Page 91 of Play Maker

“No, I didn’t,” he replied. “Just the opposite. Which is great but also, surprising. I guess you two finally figured your shit out and made up?”

I slipped on an icy patch of sidewalk, but thankfully, managed to stay upright and uninjured.

“In a manner of speaking,” I muttered, shaking off my clumsiness, and keeping my head down.

I could feel Dane’s gaze on me, but I ignored it. Our captain was a smart guy. Smart and perceptive. He knew his friend. But Jace obviously hadn’t told him anything about us. Which should’ve been a relief. No one knew, so there was no problem. So, why did I suddenly feel like crap?

“Awesome,” Dane continued. “Because I think that you two, as partners, are unstoppable.”

Partners?My gaze flew to Dane.

“What?”

“You know what I mean. Playing off each other, instead of against one another. Your body language. The unspoken connection between you. The power, the passion. It’s all there.”

It certainly was.

Jace

I sat on one of the wooden benches in the visitor locker room, staring at the skates in my hands like I didn’t know what they were or how to put them on. It was game-day nerves times a thousand. But now wasn’t the time for a crisis.

Still, that bus trip from Sutton felt likethelongest ride of my life. I was hyped for the game but more than that, hyped to see Axel. Even though we’d agreed to no contact until the game, it was hard to stay away.

Was he feeling the same? Or was I the only one with my dick hanging out and my heart not far behind? Not that my dick wasactuallyhanging out, it was safely hidden by my cup.

But my heart? That poor sucker had no protection.

So, when Axel boarded the bus, I didn’t get up or go near him. But then he ignored me, sat down, and passed out cold, and I thought what the fuck? Wasn’t he affected by what had happened between us? Or was he done? No, not if his recent texts were any indication. But was I the only one here who was far gone? I was fixated and frustrated with myself. It was one guy. It was sex. Really hot, intense, incredible sex. And laughter. Teasing. Talking. Bickering too, of course. Shit. I’d never been so wound up over anyone, not even Preston.

Looking back, I realized that my relationship in high school was all about infatuation. I wanted to feel like I mattered, and not just as a friend. And if someone as charismatic as Preston wanted me, it was about my ego too. It certainly wasn’t love.

But Axel? He was different. Or, I was different with him.

For some crazy reason, I needed him, and I didn’t need anyone. Not outside of my aunt and my friends, that is. And the strange thing was, it seemed like he needed me too. There were a lot of layers to Axel Lund and more than met the eye. He was just as obsessed with hockey and winning as I was. He was confident, for the most part, but also, quietly self-conscious. Like when he talked about his grades or his family, I could hear his self-doubt. Physically, Axel was strong and ready to take his playing to the next level, but mentally, he struggled. All players do, but as to how much it affects their game, well, I was reasonably certain thatthatwas the reason why Coach picked me for center line.

Axel was also stubborn, quick to return my sass, and surprisingly sweet.

Sweet and insatiable. Hot n’ Honey all the way.

Still, being in a situationship with my teammate reminded me of that moment just before a bench-clearing brawl, when the tension ignites, and the players lose their cool. Chaos was about to erupt, and I had a feeling that my heart would be the first one hit. Not that I ever let fear stop me. Not when it came to hockey or anything else. I’d rather feel everything, even if it meant pain, than nothing.

And this week, I wasn’t so much in my head as I was in those feels. And when Axel and I synced up on the ice? Now that he wasn’t glaring daggers at me, or me at him, things clicked. The intensity was still there, and our fierce desire to win, but instead of working against us, we made it work in our favor. It was intoxicating. Just like in bed. Every time we discovered something new about each other, it just got better.

“Penny for them.”

The comment snapped me out of my daze.

“Huh?” I looked up to find Kayden smiling down at me.

“Your thoughts. You look like you’re about to have a deep conversation with someone. Like, talking about feelings and shit.”

I waved him off. “Just got a lot on my mind. Don’t worry.”

“We’re ready for this game.”

“We are,” I paused and shook my head. “Anyway, it’s not about hockey.”

I couldn’t say anything. I hadn’t even told Dane about what had happened between me and Axel.

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