Face Offs & Cheap Shots (CU Hockey 2)

“Hey, nice to meet you all.” He sounds like he’s getting some confidence back.

“Guys, this is my boyfriend, Beck.” I get it all out with only the slightest hitch to my words. I wasn’t lying when I told Beck they’d be cool with it, but damn it if I’m not nervous anyway.

Mom walks closer, arms crossed tight, the lines around her mouth marring her features. Then she smiles. “Finally, he gets the hint. I’ve been trying to get you to bring your boyfriends to help for years.”

Excuse me?

Beck bursts out laughing.

“I’ve never had a boyfriend before!” I splutter.

“Uh-huh, sweetie.” She pats my cheek. “Whatever you say.”

“I haven’t.”

Dad nods. “He looks strong. Good pick, son.”

My face contorts because while I want them to be supportive, I don’t want them sizing my boyfriend up.

“Eww, Chris is in love.” Cole pretends to gag, and Dad whacks the back of his head. He’s gotten pimplier and weedier than I last saw him, and he looks exactly like I did at thirteen.

“See this?” Mom asks my brothers, pointing at us. “This is the standard of partner you need to bring home. Anyone else gay? Bi? Pan? We need some more hockey players to round out the family.”

Rafter laughs. “Who needs hockey players when Tony’s girlfriend could kick all our asses?”

Tony shoves him, and they immediately begin to wrestle as I pull Beck around to the back of the car. He pops the trunk, and I duck down behind it.

“And you thought the farm would be quiet,” I taunt to the sound of my brothers’ laughter.

Beck’s smiling full force. “I think I kind of love it.”

“Aw, Teddy.” I shove his bag at his chest. “Just wait. They weren’t joking when they said they’re putting you to work.”

For some reason his smile gets wider. “And I wasn’t joking about my bet.” He leans in. “Lucky I have a blowjob to cash in on.”

Beck slams the trunk and slings his bag over his shoulder before walking back toward the farmhouse. All his nervousness has disappeared, and damn it, I kinda love that he loves it here too.

I’m standing there, stupidly watching him when Cole starts to make gagging sounds and catches Beck’s attention.

Our eyes clash for a moment, and then he winks and lifts his voice to say, “Okay, family, show me where I’m sleeping.”

26

Beck

“I think I’m dead.” I flop onto Jacobs’s bed on my stomach. “I know why you can lift me now.” My voice is muffled from talking into his pillow, but I can’t even move my head to the side.

Jacobs smacks my ass. “It’s been one day of work.”

With the last ounce of strength I have left, I roll over onto my back. How am I supposed to do two more weeks of this? “I don’t get it. I am not unfit. I work out, and I plow down guys twice my size on the ice. The thing that kills me is apple picking? What the actual fuck?”

Jacobs laughs. “You’re using muscles you don’t normally use.”

“And your brother? The scrawny one? He’s like a machine. He can strip a tree faster than I can strip you.”

Heat fills my boyfriend’s eyes, and I know I’ve made a mistake.

“Is that an invitation?” His husky voice makes my dick twitch, but that’s all I’ve got in me.

“Yeah. When my arms start working again.”

“You need a nice long soak in the tub?”

“I’ve seen the tub. I won’t even fit in that thing.”

“Yeah, probably not. It’s no hot tub on a penthouse rooftop.” He sits down on the edge of the bed and leans over me. “You know, you could cash in right now. A blowjob will be sure to relax those muscles.”

“No, just cuddle me,” I whine. “I want to be able to enjoy my blowjob instead of being distracted by pain.”

He lies beside me and puts his arm over my middle. “Aww, you really are a teddy bear, Teddy Beck.”

“Fuck you.”

“I’d let you … but apparently your arms are dead.”

Okay, now my dick is fully on board, but the rest of me is still not. “I hate you. You did not promise me your ass when you know I can’t actually take it.”

He laughs against me. “It’ll happen one of these days. Unlike you, I wait until I’m in an actual relationship before giving up the ass.”

My eyes narrow. “I feel like you called me a slut, but I don’t have the energy to care.”

“Not a slut. Just easy.”

“Well, that is true. It was a hell of a lot easier to go gay than I thought it would be.”

Jacobs stiffens but then leans up on his elbow so he can stare down at me. “Is that what you are now?” He winces. “Okay, that came out more ignorant than I wanted it to. I’m …” He takes a deep breath. “I’m confused about how exactly I identify now. I wasn’t going to say anything, but I figure … you’re kinda going through it too, right?”