Best Of Both Worlds (Colorado Black Diamonds #4)

Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

GRAHAM

“ H oly shit. I can’t believe we beat them!” Bode tosses an arm over my shoulders as we hit the button for the elevators. “The Black Diamonds! Sorry, Noah.”

My eyes drift to my teammates as we stand in the lobby. With an early trip home, we were given strict instructions to head immediately to our rooms.

Just as well.

With everything going on in my head, I could use a good night’s sleep. Being around Noah twenty-four seven has been screwing me up.

Thank God it didn’t fuck things up tonight.

I’d hate to think what the guys would think of me if they knew my head wasn’t in the game because of a guy. Not that I don’t think they’d accept me, but would they really want two guys on the same team dating?

I’m not sure anyone would be ready for that amount of scrutiny.

“Why are you saying sorry to me?” Noah shrugs a shoulder, leaning against the wall by the elevator bank, pulling my attention back to the conversation around me. “Not my team anymore.”

“You seemed pretty friendly with a lot of them after the game,” Jasper chimes in.

“Can’t say hi to guys you’ve played with for eight years?”

“Was it weird to beat them?” Bode asks as the doors to the elevator open and we all pile in.

Noah shakes his head. “Felt fucking awesome. The Knights beating the best team in the league? Fuck yeah.”

I don’t care that it was only preseason.

“Hell yeah!” Bode’s voice echoes around the small space. Leaning back against the mirrored wall, I press the button to our floor and close my eyes, listening as the guys shoot the shit.

I’m exhausted. Even in the preseason, my body is starting to feel it. Maybe it’s because Coach Andrews is pushing us harder than our last coach. He was a fine coach, but he didn’t work us as hard as we needed.

It was a hard-fought win tonight, and I’m thankful we were up to the task.

“Our floor.” An elbow hits me in the side as I open my eyes to see Noah walking out.

“You sure you guys don’t want to come up for a drink?” Jasper asks.

“Aren’t you supposed to be keeping everyone in check?” Noah asks, holding the door open as I brush past him.

“One drink won’t kill us, eh?”

“Coach might,” I tell them as the doors close.

“You don’t want to go hang out with them?” Noah asks, reaching into his back pocket and grabbing our room key from his wallet.

“Not tonight.”

Shoving my hands in my pockets, I make the short walk to our room that’s at the end of the hallway. Usually, we’re all on the same floor, but not this trip. Something about a convention being in town.

“Everything okay?” Noah jogs to keep up with me. His tie is loosened at his neck, showing off his Adam’s apple.

I shouldn’t be noticing these things. I hate that I’m noticing these things.

It’s Noah, for fuck’s sake.

“Tired is all.”

Waiting as the click of the door lets us in, I make quick work of changing into shorts and a T-shirt. Having showered at the arena, all I want to do is crash tonight.

But I can’t.

My brain is spinning in circles at a million miles an hour. I’ve had a dry spell this season. Maybe if I go out and meet someone, that’ll help shut my brain off.

Or maybe I’ve just driven myself to exhaustion thinking and worrying about Noah. Because if it’s not hockey, it’s Noah.

That’s it.

Hockey and Noah. Noah and hockey. Not a good headspace for anyone to be in.

“Okay, you’re being weird,” Noah points out, slapping my thigh as he passes my spot on the bed to go to his, having changed out of his suit.

“Fuck off. No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. You’ve been weird for a few weeks now.”

“Is it because we’re getting along?” I try to deflect.

“You’re such a dick.” He throws a pillow my way with a laugh, but I grab it and shove it back at him. But the momentum of it sends me crashing into him.

Onto his bed.

It takes us a minute to realize how we’re lying together before the playfulness is sucked from the air. I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to Noah in my entire life.

Those brown eyes of his are full of emotions, flitting through before I can pinpoint even one. But the thing I don’t miss?

How his hand closes on my hip. Whether to hold me there or push me away, I don’t know. Noah’s teeth dig into his bottom lip.

Is he waiting for me to make a move?

Every single thing I want to do to this man flashes through my brain. I want to tug that bottom lip out of his teeth and suck it. See what he tastes like. Feel how strong he is under me. Swallow every gasp as I kiss him.

The emotions in his eyes become clear. I couldn’t miss it. Not this close to him.

It’s desire. Plain as day.

He wants me.

Fuck.

Fuck.

I shouldn’t even be thinking about this. Thinking about what he would taste like. But really, it’s all I’ve been able to think about lately. Since I saw our coach with his husband.

Why couldn’t it have been anyone but Noah? Noah complicates things. He’s my roommate and teammate. And I hated him up until a few weeks ago.

And he’s a man . I never thought I’d be attracted to someone of the same sex. Somewhere along the last few weeks, something changed. Maybe if I lived with anyone else, I could be attracted to them.

But I’m not.

It’s Noah.

When those brown eyes of his dip down to my lips again, I don’t think. I push every thought out of my head and lower myself over him, crushing my lips to his.

There’s a moment of hesitation. Whether it’s his or mine, I’m not sure.

Because holy shit.

I’m kissing Noah Fields. A man.

And nothing about it feels weird at all.

That snaps what limited control I have on reality as Noah wraps his arms around me to deepen the kiss.

It’s new and familiar all at the same time, but somehow better than I ever remember. The scruff lining Noah’s jaw is rough against mine as he slides his tongue against my lips. I willingly cede control to him.

As our tongues tangle, I fit my body over his. The hard planes there make me want to rip off the sweatshirt he’s wearing and run my hands over each and every one of his abs.

Trace them with my tongue.

These thoughts are new and should be overwhelming, but they’re not. For some reason, with every stroke of Noah’s tongue against mine, it feels more and more normal.

Noah flips us over and changes the angle of our kiss. His knee lodges between my legs. The contact has my cock threatening to jump out of my shorts. Sure, I’d thought of this. The reality? It’s even better than I imagined.

My fingers find the hem of Noah’s sweatshirt and the warm skin there. Fuck, it feels so good. The rough skin of my palm slips farther under.

It’s a high I’ve never felt, kissing Noah like this. I throw my leg around his hips to pull him closer to me. I want this more than I’ve ever wanted anything else in my life.

More than hockey.

More than any woman.

And it’s just a fucking kiss.

The thought of it progressing past that has me pausing. Because while this is fucking amazing, the thought of taking this further? I don’t know if I’m quite ready for that.

“Shit. We should probably go to bed.”

It’s like Noah is reading my mind. Or maybe he felt that momentary pause. Either way, I’m grateful for it.

“Right.”

Noah sits on the bed next to me, scrubbing a hand over his jaw. “Sorry. I got carried away.”

“No.” My voice is a little more high-pitched, so I clear it. “I wanted it.”

“You did?”

I nod. “Yes.”

“Well then,”—Noah leans over, giving me one last kiss—“there’s a lot more where that came from.”