Stephani Hecht Blue Line Hockey 04 Blind Pass

All his life Jochen has had one dream and one dream
only—to become a professional hockey player. Now
after years of hard work, he’s approaching his goal.
Well…maybe a better term would be almost there since
he’s playing for a minor league team and is barely
making a livable wage. Still, he’s not complaining since
he feels like it will only be a matter of time before he’s
called up to the NHL. He just needs to make sure that he
doesn’t allow any distractions to get into his way.

Then a huge distraction plows into his life when

Jochen is hired to help at a summer youth clinic. There
he meets Rebel, a very sexy, cute and tempting goalie.
The problem is both of them are deep in the closet. They
both fear that coming out could hurt their careers.
Besides, all they’re doing is having a little fun on the
side and they don’t feel like it’s anybody’s business.
Then just as they least expect it, their secret comes out
in the most explosive way possible, forcing Jochen to
admit just how much Rebel means to him. Will their
love be able to survive the fallout, or will they lose
everything they ever wanted?

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entirely coincidental.

Blind Pass

ISBN: 978-1-55487-916-8

Cover art by Martine Jardin

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Blind Pass

Blue Line Hockey 4

Stephani Hecht

Dedication

To Chris and Jase—thanks for all the uplifting emails.

You guys rock!

Chapter One

Just a few months ago, Jochen never dreamed that he’d
be spending his summer at the hockey rink, much less in
Canada. Yet there his sorry ass was, driving down the
streets of Sarnia, getting ready to spend the next two
months coaching a bunch of underage goalies.

Goalies! Who would have thunk it? He was a

forward, always had been. Not even as a kid had he
stepped between the pipes and defended the net. Now
they expected him to coach a bunch of waddlers. If that
didn’t spell out strange, he didn’t know what did.

Yet, strange or not, he’d gladly taken the job when

all his other prospects dried out and he found himself
facing a mountain of bills with no way to pay them. So
that was how he found himself in this current bizzaro
world.

The overly cheerful voice on his GPS chirped to alert

him that he’d arrived at his destination, so he turned into

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the drive of a house in one of the most upscale
subdivisions he’d ever seen. Turning off the engine, he
got out of his car and stared up at the place he’d be
staying for the duration of the summer.

All in all, it was a pretty nice house. Actually,

mansion would be a better word. While the place didn’t
sport a circular dive, fountain or stone lions, it stood
several stories tall and probably had more bathrooms in
it than Joe Louis Arena. The matching set of red sports
cars parked out front looked pretty classy, too.

Jochen opened the trunk of his much older and

cheaper Cavalier, then hoisted his large duffle bag over
his shoulder. After he slammed the lid closed and made
sure his doors were locked, he paused for a moment to
drink in the opulent image in front of him.

Someday I’ll have a life like this. I just need to keep

focused and don’t give up.

Granted, the owner, Robby Anderson, hadn’t made

all of his fortune by playing hockey, but it’d given him a
good financial nudge in the right direction. Robby had
wisely invested the money he made from playing and his
numerous endorsements. After he retired from the NHL,
he’d taken that profit and invested it further, this time by
starting up a goalie school.

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While many had questioned his wisdom, in the end,

Robby had the last laugh. Not only had he made a small
fortune, but his goalie clinics were considered amongst
the best in the country. Kids from all over attended and
he had a long waiting list.

While Jochen wasn’t a goalie, he’d been hired on as

a shooter. In other words, a glorified puck-shooting
machine, whose job it was to fire pucks at the kids, so
they could practice their skills. While it wasn’t exactly
the most glamorous of jobs, Jochen knew he couldn’t
complain. Since he played for the minors, he didn’t pull
in a big check and he needed every dime that came his
way.

Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. After all, some of

Jochen’s best memories from childhood were of the
numerous summer hockey clinics he took. So he should
be happy to be back and coaching in one. For the most
part, he was. It’s just that a part of him dreaded having
to face the questions and the judgmental looks that were
sure to follow.

What team do you play for?
The Vapors? Aren’t they a minor league team?
What happened? I thought the Wings drafted you in

the first round? What was that? Two years ago?

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God knows he’d asked himself those very same

questions hundreds of times since he started to play
professional hockey. After all, back home, he’d been
considered a hero, a superstar, the one who would
finally put their small, farm town on the map.

Instead, he’d been nothing but a failure. Well, only a

partial failure, since he technically did play for the pros,
but he still hadn’t made it as far as they’d all predicted.
Jochen Mueller, the one who was destined to be the next
Wayne Gretsky, to be better than Crosby, Lidstrom or
Zetterberg. In the end, he’d wound up relegated to a
farm team and making scale pay.

Jochen took a deep breath before he forced himself

to walk up the steps and knock on the massive double
doors. He almost expected a butler to answer it, so when
a stunning redheaded woman opened the door, Jochen
felt momentary taken aback. He recovered quickly and
plastered a smile on his face.

“Hi, I’m here for the clinic.”
She beamed back, showing off a set of teeth that

only the best money could buy. “You must be Jochen. I
recognize you from your team photo.”

“I don’t remember sending in a picture with my

résumé.”

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“You didn’t. It was on the team website.”
“Huh, I didn’t know the Vapors had even gone that

high tech,” he half-teased.

While the Vapors weren’t as tight-fisted as some of

the other farm teams, they didn’t exactly go out of their
way to spend money either.

“Come on in and I’ll show you around.”
She stepped to the side to make room for him to

enter the large foyer. He let out a low whistle and
immediately cringed, worried the vocal effects made
him come off like some country bumpkin.

“I’m Ashley, Robby’s wife,” she said.
He shifted his bag so they could shake hands. “We

talked a few times on the phone. It’s nice to finally meet
you in person.”

“Yes, I remember. You were the one who always

had all the noise in the background.”

A heat came over his face. “Sorry about that. I live

with my cousin and he likes to think he can make a
second career with his guitar playing. Lucky for him his
slapshot is much better than his Stairway to Heaven.”

She laughed. “That’s right. He plays for the Vapors,

too. Why didn’t he come work for us this summer?”

“He has this same sports camp that he’s been

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coaching at for a couple years now.”

Jochen purposely left off that Aldrich refused to

work for anybody else because he had a major crush on
the director. His cousin was deep in the closet and
Jochen had no plans on outing him. Not when Jochen
knew from his own personal experience how scary that
place could be.

She led him downstairs to the lower floor, which had

been converted to a dormitory of sorts. He hated to
admit, even to himself, that while they were small, the
rooms were a huge step-up from his apartment. His
place was so bad that even most self-respecting
cockroaches refused to live there. The other day he’d
come out of the shower and found himself face-to-
whiskered-face with a rat. The thing had been so
frigging large that Jochen retreated and left the rat to do
his worst.

She paused at one of the rooms. “This is where

you’ll be staying. You’ll have a bunk mate, but don’t
worry, it’ll be one of the other instructors.”

He peered in, noting how this room seemed slightly

larger than the others. Two twin beds took up the center
of the room. Not exactly comfy sleeping for a full grown
man, but at least there was a full-sized TV mounted to

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the wall. Plus, there was a small private bathroom off to
the side.

He dropped off his bag and followed her as she gave

him the rest of the tour. In addition to a huge kitchen,
the house had a gym with state of the art equipment, an
indoor Olympic-sized pool and a basketball court. Once
they were finished, she took him back to the kitchen and
grabbed him a cola.

“When do the students get here?” he asked as he

took the drink.

“Tomorrow. The rest of the instructors are supposed

to arrive today.”

“How many coaches will there be?”
“Counting you, ten. Eight goalies, plus two

shooters.”

He smiled. “It’s funny to hear myself being referred

to as a shooter.”

She studied him for a moment. “So, what made you

pick this place? Not many forwards agree to come to a
goalie clinic.”

He shrugged. “I need some help with my scoring and

I figured the best way to learn how to beat goalies is by
going straight to the source.”

“Ah, very sneaky. Some would say devious.” She

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wrinkled her nose at him. “I think I’m going to like
you.”

“You should see me play poker. I’m downright

malicious. But before you think too highly of my Dr.
Evil skills, you should know I also did it for the money.”

“Yeah, the minors don’t pay very well. I remember

that from way back when Robby played for them.”

It heartened Jochen some to hear that Robby had

once been in his position. Maybe that proved Jochen
wasn’t such a loser after all. He smiled, suddenly glad
that he’d chosen to come to the camp.

The doorbell rang. She gave his hand a pat. “I have

to go get that. If you want, you can go downstairs and
get settled in. Dinner is at six and there’s a staff meeting
right after.”

“Thanks,” he said, but he was talking to air since

she’d already rushed from the room.

Jochen went down to his room and began unpacking

his bag. Since there was only one dresser, he made sure
to leave half the drawers empty. He did the same with
the closet. Once he finished unpacking, he grabbed his
cell and called his cousin.

“Hey, I made it,” Jochen said as soon as Aldrich

picked up.

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“Cool, what’s it like there?”
Jochen cast his gaze around the room. Even though

small, the furniture and décor screamed wealth. “Just
like we’d imagined it would.”

Like Jochen, Aldrich played hockey and, also like

Jochen, Aldrich had been relegated to a farm team. Their
shared frustration brought them closer than ever, even
more so since they’d recently moved in together to save
on rent.

Aldrich let out a low whistle. “Wow, maybe I should

have applied there, too. It sounds way better than where
they have me bunking.”

“Where’s that?”
“A small room overlooking the rink.”
“Oh, is it cold in there?”
“No, ironically enough, it’s hotter than the armpit of

hell. It smells that way, too.”

“I’m not going to get totally excited until I see who

my roommate is. Knowing the way my luck has been
running lately, it’ll be somebody from the Cougars.”

The Cougars were the most hated team in their

league. Notorious for playing dirty, they’d been known
to send members of the opposing team to the hospital.

“It’ll probably be some rookie or kid fresh from high

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school.”

“God, you make me sound so old. I’m only twenty-

three,” Jochen reminded him.

“You are old. Twenty-three is practically middle-

aged when it comes to professional sports.”

“I think you’re exaggerating that one just a bit. Some

players stay in the NHL until their thirties.”

“Yeah, but more of them are wallowing in our

league.”

Jochen rolled his eyes, now his cousin was

exaggerating more than just a bit, he’d gone into full-
blown drama king mode. Something Aldrich had
perfected to a fine art. There was a reason why the
whole family cringed whenever he showed up to a
holiday dinner. They were all still talking about the time
Aldrich threw the turkey, still full of stuffing, at his
father.

“Stop whining, it could be a lot worse,” Jochen said.
“Oh really? And just how could it be any badder than

it already is?”

Jochen didn’t bother correcting Aldrich’s grammar,

having long decided that was just a lost cause. Instead,
he thought back to his team’s dingy, smelly locker room,
the bus that reeked of diesel fumes, their handful of fans

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and the fact their own paper called them the most
mediocre team in Lansing history. While they weren’t as
bad as some of the teams, they still lost as many games
as they won. So most people’s reaction whenever the
Vapors were mentioned was a great big meh.

He knew he still had to scramble for some answer

though or Aldrich would never shut his yap.

“We’re not on the Cougars. That would be really

bad,” Jochen finally said. There was silence on the other
end as Aldrich appeared to be mulling that one over.

“I guess you have a point,” Aldrich eventually

conceded.

“Damn, you’re actually admitting that I’m right for

once? I think I may need to call the paper because this is
such an earthshaking event! The Apocalypse may be
coming.”

“Now who’s over exaggerating?”
Jochen wasn’t ready to let it go though. “I’m serious.

I may have to even bring Anderson Cooper in on this.
Which really won’t be too much of a big deal, because
we know how you’ve always had such the crush on
him.”

“You really can be an asshole sometimes.”
“Just think about it, you’ll finally be able to meet

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your silver fox in real life.”

“I’m going to hang up on your ass,” Aldrich

threatened.

Jochen laughed, it wasn’t very often he managed to

get the upper hand on his quick-witted cousin. A noise at
the door alerted him that his roommate had arrived. Still
smiling, Jochen turned to see what he looked like.

The man…or better yet kid since he couldn’t be a

day over nineteen, had to be one of the hottest guys
Jochen ever met. With short blond hair that hung
stylishly over deep green eyes and a thin build, he had a
sweet sensuality about him that sent a hum of
excitement over Jochen’s body. The fact that his new
roomie wore jeans so tight they looked nearly painted
on, made the view all the better. His equally tight Team
Canada shirt served to make the image in front of him
sheer perfection.

Something niggled at the back of Jochen’s mind. He

knew he’d seen the guy somewhere before, but he just
couldn’t put his finger on it. Then the realization came
to him so quick that he nearly staggered back a couple of
steps.

“Ah, hell,” he said into the phone, not caring that his

roommate could hear.

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“What?” Aldrich asked.
“I was right. My roommate is a fucking Cougar.”

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Two

Rebel’s first thought when he saw his new roomie was,
Sweet Mother Oprah, how in the hell did I get so lucky?
This guy is hot. Then he heard the man’s disgust upon
recognizing Rebel and Rebel’s next thought was, Great,
I haven’t even spoken a word and the jerk has already
judged me. This is going to be a greeeeat summer—cue
sarcasm.

“I usually go by Rebel, thanks,” he drawled as he

tossed his bag on the empty bed.

Going by the clothes and equipment scattered on the

other mattress, it’d already been claimed by his rude
roommate. Which just suited Rebel fine since he
preferred sleeping close to the door. A habit that may
now come in handy since Rebel realized he’d be staying
in a very hostile environment.

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Rudeness glared at him before speaking into his

phone. “I’ll call you back later.”

He disconnected the call before tossing the device on

the bed with the rest of his mess. The entire time he
continued to stare at Rebel, almost as if he were
expecting a blitz attack at any moment. Which just
shocked the snot out of Rebel since he’d never been
considered close to threatening by anyone else. Even his
mother’s toy poodle bullied him around, which said a lot
since Eden had no teeth and weighed around six pounds.

To make things even suckier, Rude just happened to

be one of the best looking things Rebel ever came
across. Lean, but with just the right amount of muscles,
he also possessed a face to pant over. A thin nose paired
with highly arched cheekbones and full lips made for a
perfect profile. Add in the short dark hair and sharp,
blue eyes and he could have been a model if not for the
scowl on his mug.

“Aren’t you going to tell me your name?” Rebel

challenged, with a slight tilt of his head.

The man pressed his lips together and, for a moment,

Rebel thought he’d be denied even that simple courtesy.
Finally, the guy said, “I’m Jochen.”

“Nice to meet you.”

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“Actually we’ve met before.”
The steely glint in Jochen’s eyes should have warned

Rebel to shut up, but then again he’d never been good at
taking a hint. “Really? When was that?”

Because, believe me. There is no way in hell I could

ever forget running into a wet dream like you.

“It was during the last game we played against your

team,” Jochen snapped.

Oh, oh! This isn’t going to be good.
Rebel still pasted on his best innocent expression.

“Really? What team are you on?”

“The Vapors.”
Fuckity! Fuckity! Fuck! See, I knew it wouldn’t have

been a pleasant exchange. Then again, are they ever in
hockey?

“You’re last name is Wolf, isn’t it?” Rebel asked, his

stomach sinking in dread.

He could still visualize that last name, the yellow

print stark on the black jersey. With good cause, too,
since the body wearing it had spent the better part of the
game parked in front of Rebel’s crease. So Rebel did
what any other good goalie would—he wacked the hell
out of the offender’s ankles and calves.

“Yeah, and thanks to your stick, I still have a few

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bruises.”

“I was just doing my job.” Rebel gave a nervous

laugh. “Besides, whatever happened to what happens on
the ice, stays on the ice?”

Going by the filthy look Jochen shot, the guy didn’t

share that view of hockey etiquette.

“I guess I shouldn’t expect any better from a

Cougar.”

“Hey, that’s not cool. I was traded to their team right

at the deadline, so it’s not like I’m lifelong buddies with
any of them. Half of them don’t even know my name.
They just call me The Goalie or Five Hole. Which is
totally unfair since I have a .920 percent save average.”

In fact, Rebel detested his teammates. More so, he

feared them because he full-well knew that if they found
out he was gay they would make his life a living hell. He
didn’t dare share that info with Jochen though. The trick
to being in the closet was to never reveal exactly who
you were. Rebel guarded his secret so zealously that he
didn’t even dare venture to a gay bar, not even the ones
several miles out of town. Sure it made for some lonely
nights and a hell of a lot of frustration, but it still beat
the alternative.

“Yet, even with that wonderful save average, you

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still managed to lose in the first round of the playoffs,”
Jochen said with a tight smirk.

That offense hurt so bad, Rebel almost let out an

unmanly gasp of outrage. “Again, not cool. Like it was
my fault my defense didn’t do their damn job.”

“That’s the same excuse every hack goalie makes.”
Rebel wondered how in the hell he could have

thought the asshat in front of him was hot. Jochen had to
be the biggest jerk Rebel ever met and that said a lot,
considering who his teammates were. “At least we easily
made it to the playoffs, instead of by the skin of our
asses like some other teams.”

Going by the way Jochen’s nostrils flared, Rebel

knew he hit a sore spot. It felt so damn good to get some
payback, Rebel almost did the frigging happy dance.
Before he could get another dig in, Ashley came into the
room.

“Rebel, I didn’t know you were here,” she

exclaimed, a huge smile on her face.

She threw her arms around Rebel in a tight hug that

he gladly returned. He’d been coming to Robby’s camps
for years before he’d graduated to the role of instructor
and had grown close to the couple over that time. So
much so that Rebel often looked at them as a second set

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of parents.

“Yeah, I just let myself in. I hope you don’t mind,”

he said as they pulled apart.

“Why would I? You’re like family to us. Even if you

did leave our wonderful country to go live with the
savages,” she teased.

He gave a mock shudder. “Hey, it’s not any easier

for me to have to live in the States. Thanks for all the
care packages you sent. Do you know how hard it is to
find ketchup flavored chips in Michigan?”

From the corner of his eye, he could make out the

look of confusion on Jochen’s face.

Ashley must have noticed, too, because she

explained, “We’ve known Rebel since he was so tiny he
could barely stand in his goalie pads. I could tell you
some really funny stories about him. You wouldn’t
believe some of the things he’s done.”

Oh boy, that kind of comment never led to any good.
“I’m sure Jochen doesn’t want to hear that kind of

thing,” Rebel rushed out, hoping to head off disaster.

Unfortunately for him, it was already too late. The

cow had gotten out of the barn door. The worms had left
their can and just about every other clichéd metaphor.
Jochen’s lips, which Rebel had once considered sexy,

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curled up into a wicked grin.

“Oh, I don’t think they would bore me at all. In fact,

I would love to hear every last one.”

Rebel made a mental note to find a nice, big roll of

duct tape, so he could muffle Ashley’s yap. While he
loved her more than anything, her big mouth was going
to be his undoing. Rebel flashed her a dirty look and she
had the utter gall to wink back at him. She even grinned
at him while doing it. Rebel decided that next Christmas
she wouldn’t be getting more jewelry or perfume from
him. It would only be savings bonds or socks from him
for now on.

“Ashley doesn’t have time for stories,” Rebel bit out

between clenched teeth.

“I don’t?” she asked as she innocently batted her

eyelashes.

“No, because it’s time for dinner and then the staff

meeting.”

Even though nobody had told Rebel the schedule, he

already knew how things would run. One thing that
never changed about Robby was that he…never
changed. He ran the camp the same exact way he had ten
years ago. The only variation being a few staff members
here and there. Although to be totally fair, Robby did

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make sure to keep all his training equipment and
techniques up-to-date.

Ashley, AKA the little traitor, exchanged looks with

Jochen. “Fine, I have the whole summer to tell him all
about you.”

If Rebel didn’t know better, he would have sworn

that Ashley was playing Cupid, in her own bent way.
That was impossible, for two reasons. Number one, she
had no clue that Rebel was gay and, secondly, even if
she did, Jochen was straight.

Or was he? Because for one brief moment when

they’d first met, right before Jochen had pegged him as a
Cougar, Rebel could have sworn he saw a flare of
interest in the other man’s eyes.

Rebel quickly flicked those thoughts aside. Even if

Jochen was gay and the attraction mutual, they couldn’t
act on their feelings. While there may be a few openly
gay players in their league that still didn’t mean it was
safe to break out the rainbow flags. Most teams, Rebel’s
in particular, were far from tolerant.

Ashley wrinkled her nose. “You can be such a killjoy

sometimes. Fine, let’s go upstairs and get some dinner.”

They went up to the formal dining area. It would be

the last time they’d be afforded the luxury of eating in

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that room and it would also be the only time they’d be
able to relax. By breakfast, the kids would be arriving
and then it wouldn’t let up until the end of summer.

Robby was already there with a half dozen other

staff members, all of whom worked there the previous
summer, making Jochen the only new hire. Rebel said
hello to them before going over to shake Robby’s hand.

Even though he was in his fifties, Robby could have

easily passed for much younger. His closely cropped
dark hair held only a hint of gray and his tanned skin
carried few wrinkles, although there were a few laugh
lines framing his dark eyes.

“It’s good to see you again,” Robby said.
Rebel valued those words because he knew his

mentor truly meant them. Rebel basked under Robby’s
welcome, at the same time, taking comfort in being back
in a familiar environment. After some of the hostility
he’d faced in the previous months, it felt damn good to
be in a safe place again.

“It’s great to be back,” Rebel replied a bit gruffly.
To hide all the emotions that were no doubt on his

face, Rebel sank into one of the empty chairs and busied
himself by filling his plate. Since he sucked at cooking,
he mostly lived on takeout and frozen meals, so the

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prospect of having some real food made his stomach
growl.

It wasn’t even anything fancy, just baked chicken,

but to him it seemed like a gourmet meal. So he dug in
and concentrated on his food while Robby introduced
Jochen to the rest of the staff.

The other instructors were just a bit older than he and

Jochen and were made up of players from both the NHL
and various farm teams. Many of them had taught Rebel
when he’d been a kid and they still often served as
mentors to him.

After dinner, they went into the conference room so

they could go over the schedules and drill rotations.
They all took a seat at the round conference table, Rebel
somehow ending up next to Jochen. Which proved to be
a problem from second one. Rebel knew that he should
be paying attention like the rest of the instructors, but
the entire time he kept having the insane urge to glance
over at Jochen.

Damn! Rebel must have taken too many pucks to the

head or something. How else could he explain away the
irrational attraction he held for somebody who obviously
hated him? Jochen couldn’t have made his feelings more
clear had he gotten a full-page ad in Hockey Weekly.

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That still didn’t stop Rebel from noticing how sweet

Jochen’s lips looked. Or the way one lock of hair always
fell over his forehead when he bent over to write down
notes. Or even how he had the habit of wrinkling his
nose, just a tiny bit, whenever something confused him.

Then Jochen had to go and do something that blew

away all of Rebel’s efforts to concentrate on the
meeting. It wasn’t much really, just the tiniest of
movements. But it still set Rebel’s body on fire. Jochen
licked his lips. The movement was so fleeting, that had
he not been already staring like some kind of stalker,
Rebel would have missed it. Yet, the instant that pink
tongue made a pass over those full lips, Rebel’s cock
began to swell.

Damn it, now was not the time for Rebel to be

springing a woody! Yet there it was, pressing against his
jeans for all the world to see. A heat covered his face as
he tried to subtly shift in his seat to relieve some of the
pressure.

In the meantime, Robby continued to drone on, his

words lost in the rush of blood flowing in Rebel’s ears.
Even though he’d heard the speech a dozen times over,
Rebel still felt a dash of guilt over not paying attention
to his mentor. It couldn’t be helped though. Like any

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other able bodied nineteen year old, Rebel was a slave to
his hormones and they all seemed to be chanting
Jochen! Jochen! Jochen!

Worried that somebody may be noticing his

predicament, he darted a quick look around the room.
The problem being his gaze immediately landed and
locked once more on Jochen. Unlike Rebel, Jochen
didn’t seem to be having any problems concentrating on
the lecture, his attention focused entirely on Robby.
Which probably should be counted as a blessing,
otherwise he may have noticed the panting, salivating
roommate to his right.

Rebel tore his gaze away from his newest favorite

piece of eye candy and told himself to calm the frick
down. He tried everything. He even thought about things
like the Golden Girls and Nancy Grace’s pantsuits. It
almost worked, too. That was until he darted another
glance at Jochen, only to find that…aw, geez…it got
even worse. Or better depending on whose opinion one
asked.

Jochen must be a nervous chewer because he had his

pencil up to his mouth and his teeth were at work. It
wasn’t anything overt or gross, just soft little nibbles and
sucks that had Rebel’s cock aching with jealousy.

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Muttering a curse, Rebel jerked his head in the other

direction, only to find himself trapped in Ashley’s
knowing stare. Rebel froze, horror flooding him. The
new emotion mixed in with the already painfully present
arousal, making for a combination that wasn’t nearly as
fun as it sounded.

Part of him wanted to curl into a ball of

embarrassment. Another part of him wanted to launch
himself at Jochen and rub against every available space
on the man. Yet another sliver of Rebel yearned to run
from the room and hide forever.

It’s okay, baby, Ashley mouthed before giving him a

gentle smile.

Rebel let out a pent up breath. At the same time, he

couldn’t help but wonder just how much Ashley knew.
He thought back, frantically trying to come up with
something he may have done in the past that would have
given him away. Aside from his recent Jochen stare-fest,
he came up empty.

The meeting ended and everybody filed out. Rebel

stayed put, both because his mind continued to whirl
with all the recent developments and because Mini-
Rebel still hadn’t gone into an at-ease position.

Ashley came over and took the seat next to him.

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Rebel kept his gaze directed at his empty notepad. He
knew it wasn’t the most manly position to take, but he
didn’t dare look up, too fearful of what her expression
might be. Would there be disgust in her eyes? Disdain?
Condemnation? Disappointment? Each and every one of
them would feel like a blow to his gut because he loved
Ashley like a second mom.

“Rebel, look at me,” Ashley quietly commanded.
It took every bit of nerve Rebel possessed to obey.

He lifted his head up and forced himself to meet her
gaze. To his horror, his bottom lip even trembled a bit.

Please. Please. Please, don’t hate me. I can’t help it.

It’s just how I am.

Tears sprang to Ashley’s eyes, but the judgmental

expressions he expected to be there were absent. The
only things he found were understanding and love. She
reached out and cupped his cheek.

“Have you told anybody?” she asked.
Instead of answering her directly, Rebel found

himself voicing his own question, “Did you guys hear
that I was traded to a new team?”

“Yes, Robby wasn’t too happy. He doesn’t think the

Cougars are a good fit for you.”

“Right before I went to their team, there was this

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forward who played for them, a guy named Sergei.
Although, I don’t know him personally, he seems like a
nice enough guy, plus he’s a terrific player. That didn’t
matter to the Cougars though. They hated him before he
even stepped one skate into their locker room. You want
to know why?”

“Because he’s gay,” her voice cracked a bit.
Rebel nodded. “They made his life a personal hell.

Even though he doesn’t play for them anymore, they
still love to talk about some of the things they used to do
to him. How they’d punch him or shove him around.
One of them even knocked him to ground and pissed on
him.”

“Didn’t anybody do anything to stop it?”
“A few times the incidents were reported. In every

single one of them, it was made to look like Sergei was
the instigator. That he started it and was the cause of all
the problems. It stayed that way until they finally traded
him to another team.”

She reached down and grabbed his hand. It was only

then that he noticed how much his fingers were
trembling.

“But now he seems to be really happy. He’s even in

a relationship with one of his new teammates,” Ashley

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pointed out.

“Yeah, and what if he hadn’t gotten moved to

another team? Just because you put in a request to be
traded, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.”

“Like, say if somebody was a goalie with a great

save record?” she finished, understanding dawning on
her face.

“Exactly.”
It didn’t pass Rebel’s notice that he hadn’t spoken

the words I’m gay yet. He continued to dance around
them, just like he always had. He knew that made him a
damn coward and he hated himself for it. God, what
he’d give to be brave like Sergei and his boyfriend. It
would be so nice to once…just once, be able to go
through life comfortable in his own skin. Instead, he
continued to fake it and pretend to be something he
never would be.

Ashley let out a choked sob before she threw her

arms around him. He sank into her, taking what meager
comfort he could get from her embrace. As he closed his
eyes, he wished, not for the first time, that he’d never
became a professional hockey player. Because maybe
then life would be a bit easier.

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Three

Jochen yawned and reached for his mug of coffee. Even
though it was only seven in the morning, the camp
bustled with activity as the first round of students
arrived. They ranged in age from ten to seventeen and
every damn last one was way too chipper given the early
hour.

He sat behind a table, his main duty at the moment

was registering the kids as they arrived. Rebel sat next to
him, but they didn’t speak. It’d been that way since the
staff meeting the previous night and the silence was
beginning to grate on Jochen. He hadn’t thought it
possible, but he almost missed the smartass comments
the goalie seemed so fond of dishing out.

To make things even worse, Jochen hadn’t been able

to sleep the previous night. One look at Rebel dressed in

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jammies had seen to that. Although, to be fair, most
people wouldn’t call a pair of light sweat pants and no
top jammies. Jochen caught one glimpse of the goalie’s
toned chest and tight abs and he’d been a goner. It didn’t
help matters any that the pants had hung low on Rebel’s
waist either. All night Jochen’s brain had been
bombarded with various fantasies, all of them involving
a very naked and willing Rebel.

Going by the mutters and thrashing that sounded

from the other side of the room, Rebel hadn’t gotten
much more shut eye than he did. Jochen felt pretty
certain it wasn’t for the same reason. He’d probably just
been crabby because the day passed without him getting
a chance to slash Jochen’s ankles again.

“I’m going to get a refill. Do you want some?”

Rebel’s voice cut into Jochen’s thoughts.

Jochen jumped, almost spilling his nearly empty cup.

“Huh?”

He cringed as soon as the single syllable word

passed his lips. It made him sound like some
intellectually challenged jock. The really bad ones who
didn’t even know left from right or how to tie their
skates. He waited for Rebel to make some comment on
it, but the goalie just smiled at him.

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“I’m getting a refill on coffee. Do you want some?”

Rebel reiterated.

“Yeah, that would be great.”
“Two creams and sugars, right?”
It shocked Jochen that Rebel knew how he took his

coffee. After the reception he’d given Rebel, it was
amazing the guy cared at all, let alone enough to notice
something little like that.

“Yeah, that would be great. Thanks.”
Rebel took the cups and started to go over to the

large pot set up on the counter. He made it halfway
across the room before a loud squeal of excitement
sounded.

“Rebel! You’re here again!”
A redheaded boy, who appeared to be around eleven

raced across the room to stand in front of his apparent
idol. Rebel smiled at the kid.

It struck Jochen that it was the first genuine grin he’d

seen on his roommate’s face. In the short time they’d
known each other, all Jochen ever saw were tight smirks
or fake, bright numbers. Damn, if the sight of Rebel’s
dimples didn’t do weird things to Jochen’s insides.

“Hey, Terry, how was the season?” Rebel asked.
Terry beamed like he’d just been given the best gift

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ever. “I got three shutouts.”

“Wow, that’s great. Was that for the Flint team you

were playing for?”

The boy’s face fell. “No, I didn’t make that team this

year, so I just played house.”

Jochen’s heart went out for the kid. He recalled all

his own past hurts when he’d been cut from teams.
Growing up, there’d been many times when he hadn’t
garnered a spot on an elusive travel team. It wasn’t until
he was older that he’d finally grown into a dominant
player. He wanted to go over and find some way to
comfort Terry, but Rebel beat him to it.

“Hey, there is nothing just about house leagues.

That’s all I played in until I got to high school,” Rebel
said.

“Really?” Terry asked hopefully.
“Have I ever lied to you?”
“No.”
“So, you have no choice but to believe me when I

tell you I was a mess of a player when I was your age. I
couldn’t stop a beach ball if my life depended on it.”

“Are you sure you’re not saying that just to make me

feel better?”

“I’m positive Coach Robby still has some of my old

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drill videos around here someplace. We could dig them
up so I could prove it to you.”

Terry laughed. “Nah, I’ll let you keep some of your

pride.”

“Thanks, now go over to Jochen and get registered.”
Terry glanced over at the table. “Hey, isn’t that the

guy who plays for the Vapors?”

“Yeah,” Rebel confirmed.
Jochen started to wave until Terry delivered his next

zinger, “Oh, he’s just a forward. What happened? Did
their goalie refuse to come?”

Rebel coughed in an unsuccessful attempt to hide his

laughter before he gave Terry a playful cuff on the back
of the head. “Go on. You know they always bring in a
few shooters for you guys to practice on.”

Terry chuckled before he tripped over to the table.

As soon as that kid left Rebel, another took his place.
Soon a small crowd surrounded the goalie, making it
apparent the guy was popular with the campers.

A stab of guilt hit Jochen as he watched the way the

kids looked up to Rebel, all of them wearing expressions
of adoration. Maybe he’d been too quick in his judgment
of his new roommate. After all, if kids liked him, how
bad could the guy be? He must have some redeeming

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quality, otherwise he wouldn’t be so popular. Plus the
way he’d handled Terry spoke of a soft heart that was
capable of empathy. Something none of the other
Cougars possessed.

“Crap, I think I owe him an apology,” Jochen

muttered.

Vowing that he would take care of that as soon as

possible, Jochen busied himself in registering the kids.
After a few minutes, Rebel came over and rejoined him.
He even remembered to bring the coffee. Before long,
they settled into a system and managed to get all the
campers’ information recorded without incident.

Afterward, Jochen and Rebel went to the kitchen to

grab a quick bite to eat while the campers settled into
their dorms. Rebel went to the refrigerator and began to
rummage around, looking quite comfortable at making
himself at home.

“So, just how many years have you been coming

here?” Jochen asked.

“Ever since I was ten. I haven’t missed a summer

yet.”

Rebel began to take lunchmeat and other fixings

from the fridge. While it was still a bit early for lunch,
Jochen didn’t complain. He expected the first day to be

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hectic, so he didn’t anticipate being able to sit down for
a real meal anytime soon.

“You never missed a year in all that time?” Jochen

asked as he opened the bread and pulled out some slices.

“Nope. As soon as I turned eighteen, Robby hired

me on as an instructor.”

“Your girlfriend doesn’t mind you being away the

whole summer?”

Okay, so maybe Jochen was fishing a little. It’s not

like he could do anything with the information he dug
up either. Even if Rebel was single, that still didn’t
change the fact that he was straight.

“I don’t have a girlfriend or a wife.”
Despite himself, Jochen couldn’t help but feel a

small thrill go through him at those words. So much so,
that he decided to share, too, “Me either. I’m hopelessly
alone. Well, except for Bangles. And even he’s a cat, so
most days he’s just indifferent toward me.”

Rebel smiled as he began slapping together a

sandwich. “Who’s taking care of your cat while you’re
gone?”

“My buddy, Sergei.”
Rebel paused, his eyes widening slightly. “As in,

Sergei from the Hawks.”

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Jochen tensed, waiting for a slur or some other insult

to come flying his way. It was no secret that many
players had an issue with Sergei’s sexuality. “Yeah, you
got a problem with him?”

“No, not at all. I know he probably isn’t my biggest

fan though. The Cougars don’t exactly have the best
history with him.”

It wasn’t lost on Jochen that Rebel said the Cougars

as opposed to my team.

“Do you even like playing for them?” he asked.
Rebel pressed his lips together, as if searching for the

best way to word his answer. He finally said, “I
wouldn’t be upset if they traded me.”

“Don’t you get along with them?”
“Let’s just say that we’re not exactly best buddies.”
“I would think they’d be happy to have you for a

goalie.”

“Yeah, especially since their last goaltender had the

nasty habit of ending up in jail on game days,” Rebel
replied with a tight smile.

“Well that and because you’re great in net.”
Rebel tilted his head to the side. “Did you just

compliment me?”

“I just pointed out a fact that you are already fully

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aware of. All you have to do is look at your stats to get
that information.”

“The Cougars don’t care about that kind of stuff. At

least not as much as they should. They’re more
concerned with other things, like who has the most
penalty minutes and junk.”

Jochen realized once again how he’d made a huge

mistake in lumping Rebel in the same category as those
other jerks. It made him feel about ten inches tall, too.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted.
“What for?” Rebel shrugged. “You weren’t the one

who put me on that team.”

“No, but I just assumed that you were a goon, too. I

should have known the instant you could form three
word sentences that you were nothing like the rest of
them.”

“That’s okay. We’ll call it even for the bruises I left

you with.”

Then Rebel gave him that sweet grin and Jochen

knew he was lost. Damn, this was going to be the best
and worst summer of his life. For while Jochen got to
spend the next couple of months being around the cute
guy, it was strictly a look-but-don’t-touch situation.

“I have a question for you,” Rebel said.

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“I’m almost afraid to ask what it is.”
“Why did you decide to work here? Not many

regular players pick to spend their summers surrounded
by a bunch of goalies.”

In truth, Jochen had done it for a few reasons. In

addition to the ones he’d listed to Ashley the day before,
he was now willing to admit to himself that it’d also
been to nurse his bruised heart. In the beginning of his
and Sergei’s friendship, they’d flirted with hooking up.
In the end, Jochen chickened out for fear of being outed.
His hesitation had caused him to lose any chance of ever
having Sergei romantically. Sergei fell in love with the
captain of his team and they were now in a very public
and very happy relationship. Whereas all Jochen had
was his loneliness and Bangles.

Since he couldn’t very well tell that to Rebel, Jochen

just went with his usual excuse. “I needed the additional
income. You know how much the pay sucks in our
league.”

“Do I ever. They could give me my paycheck via

way of penny rolls if they wanted to,” Rebel snorted.

“Actually, since we made it to the playoffs, we got a

bonus. So, I get rolls of dimes now.”

“Show off! We made it, too, and they still refuse to

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give us anything extra. Next, you’ll be tooling around in
a car that’s only five years old, instead of fifteen.”

“Yes, and wearing underwear that’s not labeled

irregular.”

Rebel laughed. “I just gave it up and started going

commando.”

The thought of Rebel being bare under the tight jeans

he wore nearly made Jochen moan. Even though he tried
to fight it, an image popped into his head. One that
featured him dropping to his knees right then and there
and, at the same time, reaching for Rebel’s fly. Jochen
could almost hear the rasping of the zipper being
lowered, so he could see for himself if there was any
truth behind Rebel’s claims. Right before he parted his
lips, so he could taste the goalie’s cock.

Jochen had the sudden urge to go over to the fridge

and bang his head against it until he knocked some
frigging sense into his brain. The last thing he should be
doing is lusting after another hockey player. Especially
one who was going to be his roommate for the next
couple of months. Jochen worked too hard to keep his
secret this long, only to have his errant dick blow it for
him just because of a hot ass and cute dimples.

“All joking aside, I think you’re going to like it

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here,” Rebel said.

“I already do.”
Jochen’s dick jerked, almost as if offering its

agreement.

Rebel gave a soft chuckle. “Even if you’re stuck with

a fucking Cougar as your roomie?”

Regret slammed into Jochen. “I’m really sorry about

that. I should have never judged you based on what team
you play for. Besides, like I said before, you’re nothing
like those guys.”

Rebel picked up a can of Coke, started to open it and

then paused, his lips turning down into a frown. “I never
wanted to be on that team. In fact, I even tried to fight it,
but it’s not like they give us much choice in those
matters.”

“Have you been able to get friendly with any of them

now that you’ve had a chance to get to know them
better?”

Jochen hoped that maybe because Rebel wasn’t gay

that things were better for him. That perhaps he’d
managed to fit in somehow, even though Jochen now
realized that Rebel was the complete opposite of those
losers. All those hopes were dashed when a brief flicker
of hurt passed over Rebel’s eyes.

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“It’s no big deal. I’m there to play hockey, not make

lifelong friends,” Rebel replied gruffly.

Recalling some of the horrible experiences Sergei

shared with him, Jochen became concerned for Rebel.
“Have they ever hurt you?”

Rebel shrugged. “Just some of your everyday locker

room hazing. No biggie.”

Going by the tense way Rebel held himself, it

actually was a really big deal. A wave of protectiveness
rushed over Jochen and he felt the sudden urge to punch
out the entire Cougar roster. Minus Rebel, of course.

“There’s a difference between harassment and some

fun ribbing,” Jochen pointed out.

Rebel let out a sigh. “It’s not that bad. Certainly not

anything even close to what they used to do to Sergei.”

“What they did to him was criminal, so I would

hardly consider that the bar you should use for
comparison.”

For a second he thought Rebel would argue that one,

in the end the goalie set down his drink and rocked on
his feet for a few moments before continuing on in a
calm tone.

“I knew before I even went there it would be hard.

I’m small, blond and shy. All of the things guys like that

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hate. My own brothers used to tease me about the way I
am.”

“Let me guess, you were the youngest?”
“Yeah, I have three older brothers. While they’re

usually pretty overprotective of me, at times they could
be jerks, too.”

“But nothing like the Cougars.” It came out as a

statement rather than a question, because Jochen felt
pretty certain that Rebel’s brothers could never be that
cruel. Or at least he hoped not. He couldn’t imagine
having to grow up in an environment that hostile.

“No, my brothers could never be like that. In fact, if

they knew how the Cougars were treating me, they’d…”
Rebel bit his bottom lip and gave a slight shake of his
head.

“They’d be pissed and want to do something about

it?” Jochen finished for him.

Rebel didn’t reply. He just averted his gaze as he

continued to gnaw on his bottom lip. He worked the
piece of flesh so hard, Jochen worried he’d make the
thing bleed. Even though he knew it wasn’t the wisest
thing to do, Jochen reached out and gently used his
thumb to nudge Rebel’s chin down.

It worked. Rebel parted his mouth, his lower lip

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springing free. Jochen’s breath caught as he found
himself mesmerized by the temptation so close to him.
All he’d have to do is lower his head a few inches and
he could find out if Rebel tasted as good as he looked.

The craziest part of the whole thing was that Rebel

didn’t appear to have any intentions of pulling back. If
anything, he seemed to be swaying in a bit. As if he
wanted the contact just as badly as Jochen did.

“Yeah, they wouldn’t want me to go through all

that,” Rebel whispered.

Jochen frowned in confusion. The past few moments

of lust having made his brain mush. “Huh?”

“My brothers. They wouldn’t want me miserable.”
It wasn’t lost on Jochen that he hadn’t moved his

fingers. They were still cupping Rebel’s chin. It felt
damn good, too. The heat of the man’s flesh called to
Jochen, almost as if begging for him to slowly explore
every decadent inch of Rebel’s body.

The one sane brain cell left in his head screamed at

Jochen to pull away, that this was no way to guard his
secret and that if he didn’t knock it off, Rebel would
probably get pissed. Hell, the guy could strike out at any
moment.

Yet, Rebel did none of those things. No, he did the

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last thing Jochen was prepared for. With a soft groan,
Rebel ran his tongue over his lips. As if he was
preparing them for some really good action.

A loud burst of conversation sounded from the other

side of the door, snapping the mood. They jumped apart
from each other and retreated to opposite sides of the
kitchen island.

A tense silence descended between them, before

Rebel cleared his throat. “I better get going. I promised
Robby I would help run movie night for some of the
younger campers.”

Jochen grunted in reply, but it was lost since Rebel

already retreated. He moved so fast that he almost left a
vapor trail in his wake. Jochen remained in place, his
brain still trying to sort through everything that’d
happened.

Funny how a short ten minutes could change

everything. Just a day ago, Jochen had been prepared to
spend the whole summer hating his roommate. Now, not
only did Jochen actually sympathize the guy, but he’d
been two seconds away from kissing him.

One thing was for certain, the attraction did go both

ways. There was no mistaking the arousal in Rebel’s
eyes. The only question that remained was if Jochen

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planned on doing anything about it.

Blind Pass

Chapter Four

Rebel decided that it was all Jochen’s fault.

The morning had been nothing but one colossal fuck

up after another. From Rebel almost missing the bus, to
him skating like crap. He even tripped and fell on his ass
while demonstrating a drill. Something he never did,
although it’d entertained the hell out of the campers.
They were still laughing about it an hour later.

Damn Jochen.
If it hadn’t been for him, then Rebel wouldn’t have

spent yet another sleepless night tossing around in his
tiny twin bed. Every time Rebel closed his eyes and tried
to drift off, the image of Jochen in the kitchen popped
into his head. All Rebel had to do was think about the
way Jochen’s eyes had darkened with passion, or the
way his cheeks grew flushed and Rebel instantly went

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from sleepy to wide awake and horny.

It’s not like Rebel could have gone to the bathroom

to relieve himself either. While he and Jochen did have a
private bathroom, the door was so thin that every single
sound carried through. So if Rebel decided to indulge, it
would be with the risk of Jochen overhearing. Since
things were already awkward between them as it was,
Rebel didn’t want to add to it.

He skated over to the boards and grabbed a water

bottle. Behind him, his small group of minions
continued to work on their drill. His was only one of
eight groups currently on the ice. All of them were
working on a different lesson. They shifted every twenty
minutes and Rebel knew the whistle would be sounding
soon. That would mean a new group would be coming
his way, so he’d have to do his demonstration once
more. He only hoped he managed to stay upright this
time.

Robby skated up and grabbed the water bottle once

Rebel finished.

“You feeling okay?” Robby asked.
“Sure, I’m just not used to getting up so early.”
It was a bullshit answer and they both knew it. Part

of playing hockey was dragging your ass to the rink at

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ungodly hours. Robby didn’t call him out on it though.

“What do you think of the new guy?” Robby nodded

in Jochen’s direction.

Rebel’s heart thumped with nerves. Had Ashley

mentioned something to Robby? The water Rebel just
drank seemed to gurgle in his stomach as he studied his
mentor for a clue that would tell him what the man was
thinking.

“Jochen is doing great with the kids,” Rebel replied

carefully.

He was, too. He took the campers through their drills

with both patience and an efficiency that impressed
Rebel. Already several kids had taken a liking to him.
Which was remarkable, considering the fact he was a
forward.

They both looked over to the far corner, where

Jochen was practicing a break away drill. He wore a
dark red jersey that set off his dark hair perfectly. Well,
it would have if Jochen hadn’t been forced to wear a
hockey helmet. But even with that piece of red plastic
blocking the view, Rebel had to admit that Jochen
looked damn good.

Robby nodded. “I think he’ll make a good addition.

Even if he is American.”

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They both shared a mock, teasing shudder. Like

Robby, Rebel had been born and raised in Sarnia.
Although Rebel didn’t speak with a heavy Canadian
accent like Robby did. Or at least he didn’t think so. It’d
been a while since he’d been teased about having an
inflection to his tone, something the Americans loved to
do to their Canadian colleagues.

The rivalry between the American and Canadian

players was playful and light and carried over into the
camp, the players and instructors all getting involved.
One of Robby’s favorite activities was to divide the
campers according to nationality and then have them
skate relays. It was a game all the kids looked forward
to.

When Robby changed the subject to scheduling and

dry land training instead of continuing to focus on
Jochen, Rebel let out a sigh of relief. Ashley must have
kept his secret for him. Rebel made a mental note to
give her a great, big hug the next time he saw her.

Robby blew the whistle, but instead of having the

kids shift to a different station, he waved them all in.
Rebel followed and hung out on the fringes of the group.
Jochen skated up next to him and they both waited to
hear what their next instructions would be.

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“Since we all worked so hard this morning, how

about a little fun?” Robby asked the group. When a
chorus of cheers were his answer, he continued, “Let’s
do a shootout, US against Canada.”

This announcement brought on a louder round of

applause. Robby turned and grinned at Jochen and
Rebel. “Okay, let’s see it.”

Jochen pointed to his own chest. “You want us to

compete?”

“Yup!”
Already the campers were separating themselves into

two cheering sections. Knowing it would be useless to
protest, Rebel skated over to the boards and grabbed his
helmet, he put it on before skating over to the net.

Jochen shrugged before he skated over to center ice.

Robby tossed down a few pucks. “Okay, guys, we’ll do
best of three.”

Rebel nodded his agreement as he shuffled back and

forth a few times to get himself centered in net. He then
nodded that he was ready. Jochen grinned in return.
Heart racing, Rebel relished in the familiar rush that
went through him whenever he faced a shooter.

The whistle sounded and Rebel skated out to

challenge Jochen. This could prove to be interesting.

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The first thing Rebel noted was how well the forward
puck handled, he maneuvered the thing over the ice,
almost as if it were an extension of his hands. The
second thing Rebel noticed was that Jochen moved fast.
Really, really fast.

Good thing for Rebel, he was just as quick. He

matched Jochen’s advance, making sure to angle his
body just the right way so the least amount of net
remained opened. Then just as he sensed that Jochen
was ready to shoot, Rebel dropped into a neat butterfly.

Unfortunately, Jochen must have anticipated that

move because he shot the puck high and to the right.
Even though Rebel arched back and tried to catch the
puck, he missed and it sailed into the net.

The American kids let out loud whoops as they

slapped the blades of their sticks on the ice.

Jochen skated by, a cocky grin on his face. “That’s

one.”

“Just one, we have two more to go,” Rebel pointed

out as he got back to his feet.

“I’ll get those in, too,” Jochen sang as he skated

back to center ice.

Rebel flashed a rude gesture that got totally lost in

translation since he had on his glove and blocker. It still

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got him some reaction when the kids began to laugh.
Rebel shook off the last goal and got himself centered in
the net again.

The whistle rang out a second time. Even though

Rebel hadn’t though it possible, this time Jochen skated
in even faster. The little wienie had the gall to smile the
entire time in, too. Jochen was in for a shock because
this time, Rebel had a better read on the forward’s body
language. So when he shot to the left, Rebel was ready.

Rebel dove to the side, his blocker shooting out. He

was rewarded with the satisfying thump of rubber hitting
leather, the sound letting him know he’d prevented the
goal. The puck shot off to the corner of the ice, safely
out of play.

The Canadian players let out a loud cheer, the noise

drowning out Jochen’s muttered curse. Rebel chuckled
before tossing out his own cocky grin. “That makes it
one-to-one.”

“I can keep count,” Jochen retorted, although his

smile took the edge off his comment.

“Good, because then you’ll be able to tell when I

finally beat your ass.”

“Just because you stopped one doesn’t mean you’ve

won this match.”

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“That’s the sad thing about forwards. They just never

know when it’s time to give up.”

Jochen laughed as he took his place back at center

ice.

Rebel crouched in his best goalie position and got

ready. Sexy or not, there was no way in hell he was
letting that third shot in. It was a matter of national pride
after all.

It seemed Jochen felt the same way because he

barreled in as if the entire Cougar’s defensive line was
nipping at his ass. Rebel scrambled to get out to
challenge in time, his delay making it so the space
between them was much closer than he was used to.

The closed quarters must have thrown Jochen off,

too, because he tripped. Rebel let out a grunt of surprise
as Jochen slammed into him, the force of the fall
carrying them both back. They hit the ice hard, Jochen
landing on top of him. They slid several feet, only
stopping when their bodies slammed into the net.

The kids from both sides burst out laughing, Robby

even joining in. After a moment of groaning in pain,
Rebel started to chuckle as well. Jochen remained
sprawled out on top of him. A situation Rebel would
have normally welcomed had it not been for the several

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pounds of equipment separating them.

Jochen grinned down at Rebel. “I won.”
“How do you figure? We both wiped out.”
Jochen jerked his head in the direction of the net.

Rebel craned his neck to see what he was gesturing at. A
groan slipped past Rebel’s lips when he saw the puck
resting past the red line.

“That doesn’t count. The net was knocked off, so the

play was dead,” Rebel protested, painfully aware Jochen
hadn’t moved off him yet.

“The puck crossed the line first.”
“How could you have even seen that? We were both

horizontal at the time?”

Jochen cocked a brow and for one irrational second,

Rebel could have sworn he saw a wicked gleam come
into the man’s eyes. Shocked, Rebel did something he
never did—he sputtered in outrage.

“You are such a cheater,” Rebel accused, even as he

held back his laughter.

“And you’re just saying that because you’re a sore

loser.”

Rebel lifted his blocker and thunked Jochen’s

helmet. “That’s because I didn’t lose at all. I’m a winner
all the way.”

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Jochen snorted. “Did you get that last line from a

cheesy car commercial or something?”

“Nope, some self-help guru’s infomercial.”
He shoved at Jochen and the guy finally got the hint

and rolled off him. They both staggered to their feet just
as Robby skated up.

“So, did the goal count or not?” Rebel demanded.
“I’ve decided to call it a draw,” Robby said, the

words coming out in gasps because he was still
laughing.

Jochen narrowed his eyes. “There’s no such thing as

a draw in hockey.”

“My camp, my rules.”
Rebel shrugged. “I guess we can’t argue with logic

like that.”

The kids all came up and circled them. The chatter

became so loud that Rebel gave up all pretense of trying
to have a conversation. He just nodded and smiled at
what he hoped were the right times.

The entire time, he couldn’t help but notice how

close Jochen stood, their bodies practically brushing
against one another. Rebel relished the contact, however
minimal it may be, for he knew that at any moment they
could revert back to their former cold relationship.

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Once everybody calmed down, Robby ushered the

kids and other instructors off the ice for lunch. Rebel
and Jochen watched them leave. Once they were alone
again, Jochen asked, “So, what’s next on the schedule?”

“You and I are assigned to clean up duty.”
Jochen wrinkled his nose. “That sucks.”
“Not really, because we get to relax and eat while the

kids are doing their dryland training.”

“That would be great. I’m tired.”
“Yeah, I noticed you haven’t been sleeping well.”
A flush came over Rebel’s cheeks as he realized just

how telling his comment could be. He tensed, waiting
for Jochen to call him out on it, but the forward just
lowered his gaze, suddenly acting as if the ice were the
most interesting thing in the world.

“I guess I’m just having trouble adjusting to a new

bed,” Jochen finally mumbled.

“I can understand that. Your bed at home is probably

much better.”

“Actually, I sleep on a second hand futon.”
Rebel nodded in understanding. His own makeshift

apartment wasn’t well furnished either. “I get that. The
only reason I have something halfway decent is because
I live with my oldest brother. I rent the basement from

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him and his wife. I’m just lucky that they moved to
Michigan, too, or else I would be living some place
much worse.”

“You really live in your married brother’s

basement?”

“Yeah, I guess that makes me pretty lame. It’s really

no better than still living with my parents.”

“No, I don’t think any less of you.”
“I’m saving up for my own place. It’s just taking me

a little longer than I expected. I was going to rent an
apartment close to my rink, but when my brother found
out what neighborhood it was in, he freaked. Plus, my
family has always been a little on the strict side, so they
seem to think they still need to look out for me, even
though I’m nineteen.”

Jochen smiled, but it was a gentle number, with no

condescending tone to it. “You weren’t kidding when
you said they’re protective.”

It gave Rebel a measure of relief to see that Jochen

didn’t think any less of him. If anything, he seemed to
admire the relationship Rebel had with his family.

“Yeah, the thing is it’s not just because they’re older

because I know I’d do the same for them. It’s just how
my family works. I just wish they didn’t think they

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needed to dictate every aspect of my personal life.”

“I understand. Mine is the same way. Not a week

goes by that my mother or sister doesn’t drop by a home
cooked meal for me and Aldrich.”

They skated around and began to stack the cones

dividing the different stations.

“You have a sister?” Rebel asked.
“Her name is Brigitte.”
“Ah, I should have known it would be a German

name.”

Jochen knelt down and began to scoop up the pucks,

tossing them into a bucket. “My family is kind of old
fashioned that way. Plus, it makes my great-grandpa
happy.”

“Is he from that country?”
“Yeah, he immigrated right before the Second World

War began, so it wasn’t easy for him when he first came
to America. Given what was going on at the time, most
people didn’t like German immigrants.”

Rebel knelt down to help him gather the pucks.

“God, that must have sucked.”

“From what I hear, it did. The really ironic thing was

he joined and fought for the US army, too. But he still
faced all kinds of discrimination.”

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“I don’t get why people have to be so hateful.”
“You know how it is, some people just can’t be

happy until their holding others down. If it’s not because
of the country they came from, it’s for something else.
Take Sergei, for example. The Cougars didn’t care that
he was a great skater, they hated him simply because of
who he is,” Jochen declared with a savageness that
surprised Rebel.

They both reached for a puck at the same time, their

fingers brushing together. They froze, neither of them
moving, their gazes locked onto their joined hands.
Rebel sucked in a breath as his heart raced in
anticipation.

“How about you?” Rebel asked, his voice a mere

whisper.

“What about me?”
“Would you be able to face the same kind of hatred

Sergei has?”

Rebel tensed as he waited for the answer because he

already knew what his reply would be. At that moment,
he’d face just about anything to have just one night with
Jochen.

He knew it was stupid. He knew it was irrational. He

knew it could be career suicide. And all for some guy

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that he’d basically known for one day. Yet Rebel
couldn’t deny the emotions swirling around in his chest.

He wanted Jochen—consequences be damned.
Not that it ever really had to come to that. There was

no rule saying they had to go public like Sergei and Kip
had. Rebel and Jochen could have some fun and nobody
ever had to know.

Jochen had yet to answer, but he still hadn’t moved

his hand either. So Rebel took a deep breath and put a
voice to his thoughts, “What if it were kept a secret?”

“Are you suggesting what I think you are?” Jochen

rasped.

“Our bedroom door has a lock on it. We could just

act normal during the day, but at night, we could…”
Rebel trailed off, too afraid to speak the rest.

Jochen shifted his hand so his thumb could caress the

back of Rebel’s hand. A shiver went through Rebel at
the simple touch.

“Are you suggesting that we have a summer of fun,

no strings attached?”

Rebel swallowed hard. “Yeah, I am.”
Jochen finally gazed at Rebel and the desire burning

in the man’s eyes nearly knocked Rebel onto his ass.
Another shiver went through him, but this one was from

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the pure, raw need that now coursed through his body.
At that moment, Rebel wanted nothing more than for
Jochen to take him to bed and dominate him in every
way possible.

When a heavy silence stretched between them, Rebel

couldn’t take it and he pressed, “So, what do you
think?”

A sensual smile curled over Jochen’s lips. “I think

that this is going to be a summer that neither one of us
ever forgets.”

Blind Pass

Chapter Five

Later on that evening, Jochen went into the bedroom and
stood by the side of his bed. He gazed down at the
mattress, wondering just how he’d be putting it to use
later on.

Numerous questions spun around in his head. Had

Rebel been serious when he made the proposal or was it
just another one of his jokes? If he did mean it, then did
Jochen dare take him up on it? After they did it once,
would they really carry on all summer? Most of all,
would they be able to keep their secret hidden?

A sound by the door alerted him he was no longer

alone. Turning, he found himself locked into Rebel’s
gaze. They both paused, neither speaking nor moving as
they stared at each other.

Damn, it really wasn’t fair that Rebel looked so

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good. He’d taken a shower earlier and now wore a pair
of sweat pants and a plain white t-shirt. Somehow Rebel
still managed to make even that simple outfit look good.
Then again, Rebel looked good no matter what he wore.
Jochen suspected that the goalie could still appear
desirable wearing a paper-examining gown.

Rebel swallowed loudly, letting Jochen know that he

wasn’t the only one feeling nervous. It helped Jochen
some to see the normally cocky goalie being thrown off
a bit. While he didn’t like seeing Rebel uneasy, his new
attitude showed just how serious he was taking the
situation.

“Are all the kids in bed?” Jochen finally asked.

When Rebel just nodded, Jochen added, “Speak up. You
usually seem so fond of the sound of your own voice, I
would hate to deny you that pleasure now.”

“Yes, everybody is in for the night,” Rebel replied,

his voice a bit harsh.

“Good, then come in all the way and lock the door

behind you.”

Rebel obeyed, his fingers fumbling with the lock for

few moments. Once he completed his task, he turned
back around and gazed questioningly at Jochen, as if he
were eagerly awaiting his next order.

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Well, Jochen would only be so happy to oblige.

While situations may have dictated that his encounters
be few and far between, during all those times he’d
learned he liked to be the one in charge. The fact that the
normally headstrong Rebel so easily gave up control,
made Jochen’s already hard cock ache in anticipation.

“Come here,” Jochen commanded.
Rebel didn’t hesitate a moment, his feet immediately

moving. He walked forward, not stopping until he stood
directly in front of Jochen. Or maybe the better way to
put it would be, he didn’t stop until their bodies were
just inches from touching. While Rebel stood a few
inches shorter, it only made it so they had the perfect
angle for kissing.

Rebel tried to do just that, tilting his head back a bit

so their lips could brush together. At the last second,
Jochen pulled back and gave a slight shake of his head.
“Not until I say so.”

The cutest whimper of distress burst from Rebel’s

pouting lips, almost making Jochen smile. Oh yeah, this
was going to be the best summer yet, Jochen no longer
had any doubt of that fact.

Rebel looked so pretty, mouth parted, eyes begging

for some attention, his hard body swaying into Jochen. It

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was everything Jochen wanted in a bed buddy and so
much more. When Jochen stroked the side of Rebel’s
cheek and the goalie trembled with need, the picture
became complete.

“Please, I need you to touch me,” Rebel panted.
“I am touching you.”
To prove his point, Jochen ran the back of his fingers

along Rebel’s cheek again. This time in addition to the
trembling, Jochen garnered a moan, the sound going
straight to his cock.

“You know what I mean, damn it. I never took you

for a tease,” Rebel said, finally showing some of his
normal fire.

“If I’m such a tease, maybe I should just walk away

and leave you here alone.”

It was an empty threat because there was no way

Jochen was walking out of the room until he’d
thoroughly fucked Rebel. The other man didn’t know
that though. Rebel’s eyes grew wide with alarm as he
shook his head.

“Sorry, I’ll try to be more patient.”
“Good boy,” Jochen praised.
He decided to layer his compliment with a kiss. It

was just a brief one, the barest brushing of the lips, but

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that small contact still made Jochen’s head spin. Going
by the way he latched onto Jochen’s shoulders, as if
needing the support, it affected Rebel the same way.

Never being one to be short on words, Rebel let out a

happy sigh before whispering, “Wow.”

This time, Jochen couldn’t hold back his smile.

Snaking one hand around Rebel’s waist, Jochen grabbed
him by the ass and pulled him in tight. As soon as he felt
the undeniable proof of Rebel’s arousal pressing into
him, Jochen let out a moan of his own.

Dipping his head down, Jochen pressed their lips

together once more, this time making it a long, hard,
deep kiss. Slipping his tongue inside, he allowed himself
to linger, so he could savor the sweet taste of Rebel.

Rebel let out another whimper, his hands digging

into Jochen’s shoulders. At the same time, he began to
roll his hips so his erection ground against Jochen.
While Jochen knew he should give Rebel a verbal slap
on the nose and stop him, it felt too good to have the
goalie rubbing against him. So Jochen let the small
infraction slide.

It wasn’t until the need to breathe overrode his desire

that Jochen broke the kiss. They pressed their foreheads
together as they panted.

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“If we do agree to this, there has to be some rules,”

he said.

Rebel nodded. “Okay.”
“First, everything stays in the bedroom. I have no

intentions of parading my private life in the papers like
Sergei and Kip.”

“I feel exactly the same way. I don’t want to have to

go back and become Cougar food, plus my family would
freak if they found out I was with another guy.”

“Second, I call the shots.”
Rebel glanced up from under his lashes, the gleam of

excitement unmistakable. “Okay, but only if you agree
that I won the shoot out today.”

Jochen had to bite the inside of his cheek to hold in

the laughter. Life was never going to be dull with Rebel
and his smart mouth around. Speaking of which…

“You never do let up, do you? I guess we’re going to

have to find some creative ways to shut you up.”

Jochen put his hand on the top of Rebel’s head and

pushed down. Nobody could ever accuse Rebel of being
dense. He got the hint quickly, dropping to his knees.
Unlike Rebel, Jochen wore jeans so there were a couple
of moments of fly-fumbling. Rebel proved to be
determined though and soon had Jochen’s cock out.

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Rebel looked up, his expression clearly asking for

permission. Jochen nodded once. While outwardly he
presented a picture of calm, inside, his body burned with
a raw need unlike any he’d ever felt before. His hand
still remained on the top of Rebel’s head. Jochen spread
out his fingers, reveling in the soft texture, he then gave
the strands a gentle tug in a clear get-to-it message.

After letting out a hum of pleasure, Rebel leaned

forward and ran his tongue up the underside of Jochen’s
dick. Pleasure shot through Jochen, forcing him to bite
his bottom lip to hold back a yell.

Rebel licked him again, this time his tongue sliding

around to swirl over the head of Jochen’s cock.

“That’s it. Just like that,” Jochen moaned.
That must have been the encouragement Rebel

needed because he parted his lips and took Jochen in.
Rebel moved so slow, it was almost torture, his hot
mouth sucking Jochen’s dick inch-by-inch. He didn’t
stop until he’d taken in every bit.

“Damn,” Jochen panted.
He couldn’t help but be impressed. While he wasn’t

huge, he wasn’t that small either, yet Rebel had
managed it all without so much as a gag. Before Jochen
could even relish that fact for long, Rebel pulled back,

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sucking in his cheeks at the same time.

As Rebel began to set a steady rhythm, his head

bopping up and down, Jochen stroked his hair. At the
same time, he murmured words of praise to Rebel since
he knew the goalie loved hearing them. Shit, if that’s all
it took to get this kind of treatment, Jochen would give
the guy a full novel worth of them.

While he wanted it to go on until he blew, Jochen

didn’t want their first time to end inside Rebel’s mouth.
He forced himself to pull on Rebel’s hair until the man
got the hint. Rebel settled back on his heels, Jochen’s
cock slipping from his swollen, glistening lips.

“Do you know how beautiful you look right now?

On your knees in front of me?” Jochen asked.

Rebel ran a tongue over his lips as he shook his head.
“I could come just from looking at you like this,”

Jochen confessed as he trailed a finger along Rebel’s
jaw.

When Rebel turned into the touch, a burst of

possessiveness went through Jochen. By the end of the
night, he vowed to know every inch of Rebel. To know
what made him gasp from arousal, moan in ecstasy,
scream with pleasure.

“Strip and get on your bed,” Jochen ordered.

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Rebel rose gracefully to his feet and began to slowly

peel off his clothes. Jochen watched the sensual show,
looking away only long enough to grab a condom and
bottle of lube from his top dresser drawer. He’d brought
them along on a whim and now gave himself a mental
back pat for actually thinking ahead for once.

Once he was nude, Rebel went to the bed and

flopped down on his back, his legs splayed open. It gave
him a whole, debauched look that had Jochen moaning
in appreciation.

“Are you going to get naked, too?” Rebel asked.
His hand went out to tentatively stroke his cock.

Jochen took a moment to drink in the image in front of
him. Rebel possessed a perfect body, lean and muscular.
All the hours on the ice made it so he didn’t carry an
ounce of extra fat. Even his dick was perfect. Long and
thick, it curled up toward his stomach, a drop of pre-cum
forming at the tip. Rebel used his thumb to wipe it away,
before pumping his shaft a few times.

Not needing any more incentive, Jochen began to

divest himself of his jeans and t-shirt. Once he had them
off, he kicked the clothing to the side, tossed the
condom and lube on the bed and climbed on top of
Rebel.

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“Funny how we seem to keep ending up in this

position,” Rebel teased as he gazed up at Jochen.

“Except this time you’re not getting up until we’ve

both come.” Jochen picked up the bottle of lube and
handed to Rebel. “Squeeze some of this onto my hand.”

Rebel swallowed, his eyes flaring with passion as he

reached up and took the bottle. With shaking fingers, he
cracked the lid and squirted some of the liquid onto
Jochen’s raised palm.

Lowering his head, Jochen captured Rebel’s lips in a

demanding kiss. At the same time, he reached between
Rebel’s legs and used one finger to circle the man’s
opening.

Jochen thrust it in, swallowing Rebel’s gasp of

pleasure. Damn, he was tight. So much so, that Jochen
could barely wait to get his cock in balls deep. It took all
he had in him not to do so right away, instead of being
patient. The only thing that held him back was that he
didn’t want to cause Rebel even one second of avoidable
pain.

After a few moments, Jochen added a second finger,

spreading them out some to help stretch Rebel. Arching
against him, Rebel let out a louder noise that would have
probably alerted the entire camp, had it not been for the

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fact they were still kissing.

Jochen pulled his mouth away long enough to give

an admonishing, “Shhh…”

“I’m trying. It’s just been so long and it feels so

good.”

“How long?” Jochen felt compelled to ask as he

continued to saw his fingers in and out.

“Six months and then it was just with some random

guy I met online.”

Jochen stilled, fear going through him. “Do you

realize how dangerous that can be?”

“I was desperate. I needed to make sure it was

somebody who didn’t know who I really was.”

While Jochen understood his anxious need for

anonymity, he still didn’t like Rebel’s methods. “You
have to be more careful. What if the guy turned out to be
a creeper or something?”

“That only happened once and I got out of his

apartment as fast as I could.”

Terrified at the thought of something horrible

happening to the sweet man under him, Jochen gave him
a hard stare. “Next time, call me. We’ll figure out a safe
place to meet. I don’t want you ever going to those guys
again.”

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Jochen waited until Rebel nodded his consent before

thrusting a third finger inside his hot ass.

Rebel let out a long moan. “Okay, no more

anonymous hookups. I promise, just don’t stop.”

“That’s a good boy.”
Jochen curled his fingers, making sure to brush over

Rebel’s sweet spot. He did that a few times, until Rebel
became a panting mess. Giving him one last kiss, Jochen
took out his fingers and grabbed the condom.

Once more, he handed the item to Rebel. “Put it on

me.”

Rebel took the condom, his fingers frantic as they

tore open the wrapper. When he slid the latex over
Jochen’s overly sensitive shaft, it felt like both torture
and bliss, the light touch nearly sending him over the
edge. Once it was on, Jochen grabbed the lube and
added a bit more slick to his cock, before he lined the tip
up to Rebel and slowly pushed in.

They both groaned as Jochen bottomed out. Once in,

he paused so Rebel could adjust. Raining kisses on
Rebel’s neck, Jochen fought against every instinct in his
body that screamed for him to pound the other man into
the mattress.

Soon he felt Rebel’s muscles begin to relax as he

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yielded. Only then did Jochen lift his head and shift his
weight back some. He slid his hands under Rebel’s
thighs and spread his legs out, making the angle better.
Once he had Rebel in the perfect position, Jochen began
to thrust in and out.

Jochen looked down, reveling in how he could see

both his cock driving into a sweet ass and the look of
passion on Rebel’s face. It made for such a perfect
picture that Jochen didn’t even care that the tiny bed
squeaked a bit or that the thin mattress bit into his knees.

Since Jochen knew that neither of them would last

long their first round, he issued another command,
“Stroke yourself. I want to see you come.”

“Oh, thank God.” Rebel sighed with profound relief.

He reached down and wrapped his fingers around his
cock. A flush built up over his cheeks and chest,
showing how close he was to the edge.

Jochen began to thrust harder and faster, wanting to

find his pleasure at the same time. Just as he began to
reach the end of his control, Rebel let out a muffled cry.
He stiffened, ropes of cum shooting from his cock.

“So good,” Jochen moaned as he came, too.
He gave one last thrust, his dick filling the condom.

Waves of pleasure slammed into his body, making it

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temporarily impossible to breathe, let alone talk. He
even saw stars, just like in some cheesy, erotic novel.

Jochen collapsed on top of his lover. Rebel’s legs

were still spread in a bit of an awkward position, but
since goalies were supposed to be flexible, Jochen didn’t
think Rebel would complain too much.

“We get to do this all summer?” Rebel asked after a

few moments of recovery time.

“Yes.”
“Hot damn. I suddenly feel like one of the luckiest

guys in Canada.”

Jochen laughed even as he silently agreed.

Blind Pass

Chapter Six

The next few weeks passed by in a blur for Rebel. Not
only were the days full of work, but the nights were
some of the best in his life. He’d grown used to not only
Jochen’s passion with lovemaking, but also the way he
was outside of the bedroom. With each day, Rebel found
himself becoming more drawn to Jochen.

He wasn’t the only one who fell under the forward’s

spell either. Most of the campers grew to like the
easygoing man. Jochen managed to be knowledgeable,
yet fun at the same time. While he didn’t have an
outgoing sense of humor like Rebel, Jochen held a dry
wit that was just as funny.

When the first set of campers left, the new ones soon

grew to adore Jochen, too. Rebel couldn’t blame them.
He was willing to admit, at least to himself, that he was

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completely gaga over the guy.

The only wrinkle in the perfect summer was the fact

that it was getting harder to hide their secret. While they
always made sure to keep their bedroom door locked
and their embraces private, Rebel found himself
constantly in danger of slipping up. Be it a casual caress
on the arm, or a heated look, several times he caught
himself almost committing a telling act while they were
in public.

Rebel felt frustrated by both the problem and himself

for letting it come up in the first place. When they’d first
started sleeping together, both of them had made it clear
that it would be just a buddy-fuck relationship. So,
Rebel had no business letting himself get sappy over
Jochen.

Yet he couldn’t help the feelings building up inside

him. The ones that made him always want to seek
Jochen out, even in a crowded room. Or to call Jochen
when they were apart, just so he could hear the man’s
voice.

Damn it all, Rebel knew that made him come off as

some chick from a show on the CW network, but he
seemed powerless to stop it.

The campers were settling in for the night and he

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was in the kitchen grabbing a snack. While dinner had
been a couple of hours ago, Rebel had been dealing with
a homesick ten-year old and missed the meal. So he
decided to make do with a PBJ since he didn’t feel like
cooking, even if it was just popping leftovers into the
microwave.

“Hey, there you are,” Jochen said as he came in.
Rebel licked the knife clean before tossing it into the

sink. He tried his hardest to pull off a causal pose, even
though every cell in his body screamed for him to go to
Jochen.

Jochen proved to be a big temptation, too. He wore

his usual jeans, but opted for bare feet and a tank top. It
showed off his muscular arms perfectly. Rebel’s throat
grew dry as he recalled all the times those arms had
pinned him down to the mattress so Jochen could give
him a good, hard fucking.

“Yeah, I was hungry,” Rebel replied stupidly, his

gaze still locked on Jochen’s arms.

Jochen darted a quick glance at the door. Nobody

must have been lingering because he came over and
gave Rebel a quick kiss. Rebel pulled back in surprise,
his hand going to his lips. The kiss had been nice—
really, really nice if he wanted to be honest, but it was

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unexpected. Before then, Jochen hadn’t touched him
intimately outside of the bedroom.

“Aren’t you afraid somebody will see us?” Rebel

asked.

“Nobody has caught us yet, so I think we can risk

one tiny kiss.”

“Yeah, but somebody could walk in at any moment.”
“Does that mean you didn’t like it?”
Rebel lowered his hand, a heat coming over his face.

“No, you know I love it any time you touch me. I just
wasn’t expecting it.”

“Hurry up and eat. We’re going out tonight.”
“We are?”
Rebel frowned. The night just kept getting weirder

and weirder.

“Yeah, since we haven’t had any time away from the

job yet, Robby gave us tonight off. He suggested the bar,
but I would rather go to a movie if that’s okay with
you.”

While Rebel felt for certain that Ashley knew

something was going on between them, he knew that
Robby didn’t suspect. He probably only suggested they
go off together because outwardly they were coming off
as good friends.

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“That’s fine with me. There is a ton of good movies

out that I’d love to see. Are we going with an action
flick or something scary?”

“How about we decide once we get there?” Jochen

suggested.

Rebel nodded his agreement. He ate his sandwich,

while Jochen grabbed a shirt and shoes and they went
out to Jochen’s car. Once they arrived at the theater, they
quickly agreed on the newest superhero flick. It turned
out to be nothing more than high budget effects with a
low budget script. In other words, something Rebel
would normally enjoy the hell out of.

Not this time. All he could do was focus on the fact

that, while they sat mere inches apart, they couldn’t
touch each other. All around them other couples
snuggled, shared popcorn, stole kisses, yet Rebel
couldn’t even reach out and grab Jochen’s hand.

Knock it off. You were the dumbass who agreed to

this. So don’t think that you can change the rules mid-
play. Rebel admonished himself. That still didn’t ease
the ache of hurt building up in his chest.

He didn’t realize the film ended until the lights came

on and everyone started to get up. Rebel glanced down
at his tub of still full popcorn, his heart heavy as he felt

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awkward around Jochen for the first time since the
beginning of summer.

“Well that one was so bad that I’m going to have to

buy it as soon as it comes out on DVD,” Jochen
declared.

When Rebel just stared dumbly at him, Jochen

elaborated, “You know, because it’s so bad that it’s
good. Which means it earns a spot on the keeper shelf.”

“Oh, yeah. I get it now,” Rebel replied with a forced

laugh.

Jochen gave him a strange look before they got up

and filed out of the theater. As they exited, a blast of
unseasonable cool air hit Rebel. He shivered and wished
that he’d thought ahead and brought a hoodie with him.
While he may be a hockey player, he hated the cold. He
knew that was a bit ironic, but he couldn’t help it, even
when his brothers ribbed him about it.

They got inside the car and Jochen turned on the

engine. “Sorry, this thing is so old that it takes forever
for it to get warmed up.”

“That’s okay,” Rebel replied dully as he looked out

the passenger side window.

“Are you feeling all right tonight?”
“Sure, why shouldn’t I be?”

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“Well, because you hardly said a word all evening.

Usually, I can’t pay you to shut up.”

Rebel shrugged, still keeping his gaze locked on the

window. “I’m fine. Just ducky.”

There was a heavy pause, as if Jochen were mulling

over Rebel’s response. Finally Jochen put the car into
drive. Instead of pulling out onto the street, he directed
the car to a deserted part of the parking lot. Once he
found a new spot for the car, Jochen put it back into
park, then turned to Rebel.

“Okay, we’re not moving until you tell me what in

the hell is going on,” Jochen demanded.

Had they been in the bedroom, Rebel would have

rushed to follow Jochen’s order. But then they weren’t
in the bedroom. No, they were in some cold-ass car, in a
deserted parking lot. So, Rebel decided he didn’t have to
obey for shit.

“No.”
The look of surprise on Jochen’s face was almost

comical. He even did that gaped-mouth fish thing for a
second, before he recovered and snapped his lips shut.

“Did you just tell me no?”
“Yeah, I did. I know that may be a little rough on

your ego, but live with it. Now take me home. I’m tired

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and we have to get up early in the morning.”

Rebel really got snitty then, even going so far as

crossing his arms over his chest. It was either that or
really give into his temper and punch the dash. Going by
how old Jochen’s car looked, it couldn’t take the abuse.

“Why are you being such a brat?” Jochen demanded.
Now it was Rebel who pulled an outraged face. “Did

you just say brat?”

“I sure did.”
“Kids are brats. Puppies are brats. Sixteen-year old

debutants who didn’t get the birthday car they wanted
are brats. Full-grown men aren’t.”

“You sure as hell could have fooled me. Because I

happen to think I’m looking at one right now.”

Rebel took several breaths in a vain attempt to calm

his anger. “Just forget it and let’s go back home.”

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”
Yeah, like Rebel could tell Jochen that he’d fallen

for him as something more than a good fuck. “Just leave
it. It’s nothing you did wrong.”

“Obviously it affects me or else you wouldn’t be

giving me such an attitude.”

“Please, just forget it.”
Jochen reached out and grabbed Rebel’s chin,

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tugging until their gazes met. “No, not until you talk to
me.”

Rebel tried to pull away, but Jochen wasn’t having

any of it. He just tightened his grip. Finally out of
desperation, Rebel blurted, “I fucked up and broke the
rule.”

“What rule was that?”
“I didn’t leave it in the bedroom.”
Jochen gave a slight shake of his head. “I don’t

understand.”

“I tried to keep it just about fucking. To not let

myself get too emotionally involved, just like we
promised we would. It didn’t work though and now all I
want is to be with you.”

“What do you mean be with me?”
Rebel let out a growl of frustration. Jochen picked a

hell of a time to be slow on the draw.

“I want to have a real relationship, just like

everybody else in the world. I’m sick of us having to
hide what we do, like we’re each other’s dirty little
secret.”

“We are each other’s secret.”
“Why? Because we’re gay? So the fuck what?

Maybe we didn’t choose to be this way, but it’s who we

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are, so why in the hell should we be made to feel
ashamed of it?”

Jochen reached up with his other hand and cupped

Rebel’s cheeks. “Babe, if this comes out about us, being
ashamed is going to be the least of your worries. Your
team will make you suffer. I remember how it was when
Sergei went through that. It would kill me to have the
same thing happen to you.”

“It doesn’t matter to me anymore. I care more about

you than I fear them.”

“What about your family? You’ve told me numerous

times that they’d freak if they found out you were gay.”

“It’ll be tough for them at first, but I’m sure if I

break it to them gently, they’ll eventually come around.”

Or at least he hoped they would. They were really

religious and never hid the fact that they considered
homosexuality a sin, even going so far as to call it the
work of the devil. But surely they’d changed their views
once they found out that one of their own was gay.

Reaching up to put his fingers around Jochen’s wrist,

Rebel took a deep breath and took the biggest risk of his
life. “Please, tell me that maybe, just maybe, you could
feel the same way about me. That being with me is
worth all the risks we’ll take by coming out.”

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Jochen didn’t say anything. He just blinked a few

times, his face as impassive as an old style goalie mask.

Despair crashed into Rebel as his heart shattered. He

took in a shuddering breath as he began to shrink back.

“I do feel the same way about you,” Jochen croaked.
Rebel paused in mid-retreat, his pulse racing with

renewed hope. “You do?”

“Damn it, but yes I do.”
“You don’t need to sound so happy about it,” Rebel

snapped sarcastically.

“I’m happy that you feel the same way about me.

I’m just scared as hell about what will happen to you
once this all gets out.”

“You sure you’re still not worried about your

career?”

Rebel recalled all the nights they’d lain together

while Jochen talked about his aspiration to be called up
to the NHL. It was almost like an obsession to the guy.

Jochen blinked, a bewildered expression crossing his

face. “No, strangely enough, that doesn’t matter so much
to me anymore. I care more about you.”

Joy surged through Rebel, making him feel fifty

pounds lighter. “Holy crap, you really mean that, don’t
you?”

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By way of answer, Jochen brought his head down

and pressed their lips together. Rebel didn’t miss a beat,
one hand snaking out to cup the back of Jochen’s head.
Rebel returned the kiss, allowing all his passion and
desires to carry over. They made out for a few moments,
before they parted just enough to let the other breathe.

“We have to be careful how we go public about this

though. I still don’t want you going back to that locker
room unless we know it’s perfectly safe,” Jochen said.

“Okay.”
“Let me call Sergei in the morning and ask him for

some advice. Then we can decide on a plan of action.”

Rebel nodded. He was so happy that at that moment,

he’d agree to just about anything. Jochen smiled, a
wicked gleam coming over his eyes. “Do you know
what I think?”

“What?” Rebel asked, a spike of arousal hitting him.
“I think that we should celebrate.”
“And just how do you want to do that?”
“Like this.”
Before Rebel could ask him to expound any further,

Jochen bent over and began to fumble with the fly of
Rebel’s jeans. A gasp of shock burst from Rebel’s lips
as he cast a furtive glance around the parking lot.

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Finding it still deserted, save for some empty cars and a
van, he relaxed.

“You are not going to give me a blowjob right here

in the car,” Rebel protested, even as he felt the zipper to
his pants being lowered.

Jochen pulled out Rebel’s cock and blew on the tip.

“Oh, I think I am.”

“Shit, when you decide to come out, you really,

really come out.”

The last word came out as a yelp, pleasure shooting

through Rebel as a warm heat enveloped his cock.
Looking down, he encountered a perfect picture of
Jochen, his head tilted slightly as his lips stretched
around Rebel’s width.

For once Rebel didn’t have to worry about keeping it

quiet, so he let out a long moan as Jochen began to suck
him off. Due to the awkward angle and the urgency of
the situation, it wasn’t the best blowjob Jochen had ever
given him, but Rebel still treasured it.

For once the pleasure was freely given, without any

concessions or rules. It was just about two guys who
cared for each other and wanted something more than a
quick, meaningless fuck.

While Rebel wanted the moment to last forever, he

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soon found his pleasure cresting. He gasped out a
warning, but Jochen didn’t pull back, he only sucked
faster and harder.

Rebel came, screaming Jochen’s name as he did so.

Thrusting up, he released into Jochen’s eager mouth.
Jochen continued to suck until every drop had been
wrung from Rebel.

“We really need to celebrate more often, because

that was fan-frigging-tastic,” Rebel breathed.

Jochen tucked him back in and did his pants back up,

before sitting up. Rebel brought him in for a deep
lingering kiss that involved a lot of tongues and love
bites.

“What about you?” Rebel asked, one hand going

down to cup Jochen’s hard cock.

“You can take care of me all night.”
“I think I like the sound of that idea. Then in the

morning, we can decide how we can come out, while
keeping my ass intact.”

“I hope so,” Jochen gave a sly look. “I’ve become

pretty attached to that ass. It belongs to me now and I’m
not going to let some Cougar get it.”

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Chapter Seven

Jochen sat up on one elbow and gazed down at a
sleeping Rebel. While the sun had risen, the rays coming
in weakly through the curtains covering the one window
of the room, it was still early. Too early for anyone who
was sane to be up, yet there Jochen was, wide awake
with nothing better to do than to stare at his lover.

Not that he was complaining—much. Sure it may be

cramped on the twin bed. It barely held one grown man,
let alone two. It was a small price to pay to be able to
hold Rebel in his arms.

Using his free hand, Jochen lightly traced Rebel’s

brow. The goalie barely stirred, no doubt worn out from
their marathon sex session. After they’d come home,
they’d gone down to their room and celebrated by
screwing their brains out. Or as Rebel now liked to put

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it, they’d made love like two horny bunnies in heat.

Jochen sighed happily, still not able to believe how

quickly his life had changed and for the better. When
he’d first arrived at the camp, he thought he knew the
course to take in order to be happy. Then a smartass,
blond with a wicked sense of humor had blown into
Jochen’s life and shown him just how wrong he’d been.

Money. Fame. Fancy cars. An NHL contract. None

of them could compare to the happiness he felt when he
had Rebel in his arms. Maybe they’d only known each
other a few weeks, but it was enough for Jochen to know
that there was a real possibility that he could have
something special if he just took the chance.

Adele’s Rolling in the Deep began to play loudly,

alerting Jochen he had a call. Wondering who could be
calling at such an early hour, he rolled out of bed and
scrambled around, until he found his cell in his jeans
pocket. He pulled it out, frowning when he saw it was
Aldrich.

“Hey, what’s up?” Jochen greeted.
“You are. As in up on the net. And not in a good

superstar hockey player way, but a bad Kardashian
worthy scandal kind of way,” Aldrich replied in an
urgent tone.

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“What in the hell are you talking about?”
“You have your laptop nearby?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then fire it up and go to the Net Wanker blog.”
Jochen grunted in disgust. “Why would I want to do

that? That guy who runs it is an asshat.”

“Just do it.”
After rolling his eyes, Jochen fired up his computer

and waited for the internet to come up. Rebel rolled over
and rubbed his eyes. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. Aldrich is freaking out about

something.”

“You will be, too, once you know what’s going on,”

Aldrich snapped.

“Why are you getting on your computer?” Rebel

asked as he got up.

Wrapping the blanket around his waist, he came up

behind Jochen and peered over his shoulder. “What are
you going to the Net Wanker for? That guy is a real
asshat. The only things he ever writes about are all
gossipy or just plain mean. One time, he even called me
fat.”

Jochen bit back a laugh. “That’s only because he’s

never seen you naked. I can assure you that you have a

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damn hot body.”

“Ewww….” Aldrich groaned. “I’m still on the phone

with you and I can hear everything you guys are
saying.”

Jochen laughed, the smile staying on his face until

the blog started to slowly load onto his computer. Then
once he saw what was on the site, his stomach clenched
in dread. One-by-one different pictures of he and Rebel
popped up onto the screen. The images were a bit grainy
and blurry, due to the fact they were taken at night and
at what appeared to be a bit of a distance. They were still
clear enough to show a distinct visual, and it was a
damning one. They’d all been taken the night before and
they provided a snapshot-by-snapshot replay of their
encounter in the car. It started with them arguing, moved
on to an image of Jochen cupping Rebel’s face, then
went on to one of them making out. The next one
brought a flush to Jochen’s face, even though he wasn’t
in it, because it showed Rebel, a look of lust on his face
as he gazed down at his lap. Going by that it wouldn’t
take a genius to figure out where Jochen had gone.
Especially since the final image showed Rebel, head
thrown back, mouth open in a soundless cry of passion.

“Do I really get that goofy look on my face when I

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come?” Rebel asked.

Jochen turned to ask him how he could joke at a time

like this, only to find Rebel pale, his eyes wide with
shock. His bottom lip trembled as his gaze traveled over
the screen. His joking must have been a lame attempt at
a coping mechanism because the next time Rebel spoke,
his voice was laced with hysteria, “Oh, shit. Oh, shit.
Oh, shit. How in the hell did somebody manage to get
pictures of us together? We checked and nobody was
around. Unless of course somebody was hiding out in
that van and spying on us, which takes creepy to a whole
new level. That would make this guy an asshat and a
stalker.”

“He doesn’t even know the half of this,” Aldrich cut

in. “News of this has already spread all over the web.
Even some of the major sports networks have picked up
the story. My mom called me this morning to wake me
up and tell me about it.”

If Aldrich’s mom knew, that would mean that

Jochen’s did, too. A bit of a sticky situation given he’d
never told her he was gay. As important as that was,
Jochen quickly filed that worry away for later since
Rebel had begun to tremble violently.

“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll call you later,” Jochen

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told Aldrich.

Jochen hung up the phone and turned to Rebel.

Pulling the younger man into his arms, Jochen gave him
a tight squeeze. “It’ll be okay. We were going to go
public, this just pushed us out there sooner.”

“I didn’t want it to happen this way. My family

doesn’t even know that I’m gay and now they’re going
to have those images of me bombarded at them.”

“I’m sure they’ll be supportive. After all didn’t you

say that your brothers were protective of you?”

“When it comes to bullies and stuff, yeah, but this is

different. My whole family is devout Pentecostal.”

“How devout?”
“I wasn’t even allowed to listen to rock music or

read books like Harry Potter?”

Jochen blinked a few times, shocked that somebody

as snarky as Rebel managed to come from such a strict
background. “Wow, I’m amazed they even named you
Rebel.”

“That was before, during my mom’s wild years.”

Rebel made air quotes in the air. “She used to have this
big thing for James Dean, so she named me after one of
her favorite movies.”

“Well, maybe she’ll understand. After all, wasn’t Sal

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Mineo in that? He was gay.”

Rebel gave him a droll look. “I seriously doubt that

will make a difference to her. I was kind of hoping to
ease them into this.”

“I don’t think there is any way you can just ease into

this, babe.”

Rebel ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on

end.

Normally Jochen would have thought it made him

look even cuter, but Rebel was still way too pale for his
liking.

“Do you want to call her? Give her a warning.”
“I guess I better. We need to tell Robby about this,

too.”

Jochen nodded in agreement. There was bound to be

some bad publicity coming the man’s way due to their
screw-up. The least they owed him was to hear about it
from them.

“I’ll go talk to him. You phone your mother,” Jochen

suggested.

“Are you sure? I’ve known Robby for much longer.”
Yeah, Jochen was damn sure. It was already hard

enough on Rebel, what with him having to face his
family. He didn’t need the added stress of having to

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have that same conversation with his mentor, too.
Jochen would help his lover by taking one of those loads
on himself.

“I’m positive.”
They quickly got dressed and Jochen went to find

Robby. As he left, he could hear Rebel phoning his
mother. Jochen only hoped the conversation went better
than the goalie anticipated. He knew that he would have
to call his own mother soon, but she tended to sleep late,
plus he wanted things cleared with Robby first.

He found the coach in his office. His wife, Ashley,

was with him. Robby sat at his desk, she stood behind
him, bent over his shoulder as they both looked at a
computer. Jochen’s stomach dropped because he had a
pretty good idea that they weren’t looking at Angry
Birds on that thing.

He gave a soft knock on the doorframe. They

glanced up at him, neither appearing too surprised to see
him there. They didn’t look very angry either, which he
took as a hopeful sign, as tiny as it may be.

“Can we talk?” he asked.
“Of course,” Ashley said, gesturing to a chair in

front of the desk.

Jochen sat down and took a deep breath. “I’m sure

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you already saw the pictures.”

Robby stared at him a few moments. Jochen held his

breath in anticipation. Since he didn’t know the man that
well, he couldn’t tell what he may be thinking.

Finally Robby gave a small nod, “Yeah, a parent

emailed me the article.”

Oh, boy. If the parents were already getting

involved, then it couldn’t be good. “I’m sorry, I was the
one who initiated it, not Rebel. So if you’re going to let
somebody go, it should be me. He’s worked so long for
you, I don’t want this to ruin your relationship.”

“Neither do I,” Robby replied.
Jochen allowed himself to feel a little bit happy that

at least he’d been able to salvage Rebel’s job. “I just
need an hour to pack and I’ll be out of here.”

“Where in the hell do you think you’re going?”
A heavy dash of confusion hit Jochen. “I just

assumed that you wouldn’t want all the bad publicity
hitting your school.”

Robby let out a curse. “It’s not your fault. It’s that

damn Net Wanker blog’s doing.”

“I hate that asshat,” Ashley hissed angrily.
“But aren’t the parents going to be mad if I stay?”
Robby leaned forward and pinned Jochen with a

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100

determined stare. “You let me worry about that. I just
want you and Rebel to keep doing what you have been
and that’s being great instructors for my school.”

Jochen let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much

for being so understanding. I know this must have been
a shock for you.”

Ashley rolled her eyes. “Are you serious? We’ve

known all along. All the staff have, in fact.”

Jochen froze in shock. And here he and Rebel

thought they’d been so discreet. “They have? How?”

He only prayed it hadn’t been because their room

had thin walls, or else he didn’t think he’d be able to
look any of them in the eye again.

Ashley gave a soft laugh. “With the way you two

look at each other, it wasn’t too hard to figure out. Plus,
you and Rebel have been inseparable since the
beginning of summer.”

“How is Rebel reacting to all this?” Robby asked.
“Not too well. While he and I already made up our

minds to come out, we were hoping to do it more gently
than this. He’s on the phone with his mother right now.”

“That won’t be good,” Ashley said. “I never did like

that woman. She was always too hard on Rebel.”

“I should get back to him,” Jochen replied, suddenly

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101

eager to comfort Rebel in case the call to his parents
turned sour.

At least he had some good news to share. Jochen got

up and went back to the room. On the way, he passed a
couple of the other instructors, all of them giving him
words of encouragement and Jochen allowed himself to
believe that maybe things would work out okay after all.

Those hopes were dashed the moment he walked into

their room. Rebel sat on his bed, his back to the wall. He
had his knees tucked to his chest as he stared out the
window. Even at that angle, Jochen could see the bleak
despair in his lover’s normally dancing green eyes.
While Rebel wasn’t outwardly crying, the sadness still
carried over in the way his bottom lip trembled just the
slightest bit.

“Shit,” Jochen breathed, his heart breaking at the

sight.

He rushed over, sat down on the bed and pulled

Rebel into his arms. Rebel went without a fight, sinking
into Jochen’s chest.

“What happened?” Jochen asked as he stroked

Rebel’s hair.

“I’ve been disowned.”
“By your mother?”

Stephani Hecht

102

“No, by my entire family, even my brothers don’t

want me anymore.”

Jochen shook his head, shock momentarily making

him speechless. He couldn’t imagine his parents, much
less his sister, turning on him that way. He finally
managed to ask, “Even the brother you’ve been living
with?”

Rebel nodded. “I was told not to even bother coming

back to pack. That my things would be shipped to me.
They don’t want me entering their house and tainting it
with my sin.”

“Those sons of bitches. They have no right to treat

you that way.”

Rebel gave a half-shrug. “I kind of expected it. Deep

down I knew there would be no easing them into this. I
was just deluding myself.”

Jochen pulled back to gaze down at Rebel. “If you

knew that, why did you suggest that we come out at
all?”

Rebel looked up, his eyes wet with unshed tears.

“Because you mean that much to me.”

Never had Jochen felt so humble than at that

moment. To realize that Rebel would so willingly make
such a huge sacrifice for him nearly overwhelmed

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103

Jochen. He swallowed hard as he gave Rebel a tight hug.
At the same time, Jochen vowed that he’d do everything
in his power to prove himself worthy of Rebel’s gesture.

“What did Robby say?” Rebel asked.
“That they knew about us all along and we aren’t to

go anywhere. Our jobs are still secure here.”

“He wasn’t mad?”
“Well, yeah, but it was directed at the blog, not us.”
Rebel snuggled in deeper. “Are you going to call

your parents?”

“Yeah, I should probably do that before we leave for

the rink.”

“Do you want me to leave the room to give you

some privacy?”

“No, I’m not ready to let go of you yet.”
Jochen gave the top of Rebel’s head a kiss, then

wiggled just a bit so he could fish his cell from his pants.
Still holding Rebel, Jochen called his mother’s number.
She picked up on the first ring, letting him know she’d
been anticipating his call.

“That damn asshat!” she declared upon answering.
“So, I take it you heard the news?” Jochen ventured

carefully.

“If you can call what he puts on his blog news.”

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104

Jochen paused, not sure if some of that anger was

directed at him. “Are you upset at me?”

“Why would I be mad at you? Although, I can think

of better places to get frisky than your car. Isn’t that a bit
juvenile for somebody your age?”

His breath hitched a bit as he wondered just how

many curveballs were going to be thrown his way that
morning. “It doesn’t matter to you that I was with
another guy?”

“No, why should it?”
“You have no issue with me being gay?”
“Oh, baby, we’ve known that since you were seven

and plastered your bedroom with Brendan Shanahan
posters.”

“So what? Plenty of boys have his posters.”
“Maybe, but not all of them cover them in heart

stickers.”

Jochen paused. Okay, maybe she had a point there.

“How is Dad taking this?”

“Frankly, I think he’s relieved it’s finally out in the

open. He was getting sick of tiptoeing around the issue.
He just wants you to be comfortable and happy with
yourself.”

“Well, crap.”

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105

“What? Were you expecting tears or something? If

so, then just wait for next Thanksgiving. I’m sure
Aldrich will find some way to dig up enough drama for
all of us.”

“I don’t know what I was expecting,” Jochen

admitted. “Although I have to admit I really am happy
with the way you’re taking this.”

“Has Rebel talked to his parents yet?”
Jochen glanced down at his lover. “Yeah, it didn’t go

so well.”

“Oh, that poor baby.” She sighed. “You tell him that

he has us now.”

A wave of gratitude went over Jochen as he realized

just how lucky he was to have been born into such a
crazy family. “I will.”

“He’s really special to you, isn’t he?”
“Yes, how could you tell?”
“By the tone of your voice. A mother has a way of

knowing these things. Whether or not you’re ready to
admit it, that boy is the one for you. You two just have
to be strong enough to stand up to this challenge.”

As Jochen glanced back down at Rebel, he silently

agreed with his mother. He just hoped that this mess
wouldn’t drive Rebel away, just as Jochen realized how

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106

much he cared for him.

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107

Chapter Eight

The morning and early afternoon passed by in a dull blur
for Jochen. He tried to lose himself in the drills and
familiar routine, but he continued to worry about Rebel.

To put it simply, his goalie had lost his spark. Rebel

acted as if he was in a daze, speaking only when spoken
to and not smiling at all. He didn’t even crack a laugh
when one of the other instructors tripped and made a
spectacular face plant at center ice. Usually a good
display at public humiliation brought a grin to Rebel’s
face, yet this time he didn’t even blink twice.

By the time they got back to the house, Jochen felt

frantic with worry. With each passing moment, Rebel
seemed to be withdrawing deeper into himself and
Jochen didn’t know how to snap him out of it.

When they got inside, Rebel went straight to the

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108

room, mumbling something about taking a nap. Jochen
was going to go check up on him when the doorbell
rang. Since everybody else was busy with the campers,
Jochen went to answer it.

He opened the door, his mouth dropping in shock.

“Sergei? What are you doing here?”

A thin blond who stood a few inches shorter than

Jochen, Sergei had been a friend for a few months. He
also happened to be one of the few who knew that
Jochen was gay…or rather he used to be one of the few.

“Sorry it took me so long to get here,” Sergei said by

way of greeting.

“Yeah, it took us over three hours to drive to this

joint,” another voice called.

Jochen peered around Sergei to see who it was. His

shock deepened when he saw another blond standing
there. This one a bit taller and more muscular. “Trey,
what in the hell are you doing here?

Trey rolled his eyes. “It was either come here or get

stuck babysitting your ugly ass cat. Trust me, as soon as
I laid eyes on the hideous thing, it was an easy choice.”

“Bangles isn’t ugly,” Jochen protested, still confused

as to why they were standing on the doorstep.

“Yeah, it is. Plus the thing stinks.”

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109

“She can’t help it.”
“Why in the hell did you name it Bangles? You

would think its looks would be insult enough without
tagging it with that moniker.”

“Because Walk Like an Egyptian was too long. I like

that group, so sue me.”

Trey rolled his eyes. “And yet everyone was shocked

to hear that you’re gay.”

Jochen didn’t know whether to be insulted or not, so

he just stepped inside to let them in. “Sergei, if you’re
here, then who has my cat?”

“Kip is taking good care of him, don’t worry.”
“So, why are you two here?”
“We thought you and Rebel could use the moral

support,” Sergei explained.

“How is the little whippersnapper taking it?” Trey

asked.

“Not so well. His family cut him off.”
Sergei winced. “Oh, that sucks. I know how that

feels.”

“And it’s all thanks to that stupid blog. That asshat,”

Trey seethed.

“That seems to be everybody’s opinion,” Jochen

said.

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110

Trey was just adding a few other names when Rebel

walked in. He had his cell in his hand. If he noticed that
Sergei and Trey were there, he didn’t mention it. He just
stood there, his face pinched with stress as he nibbled on
his bottom lip.

“What happened now?” Jochen demanded as he

rushed to Rebel’s side.

“The Cougars just called. They cut me from the

team.”

“What?” Trey yelled, his eyes wide with shock.
“They said they no longer needed me as part of their

roster. They didn’t even try to trade me or anything, they
just gave me the boot.”

“But you have one of the best save records in the

league,” Sergei protested.

“Why would they care about that? It’s not like they

need any help with their game. It’s more fun to stay in
the penalty box and send players to the hospital,” Trey
cut in sarcastically.

“Maybe it’s for the best. I don’t think Rebel would

have felt very welcome there anymore anyway,” Sergei
said with a visible shiver.

Rebel nodded, his gaze locked onto the ground. He

turned to go away, looking more dejected than ever,

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111

aiming for the door at a near run. Jochen knew then he
had to do something before he lost Rebel forever.

“Stop,” he commanded in a hard tone.
Both Sergei and Trey sucked in a breath of surprise,

but Jochen ignored them. Only Rebel’s reaction
mattered.

Rebel instantly came to a halt, but didn’t turn

around. It was almost as if he were waiting for another
order, some guidance in turmoil. Which was something
Jochen was more than happy to offer.

“Get back here,” he commanded.
Rebel turned around and slowly made his way back

to Jochen. When he got close enough, Jochen reached up
and put two fingers under Rebel’s chin, forcing him to
look up and meet eyes.

“Everything is going to be okay,” Jochen said.
“It is?”
“Yes, you’re going to move in with me and Aldrich.

While we may not live in the nicest of apartments, it’s
better than the streets. Most importantly, we’ll be
together. Then we’re going to find you a new team.”

“What team is going to want me now?”
“Plenty of them. You’re an awesome goalie and

that’s the only thing the worthy teams are going to

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112

worry about. If any of the others have a problem with it,
then fuck them.”

Rebel stared up, his eyes devoid of all happiness.

Then just as Jochen was about to give up, he saw it—the
tiniest flicker of hope. It gave him the strength to push
on.

“You told me last night and this morning that I was

worth the risk. That you cared for me more than you
feared them. Is that still true?” Jochen challenged.

“Of course it is.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, he pulled Rebel into a

tight embrace. “Then you can’t give up on me now.
While things may not have gone down the way we’d
hoped, in the end, we have the most important thing of
all—each other.” When Rebel returned the embrace,
Jochen’s heart soared.

“You’re right. That is all that matters.”
They held each other for a few moments, before

Rebel asked, “Why are Trey and Sergei here?”

“We’re here to offer moral support, you dork,” Trey

called.

Rebel laughed. “Well, when you put it that way, who

am I to question? I can just feel the love pouring off
you.”

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113

Trey flipped him off and Rebel laughed harder as he

returned the gesture. As Jochen joined them, he allowed
himself to finally hope that everything would work out
okay, after all.

Sergei and Trey ended up staying for the next couple

of days, joining in to help out at the camp. A few parents
pulled their kids out due to the scandal, but more called
or wrote to offer their support. The kids all loved Jochen
and Rebel, a sentiment most of the parents shared.

One evening, Jochen was in the rec room with Trey

and Sergei when Rebel burst in. At first Jochen tensed,
sure it would be yet more bad news, but Rebel had a
huge grin on his face and he almost bounced with
excitement.

“Guess who just called me!” he exclaimed.
“If it’s my bookie, tell him I’m not here,” Trey

cracked.

Rebel rolled his eyes before saying, “It was the

Grand Rapids Mustangs. They said they couldn’t believe
that the Cougars let me go. Then they asked me if I
would be interested in signing with them.”

Jochen let out a whoop of excitement as he hugged

Rebel. “That’s great news.”

Stephani Hecht

114

“It’s still the minor league, but at least I’m playing

again. Plus, Grand Rapids is only an hour away from
Lansing.” Rebel frowned. “I guess I’ll have to get my
own place though, it’ll be too far for me to drive every
day once the season starts.”

“How about we get an apartment halfway between

the two cities?” Jochen suggested, still holding Rebel.

Rebel gave him a shy smile. “You’d be willing to do

that for me?”

“Of course I would. The only thing is Aldrich and

Bangles will have to come, too.”

“Thank God you’re taking that evil cat with you. Kip

just called and told me that the thing pissed in my
shoes,” Trey griped.

“Maybe that will teach you not to always leave stuff

behind at other people’s houses,” Sergei retorted.

“Maybe Bangles should just learn better bladder

control.”

“Bangles only pees on people’s things when they

piss her off, so you probably deserved it,” Jochen said
before he turned back to Rebel. “So what do you say?
Are we going to become permanent roomies?”

Rebel grinned up at him. “I guess I can put up with

one goofy cousin and an ugly cat, so long as I get to be

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115

with you.”

Jochen dipped his head down and captured Rebel’s

kiss in a soft kiss.

Once they broke apart, Rebel asked, “Are you sure?

We’ve only known each other a few weeks, so I know it
may be too soon.”

“I’m positive. Besides, my mom assured me that you

were the one and she’s never steered me wrong yet.”

As they shared another kiss, Jochen made a mental

note to send his mother a bouquet of flowers. He hadn’t
been kidding when he’d said she was right. Rebel was
very special to Jochen and he never planned on letting
him go.

About the Author

Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of two. Born
and raised in Michigan, she loves all things about the
state, from the frigid winters to the Detroit Red Wings
hockey team. Go Wings! You can usually find her
snuggled up to her laptop, creating her next book or
gorging on caffeine at her favorite coffee shop.

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