Chapter Seventeen
Scott skated to the bench. He nudged Bennett when he got there. “You ready for this?”
“Nothing is getting past me, Hunter.”
“Damn straight,” Scott said, and he tapped his helmeted forehead against the front of Bennett’s mask.
“All right,” Coach Murdock said. “We’re starting with Vaughan, then Huff, then Hunter. Surely one of you millionaires can put this to bed.”
“No problem, Coach,” Huff said.
Bennett skated to his net. The Toronto goalie did the same. Toronto was the home team and they chose to shoot second, so Carter skated out to the center line.
The whistle blew, and Carter took off.
“Nice,” Scott muttered under his breath as Carter deked and swerved toward the net, fancy stickhandling being his specialty.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work and the goalie blocked the shot. Carter skated back, shaking his head. “Shit. Thought I had him.”
“Nice moves, Carter. Next time,” Scott said.
Bennett stopped the Toronto shooter, and the Admirals bench breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The bench got rowdy as Huff skated to center ice. “Come on, Huff.”
“You got this.”
Huff did what he did best. He fired a quick shot at the top corner of the net that the goalie had no chance of stopping. The Admirals all pounded their sticks against the boards and bumped gloves with him as he skated down the line. If the Toronto shooter missed, the game would be over.
The Toronto shooter didn’t miss, beating Bennett down low. Scott was up.
* * *
Kip had his hands over his mouth. He was on the edge of his seat on Elena’s couch. “Come on, Scott…” he muttered.
It was surreal seeing Scott in this setting. On television, at this crucial moment, staring down the goalie and looking so determined. So intimidating.
“He’s got it,” Elena said calmly. “Watch.”
They both watched as Scott moved like lightning toward the net. Kip held his breath. Everything was slow motion as Scott let off his shot.
It floated over the goalie’s shoulder, pretty as anything.
“Yeah!” Kip said, jumping up from the couch. “Did you see that?”
“Amazing!”
He pointed gleefully at the television. “That man loves me! Me!”
“I don’t understand it either.”
He sank back onto the couch, resting his head on Elena’s shoulder. “That’s my boyfriend.”
“Of course it is, sweetie.”
Kip laughed. “It does sound nuts when I say it, right? It’s so weird.”
“It’s very weird.”
“He’s so great.”
“Yeah, well, you might wanna watch to see if this Toronto player scores, because the game ain’t over yet.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, superfan.”
They watched the Toronto shooter skate down the ice and…
“He missed!” Kip exclaimed. “He-missed-he-missed-he-missed!”
“He did.”
“They won! Scott won!”
“That’s three for three on this road trip, isn’t it?”
“Yes! I’m so proud of him!”
He watched Scott’s teammates all hug each other. Scott’s smile was wide and bright, and Kip wanted to leap into the television and kiss him all over his face.
“I wonder what Jalo’s deal is,” Elena mused.
“Oh yeah. You need to hit that if you can. Want me to ask Scott?”
“Nah, I’ll figure it out on my own.”
A half hour later, on his way back to Scott’s place, Kip sent him a text. So fucking proud of you.
An hour later he got a reply. Three games down. I’ll call you tomorrow.
Then, I love you.
Kip was never going to get tired of that.
* * *
“So,” Scott said as soon as Kip answered his phone the next afternoon, “I have good news.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I, uh, I’m at the hotel in Winnipeg and I managed to get a room to myself.”
Kip sat up from where he’d been lying on the couch. “Really? How’d you swing that?”
“Well, Cameron just recovered from a fractured wrist and he’s been cleared to play, so he flew up here to meet the team. But it means there’s an odd number of us, so… I kind of lied about wanting some space to get focused or whatever.”
“I’ll give you something to focus on, if it helps you feel honest.”
Scott laughed. “That’s what I was hoping. You at my place?”
“Yeah.”
“You wanna—”
“Absolutely. Yes. Let me just get my laptop. I’ll call you back on Skype, all right? Give me a minute.”
“Okay. Yeah.”
They hung up and Kip ran to the bedroom. He set the laptop up on one corner of the giant bed, then opened Skype and fiddled with the screen, trying to find the perfect angle.
He grabbed the lube, buzzing with excitement—this was finally happening! And, man, did he need it.
He set the bottle on the nightstand, then stretched out on the bed so he was on his side, his face propped up on one elbow near the computer. He grinned from ear to ear when Scott’s face filled the screen.
“Hi!” Scott said, smiling back just as widely.
“Nice to see you.”
“Man, yeah. It’s really good to see you. I miss you so much.”
Damn, Scott had a way of turning everything inside Kip to mush with a few dopey words. “Me too.”
Scott took an audible breath and blew it out, still smiling. “I almost forgot how cute you are.”
Kip rested his chin on one fist and batted his eyelashes coquettishly. “Who, me?”
Scott laughed. “I, uh, I have to keep my voice down. I’ve got my own room, but there are teammates on either side of me.”
“Yeah, no problem. We can just talk for a bit. You seem nervous.”
“No!” Scott said quickly. “I mean…yes. A little.”
“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” Kip teased.
Scott rolled his eyes. “I know. I just haven’t ever—”
“I’ll help. Don’t worry. You’re gonna love it, but let’s talk first.”
“Okay. Thanks. Um, how’s New York?”
“Cold. How’s… Winnipeg, did you say?”
“Yeah. Really fucking cold. Windy as hell.”
“How’s the team? How’s Jalo?”
Scott laughed. “Jalo’s good. Been a real asset. He’s exactly what we needed on the blue line.”
“And in the dressing room?”
“All right, enough.”
“I’m gonna change positions. Hold on,” Kip said. He piled up all the pillows against the headboard and fell back against them. He tossed one of the pillows on the bed near his outstretched knees and placed the laptop on top. “How’s that? Can you see me okay?”
“Yeah. Hi.”
“Hi.”
Scott was clearly just holding his iPad in his hands and staring straight at it.
“You should find a place to put that thing,” Kip suggested. “I wanna see more of you.”
“Oh. Okay. Um… Oh! I’ve got an idea.”
Scott put the iPad down and Kip was left looking at the ceiling of Scott’s hotel room. He heard a rumbling, and then the iPad was picked up and set down on something.
“I pulled the rolling desk chair over,” Scott explained, “next to the bed here. I can put the iPad on that with the little stand and it should be a good angle. I think.”
He stretched out on the bed and now Kip could see him from head to thighs.
“That’s better,” Kip said. “God, you’re enormous.”
“Well, I’m no Matti Jalo—”
“You’re perfect. It was so hot watching you win that shootout the other night. You have no idea.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Mm. Been thinking a lot about the other night…on the phone.”
“Me too. A whole lot, actually. Can’t believe I said some of those things.”
“You were incredible. So fucking sexy.”
Scott smiled and probably blushed. It was hard to tell.
“Nice hotel?” Kip asked.
“It’s all right.”
“You’re not even a little turned on right now, are you?”
“I’m nervous! I said!”
“All right,” Kip sighed, then smiled. “You’re adorable, you know that?”
Scott grinned and shook his head.
“Seriously,” Kip said. “People think you’re all tough, but look at you, all blushing and jittery about a bit of webcam action.”
“Look, Grady…”
“I can’t believe this was the same man who was giving me orders over the phone the other night. Where’d that guy go?”
“He’s here! He’s here. Just…” Scott closed his eyes and let out a long breath. “Just talk to me.”
“Okay. You been wearing those blue socks?”
“Yeah, like every day. I’ve been washing them in the sink.”
Kip laughed and his stomach fluttered. “Aw,” he said.
“I really miss you,” Scott said in a hushed voice.
“What time are you flying back on Monday?” Kip asked.
“Should be there before noon,” Scott said, relaxing back into the pillows. “I hope so. Wanna show you a good time on your birthday.”
“You got plans?”
“Maybe.”
“Want me to be waiting here for you? At your place?”
“Yeah… Yeah, that would be… I’d like that.”
“I will. I’ll be waiting for you. I could be in your bed. I could even get myself all ready for you. Open myself up…”
Scott’s face changed. It was subtle, but his darkening eyes and the way he swallowed told Kip he was getting Scott where he needed to be.
He smirked. “That working for you, big guy?”
“It’s working. Keep talking.”
“Sure. Why don’t you take that shirt off?”
Scott obediently pulled his T-shirt over his head. “Only seems fair if you…” he said, pointing at the camera/Kip.
“Yeah, yeah.” Kip removed his own T-shirt and winked at Scott.
“Oh,” Scott said. “That mark is still there, huh?”
“Still there,” Kip confirmed, brushing his fingers over it. “Might need a new one soon, though.”
“I’ll give you one.”
Kip trailed his fingers over his chest to play with one of his nipples. “Maybe I could just be waiting by the door for you when you get home. Kiss you like I’ve been wanting to for days now.”
“Mm. Would you still be naked in this scenario?” Scott asked with a crooked grin. He threw one giant arm over his head, seemingly more relaxed.
“That would be kinda weird, but if you like…”
“Either way I’d probably end up fucking you against the wall in the hallway.”
Fuck. “Fuck, Scott.”
“Like I said,” Scott said, his voice a little lower, “I miss you.”
“What do you miss?” Kip slid a hand up the inside of his thigh, and Scott’s eyes followed it.
“I… I miss your lips. Your mouth. The way you kiss me. The way you taste. I miss the way you smell.”
“How do I smell?” Kip laughed.
“I dunno… Nice. Kinda spicy? Like whatever aftershave you use, I guess.”
“It’s nothing fancy, I can tell ya that.”
“I miss your smile,” Scott continued, which earned him one. “I miss the little freckles on your shoulders. I miss your perfect nipples and your belly button.”
Kip actually giggled. “You’re weird. Keep going.”