“Come on,” I say. “We’ll go cool off. I think we both need a breather.” I drag him away, and he follows easily.
We make our way down the side of the house, but when we reach the front yard, he spins on his heel and backs me up, pushing me against the clapboard façade.
“What—” I try to ask, but then his mouth is on mine again. Just as punishing as in front of his family, only this time his hands go wandering too.
I allow myself exactly three seconds of this insanity before pushing him away. “You told them the truth.” My words come out all breathy, and I have to clear my throat.
“So?”
“So why are you kissing me? We’re not … you know … together.”
Ollie cups my face. “Because after that? I don’t care if we were lying to them. I want something real. I want …”
The hesitance and doubt must take over, because he can’t finish his sentence.
“I want you too,” I whisper.
We don’t make the mistake of promising anything long-term or even official. We just finally give in to what we’ve been trying to avoid.
He pushes me against the side of the house again, a little too hard this time.
I grunt.
“Fuck, are you okay?”
“I told you that day when you shoved me into the pressroom that I don’t mind being manhandled.”
That’s enough permission for him. Ollie groans and pushes against me, bending slightly so his hips line up with mine, and I let out an involuntary whimper.
“I need … I need …” His mouth is so close to mine I can feel his breath on my lips. “I need us to disappear.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve wanted you since I met you, even on the days I thought I hated you.”
“Aww, sweet.” I have to bring out the sarcasm because my skin heats, and I’m terrified I’m blushing at the sentiment.
He ignores me. Instead, he leans in farther and puts his lips to my ear. “Do you know how hard it’s been these last few hours to not touch you?”
“You’ve touched me. They thought we were boyfriends.”
He’s been holding my hand and doing boyfriendly things like getting me drinks, subtly touching the small of my back, and staying super close. Like crossing personal space boundaries close.
“I’ll rephrase,” Ollie says with a small smile. “I haven’t been able to touch you inappropriately.” A hand comes between us and moves over the bulge in my pants. “And then you standing up for me in front of my whole family? Doing something I’ve never been brave enough to do? I can’t wait any longer.”
I throw my head back, hitting the side of the house with a thud, but I don’t care. When this guy touches me … “Okay, yeah, we need to disappear.”
“Attic,” he growls.
We make our way to the front door and open it as quietly as possible, but it squeaks and then so do the hardwood floors when our feet step over the threshold. And then the sound of kids screaming and laughing comes from the living room.
We both freeze. Ollie tilts his head back out the front door.
With light steps, we head back outside.
“Don’t suppose one of these cars is yours?” Ollie glances out at the sea of cars filling the driveway, front yard, and street.
“I didn’t get a rental. I took an Uber.”
“Fuck,” he hisses.
“Do you ever feel like the universe is trying to cockblock us? Your teammates coming back to the hotel when they shouldn’t be, your mom walking in on us, a gaggle of children providing a less than sexy soundtrack in the background …”
“We’re doing this. Fuck the universe.”
I slump. “Oh, man, why’d you have to go and say that? You’re gonna get hit by a bus tomorrow for sure.”
“And you think hockey players are superstitious.”
“Don’t come crying to me when you’re splattered all over the windshield of a bus. Just sayin’.”
“Well, if my fate is already sealed, I guess you better make the most of me while I’m still here.” Ollie glances out at the front yard, and his eyes catch on an old treehouse in the giant tree a few feet from the fence that lines the road.
The glimmer in his eye as he takes my hand should scare me, but all I can feel is excitement.
Chapter Nineteen
OLLIE
Kissing Lennon is even better than scoring on the ice. The second I pull him up through the trapdoor of the treehouse, his mouth is on mine, and his body is pressed against me. Not that there’s much room up here for him to be far apart from me.
Lennon lets out a tiny squeak when my hand trails down his back and grasps his ass.
It’s like being back in peewee hockey and taking to my skates those first few times. Adrenaline, nerves, the desire to fly without falling … the newness of it all has my hands trembling and my body aching with need.