Common Goal
Common Goal follows Eric Bennett, veteran goalie for the New York Admirals, who is staring down his 41st birthday, a recent amicable divorce, and the quiet realisation that he has spent his entire adult life not fully knowing himself. He's bisexual, he's finally ready to admit that, and he has absolutely no idea what to do with it.
Enter Kyle Swift: The Kingfisher bartender who flirts with Eric at Scott Hunter's engagement party, brings him a custom ginger turmeric mocktail to his birthday, and offers, with complete sincerity, to help Eric practice navigating the gay scene. It's an arrangement that is obviously going to become something more, for both of them.
Kyle has his own complicated history. At eighteen, he was groomed by his married boss Ian, the resulting scandal outed him, and his parents shipped him off to New York. He's been cautious ever since, especially around older men, which is inconvenient, because that is exactly his type and who Eric is. What starts as flirting practice at a gay bar called Fortune, roleplaying over text and pretending it's educational, quietly becomes gallery visits and empanadas and an "educational" sex session that they are still trying to pretend that is still just practice. Kyle teaches Eric how to make mocktails. Eric comes out to his best friend Scott Hunter, who is immediately and completely supportive. They are falling for each other in plain sight and both choosing not to say it out loud.
Eric's retirement looms over everything. He's known for a while that this is his last season, and when the announcement goes public, the finality of it hits harder than expected. He meets Kyle at the Kingfisher, they escape the city for a hike and pancakes at a New Jersey diner, and on the drive home, Eric ends it with Kyle. The fifteen year age gap, he says, isn't fair to Kyle. Kyle is furious and heartbroken. Two months pass.
The Admirals are eliminated from the playoffs, and Eric's career ends quietly in a locker room. He goes straight to the Kingfisher, finds Kyle, apologises, and tells him he wants to be his boyfriend. They kiss in the backroom. By July, they're at Scott and Kip's private wedding together. Eric Bennett is finally happy, settled, and co-owners of the Kingfisher alongside Scott, and finally together with Kyle Swift.
Official Book Synopsis
New York Admirals goalie Eric never thought his friends-with-benefits arrangement with much-younger Kyle would leave them both wanting more…
Veteran goaltender Eric Bennett has faced down some of the toughest shooters on the ice, but nothing prepared him for his latest challenge—life after hockey. It’s time to make some big changes, starting with finally dating men for the first time.
Graduate student Kyle Swift moved to New York nursing a broken heart. He’d sworn to find someone his own age to crush on (for once). Until he meets a gorgeous, distinguished silver fox hockey player. Despite their intense physical attraction, Kyle has no intention of getting emotionally involved. He’ll teach Eric a few tricks, have some mutually consensual fun, then walk away.
Eric is more than happy to learn anything Kyle brings to the table. And Kyle never expected their friends-with-benefits arrangement to leave him wanting more. Happily-ever-after might be staring them in the face, but it won’t happen if they’re too stubborn to come clean about their feelings.
Everything they both want is within reach… They just have to be brave enough to grab it.
“I can make one without alcohol,” Kyle offered.
Ilya looked delighted. “Yes! A virgin Scott Hunter.”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Scott grumbled.
“He looks like Hunter a bit. But younger.” He paused, and grinned. “Much younger.”
Eric’s expression got a whole lot less neutral. He didn’t reply, so Ilya kept going. “Is like if Scott Hunter had a younger brother. And that brother had a son.”
"Before you met me it was a dark existence of no pancakes and weak orgasms.”
“I’ll never forgive myself if I let you waste your time on me. Your youth.”
“Fuck my youth!” It tore out of Kyle, louder than he’d meant it to. “And fuck you for thinking I can’t make my own decisions.”
