Player Substitution (Puck Battle Series, #0.5)

by Kristen Echo

  He didn’t think they experimented once, but lived that lifestyle. Miranda suspected he knew about their adventurous night. He never came out and said anything but he talked more openly about his own sexual adventures. She’d been too embarrassed to mention it, plus she never thought Chuck would share their secrets.

  Chuck only went along with the whole thing to make her happy. That he loved her that much, told her he was the one. From that night on, they vowed it would be the two of them and no one else until death do they part.

  As much as she wanted to beat Neil over the head with his own hockey stick, he hadn’t hurt them on purpose. His intentions weren’t malicious. He was misinformed, something that would have to be rectified, but not at that moment.

  Chuck looked down at his feet. “Good point, I can’t drive in these. Give me a few minutes to change.”

  “I’ll meet you at home. Drive safely.” Miranda walked out with her head held high as she waved goodbye to the other guys.

  Soon they would put this mess behind them.

  The drive home took an eternity as Miranda debated how to proceed. The events of the other night couldn’t be erased, but she couldn’t let them rule their future. She went over all the things she wanted to say and rehearsed her little speech. Her plan was to tell him exactly what happened in that hotel room and let him know she didn’t hold him responsible. She believed in his love and she loved him more than ever.

  When she pulled up and saw the wreath on the door, her heart was bursting with joy. They would share many more Christmas celebrations. A lifetime of happy memories awaited.

  She entered their house and removed her coat and boots, eager for Chuck to arrive. Her pacing didn’t help the time go any faster. When his truck pulled into the driveway a few minutes later, she was sweating and her throat itched. Miranda waited by the entryway for him to come inside.

  As soon as he closed the door, her speech and all her fancy words disappeared. It was as though she was seeing him for the first time. He looked every bit as extraordinary as the schoolboy hero she remembered. His larger-than-life size and matching heart took her breath away. Miranda couldn’t wait another second to be in his arms. She launched herself at him and smashed her lips against his.

  He responded by catching her around the waist and kissing her back. The familiar taste blasted through her, soothing her soul. She wrapped her legs around him as her fingers tore at the zipper on his jacket. Closer, she needed to get much closer. With one hand holding her, Chuck removed his jacket and kicked off his boots.

  Chuck carried her to their bedroom and placed her on their bed, never breaking the kiss. His body hovered over her as she sought a deeper connection. She raked her nails across his back, pulling him closer. His hands held her face where he wanted her, and his body pressed against her, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted him buried so deep inside her it would be days before they came up for air.

  Her fingers found the hem of his shirt and she yanked it upwards. Their lips parted only long enough for them both to remove their tops, and her bra joined the pile on the floor before their lips came together again. Skin to skin, her nipples hardened as they rubbed against his chest. His fingers danced through her hair, caressing the nerve endings on her scalp.

  Miranda was primed to explode at any moment. Her body an inferno of lust, but it still wasn’t enough. She unbuckled his belt and opened his jeans. His erection poked her stomach, begging for attention. Chuck didn’t stop her when she gripped his boxers and pulled his bottoms off. He was every bit as eager to make love as she was and he helped her remove her jeans and panties.

  The heat of his naked flesh washed over her like a hot shower, making her tingle in all the right places. Miranda slid her hand over the wide head of his penis and smoothed the beads of precum over the surface. She rubbed his tip through her saturated opening. Her body was more than ready for him.

  Chuck groaned and broke away from the kiss, looking deep into her eyes. “Do you want me to use protection? I’d understand if you do. I got tested, but the results aren’t back yet.”

  “None of that matters. Shut up and make love to me. I want nothing between us. I only want you,” Miranda said as she lined him where she needed him and lifted her hips.

  “I love you.” Chuck gripped her outer thigh with his long thick fingers, and lifted her right leg between them, resting her calf on his shoulder.

  She lay open and exposed as he pushed inside her. Slow and deliberate, thieving her words. Their eyes locked as their bodies completed one another, becoming one unit. Her body quivered as every magnificent inch filled her. Chuck was a big man in every way, and her body welcomed his size with glee.

  “Always and forever, Miranda,” Chuck said once he was buried to the hilt. “Only us.” He withdrew halfway and slammed back home. Her body shook from the impact and she loved the sensation of being taken by this man. Only him, always and forever.

  His ass flexed under her hands as he repeated the slow grind again and again. How had she survived days without him inside her?

  The mattress shifted as he fucked her harder, making sure each stroke penetrated all the way to her heart. She told him to make love to her and he did, rolling his hips and reaching the sweet spot that brought her to the brink of ecstasy. Her pulse quickened, and she shut her eyes.

  “No. Look at me,” he said through labored breaths.

  Sweat dripped off his chin, landing on her breasts. She followed orders and looked at her husband. The authority in his voice and the deep green of his eyes, pushed her over the edge. When he bottomed out again, her climax spread like wildfire through a lumber yard, leaving no area unaffected.

  “Chuck,” she moaned. Her core clenched and her body trembled as he pinned her to the bed with strong sure strokes.

  His lips parted as his pace quickened. Miranda saw him, every part of him as he let go and came violently inside her. His cock jerked as hot spurts of his release filled her.

  “I love you, always and forever,” she said as he rubbed out the rest of his orgasm, emptying himself deep within her womb. “Only us.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  The week-long rollercoaster ride from hell was over, and she was lying in her husband’s arms where she belonged. Miranda couldn’t believe how happy she was again. As if those long days of torture had never happened.

  A mixture of sex, soap and diesel wafted through the air, tickling her nose and making her smile. This was a scent she recognized and loved. Two strong arms squeezed her tight, pressing her back to his front, and she melted into them. His body heat was the only blanket she needed to keep warm.

  Chuck kissed the top of her head. “I don’t want to spoil the mood, but we should talk.” He took a deep steadying breath before continuing. “Please, tell me this means you’ve forgiven me?” The hopeful tone of his voice couldn’t be mistaken.

  She flipped over to face him and ran her fingers through his short hair. “There is nothing to forgive, not really. The days we’ve been apart have been the most miserable days of my life and I won’t spend another day without you. I missed you so much.”

  A tear slipped down her cheek. Chuck kissed the trail and hugged her body, bringing her closer to him.

  “Thank Christ. I can’t spend another day at my mothers. She’s taken to calling me asshat the past few days which is as close to swearing as she gets. The woman threw a cat at me when I got home the other night. A cat. The poor thing scratched a chunk out of my jacket.”

  The pair laughed. His mother loved her cats, often more than humans. Miranda had a fondness for the feisty felines as well.

  Chuck cleared his throat. “It’s been agony living without you. I know I messed up something awful, but I promise I will never hurt you again. I’ve wanted no one but you, and I still don’t know how or why I screwed up, but I hate myself for it. Miranda, I don’t understand how you can stand to look at me, but I am so damn happy you are.”

  “Don’t hate yourself, baby, it was a
ll a misunderstanding. Seems your big mouth put us here.”

  “What are you talking about?” He swept a wayward hair off her forehead.

  “You told Neil about that night. About us being with other people, only he got the impression it wasn’t a onetime deal. He thinks we’re swingers. His new girlfriend is into that kind of thing, so you were a logical choice when she asked him for a threesome.”

  His brows rose as he digested her explanation. “That explains his question tonight. No way I would agree to that. Not in a million years. And I didn’t... Shit, I told him. That was years ago, and I needed advice. I didn’t want to share you, but you needed something more. Neil helped me come to realize that experimenting was natural and didn’t mean you no longer loved me. We never talked about it again, but I guess he assumed it’s something we did and still do. Babe, I swear it’s not something we talk about, ever. What does that old story have to do with the other night?”

  “You must set him straight. You woke up in bed with Brawnwinn. Did you not recognize her?”

  Chuck rubbed a hand over his face. “She came to the bar after the game, but I couldn’t tell you what she looks like. I was so out of it. I never really looked at the woman. Once I sat up in the morning and saw it wasn’t you naked beside me, I freaked. I couldn’t get away fast enough. I’m the scum of the earth. Does Neil know?”

  She felt him tense next to her, and she rubbed her hand over the taut muscles of his arm. “Relax, baby. Neil was there with you all night. Had you woken up five minutes earlier, you would have seen him. And the used condoms weren’t yours. They were his. I met Brawnwinn tonight, and she told me all about what happened, or didn’t happen as it turns out. You—.”

  “Say that again. From the top because I don’t understand.”

  Miranda kissed the tip of his nose. “You never cheated on me. The drinks you had must have reacted with your meds, making you totally loopy. Too out of it to turn down or even understand Neil and Brawnwinn were taking you to the motel. It also made it impossible for you to perform, so nothing happened. Okay, they saw you naked, and she tried to get things started but failed. I don’t like that she’s seen and touched what belongs to me, but I can live with it. We can put this mess behind us.”

  “Behind us,” Chuck repeated.

  “I’m so sorry I told the world you were a cheating bastard at the hockey game. I’m even more sorry I went on a date to make you jealous.”

  “What... Okay, for starters I’m beyond relieved nothing happened. Actually, I’m overjoyed about that part, but what’s this about a date.”

  “It doesn’t matter, nothing happened with Kyle and nothing happened with you and Brawnwinn.” She kissed him and his tongue entered her mouth, grabbing what he wanted.

  When they broke apart, they were both short of breath.

  “Babe, I love you, but I feel kind of dirty. I’d like to erase the image you planted in my brain of Neil, Brawnwinn and I together. Yuck. I’m going to take a shower; would you care to join me?” Chuck stood up and his magnificent body was on full display. Extra-wide shoulders and broad chiseled pecks covered the part she loved most: his heart. It belonged to her and always had. Nothing, not even time would change that.

  “Sounds good. I’ll join you in a minute.” She stretched and rolled around in their scent, soaking in the delight like a cat in the sunshine.

  The water turned on in the adjacent bathroom and Chuck hummed a joyful Christmas tune. They had a lot to be thankful for and Miranda had several ideas about how they could celebrate, but her plans took a sideline when the doorbell rang.

  She had no idea who would show up at their place at night without calling. It was still early, but most of their friends were at the rink. Miranda grabbed a robe off the back of the bathroom door. “Someone’s at the door. I’ll be in as soon as I get rid of them.”

  A glance out of the side window in their bedroom confirmed the culprit and Miranda smiled. With the red silk draped over her body, she padded her way towards the front door and opened it for her friend.

  “Is everything okay? I’ve been calling and texting. Then I got worried and now I’m here. Tell me you’re okay.” Kyle clutched his chest as though it was a struggle to get all those words out.

  Miranda’s smile shone brighter than the lights on the tree in the living room. “I’m better than okay. Chuck’s in the shower, and I’d love for you to meet him.” Miranda was giddy, bouncing on her toes.

  Kyle eyed her from top to bottom and blushed. “My bad. I came over here thinking you were too depressed to talk and needed a friend. Looking at your disheveled hair and um... robe. I’m thinking I interrupted something else.”

  It was Miranda’s cheeks that turned rosy, but that didn’t stop her from hugging her friend. “That’s sweet of you to come over.”

  “I’m happy for you,” Kyle said, lifting her in the air and twirling her around. “We both got what we wanted.”

  “Babe, who’s Bentley is parked outside?” Chuck rounded the corner wearing nothing but a towel around his hips. Water glistened down his chest. He looked at them and froze.

  She was placed back on her feet. “You must be the ex-husband. I’m Kyle.” He stepped towards Chuck and held out his hand, but Chuck stepped back as if wounded.

  “Correction, I’m her husband, not ex. And you said your name is Kyle. As in the man who took my wife on a date. That guy?”

  “One and the same,” Kyle responded with a smile. Chuck looked ready to kill. He had the same fierce look he often got on the ice right before he checked someone into the boards or dropped his gloves for a fight.

  Miranda tried to diffuse the situation but she was too late. Her husband’s arm was moving backwards. “It’s not what you think,” she hurried to say.

  Chuck’s fist flew through the air like a whip about to strike its target. Kyle dodged it and stepped back. “Whoa big fella. Calm down.”

  “Get the fuck out of my house. Showing up here with your fancy ride, trying to seduce a married woman. Shame on you.” The vein in Chucks neck vibrated with pent up rage.

  Stepping between the two men, she placed one hand on Chuck’s wet stomach. “He’s not trying to seduce anyone, he came over as a friend to make sure I was all right. I forgot to turn my phone back on and he was worried.” Chuck didn’t look convinced. She pressed her hand against his heart. “I’m with you, and he has a girlfriend.”

  Kyle’s smile never faltered. “A fiancé, actually.”

  “Oh, my goodness. That’s wonderful news. I’m so happy for you.” Miranda was thrilled for him. His eyes had the sparkle of a man in love. The same twinkle she saw in Chuck’s, usually.

  Kyle walked backwards to the door, never taking his eyes off her husband. “Thanks, Miranda. Nice to meet you, Chuck. I will leave now. You two have fun.”

  She planned to as long as she could calm her husband down.

  “I don’t like him,” Chuck said the moment the door closed. He walked into the living room and turned on the TV in an effort to relax. Miranda followed him. Their NHL home team was playing, and she recognized Theo Montagne immediately from the way he glided across the ice.

  “You don’t know Kyle. He’s a nice guy, but right now, you’re the only guy I want to talk about. Are you feeling clean again?” She tugged on his towel, dropping it to the floor.

  The crowd roared on the TV. Theo scored his third goal of the night, a natural hat-trick the announcers boasted. Miranda was looking to score again too. Chuck slipped one hand inside her robe, cupping her breast and sliding his thumb over her nipple. His other undid the sash, exposing her naked form.

  “Breathtaking. You make me a better man, Miranda, and yet you make me want to do very, very bad things.”

  His fingers skated across her stomach and dipped between her legs. Rubbing across her seam, he teased her. She widened her stance. He toyed with her nipples until they were impossibly hard.

  “Please, Chuck.” Her voice was raspy, and she fought to catc
h her breath when he inserted two fat fingers. Miranda clutched his biceps to steady herself.

  “You’re dripping wet for me.” He pumped his fingers in and out while his thumb caressed her clit brutally slow. “I love the way your tight little pussy clings to me. Makes me so fucking hard it hurts. Feel what you do to me.”

  She moved her hand over his erection, stroking the hard as steel length. So virile.

  Their eyes locked. There was something undeniably carnal about touching each other this way. Her hand quickened, matching his pace and rhythmically sliding up and down his long thick cock. With every stroke, her pleasure grew. Her body contracted, ready for release.

  “That’s it, babe. Come on my hand. Show me how much you love me.” He pinched her elongated nipple and pressed his thumb harder against her clit, stroking back and forth until her entire body seized. The euphoric spasms rippled from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. Chuck never stopped touching her and the orgasm lasted far longer than she thought possible.

  Miranda loved her husband more with every beat of her heart. Knowing the love was reciprocated was enough to fill her with enough happiness to last a lifetime. That’s how much time they had together; forever.

  “I’m not done with you,” she said, squeezing the base of his shaft and licking her lips.

  Two orgasms down, and one to go for their own hat-trick. If the hockey superstar on the television could do it, so could they. All’s fair in love and hockey.

  EPILOGUE

  The morning before Christmas had arrived, and she was in the mood to celebrate. Miranda opened her eyes and basked in the magical time of year where wishes came true and people got what their hearts desired most. Outside a few wayward flakes tumbled to the ground, but the bed was warm and cozy. She had everything she wanted, her family was whole again.

  Chuck’s arms and legs covered her, making her feel like the most pristine wrapped gift. Miranda wiggled her behind against his groin and Chuck murmured in his sleep, tightening his grip around her waist.