Page 52 of Ethan

Skin to skin was a whole other kind of experience, and Ethan was glad that the gym had emptied out, because he didn’t let go right away and Hank didn’t either.

They stood there, frozen in place, for a long moment. One of Hank’s hands on his back and the other clasped in Ethan’s own. Not holding him, necessarily, but holding him close. Ethan felt breathless with how near he was and how he didn’t immediately pull away either, his hazel eyes warm and fond on Ethan.

Like he didn’t evenwantto.

“Um, yeah, we should . . .” Hank tilted his head towards the door but still didn’t move.

Ethan’s heart was in his throat. He hadn’t thought it would be like this right away, but he supposed that after spending the last year getting to know each other, it wasn’tthatsurprising that the moment they were back in each other’s presence, the sexual chemistry they’d just begun to develop was now back in spades.

Stronger than ever.

“Yeah,” Ethan said, swallowing back anything else he was tempted to say. Though that was a lot of insane shit like,Come over tonight.Or,what are you doing, for the rest of our lives?

He didn’t need the reminder that they were supposed to be focused on hockey right now. Thathockeywas the most important thing. For Hank, obviously, but for Ethan, too. Inverness had told him he was a pretty solid lock to make the opening night roster, but he’d not made any promises, and there was always a chance that if Ethan fucked around, he’d find himself in Syracuse to start the season.

“We’re gonna do this shit,” Hank murmured under his breath and Ethan gave him a nod, holding his gaze for one more long moment, before he finally turned to head towards the door.

Hank felt like he was checking off boxes, one at a time, keeping to the plan, keeping his determination up. First, made it through development camp. Then, made it to the preseason roster.

It was the night before their first preseason game, and they were in Boston to play the Bruins.

Hank had ended up rooming with Bo again, though there wasn’t a strong chance Bo would end up on the Bandits’ main roster. He was hoping that he and Ethan would both make it, and they could finagle a way to end up rooming together.

That would be good. That would also probably be difficult as hell, if the first week they’d spent together had been any indication.

Being around Ethan Barnes was plain fucking delightful. He was funny and full of light and positivity. Even when Hank got freaked out or anxious or let his million pounds of worries fall onto his shoulders, Ethan was always there to give him a smile or a reassuring pat, or to listen to him pace and rant about how he was suddenly not sure he’d be making it.

“You definitely will,” Ethan always said, and when hedidsmile, because of course he did, because healwaysdid, it felt a little brighter, a little wider, than any of the smiles that he gave to the other guys.

So yeah, it would be tough to be around him all the time, because Ethan was so undeniably charming and more than a little irresistible. Hank was only resisting because there was so much riding on these few weeks. His whole fucking future.

But more than once—more like a few dozen times, to be honest—Hank had been so tempted to throw caution to the wind, yank Ethan against him and just let his mouth find Ethan’s.

Then again, it wasn’tjustthe timing. Neither of them had ever liked a guy before. Maybe Ethan had queer brothers, so he’d apparently dealt with that new realization pretty easily, it wasn’t resting quite so easily on Hank.

He’d never expected this. Never really wanted it, even though hewantedEthan.

Bo’s meditations echoed through the room, as loud as ever.

Hank sank back into the hotel pillows and between his nerves over tomorrow—he’d played in so many NHL games at this point, sure, but none that had ever felt like they mattered as this stupid slate of preseason games—and all those unsettling desires swirling through him for Ethan Barnes, he didn’t think he’d be getting to sleep anytime soon.

Even though he was pretty sure he was getting more out of Bo’s meditations than Bo was.

Bo’s earbuds were leaking so much fucking noise Hank almost missed the knock on the door. But then whoever was out there knocked again, even louder the second time, making the sound unmistakable.

Hank hefted himself off the bed and didn’t bother grabbing a T-shirt or a sweatshirt on his way to the door.

When he pulled it open, Ethan was standing there, curls in a wild halo around his head and his eyes—that perfect, clear blue—betraying hisownnerves.

He’d wondered if Ethan would freak out about tomorrow. Had assumed, sort of rightly, that if he did, he’d want to talk to Charlie about it.

But clearly not, because even though Charlie was off his first contract and could request a single room, he and Ethan were sharing, and yet, Ethan wasn’t there, in their room, he was here, in front of Hank.

“Hey,” Ethan said, in a low, uncertain voice.

It reminded Hank a little of the way Eth had been the first time they’d seen each other this year. He rarely looked less than brimming with confidence, but he had then, and he looked that same way now.

“You good?” Hank asked, not wanting to give away that he’d already figured out what the answer was. He didn’t think Ethan would be happy to know he was so easy to read. Maybe not for everyone? But for Hank,yes.