19. PARKER
NINETEEN
PARKER
Hooking up with Connor should cover my urges for a good two to four business months , but somehow, I want sex more than ever. Usually I’m too busy with my face stuck in a screen, working long hours, to give sex much thought, but sex with Connor is quickly overriding everything else.
Sex with him is also very much only in my head at this point, and I’m getting to the arena late because I’d lain in bed, jerking off and thinking about our one brief hookup. Real life is so much better than fantasies, and those memories will keep me company for a very long time. It’s not only the sex that has him constantly popping up in my mind, but I’m trying not to think about the other stuff. About his identity crisis, and the cuddling, and how he’s quickly becoming more of a real person than the high school fantasy I had of him.
I like the real person.
Which is where I’ll get myself into trouble if I don’t get my head screwed on right. I’m the team owner. He’s a player. Even if that wasn’t wildly inappropriate, I need to give him space to work out who this new side of him is.
Yes. I’m giving him space. That’s what I’ll continue to tell myself so when he’s nothing but professional and detached, I’ll know it’s because it’s what I want.
He can end up with any person on the planet after all, but he’ll never take my memories from me.
I climb out of my car, feeling ridiculous dressed in Air Jordans, Nike sweats, and a matching hoodie. It’s like what a lot of people I used to work with wore into the office, but I’d always preferred suits. They were like my armor.
This also may or may not be the same outfit I saw Macklin wear the other week, so if we can ignore how they’re glaringly brand-new, at least it should help me blend in.
With the jocks.
Keg stand. Fist pump. Gatorade.
I blow a dejected raspberry as I cross the underground parking lot and step into the elevator. It was a toss-up between coming here and maybe finally going and looking at pets, but I thought it was better to get this over with before I chickened out.
I have no idea if Macklin and the team are at the practice facility today or here at the arena where our headquarters are, but I will find someone around, and I will be the relaxed, easygoing team owner.
My talk with Macklin on the plane gave me a lot to think about, and I’m feeling a lot more comfortable around him now—hopefully, he feels the same. In a choice between approaching him or the GM Galecki, I’ll choose him any day. Galecki scares me. He hasn’t done anything but be professional and shake my hand so hard my fingers almost broke, but that was terrifying enough.
I’m walking down the corridor, trying to come up with a way to not sound like the uptight asshole I apparently am, when voices come from one of the meeting rooms up ahead.
It’s Macklin and some of the team, and when I’m about to step inside, I spot Connor and duck right back out again.
“Mr. Duchene?” Macklin stops me .
Shit.
I force a smile onto my face instead of aiming for professional and step right back in again. “Morning,” I say, pointedly not looking Connor’s way. I don’t want to have to see his gorgeous face, and I definitely don’t want him to be plotting how to avoid me. I will play things totally cool and let him know I’m totally cool and everything is very, very cool between us.
By making it clear there’s no us at all.
“We were talking Dallas and Walter’s weakness on his left side.”
It takes me a second to place Thompson Walter as their goalie. “Hasn’t he had three shutouts in a row?”
Munter thumps his forehead with his palm. “They’re gonna kill us.”
“With that attitude, they will.” Macklin turns to me. “The odds of him getting a fourth are as good as zero. Dallas is having a good year, but I’m done with those cocky sons of bitches and their showboating.”
“We’ll show them what a real team looks like,” Connor adds, and I very nearly look at him but catch myself before I can give in to the urge.
“And so you know,” Macklin says, approaching me and speaking low, “before games, we motivate. We don’t point out how well the other team is doing.”
My cheeks burn at such a stupid error. It had been an observation, but I really should have stopped and thought first. Hockey players get all up in their heads over everything, and it’s counterproductive to psych my team out when the more we win, the more I see myself claiming the Cup in Dad’s name.
“My mistake,” I say. “But like you said, no chance for more. We’re on a streak too. We’ve got this in the bag.” The whole room fills with groans, and my face gets hotter. “What? What did I say?”
Out of everyone, Easton is the one to answer. “Dude-uh- chene. Duchene. Mr. You just jinxed us. It’s like you’re trying to make sure we lose.”
Fucking hell. I should have stuck to my suit and apparently intimidating presence. I don’t even know what the fuck this is, but I’m doing it wrong.
“Sorry. I have to head out. Good luck this weekend.”
I turn on my heel and leave, wanting to stuff my fist in my mouth and make sure nothing else escapes. Maybe I should pay some worldly, social extrovert to follow me around, and then I can pass them a slip of paper with what I want to say, and they can make it sound good.
It wouldn’t be at all weird. At least, not for a tech billionaire. We’re known to be eccentric.
I really should have gone pet shopping.
I’m about to turn into the next corridor when heavy footsteps sound behind me, and someone grabs my arm.
“What are you—oh.”
It’s Connor, and with how determined I was to avoid looking at him, having him right beside me, grinning like that overconfident jock that he is, is like a blast of cool air. His gray eyes are soft, and his hair is still slightly damp, but I have no idea if it’s sweat or from the showers.
“You ran out of there fast.”
“I was afraid if I opened my mouth again, whatever I said next would somehow exhume Lord Stanley.”
He laughs, and it doesn’t sound mocking. “You’re giving yourself a lot of credit there.”
“I’m only going off your reactions.”
“We’re hockey players. We’re superstitious. You should know this.”
“I didn’t think mentioning very reasonable odds would set you all off though.”
He throws a look back down the corridor, sees we’re still alone, and leans casually against the wall beside me. “I don’t need to get a skate in until later. Did you want to hang out? ”
It takes me a second to realize that, no, he actually said that. It wasn’t my imagination. “Hang out?”
“Unless you have work to do.”
“No work. But … why?”
“Why not?”
That didn’t answer my question, and I’m still confused. It’s my turn to look around. “It’s okay, you know.”
“What is?”
“You don’t have to be all nice and friendly because we had se?—”
He slaps his hand over my mouth, the other holding the back of my head as he checks the coast is clear. Again. He’s almost laughing when he pulls away. “Keep your voice down.”
“Sorry.” Between our dynamic and him being closeted, I should have known better. “All I’m saying is it’s okay for us to go back to being …” Not enemies, but … “Professional.”
“When were we ever professional?”
I crack a smile. “That’s true. But it’s not too late to start.”
“I’d rather stick to being friends, if that’s okay with you?”
For the first time since he said that, I think he might actually be serious. “R-really?”
“ Yes .”
“Why?”
He plants both hands on my shoulders and ducks his head to meet my eyes. “Parker Duchene, I actually think you’re really fucking cool.”
I glance over my shoulder to see if there’s someone standing directly behind me who also happens to be called Parker Duchene.
Connor shakes me. “Stop that.”
I shake off my stupor. “Sorry, I’m trying to figure out what alternate dimension I stepped into.”
“While you’re doing that, what are we going to do for a few hours? ”
“I don’t know about you, but I was planning to go to the animal shelter.”
“Really?”
I don’t want to go into the whole loneliness, big place, blah blah blah, so I give the simple answer. “I’ve been thinking about getting a pet for a while, and I found a place that homes a huge range of animals. Everything from cats and dogs to snakes and lizards.”
“If you tell me you want a snake, I’m going to think I don’t know you at all.”
“I’m not sure what I want yet.” I know what I don’t want, and snakes are firmly on that list. Trying to cuddle with one of them at night would prove difficult.
“Let’s do it,” Connor says.
“You’re going to come with me?”
“Of course. I’d love to get a dog, but with how much I travel, it’s not on the cards. Oh!” His eyes are bright when he turns to me. “Maybe you can get a dog, and I’ll watch him when I’m home. We can co-parent.”
He rambles about dogs on our way out of the arena, and I watch him with wide eyes, wondering who the hell this man is.
And not having the heart to tell him dogs aren’t for me.
“Hi,” a sunny man named Sam says as we walk into the animal shelter. He looks to be in his early twenties and has an overly animated face.
“Hey, I called earlier about adopting an animal.”
“I remember you! Of course, I’ll get Cherry up here to watch the desk, and I’ll take you through.”
A surly teen who does not look like a Cherry takes his place, and Sam leads us through some swinging doors and down a corridor.
“We pride ourselves on not turning a single creature away. We’ve got the teeny fur creatures and the edgy amphibians and all the usual suspects. It kills me that people can so easily say goodbye to these sweet souls, but that’s why I do what I do.”
“I’ve never had a pet before,” I confess.
“Oh, you’ll love it. Bit of work, but they bring a place alive, I think. Do you know what you’re after?”
We reach a room lined with glass cages set into the walls and small animals inside some of the boxes. “No clue.”
“A dog,” Connor says.
“Not a dog,” I quickly say. “Unless it has no fur, doesn’t slobber everywhere, and won’t run into things.”
Sam smiles. “Why don’t you tell me what you do want?”
“It needs to be clean,” I say immediately. “Probably small enough that it can travel with me. A smart animal that won’t ruin my things is nonnegotiable, and …” I’m dying inside as I say the next part. “Something affectionate.”
I can feel Connor watching me, but Sam’s eyes soften. “Cuddly one, are you?”
My whole face is burning. “Do you have anything like that?”
Sam sets his hands on his hips and looks around the room. “Cute little pygmy goat out back might be a bit big to travel with. Doubt they’d take them in cargo.”
“It won’t be going in cargo. It will be traveling with me.”
“That could work.” He looks hopeful, and I hate having to bring him down.
“Don’t goats chew things?”
“Not all goats.” He shrugs. “But this one’s a bit of an asshole. A hamster is cuddly. Kinda smart.”
“Can they be toilet-trained?”
“Yes …” He runs his eyes over the walls. “We don’t have any young ones though, so it might be a bit more of a challenge.”
Well, this is going downhill fast. “Do you have anything that is toilet-trained? ”
“Cats and dogs. Oh, and—hmm, maybe not.”
“What?”
“Well …” Sam wanders over to one of the walls and points at a cage. “We’ve had this guy for six months now. Hasn’t been much interest in him.”
I approach and lean in to look at … “Is that a rat?”
“Yup.” Sam crouches down and quickly unlocks the cage to pull the little creature out. “Super fucking smart. This one came to us already toilet-trained, very curious, and was clearly handled since he was a pup because he’s very, very cuddly.”
“There is no way in hell,” Connor says from beside me, but then the little thing pokes up its head and turns its pink eyes on me. It’s got a long face and a cute little nose that twitches in my direction.
I crouch down too. “Aren’t rats dirty?”
Sam puts the rat on his shoulder, where it immediately tucks its head into his collar. “Common misconception. They’re about as clean as an animal gets. Look after themselves like cats do. Like I said, this one is litter-trained, and he’s very smart. On some quiet days, I come out and make a little course for him.”
A rat had never crossed my mind, but there’s a reason they’re used in research. Rats are smart. This one is clearly affectionate, it’s small, and if he’s litter-trained …
“Can I hold him?”
Sam plucks the small animal off his shoulder and hands him over. I cradle him in my hands, not sure if I’m holding him right, and he pushes up onto his back legs, nose twitching again toward my face.
It’s actually … kinda cute.
“You can’t be considering this,” Connor says, sounding close to laughter.
Sam shoots him a look. “I think guys who own rats are hot.”
I glance up, meeting Sam’s eyes, unsure if he’s actually flirting with me. His steady smile confirms that, yes, that’s exactly what he’s doing. Even if it’s only so I’ll get the rat, I can’t wrap my head around him doing that when Connor—basically the hottest man alive—is standing right there.
A loud thump breaks our eye contact, and I glance up to find Connor’s large hand on the empty glass cage above my head.
“You’re going to get Florida’s mascot?”
“I …” I look down at the creature still watching me. “I think I might.”
“Fine. If you want a rat, we’ll get a rat.”
“ We ?” I ask.
“I always wanted to be the parent of a sewer dweller.”
Sam strokes the rat’s head. “He’s never been in the sewers a day in his life. The rate of people owning rats has been rapidly on the rise because they’re such easy pets.”
“Easy is what I need,” I admit.
“What we need.”
I shoot a confused look Connor’s way. “What do they eat?”
“A lot of fruits and vegetables. Grains. That kind of thing,” Sam answers. “I can print out an info sheet for you.”
“No need. I’m already googling it,” Connor says, hurrying to pull out his phone. “We’ll need a cage.”
“I’ll need a cage.”
“ Our baby will need a cage.”
I have no clue what Connor’s doing, but when I look up again, his jaw is set, and he’s gripping his phone hard. “Are you okay?”
“I’m great. We’re buying a scabby little mutant baby.”
Sam gives him a flat look. “He can hear you.”
“He’s a rat.”
“They’re very smart.” I pretend to cover his little round ears, and he scrubs his face against my hand. “Aww …” I melt. That makes my mind up immediately. Look at me, so starved for affection that the slightest hint of it has me buying a rodent .
Connor leans over my shoulder to look at it, trying to stop his face twisting in disgust. “Adorable.”
“Isn’t he?”
Sam’s flirty smile is back. “You both are.”
“Right,” Connor snaps, tugging me by the arm back to my feet. “Wrap him up. We’ll take him.”
“Wrap him up?” Sam echoes.
Connor rolls his hand. “Whatever it is you need to do.”
“There’s paperwork, and we’ll organize a cage and some printouts. I’ll have to get the rat daddy’s details as well.”
“You can have mine,” Connor cuts in. “I’m buying him.”
“Adopting,” Sam corrects with an edge to his voice. “And I’ll need the details of whoever the animal is living with and registered to.”
“That will be me,” I say before Connor can cut in again. But there’s something about the way he’s behaving, how unsettled and off guard he looks, that has warmth forming in my gut.
“He’ll be living with us both,” Connor corrects. “We’re sharing him. Can’t wait. I’ve always wanted a rat to stink up my house and piss in my bed. It’s the dream.”
It’s a struggle not to laugh. “You can try to say it again without clenching your teeth.”
Connor’s still glaring Sam’s way.
“Can you give us a moment?” I ask Sam.
“Sure.” He takes the rat, places him on his shoulder, and walks away, the little thing turning back to watch me as he goes.
“It has red eyes,” Connor says straight away. “It’s a demon.”
“But did you see the way it snuggled into me? I love him. I’m getting him.”
Connor’s face softens. “If that’s what you want. I guess I’m getting us a rat.”
“Me a rat. ”
“Never in a million years did I think I’d own a rat.”
“Good thing you won’t be.”
Connor slings an arm around my shoulders and steers me toward the door. It’s a real struggle not to swallow my tongue. “What will we call him? Devil? Evil incarnate?”
“How about rata kiki ?”
“I will end you.”
“It has a nice ring to it.”
“We’re not naming our baby after me.”
“ My baby.”
He’s being fucking ridiculous.
“And stop being a dick to Sam.”
“I’m not being a dick to anyone.” He lets me go, and as I walk ahead of him, I catch him muttering, “Sam needs to keep it in his pants.”
My gut gets warmer, and thankfully, Connor can’t see the way I’m smiling.
I could get used to this friend thing.