Common Goal (Game Changers #4)- Rachel Reid Page 0,6
kind of justification for leaving a party right now. It wasn’t even eleven o’clock yet.
“Past your bedtime?” Kyle’s voice had dropped into a sultry, husky timbre, which Eric knew was meant to be teasing, but it sent a surprising jolt through him.
“I’m not really a party guy.”
The thing Kyle was doing right then, leaning against the bar with his arms crossed, one shoulder raised just enough to make the hem of his T-shirt ride up to reveal the barest half inch of his flat stomach, probably worked on a lot of men. It was undeniably alluring. Eric tore his gaze away from the strip of pale skin, shaking his head as he buttoned his coat.
“I remember when you used to be fun, Benny,” Carter said.
“No you don’t,” Eric said flatly.
Carter laughed. “No. I really don’t.”
“Goodnight, Carter.” Then, Eric turned to Kyle. “It was nice talking to you, Kyle.”
“Likewise.” The word slid out of Kyle’s mouth, rich and bordering on ridiculous. Eric was embarrassed by the heat that bloomed low in his belly in response. He turned and strode toward the exit before anyone noticed how flustered he was getting. He didn’t like to ever appear anything less than steady and unshakable at all times.
He stepped outside into a cold November drizzle and wished he’d worn something water-resistant instead of his wool Burberry coat. The frigid rain worked like an ice bath, though, easing the sparks that had been racing through Eric’s veins since he’d first laid eyes on Kyle tonight. The truth was, he’d been...aware of Kyle for some time. Eric had gone to the Kingfisher a handful of times over the past couple of years. He’d go if Kip was working, ostensibly keeping Scott company but in reality just sitting there while Scott watched his boyfriend serve people drinks.
The second time he’d agreed to go, Kyle had been working with Kip, and Eric had been drawn to him for reasons he still couldn’t explain.
Well. He could at least partially explain it. Certainly it had something to do with Kyle’s winter-blue eyes, and his easy, seductive smiles. He seemed confident and fun in a completely different way from Eric’s teammates. It was alluring.
Eric noticed people. He always had. His ability to observe everything and everyone around him was an integral part of his goaltending career. Despite this, he wasn’t often attracted to other people. But he was definitely attracted to Kyle.
Even though it had been over a year since he’d last had sex, Eric hadn’t been missing it. His sexual needs, such as they were, had always been satisfied one way or another. But now a few flirtatious words and smiles from a beautiful young bartender and suddenly Eric’s libido was demanding attention.
There was a time when the fact that the bartender in question was a man would have terrified Eric. For most of his life, he had chosen to ignore the part of him that was attracted to men. He’d been married to Holly, after all, so there’d been no reason to think about it. That was what he had told himself.
But since Scott Hunter had come out as gay, things had changed. Eric was lucky enough to have had a front-row seat to witness Scott’s happiness as he finally allowed himself to live and love the way he’d always been afraid to. He wasn’t like Scott. He had loved Holly once, and he’d never been forced to hide who he really was. Not in the same way. He’d just chosen not to reveal all of himself, because he’d never needed to.
But since his divorce, and now living in a brave new world where being attracted to men wasn’t an unthinkable thing for a hockey player, Eric had allowed himself to examine this thing that he’d buried so long ago. To poke it a little. It was something that he thought he might like to explore, now that he was able. But how? Where on earth did one start with that sort of thing?
With a flirty bartender?
No. Absolutely not. Kyle was much too young—barely older than the rookies on the team—so it was completely inappropriate. More than that, it would be humiliating. How much of a midlife crisis stereotype did Eric want to be? Dating a man who was almost half his age was not happening. There had to be a safer and more sensible option.
For the first time in Eric’s life, safe and sensible didn’t seem particularly appealing.