Chapter Thirty-Two

BRYCE

Bryce woke some indeterminate amount of time later. Darkness still pressed against the van windows and even the night animals had settled down.

Dakota slept with his back pressed against Bryce’s side. Their breath had fogged up the windows that now dripped with condensation.

And Bryce had to pee like crazy.

He sat up as quietly as he could and fumbled for the latch on the van door. The Christmas lights threw confusing shadows across the door, and finding the latch proved more difficult than he’d anticipated.

“Shit,” he cursed as his fingernail bent back.

“What are you doing?” Dakota mumbled into the pillow.

“I have to pee but I can’t get the door open.”

Dakota breathed heavily into the pillow, already back to sleep.

Bryce felt around the blankets for his phone and flicked on the screen. Three forty-five am. The phone gave enough light for him to get the door open, something he regretted as soon as the cold air hit his naked body.

“Holy crap!” He leaped from the van.

“Close the door!” Dakota whined from the bed.

Picking his way carefully over the ground, Bryce took care of his needs as quickly as possible and ran back into the van.

Dakota gasped as Bryce burrowed under the covers and wrapped his arms and legs around him. “You bastard.”

Bryce gripped him tighter. “You’re so warm. I’m so cold.”

He rolled onto his back, dragging Dakota with him until he lay half on top of Bryce. His sleepy smile cried out to be kissed, so Bryce did.

“Hmm. Nice.”

“This reminds me of this one night in Tulum in Mexico,” Bryce said, running his hand down Dakota’s back.

Dakota pushed up onto his elbow. “Oh really?”

Bryce rolled his eyes. “Not this, obviously,” he said, grabbing Dakota’s ass. “Just one time Nikki and I and the guys were camping, and I ran out naked to piss. I think some local fishermen got an eyeful.”

“I’ve never been to Mexico,” Dakota said, rolling off of Bryce.

“You’d love it. The ocean by Cancun is the most amazing shade of blue.”

“I’ve never seen the ocean,” Dakota said, his voice flat. “I’ve never been anywhere.”

Bryce scratched his fingers through Dakota curls, pulling them and letting them bounce back. “I’ve been to so many amazing places.”

“Yeah. I know.” Dakota yanked his head away with frown.

Bryce didn’t let him go, pulling him back against his side. “No, let me finish. All these places were amazing, but I was always kind of sad. I’ve never been with somebody I—someone who is special to me.”

“What about with Nikki?”

“Except for our honeymoon, I never went anyplace romantic alone with Nikki,” he confessed. “Even the honeymoon was awkward.”

Dakota turned on his side and slid his leg over Bryce’s leg.

Bryce liked that Dakota was tall enough to press against almost the whole length of his body. It felt safe.

“How? Were you a virgin?” Dakota asked lightly.

Bryce brushed off the joking tone in his voice and answered seriously. “No. Worse. All the things that were supposed to be romantic? I just wasn’t feeling it. I didn’t feel lost in her eyes in the candlelight or anything. I didn’t want to spend hours in bed.”

He ran his hand up and down Dakota’s arm, enjoying the soft tickle of his hair and the firmness of the muscle. “I convinced myself that nobody felt that way, that everyone was faking it because that’s how we were told it’s supposed to feel when you’re in love.”

“And now?” Dakota tensed in his arms.

Bryce pushed up and rolled until he hovered over Dakota, looking him right in his eyes. Dakota was going to listen to him whether he wanted to or not.

“Now, I want to take you down to Mexico and get a cabana on a private beach, one with a giant bed and an outdoor shower. Then I’d drag you inside and not come out for two weeks. I want people to bring us coconuts and fresh fish and tequila and leave it at our door.”

Dakota stared back at him, hands on Bryce’s hips. His fingers adding more bruises to the marks he’d already left on Bryce’s skin. “You could do that, couldn’t you?”

“In a heartbeat.” And he wanted to, so badly. Badly enough to give up hockey? If he only had himself to worry about? In a heartbeat.

Dakota put his hands on Bryce’s chest, not quite pushing him off, but keeping him away. “What’s it like having so much money you can do anything you want?”

“It doesn’t suck.” He couldn’t lie. Money couldn’t buy everything, but it gave you a lot more options in life.

Bryce crawled awkwardly off Dakota. Wrapping a blanket around himself, he sat against the wall of the van.

Dakota seemed lost in thought as he pulled his blankets up and punched his pillow. Bryce wished he could see Dakota’s face better, but the flickering shadows made it impossible to read his expression.

“Tell me your wildest dream. What would you do if money wasn’t an issue?” Bryce asked. “If you didn’t have to worry about the farm.”

Dakota was quiet for so long, Bryce assumed he had fallen asleep again. He was halfway to sleep sitting up when Dakota answered.

“I have no idea,” Dakota said softly.

Whatever is was, Bryce promised himself, he would do everything to make it happen. Sleep tugged him back down to the floor of the van. “You’ll think of something.”

He felt Dakota straighten the blankets and curl up behind him. “I will.” Dakota kissed the back of his neck. “How do you know I don’t like you just for your money?”

“You love me for my body,” Bryce replied. “And you can have that anytime.”

Dakota’s fingers running through his hair lulled Bryce back to sleep.