CHAPTER TEN
Tanner was fucking pumped to watch the first game of the tournament.
It was the Central European team against the Nordic team—and Tanner had a lot of questions about why everyone was calling it that instead of Team Nordic that no one seemed to be able to answer—so when Dustin Fowler asked Tanner if he wanted to watch with some of the guys, Tanner immediately said yes.
A section of seats at the arena had been reserved for players who were interested, and Tanner was stoked as he found a spot between Matty and Nico.
“Dude, this is gonna be siiiiick,” Tanner said, slapping their thighs. Nico’s was, like, half the size of Matty’s. But they were both hot as shit and queer, and those were totally Tanner’s favorite people to hang out with.
Matty grinned. “My money’s on the Nordic guys.”
Nico waved that off. “Doesn’t matter. Either team will get smoked when they play Canada.”
“Well, I mean, it’s hard to beat Webby,” Tanner agreed.
“Man, I miss him in Toronto,” Nico said with a sigh. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Macky …”
Alexander Makarov, Tanner mentally translated. First round, twenty-third overall draft pick, 0.915 save percentage.
“But Webby was fun. I love seeing him dance now. He seems really happy in Boston with O’Shea.” Nico glanced over at where Kelly O’Shea sat and grinned. “Uhh, Connor.”
“Yeah, Webby didn’t really dance when he played for the Fisher Cats, right?” Tanner asked.
“No.” Nico said with a frown. “I dunno, this city is … it’s a lot. Especially for a goaltender. I think he was afraid of getting in trouble or being accused of not taking the game seriously. I think it says a lot that he feels way more relaxed now.”
“Yeah, we have good vibes in Boston,” Tanner agreed, before he remembered something he’d been wanting to ask Nico. “Hey. So why didn’t your hubby come back to refereeing this season. Isn’t he allowed to do that again?”
“Yeah, the ban is up,” Nico said quietly, leaning in. “But August just wanted to take a little longer break. He was worried about me and my recovery and comeback too.”
Tanner nodded. Nico’s on-ice seizure and brain surgery had scared the fucking crap out of every player in the league. But hey, despite having a brain tumor, he was doing really well now, which was dope.
Nico chuckled. “I’m doing great but Auggie … he’s a little overprotective of me.”
Something about the way he said that made Tanner think that Nico didn’t mind it.
He cleared his throat. “Anyway, when the ban lifted, Auggie was in a really good place about not having reffing in his life and I think he just wasn’t ready to either get denied or deal with the media shitstorm, whichever way the reinstatement hearing went, you know?”
Tanner made a face. “Oh, shit, he’d have to do a whole new hearing and everything?”
“Yeah. There’s a lot of official channels they have to go through. And if he was reinstated, it would mean more travel and less time with me, so there’s that.”
Tanner grinned and eyeballed Nico. “Yeah, I can see why he’d miss you.”
There was something about Nico that reminded him of Leif. Maybe it was the blond European look, or whatever. The effortless cool vibes. Although Nico was way more chill than Leif.
Although Leif hadn’t been so bad last night. He’d seemed more relaxed. Well, after his little freakout about his dad showing up, anyway.
Nico winked, then leaned forward, dropping his voice even more. “So don’t say anything to anyone but Auggie is thinking about maybe coming back next season.”
“Oh that would be sick.”
“Yeah. He was good at it,” Nico said with a small, proud smile.
“He can’t ref games you’re playing in, right?”
“No, definitely not. You might see him more, actually. He’d probably do a lot of games along the eastern seaboard.”
Tanner nodded and pretended he knew what that was. “Cool.”
The ceremony to open the tournament started a few moments later and Tanner wiggled happily in his seat as he listened to the speeches, national anthems, and finally, finally the puck dropped.
Tanner had watched quite a bit of Leif’s hockey over the years.
He’d seen him play from the bench when they were both on the Belmont Furies.
He’d also watched tons of video review when he played with the Concord Night Hawks and Leif played for New York’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Missiles.
He’d seen a ton of game tape since he’d been up with the Boston Harriers too and listened to their video coach break down all of Leif’s plays.
But watching him play live in a game from puck drop to final goal horn, it was even more electric.
Tanner’s mouth went dry watching Leif deke around players, split the D and go barreling toward the goal. He couldn’t take his eyes off Leif whenever he was on the ice.
Tanner was fast, but Leif was faster. Smoother. His stickhandling made Tanner flush and unzip his coat. His goal scoring left Tanner breathless.
Tanner might hate him when they were opponents, but he was a fucking incredible player to watch.
After the preliminary round of games, the tournament moved from Toronto to Chicago.
At the new hotel, Leif was on a different floor from Tanner. It required a little more careful sneaking around so they didn’t get caught.
Despite that, the second half of the tournament passed in a blur of games, sex, practice, hanging out with his team, sex, practice, game … and Leif felt weirdly buoyant through it all.
He told himself it was just the hockey and the thrill of playing in this international tournament but every time he was in bed with Tanner and Tanner made him laugh, Leif got this oddly dizzy feeling.
His teammates kept chirping him about the marks Tanner left on him and, mortifyingly, his father had been there in the locker room one of the times they’d been ribbing him.
He didn’t really feel nervous about going up against Tanner until it hit him that the Nordic Team would play Team USA in the semifinals. Due to the round-robin format of the tournament, it would be the first time they went up against each other.
The night before the semifinal, when Leif and Tanner were sprawled on Leif’s bed, sweaty and all tangled up together, Tanner brought up tomorrow’s game. “It’s gonna be sick, no?”
Leif muttered his agreement against Tanner’s throat.
“It’ll be weird going back to hating each other on the ice, huh?”
Leif blinked and pulled away. “What?”
“Well, I mean, going back to being rivals, yeah?” Tanner rose up on one elbow.
His hair was a fucking mess. All sweaty and tangled from Leif’s hands earlier.
Leif shivered at the memory of Tanner’s mouth on his cock but then he thought about what Tanner had said and shivered again. Only this time, it wasn’t pleasant.
“Yeah, I suppose so,” Leif said slowly.
Tanner smirked, reaching for the covers and pulling them up over their bodies. “What? Did you forget?”
“No, of course not,” Leif said. Only, maybe he’d been deliberately trying not to think too hard about it.
Tanner frowned. “You’re being weird. Why are you being weird about this?”
“I’m not being weird!” Leif protested, shifting so he leaned against the headboard. He wasn’t touching Tanner anymore, which made it easier to think.
“Sure, Princess,” Tanner scoffed.
“I just …” Leif ran a hand through his hair. “This isn’t something I’ve ever done.”
“What? Fucked a rival player?”
“Yeah.”
“No, you go for supermodels, right?”
“Models,” Leif admitted. “I don’t think anyone I’ve been involved with has reached the level of supermodel.”
Tanner waved a hand vaguely. “You know what I mean. You don’t get involved with hockey players.”
“Well,” Leif said. “I mean, I can’t say never. But it’s rare. And definitely no one on a rival team.”
“Until me. Cause I’m special.” Tanner fluttered his lashes.
Leif bit back the urge to say something that was unkind to people with special needs. He knew better. “You’re something,” he said instead.
“We hooked up last summer,” Tanner said slowly, shifting into a cross-legged position, the covers draped over his lap. “And did perfectly fine when we played against each other last season.”
“I know.”
“So why’s it different now?”
Leif glanced away. Because now I know what your skin tastes like when you’re sweaty. And I know you scrunch up your nose when you get comfortable in bed, he thought.
He cleared his throat. “I don’t know. Just seems like it’ll be … confusing is all.”
“Why? You worried you’ll kiss me across the faceoff circle?” Tanner teased.
Leif snorted and glanced back at him. “No. Besides, you never take faceoffs. You’re a defenseman.”
“Okay, so I don’t do it often,” Tanner admitted. “But sometimes in a 5-on-3 or whatever, I do.”
“Fine, not never. But you get my point.”
“Yeah, you’re afraid you’re going to get so horny when you pin me against the board you pop a boner in your cup.”
“Ugh, why am I even having sex with you?” Leif muttered. “You’re so fucking annoying.”
“You’re so into that and you can’t hide it anymore,” Tanner said, shifting on the bed and walking on his knees over to Leif. He straddled his thighs and sat heavily on them.
All one hundred and eighty-eight pounds of him, or whatever. Not that Leif knew Tanner’s stats by heart or anything.
Leif reached out, lacing his fingers together against Tanner’s lower back. “Maybe I’m afraid you’ll be so annoying that I punch you in the face and your nose will be too swollen to give me a blowjob tomorrow night. You know, the one you’ll owe me after the Nordic Team win.”
“Aww, I think you’re confused,” Tanner said with a cheeky smile. “You mean the ass eating you’ll give me after Team USA destroys you.”
“Not a chance.”
Tanner’s face fell. “Really? You aren’t into the idea of rimming me? I mean, no pressure if you aren’t. I get that it’s not everyone’s thing but—”
“As long as you shower first, I’ll eat your ass,” Leif said with a sigh. “But there’s no chance of Team USA destroying us.”
There was, in fact, a very high probability of that. Team USA was a heavy favorite to win the tournament. But Leif wasn’t going to admit that aloud.