So Pucking Wrong (Thin Ice #9)

Chapter Five

Harlan had never truly considered what life with Tanner—day in and day out—would look like. He thought he understood what it was like to have money. Harlan had not been prepared for what leveling up would do to his life. If and when this marriage ended, he would be broke from the lawyer’s fees in under a year. It felt like everyone he had ever crossed paths with came out of the woodwork, staking claims. His mom had gone from a semi-annual pain in his ass to an absolute terror overnight. Whereas he had thought Matt marrying a duke had been bad, it was nothing by comparison. The idea that her children would leave her in poverty, which was the most ridiculous claim in the history of claims, sent her over the edge. Matters weren’t helped by the fact that she had hoped to be the one who landed Tanner. His head pounded just thinking about it.

Life with Tanner, excluding those things, was so much more amazing than he ever dreamed. Tanner was all the things Harlan expected. Spoiled, controlling, and demanding. Harlan just did as he pleased, and Tanner always broke first. The arrangement benefited them both. Tanner needed someone in his life telling him no. Unfortunately, Harlan’s nos were getting less and less.

“Aren’t you glad you said yes to this?”

With Tanner saying the words against his neck, Harlan had a hard time saying no. From a private box in Vegas, they watched the Chuckers play the Golden Sabres. With his chest pressed against Harlan’s back and his arms wrapped around Harlan’s waist, they stood for the whole world to see. Phones had pointed their way several times. A few times, he had seen TV cameras swing their way. Tanner never stopped holding him. To all the world, they looked like the happiest of newlyweds. Two people deeply in love. One of those things was true, at least. Harlan had to admit, Tanner played the perfect husband. It wouldn’t last. Harlan didn’t expect that either. Neither of them had expected this or meant for it to happen. They couldn’t exactly expect loyalty.

“Do you travel for games often?”

He felt Tanner shrug at the question. “Aside from New Orleans, no. We’re here for a reason.” He kissed Harlan’s ear. “Do you see number twenty-two? He’s only nineteen.”

“Bernier?”

Tanner nodded. “Storm Bernier. He’s from Canada too. So we have that.”

Harlan studied Twenty-two’s moves. He was fast on the ice and his shots were like lightning. “There’re a few accuracy issues, but in another year, he’ll be coming for Medvedkov’s records.”

“Exactly. I want him before he hits that point and moves out of my price range.”

“You have a price range?” Even Harlan heard the laughter in his voice.

Tanner chuckled. “Hmm. Well, let me rephrase that. Moves from what I’m willing to pay. I have to be reasonable.”

Harlan nodded. “How do you intend to steal him?”

Tanner’s hand moved from Harlan’s stomach to his chest. Harlan fought the urge to close his eyes and savor the moment. Tanner held him more than he had ever been held in his life. He hadn’t realized how starved for actual affection he had been until Tanner gave it to him—like it was second nature. “His contract is up at the end of this season. I’ve invited him to join us for a private meeting in the hotel's casino later tonight. I reserved a high-roller room. It’s very unlikely anyone will know we talked. I’d like to keep it that way. If Vegas realizes I’m interested, they might bid to keep him at a higher price just to drive up the cost of the contract.”

He found Tanner fascinating. Most people thought he was hands off with his teams since Rider ran everything, but no. Tanner loved the sport. He knew everything about it and picked up on details about players others might miss. His observant nature came with other perks as well. Harlan’s sex life had never been so good.

“You said he’s meeting us. Are you sure you want me to go? I know this is business.”

“Yeah. Our business.”

Tanner was forever saying things like that, and Harlan didn’t know how to feel. The way they had gotten married, cut out any prenups, mixing their lives in a way that didn’t always sit right with Harlan. This marriage was temporary. Harlan would never try to go after any of Tanner’s assets. But Tanner talked as if everything was theirs now and Harlan didn’t know how to act. So he didn’t. “Okay.”

Tanner kissed his ear again, as if praising him for agreeing.

The buzzer sounded. Vegas beat them by one with the winning shot going to Storm Bernier. It seemed Tanner knew what he was doing. Harlan was just along for the ride.

Tanner hadn’t planned to set up a meeting with Storm until after the end of the season. This gave him a chance to jet Harlan to Vegas. They were close enough to LA; they would head to Harlan’s place for a few weeks too. Tanner hoped that would lead to them making some long-term decisions. He didn’t want to live apart when football started again for the year.

Tanner also hadn’t thought of doing business in a casino. Then Harlan had married him in one. Now they were good luck to him.

“I didn’t think about you being under twenty-one when I suggested we meet here.”

Storm’s green eyes flashed with laughter. “It’s all good. I don’t plan to stay long. No offense. My team is partying at a different hotel nearby.”

“I promise I won’t take up too much of your time.”

Harlan leaned closer and touched his lips to Tanner’s ear. “I’m going to find a restroom. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Tanner stole a quick kiss before Harlan got away. “Hurry back.” He focused on Storm. Storm’s gaze followed Harlan, giving Tanner permission to return to watching his husband. Harlan immediately got stopped right outside the doorway. The high-roller room turned out to be across from the sports betting room. Several people asked for selfies. Harlan stopped and obliged them all. Tanner smiled at the sight. Sometimes he forgot his husband was famous. When he looked back Storm’s way. He found Storm studying him.

“It’s nice to see someone in your position openly loving their husband. Representation matters.” He changed the subject before Tanner caught his breath from Storm dropping the L word. “I take it this meeting is about my contract ending with Vegas.”

Tanner nodded, scrambling to recover from being accused of loving Harlan. “Yes. I’d love for you to come check out New Orleans. I think you’d fit right in with my team, and you could learn a lot from Medvedkov. You’d be on a cup-winning team. Vegas can’t level up your career the way I can.”

Storm nodded. “Except this has been my team for two years and they’ve already offered a new contract.”

A chuckle slipped from Tanner. “New Orleans and Vegas may as well be the same town. They’re both unbearably hot party towns crawling with homeless people.”

They shared a smile. “Nothing like home, eh?”

Tanner laughed as Storm’s Canadian accent thickened. “No. Definitely not.”

Storm’s gaze slid toward the doorway again.

Tanner turned his head. Harlan was back and trapped again, taking more pictures.

“How do you two make it work, living so far apart? California is a long way from Toronto.”

It was obvious Storm had looked into him before this meeting. He wished the question didn’t glitch his brain. Tanner couldn’t admit he had no idea. As far as the world knew, they had been a couple longer than the two months they’d been married.

Thankfully, Storm seemed to answer his own question before Tanner could come up with a lie. “I suppose you have the freedom to travel with him anywhere he goes.” Storm sounded almost sad. He met Tanner’s stare again. “I’ll come check out the city this summer during the off season. My agent and I have already decided not to settle on a contract until I have time to weigh my options between seasons.”

“That’s fair. I have your number. We can set up something in a couple of months.”

“Sounds good.” Storm stood and shook Tanner’s hand. “It was nice meeting you.”

“You as well.”

With a final nod, Storm headed for the door. He paused outside where Harlan stood. They exchanged a few words and then Storm took over, captivating the crowd so Harlan could get away.

Harlan headed Tanner’s way, wearing a huge grin. He was so beautiful. Tanner couldn’t tear his eyes away. He had won the husband lottery. Proud wasn’t a strong enough word to describe how he felt.

“Lost him already, huh?”

Tanner realized he smiled every bit as brightly as Harlan. “Oh, to be young. There’s a party going on somewhere with his name on it.”

Harlan reclaimed his seat, pulling it closer as he sat. “How did it go?”

“He’s agreed to check out the town this summer.”

Harlan nodded. “Is that good sign?”

Tanner shrugged. “It’s hard to say. All I can do now is wait.”

A wicked-looking smirk touched Harlan’s lips. He snagged the front of Tanner’s t-shirt, towing him closer. “Whatever shall you do in the meantime?”

“I can think of one person.”

Harlan chuckled as he brushed his lips across Tanner’s. A thought hit Tanner. “You know you’re the only person, right? We haven’t really set boundaries for this marriage.”

Harlan turned serious, showing the conversation the gravity it deserved. He eyed Tanner, making him a little nervous. Tanner knew Harlan might not want to be tied down exclusively.

When Harlan didn’t answer right away, Tanner’s tongue got the best of him. “I suppose you don’t want something like that. You’re not old like me and you’re on the road a lot.”

“I want that.”

Harlan’s quietly spoken words brought Tanner’s ramblings to a halt. His pulse pounded in his ears. He was scared to hope. Every day this marriage got a little realer. “Are you sure?” He hated to keep giving Harlan outs, but he needed to know Harlan chose this because he chose Tanner.

“I’m sure.” He pulled a face. “Honestly, I’ve been thinking about this one a lot lately. In a few months, I’ll be headed to summer training. What happens then? Do we go our separate ways and act like we’re not married?”

“I don’t want that.” The confession shot from Tanner, sounding desperate.

Harlan smiled. “I don’t either. Obviously, we didn’t plan for life to go in this direction, but I don’t want to be my dad.” He paused. His expression turned intense. “And I don’t want to be married to someone like him. I give my mom a lot of shit, but he’s the reason she is the way she is. She put up with a lot of shit before eventually deciding if she couldn’t have his faithfulness, then she would have his money. For whatever amount of time we decide to do this, I don’t want to be like them. They could’ve been happy if they fought for their marriage instead of against each other.”

He wanted this forever. That confession lived on the tip of Tanner’s tongue. He couldn’t admit that yet. So he took his wins where he could. “I want to have one of those marriages where we fight for each other. For however long it lasts,” Tanner tacked on for Harlan’s sake. “We should head upstairs, don’t you think?”

Harlan smiled. “Us old married folk need our sleep.”

Tanner bit his bottom lip to stop himself from smiling like an idiot. He waited to respond until he thought he could sound a little normal. “Something like that.”

Harlan stood. “That’s what we’ll do, then.”

Tanner pushed to his feet and dug out a large tip for the poor woman who had been subjected to listening to their bullshit while waiting to see if they placed any bets. It was her job. Likely she heard a lot of things in a place like this. She wore a bland smile as he passed the money her way.

“Thanks for your help.”

She dipped her chin. Then Harlan’s hand was in his as they headed for the elevator. Their bed waited upstairs. It called Tanner’s name.

Hot water ran between their bodies. Their tongues slowly played. Something grew in Harlan’s chest by the minute. Tanner wanted to be exclusive. To Harlan’s surprise, he really wanted that too. The idea of Tanner with someone else had gnawed at him for a while. He hadn’t expected to turn possessive of a husband who was supposed to be temporary, but there it was. The jealousy stared him in the face every day, waiting to take him down like a hungry cheetah. He recognized he couldn’t ask such a thing of Tanner if he couldn’t give the same. For whatever reason, the idea of anyone else touching him made his skin crawl. He was in trouble. This would not end well. Harlan was headed straight for heartbreak at top speed. He couldn’t stop.

Tanner’s huge body had him engulfed. His arms and hands squeezed and pulled. Their slick bodies moved against each other, as if impatient to become one. Harlan could barely breathe past the lust.

“Goddamn. I don’t know what I’ll do when summer training begins. You’ve spoiled me.”

Harlan’s throat swelled at Tanner’s mention of being apart. Maybe it was the desire. Harlan couldn’t be sure, but his mouth had things to say his brain hadn’t considered. “So come with me.”

Tanner went from kissing Harlan’s neck to holding his stare. “Do you really want me there?”

Did he? Honestly, at the moment, Harlan didn’t want to be apart from Tanner ever again. That was probably his dick, but fuck. He was weak. “Yeah, I want you there.”

“And when the season starts, what then?”

Harlan licked his lips. Nervousness set in. This marriage was getting scarily real. “Come with me then too. I know you have your own shit and—”

“No. I can work it out. I’d rather be with you.”

Harlan was the middle child all the way to his soul. No one had ever chosen him above every other choice. Tanner did. Harlan’s heart was in so much trouble. “Okay.”

A huge smile exploded across Tanner’s face. “Okay.” Tanner’s elated expression didn’t waver as he dropped to his knees. Harlan's gaze followed. He was hard as stone, with Tanner ready to blow him.

Harlan touched his chin, bringing Tanner’s gaze to his. Tanner looked so aroused, Harlan’s knees weakened. “You know this is a favor I won’t return.” Harlan didn’t suck dick.

The lust swimming in Tanner’s eyes didn’t dim. “I’ll ride a toy while you watch later.”

“Damn. I want that.”

Tanner pushed, forcing Harlan against the wall while clinging to his hips. “Then give me what I want.” Tanner didn’t wait for permission. He took Harlan down his throat. The back of Harlan’s head hit the wall. He sucked air. Tanner had an amazing mouth backed by years of experience. Harlan never lasted long with Tanner intent on sucking out his soul. Harlan held Tanner’s hair and fucked his face. Everything disappeared except the suction on his cock. The pleasure and pressure grew. He turned more desperate by the second. When the orgasm hit and while he filled Tanner’s mouth with cum, the scariest thought of all hit. This was forever. Harlan wouldn’t let go without a fight.