Chapter Two
Kyle had never been so disappointed by a gay bar full of hot men.
He had spent a lot of time in gay bars. A lot of time in this bar in particular.
The Kingfisher had been his main source of income for years, and he’d flirted with a vast array of hot men in this very room during that time.
He’d gone home with a decent percentage of them.
Tonight the Kingfisher was celebrating the engagement of two gay men, yet was packed with straight dudes. Hockey players, mostly.
Extremely attractive hockey players. And their wives.
Water, water everywhere...
Kyle sighed and poured a lager for the zillionth time that evening. The hockey players were not adventurous in their choice of alcoholic beverages. He set the pint glass on the bar and offered a smile to the tall, scruffy millionaire athlete who took the beer without even a glance at Kyle.
Straight men. God.
There was a time when meeting even one NHL star would have been exciting, but since Scott Hunter had become a regular at the Kingfisher, and since Kyle had become friends with Kip, New York Admirals players had become commonplace in Kyle’s life. Boring, even.
“Having fun?” Kyle’s co-worker, Aram, playfully bumped his hip as he reached for a pint glass.
“Could be having more fun if any of these boys knew how to flirt,” Kyle grumbled.
“I know. What a waste, right? This place is full of tens, and they’re all worthless.”
“Counterfeit tens,” Kyle agreed.
Aram rested both of his massive arms on the bar and leaned forward, grinning at the rowdy and attractive crowd. “Still, though. Fun to look at. Have you seen Matti Jalo up close?”
“Not as close as I’d like to.”
Aram laughed as a man who was not the New York Admirals’ gorgeous Finnish defenseman ambled up to the bar and asked them for a couple of pints of beer. Aram got to work pouring them while pointlessly flirting with the man. Kyle let his eyes roam the room.
Ooh. Eric Bennett.
The Admirals’ star goaltender was leaning against the bar, seemingly taking in the party.
Kyle didn’t really know him, but he’d seen him in here before with Scott and Kip and he was kind of exactly Kyle’s type.
Or, rather, he was exactly the type of man Kyle wouldn’t allow himself to fall for anymore.
But it didn’t hurt to look. Kyle had always loved Eric’s dark, curly hair and well-groomed stubble, both of which were flecked with gray.
He was tall and lean and always seemed so mature and elegant compared to the other Admirals players.
Eric was alone now, and he was technically at the bar, so Kyle could technically ask if he wanted to order anything. What if he’d been waiting patiently this whole time to order a drink? With his back to the bar...
“Can I get you anything?” Kyle leaned on the bar, angling his face so that Eric could see him in his periphery.
Eric turned his head immediately. “I’m fine,” he said with a polite smile.
He certainly was. He was wearing a blue-and-white checked shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his strong forearms. His dark eyes fixed on Kyle’s, his gaze confident and unwavering.
Oof. If Kyle had one weakness—and he didn’t; he had many—it was confident, attractive older men. Also, confident, attractive younger men. Also, men.
“Kyle, right?” Eric asked. “You’re friends with Kip.”
“That’s me.”
“I’m Eric.” He extended his hand, and Kyle shook it.
“I know who you are.” Kyle’s tone was teasing and flirty, because it was pretty much always teasing and flirty. “You’re the one who hides that handsome face behind a mask all the time.”
He expected Eric the heterosexual goaltender to lean away and make an excuse to leave. Or maybe just leave. But instead, his lips quirked up and he said, “That’s how it stays so handsome.”
Kyle let himself enjoy the playful sparkle in Eric’s eyes for a moment.
“Hey, Kyle! I need to get a fresh keg of the lager. You good here for a minute?”
Kyle turned to Aram. “Of course. Go use those muscles.”
Aram blew him a kiss, then left for the back room.
“It was nice of Scott to book this party at Kip’s place of work,” Eric said dryly.
Kyle laughed. “I was thinking the exact same thing. Who does that, right?”
Eric shook his head. “Scott Hunter, that’s who. He likes this place, and he’s comfortable here. I’m sure that’s all he was focused on.”
Kyle spotted Scott in the crowd—it wasn’t hard because he was six-four and looked exactly how Kyle had always imagined Achilles.
Scott was laughing with some friends, and Kyle couldn’t help but smile.
Two years ago, Scott had been firmly in the closet, lonely, and would have been terrified to enter a gay bar like the Kingfisher.
Now he was a regular here—the bar had even named a drink after him—and hosting his big gay engagement party.
Kyle was happy for him. He was happy for Kip too, even if his feelings on that front were a little more complicated.
“Are you sure I can’t get you anything?” Kyle asked. “I’ve been pouring pints all night and I would love to show off my cocktail skills.”
“I don’t drink.”
“Oh. Oh god, sorry. I shouldn’t tempt you.”
Eric waved a hand. “It’s not like that. I’m not tempted.”
“Ah.” Kyle folded his arms on the bar and leaned forward. “You’re just a very good boy, then?”
Eric smirked. “Most of the time.”
Wait. Was Eric flirting with him? The conversation seemed flirtatious, but Kyle had a long history of clocking desire when there absolutely was none on the part of the other man.
Straight men. Another weakness of his.
“You’re in luck because I happen to make the most amazing mocktails in the world.”
Amusement sparkled in Eric’s eyes. “Do you now?”
Kyle winked. “You’ll swear there’s booze in them. They’re that good.”
“I can’t really compare.”
“Has it really been that long since you’ve had a drink?”
Before Eric could answer—if he was going to answer—they were interrupted by an excited Kip Grady.
“Eric!” Kip draped an arm over Eric’s shoulders, then drunkenly lurched forward, pulling both men closer to where Kyle was standing behind the bar. Eric’s nose almost brushed Kyle’s cheek. “You’re here!”
“I am,” Eric said, calmly sliding out from under Kip’s arm. He straightened and took a step back, but his face was still relaxed and quietly amused. “Are you having a good time?”
“I’m getting married!” Kip’s cheeks were flushed, and his eyes glowed with drunken ecstasy and love. Kyle looked away.
“Congratulations,” Eric said. He leaned on the bar, then brought his left hand up to clasp his wrist. That’s when Kyle noticed the gold band on his ring finger.
Married. Right. Of course.
He blinked when he realized that Kip was trying to get his attention. He dragged his gaze away from the wedding ring and up to Kip’s beaming face.
“This is Eric!” Kip said sloppily. “He’s, like, the best goalie ever!”
“I’ve heard.”
“He’s smart too! He collects art.” Kip’s eyes widened in an expression of sudden realization. “Eric! Kyle is studying art!”
“Really?” Eric asked Kyle.
“Art history,” Kyle clarified. “Ancient art, mostly. If your collection includes three-thousand-year-old mosaics, I’m your expert.”
Eric’s face split into a wide smile that nearly knocked Kyle on his ass. This man was gorgeous.
While Kyle was losing himself in Eric’s handsome face, Kip darted behind the bar, bumping up against Kyle. He grabbed a pint glass and started pouring himself a beer, but Kyle stopped him. “Get out of here. You’re drunk.”
Kip rolled his eyes dramatically. “Fine. You pour it.”
When Kyle handed him the beer that he absolutely did not need, Kip leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Love you.”
Kyle’s shoulders stiffened. “Love you too,” he said quietly. His gaze followed Kip helplessly as he walked away with his drink.
“Where are you studying ancient art?” Eric asked, snapping Kyle’s attention back to him.
Kyle managed a small smile. See, Kyle? There’s no reason to be sad. You have a beautiful, married straight man to keep you company. “Columbia. I’m working on my master’s degree.”
“Impressive.”
“Well, before you get too dazzled by me, I’ll clarify that I am very slowly working on my master’s degree. I’m only taking one class right now.”
“Still impressive. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who was studying ancient art before. What made you choose that field?”
Eric’s eyes were warm and attentive. Kyle believed that he was truly interested in his answer.
“I’ve always been interested in it, since I was a kid.
I had this illustrated children’s book of Greek myths that I read a zillion times.
” He laughed. “When I got older I learned that the real versions of those myths were a lot more violent. And horny.”
“More bestiality than you were expecting?”
Kyle waved a hand. “That’s the least of it. Anyway, obviously the R-rated versions only made me more interested in mythology. Which grew into an interest in the people who created and believed those myths. The storytellers, y’know?”
Eric nodded thoughtfully. “Is your undergraduate degree in art history as well?”
“I majored in ancient history and Latin, and then I decided on ancient art and architecture for my master’s degree.”
“That sounds like a fascinating thing to study.”
Kyle shrugged. “I have no idea what I’m going to do with it, but I like learning.”
“Me too.”
Kyle leaned on the bar. “Oh yeah? Are you a reader?” Maybe Eric was one of those well-rounded athletes who took online college classes or listened to a lot of educational podcasts.
“I like to read. I majored in English literature.”
Kyle was momentarily surprised, but when he considered the man in front of him, he decided that being a student of literature suited him more than being a hockey player. “Where did you study?”
Eric’s lips twisted in a way that suggested he was embarrassed by what he was about to say. “Harvard.”
Kyle blinked. “You have a Harvard degree?”
“Yes.”