “He’s a good guy. It’s taken a while for me to realize that, but I know now that he’s on my side. I trust him. He’s the one who sent me to talk to you in the first place, so he's definitely one of the good guys.”
“I gotta send him flowers or something,” Danny said. “I owe him, too.”
“I think he'd strongly prefer a bottle of single malt scotch.” Eliot smiled wryly. “Also, he'd probably think it was weird. He’s a very reserved man.”
Danny
smiled at that. “You sound fond of him.”
He almost expected to be jealous, but he wasn’t. Despite his fears about what getting attached to Eliot meant, he knew he could trust him. He knew that if there was someone else, Eliot wouldn’t be doing this.
“I am,” Eliot admitted. “Like I said, it took me a while, but he’s sweet in his own way. Once you get past the surface.”
“Like you, then,” Danny pointed out. Eliot wasn’t reserved, exactly, but he took some getting to know before you found out what he was really like.
“Yeah, I guess.” Eliot shifted in his seat. “You’re one of very few people I let my guard down around. You’ve never seemed like a threat to me. Which was the point I was trying to make earlier. I feel guilty for ever thinking that you might be.”
“It’s okay,” Danny said softly. “I get it. I was scared of you too. Scared you were gonna say something awful about me, make me look like a total asshole. But you didn’t.”
“Of course not,” Eliot responded. “We’ve gotta stick together, right?”
“Right,” Danny agreed, smiling to himself at the thought. He liked the idea of sticking together with Eliot a lot.
“This is amazing, by the way,” Eliot said after another mouthful. “I’m so glad you can cook.”
“It’s just pasta.” Danny blushed. He really hadn’t gone to a lot of effort, but he had wanted to impress Eliot. Apparently, it had worked.
“It’s a meal you made for me. That… that means a lot. No one but my mom has ever cooked for me before.” Eliot licked his lips. “Like I said, previous relationships… weird. Mostly about sex. Not that I didn’t really enjoy having sex with you, but… that’s not why I’m here.”
Danny nodded, understanding completely what Eliot was getting at. This was apparently all new for both of them, but that was okay. They could figure it out together.
The conversation moved to other things, like the finer points of hockey and facts about how to prevent wrinkles—boring things, things they both thought about every day, but never really got the chance to talk to anyone else about.
It was nice to just sit and eat with someone. Danny had known he was missing out on real relationships, he’d known that the one-night-stands and short flings that had been all he could risk weren’t the same as having someone meaningful in his life, but he hadn’t realized how good it would feel.
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