by Tricia Owens
Neil looked around while Adrian sucked hickeys into the base of his throat. “I was expecting more Disneyland IKEA.”
“You won’t need to look at anything but me, baby.”
“Conceited,” Neil murmured as he worked at removing Adrian’s shirt. Once he had it off, Neil pulled away from Adrian’s mouth to do some worship of his own.
Adrian groaned and cupped the back of Neil’s head as he licked at his nipple. His cock pressed painfully against his trousers so he yanked them open, one-handed, and shimmied out of them while Neil moved to bite lightly at his other nipple. Adrian’s nipples were especially sensitive tonight and he half-wondered if he could come from Neil working them over. But what would be the fun in that? Adrian wanted to own him completely.
He pulled Neil up and gave him a firm kiss before shoving him back onto the bed. Neil didn’t resist, his body bouncing once before he lay languidly atop Adrian’s bed, watching him from beneath dark-lidded eyes.
“If you only knew,” Adrian murmured with no intention of finishing the sentence. He stripped off his underwear and quickly divested Neil of the rest of his clothes. “So gorgeous,” he said as he slid his palms up Neil’s dark-haired legs to frame his rigid dick. “Hello, beauty.”
“I think you’ve mistaken me for a female fan,” Neil said, a bit breathless as he propped himself on his elbows. His gaze zeroed in on Adrian’s smooth chest before sweeping down his abdomen to his groin. “I’m not here to be romanced.”
But you should be, Adrian thought, a touch wistfully. He would enjoy sending Neil flowers and taking him out to dinners at nice restaurants. He would love to plan date nights for them and bring Neil home to lay him out on his bed, just like this.
Not now, but maybe...someday.
“What are you thinking?” Neil asked, a small smile on his face.
Adrian smiled back. “Just thinking about you.”
He didn’t expect the softening of Neil’s expression or the color that blotched his cheeks. He wasn’t surprised, though, when Neil surged up and dragged Adrian down atop him. Neil snapped a strong leg around Adrian’s hips and said into his ear, “No more thinking about me. Time to do me, Magnusson.”
Adrian filled his mouth with his tongue. After he retrieved the lube from the nightstand, he filled Neil with his fingers.
“Is that enough for you?” Adrian rasped against his lips as he pumped his fingers deep. He kissed down the side of Neil’s face, chasing droplets of sweat. “Or do you need more, baby?”
“I need more,” Neil gasped as he clawed at Adrian’s back. He was going to leave marks and Adrian was on the verge of saying something, but stopped himself. Let their teammates give him grief about the wild woman he’d bedded. It would be a fun secret to keep, knowing the handiwork was Neil’s.
Adrian eased a third finger into him and stretched him wider. Neil took him easily, or else he was in no mood to complain. He rolled his hips up to engulf Adrian’s fingers. His nails dug sharply into Adrian’s shoulders.
“How do you—” Adrian bit back the rest of the question. He could predict how Neil would want to be taken: on his face or on all fours. But Adrian also sensed weakness in Neil tonight, and he intended to exploit it.
He pulled his fingers free. As Neil complained, Adrian patiently rolled a condom over himself. But instead of resuming his place between Neil’s thighs, Adrian flopped onto the bed himself and lay there looking up.
“Ride me,” he coaxed with a grin. “I want to see your moves off the ice.”
However, in his head, his words carried a different meaning. Ride me. Show me how much you want me, because I think it’s a lot and I want you to see it, too.
With a growl, Neil straddled him, the thick muscles in his thighs flexing beautifully. Adrian ran his hands up the outside of his hips, appreciative of the muscular lower bodies of hockey players.
“You really get on my nerves, you know that Magnusson?”
Laughing softly, Adrian reached for Neil’s cock. He watched as Neil tossed his head back. He moaned as Adrian stroked him.
“Looks like I get on all the right nerves,” Adrian teased. He rubbed his thumb in circles over the head of Neil’s cock, savoring Neil’s sharp inhalation of breath followed by his soft whimper. Neil curled forward, hands opening and closing where they rested against Adrian’s abdomen. His eyes, nearly black now, found and held Adrian’s as he resumed stroking him.
“I wish you weren’t so fucking sexy,” Neil admitted, sounding pained.
Adrian chuckled. “No, you don’t. You love it. I get you hot.” He lowered his hand to caress Neil’s balls and stroke a finger along his perineum, smiling as Neil hissed. “You hate how much you want me, as a matter of fact. But there’s no reason for that, Neil. It’s all good between us. Nothing but good.”
Neil’s stare grew more intense, like a hand reaching inside Adrian. Then Neil’s hands were literally reaching for him, curling around Adrian’s throat.
“You drive me crazy,” Neil bit out. His fingers tightened as Adrian slipped a finger inside him. “Everything would be so much easier—if it weren’t—for you—ahh!”
Adrian pulled him down on his cock. Neil was stretched and relaxed enough to take him all the way to the balls in one go. The hands around his neck fell slack as Adrian fucked up into him.
“Feel good, baby?” Adrian crooned as he held Neil steady by the hips. He dug his heels into the mattress and thrust up hard.
“Nnh!” Neil’s fingers clutched at Adrian’s chest, fingernails scraping over his nipples and giving him a reason to gasp.
“Come on, Neil.” Adrian smacked his butt as Neil remained hunched over him. “Show me some moves. You’re tonight’s first star of the game. Prove it.”
“So—annoying,” Neil gasped, but Adrian was thrilled to see that he’d triggered the winger’s competitive streak.
Neil sat up and shifted to get his feet under him. With his palms braced on Adrian’s chest, he lifted up until only the very tip of Adrian stretched him, and then dropped back down, ass smacking Adrian’s hips. They both gasped loudly and Adrian even thought he saw stars for a second. He rapidly blinked them away as Neil did it again, stroking the whole length of him on the way up and then swallowing him in a violent slam down.
“Holy shit,” Adrian choked out as Neil set up a brutal pace on him. “You’re going to kill me.”
“What’s the matter, hotshot?” Neil panted. He slicked his hair out of his eyes as he bounced atop Adrian. “Can’t handle it? Maybe you’re not good enough to play the top line with me.”
“Maybe not,” Adrian conceded easily. His eyes drank in the visual feast of Neil Shannon fucking himself on Adrian’s cock. “I’m content to be a spectator right now. You’re a hell of a sight, Neil.”
Neil laughed, but his eyes were shining with something more, as though Adrian’s words had affected him.
“Watch me,” he ordered with damp lips.
Adrian watched, and tried not to lose his mind as Neil swiveled and rocked and bounced atop him. Sex with an athlete was nothing to scoff at, but sex with a competitive teammate was nearly a battle. Adrian was soon gritting his teeth and fighting with all his might not to come before Neil did. It was difficult. Oh, so difficult. Neil’s body sucked him in and squeezed him, and there was so much for Adrian to admire visually. This handsome man, who grinned as he pulled groans out of Adrian—Adrian was amazed he’d lasted as long as he had.
“Come with me,” he begged. “Please, Neil.”
“Dirty pool,” Neil muttered, cheeks flushed.
“I’ll beg all night long, Neil.” Adrian rolled upright, nearly dislodging Neil. Adrian slung his arms behind the other winger’s back to keep him in place. “Come with me,” Adrian repeated, looking up at him.
Neil muttered something before he fisted a handful of Adrian’s hair. His lips crushed Adrian’s as he began undulating his hips, swallowing and squeezing Adrian’s cock without mercy. The peak came fast, at full sp
eed. Neither of them braked for it. When they came, they did so only seconds apart, trading moans and frantic kisses as their bodies clenched and shivered together.
Neil slumped forward, arms draped around Adrian’s shoulders. Adrian held him close even though they were both burning up and sticky with sweat and fluids.
“Tell me you don’t regret that,” Adrian whispered into the side of his neck.
Fingers came up to card through his long hair. “I don’t regret it. Now stop talking. Don’t ruin it.”
It. What was it? Adrian didn’t have a full answer for now. He and Neil weren’t boyfriends, but they were friends and lovers. Would that be enough, or would greed push him for more? He couldn’t say.
Eventually the body heat of two men was too much and Neil slid to the bed beside him. Adrian rolled onto his side and ran a finger down the center of his chest.
“You’re one sexy guy, you know that?” he murmured.
Neil cracked one eye open to look at him. “You’re not half bad, yourself.”
“You were brilliant at the game tonight, Neil. You were everything I’d hoped you’d be.”
Neil smirked and opened both eyes. “You already fucked me. You don’t need to keep complimenting me.”
“It’s something I need you to hear.” Adrian took a breath. “Also, this: whatever you choose to do with yourself and your career, I respect it. It’s not my place to question you. I’ll support you no matter what you decide.”
“You sound like a husband.”
When Adrian held his gaze, Neil sighed and looked to the ceiling.
“I appreciate that,” he said, all sarcasm gone from his voice. “I know I fought you about getting involved in my business, but deep down, I always understood that you meant well.”
“It wasn’t about the team or the Cup.”
“I know that. I don’t hold anything against you for kicking my ass.” Neil’s gaze seemed to turn inward. “I wasn’t handling things as well as I wanted to. How I expected I would. I was disappointed in myself, so I lashed out at you because it was less painful than facing myself in the mirror. It was shitty of me and I’m sorry, Adrian. You didn’t deserve to deal with that.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I understood.” Adrian dipped down and kissed the top of his shoulder. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter now because you kicked ass tonight.” He lightly bit down. “And here you are. In my bed.”
“For now,” Neil said with a smirk, but Adrian sensed some truth in his comment. Neil had rewarded himself with sex with Adrian. That seemed clear. What wasn’t so clear was whether future encounters between them would happen.
But how could they not? So far, they’d been playing at home. What happened when the team went on the road to play in arenas across the country? Adrian would make sure they were roommates. How would Neil be able to resist his seductions? Neil might find a way—and a reason—but maybe his resistance had already fallen.
All Adrian could do was wait and see. What he did know was that the season was only half over. They had a long way to go, personally and as a team, and many more challenges to face. If they could do it together, that would be a victory he’d never counted on achieving when he’d first learned of the existence of Neil Shannon.
Adrian smiled and relaxed on the bed. One win at a time. The road to the Cup was a long one and he looked forward to every step.
Epilogue
I’m voting for you and Adrian! Boyfriends representing the Kraken!
Neil read the text from Moira with a sigh.
Online fan voting for the players who would attend the All-Star Game in January had just opened. Neil and Adrian were both on the ballot for the Kraken along with Elias and Bastion. Typically, one player was selected from each team to attend. Usually only the host city’s team was permitted two players, but this year an exception might be made. The NHL wouldn’t want to miss out on the excitement of having both Kraken wingers at the game. Neil was Mr. Hockey, after all, and great for promotion of the sport. Adrian was Adrian, the Swedish superstar and highest paid player in the league.
Moira’s message, though...he could do without being linked to Adrian for precisely the reason she’d stated. If he and the Swedish winger became linked at every event, how long would it take people to begin linking them in more personal matters?
“Smoke’s coming out of your ears,” Elias remarked from the next aisle of the bus.
Neil glanced over at him, catching the signs for Sea-Tac airport passing by the bus’s windows.
“You want to take my place at the All-Star Game?” he asked. “Assuming I’m voted in,” he added.
Elias chuckled without looking up from his phone. “Good save. And no, odds are you two are going.”
“Seattle isn’t the host city. Only one of us should go.”
“It’ll be both of you, don’t worry.”
Neil frowned. “I’m not worried. I’d rather not go. That’s why I’m suggesting that you go. I’ve attended often enough. I’d prefer to play it safe and avoid injury.”
“Injury at the All-Star Game? You know no one takes it seriously. It’s little more than a pick-up game.”
“Anything could happen,” Neil muttered, keeping his voice low. Adrian was in the row behind him. Neil didn’t want the other winger to overhear him talking about injuries, even hypothetically. It was a topic Neil wanted to put behind them.
“You’ll be fine.” Elias finally looked up from his phone. “If you get voted in, I think you should go. The Kraken fans could use the morale boost, and the club will only benefit from the publicity.”
Neil nodded, accepting defeat. “We’ve got all of December for voting. We’ll see how it goes. Maybe the fans will prove themselves smart and vote in Bastion instead.”
Elias shrugged, a bit tensely, in Neil’s opinion.
“Ready for our first away game?” the Finnish captain asked him, changing the subject.
Neil smiled wryly to himself. “Not just our first game. A three-game road trip. It’ll be a challenge.”
Elias nodded, but Neil knew they were agreeing on different things. A little over a week in hotels, riding on buses together, eating with the team—it sounded fun, but the reality was daunting thanks to the man seated behind him.
Play it by ear, Neil told himself. But there was no way around it. He was nervous about what would happen between him and Adrian. On the road, there was nowhere to run. Neil hoped he wouldn’t have a reason to.
“Let’s go Kraken!” someone shouted from the back of the bus. “Let’s go Kraken!”
The rest of the team took up the fan chant. Elias grinned and held out his fist for Neil to bump. Neil leaned forward to do it and when he sat back, discovered a large, tanned hand reaching between his seat and the one beside it from behind.
“Don’t I get an inspiring meeting of the hands, too?”
Neil slapped Adrian’s hand out of the way. “Stay back there where you belong.”
“This is a bonding moment, Neil. Bond with me.”
“Not until I update my tetanus,” he said dryly.
In the next seats over, Elias grinned. Roadtrip, he mouthed.
Neil grinned back. But it was as fake as his enthusiasm for the upcoming week.
Acknowledge-ments
Many thanks to my Patreon readers who provided feedback and encouragement during the writing of this.
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