by Jerry Cole
It wasn’t like me to be so relieved when he stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in boxers. “Morning,” Owen greeted me with a soft smile. “You’ll be alone for a while, right?”
“I expect to. Rosa’s gone, and she sleeps in a bit. We’re fine.” I smiled and patted the bed beside me. “I thought that you left.”
“I just woke up a while ago. I knew that I could leave, but I didn’t want to.” He leaned down to peck my lips, laughing when I slipped my hand around his neck. I deepened the kiss and he fell on the bed with me.
“Let’s stay in bed for a while, then make coffee. We can discuss breakfast in a little while.”
We lost each other in another kiss, and he made love to me this time. I arched my back against him, loving the feel of him deep inside of me. He reached around me, jerking me off as he came inside of me.
We made coffee an hour later, dressed in our pants from the night before. Rosa called while we were deciding what to do, asking if we wanted to have breakfast with her and Jane. I asked Owen, and he agreed, so we told them we’d meet them at the little restaurant in half an hour.
We showered together, and I loaned him a clean tee shirt to wear with his pants. We were roughly the same size, and it fit him like a second skin, making me take in the muscles. “Hockey does you a favor,” I murmured while he smiled and fixed his short hair.
We left the apartment, taking Owen’s car to the diner. I didn’t drive one since I worked from home, though I had an old Honda parked at the curb just in case I needed it. He parked and grinned at the small size of it, following me to the door as I opened it for him.
We saw the girls at a back table, walking across the room. Both of them stood, hugging me before greeting Owen the same way. I knew that Rose liked him a lot, and it seemed as though Jane was warming up as well.
We settled into the table, ordering coffee as we read over the limited menu. While they didn’t offer a lot, it was all great food. Owen and I ended up ordering the same platter, and I felt his hand on my thigh as we moved closer in the booth.
“You look great together,” Rosa proclaimed with a smile on her face. “I’ve known Peter for a long time, and he hasn’t looked this happy in most of that time. You bring out a sense of peace in him that I’ve seen others try to tear down.”
“Is it hard to see?” Owen asked, surprising all of us.
“Oh, because of my breakup?” She asked, and he nodded. “No. I’m glad that ended before we were married. That would’ve been a mess to fix. I’m sad about it., and I won’t lie about that. I just know it’s time to move forward and see what else is out there for me.”
“Good perspective.” Owen held up his coffee cup, and they clinked them together.
“It’s life. I also feel a lot of hope seeing you two together. It’s going to be okay.” Rosa took a big drink of coffee and looked at me. “Jane’s roommate is moving out soon, Peter. I won’t be taking up space there in two weeks.”
“You’re not a bother to me,” I insisted as she smiled, glancing at Owen.
“I’ll get a room in her apartment and help her with the rent. It’s not as nice as my old apartment, but I like it.” She smiled, and I nodded. “I’m still going to be at your place all the time. We’ll have our sleepovers and dinners. You’ll just have some privacy.”
I smiled with a blush, making her beam at me. She knew that it was right between Owen and me and wanted to allow us to get to know each other.
The meals arrived, and we dug into the enormous plates. Owen loved the food, and I suspected that we’d be back. I liked the thought of having a tradition with him and regular places that we’d go. He was great in bed, but there was much more to it than just that.
We chatted with the girls as we ate, finding out that Owen had a game at three o’clock. Rosa grinned, and I asked if they wanted to watch it with me. She was all in, and Jane frowned as she explained that she worked later. “Next time,” Rosa told her, squeezing her friend’s hand. Owen drove me back to the apartment, kissing me senseless before he told me that he needed to get home for his gear. They had some skate time before the actual game, and he needed it. I kissed him, telling him I’d see him later before I watched him leave.
I locked the door, dropping to the couch as I closed my eyes. I was beat from last night. I knew that I had a couple of hours before Rosa picked me up, and I let my eyes close.
I woke up to my best friend smiling down at me. “Shit. I slept that long?” I asked, running a hand through my hair.
“Must’ve been tired.” She giggled and sat down. “You two look so good together. It’s not hard to guess that you slept together.”
“We did. It wasn’t just the one-night stand thing though, Rosa. I like Owen-a lot. I get along with him, and I laughed with him. It was perfect all around. The sex was just us not being able to keep our hands off each other. After the way some of my other relationships began, I’m a bit worried about that. I don’t want this to fizzle.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be an issue. He’s already crazy about you,” Rosa assured me, as I stared at her. “He is.”
“I’m going to get ready. The game starts in an hour.” I headed into the bedroom, finding some new jeans and a deep green t-shirt to change into. I put on some boots and mussed my hair up the way that I liked it, looking closer in the mirror. I grabbed my worn leather jacket from the closet before finding Rosa in the living room watching TV. “Are you sure about the move, Rosa?”
“Oh, yeah. Her roommate decided to move in with a boyfriend kind of last minute, so Jane needs help with the rent. She works a lot of nights at the theater, so I’m not worried about being there together a lot. We get along fine. I also don’t want to take up your couch forever. You have a boyfriend now.”
“Shit. That sounds surreal,” I murmured, grabbing my keys as we headed to Rosa’s blue hatchback. She opened it with the push of a button, and we settled in before she made the drive to the rink several blocks away.
“I can’t believe that we were just here to see a game, and now you’re together with the player you liked. This is so romantic.” Rosa gushed as she parked in the lot behind the building.
“Me, neither.” I opened the door for her, making a left to buy some hot chocolate as she took my arm.
“I love you. Do you know that?” Rosa asked as I rolled my eyes, standing in line.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You tell that to every man who buys you hot chocolate,” I teased her as she kissed my cheek.
“Don’t forget breakfast. That was incredible of you,” she reminded me, making me think of one of the many reasons Owen kissed me goodbye.
“It’s not a problem. I had a good time.” We approached the counter, asking for our drinks as I slipped a bill across the worn wood. We took them to the rink, seeing the two teams moving around the ice as they laughed with their respective teams. Owen caught my gaze, and I saw the heat in his eyes as I grinned. I nodded and felt a warmth wash over me at the sight of his perfectly muscled body in the bigger hockey clothes.
We took seats, and I sipped the sweet, creamy drink as I waited for the game to start.
I got into it like I would a pro game. There was less yelling, but the adrenaline rush was real for me. I loved seeing him score goals and tear across the ice, seeking another one. He had an extreme focus out there, though he looked my way several times. Everyone watching seemed to feel the same way.
Owen’s team ended up winning by two goals, and the opposing team congratulated them with claps on the back and shit-talking. Owen played the best out of them, but some of the guys on his team also had skills. They congratulated each other, heading back to change as I stared at Owen.
“Damn. He plays well. Will he ever go pro?” Rosa asked as I smiled weakly.
“No. He has an injury that prevents that. He does enjoy this league, and he teaches kids in camps and lessons. He says that he fills the need as best as it can, but there’s no way he’d get picked up by the pros. I
t’s a fucking shame.”
“Not for the kids that he’s helping. These guys here love him on the team. He’s doing right with his unfortunate luck,” she told me, smiling. “Besides, do you want him gone for travel games?”
“No, I don’t. We can catch games here if he’s local.” I smiled and took the last drink of my cocoa. “It’s better all around, but I can’t help but feel bad for him.”
“He’s happy,” she assured me, slipping an arm around my waist.
He came out, dressed in jeans and a team sweatshirt. Owen kissed me quickly, and we made our way to the lobby as I felt the tingling over my skin. He just kissed me here in front of his team and friends. I knew he wasn’t trying to hide who he was after talking to Owen, but that was big.
Chapter Seven
Owen
I grinned when I saw Rosa and Peter at the game. He was so fucking hot, making me want a repeat of the night before. Rosa looked thrilled to be here, clutching her cup in her hands.
I played well, but he was a slight distraction, just like the first time I saw him in the bleachers. I stole several glances his way during breaks, seeing him staring at me as Rosa smiled beside him. I still felt bad that she broke up with someone recently, and here we were, happy as hell.
I joined them once I was showered and dressed, kissing him quickly. I saw the surprise in his eyes, but there were no secrets between the guys and me. They knew I was gay and all about the new boyfriend in my life. I wasn’t the kind of guy to go into full make-out mode anywhere.
I asked them what they were doing the rest of the day, hoping to plan dinner or something. I wanted time alone with Peter, but I knew going in that they were a package deal. It was the same way with my sister that would be here the following weekend.
We ended up hitting a sushi place for dinner, ordering rolls, and appetizers. We all stuck to water after the club the night before. Nobody was drunk, but I needed to hydrate myself. It looked as though the other two didn’t drink all that much, to begin with.
I insisted on treating this time, causing Rosa to curse and ask why she could never take care of it. We both laughed at her and left the restaurant to hit the street.
She declined to see a movie with us, explaining that she was meeting Jane at the theater. She was sleeping over there again because the roommate was pretty much gone. Jane wasn’t a fan of being alone too much.
I could see it being an issue down the line. I just hoped for the best, knowing that Peter would always have a place for her. Hell, I liked Rosa enough to offer her the spare room in my place, though that would need to happen after the Taryn tornado next weekend.
We skipped the movie, heading back to Peter’s place since it was slightly closer. He stripped me, fucking me as he told me his favorite parts about tonight. I arched back, feeling his hand grip my cock as he stroked it. When he reminded me about the breakaway goal I scored, I came all over the towel on the bed as he cried out my name.
We dropped on either side of the towel, and Peter balled it up and threw it to the ground. He pulled me against him, and I breathed in the musky scent of sweat and desire in the air. “I never thought that hockey could make me cum so hard,” I breathed out, wrapping an arm around his waist.
“I never thought that I’d meet the hottest player in New York,” Peter told me hoarsely, finding my mouth with his.
“You do know there’s a pro team, as well as a few other teams at my rink. Are you sure about that?” I asked as he stared into my eyes.
“So sure about that,” he said, cupping my face with one hand before kissing me again. It led to him going down on me, making me cum in his throat as I whimpered his name.
We drifted off to sleep after that, and I woke up a few times in the early morning. This was the second night I spent with Peter, and I liked it too much. I could see a future with him after a matter of two dates. It wasn’t even like that with Ray at any part of our relationship.
I got up after being awake for a while, making coffee and sitting down on the couch with my phone. I wanted to let Peter sleep and checked on a few emails about the camp the following week. It was a morning gig at my rink before any games on the back rink. It was open skate for several hours a day, otherwise. I was looking forward to it, though I knew how busy those days could get. I wondered if it might affect my relationship with Peter as it did the one with Ray.
Fuck that.
I loved helping those kids out, and the man in my life better feel the same way. It made a temporary problem with the practices that we’d workaround.
Peter had the perfect schedule for my life. He loved that I still gave to hockey even though my future ended before I achieved my dream. Or did he? Was this still good because it was so new? Ray must have started that way as well since I couldn’t remember. I hated that doubt started to fill my mind, closing my eyes to take a few breaths.
“Are you okay?” A voice interrupted me, making me jump.
“Just feeling lazy,” I shot back, knowing how quickly I made that up. “Good morning, handsome.” Peter looked great in a loose pair of workout shorts that showed off his sexy abs, and I took in the sight for a moment.
“Okay,” he replied, going to pour some coffee. He sat down beside me, running a hand through his messy hair with a yawn. “I thought you’d still be in bed.”
“I woke up early and wanted to let you sleep. I had to check my email,” I replied, pausing for a moment. “I start the morning hockey camp next Thursday for two weeks.”
“That’s great. How old are the kids?” Peter asked as I looked at him.
“Ten to thirteen.”
“They must love it. It is every day?” Peter kept wanting to know more, unlike Ray, in the end.
“Every morning for four hours during the week. We’ll have a weekend of tournament games to celebrate the end and show off the skills that they all learned. It’s a good time.” I paused again. “I’ll have a few evening skates during that time as well.”
“It’s a good thing I can work whenever I want. We’ll make it work. I love that you give back to the community,” he assured me, leaning in for a kiss.
“You do?” I whispered, and he pecked my lips again.
“Yes. Stop worrying. It’s written all over your face.” I smiled, blushing slightly.
“It’s been a problem in the past. My family even grumbles about planning around it when they’re not begging me to move back home.” I admitted, sipping my cold coffee.
“Do you have any desire to go back there?” Peter asked as I stared into his eyes.
“Just to visit for the holidays. I love living in New York. I think I’m a city boy more than a small town one, though it’s pretty in the Fall. Mom also makes a delicious Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas everything.” I smiled. “Maybe you and Rosa could come this year for one of them… or both.”
“You mean that?” Peter asked, and I nodded. “I think it sounds great. It’s just a short drive, isn’t it?”
“Just a couple hours. Taryn makes it a lot,” I replied, watching as he swallowed his coffee. “It’s nice in the summer, too. We have a pool at the house, and there’s a lot of water in the general area.”
“I like the sound of that,” Peter replied, setting his cup down. “It scares me a little to talk about this with you, but I feel like it will happen. I feel like we’re good together.”
“I think the same,” I replied, as he stroked my cheek before kissing me. He made me moan as he slipped a hand down my body, into my shorts to grip my aching cock. “Fuck.”
“I also think that I’m extremely attracted to you as it happens in that new part of the relationship.” Peter nibbled at my jaw. “I hope that never goes away.”
We ended up on the couch right there as Peter sucked my cock dry before fucking me. He was leaning over me with my legs pressed forward, taking every deep thrust with a grunt. I cried out his name when he came, closing his eyes to drive forward deeper.
We showered afterward, and I
was still shaking from the intensity of it. I pushed him into the wall to kiss him, jerking him off as he cried out. I went to my knees to suck him into my mouth, feeling his release slide down my throat.
We made lunch after the shower, sitting on the couch with the balcony door open for some fresh air. “Do you think it’s going to work over at Jane’s?” I asked as he shrugged.
“I love Jane. We’ve known her for years, but she’s always been on the needy side.” He took a bite of his sandwich. “I see why Rosa is going along with it. It works out well for both of them, but she might not be able to take Jane too long.” He glanced at me. “For now, I’ll take the apartment to myself. We can see what happens from there, but I’ll enjoy every second of privacy with you.”
“Want to stay with me when Taryn is in town?” I asked as he tilted his head at me. “She stays in my guest room. I don’t want to leave her alone there since she’s only staying the weekend.”
“I’ve never seen your place. Why is that?” He asked as I grinned.
“We’ve been dating for a short time. We just seem to end up here, which I don’t mind.” I watched as he leaned in to kiss me again.
“It feels longer to me.”
“Agreed.” I kissed him again, loving the feel of his lips.
I took him to my apartment to show it to him later that night. It wasn’t as bright or airy as his, but the building was secure, and I enjoyed living there. I could afford it easily with the money I made working, along with my savings. “This has good bones,” Peter told me, looking around. “Do you have rent control too?”
“I have savings that I use as well as what I earn. My Grandpa left me a decent inheritance a few years ago. He left it to everyone in the family, and it helps out a lot. I’ve thought about buying as my sister did, but I haven’t gotten locked into a place yet.”