Page 123 of Play Maker

Just him. This tough, gruff hockey player with a sheltered heart. One he shared only with me.

Standing there, while interested passersby looked on, I reached out and took hold of his hand, interlocking our fingers.

And I didn’t let go.

Axel

I walked—no, strutted—down the hallway with Jace’s hand in mine, feeling like the luckiest damn guy in the world. Therewere stares, of course, a few raunchy comments, and a whistle or two as we headed for the elevator.

“It’s gonna get intense,” Jace admitted.

“I play my best under pressure,” I reassured him. “We’ll be fine.”

Maybe it was naïve, but I’d been dealing with haters all my life. And having to defend myself wasn’t anything new.

While I was in the shower getting ready for tonight, I received a nasty voicemail from my mother. Preston worked fast. Still, I didn’t care if she was upset with the fact that I was dating a teammate. I didn’t care about the fallout for my father’s business deal, either. If having a queer son was a problem, it was all theirs.

I was only a trophy to them; one they liked to pull out at key moments for appearance’s sake.

But not anymore. Trophies were for sports, not people.

“This is surreal,” Jace whispered as we stepped out of the dorm and started across campus.

Winter snow was melting, and fresh spring was in the air. And all the promises that came with it.

“In a good way?” I teased.

“The best.”

We wandered down the pathway, and through the main gates, and then headed for the town proper. Sutton was all decked out at night, with tiny white lights strung up on every lamppost on every street corner. This wasn’t just a holiday thing, but a year-round tradition.

We had dinner at Romano’s Italian Eatery, but instead of the usual pizza, Jace and I shared three enormous plates of pasta. Their carbonara was my personal fave, not to mention the basket of homemade bread and honey butter. After our meal, we took a long stroll around town until we hit Boots n’ Burgers. Theoutdoor patio in the back was bustling thanks to the heat lamps and stone firepit that offered a cozy place to sit and linger.

“There’s a couple of seats over there,” Jace pointed to the middle, where a couple was getting up to leave.

We snagged the two seats near the firepit just in time.

“You still hungry?” I asked Jace.

“I’m good. But maybe a drink?”

Phoenix appeared, making the rounds of the patio, taking orders, and when he spotted us, sauntered over to say hi. The instant he spotted our joined hands, he smiled.

“Is this what I think it is? Not that I’m surprised.”

“You’re not?” Jace asked.

Phoenix shook his head. “Last time you were here your convo looked pretty intense. Reminded me of when I met my husband.”

“It’s our first official date,” I said proudly.

“That’s sweet,” Phoenix replied. “How about some hot chocolate to make it even sweeter?”

“That’d be great, thanks.”

“On the house,” Phoenix added over his shoulder as he headed back inside.

Sitting back, I put my arm around my boyfriend’s shoulder and glanced up at the night sky, so clear, the stars bold and bright. It felt like I could reach out and touch their glittery perfection. Jace nuzzled his face into my neck and something much warmer than fire settled deep inside me.

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