Face Offs & Cheap Shots (CU Hockey Book 2)

NEW YEAR’S EVE

“Montreal, bitches!” I bodycheck Jacobs, who isn’t expecting it, so he stumbles into Cohen, and then it’s a domino effect, Cohen bumping Grant’s brother, Seth, who slams against his car.

Seth’s the same height as Grant, but he’s nowhere near as muscular. Underneath his billion layers of clothing, he’s all skinny arms and legs. It’s hard to believe they’re twins, honestly.

He turns to Zach. “Why did you invite the hockey players again?”

“Well, technically,” I cut in, “he invited Jacobs because he’s Grant’s bestie. Which means I was automatically invited because I’m Jacobs’s better half—emphasis on better—”

Jacobs shoves me.

I ignore him and keep going. “And then Cohen …” I look over at our teammate. “Wait, why are you coming?”

Cohen flips me off. “Grant invited me, asshole.”

“Still don’t know why we’re going in one car,” Seth mutters.

I hold my hand over my heart. “You love us. You really love us.”

Seth glares at Jacobs. “Put a leash on that.” He waves toward me, and I laugh.

I lean in closer to my boyfriend and lower my voice. “He doesn’t know I might like it. Also, Grant’s brother is fun. He’s like how you used to treat me. Brings back memories.”

“Maybe don’t taunt him? He’ll abandon us in Montreal.”

“Ooh, we could hitchhike back. That could be an adventure.”

Jacobs scowls. “Maybe Seth’s right. You do need a leash.”

“A leash and a ball gag. Now look who’s kinky?”

Jacobs levels me with a look.

“Fine. I’ll behave.”

The others get in the car, and then Jacobs and I try to push each other to get in first to take the middle.

“I’m bigger than you,” I argue. “Why can’t one of the scrawny-asses up front take the middle?”

“Because it’s my car, asshole!” Seth yells from the driver’s seat.

Jacobs stands his ground and folds his arms across his impressive chest. Not as impressive as mine, but whatever.

I throw my hands up and relent. “All right. Let’s do this. Maybe I’ll see if I like being squished between two guys. We never did work out if it’s guys in general or just you who does it for me. This could be, like, an experiment.”

Jacobs pulls me back and climbs into the middle seat.

My inner self is screaming, Victory!

It might be true I still haven’t found another guy attractive, but Grant’s pansexual explanation made me do a little research. Which made me fall into the world of Schitt’s Creek. All I can say is, David’s phrase “I like the wine and not the label” definitely appeals to me.

There’s always been this connection with Jacobs, even when we were fighting. Even when we hated each other, we worked well on the ice because we’ve been fundamentally intertwined since we met.

It didn’t matter he was a guy. Although, looking back on it, the fact he’s a guy probably prolonged the inevitable revelation that we were meant to be together.

Even though Seth’s car is a Jeep Cherokee, putting three hockey players in the back is still squishy.

Jacobs squirms in the middle, trying to get comfortable, but we’ve barely made it onto the I-89 when he squirms again.

I lean forward. “Hey, Cohen, maybe you should’ve sat in the middle and rubbed up against us. That’s normal, right? Not gay at all?”

Jacobs snickers.

“Ignoring that,” Cohen sings.

“Did you ever get ahold of your best friend from back home? The non-gay one?” I smirk.

He looks away. “He may or may not be happily engaged … to a dude.”

I bark out a laugh.

“God, I hate you guys.”

Two hours is longer than I thought it would be. This road trip up north feels longer than the drive to New York.

By the time Seth’s pulling into the hotel Grant booked for us, one block from where he’s playing tonight, I think everyone is ready to throw me out of the car … while it’s still moving. Even Jacobs, and he loves me.

Grant comes to meet us while Seth gives the valet his keys, and we grab our bags.

“Shouldn’t you be at the stadium?” Jacobs asks.

“Pregame downtime. Have to get back there soon.” He hands a hotel key to Jacobs and then his brother. “Already checked you guys in.”

Cohen clears his throat. “And me?”

“I tried to add another room to the booking, but it’s New Year’s, man. Everywhere is booked out. You can come crash in my apartment, but warning you in advance, I haven’t seen my boyfriend since Christmas.”

I snort. “That was six days ago.”

Grant cocks his eyebrow. “And if you hadn’t seen Jacobs for six days?”

“Touché.” I throw my arm around Jacobs and pull him close to me even though we spent the last two hours plastered to each other’s sides. And, oh shit. I remember looking at Grant and Zach and wondering what it would be like to feel that need to be close to someone. I run my hand over Jacobs’s back and smile.

I guess it feels exactly like this.

“You can crash with us,” I say to Cohen. “We’ll even let you watch.”

Jacobs elbows me.

“I was kidding!” Sort of. I don’t want him watching, but if being with Jacobs has taught me anything, the only time I can lie next to him without wanting sex is after working on his family’s farm where my arms and body are broken.

No other exceptions.

Cohen glances at Grant’s brother. “Please let me stay in your room.”

“I don’t even know you,” Seth says.

“I really don’t feel like listening to your brother have sex, and I just spent two hours in the back seat with Beck.”

“Hey,” I complain.

“Feel sorry for me!”

Seth sighs. “Fine. I wouldn’t subject anyone to Foster and Zach’s sex noises, and I don’t even need to justify the Beck thing.”

“Hey!” I say more emphatically. I point at everyone in the group. “You see this? This is why we haven’t been close the last three years.”

Jacobs laughs. “Sure. That’s why. Has nothing to do with your annoying personality.”

“You pronounced delightful wrong. Also, I don’t know what all your problems are, the rest of the team loves me.”

“That is true.” Jacobs squeezes me. “I would say something about them being dumbasses, but I’m the one who’s dating you, so what does that make me?”

“King dumbass,” Grant says.

“New nickname!” I hold Jacobs tighter.

“I will kill you,” Jacobs threatens.

“You know how getting you mad turns me on.” I lean in close to his ear. “Think we have enough time to blow each other before we head to the arena?”

He grabs my hand. “We’re gonna go check out our room! See you all later.”

He drags me away but not before I hear Cohen speak to Seth.

“Seriously. Thank you. I owe you one.”

We race upstairs to our room and dump our bags, shed our clothes, and tackle each other to the king bed.

“First one to come wins?” I ask.

Jacobs rolls on top of me. “Isn’t it usually fastest on the trigger loses?”

“Yeah, but we don’t have time for that. Flip around.”

“Fuck, I love you.”

I grin. “Turns out there’s a fine line between love and hate, and that line is blowjobs.”

“Duh.” Jacobs positions himself on his hands and knees, facing my feet.

His cock hangs between his legs, hard and ready for my mouth.

I grip it tight and guide him toward my lips, loving the sound of his moan as I lick over the head.

But then his mouth is right there, taking me all the way to the back of his throat in a move he had mastered pretty much from the beginning.

And after the fastest sixty-nine known to man, where I, of course, win and bow down to the blowjob king, we lie there in the hotel sheets, sweaty and breathing heavy.

“Are you going to talk to Grant about your business plan?” Jacobs asks.

I groan. “If that’s the first thing you ask after I blow you, I really need to up my game. I need a bit of mouth or dick worship first.”

Jacobs runs a hand down my chest. “Your dick and mouth are both tasty.”

I laugh.

“But are you going to talk to Grant?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

I roll onto my side to face him. “Because it’s too soon. I need to graduate, get some coaching experience, blah, blah, blah.”

“I still think you should talk to him about it at the after-party.” Jacobs sits up. “Come on, we need to get up and meet the guys for the game.”

I sit up and run a hand over the back of my head. “Hockey, beer, stadium food, and an after-party with honest-to-God NHL players. This is going to be, like, the best New Year’s ever.”

Jacobs pulls his pants on but then puts his hands on his hips. “I think you’re missing a pretty important thing on that list.”

I cock my head. “Food, hockey, NHL players … Hmm, nope, I can’t think of anything.”

Jacobs takes a pillow and throws it at me.

“Oh, spending it with you? Is that what you mean?” I try to hide my amusement.

He scowls at me.

I stand and make my way over to him. I’m still completely naked, and I don’t miss the way his eyes rake over me.

I cup his cheek and lean in to brush my lips over his. “Just so you know, you’re at the top of that list. I would be happy to be anywhere this New Year’s so long as you were with me.”

I kiss him again, pouring some seriousness into it so he knows I’m not talking out my ass like I usually am.

He groans and runs his hands down my back, gripping my ass and pulling me against him. He’s hard again.

“Ooh, round two before we go?” I ask.

“No time,” he grumbles. “Get dressed.”

We get ready to go and meet the others in the lobby.

Grant’s boyfriend is kind of hilarious in his oversized jacket, beanie, and scarf. I’m a little worried the bulky clothing is trying to swallow him whole.

Even though it’s cold as fuck outside, we walk the five minutes to the stadium.

Entering the arena and taking in the atmosphere is probably the first time it’s truly hit me that Grant plays for the NHL. We’ve watched his games on TV, but there’s something about a real-life game that just has that calling. It’s the same as when I’m on the ice, and it was the exact same feeling I got running drills with the high school kids over summer.

Grant’s rookie year is off to a great start. He’s getting some serious ice time for a newb.

The idea of helping others potentially reach Grant’s level fills me with more excitement than anything ever has before.

I want to hold on to that feeling and make it a reality.

And I want to do it with Jacobs.