Breakaway (Pro-U #1)

by Ali Parker

  "I'm not 'into her’. I love her. She's going to be my wife in a few years from now. Your ass is going to be stuck with me forever." I glanced up and smiled as she waved from the back of the bus. "Now I just need to get us through the next year."

  "It'll work out, Lucas. I'll help in any way I can." He pushed at my back. "Get your ugly ass on the bus."

  "Ugly? You wish." I popped up my t-shirt and wagged my eyebrows. "Who's the finest mother fucker on this bus?"

  "You are!" everyone yelled and popped me in the back and stomach as I walked by.

  "Yep. I make you ugly mother fuckers look real good." I dropped down next to Aubrey and pulled her close to me. "Actually... you are."

  "You're so silly. It's nice to see you happy."

  "I'm always happy around you, baby." I kissed the side of her face. "Now, pull it out and let’s get started."

  "Pull it out?" Her words were slow as she lifted her eyebrow as if worried.

  "Your clipboard. I know you have a million questions and even more instructions." I slid my hand over her thigh and kissed her neck a few times. "Remember all the years before this when I used to sit with you under the pretense of wanting to go over all this shit?"

  She yelped and pulled back, popping me in the chest with her clipboard and laughing loudly. "You weren't interested in all the hard work and pre-planning I did?"

  "What? Yes." I gave her a silly frown. "No. I was interested in you."

  She laughed. "All right. I guess I'll take it. Now, get over here and let’s go over the instructions and details for tonight’s game."

  "Then can we make out?" I leaned toward her and licked at her ear.

  "Hey! I'm fucking right here." Jayce kicked at my foot. "Keep that shit on lockdown."

  Someone turned their music up loud, and the whole damn bus started shaking as the guys danced in their seats and we pulled away from campus. For the first time in all my years of playing for the championship, I wasn't worried or stressed. I was excited.

  *

  "All right. Sixteen teams. We're going up against the best in the Northeast. Be on guard and look for the ankle-benders. They're easiest to take out. Usually your winger will be this guy. Keep his ass busy no matter what team we're playing, and we'll have a little bit of breathing room for Lucas." Coach held out a clipboard as he ran through the positions we would each take for the first game that night.

  The stands were packed, and the girls were sitting just above our players’ bench with their faces painted in our colors. To say they had fun getting ready would have been a mild understatement. I honestly couldn't wait to get Aubrey in the shower and help her clean up.

  Head in the game. Keep your head in the game.

  "Lucas. Where are you? We need you here," Coach barked at me as he turned his face toward me. "You're playing forward for as long as you can tonight. I need you in the later half of this tournament, so you let us know when you're beat and I'll send Jayce in, all right?"

  "Yep. Got it." I glanced over at Jayce as he handed me the black paint. "You ready? You all ready?"

  "Yeah!" everyone yelled in tandem.

  "On three. For the Friars. For Providence. For us." I put my hand in the air as we gathered around the coach tightly. "One - Two - Three."

  "Break!"

  We moved back and into the players’ box to get ready for the game. I worked to get a strip of black paint under each of my eyes and popped my mouthpiece in.

  "No mercy out there. Let's come out strong and kick this first team's ass. All right?" Coach handed me a bottle of water. "I want them scared shitless of us - of you. Got it?"

  "One hundred percent." I bumped my head against his and put the rest of my gear on before skating out on the ice as they called my name. The rest of my team moved in behind me and pride swelled in my chest.

  One more round. One more tournament. One more college victory.

  "Go Friars!" the girls yelled from behind us, and I glanced back to see Aubrey and Layla hopping up and down, holding a sign with all of our names on it.

  I lifted my hand to my lips, kissed it and threw it toward her. I love you, baby.

  She pretended to grab it and gobble it up.

  "Let's go." Jessie smacked my ass on the way to the far side of the ice.

  "Let's do this." I moved to the center and positioned myself for the face-off. The ugly mother fucker across from me was missing a few teeth and had a shiner that looked rather fresh.

  "I'm gonna eat your ass for lunch," he growled and spit on the ice.

  "You’re gonna have to ask my girlfriend for permission to do that. She's the only one allowed near my pretty ass." I smirked as the referee dropped the puck and I took off. The poor bastard didn't know what hit him. My guys kept the rest of the team away from me with force, and the first point was ours.

  I glanced up just before our first intermission and pressed my skate to the right to stop me. "Shit. Fight."

  Geoff grabbed my jersey and pulled as we threw off our gloves and helmets as we moved quickly to the fray.

  "You shouldn't have been cherry picking, you asshole." One of the players from the other team pushed Jessie hard. "You keep loafing and I'm going to stamp your ass into the ice."

  "No you ain't, bitch." I got in the first punch, and it got ugly from there.

  Chapter 34

  Aubrey

  "I need to try and get some of this paint off my face." I stood in the bathroom, trying to scrape some of the paint off my face from the night before. We'd won the first game and gotten shit-faced at the hotel bar, which wasn't part of the plan, but with Lucas relaxed, everyone seemed to be following suit.

  "Start up the shower and let me know when the water's warm. I'll help you get it off, baby," Lucas called from the bedroom where he was laid out still half asleep.

  I almost lamented not getting to enjoy the big fluffy bed together the night before, but we both needed the fun more than the sex. I huffed and walked back into the room, stopping short so I could look at him.

  He looked like a god laid up on the starch-white sheets. His dark skin and large muscles left my stomach contracting. He glanced over at me as a smirk tugged at the side of his perfect mouth.

  "Whatchu looking at, baby?" He reached out and motioned for me to come closer.

  I had on a tank top and a pair of boy shorts. Going closer wasn't in anyone's best interest.

  "I'm looking at you, you handsome beast." I turned and walked back into the bathroom to check the shower. "You coming?"

  "Yeah." He walked in a few minutes later and pulled off his undies before getting into the shower.

  I let my eyes follow him, memorizing how incredibly sexy he was. "You want me to give you a few minutes alone in there?"

  "Hell no. Get in here." He poked his head out of the shower and smiled at me. "We gotta get down to breakfast in twenty minutes or so."

  "All right." I grabbed a wash-towel and pulled off my clothes before getting in from the back and moving toward him. I pressed my chest to his back and wrapped my arms around his waist. "You did great last night. I'm not sure if you heard me tell you that with all the commotion around us."

  He chuckled and took my hands, sliding them down his tight stomach to his erection. "We all did good. It was fun. I forget sometimes that I actually love this sport."

  "And you’re good at it." I kissed his back as I ran my nails through the thick black hair that framed his package. "Get the soap and lather us up."

  "What do you think about me going to Washington for the Caps, Aubrey? I need to know your thoughts on it, baby." He slid his hands over mine and coated us both in slick soap as he worked it all over his chest and stomach.

  He turned and I reached down to stroke him a few times as he touched the side of my face and moved in for a long kiss.

  "I think it's a great opportunity." I kissed him again and ran my hands over his stomach to cup him again.

  He moved over and picked up the towel. "Let me get this paint off of yo
u."

  We turned until I was tucked under the spray and he carefully scrubbed the paint from my face, taking time and care not to hurt me.

  "A year apart would suck." He brushed the rag down my nose as he pressed his teeth into his lip and groaned. "Slow down with your hand or I'm gonna come."

  "Good. Come for me." I gripped tighter and took my time with him, enjoying the deep pants that left him as his eyes grew glossy.

  He pressed his back to the shower wall and groaned again. I moved forward and continued to work him as I licked and sucked down the side of his chest, making sure to graze his nipple with my teeth.

  "Fuck, baby." He gripped my head and pulled me up to press his lips to mine as he came.

  I drank him in, listening to the sound of his pleasure, tasting the musky need on his tongue, feeling every inch of him as he grew thicker.

  "A year apart is only a year." I pressed myself to the front of him and ran my hands over his hips to grip his ass. "What's a year in the scope of forever?"

  "This is true." He ran his hands up my sides and cupped my breasts. "Turn around and let me fuck you a little."

  "Not now." I smiled and kissed him one more time. "Later. I don't want us to be late. Let's try and set an example at this tournament like you do at all of them. I'm not going to be labeled as the downfall of your career."

  He laughed and moved up behind me as I washed my face and turned to wash my hair. His hands were everywhere, and I didn't think I was going to be able to get out of the shower without succumbing to whatever he wanted of me.

  "A year feels like a really long time right now." He kissed the side of my neck and reached around me to turn the water off. "We have two games today. After we're done, let's, me and you, get away from everyone and go to dinner. I want to figure this stuff out. I need to."

  "You sure? I feel like maybe we should wait until after the tournament. I don't want anything to affect you." I pressed my cheek to his chest and wrapped him in a tight hug.

  "Are you breaking up with me?" He kissed the top of my head softly.

  "Are we going out?" I laughed and looked up at him.

  "Yes. We're going out. You better not be jacking off any other guy in a shower." He lifted his eyebrow at me. "You're not really an Ice Queen are you? I thought you were just wearing the badge and faking it all these years."

  "I'm as fake as they get." I laughed and moved out of the shower, grabbing a towel and leaving him to clean up from our fun.

  Dinner would be good. It would give us the chance to figure at least a few things out.

  *

  The guys won the first game they played against the second team in our division, but everyone was showing signs of weariness. We'd been in three fights and had been warned multiple times to be careful of excessive clipping.

  "You're skating on thin ice. Stop playing dirty and play smart," Coach Billows yelled at the guys and lifted his hands in the air. "Fucking fight when you want to, but don't play dirty. We're not from the slums. We do things the right way, like gentlemen. Get out there and play the game I've trained you to play. You got me?"

  Everyone mumbled their response and filed into the locker room.

  I handed coach a bottle of Gatorade and squeezed his shoulders. "What else can I get you? We have an hour between games today. You need a sandwich or snack?"

  "No, but thank you, dear." He gave me a weary smile. "I need you to go in there and slap those idiots around. We won that last game by two points. Two points!"

  "We should have smoked that team." I glanced over to the other side of the rink. "We're the automatic bid. We should crush all these teams in our division."

  "Yes. Thank you." He rolled his eyes and waved his arms dramatically. "Finally. A woman who understands hockey. Are you married?"

  I laughed. "No, but you're not at all my type. You still have all of your teeth."

  He smirked. "All right. Let's make sure the water tank is filled in there, and I'll go check to see if anyone needs to be patched up."

  "All right." I turned to go as a tall older man called for Coach Billows.

  I moved into the players’ bench area and started to clean up as the two men talked loudly behind me. They'd known each other for a long time from what I could tell.

  "So I was thinking maybe we would take you and Lucas to dinner tonight if you're both up for it. If not, we can wait until tomorrow after you guys win this whole fucking thing, but I figured you might want to celebrate with your team then."

  "Let's go tonight. Lucas would be thrilled to get to meet you in person, Charlie. It's a rare treat that you guys send down your top dog." Coach laughed loudly and the two of them moved from pleasantries into talking about the good old days when they played hockey together.

  I walked past and turned only to see if I could make out who the guy was. I didn't know him by his appearance, but the logo on his shirt made it all too clear.

  Charlie was 'the Charles Donahue' - General Manager of the Washington Capitals.

  *

  Lucas found me after the last game with blood running down the side of his face, and sweat staining his whole uniform.

  "We did it." He picked me up at the edge of the rink and spun me around. "Did you see that great play by Geoff? Fuck, that was amazing. He's never played like that."

  "You all did great." I pulled a rag from my back pocket and blotted his head. "Let me see this."

  "It's good, baby. Really." He moved back and hugged Jayce as he moved up. "We did it, dude. Tomorrow is the big game. We're in the Frozen Four!"

  "You knew we would be, you cocky bitch." Jayce pushed at Lucas, who returned the push.

  I laughed and leaned against the railing, watching the two men I loved most grow closer.

  "Lucas." Coach moved past me, touching my shoulder for balance as he did.

  I offered him a hand and then moved over to rest my chin on my clasped hands.

  "We need to have dinner with Charlie Donahue tonight. He's here to see you." Coach laughed at Lucas, and Jayce wrapped him in a bear hug and picked the poor guy off the ground.

  "Awww... I wish I could but-"

  "Go. You need to go and get the details. Go. I'll have dinner with my brother or Layla. You and I will have lots of dinners," I butted in.

  He skated over to me and lifted up to his toes to kiss me. "Come with me. You need to ask your questions too."

  "No. This is your moment. Go have it and come snuggle me up when you get done."

  His lips turned down into a cute frown. "You sure?"

  "Positive. I'm so proud of you, baby." I kissed him once more. "Now, go shower and have fun at dinner."

  "All right. Wait up for me. Okay?"

  "Promise." I smiled and turned to find the girls waiting for me. Lucas needed to hear all the details about what the Capitals were offering. Only then could he make a good choice - the right decision.

  “Aubrey. Can I talk to you for a minute?” Lizzy bounced up to stand in front of me.

  A smile lifted my lips. “You bet. What’s going on? Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I just wanted to tell you that Lucas and I are cool. I mean, he’s a really great guy, but you two are perfect for each other. I just didn’t want you to think that I was trying to move in on him.” She shrugged and gave me a shy smile. “He’s just one of the guys, you know?”

  “I do. I should have told you that we were starting to date. We’ve just been so busy, and trying to figure out if we’re together or not is a chore.” I gave her a silly look. “I trust you completely.”

  “Good.” She let out a sigh and pulled me into a hug. “Lucas is great, but I can’t live without you.”

  I smiled and patted her back. “I feel the same about you, Lizzy. You’ll find your Lucas one day too.”

  “Man, I hope so. Does he have a brother?” She laughed and moved back.

  I didn’t answer her question. It was too depressing to think about.

  Chapter 35

  Lucas
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  My mind was spinning with the possibilities of what the future could look like as I stumbled back to the room exhausted just after midnight. I'd meant to get back to Aubrey earlier, but Coach and Charlie were too damn much fun. They had more confidence in me than I had in myself – keeping me out so damn late.

  I fumbled my key at the door, and took damn near forever to get inside. My girl was curled up on her side, sleeping soundly when I walked in.

  "I wish you were up." I walked toward the bed and brushed her hair back. "I want to tell you everything. I'm going to make a shit-ton of money for us, and you don't ever have to work a day in your life, if you don't want to. I'll provide everything you need. All of it."

  I moved down to my knees and wrapped my arms around her, pressing my face to the sweet curve of her neck and breathing in.

  "Lucas?" she whispered and rolled over toward me. "I was getting worried."

  Her sleepy tone left my heart on fire for her.

  "I'm right here, baby. Let me change and I'll come hold you, okay?" I kissed her a few times as she pawed at me with her eyes closed.

  "I tried to wait up. I wanted to-"

  "Shhhh." I touched her lips. "Stretch out and I'll be right here."

  She rolled back over and made a cute noise as I got up and stripped out of my clothes. I turned off all the lights and crawled into bed behind her, wrapping myself around her warm body as tightly as I could.

  "You awake?" I brushed my lips by her ear.

  "Mmhmm," she mumbled.

  I smiled and slid my hands over her taut flesh up to cup her breasts. My cock hardened to the point of throbbing, but she was tired, and we'd been fucking a lot lately. She needed to know that where her body left me drooling and bent over, she was so much more than the physical. She was everything I wanted in my life. I could easily see her as my wife, the mother to my kids, the warmth that I rested against each day no matter what life threw our way.