Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 89535 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89535 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
The smile slides from his face, and he cups my cheeks in the way that I love. “Definitely the second.”
I suck in a breath, because with Asher, I really had no idea if he’d acknowledge it or not.
“And I have bad news for you,” he continues. “I think it’s contagious.”
A shiver runs down my spine. “Uh-oh, I think you’re right.”
“Yikes. Have we caught the love?”
“Gross.”
“So gross. And so you know,” Asher says, “I blame you for this.”
“I am pretty irresistible.”
“I’ll have to do something really dirty to you later to make up for it.”
I laugh and then kiss Asher, long and hard, not giving a shit who sees us. I’ve always been a pretty happy person, but this, right here, is a whole new level of happy. “I really love you,” I breathe.
“Yeah, Kole.” He clears his throat. “I really love you too.”
33
Asher
We’re all itching to get out of this locker room. It’s spring break, and everyone’s already gone on vacation, except for us.
Coach doesn’t want a repeat of last year, so we’ve been working our butts off in the rink and in the gym for the upcoming regionals. We will not fail this year. And I’m sure as fuck staying away from any foods that could make me hurl for two days straight.
Never. Again.
But Coach is finally giving us a few days off, and we have plans. I have two whole nights where West has given me time away from the kids, Coach is letting us out into the wild, and Kole, well, he’s going to be mine over and over and over again.
Somewhere in there, we’re heading up to Montreal to catch Foster Grant play, to take Kaplan to a bar where he’s legally able to drink, and we’re going to blow off some steam for once.
Coach knows it too. “I don’t want to know what you’re all getting up to on your two days off, but here’s what you’re not going to be doing: no drinking, no drugs, no getting arrested, no—”
“Dad, you might be giving them ideas,” Kole says from across the room but sends a pointed look my way.
Hey, I’m a good boy now.
The contrast in what “blowing off steam” used to be to now is unrecognizable. Before, I’d go out, get hammered, pick a fight, fuck someone I’m not supposed to, and do anything I could to alienate as many people as possible.
Blowing off steam now is literally going to a bar with friends, having a few drinks but not so many I’ll be hungover the next morning, and taking my man back to our hotel room to make each other come as many times as possible while we have the chance to be alone.
That’s what life with Kole will be like. If it’s not the kids, after graduation it will be med school and the NHL getting in our way, but the thing is, now that we’re both all in and I know Kole loves me, there are no doubts floating around my head.
When we’re busy, we’re busy. There’s no rush to spend every free moment together, as long as we make the moments we have count.
Kole is my future.
Coach grumbles. “Just don’t do anything to jeopardize our season. Go and have fun.”
We all stand.
“But not too much fun,” he adds. “There will be a random drug test when you get back.”
I approach Kole while everyone low-key whines on their way out. “Is it still random if he tells us it’s going to happen?”
“I’m willing to bet there is no test. He just doesn’t want everyone going out and partying when regionals are next week.”
“Maybe this is the one time your dad is happy you were stupid enough to fall for me because he knows you’ll keep me in line.”
“I’m not your keeper,” he says.
I lean in and whisper in his ear, “I like it when you keep me though.”
When I pull back, he grips my shirt, and those hazel eyes slay me. “I mean I don’t want to hold you back from doing things you want to do. I want to be your partner, not your parole officer.”
“I don’t see you that way. Although, that could be a hot role-playing game. Do you have handcuffs by any chance?”
He shoves me. “I’m serious.”
“So am I. But you want to know why you’ll keep me in line?”
Kole’s eyebrows rise in anticipation.
“Because with you, I don’t have the need to hide who I am. I don’t have to pretend to be strong. I don’t need to do stupid shit to prove I can’t be hurt. All of that excess anger I was keeping inside that would erupt in forms of self-destruction aren’t there when I’m with you, and it’s not because of anything you do or say. It’s because I’m my true self around you. No pretenses.”