by Amy Brent
He ended up home late and a little buzzed as he made his way to his dorm in the nice slacks and button up shirt that coach preferred they wear after games. Tonight, it had made sense seeing the Avalanche dressed up after their win. The guys were nothing but professional to the fans, but they let it go a little as they talked closely with Colton and his teammates. Colton walked to his room and noticed a stack of papers on the desk that served as their help center during the day and grabbed one randomly before he unlocked his dorm and went inside. Colton dropped the document down on the bed as he showered under the hottest water that he could stand and dressed in workout shorts.
He knew that there was something of a school newspaper, but Colton had never read it before. It might be worth it just to see what’s in there about the team. He grabbed a cold water from the form fridge that he had in the room and sat down to enjoy the high from the night and read some of the articles. Colton flipped through the social section and then happened upon a story about a festival that was coming up near the school and his eyes read the name of the journalist.
Amy Baker.
He tried to think of what her last name was but reading through it; Colton was impressed with the flow and writing style. It was a bit more descriptive than some articles but not so much so that he couldn’t read it. It was very well written and he sensed that this Amy loved music and felt a lot from it. It was how he felt about hockey.
Speaking of which, he found that page and read a stellar article about the year the team was having. That made him happy, and he settled back into his pillows as his eyelids started to get heavy and his body aches made it too much for him to move. Colton closed his eyes after he made sure that his alarm was set for his early Calculus class the next morning.
Colton left his room in a hurry with enough time to get a coffee at the small outside cafe that was in the middle of the courtyard. He paid the girl and told her to keep the change from the five as he rushed through the paths and into his building. He made it just in time for class and found his seat in the back as he let out a sigh of relief.
The day dragged as he went from class to class and finally he could grab a bite to eat. Colton headed to the door of the corner cafe to get a sandwich and looked around for some of the guys that he usually found in here. Randy waved from the corner table, and Colton brought his food over there as soon as he got it. “How are you feeling today?”
“A little sore. Those guys were brutal yesterday,” Colton replied as he took a swig of water from the bottle. “I took some pain pills this morning, and I don’t often do that.”
“I hear that. We should work out later today and stretch out a bit.” Not like they didn’t. Colton nodded as he saw Amy walk into the building with a focused look on her face. Her hair was twisted up on her head and wrapped in a bandanna that matched the jeans that she wore with a loose purple shirt that flowed around her waist.
“Great article, Amy!” Colton heard someone say as they walked up to her and tapped on her shoulder. The girl tapped on her shoulder and Amy clearly jumped before she turned around with wide eyes. “Are you going to Green this year? It sounds fantastic.” The two girls went to get some food and found a table across the room from Colton and he turned his attention to his sandwich as Randy said something about a shared class.
Colton looked over a couple of times to see her looking towards him, and she scowled and looked away each time they locked gazes. It was frustrating him, and they had barely done anything in the whole spectrum of life, but she was another player’s girl. That meant a lot to Colton even if the boyfriend was such a jackass.
He still wanted her so badly. Colton finished his late lunch and headed out with Randy to their next class and the last one of the day before they went to the gym. Colton took a long look at Amy on the way out as he thought to himself how beautiful she was and stepped outside into the sun. He thought back to the dream that he had the night before about her, one that involved much more than just a hand job and being in her mouth for a few moments. He had had her on her knees on his bed and was buried inside of her as she moaned his name and rocked wildly against him. He could still feel her ass against him and Colton remembered how he’d jerked himself off first thing this morning in memory of the images. Colton told himself to surrender the fantasy and stick to the available girls since it would only be in his dreams the way things stood right now.
Colton went to the dorms after the gym, stretched out and feeling a lot better. He needed a shower, but he could do that in his room in privacy. The sitting area was crowded as he strolled by and he casually waved in response to the people that called his name. He unlocked his door and entered as he dropped his backpack to the floor and started stripping off the clothes he’d worked out in. Colton was just ready to step into the shower when there was a knock at the door. “What?” Colton called as he stared at the bathroom door longingly. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist and opened his door as he tucked it the fabric into the waist to hold it on.
“What was that today?” Amy asked him as her eyes flashed and he tilted his head.
CHAPTER 4
“Get inside,” Colton told her, knowing that even though Trey didn’t live in this building rumors got around. “What are you talking about?” He asked her after he closed the door and they were alone in the room.
“You walked out on me that night, and then you look at me that way?” Amy demanded as she stepped up to him. She was still in the same outfit and smelled amazing as always. “Mixed signals much?”
“Unless you’re suddenly single, nothing can happen with us.” Colton reminded her wearily as he ran a hand through his hair. “As much as I wish it could.” His voice was low for that, but she still widened her eyes.
“Really?” Amy asked him as she dropped her bag and stepped up to him.
“I have to take a shower and study, Amy.” Colton was losing all of his willpower as he looked towards his bathroom again and sighed. She needed to leave before he went against all of his beliefs and needs. “You have Trey. Go to him.”
“I’m hanging by a thread with him, Colton. I have never wanted anyone like I did you that night. I have never even had anybody but Trey.” Amy told him with emotion in her eyes and face as she stared up at him. “I want something different and he’s sleeping with countless other girls.”
“So am I.” Colton reminded her as pain creased her forehead.
“I’m aware. I have a class with a girl named Kenna.” Amy said as his stomach turned. Well, shit. “Add me to your list…just this once. I haven’t been able to sleep since you left.” Amy stepped closer, and he turned to face her as his need shifted. “I want you, Colton. I have since you started on the team and I went to that first game.”
“I have never seen you at a game,” Colton told her, and she smiled and shrugged. “We all thought that you weren’t into it.”
“I am. I just get the cheaper seats and hide out. I am not into sitting with the girlfriends and puck bunnies in the front.” Amy told him with a look of disgust on her face that made him chuckle. “They’re all bitches.”
“I’ll give you that,” Colton told her as he let his shoulders roll back and took her in. “I just worked out, and I need a shower. Hence, this getup.” Colton gestured to the towel. “ Wait for me and we’ll sort this out.”
“I can do that,” Amy said as she turned to lock the door and watched him frown. “What?”
“People saw you come in here.” Colten awkwardly pointed out as she nibbled on her full lip. “Jesus, Amy.” Colton lost all willpower, and he pulled her towards him and cupped her face with one hand to kiss her hungrily. She slipped her arms around his neck and crushed his body to hers as her lips parted and they let their tongues dance together all too easily. He checked the lock and pulled her back towards the bathroom as she started to giggle.
“I think me leaving dripping would cause some commotion.” He noticed the soft drawl in her voice as she flushed. “Rinse off. I�
�ll be waiting.”
“Yeah.” Colton headed into the bathroom and cracked the door as he turned on the hot water. The fan system was shitty, and he liked to air the small basic bathroom out a bit. “Close it if the steam bugs you.”
“I doubt that it will with that view,” she called out as he heard his TV come on.
“What the fuck am I doing?” Colton asked himself as he dropped the towel and stepped into the water. It belted against his skin as he washed his hair and relaxed the muscles in his body, all while staring at himself, ready to go. He couldn’t be any harder. “Wrong place, wrong time.” He finished his shower and rinsed off completely before he grabbed a fresh towel and dried off. Colton only had some workout shorts in the bathroom, folded on the toilet, and he pulled them on. Amy was on the bed with her legs curled under her as she watched something on television and he opened the door slowly to take a look at her. He felt oddly comfortable apart from the fact that she had Trey as a boyfriend, and this was all wrong. Colton could still taste her, and he wanted more as he pushed the door open completely.
“All done?” She asked quietly, and he nodded. If they remained quiet, people out in the hall would only hear the television and he walked over to the bed. “Why do you have the paper in here?” Amy held it up, and he smiled at her.
“I was looking to read about the team and grabbed one the other night. You write for it?” Colton asked her as she nodded. “The music festival?”
“Did you read my article?” Amy asked in surprise, and he nodded as he climbed onto the bed.
“It was well-written. I’d heard that you were a writer.” Colton told her before he kissed her and slipped his hands beside her thighs. Her mouth was sweet with the taste of fruity gum, and her lips were soft as they molded against his. She opened her mouth as they deepened the kiss together and he moved his head to drive his tongue into her mouth. It was getting heated as his phone chimed on the night stand and they parted to take a few deep breaths. “Let me see if this is important.” He checked the screen to see an invite to join the guys at a bar and Colton smiled as he told James he was going to study before he tossed the phone to the floor. “They’re all going out.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips before he pulled away. “How come you’re never there with him?” Colton didn’t want to say Trey’s name since it made what he was doing all too real.
“I did at first. I was so eager to fit in then and be a part of his world, but I learned that I wasn’t like the other girls. I am here to study and get a degree, not party every night of the week. He feels like shit most of the time and you boys are lucky that you’re on the team and get to squeak by the way that you do.” Amy chided him as Colton shook his head. “Oh come on. I have heard all about you, and I saw you at the bar then. Girls all over you and it seems that nothing has changed.”
“I still study.” Colton stood up for himself as he kissed her again and they slowly moved so she was on her back and his body was pressing against hers as they moaned and breathed deeply together. Things started to move faster as he lifted her shirt and tossed it to the floor before she unhooked her pale pink bra to free herself as he stared down at her. “Gorgeous.” He kissed her swollen lips again and moved his mouth down to her neck to kiss down the softly scented skin as she whimpered softly. “I couldn’t stop staring at you in that shirt the night in your room,” Colton admitted in a whisper as he thumbed her nipples with his hands gently. He lowered his mouth to suck one between his lips as she arched her back and slid her legs between his. Amy wrapped one around his thigh and pulled him closer as he groaned into her mouth.
They stopped before they had sex but Colton was so ready to. He chose to slip his hand down her unbuttoned pants instead and finger her to a rough orgasm that rocked her whole body before he pulled out his fingers to taste her sweet honey. She was tight, and he could bury himself so far inside of her when he finally took her. “That was amazing.” Amy breathed as she relaxed against his pillows and took a deep breath.
“I agree,” Colton replied as something filled him that he had never felt. He glanced at the clock and her eyes followed.
“Oh, shit. It’s after one,” Amy said as she widened her eyes. “I have class at seven.”
“You should get some sleep then,” Colton softly murmured before he kissed her lightly. “Want me to walk you?”
“So sweet but probably a bad idea at this time of night.” Amy reluctantly told him as she stared into his eyes. They both got up clumsily and kissed for a few moments before she walked towards the door.
“I think we should keep this here,” Colton told her as she gave him a wide-eyed gaze before she reached it.
“There’s an us?”
“I know I am acting stupid, but I need more of you, Amy,” Colton told her as she lifted her lips to his for another kiss. He shoved a piece of paper into her hand that he’d scrawled his number on and told her to put it in his phone as a girlfriend. They could use that to figure out when they could get together she peeked out of the hole in the door to make sure the coast was clear before she hurried to her room.
Colton realized that his bed still smelled like her when he went to lay down again, and he closed his eyes. It was a good thing that he and Trey weren’t so close that his goalie was ever in this room. He had to know her scent well, and Colton took a deep breath as he felt sleep taking over.
In the morning, he rose early and went to get some coffee from the machine with a spring in his step. Colton shook his head as he headed back to his room to get ready for some late morning classes while he drank it. He hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep but what there had been was rich with dreams of Amy coming over and over in his mind as he just let the dream play in a loop in his mind. His phone was chiming when he came back, and he noticed a new number with a text message that told him good morning with a kiss. He saved Amy as Bree in his phone and erased the message before deleting it. He changed into some worn jeans and a bright green t-shirt with some Chucks to head over to his Comp class.
Colton was majoring in Communication just in case Hockey fell through but he felt pretty confident about that future. He couldn’t wait to talk to Amy more and learn about her major, her thoughts and her dreams. Colton stopped walking and glanced around to make sure that nobody was going to bump into him before he started moving again. Her thoughts and dreams? What the fuck was he thinking? Colton had never asked any girl about any of these things, and that included Jasmine. She was a repeat and they never really talked.
He drifted through his classes and grabbed a slice of pizza from the little place in the middle of campus and some soda since he was starting to feel tired. They had late practices almost every night of the week, so he needed some energy. Colton also knew that he should start eating a bit better. When he found a table in some shade, Colton noticed Amy sitting by herself at a table several feet away under a tree as she typed on a little computer. She looked focused as well as beautiful in a long flowing green skirt that would match her eyes with a dark brown t-shirt. Her hair hung in a thick braided over her shoulder, and he smiled as he watched her behind his sunglasses before someone tapped him on his shoulder. Colton turned around to see Kenna and Jasmine standing there smiling down at him as his heart sank. Amy was just across the way, but when he stole a glance at her, it looked like Trey had joined her. “Hey, ladies,” Colton said as he forced his gaze back to them and the scowl that was forming on his face away. “How are you?”
“Great,” Jasmine replied with a smile. They exchanged a long look and Colton raised an eyebrow as he watched them. “We were wondering if you wanted to come by tonight for some dinner and maybe drinks.”
“Coach is on us this week. I think we’ll be practicing every week just to keep up the wins,” Colton told them as Kenna frowned at him. “It’s hockey and studying for me for a while.”
“That’s too bad. We’ve had a good time together.”
“Sure. Maybe one of these weekends?” Colton asked as he glanced over to see
Trey kissing Amy as he leaned across the table. Fuck. “I heard something is going on Saturday?”
“Phil is having something at his house,” Jasmine confirmed as Colton nodded and told them he might see them. They walked away talking softly, and he glanced over to see that Amy had left her spot. Was she with Trey? He finished his lunch and tossed most of it into the trash before he went to his next class and then straight to practice.
They worked hard into the night. All of the guys went home tired, and Colton was almost certain that Trey was going back to the apartment that he shared with friends judging from the look on his face. Colton rushed back to the dorm and checked his phone as he walked into his dorm to see a message waiting for him.
It was from Amy telling him to text her if he came home before eleven. Colton glanced at the phone to see that it was ten fifteen, and he sent one back asking her if she was free. It had bothered him seeing her with Trey at lunch, but he knew that was unreasonable. He needed to take what time he could get. He just needed her close to him. Colton was pleased when she said she’d come over for a little while, and he waited for her to get there before he hopped into the shower just like the first time. The sight of her in a blue dress on the bed after he cleaned up was too much to take, and he moved to eagerly kiss her as she wrapped her arms around his neck.