Page 68 of Three Hockey Hotties

“I—”

Just then, Dash and Abby walk into the kitchen, holding hands.

She has a shy but very happy smile on her face. She’s glowing. That’s the only way to describe it.

And Dash looks completely content. It’s a look I don’t see on him very often. But he looks like he is exactly where he is supposed to be.

Fuck, I love those looks on them.

“Well, I’m assuming there’s not a single inch that isn’t well scrubbed by now,” Kane says, immediately crossing to Abby and pulling her away from Dash and into his own arms.

Dash lets her go, almost as if understanding he’s had more than his share of time with her.

He is absolutely unapologetic, though when he smirks at Kane and says, “Every inch is also very well moisturized.”

There’s a bit of silence and then Kane snorts before gathering Abby close and burying his face in her neck. “God, I love this,” he says. He lifts his head. “Fuck, the four of us are amazing together.”

Abby giggles, the sound light and melodic and my heart feels like it’s expanding in my chest.

“So, Lollipop, you wanna cuddle up with me tonight in bed, or should we see if any of the beds are big enough for all four of us?” Kane asks. “I mean, you can take turns. Dash and I will just stay here all week too, so it can be my bed tonight, then Benjamin’s tomorrow, and Dash the night after that.” He lifts his head and shoots his best friend a grin. “Since he already took a bath with you or whatever that was.” He turns back to Abby, rubbing his cheek against hers. “We’re all happy to take turns. For now.” He nuzzles her neck. “Tomorrow, when we all get home, we can grill out and make s’mores on the patio. It’s gorgeous out there after dark. Maybe this weekend we can go on a hike. Take Linda. Benjamin’s property is really beautiful, and there are lots of great spots.”

Typical Kane going from sex to s’mores in a single run-on thought. He’s thinking out loud and getting far ahead of the current moment, which is not unusual, but he’s running his hand up and down Abby’s back, so I’m not sure how he misses the fact that she stiffens slightly.

She puts her hands on his chest and pulls back. “I’m…I don’t know…I’m actually going to my parents' this weekend. I’ll be staying with them until I can figure this apartment thing out.”

Kane frowns. “What apartment thing?”

“Where I’m going to live,” she tells him with a light laugh. “It’s about an hour drive to my parents’ house, which is further than I would like to commute, but it’s free.” She lifts her shoulder. “And safe and everything. And it’s the best I can do on short notice. But I’ll start looking for a new place here soon. We can revisit the grilling out and s’mores thing then, okay?”

Kane shoots me a look that clearly says what the hell and then do something all in the same glance.

But a niggle of trepidation tugs at the back of my skull. It’s not obvious to her to stay here. To move in with us. To make this a permanent, ongoing situation.

I think that says a lot.

When I don’t speak up, Kane continues, “You’re obviously going to stay here,” he tells her. “You’ll move in with us.”

Abby pushes away from him, taking a step back. “Move in? What are you talking about?”

Kane looks from her to me, to Dash, then back to her. “We’re a couple now. Or a…thing. A foursome. Whatever. We’re all together now. And you need a place to stay, so you might as well just move in here now, right?”

Now Abby looks over at me as if for help.

But I’m not sure which one of them I want to help. My instinct is to do whatever Abby needs me to do. But what she wants is for me to explain to Kane that she needs to live separately from us, and there’s a huge part of me that rejects that notion.

“Obviously, you’re welcome here,” I tell her. “We would love to have you here with us long-term.”

She puts a hand to her chest and takes a deep breath, her eyes sliding shut. When she opens them, she looks from me to Kane, then over to Dash.

Dash gives her a small, reassuring smile, as if to say, “I’m here no matter what.”

“I appreciate that,” she finally tells me. “And being here with you guys has been great. But I am sorry if I’ve led you on or something.”

“You haven’t,” Dash says firmly. “Nothing that has happened has obligated you for anything. We don’t have any expectations based on what’s happened. We’re just glad you’re here.”

Kane’s frown deepens. “That’s not what I meant. Just because you’ve had sex with us doesn’t mean you have to stay here. But we want you to. For more than sex.”

She takes another deep breath. “This is going really fast.”