No Pucks (Gods Versus Monsters Hockey #1)

17. Anthony

SEVENTEEN

ANTHONY

I put Logan in for the second period with both Ridgeways and he scores two goals, tying us. He almost gets a hat-trick in the third, but center Ridgeway misses him wide open in a man up play and gets him the puck way too slowly, giving the goalie enough time to recenter.

We lose the game 3-2, and we absolutely shouldn’t have. The Griffins aren’t that great of a team and should have been an easy first win.

I give them my losing speech but keep it short. It’s late and we’re flying back early. I get stopped by the other coach, an old teammate of mine, and we chat for a few before I tell him I need to get my team back to the hotel.

I back into the locker room and nearly run into Logan and his father. The hair on the back of my neck raises, but they don’t notice me.

“Maybe you’d be worth something if you did what I told you to,” Cox Sr. barks at Logan.

What the fuck is he even doing here? No parents should be down here. Fucking special treatment is what this is, and it pisses me off.

“You coached me for how long? What makes you think another four years would make me any better?”

“You’ve never wanted it bad enough, so you’ve never taken it seriously,” Cox Sr. spews, and Logan visibly winces.

I can only assume it’s because I said something similar not even two hours ago. I hate myself a little in that moment, even knowing I didn’t mean it like his father.

“Why are you even here? I didn’t ask you to come.” All the life is gone out of Logan’s eyes. It makes me want to punch his father in the face.

“It was clearly a mistake on my part. I had blinders on when it came to you.”

Rage flickers in Logan’s eyes, but he quickly masks it, returning to his nonplussed attitude. “I’m glad to hear that. I’m sure it’s a reasonable expectation that you’ll leave me the fuck alone now?” He might be playing this off like a joke, but I’m enraged.

Cox Sr. narrows his eyes. “You’re so disappointing?—”

I cut him off. “Cox, you need to change. The bus is about to leave. I’m sure you can finish this later.”

Both of them turn towards me, noticing I’m there for the first time.

Amusement flickers in Logan’s eyes, but only for a second. “I’ll hurry up. Sorry.”

Cox Sr. sneers as Logan walks to the bench.

“Parents can’t be down here,” I say a little gleefully, returning his glare.

He huffs but leaves.

I check the locker room for any stragglers, sending my assistant coach to the bus to make sure we have all the guys before I go to find Logan, against my better judgement.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He doesn’t look at me while he strips off the rest of his gear.

“You don’t seem fine.” I cross the space between us, wanting to touch him, but I keep my hands in my pockets.

He finally lifts his eyes. “Who’s asking? My coach or Anthony?”

“Can’t it be both?” I clench my hands into fists.

“You know it can’t.” His words carry no emotions.

I force my hand out of my pocket and brush a lock of hair out of his face. “Which do you want me to be?”

“For one, I’m fine, and the other, I don’t know, but I’m sure as fuck not talking to my coach about my father.”

“Why not? Your coach wouldn’t want your father interfering with his team no matter who the guy is.”

“Especially then.” He steps back and pulls his shoulder pads off, tossing them into his bag. “Just go be the coach. I know you have a job to do. I need a drink or five and to forget.”

My stomach twists. He hadn’t explicitly said so, but I’d put together the pieces and knew his coping mechanism was not just drinking, but also hooking up. Our hookup had been just that. And was it still?

But I know, deep down, it’s not. This is familiar. The night we hooked up all those months ago, he’d worn a mask, but he was like this. Had he met me after a fight with his father? I don’t have to wonder. The answer is written in his body language.

I don’t want him going to someone else for what he needs, not when he’s like this.

The pieces come together. I’m worth the work and hockey isn’t, all the things about his father. I hate the guy, and I didn’t have to live with him, grow up with him, or get sideline coached by him.

“Talk to me. Please.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. I’m used to who he is.” He barely looks at me.

“I’m not letting you forget with anyone else.” The demand is clear in my tone.

“Not letting?” He shoves down his pants with some effort, leaving him in just a jock.

I try not to look, but my cock takes notice. It’s more than just how he looks. I need to mark my territory. I want to break the neck of anyone else who even looks at him. “You heard me.”

He steps forward, bringing us chest to chest, putting his hands on his hips. “I’m going to forget tonight. We are in a hotel. You can’t?—”

I shove my thumb into his mouth. “There is no curfew tonight. If you can be out, you can be on your knees.”

His lips pull into a slight smile around my thumb before speaking around it. “Are you going to let me forget, or are you going to make me talk about it?”

I play with his tongue, getting harder by the second. “I’ll use you however I see fit and ask what I want. You don’t have to tell me, but I want to know. I want to know you.”

Am I saying too much? I’m not even sure he wants more out of this than to be ruthlessly fucked.

Is it wrong of me to want it?

To want more with him, even knowing we have an expiration date?

I want to be selfish for once in my life, to take what I want and not care how anyone else feels. Not my ex-wife, not my agent, not my team, not my publicist. Logan is just for me.

“Turnabout is fair game. So if you ask, I’m going to ask too.”

“Okay.” I nod.

“No one knows a damn thing about you. Not the media, not friends. Once you retired, it’s dead silence. You really ready to open up to me?”

I take a slow breath. “No, but I will.”

“You’d tell me knowing who my dad is?”

“I don’t think you’re going to say anything to your dad. If I did, I wouldn’t be fucking you.” I trust him, I realize, and that’s fucking scary. I haven’t trusted anyone but Krista since my divorce.

He smiles, fully sucking on my thumb. “I think that’s the sexiest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

“My room after the team dinner.” I reach into my pocket and pull the key out of my wallet. I’m about to leave when I stop myself. I look down, finally enjoying the full sight of him half hard in the jock. I rub the back of my fingers over his bulge. “Wear the jock.”