Page 9 of Bonus Game
Jake noticed his hesitation, and his lips instantly curved into a wicked smirk. Allen held still as knuckles brushed over his heated cheeks, caressing him gently.
“Pretty,” said Jake.
Yeah, Allen knew he was pretty, but it was different hearing it from a guy who was a thousand times out of his league.
Jake pulled his hand away, still smirking as he gave Allen a goodbye nod. “I’ll text you.”
Allen swallowed to wet his dry mouth before he could speak. “Okay.”
Really? That was the best he could manage?
Jake huffed a laugh and strode back to his car with a confident swagger, which only lasted until his feet slipped on a patch of ice.
Laughter stuck in Allen’s throat as he watched Jake sheepishly get back into his fancy car, followed by the sound of Riley’s laughter before the engine revved and he sped off.
Allen continued to stand in the cold, unsure how to process the events of the last hour. He was still trying to wrap his brain around Jake’s interest in him when he finally went inside, and the thoughts carried into his apartment, shower and lastly, his bed.
They weren’t dating. Allen hadn’t agreed to anything beyond names, drives and numbers, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been cornered.
Like a rabbit hiding in its den, knowing eventually it would have to leave and face the wolf waiting outside.
4 /ALLEN
On Friday morning,Allen rolled over on his soft, warm bed and looked for his phone to check the time, only to see a message from an unknown number pop up on his screen.
There was only one person it could be since most recreational hockey games were played on Friday and Saturday nights.
He had been waiting for this text—dreading it—over the last two days. Honestly, Allen was shocked it took Jake this long to message him after he had seemed so keen when he dropped him off.
Part of him thought the experience was an illusion caused by the cold temperatures while waiting in the snow for a bus, but reading the text swiftly squashed that pipe dream.
I will pick you up at 7
Wait. Do you work tonight?
If you do, I will leave you alone
Sorry
Jake was cute. He was so cute that he was making Allen’s teeth ache from sweetness overload.
He paused before he sent a response so he could think things through. Allen knew Jake was bi and interested in having a boyfriend, but what couldheoffer a basically virginal guy who appeared to have a good job, judging by the car he drove.
It wouldn’t be fair to get feelings involved if Allen turned out to be a financial disappointment in the end. But remembering the way Jake looked at him, he doubted he was going to wiggle out of this.
Not for a while.
There was no harm in fooling around, and Allen wasn’t a goddamn nun, so he texted Jake back and gave him confirmation that he was going.
And that’s how Allen found himself in Jake’s car, driving through the cold toward what he knew would be an equally cold rink.
“No Riley today?” Allen asked, then checked the back seat for Jake’s friend, finding it empty.
“No,” said Jake.
Allen raised an eyebrow, waiting for more of a response, but Jake was watching the road.
When the silence stretched on for too long, Jake finally noticed the lack of conversation, and his gaze snapped to Allen’s before quickly looking away.
