Save of the Game

by Avon Gale

  In answer to that, Riley grabbed Ethan, spun him around, and shoved him up against the wall. Riley was still tipsy and definitely excited, and it made him a little rougher than he should be, so he pressed a quick kiss beneath Ethan’s ear. “You okay?”

  Ethan was quiet for a minute. Then he turned to look over his shoulder. “I get off thinking about that video too,” he said. Riley filtered those words through his lust and the vodka and blinked, not sure he understood. Ethan tilted his head back a little so he could look into Riley’s eyes. “I want this, Riley. That’s what I’m saying. I want you to have it like you want. Don’t… don’t ask if I’m okay, or if it’s too much. All right? I know it won’t be. I trust you. So you gotta trust me when I tell you I want it. Just do it.”

  Riley would have smiled, but the heat momentarily overwhelmed him, and he found it too difficult to do anything but pant against Ethan’s neck. “Yeah. Okay. Fight me.”

  Riley was close enough to hear Ethan’s breath hitch, and then Ethan started fighting. And he wasn’t fucking around either. He wasn’t angry, like during their fight about the checks, but he definitely wasn’t giving it up. It took Riley more than one try to get Ethan’s arms pinned, and after the first time he managed it, he dropped the laces and Ethan managed to wriggle free.

  Riley caught him and shoved him back against the wall, but the laces had to wait because there was a lot of kissing. Riley flipped him around again and was finally able to get one lace around Ethan’s wrist.

  “You’re so hot,” Ethan said. “I never want anyone to win, you know. Just you.”

  Riley’s fingers fumbled with the laces because that was the hottest thing he’d ever heard. “Good,” he said. Then he flipped them around so Ethan was on his knees and Riley’s back was to the wall.

  Riley moaned as he looked down at Ethan—all flushed and bare-chested, with the beginning scruff of beard and his wrists tied behind his back. “Fuck, Ethan.”

  Ethan smirked up at him with his mouth closed, and Riley was confused until he realized Ethan was trying to get Riley to make him open it. Riley managed to get his pants undone, and the first touch of his fingers on his cock made him gasp and stroke himself a few times to take the edge off.

  He grabbed Ethan by the back of the neck, reached out with his free hand, and locked his fingers on either side of Ethan’s chin to pull his mouth open. Ethan’s eyes flashed, and Riley could see his shoulders move as he pulled against the laces. Ethan didn’t open his mouth until Riley applied a little more pressure to his jaw.

  He rolled his eyes when Riley finally pushed his cock in. He went slowly at first, and Ethan’s expression clearly said “Really?” Riley just kept going, tightening his fingers on the back of Ethan’s neck and watching his cock slide slowly in and out of Ethan’s mouth.

  “Take it like I want to give it to you,” Riley said, and Ethan made a sound like a moan around his cock and wriggled more. His erection was obvious and pressed up hard against the fabric of his jeans. Riley smirked. “You aren’t going to get yourself off this time,” he said, remembering the first time they did it and how Ethan took care of himself while sucking Riley off.

  Ethan kicked the floor with a booted foot and looked so hot Riley nearly came right then and there. Instead he started fucking Ethan’s mouth harder and faster, and it was thrilling to feel how Ethan’s throat closed around him as he struggled to take it and breathe, and how he looked pulling and twisting against the restraints around his wrists. It was a messy-as-fuck blow job, because Ethan was choking and Riley was sure Ethan’s eyes were watering, but he trusted Ethan meant it when he told him to go for it—so he did.

  The whole thing was hotter than Riley could have imagined, but it wasn’t just the admittedly amazing sight of Ethan Kennedy tied up on his knees choking on Riley’s cock. It wasn’t even how good it felt, which was very good—maybe the best it’d ever been. It was something that video couldn’t express. All the control Riley had, which he loved, he had because Ethan gave it to him. When Ethan finally stopped pulling and twisting and just took it, his jaw relaxed and he looked fierce and trusting. His expression clearly said “You won” and Riley came so hard he couldn’t stand up when it was over.

  Ethan was panting, a sweaty mess, trying to wipe his mouth with his shoulder. He didn’t say anything, but he looked relaxed and really pleased with himself, and Riley couldn’t blame him. Riley finally pushed himself up on his knees so he was facing Ethan, took his face in his hands, and kissed him hotly.

  Ethan kissed him back, then growled and bit lightly at his mouth. “Still… not good… with breathing quite yet.”

  “Uh-huh.” Riley pulled away. His head was reeling. It was better than drinking, maybe better than hockey. It was the sex equivalent of a shutout.

  “Are you giggling?” Ethan gasped, hauling in another deep breath. “You’re so weird.”

  Riley leaned back against the wall, spread his legs, and said, “Come here.”

  “Not done yet, are you?” Ethan asked, his eyebrows raised.

  “You’re not untied yet. Are you?”

  Ethan stared at him for a few seconds, his mouth slightly parted as he still fought to catch his breath. “Fuck, Riley.” He scooted forward on his knees, but Riley took him by the shoulders, turned him around, and pushed gently so Ethan wasn’t kneeling anymore, but was instead sitting with his back to Riley’s chest.

  Riley checked the skate laces and frowned at the red marks on Ethan’s skin. He slipped a finger beneath the laces, making sure they weren’t cutting off circulation too badly. Riley was going to have to do some research about rope that could be tied around someone’s extremities for a longer period of time without being dangerous. He leaned forward and mouthed at Ethan’s neck. “Gonna get you off now.”

  “Yeah? Good.” Ethan settled back against him. Or he tried. It wasn’t easy with his arms in the way, but Riley liked how Ethan looked too much to take the laces off just yet.

  He reached around Ethan and got his pants off, which made Ethan shiver and immediately start wriggling, twisting, and trying to thrust his cock into Riley’s hand. Riley stopped moving and bit him a little harder on the neck. “Stop that.”

  “Stop? Seriously?” Ethan asked.

  “You’ll hurt your wrists. Just be still.”

  “Oh my God, boyfriend. Your control fetish is—wait. Actually it’s pretty awesome. Who the fuck am I kidding? I’ll try.” Ethan looked over his shoulder and grinned. “I’m giving you vodka more often, if this is what it does.”

  “It’s not the vodka,” Riley said, and started to move his hand again. “It’s you.”

  Ethan lowered his gaze, and Riley stopped moving his hand. “No. Don’t do that. Look at me. I want you to.”

  “This isn’t that comfortable, dude,” Ethan said. “I’ll get a crick in my neck.”

  “Then you better do what I say so you get off faster,” Riley said. Ethan glared, but Riley could feel Ethan’s cock pulse in his hand, as loosely as he was holding it, so he knew Ethan liked that. “You like it when I do this. Don’t you?”

  “Jack me off? Yeah. Duh.”

  Riley shook his head, tightened his grip, and picked up his pace. “Make you take it.”

  “Didn’t you figure that out the first time we did this? When I told you I did?” Ethan groaned when Riley stopped. “Yes. Fuck. I like it.”

  Riley held his hand up in front of Ethan’s face. “Lick.”

  Ethan blinked and flushed red. “Vodka. Every fucking day. I’m not even kidding.” He leaned forward and ran his tongue up and down Riley’s palm. Then Riley slid his fingers into Ethan’s mouth and told him to suck.

  When his hand was wet, he reached down again and slid it over Ethan’s cock, hard and fast. He brushed his thumb over the tip and rubbed at Ethan’s balls with his fingers. Ethan liked that, and the noises he made when Riley did it were hot as fuck. When Ethan moved too much and strained against the skate laces in a dangerous way, Riley stopped altoget
her and told Ethan to be still. Ethan reacted with cursing that was even hotter.

  Riley got him to the edge two or three times, stopping once just because he wanted to. It made him laugh when Ethan cursed at him and cajoled him in the same breath, saying “You cocksucking bastard” and “Please stop being a prick and get me off, asshole.”

  “You should ask nicer,” Riley said and licked up the side of Ethan’s neck.

  “You should date someone else,” Ethan huffed, but his hips were pushing into the rhythm Riley set. Riley had spent a lot of time getting Ethan off, so he knew when he was close, and he let him do it. He didn’t stop until Ethan went tense, shuddered hard, and spilled over Riley’s fist. Riley stroked him until Ethan made a vague sound of protest and slumped forward. Then he gently untied Ethan’s wrists and pulled him back so he was leaning with his head on Riley’s chest, and Riley put his arms around him until they both calmed down.

  “Thanks,” Riley said drowsily, his chin on the top of Ethan’s head.

  “Hmm? Yeah. ’Kay. Welcome.” Ethan closed his eyes. “That what you wanted?”

  You’re what I wanted. “Yeah.” They were quiet and content, and Riley didn’t think he’d ever been happier in his goddamn life.

  Winning was great.

  Chapter Nineteen

  THE JACKSONVILLE Sea Storm defeated the Athens Ice Dogs in five games, sending them to the finals. They won the game in Athens, but there were so many Storm fans in attendance—and so few Ice Dog fans—that it almost seemed like they were playing in front of their home crowd.

  They had a few days rest before the finals started, and Ethan took the opportunity to chill out and play some video games—and sneak a cigarette or two when Riley was at goalie practice. Not that it ever fooled him. Quitting smoking sucked, but Ethan knew it was bad for him, especially with the finals coming up.

  It made Ethan think about next season, as he had no idea if he’d still be with the Storm. He’d been playing pretty good hockey, and the conditioning was paying off, but Ethan knew himself. If he went home for the summer, he’d end up doing the same thing as last year and show up for camp out of shape and smoking again. And he wanted to stay with Riley. He’d miss his family, but he knew there was no way he’d leave Riley in Florida.

  Luckily Riley’s Christmas gift meant his family was on their way to visit. They were staying at the Ponte Vedre Inn and Club, the nicest hotel in the area, and would be able to travel to see the Storm play whoever it was they would face in the finals. The Western Conference championships were between the Tulsa Phoenixes and the Vegas Blackjacks. But the series hadn’t started because all the previous rounds in the Western Conference had gone to seven games. That meant they had a bit of a break, but Ethan and the rest of the team were keyed up and ready to play. It wasn’t good to have too much time off. It meant Ethan spent too much time thinking—and also smoking.

  Ethan was playing Grand Theft Auto when there was a knock at the door. Riley sometimes forgot to lock their door because he grew up in Wyoming with a security system. But Ethan grew up in New York City, so the first thing he always did was lock the door when he came home. So he couldn’t just call out, “Come in,” and go back to driving a tank over an airport. A shame.

  He found a girl standing in front of their apartment, and Ethan knew without a doubt that she had to be related to Riley. She looked just like him—same dark hair and dark eyes. She wasn’t quite as tall, but she was nicely curvaceous in a way he definitely appreciated. He finally knew how Riley felt. You shouldn’t find your boyfriend’s sister hot.

  Or maybe you should. He was bisexual, so he still liked girls. Definitely still liked them. But not this one because she was Riley’s sister. Right.

  “Umm,” the girl said, “is Riley here?”

  Ethan realized he was staring like an idiot. He smiled quickly, shook his head, and stepped back. “He’s at goalie practice, but he should be home soon.” She had a suitcase, and Ethan was a gentleman, so he reached out to take it from her.

  Of course she had no idea who he was and stepped quickly in front of it, arms crossed over her chest. “Who are you?”

  Oh right. Strange guy with tattoos, a freshly shaved head, and sporting a respectable playoff beard. “Ethan,” he answered. “I live here too,” he reassured her. “Come on in.”

  “Oh.” She picked up her bag and followed him inside. “I’m Madison Hunter. Riley’s sister.”

  Ethan tried to work out how to phrase the next bit politely. “He didn’t mention… I mean, I didn’t know you were coming to town.”

  She gave him the same stubborn look Riley did when Ethan tried to score on Riley at practice by doing fancy shoot-out moves that he would never, ever need in real life. “Because he doesn’t know.”

  Right. At least they were on the same page. Ethan waved a hand toward the sofa. “Have a seat. You want a beer?” Fuck. Was she even old enough to have one? “You’re twenty-one. Right?”

  Madison stared at him without moving. “Are you serious?”

  He was sure Riley had mentioned that Madison was his younger sister, but he didn’t know exactly how much younger she was. And he remembered that none of Riley’s family had called him on his birthday. Ethan’s had called, sent a card, and, because his mom was determined to make up for lack of parental attention, shipped some snickerdoodles that Ethan was sure she picked up at a bakery. Suddenly he wasn’t quite so inclined to be nice—or offer beer, even if she was of age.

  “I’m twenty-three,” she informed him. Ethan nodded and went to the kitchen. His loyalty to Riley and his ingrained be-nice-to-women manners battled head-on. He wasn’t sure who was winning, so he gave up and brought two bottles into the living room.

  Madison looked like he’d just handed her a snake. “A bottle?”

  “What? You only like beer in a can?” he joked. “Even I’m classier than that.”

  “People usually drink out of glasses.” She sniffed and arranged herself with perfect posture on the sofa.

  “Maybe where you’re from,” he said. “So what brings you to Jacksonville?”

  “It’s family business,” she said stiffly, holding her beer bottle in a death grip. All of a sudden, Ethan realized she was nervous and uncertain of the welcome she was going to get when her brother got home. That immediately made him feel bad for her.

  “Riley’s practice ended about ten minutes ago, so he should be home soon. He usually brings pizza,” he offered as an enticement.

  “I’m limiting my carb intake and I don’t eat dairy,” she said, taking a minuscule sip of her beer.

  “Want me to text him and tell him to bring you some chicken wings?” Ethan asked, wondering what it must be like to be rich enough to exclude carbs and dairy from your diet. Ethan and his sisters would have starved to death if it weren’t for pasta, bread, and cheese.

  “Do I look like a chicken-wings kind of girl?” Madison asked with a slight hint of self-deprecating humor.

  “Maybe you haven’t had really good ones,” Ethan said.

  That seemed to cheer Madison up, and she gave him the smallest of smiles. “Maybe I haven’t. Thanks for the beer, Ethan. I’m sorry I’m being awful. I’m just nervous.”

  Ethan waved a hand. “Don’t worry. It’s cool. You want me to text Riley and tell him you’re here?”

  Madison shook her head. Repeatedly. “No. It’s fine. I can stay at a hotel. If he doesn’t want me to stay here, I mean.”

  “Oh, he won’t mind,” Ethan said, though maybe he shouldn’t be so quick to say that. Ethan would never be anything but thrilled if his sisters showed up unexpectedly, but Riley’s family didn’t even call each other on holidays. “You ever been to Jacksonville before?”

  “No,” Madison said. She looked around and said, “We always go to the Gulf. The water’s better.”

  “Like, the tap water?” Ethan cocked his head. Did that really matter to people? Huh.

  She gave him that look again, the one that was maybe a
Hunter family trait. “The ocean water.”

  “Oh. Better, how?” Rich people were weird. Who actually went somewhere based on that?

  “Snorkeling. It’s prettier too. Calmer.”

  “So you like your ocean to be boring, is what you’re saying,” Ethan said, and she smiled a little, even though he wasn’t joking. “You want a snack? Apples and peanut butter?” Fuck. He was turning into his mother.

  “Do you play on Riley’s team?”

  That made Ethan want to giggle, but he nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Why aren’t you at the same practice he is?”

  “I’m a defenseman. And honestly? I get in a lot of fights. I’m the team enforcer. So it’s not really the kind of thing you can practice. You know.”

  Madison looked down at her lap again. “Not really. I don’t know anything about hockey.”

  She apparently didn’t know anything about Riley either. The door opened and Ethan was spared having to come up with something to say. Riley had his gear bag slung over his shoulder and was holding a pizza box in one hand and a box of coconut water in the other. No booze during the playoffs for Riley. And after that night he got drunk on vodka, Riley had sworn off drinking for a little while, anyway.

  “Hey, boyfriend, come here and take this pizza box before it burns my hand off,” Riley called. Ethan winced because Madison didn’t know he and Riley were dating. That was for sure.

  “Uh. Yeah,” Ethan called and walked over to take the box. “So your sister’s here.”

  Once Ethan took the pizza box, Riley could obviously see his sister in their living room. His eyes went wide. “Madison?”

  “Hi, Riley.”

  The box really was hot, so Ethan took it into the kitchen, opened it, and looked around for some paper plates while he gave brother and sister a few moments to say hello.

  He grabbed Riley a beer. Fuck the coconut water, man. This called for some low-level alcohol content.

  “What are you doing here?” Riley asked his sister. Ethan gave him the beer and noted that they hadn’t hugged or anything. Madison was standing, but she hadn’t moved, and Riley was still at the door.