Chapter One
It was a sad state of affairs when the idea
of dumping a couple gallons of lube on some unsuspecting rookie’s head no
longer gave a man a thrill.
The rest of the guys in the locker room cracked
up as the newest Moncton Ice Cat wiped the stream of gunk from his eyes and
grinned at all of them. He seemed genuinely pleased with the attention.
It wasn’t that Alexei wasn’t satisfied
with his efforts to welcome the new guy—lubrication style—but if someone else volunteered
to step up and take over torturing the newbies, Alexei wouldn’t object. He had
other things he wanted to focus on.
He watched their newest right wing leave a
slick trail across the floor on the way to his locker, smiling when Mike
stepped aside to let him pass with a wide margin. Mike caught Alexei’s eye, and,
like always, something tightened in Alexei’s chest, squeezing in response to
the soft affection in Mike’s smile as he quirked an eyebrow.
That . That
was what made Alexei happy these days.
Alexei remembered pulling this same prank
on Mike when he’d first shown up in Moncton, more than four years ago. Mike
hadn’t taken it quite as well, though he’d faked it for all he was worth.
Alexei had seen through that façade, though. Had seen right into Mike and been
drawn to him from the first instant.
A lot had changed since then, but not that.
There was never a time Alexei hadn’t been drawn to Mike. Falling in love with
him had been easy. Admitting it had been a little harder, but done long ago.
With a last lingering look, Mike turned for
the showers.
Alexei startled when someone bumped into
him from behind.
“You going to clean this up, Belov?” Callum,
one of the team’s owners, asked with a pointed look at the congealing puddle by
the door. Anyone who didn’t know Callum would have thought he was pissed.
Alexei knew better.
He grinned. “I already paid the cleaning
crew double their daily rate. In cash.”
“You better have,” Callum said sternly, but
there was no mistaking the twinkle in his eyes. Eyes that widened with alarm
when his husband, Rupert, stepped through the door and directly into the
puddle.
The squawking that ensued? Now, that was funny.
“God damn it, Alexei,” Rupert shouted above
the laughter echoing through the room.
“It’s not my fault you always forget when
the new guys are showing up,” Alexei said.
Rupert sighed and frowned at the men
laughing at him. He planted his hands on his hips and glared. “Laugh it up,
guys. I’ll trade every last one of you to Newfoundland by the New Year.” As the
team’s manager, he could do it.
Some of the younger players looked alarmed
for the ten seconds it took for Rupert’s frown to crack into a smile. He tried,
and failed, to turn a severe look on Alexei. “You’re paying to have these shoes
cleaned.”
“Yes, boss.”
Rupert rolled his eyes, gingerly stepping
out of the puddle.
“Good game tonight. Congratulations on your
third shutout this season,” Callum said while he waited for Rupert to shake off
his foot—which wasn’t helping—and join them.
“Thanks,” Alexei said, trying not to rub
his hip too obviously. By the look Callum gave him, he wasn’t succeeding. “I’m
glad we get to go into the holiday break with that game.”
Rupert nodded, casting a furtive glance
around the room. “Speaking of the holidays, did you—”
“Shhhh…” Alexei hissed quietly.
“I know,” Rupert said even more quietly.
“But did you—?”
“Yes,” Alexei whispered furiously.
“So, tonight?” Callum asked, his eyes
lighting up.
Alexei recalled what he had planned for that
night and couldn’t help his slow smile. “No, not tonight.”
Callum and Rupert cast each other amused
and slightly alarmed looks. Rupert arched an eyebrow at Alexei. “Now I know why
you wanted to know if we’d be out this evening.”
Alexei shrugged innocently. He wasn’t even going
to give details—not that Rupert or Callum would
It was a sad state of affairs when the idea
of dumping a couple gallons of lube on some unsuspecting rookie’s head no
longer gave a man a thrill.
The rest of the guys in the locker room cracked
up as the newest Moncton Ice Cat wiped the stream of gunk from his eyes and
grinned at all of them. He seemed genuinely pleased with the attention.
It wasn’t that Alexei wasn’t satisfied
with his efforts to welcome the new guy—lubrication style—but if someone else volunteered
to step up and take over torturing the newbies, Alexei wouldn’t object. He had
other things he wanted to focus on.
He watched their newest right wing leave a
slick trail across the floor on the way to his locker, smiling when Mike
stepped aside to let him pass with a wide margin. Mike caught Alexei’s eye, and,
like always, something tightened in Alexei’s chest, squeezing in response to
the soft affection in Mike’s smile as he quirked an eyebrow.
That . That
was what made Alexei happy these days.
Alexei remembered pulling this same prank
on Mike when he’d first shown up in Moncton, more than four years ago. Mike
hadn’t taken it quite as well, though he’d faked it for all he was worth.
Alexei had seen through that façade, though. Had seen right into Mike and been
drawn to him from the first instant.
A lot had changed since then, but not that.
There was never a time Alexei hadn’t been drawn to Mike. Falling in love with
him had been easy. Admitting it had been a little harder, but done long ago.
With a last lingering look, Mike turned for
the showers.
Alexei startled when someone bumped into
him from behind.
“You going to clean this up, Belov?” Callum,
one of the team’s owners, asked with a pointed look at the congealing puddle by
the door. Anyone who didn’t know Callum would have thought he was pissed.
Alexei knew better.
He grinned. “I already paid the cleaning
crew double their daily rate. In cash.”
“You better have,” Callum said sternly, but
there was no mistaking the twinkle in his eyes. Eyes that widened with alarm
when his husband, Rupert, stepped through the door and directly into the
puddle.
The squawking that ensued? Now, that was funny.
“God damn it, Alexei,” Rupert shouted above
the laughter echoing through the room.
“It’s not my fault you always forget when
the new guys are showing up,” Alexei said.
Rupert sighed and frowned at the men
laughing at him. He planted his hands on his hips and glared. “Laugh it up,
guys. I’ll trade every last one of you to Newfoundland by the New Year.” As the
team’s manager, he could do it.
Some of the younger players looked alarmed
for the ten seconds it took for Rupert’s frown to crack into a smile. He tried,
and failed, to turn a severe look on Alexei. “You’re paying to have these shoes
cleaned.”
“Yes, boss.”
Rupert rolled his eyes, gingerly stepping
out of the puddle.
“Good game tonight. Congratulations on your
third shutout this season,” Callum said while he waited for Rupert to shake off
his foot—which wasn’t helping—and join them.
“Thanks,” Alexei said, trying not to rub
his hip too obviously. By the look Callum gave him, he wasn’t succeeding. “I’m
glad we get to go into the holiday break with that game.”
Rupert nodded, casting a furtive glance
around the room. “Speaking of the holidays, did you—”
“Shhhh…” Alexei hissed quietly.
“I know,” Rupert said even more quietly.
“But did you—?”
“Yes,” Alexei whispered furiously.
“So, tonight?” Callum asked, his eyes
lighting up.
Alexei recalled what he had planned for that
night and couldn’t help his slow smile. “No, not tonight.”
Callum and Rupert cast each other amused
and slightly alarmed looks. Rupert arched an eyebrow at Alexei. “Now I know why
you wanted to know if we’d be out this evening.”
Alexei shrugged innocently. He wasn’t even going
to give details—not that Rupert or Callum would
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