Page 106 of Broken Ice, Mended Hearts

“Same. You’ve given me everything I ever wanted.”

I lowered my head and kissed him. When our tongues met, there was fire, but love tempered the moment. We had the rest of our lives to have sex, but right then, in bed in the middle of a Swedish forest, I just needed to hold him.

Epilogue

Gags

Two Years Later

We loved our summer house.Near Lake Hornborgasjön, about 350 kilometers southwest of Stockholm, it was in a perfect location—close to the water, far from a big city, and surrounded by woods. Built in the 1930s, the two-level wooden house and outbuildings were red, and though we had to do some updating after we bought the place, it was worth it. We were never happier and more relaxed than when we were at thesommarstuga.

After arriving this year, we worked hard to get it ready for a visit from the Gay Barracudas Club. When they arrived, Nick and Jacob, Ty and Kev, Drew and Cleevs, Blake and Sako, and Jack and Eckie loved the place too, and though we had to do some rearranging to make room for everyone, nobody seemed to mind.

One afternoon, Sven and I took everyone fishing. Jacob and Drew were newbies, and we had fun teaching them the basics. They were both squeamish at first, but soon got the hang ofrelaxing under the gentle sun while we told stories, enjoyed Swedish beer, and waited for the fish to bite.

“It’s amazing here,” Nick said, opening another bottle. “I wouldn’t mind having a summer house in Sweden.”

“I’ll go anywhere you want to,” Jacob answered, wrinkling his nose, “but do we have to fish?”

Nick chuckled quietly, twisting his lips into a smart-ass grin. “I’ll do the fishin’, darlin’, and you can clean and fry them.”

Jacob scoffed and put his hand on his hip. “What do you think I am, your manservant? Besides, you know I try to keep you away from fried food.”

“Does he tell you what he eats on the road?” Ty glanced at Nick, who gave him the evil eye. It didn’t deter Ty from adding, “If he says he stays away from fried food, he’s a liar.”

“Practically swims in the grease,” Blake said.

“You fuckers.” Nick shook his head but kept a good-natured grin. “Want me to tell allyoursecrets?”

A round of throat-clearing indicated they weren’t enthusiastic about that idea.

“You don’t need to tell me Blake’s secrets,” Sako said. “I’m right there to see everything he does.”

Kev snorted. “Me too, with Ty. And let me tell you, he’s a bad boy sometimes.”

“Huh.” Tyler gave Kev a smirk of his own. “Are you saying you don’t love it? I’m not ashamed. Want me to tell them what you like me to do when I’m a bad boy?”

Kev’s eyes widened, and despite a round of rowdy laughter and demands for Ty to spill the tea, he declined.

“Ty knows he won’t get any for a week if he tells,” Kev said.

“I’d like to see you hold out for twenty-four hours,” Ty tossed back.

“Tell me Eckie’s secrets,” Jack said. “I’ll bet they’re real doozies.”

Eckie snorted and shook his head, and Drew grinned at Jack. “Be careful, Rogue, or I’ll tell Eckie how you tape a picture of him in your locker for good luck. Oops.”

“Aw.” The chorus echoed around the lake, and Eckie gave Jack a kiss that was sure to be continued later when they went to bed.

When we’d caught our quota of fish, we returned to the house where Jacob, despite his earlier objection, fried them up.

“Thought you didn’t like fried food,” I said.

Jacob shook his head. “I didn’t mean that, but Nick eats too much of it. Besides, Sven was nice enough to clean the fish, so what else could I do?”

After dinner, we all pitched in to clean up before settling by the fireplace with more beer. Even though it was summer, the evenings still had a pleasant chill, so Sven and I snuggled on the floor against one wall while Eckie and Jack cuddled up against another. Nick and Jacob sat in the two armchairs, and the other couples took the two couches.

“So you’re really retiring, Gags?” Cleevs asked. “Why don’t you say you’ve changed your mind? I’m sure they’d give you another contract, considering how you had a better record last season than most defensemen in the league.”

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