Page 55 of Game Changer
“I don’t know how I got to be so lucky,” Kip interrupted, “but being able to share anything with you makes me really happy.”
He pulled their joined hands up and rested them over his heart. Scott brushed his lips against his temple, and nipped the top of his ear. “Iwouldshare anything with you, Kip. Give you anything.”
“Don’t need anything. Except maybe to stay in this bath forever.”
Scott chuckled against Kip’s hair. “Do you want to come to the game tomorrow night?”
“I can’t. I’m working an event. Serving.”
“Oh.”
“See? We both have full, busy lives.” Kip laughed at his own joke. Scott was quiet.
“I hope you don’t think...” he started. Kip could feel him tensing up. “I don’t think you’re beneath me.”
“Technicallyyou’rebeneathmeat the moment.”
“I’m serious. I just—I want to say this once, so you know. Because it’s possible that you think that I’m just...taking a vacation, or whatever, with you. Like I’m trying to escape my high-profile life by hooking up with a, um...”
“Nobody?”
“No! I mean...you’re not. That’s what I’m trying to say—terribly. You’re not some nobody. I’m not using you to escape anything. I love my life. I love my job. The fame part is a little much sometimes, but I don’t mind it. I’m happy, is what I’m saying. But this? You? I feel like...like I found the missing piece.”
Kip didn’t know what to say to that.
“Geez,” Scott said, “that’s not—Sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“No! It’s just... Really? You feel that way?”
“I do.”
Kip turned around to face Scott, water sloshing loudly around them. “You don’t owe me anything, okay? I don’t expect anything. But I like you a whole fucking lot, so thank you.”
“Thankyou,”Scott said, “for coming over. This is all new for me, and I’m trying really hard to take this slow and not get too intense, but I’m kinda used to charging ahead and going after what I want.”
Kip grinned. “Works for me.”
They kissed, and Scott ran his hands down Kip’s sides. “You called me sweetheart,” he said, his voice soft and dopey.
“Did I?”
“Yeah...when you were—”
“Aw, I say lots of dumb things when I’m that far gone. Sorry.”
“No, I liked it.”
Kip smiled at him. “Well, all right, sweetheart,” he said, and then kissed him again.
He ended up moving to the opposite end of the tub so he could talk to Scott more easily.
“I saw the goal you scored for me,” he said.
Scott grimaced. “I was hoping you hadn’t watched those games.”
“I watched both of them. They seemed...frustrating.”
“That’s one word for it,” Scott grumbled.
