Page 18 of Icebreaker

If something went south between us and our feelings bled over into our professional relationship, it could be a disaster. I also hadn't given serious consideration to our age difference yet. Quinn was young with his whole career ahead of him, while I was on the downward sweep of mine. Retirement loomed in the distance.

How could I ask him to tie himself down to someone with so much baggage? It wasn't fair. He needed someone who could help him fly.

But damn, the way he made me feel. I'd never experienced anything like that before. He was a force of nature who blasted through every defense I'd constructed around my battered heart. At his side, I felt alive, like waking up from a long, dark, dreamless sleep. As my eyes fluttered open, the world showed itself in vivid color.

I wanted Quinn, all of him. I wanted his smile and his laugh every hour of the day. His fierce passion set my heart on fire, and we'd done nothing more than hold hands. I wanted to show him the wonders of making love until we were both shaking, utterly spent and lost to the world.

In the distant past, I dreamed about a future beyond hockey, shared with a man who could handle me at my worst and best. I thought I'd found that with Dante, but he betrayed me.

With Quinn, for the first time in years, I let myself imagine that future again.

We could have a life beyond the rink, the next game, and the following season. We could construct a partnership with a foundation of trust, understanding, and the kind of bone-rattling physical connection that appears once in a lifetime if you're lucky.

Putting that together wouldn't be easy. We'd face hurdles and have to make sacrifices. Professional hockey wasn't kind to men like us; I had the scars to prove it.

Still, as I lay there in my apartment with the memory of Quinn's touch still fresh on my skin, I decided I couldn't let fear win. Not this time. Something real and profound was within reach, and I needed to grab it.

Chapter six

Quinn

"Quinn, hang on!"

I paused when I heard Axel's voice. He jogged across the parking lot to join me. My head was still buzzing with the adrenaline rush of a tough but high-quality practice session.

"Yeah? Something up?" As he approached,I did my best to sound casual and ignore my racing heartbeat. I couldn't take my eyes off the tousled hair and flushed cheeks.

He stopped in front of me. "I wanted to…ask you something." The hesitation caught my attention. "My younger sister Maja is coming to Portland this weekend, and I wondered whether you'd like to come to my place for dinner. You could meet the family."

My eyebrows rose in shock andsurprise. "Yeah, really? You want me to meet your family?"

Axel lowered his head to hide a shy smile. "Yeah, I do. I mean, if you want to. If it makes sense. No pressure."

My heart soared. "No, I'd love to. The invitation just took me by surprise, I guess. It's a big step."

Axel looked up, a big smile filling his face. They were still rare and made my heart thump hard. "It is, but it feels right. Plus, Maja will be after me about making friends if I don't bring someone to meet her. You're important to me. I think you know that, and I like it when the people I care about know each other."

A lump formed in my throat. "Yeah, I like that, too. That means you have to get to know Moose."

"I think I do. He's the funny guy."

I chuckled softly. "Yep, that's him. I'll tell him you approve."

We stood there for a moment, wearing silly grins on our faces. "So, your sister, what's she like? Will she like me? Should I be nervous?"

Axel laughed. It came from deep in his gut. "Who doesn't like you, Quinn? That being said, Maja can be…intense." He rubbed his bicep. "She's an artist, and she has this whole bohemian, free-spirit thing going on, and she's fiercely protective of the people she loves. That means Dad and me."

Butterflies took flight in my gut. "So, she's going to interrogate me?"

"Absolutely." Axel's eyes shone. "She'll want to ensure you're good enough for her big brother. Don't worry, though. I've already put in a good word for you."

"Oh, man. I suddenly think hockey is easy…compared to meeting your family. I bumped my shoulder against Axel's. I do want to have them like me."

He reached out and brushed my hair up off my forehead. "They will. Just be yourself. It's all you need."

I leaned forward, enjoying his touch. "Okay, I'll be there…on my best behavior."

Axel grinned and rubbed the ball of his thumb over my cheekbone before his hand fell to his side. "Great. Saturday at seven? We've got a practice that day and a game the next. We won't keep you up too late."

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