by Maya Hughes
“I know. I made the same case to the deans. They looked at the rest of your grades, and you’re not just passing those classes too, you’re doing well. A real shift in attitude, even if it comes a bit late, but beggars can’t be choosers.” He dropped the folder into my lap, and I stared down at it, almost afraid to look. “And that’s why Declan’s back on the team.
“You looked good out there, kid. We need you out there and going strong like that. Keep that up and the championship is a lock. Go grab a shower. See you on the ice bright and early tomorrow. Bring your A game like you did today.” He clapped me on the shoulder, and I glanced over at Preston with a smile so wide my cheeks hurt. We both shot up from our chairs and hustled out of the room before he changed his mind.
Swinging the office door open, I was tackled to the wall by an overly large, sweaty as hell blond asshole.
“I told you it would all work out!” He lifted me off the ground, which was not easy to do for anyone who didn’t have the excitement level of a Labrador retriever and the ability to bench press 350 pounds.
“I take it you heard,” I wheezed, walking back toward the locker room.
“Yes! I knew it. See, things always work out, man. You’ve just got to believe in the universe.”
“Looks like you were right this time.” We barreled into the locker room with smiles so big the entire team already knew what had happened. Heath also clued them in by screaming, “Declan the Demolisher is back,” at the top of his lungs the minute the door opened. Everyone stared at him like he’d grown a second head because no one had ever in their life called me “Declan the Demolisher.”
Piecing it together, everyone dropped what they were doing and came up to throw out back-thumping hugs and slick handshakes. Finally, I’d be able to skate beside them every day we took the ice and I had one person to thank. After peeling off my sweaty gear, I headed for the shower. What I wouldn’t give to crawl back into bed with her and deliver the good news the best way I knew how.
She had me all twisted up in knots, smiling when I shouldn’t be and never more certain that she was the one for me than I was in that moment. I should be ready to go out and party it up with the guys. Drinking my face off—well, the hockey season version of that—to celebrate.
All I wanted to do was run back to her apartment and lay in bed with her, showing her just how much I appreciated all her hard work throughout the semester, whipping me into shape.
22
Makenna
The insistent buzz vibrated somewhere almost nonstop for five minutes. Groggy, I rubbed my eyes, trying to find my phone. Last night we’d gotten a little bit adventurous, and it had ended up on the floor. My head cleared, and I dropped over the edge of my mattress, groaning at my sore muscles. Declan had been better than any workout I’d ever tried.
Spotting it under the bed, I reached out and snatched it up off the floor. My heart pounded. Was it my mom? The screen flashed SEX GOD, and I let out a sigh and tapped on ‘Accept’. He’d changed it at some point, and it had taken me forever to notice. I really should lock that damn phone.
“Books, where you been? Answer your door!”
“You were just here like two hours ago. Did you forget something?” I slid out of bed and glanced around the room, looking for what it might be. His shirt was flung over the back of my desk chair. A pair of his shoes sat in the corner.
“I think I did, but I’m going to have to help you look for it.” His voice went all growly like it always did when he was trying to get under my skin in the very best of ways. I tiptoed to the front door, not wanting to take up Tracy and Fiona, who’d rolled in, in the wee hours of the morning. Turning the handle, I opened the door. I crossed my arms over my chest as a cold gust of air swept in around him.
“What did you forget?” I bounced from foot to foot, trying to protect my body with the door.
“This.” He crossed the threshold and wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off my feet. The chill from his coat made me break out into goosebumps.
Kicking the door shut behind him, he stared into my eyes before ducking his head. His lips were cold from being outside, but we quickly warmed them back up. My body tingled in anticipation of his touch. Not through his coat, but back under the covers. He laughed with his lips still pressed to mine, and joy and excitement radiated off him. His smile showed off his eagerness and anticipation.
“Would you two get a room?” Fiona joked behind us.
We both turned our heads, watching her as she poured a giant mug of coffee. I ran my hand along Declan’s face, warming him up. He peered down at me, and I could tell he was almost giddy.
“What is it?”
“I’m back on the team!”
I yelped and wrapped my arms tighter around him. His happiness was infectious, and I couldn’t help grinning.
“Thank God.” Our heads turned at the same time as Fiona stared at us over the brim of her mug before holding up her hand. “Right, sorry. Private moment.” She headed back down the hall to her room.
“I couldn’t have done it without you.” He ran his hands up and down my arms.
“You could have.” And I meant it. Everything I’d thought about him when the semester started had been all wrong.
“Maybe, but I know it wouldn’t have been half as fun.” He stepped backward, doing a tango of sorts as he corralled me back into my bedroom and closed the door behind us.
The glint in his eye told me everything I needed to know about his plans for celebration. My achy and sore muscles seemed ready to rally for some celebratory nooky.
“You’re seriously going to break my vagina if you keep this up.” I cupped my hands over the front of my boxer pajamas.
“I know one way to help soothe you.” He bit his bottom lip.
My eyes got wide, and I shook my head. “Oh no, mister. Don’t get any funny ideas. I don’t know what kind of girl you think I am. We are strictly sticking to sex for the next two hours. No more, no less and then I need to go to work.”
“That’s just the kind of girl I thought you were, Books.”
My knees hit the edge of my bed and I sat. My stomach flipped as he got closer, popping open the buttons to his coat.
He slipped his hands under the waistband of my shorts. “Just the kind of girl I need.”
Our arms were loaded down with what seemed like a hundred books. Of course Alcott would want us to pick a topic that wasn’t easily researchable online. There were some resources but not a lot. There weren’t many places that kept his PhD thesis information on hand, which meant we’d been stuck in the library every chance we got. We couldn’t even check these books out; they had to stay on premises.
Glancing over at him, I had to admit Declan looked pretty hot with his muscles bulging around a giant stack of books. Rippling biceps and musty old books walking through the stacks to my study room. It was almost obscene.
He leaned down, his hot breath tickling the shell of my ear.
“I can see what you’re thinking, Books. Who knew you had such a dirty, dirty mind. Heath’s out tonight. Let’s go back to my place and we can work through another item on the list.”
My gaze darted around to the few study carrels with people in them. Had they heard?
I blushed as my mind cycled through the ones we’d already tried. He’d managed to tease the sexploration list out of me after a night of sexual torture until I fessed up. Thirty-seven positions and locations. Over the past two weeks we’d made it through almost fifteen.
Opening the door to my study room, I laughed at how full it already was. Maybe I’d gone a little overboard. We dropped the books onto the desk. The second the door slammed shut behind us, his arms caged me in with his chest pressed against my back as I arranged them by the section in our paper. Warm, soft lips trailed their way along the curve of my neck as I tilted my head to give him better access. It was like this every time we were anywhere alone. Even in a room with a small window beside the door like this one.
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“We’re supposed to be working.” My stomach fluttered, and my breath hitched as he gently sank his teeth into the spot just below my ear that he’d discovered turned me into a puddle of writhing sexual need. He’d weaponized that knowledge.
“Then maybe a certain someone shouldn’t have been looking at me that way when I carried all those books.” He growled and nudged my ass with what I guessed was a very large banana.
“Are we going to have to switch to the sexual reward system to keep you on task?” I stopped stacking because I couldn’t keep track of what I was doing.
“I’m not going to say no to that, but this isn’t why I came here.” He stopped his full court press and let up a little. I glanced at him over my shoulder. Mischief and desire danced in his eyes.
“It’s not?” I poked my tongue out to wet my suddenly dry lips.
“Don’t tease me, Books, or I’m going to have you screaming this place down, and you’ll lose your study room privileges,” he taunted with a big grin.
“Fine. Fine, you win. Why did you come?” I spun around, and he lifted me up so I sat on the desk. His hips wedged between my open legs.
“Since I’m back on the team…” Excitement and pride ran through his voice. He was so adorable.
“Yes?” I sucked in a sharp breath as his fingers danced along my spine, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
“I figured I should probably ask.” His hand moved in slow circles across my skin.
My breath hitched as I looped my arms around his neck.
“Ask what? And you should have seen people losing their minds after your last game. Now I see why they needed more people specifically on those after shifts.” I’d beamed as I wove my way through the crowds. They talked about him and the rest of the guys after their games with so much awe.
There were play-by-plays and reenactments throughout the bar for the nights of their first and second games. It was such a weird feeling, but good. It made my shifts go a lot quicker, and people were extra generous with their tips.
“So, you’ve been keeping track of me?”
“Maybe… The team won the first game by four goals, and you scored two of them.”
I ran my fingers along the curls above his ears. His dark strands slid through my fingers as he smiled down at me.
“What?” I asked because he was looking at me so slyly.
“Nothing.” He kept his grin plastered on. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the transition we’d made. From high school enemies to begrudging class partners to whatever we were. Almost two months ago we’d been ready to murder each other, but today that was all different.
Things had progressed a little with each hour we spent together, and those old hostile feelings fell away. While it had happened over almost two months, I still felt like I had whiplash from it all.
I still had no idea what I was to him, and there was no way in hell I was having the talk with him. There hadn’t been a talk, and I didn’t want there to be. I was enjoying living in the moment with him.
For some reason defining what this was felt scarier because then it was real. Like something I’d have to think about and evaluate and make a decision on. I was enjoying just being for a bit.
“Will you come to one of my games?” He tugged on the end of my braid.
“I don’t think Larry would appreciate me missing a shift since he hired me especially for those shifts.”
“I think if there was a special request from some members of the team, he might give you a break just once.”
“I’m not really a hockey person. I don’t know anything about the rules. I’ll be sitting in the stands on my phone the whole time, trying to figure out what’s going on.” I trailed my fingers along his forearms on either side of me.
“I’m sure you can study up between now and then and figure out the basics.” His hand inched higher along my back, toying with the bottom of my bra. He was always a temptation. I’d watched a few hockey games before, and the ferocity of the players out on the ice and the violence had been a quick way to make sure I didn’t come back.
“I’m not big into sports—”
“Please, I want you there. You helped me get back onto the ice, and I want you there to see the fruits of your labors at least once.” Sincerity and uncertainty shone in his eyes. A small pang hit my heart, and I knew I couldn’t say no to him. Letting out a deep sigh, I tilted my head to the side.
“When?”
“We’re away this weekend for our games in Ohio, but we’ll have a game here in two weeks.”
“That’s close to finals prep week.” My mind raced through all the lab work, papers, and exams that all bunched together around Thanksgiving.
“You’re the most prepared and capable person I know. I’m sure you’re already weeks ahead in everything you have to get done. One game. That’s all I’m asking. Three hours of your time to watch me out on the ice trying not to get my teeth knocked out.”
I winced. That was part of the reason I hadn’t wanted to go when I found out he was back on the team.
“I don’t think I could handle watching you out on the ice getting hit.” My fingers skimmed across the soft fabric of his t-shirt.
“Look at you, Ms. Softie.”
Peering up at his big, goofy grin, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’m not the one you have to worry about. I’m one of the best players out there, and it’s everyone else who needs to watch out for me. I’m not partial to getting my bell rung; I prefer to ring other people’s, and I promise you I’ll do my best to ensure all my teeth stay firmly in my head for whatever game you watch.”
“I still don’t know anything about hockey.”
“Not to worry. I can solve that right now.” He grabbed my hand and tugged me off the desk. Picking up my bag and his off the floor, he smirked at me. It was one I’d seen hundreds of times. Back in high school it made me want to wipe it right off his face, even a few weeks ago it got under my skin, but now it was different. I lived for those moments. The little looks that made me forget to breathe or the smile that was only for me. He’d rewritten our story and I didn’t know how many more pages were left. He hustled me out of the study room, down the steps and out of the library.
“Where are we going? We didn’t even finish what we had to get done.”
“We’re going to your car. I will stay with you every night all week to make sure we finish the work. But I couldn’t pass up this chance.” He pulled out his phone, tapping away on the screen as we headed to my car.
With some prodding and repeated questions, I needled him for information, but he wouldn’t say anything until we pulled up outside the stadium. I leaned forward on the steering wheel and peered up at the building looming in front of us through the windshield. Pushing my glasses up my nose, I glanced over at him.
“What are we doing here?”
“I’m going to teach you the rules.” He tapped on his phone and slid it into his pocket. “Let’s go.” Jogging around the back of the car, he smiled at me in the rearview mirror. My body hummed as he opened my door and held out his hand. I hesitated before sliding my hand into his hold. Keeping my eyes on the building, I tightened my fingers threaded through his. He guided me toward a set of steel doors. There was an older man standing at one of the entrances.
“You have one hour, and you’d better not screw anything up.” His voice was deep and gruff, and he tugged the door open, slapping a set of keys into Declan’s hand and closing the door behind us.
The chill outside did nothing to prepare me for the frigid temperatures inside, even with my coat on.
“Come on, let’s get you ready.” Rushing like a kid in a candy store, he hustled us to the rink. Opening a door I hadn’t even noticed, he popped onto the bench along the side of the ice. Sitting neatly arranged on the nicked and scuffed wood were a couple pairs of gloves, a hat, and a few pairs of skates on the floor.
Patting his hand on the spot beside
him, he beckoned me over. The nervous energy had me all wrapped up in knots, but his wide smile calmed me. He had the annoying habit of being able to do that. With my lips tight, I sat on the bench with my legs rubbing alongside his.
“You arranged all this?” I glanced around the rink, which was lit up with small spotlights. The massive overhead lights weren’t on, but there was a soft, gentle glow to the rink.
“I figured the best way to teach you was to show you.” He grinned up at me as he lifted the skates and compared them to my feet. Lifting my foot, he slid my shoe off.
“You want me to get on the ice?” I squeaked.
“No, I brought you to the rink to check out my diving technique. Yes, we are going out onto the ice once I find the skates that will work for you.”
The cold air of the building sank into my sock-covered toes. I wiggled them to try to warm them a little.
“These.” He grabbed the last pair of skates and slid one onto my foot. “I never noticed you had such big feet.”
I punched him in the arm as he laughed and laced up my skates. “I do not have big feet!”
“I mean, they aren’t exactly dainty. I’m sure they come in handy when you need to put your foot down on someone’s throat and show them who’s boss.”
“Yeah, there’s a certain someone who’s about to know exactly how it feels to have a size ten skate shoved right up their ass.” I leaned back, holding on to the bench as he grabbed my other foot and got me ready.
I fixed my fingers in the gloves while he got into his skates in a blink. Picking up the two sticks leaning against the Plexiglas behind us and tucking a bag of pucks under his arm, Declan opened the half door leading to the ice.
Holding out his hand, he grinned back at me. I’d never seen him this excited before. Well, that was a lie. Outside of the bedroom or study room or any other place where we were alone where he thought he might get some, I’d never seen him this excited.