Page 77 of Body Check

“Damn,” Gavin said ruefully. “You’ve learned my tricks.”

“Well, as far as tricks go, they’re not half-bad.”

“Does it help that I got matcha crème brûlée? I know you drink a lot of green tea.”

“It doesn’thurt,” Dakota said, playfully tugging at Gavin’s knotted towel to pull him in for a kiss.

Gavin grinned against his mouth. “Good to know.”

They worked together, and after the bedroom was tidy, the sheets were changed, and Gavin had stuck the dessert under the broiler to caramelize the sugar, he nodded toward the living room. “Want to eat in here? I was thinking we could watch a game while we eat.”

“A hockey game?”

Gavin grimaced. “Sorry. That may not be that exciting to you.”

Dakota shrugged. “No, it’s fine. I might ask a lot of dumb questions though. Like I get the exercise mechanics of the game, but I’m a little shaky on some of the rules. I’m still not sure I get what it means when they say they’re offside.”

“I’m happy to explain,” Gavin promised. Honestly, that sounded fun. Rory had found hockey boring.

When the caramelized sugar-topped custard was ready, Gavin turned Dakota loose with it and a spoon while he got the game set up. He didn’t really want to sit on the leather with a damp towel though, so he excused himself to change.

“You do know most of this will be gone by the time you get back, right?” Dakota asked, digging into the dessert for another scoop.

Gavin shrugged. “I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. Your ass is all the dessert I need.”

Dakota’s sputtering noise followed him into the bedroom.

When Gavin returned wearing pajama pants and no shirt, Dakota eyed him up and down. “Aren’t you going to get cold?”

“You can keep me warm,” Gavin said cheerfully. He sat next to Dakota, slinging an arm around his shoulder.

Dakota shot him a skeptical glance, but didn’t comment, just held out a spoon full of the matcha crème brûlée. Gavin let himself be fed, humming as he finished the bite.

“That is good. I’ve never had the green tea flavor, but I like it. It cuts through the richness of the custard.”

“Yeah, it’s spectacular. Where’d you get it?”

Gavin listed the name of the top sushi restaurant in Boston.

Dakota made a choking sound. “Shit, you really went all out tonight, huh? I’ve heard the guys on the team talking about that place but it’s way out of my price bracket.”

Gavin grinned. “No reason to settle for second best, especially when I had such a gorgeous canvas to work with.”

Dakota squinted at him. “Are you feeling okay? You seem …differenttonight.”

“I’m in a great mood,” Gavin said honestly, then nodded at the TV. “Now, let’s see how Minnesota is playing.”

From the looks of the score and shot attempts, the answer was “not well.” Which wasn’t a huge surprise. They were also astruggling team. It had been at least six years since they’d made it to the playoffs.

“Why are we watching the Acorns?” Dakota asked, his tone curious. “I mean, I have nothingagainstthe team but why them, specifically?”

“So, there’s a player I’m interested in acquiring. This is all hush-hush, obviously. We can’t have leaks getting out, but I trust you not to blab.”

Dakota gave him an oddly serious look. “You know I’d never?—”

“I do,” Gavin said, squeezing his shoulder. “I absolutely do.”

“So, which guy?”

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