Unrivaled (Hockey Ever After #3)

by Ashlyn Kane

He’d played in the NHL for over a decade.

old

Lockhart plays a major part in the powerhouse New Jersey Monsters lineup.

Max had intended to jerk off tonight, but getting into a fight on the internet was almost as good.

In response he got a string of smug-looking emojis and a few clasped hands. Knew ud see it my way. Cant wait 2 suck ur dick!

Fortunately Max had plenty of experience antagonizing men into doing what he wanted. Getting a guy to fuck you and slap your ass wasn’t all that different from getting one to crosscheck you and punch you in the face.

“What is your attitude toward polygamous or open relationships?” He snorted. “Yeah, no, you’re a possessive asshole, so—” “Hey! What makes you say that?” Max lifted his head. “Really?” Then he tilted it to one side and pointed. “I’m literally wearing your teeth marks on my neck and we’re not even dating.”

The Monsters were based in Newark,

“It’s a gift.” It probably had more to do with the solid friendship they’d built—and the fact that Max was generally more into men than women.

Grady unlocked it to a message from Shithead. Max had entered his contact as MAXIMUM ORGASM followed by multiple eggplant emojis, so Grady didn’t feel the slightest bit of guilt renaming it.

How would I piss them off, he sent. Apparently I’m “too competitive” and it “isn’t fun.” Max put the phone down on the table, pressed his face into a throw pillow, and howled with laughter.

“Not exactly the kind of action I was looking for,” Max told him. “I bet you’re a better cuddler, though.” Gru rolled over for belly rubs and elbowed Max in the nuts. “Or not,” Max wheezed.

but srsly did u fuck up another date? I need the deets. Spill the tea

Whatever that feeling was when Grady complimented him sincerely, it needed to go back in the box.

For once in his life, could Grady have a normal reaction to someone acting like a pest?

“Even professional nappers make mistakes sometimes.”

But he also just liked Grady—prickly, funny, technologically inept grump that he was. Max could see their hookups of convenience evolving into something else. A house somewhere between Newark and Philly, a rivalry they played up in public and laughed about in private, maybe another dog.

@NJMonsters: Mad Max lettuce on point

Like Max hadn’t gone and fallen completely in love with him, after sliding into it by reluctant degrees over the past month and a half.

Now Hedgie was the one with his hand over his eyes. “You’re the worst gay best friend ever.” “I’m bi,” Max said. “And my eyes work fine.”

Grady only watched that clip once. Thinking about what could’ve happened if that hit connected differently did unpleasant things to his stomach. But Max could handle himself. He was a big boy. He knew the risks of playing a contact sport. He didn’t need Grady coddling him.

Grady felt uncharacteristically philosophical. “Man cannot live on cheesesteak alone.”

“I hope it works out for the two of you.” Grady’s mouth dropped open. “For who?” David lifted a shoulder, easy nonchalance. “You and whoever you were thinking of when you looked at Starry Night Over the Rhone.”

“How much can you move it before it hurts?” “Don’t worry about it. I can take it.” Grady rolled his eyes. “I didn’t say you couldn’t. But if I hurt you, it’s going to be because I did it on purpose, not because you didn’t tell me something. So how far can you move it?”

Sometimes Max forgot how handsome Grady was when he smiled, since he didn’t do it often. This laughing, relaxed Grady was like kryptonite. Max’s chest hurt. He blamed the pot.

And he was giving up on dating, and in part it was because he didn’t want to be with anyone but Max. He’d gone on a very nice date with someone else and had a good time and thought about Max the whole while. Max had left his house and Grady immediately felt the loss of him—off-kilter in his own home. But it was still casual… wasn’t it?

He’d made it clear where they stood—they had a weird friendship and great sexual chemistry.

“What, you think my brother raised his kids to be homophobic?” Max asked, amused. “I just don’t want to explain ‘friends with benefits’ to an eight-year-old.”

For the next year, he spent his limited free time learning to cook so he could take care of Christmas dinner.

“I get to be the butter,” Carly announced. She narrowed her eyes at Grady and then selected a token and handed it to him. “Uncle Grady, you can be the lobster cracker.”

“I should be the lobster,” Grady repeated quietly when Max’s fingers traced down the side of his face. “You crack me open.” For a long moment Max held his gaze. Then he kissed him softly, slowly, his body braced over Grady’s like a shield. Grady anchored himself with a hand on Max’s shoulder and let the earth spin around them.

Grady let Max pull him up and lead him inside. He left the weight of his shell by the pool with his wineglass.

He half expected her to ask who he was or why he’d been eavesdropping, but instead she said, “How is this my life?” “No, I have a better question. Why are you asking Grady what to do?” “Hey,” Grady grumbled without pausing in his scalp massage. Jess groaned. “Oh God, you’re right. The man has the emotional intelligence of a garden snail.” “I’m very fond of him,” Max said, because it seemed rude to agree out loud when Grady could hear him.

“You’re either in a porno or the first-ever lesbian triad Hallmark Christmas Special.”

He feels safe? He’s kind and generous and makes me laugh? He helps me remember what it’s like to be able to rely on someone other than you?

“He’s so earnest, though,” Baller said, propping his chin on his hand. “He believes. It’s adorable. And the name is the icing on the cake. I mean, Howard Barclay. It’s like his parents were expecting a golden retriever.”

“Seriously?” Baller asked again, quieter this time. “You had feelings that intense and you didn’t even break up with him in person to get closure? That’s fucked, dude.” “How was I gonna break up with him in person from a plane over the Midwest?” Grady said, bitchy. “On the phone, then, dipshit. You know what I mean.”

Oh Jesus. “Did I relapse into a teenager when I wasn’t looking?” “I’m just saying. Pretty sure I heard you blasting early Taylor Swift the other day. If the shoe fits….”

Depending on the day, thinking about it made him either angry or depressed as fuck. In any case, he needed chocolate.

A bird may love a fish, Max thought, but where would they live? A secret romance story with a happy ending would hurt to watch, but maybe it would be cathartic. “Done.”

Try as he might, Max couldn’t connect the dots. He glanced at El, who shrugged, then looked back at Hedgie. “Is this you coming out as bisexual and telling us you think he’s a snack? Because I agree, but dude’s taken.”

Max had no idea why you were mad at him. Whatever I said to you that pissed you off, it was a coincidence. He didn’t tell me shit. Then: PS you’re a dick.

With nerveless fingers, he navigated to his contacts list and scrolled down to Shithead. God, he’d been such an asshole. He made himself sick. Grady unblocked Max’s number. Then he hit Edit Contact and erased the name. Max didn’t deserve that, and Grady was past caring what other people thought. He entered Max’s full first and last name and touched Save.

MAX CONSIDERED himself an easygoing guy. He got up, he worked out, he ate, he played hockey, he went to bed. The circle of life. He left work at work. He had, like, Zen chill or whatever.

“Could have been great,” Grady finished. “You’re an asshole,” Max said. “Who just stops talking to someone they—?” “Someone they love?” Grady’s voice cracked. Fuck. Fuck. “Now you say that to me?” Max’s hands shook and his eyes burned. “Now?”

As long as Grady was willing to put in the work, Max was too. And there was one good test to find out. “Say it for real.” “Max.” Max swallowed hard and held his breath while Grady paused. “I’m in love with you.”

“Okay,” he said. “Okay?” Grady didn’t quite squawk, but it was close. “I tell you I’m in love with you and that’s what I get back?” “Oh yeah.” Max rolled onto his back. He might’ve forgiven Grady, but he wasn’t ready to pick up where they’d left off in Miami. Grady would have to prove he deserved to be there. “Just because we’re dating now doesn’t mean I’m going to go easy on you.” Grady laughed. It was the second-best thing Max had ever heard. “No, of course not.” Then, “Dating, huh?”

Then a comic-book character in red and green with a yellow mask. Robin? Funny, Max said. whos the last one? Dick Grayson.

Dawg wasn’t so lucky. He’d gone blotchy red down to his shoulders. Did Farouk not realize Dawg had a crush, or was he giving him shit for it? Grady didn’t even know if Dawg was out.

Dawg had already moved on to, “Who do you think they’re going to go for?” “Kirschbaum?” “No chance, the whole city of Vancouver is married to that guy.” “People get divorced all the time.”

“How do you feel about rekindling that rivalry now that Max has been traded to the Piranhas?” Blinking, Grady tried to untangle the question while his heart tried to escape his rib cage. “I thought he was going to Miami.” Sonia shook her head. “You must’ve missed the news. They flipped him to Anaheim an hour ago.” Grady could not have controlled his expression if his life depended on it. Without meaning to, he raised his hand to his face and rubbed his cheek. Oh—that was the edge of a smile under his fingers. Oops. “They did, huh?” He shook his head. “Guess he missed my pretty face.” Sonia laughed. “So that’s a yes?”