“Who are you meeting up with?”
I check we’re alone, then smile. “You.”
“What if I have plans?”
“Considering we have a game tomorrow? You don’t.”
“Can’t you at least let me pretend to play hard to get?”
“Fine.” I arch an eyebrow at him. “Carry on.”
“I’m actually really busy later. There’re the things that need to be done and the other things that need attention. It’s going to take the whole day.”
I pretend like his fake resistance isn’t endearing. “Feel better?”
“Much.”
“What if I told you I finally have my apartment ready and we can meet up without worrying about being caught?”
“Did I say there were things that needed doing?” He taps his forehead. “I forgot. The things are actually you.”
“That’s better.”
There’s a sound behind me, and I immediately straighten and check we’re still alone. I hadn’t realized how close we were standing, which is another reason why I can’t be trusted around him.
“I’ll text you the address,” I say before heading in to join the others in the showers.
When we’re done, we all go our separate ways, and I drive to my new apartment. I’m only leasing it, because I’m still not sure if it’s right for me, but things were getting desperate. I finally caved in picking a place and had people furnish it while we were away. I think Gerard is happy he can be done with my pickiness. For now.
The best part is no one knows I live here yet, and Ezra is on his way over.
I shave my face and fix my hair to get it looking halfway decent. It’s still a bit damp from my shower, but if things tonight go the way they have most nights since Vegas, then I assume I’ll end up in the shower again at some point.
My buzzer sounds, and I go to let Ezra in.
I find him scrolling through his phone.
“Have you seen the latest one?” he asks.
“Hello to you too.” The rumors about us still haven’t settled down, but where I avoid them, Ezra seeks them out. Apparently, he finds them amusing. I step aside so he can pass me, but instead he closes the door and tugs me into a kiss.
I go willingly, but the kissing thing still confuses me. My experience with long-term hookups is limited, but I would have assumed kissing was reserved for boyfriends and sex.
But since I asked him to kiss me that one time in bed, Ezra does it every chance he gets. Like asking for it was opening Pandora’s box of affection.
I’m quickly realizing that Ezra is a tactile person. I don’t even know if he knows it about himself. He’s casually touchy with everyone, and I’m beginning to suspect his sleeping around isn’t because he wants to give the impression of being a manwhore but because it gives him what he needs on a bigger level than celebratory hugs on the ice and arms slung around shoulders during after game drinks. Deep down, he’s not craving sex. He craves affection.
He pulls back, and the bastard looks amused. “You almost felt like you enjoyed it that time.”
“What can I say? You’re wearing me down.” I don’t point out that if I wanted to end the kissing thing, I would, because I don’t want to draw attention to the fact I … don’t hate it.
“And according to this Buzzfeed article, you like it.”
“I don’t want to know.” I walk back down the hall to the living area, Ezra trailing after me.
“Do you know our ship name is Palayes? I don’t hate it.”
“It’s terrible.”
“Better than Hazczuk.” He chuckles. “You should see the way you’re looking at me in this GIF.”
“Pretty sure I was looking at Kosik.”
“You haven’t even seen the …” He pauses. “Fuck, you’re right. First, how dare you smile like that at anyone but me. Second, have you already seen this? And third, that first thing again.”
I laugh and pluck the phone from Ezra’s grip before tossing it on the counter. “O’Ryan sent me the GIF last week. Thought it was a funny joke. But that was right after Kosik saved my ass from getting pummeled by Saager during the Tampa Bay game and you happened to skate between us.”
Ezra narrows his eyes as though trying to work out whether he accepts that or not.
I step forward, tilting my mouth to his ear. “If it helps, I’ve never given Kosik that look from my knees.”
“Surprisingly, that does.” He pulls back, an evil glint in his eyes. “But now I’m trying to figure out how to be in the middle of a Hayes and Kosik sandwich.”
I don’t take his bait, even though the thought of him with Kosik makes me clench my teeth. We both know what he’s doing. “Considering Kosik is straight and I don’t share, you’d have to come up with something good.”
“Well, my magic dick is what got you to the top of the scoring ladder, so I figure he’ll probably want in on that once he finds out. All of the team will.”