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“So, what do you think? You want to have Thanksgiving with me?” My heart rate kicks up as I wait for his answer. This could be a lot of fun. Just like tonight was. It would be something for me to look forward to. It might even help snap me out of my slump. Plus, I really like hanging out with Nikolai. He asked me what makes me happy. And the truth is, he does.

“I think we have a date,” he says.

“Yes!” I yell out and hit him again with my shoulder as we come to a stop in front of his hotel. “It’s a date!”

TEN

Nikolai

Sitting on the flight from Vancouver to Calgary, I have a lot on my mind from dinner—most of it good except for the parts that are bad. Such as the fact that I can’t deny it: my feelings for Ander are more than just friendly.

He’s funny and insanely attractive with those blue eyes, full lips, and stacked body. I crave the feeling of pressing up against his muscular frame. Even resting my hand on his firm forearm to calm him down gave me a thrill. Not overwhelming, as I was preoccupied with soothing him, but underneath my concern, my nervous system hummed happily simply from touching him.

And that’s the problem. Because while I can’t say for certain that Ander doesn’t feel the same as I do, what I do know for sure is that if he does, he is completely unaware of it. His signals were wildly crossed last night. Which, don’t get me wrong, was absolutely adorable and endearing, when it wasn’t breaking my heart to see him struggling. Ander, it turns out, is full of surprises. I hate seeing him have such a hard time when it comes to his game.

“So.” Ryan plops down into the open seat beside me on the plane, breaking me out of my thoughts. He takes advantage of the extra leg room we get on the team plane and stretches his legs forward as he partially reclines his seat. His head drops to the side and he looks at me over his shoulder. “How was dinner with Ander?” His voice has a sing-song lilt to it.

I sit up straighter and look around us, trying to spot Brandon.

“He’s at the card table,” Ryan says. “Losing all of his rookie money.”

“I was not looking for⁠—”

“Yes, you were.”

I settle back in my seat and look at him, schooling my face so that it has an air of indifference to it. “Dinner with Ander was fine. Uneventful.”

“Really?” Ryan’s eyebrow raises. “Because that pink hue on your cheeks tells me otherwise.”

“There is no pink hue.”

“Oh, but there is…” He sounds like a snake. “There has been off and on all day, like maybe you’ve had a certain other goalie on the brain.” He twists in his seat to face me more directly. “Did you bring him up to your hotel room last night?”

“Why? Does Danton have crush on him?”

“I’m sure if you asked the cap to make himself scarce while you got busy with your date he’d happily oblige.”

I scoff as I look away from him. “Ander and I were not on date.”

“Are you sure about that?” He reaches and pokes me in the cheek. His fingertip feels like ice against my flushed skin. “Because this right here makes it look a lot like a date.”

“I only flushing because I do not like being investigated for nothing by one of my teammates.”

“Or…” he says slowly. “You’re flushing because it turns out that Ander and you are kind of a good match.”

“Do you think?” I ask, turning to look at him.

He grins like the Devil. “Caught you.”

“Fuck.” I turn to look at the back of the seat in front of us again and grind my palms into my face.

“Look,” he says calmly, with an undertone of understanding. “If there’s one thing I get, it’s Bouchards. And Ander, while occasionally incredibly annoying, and constantly one of the cockiest people you will ever meet in your life, is also nothing but kind. He’s also about as thick as a brick wall.”

“I am aware.” I pull my hands away from my face and grin at him.

He looks at me with a flat expression. “I meant dumb. But sure. He’s also quite thick.” His expression turns devilish again. “That ass runs in the family.”

I’d never really thought much about Ander’s ass but now that Ryan’s mentioned it, I tip my head.