Page 126 of Body Check

Torn between relief for himself and his team, and sympathy for a guy who was obviously heartbroken, Gavin took a moment to choose his words carefully.

“We’d be happy to give you a fresh start here in Boston. We’ve got a great set of guys, we can offer you support as an LGBTQ+ player, and if we all start pulling together, I genuinely believe we can get out of this slump the team’s been in,” Gavin said, adding an edge of firmness to his voice. “But I need to know if you come here, you’ll be committed to the team.”

The little pep talk seemed to work because Gavin could hear a rustle in the background like Rafael had straightened.

“I want a fresh start,” he said, sounding much more decisive. “Iwantto play for the Harriers.”

“Excellent,” Gavin said, silently fist-pumping. “Tell Cannon we’re ready to move forward. Jackson and I will hammer out the final details of the trade, and we’ll get you on a plane to Boston ASAP.”

Dakota had finished setting up for Jesse and Kady’s Pilates session when Gavin burst through the door of his studio.

“I did it!” he said, sweeping Dakota up into his arms and off his feet.

Laughing, Dakota clutched at Gavin’s shoulders as he twirled him in a dizzying circle.

“Did what?” he asked breathlessly when his feet were on the ground again, Gavin’s firm body pressed to his, the world spinning around them.

“I got Moon to agree to a trade. Asa Jackson—the GM of the Minnesota Acorns—and I hammered out the details. Moon should be here in time for tomorrow’s game.”

“Oh! That’s great news!” Dakota said, smiling up at Gavin. “Congratulations! I know how hard you’ve been working on this.”

Gavin looked so happy right now, his eyes bright and his mouth curved up in a wide smile. “Thank you.”

Dakota reached up and grasped Gavin’s neck, pulling him down until their lips met. He opened his mouth immediately, welcoming Gavin in. It was a hungry kiss, lush and needy, and Gavin roamed his hands up and down Dakota’s back.

Dakota moaned softly and was contemplating climbing Gavin like a tree when he heard someone clear their throat.

Surprised and a little embarrassed, Dakota drew back, touching his fingers to his lips as he turned to face a startled-looking Jesse and Kady.

“Fuck,” Gavin said, echoing exactly what Dakota had been thinking.

Jesse grinned. “Sorry to interrupt. That was a hell of a kiss. But, uh …”

“We do yoga now?” Kady said, looking vaguely confused. “Or we go and give privacy?”

“No,” Dakota croaked, trying to mentally pull himself together. “Don’t go. That was, uh, inappropriate of us to, um, do that in the arena.”

He glanced over at Gavin, who had a crooked, amused smile on his face.

“I should get going,” Gavin said. He lightly touched Dakota’s back, then pressed a kiss to Dakota’s temple. “I have a meeting with the ownership group to prep for. Have a good rest of the day. I’ll see you at home later?”

“I was planning to stay at Violet and Jeff’s tonight,” Dakota reminded him. “I haven’t been back since Christmas. Iwouldlike to see my family occasionally.”

Granted, that had only been a couple of days, but …

“Have dinner with them, then pack enough for the next few days?” Gavin suggested. He leaned in and whispered, “I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Damn you and your negotiation skills,” Dakota muttered but he wasn’treallymad. “Okay.”

“Have a good day, sweetheart,” Gavin murmured, kissing his temple again. “See you later.”

“See you later,” Dakota agreed.

Gavin whistled on the way out the door and Dakota briefly contemplated throwing a meditation pillow at his head for leaving him to deal with Jesse and Kady.

Jesse and Kady, who were staring at him with identical amused expressions.

“Sooo,” Jesse said with a bright grin, his blue eyes sparkling. “When didthathappen?”

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