Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Bailey
Lian gasps loudly, his eyes popping comically wide. He points at the ice where Remi is warming up, his other hand is gripping my forearm so tight I’m slightly worried he’s going to leave a bruise. “Oh my god, he’s doing the splits!”
I snicker. “He’s stretching.”
He swings his head toward me, mouth dropping open. “He’s doing the splits, Bailey. The splits! He looks like he doesn’t even break a sweat. In all those bulky clothes too.” He whips around to look at Foster, who is sitting on the other side of him. “Did you see that?”
Foster’s face is bright with a mix of amusement and adoration as he nods. “Yeah, I saw it.”
“Wow,” Lian says on a breath, falling back into his seat and finally releasing my arm. I run my hand over it and sigh. Yeah, definitely going to leave a bruise. “It must be amazing to be that flexible. Imagine all the sex pos—”
I quickly slap my palm over his mouth, cutting off his words before he can finish. “No, we’re not imagining anything like that.”
Because if I do, I’ll get all boned up and embarrass myself. Remi and I have exchanged multiple blow jobs since that first time, but just the simple thought of Remi naked, or his cock, or his fucking incredibly sculpted ass, has me chubbing up in an instant.
And that’s something I do not want to be doing in his place of work.
“M’kay.” Lian smirks against my hand, clearly reading my mind. I roll my eyes, dropping my hand to my lap.
We’re sitting in the seats Remi snagged for us, around seven rows behind the goal, where he’ll be in front of the net.
We had to wait to find a date that worked for everyone and to make sure Remi would be starting.
But Remi’s excitement for me coming to watch his game has made me fall for him even more.
We haven’t had the conversation about what we are or putting a label on it. Everything up to this point has been a whirlwind in the best possible way, but I think it will settle something in my mind if I know that Remi isn’t going to get bored of me and he’s in this just as much as I am.
This is also the first night Lian and I have spent together since he came back from his cruise.
It’s kind of wild to think that if it wasn’t for him getting dumped by his asshole of an ex, neither of us would have met Remi and Foster.
Now, here we are, with two incredible guys in our lives, all thanks to taking a chance on H2H.
And all I need to do now is actually make Remi mine.
Remi skates in front of the net and gets into a crouching position.
His teammates begin firing pucks at him, and Lian throws his arms up as he cheers, forgetting the drink in his hand.
Before I can tell him to be careful, the liquid sloshes over the side.
I watch wide-eyed as Foster is quick to jump up, managing to avoid getting soaked while, at the same time, stopping Lian from falling over in his haste to stop the spillage.
“Caught you,” Foster says quietly, a gentle smile on his face.
Behind them, I bite back my own smile. I might have been wary of Foster in the beginning, but it’s so nice that Lian has finally found someone who looks out for him and actually treats him well.
Remi disappears off the ice at the end of warm-up, and the Zamboni comes out to resurface.
After we all stand for the national anthem, I’m unable to tear my eyes off Remi as he scuffs up the ice in front of the net, tapping the goalposts with his stick and going through some kind of ritual where he squats, edges back on his skates until he’s inside the goal, then comes out again before repeating it two more times.
When the game starts, I’m on the edge of my seat the entire time. Whenever the opposing team gets close to Remi, my body turns tense, neck and shoulders rigid. I’m cursing under my breath, willing for them to get the fuck away from him.
Have they never heard the concept of personal space?
Luckily, Remi is fucking magical. He twists and turns and throws his body around in a way that looks so effortless.
He manages to stop the other team from scoring every time, but when one slips past his glove side, I feel so devastated for him.
Sure, his team is up by three, and there are only two minutes left in the third period, but he had gone all this time without letting one in.
Lian lets out a loud “aww!” when they show Remi on the jumbotron.
He’s lifted his helmet up to rest on the top of his head.
His cheeks are flushed pink, similarly to how flushed he gets while we’re having sex, and I have to bite down on the inside of my cheek to stop my eager brain from going to a dirty place.
He squirts some water in his mouth, a rare, serious expression lining his brows. His bottom lip is pursed in a slight pout, and I want to go down there and kiss that pout right off his face.
Is it weird to think his serious face is super hot?
The final two minutes are action-packed. The opposition isn’t giving up, but each attempt is futile. Remi denies every shot they take on goal, and by the time the buzzer sounds, his team gets the win.
I’m oblivious when it comes to hockey, or any kind of sport, really, but I can appreciate how exciting the game is and how much work Remi has to put in every single day to be on top of his game.
We take our time heading to the family area, where Remi said he’ll meet us, knowing he won’t be out right away. My gut is in knots with nerves as we wait. What if Lian doesn’t like him? Or he doesn’t like Lian?
No, that wouldn’t happen. Remi seems to like everyone.
Stop overthinking it.
Sighing, I run a hand through my hair when I hear Remi call out my name.
“Bailey!” He waves before rushing over to me. “Hi,” he whispers. He gives me a bright smile, then wraps his arms around me in a tight hug. Looping my arms around his broad shoulders, I press my face into his neck and close my eyes.
He kisses the side of my head and speaks so quietly I almost miss it. “Did you enjoy the game?”
“Yeah,” I murmur, lifting my head to look at him.
“You were fucking fire out there. I had no idea what to expect, and it’s so different seeing it in person than seeing it on TV.
I just…” Cupping his jaw with my hand, I stroke my thumb across his lower lip.
“You are mesmerizing. I couldn’t take my eyes off you. ”
He rewards me with one of his bright smiles. The kind that lights up his eyes and my soul.
Even in the short time I’ve known him, this man has the power to destroy me.
Someone clears their throat behind us, and I’m reminded that Lian and Foster are still here, waiting for me to introduce them to Remi.
I take a step back, dropping my hands to my sides and clearing my throat. “Remi, this is my roommate, Lian, and his boyfriend, Foster.”
“Lian! Hi! Ohmigod it’s so great to meet you.” Remi thrusts his arms out wide. “Do you do hugs?”
This man. I had no chance of not falling for him.
“Only for hellos, goodbyes, and just about everything in between,” Lian says exuberantly, already stepping forward.
I cover my mouth with my fingers, trying to hide my smile as my two favorite people hug it out. He also hugs Foster, then bounces back to my side, grabbing my hand and lacing our fingers together.
“Ready?” he asks with a beaming smile.
I nod. “You bet.”
But I’m not just referring to heading home. I’m ready to jump in with both feet. I can’t ignore how strong my feelings are for him, and I’m ready to take the leap I’ve been afraid of for so long and push my fear aside.
Remington McRae III is worth the risk.