Page 149 of Break the Ice
“Literally everywhere. I pick them up after you all the time.”
His deep citrus and lavender scent fills my lungs with my sharp inhale when he playfully nudges my shoulder with his.
There’s a warm tinge on his cheeks that deepens all the way to the tops of his ears.
Fuck, his bashfulness is adorable.
With the adrenaline from the win still coursing through me, the urge to step closer is irresistible, until our shoulders are touching again and his face is so close to mine that if I just leaned in an inch, I could taste him.
Eli’s stock still. Frozen as I stay in place. The electricity buzzes louder. The heat in the air closes in.
All I can think is how fucking beautiful he is with his brooding, nearly black eyes and stoically sculpted lips. The light stubble glittering pale gold across his perfectly cut jaw has my hands aching to feel the scratch of it. I swear, my lips are burning with the prospect of how the friction of it would feel.
All the while his stare is holding mine. Pulling and tugging at all these feelings and that one need that I’m trying to contain so I don’t fuck this up. Him. Me. Us.
“Yes, motherfuckers!” Matheo’s voice booms around the room as some of the other guys rush inside.
Eli pulls back, straight into Andersen’s path. They bounce off each other. Andersen falling into the ruckus and Eli bouncing into me.
My arm instinctively wraps around his waist, steadying him.
Fuuuuuck...
Even with all the pads, I register how good he feels in my holdbefore I pull away and start taking my gear off. It’s so damn hot in here that it could make a sauna feel cool.
“Well done, guys! Another great game. Another fantastic win. Let’s keep it up. Thompson, I heard you have a good speech for us,” Coach hollers above the pandemonium of excited voices.
Dylan takes over, making short work of handing off the rocket to Matheo. “Happy birthday, Rio,” he hoots above the applause. “I guess it’s a double celebration tonight. Have fun. Get rest. And let’s gooooo!”
The adrenaline in the room makes it hard to dilly-dally while I get showered to the guys’ terrible chorus ofJolly Good Fellow. I can’t wait to see Finley or to see the look on Eli’s face when he sees her.
By the time I’m out, Eli looks ready to bolt. The noise is deafening and aside from the fact that he's not into the chaos, I worry that this isn’t good for him. It’s too loud, the lights are fucking bright, and it’s so damn hot, even I’m uncomfortable.
I’m ready in record time. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we find Finley. We can get a drink and mingle for an hour and then go home. Eli can go to sleep only a few hours past his schedule.
“Let’s get out of here,” I tell him as I grab my suit jacket and start for the exit with Eli at my side.
“Fin’s already at the bar with Christina,” he says, showing me his message thread with her.
“We don’t have to stay long. We’ll have a drink to toast her first day and Matheo’s birthday and then?—”
“You better not be going home,” Matheo calls after us. “Don’t be pussies!”
“You were saying?” Eli scoffs, rolling his eyes.
“We’re not waiting all night for you to show up to your party,” I call over my shoulder, ignoring the ribbing that echoes back while Eli and I continue towards the elevators. “Are you sure you’re up for this? We can celebrate Fin’s day at home where it’s quiet and the lights aren’t bright...”
“Honestly, I’m good. The biofeedback training session was hardcore. It’s a lot harder than I thought with all the cables hooking me up to the monitors...”
“How did it go with Dr. Armstrong?”
It’s not the intensity of the Biofeedback that’s got me worried; it’s the toll that talking to a therapist can take. Especially for him when he’s not into sharing his feelings and emotions as openly as most people. Eli’s a closed book, prying it open is going to have side effects,and I want to make sure he’s mentally and physically able to cope with them.
“It was fine. I’m not sure that it’s helped me much, but thinking about it makes it seem harder than when I was there.”
“So, you talked to her?” My chest warms with pride at his bravery when he nods. “That’s good.”
“She asked me to go back tomorrow.”
