by Toni Aleo
Damn it.
As I drive back to campus to see Sofia, I know I can’t ever tell her about this. I don’t want her to feel as though she has been a distraction like she worried she would be. I sure as hell don’t want her to know I’m a failure. No, I can’t tell her. Not yet, not until I know I’ve exhausted every option.
And damn it, I am going to exhaust them.
Chapter Thirty-One
Sofia
Holy shit, Ryan is so hot.
I’m pressed into the wall of the hidden hallway that leads to the press box for the Bullies games, and my legs are wrapped around Ryan’s trim waist as my fingers dive into his thick, wet hair. I should be freezing—hell, he should be freezing—as we devour each other’s mouths, but we’re on fire. Every single inch of me is burning, and it’s all because of him. As Ryan tears his mouth from mine, licking and nibbling down my jaw, I grind my aching center against his hard length.
God, it feels so fucking good.
He groans against my neck as one of his hands squeezes my ass. The other one moves up my ribs, taking my breast in his palm before tweaking my hard nipple through my leo. Probably not the best outfit to be wearing when you meet your boyfriend for a quick make-out session, but here we are. This isn’t the first time, and I kind of hope not the last.
To say the last few weeks have been tough is an understatement. I’m in the gym all the time when I’m not studying or in class. I’ve tried to work for Mrs. Justice, but my schedule has been tough with finals coming up. I now know why the sponsor said I should not work and instead concentrate on school. Prepping for finals is a fucking bitch, and I hate it.
If I didn’t have Amelia and Ryan, I’d be screwed.
But then, they’re just as busy. Amelia has the same schedule as me with gym and class, but then she spends her downtime on the phone with Drew. It makes me nervous and turns my stomach. I worry so much that they’re making plans, and when I ask, she doesn’t tell me anything. The only upside is that Shelli will be home for Thanksgiving, and they’re supposed to talk then.
I’m praying Shelli can talk some sense into her.
Then Ryan, bless him, he’s running himself into the ground. He’s killing it at his internship. They absolutely love him and even asked if he’d like to go on their road trip over break. He was all for it, and so was I. It’s so great for him, and it means he’ll be done sooner, before everyone else, and he likes that a lot. He’s such an overachiever and so smart. But not only that, his drive brings me to my knees. When he isn’t on the phone with his agent, Shea, or whatever scout is coming to see him, he’s on the ice. Usually, he’s practicing when I’m in the gym, so we do all we can to try to steal some hours just for us. They’re few and far between since he helps me study a lot, but when we find them, it’s so hot.
“Fucking hell, Sofia, you feel so fucking good,” he says roughly against the spot below my ear. He then runs his tongue along my lobe before whispering, “So fucking beautiful.”
His fingers thread into my hair, pulling slightly as he arches into me, his cock so hard. A soft moan leaves my throat as I undulate against him, needing friction to get off. Damn, I need to get off. The sexual frustration is real, and it’s all his fault. If he weren’t so good at getting me off, I wouldn’t want it all the time. Also, if he’d just fuck me, we wouldn’t have the problem of me trying to rub on him like a cat in heat.
All his fault.
All his sexy, gorgeous, amazing fault.
I can’t get enough.
“Ryan,” I moan. The roughness of his jeans is burning my thighs, but I don’t care. His cock is right there, and it feels amazing. I squeeze his waist with my thighs, grinding myself against him roughly, and I’m almost there.
“Oh, Sof, I want you so bad,” he says on a strangled moan.
I want the same damn thing. I’m so tired of waiting. I just want to do it already, but time is against us. I open my eyes to find him watching me. His eyes are wild, his face flushed, and his lips are parted and swollen from our kisses.
What a sight.
He’s all mine.
He slows down, pulling his brows in before he lifts me up more so that I’m at eye level. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
I shake my head. “Nothing. I’m tired of waiting. Let’s just do it. I know you have a condom.”
He widens his eyes. “I’m absolutely not taking your virginity in the hallway of the rink right before you have to go to practice. You do understand stuff happens after your first time?”
I shrug. “So? I have a pad.”
He gives me a horrified look. “No way. We have all of break. We’ll find time.”
“I know this,” I say softly, moving my lips along his. “But I want you now. Right now.”
His body trembles, his eyes searching mine, and I know he wants me too. “Sofia, I’ve wanted you for so much longer. Now you can wait.”
I quirk my lips at the side. “Rude.”
“Shut up,” he demands, kissing me hard on the lips. He runs his tongue along mine, and I close my eyes as he arches up into me, taking my breath away. “Come on, I know you’re almost there.”
But I shake my head. “Teach me how to give head.”
He pauses. I can feel him throbbing in his pants as he opens his eyes, incredulous. “Are you insane?”
“Seriously! It’s been a month. We dry-hump and make out more than teenagers—”
“You’re a teenager.”
“Shut up!” I laugh, smacking him in the chest. “Seriously. Let’s step it up.”
His eyes are soft, searching mine. “I don’t want to rush it. Things are great—”
“They’re wonderful, but I want your cock in my mouth. Like now.”
He swallows visibly. “I love when you use the dirty words.”
We share a grin, staring into each other’s eyes. I can’t get enough of him. “Teach me,” I whisper, gliding my lip along his bottom one. “So when I do it, you’re completely and utterly pleased.”
He groans loudly. “You know I can’t say no to sex kitten Sofia.”
I squeal in delight. “Yay!”
He shakes his head as he puts me on my feet. “Are you sure? The floor is hard, and I don’t want you to hurt your knees.”
“Can you stop worrying about my safety and let me do this?”
He gives me a dry look. “Most girls would appreciate that.”
“And most girls wouldn’t volunteer to do this. So hush,” I say, dropping to my knees in front of him.
“Touché.”
I giggle in amusement as he backs up a bit. My toes touch the wall as my ass settles against my heels. I look up at him as he unbuckles his belt. I help him, his breath catching as I move the jeans down his hips, his cock tenting the boxer briefs he is wearing.
“You’re sure?”
I look up at him through my lashes as I reach for the boxer briefs and pull them down. “Yes.” When I look back at his cock, it’s staring right at me. All engorged and thick. Has it always been this big? “Jesus Christ.”
“Way better word choice this time.” I hear the laughter in his voice, but when I take his cock in my hand, the laughter is gone. “Grab me at the base… Oh fuck, okay, and just slowly bring me… Oh wow, you don’t take direction well.”
I smile around his cock, tasting him and licking him. Exploring him as his hand comes up to cup my jaw. “Now, squeeze me with your hand. Yeah, yeah, that’s real good. Tilt your head back, and—” His voice trails off as I take his cock to the back of my throat and then back out. His moans are deep, filling the room and tickling my gut. I can tell he’s trying to be gentle. The veins in his arms are on full display, and his knuckles are white. His eyes are closed, and there is a tic in his jaw as I move my teeth up and down his velvet skin lightly. Fuck me, he’s so stunning.
“That’s perfect. Yes, oh, whoa, that tongue is gonna get me in trouble. Oh fuck,” he mutters as I bring him out of my mouth, swirling my tongue along
the tip.
Amelia may not have wanted to give me pointers, but Google sure did.
When I suck him hard in my mouth, the popping noise surprises me and makes him jump. He arches his hips, pushing through my hand to the back of my throat, groaning loudly. I hold him tightly, pressing my tongue to the bottom of his shaft as he moves in and out of my mouth, his rhythm picking up as his head falls back, the most beautiful sound leaving his mouth.
“Oh, Sof.”
When he looks down at me, his eyes are wild and hot. “I’m about to come.” I nod, his cock still deep down my throat, and his eyes widen. “You sure?”
I nod again, but he’s already coming.
And it’s disgusting.
But he loves it.
I gag a bit, but then I’m lost in the way he looks. His eyes squeezed shut, his mouth parted as he groans loudly. His shoulders are taut, and the veins in his arms look as if they’re about to burst. He’s so large, so beautiful in front of me. I cup his balls, the weight of them unbelievable, but then he is jerking out of my hand. A shiver runs through his body as he slowly moves out of my mouth, inhaling deeply and letting his breath out in a whoosh. I hold him in my hand, unsure what to do, but then he is falling to his knees. He grabs my face in his hands, pressing his mouth to mine and kissing me so hard, with so much emotion, that my eyes start to water. He runs his tongue along mine and explores my mouth, making me hotter than I ever thought I could be.
When he pulls back, he kisses my bottom lip, then my top, and then both sides of my mouth before ending on my nose. His breath is so ragged and hard as he whispers, “You—”
My lips curve. “Me?”
He presses his forehead to mine, our noses smashing together in my favorite way. His voice is low and spent. “You…you are gonna kill me.”
I smile proudly, my eyes searching his whole face. His eyes are closed, and he looks incredible.
Letting out a long breath, he asks, “Do you not have a gag reflex?”
I furrow my brow, looking up at him, and I can feel my hair falling down from my bun. “What’s that?”
He groans loudly, squeezing his arms around me. “Do me a favor?”
“Yeah?” I ask, and then I’m nervous. Wait, is that a bad thing? Do I need a gag reflex?
“Don’t ever tell a guy you don’t have one. Everyone will find out, and then you’ll have guys all over you.”
“Why would I tell anyone that? I’m with you.”
“After me,” he says, and I can see the pain in his eyes. “Because that mouth can do some damage. Real good mouth.”
While I want to poke and prod his statement of after me, I don’t want to ruin this. I love us like this. Our little stolen moments. I also agree with him; I don’t want to talk about when we end. That’s pointless. I have now. I have him. Why mess that up?
So with a big grin, I ask, “So, it was good?”
He meets my gaze, a lazy grin pulling at his wet lips. “Just like everything else about you, it was perfection.”
My heart trips over itself. “Really? Promise? What can I do to make it better?”
He rolls his eyes. “And you call me an overachiever?”
I grin, and when his lips curve in that sexy way that drives me crazy, I wrap my arms around his neck, pressing my lips to his. We fall to the floor, our limbs tangling together as we try to get closer, our kisses more demanding, and I don’t want to leave.
I pull back, cupping his jaw in my hand. He hasn’t shaved in a couple days, and I love the stubble under my palm. “I want to stay right here.”
He smiles, kissing my nose. “I wish the floor weren’t so hard.”
I snort, and he grins. “I don’t even notice.”
He squeezes my ass in his hands, his eyes burning into mine. “Come to think of it, I don’t either. Also, I would like the jury to note that I have the patience of a saint. This leo makes me want to do dirty things to you.”
I run my tongue along his jaw. “You make me want to do dirty things.”
He gives me a dry look. “That’s my line.”
“Hah, stole it.”
He smacks my ass playfully, and I squeal. When my laughter subsides, he cups my jaw before kissing my nose. “When do you need to go back?”
I reach into his pocket, pulling out his phone. “Four minutes.”
“Boo.”
“Boo, indeed,” I say sadly. “You have that dinner tonight with that scout?”
“Yeah, though I’m not excited about it.”
“No?”
“No, he isn’t interested. He just wants free food and to hang out with Shea Adler.”
I give him a bleak look. “So, go in there and show him he is having dinner with Ryan Justice, the best player on the Bullies and the hottest boyfriend ever.”
He laughs ruefully. “Yes, I’m sure he’ll be impressed by my relationship status.”
“He should be. We’re hot,” I assert, and he kisses my nose.
“That you are,” he says, his eyes playful and as dark as a rain cloud. “Have you talked to your mom? Is she okay?”
I nod. “Yeah, she got out of the hospital yesterday morning. She developed a migraine and went numb on one side. She fell, but she didn’t break anything, which is great. Tia says she’s gonna take the next couple days off and spend them with her. I told her I’d send her some money.”
He furrows his brows. “Why?”
“’Cause she’ll miss work.”
“But that money is for your mom to come here. Tia’s her sister. She should be happy to do it.”
I shake my head, my eyes holding his. “It’s not like that for us. Money is everything, and there is a shortage of it in my family. It’s fine. I already talked to your mom. She said I can work some Christmas parties.” He doesn’t like that, but it is what it is. “Will you have time to take me?”
He gives me a dry look. “Of course, and if I’m gone, you can take my truck.”
I run my thumb along his bottom lip. “You’re the best.”
He brings me in close, kissing my nose. “Only when I’m with you.”
His eyes are dazzling as I gaze into them. “Oh yeah? Just me.”
“Just you.” His lips move along mine. “Now, come on, you gotta get to practice, and I need another shower.” I shoot him a smirk, and he laughs. “God, you drive me crazy.”
When his lips take mine again, I know I’ll be late for practice.
Old Sofia would care, but Ryan’s Sofia doesn’t mind too much.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Ryan
Back at the beginning of the month, when Sofia asked me to run with her, I thought it wouldn’t go well. I thought running with her in short shorts as she huffed and puffed beside me would be torture on my cock, and it was. But I love it. It’s the crack of dawn, and normal people who wake up this early would probably only do so to have sex, but we do it because running isn’t so bad when we’re together. Like every morning, her hair is in a high bun and she has earmuffs on since it’s starting to get colder. She is wearing a large hoodie, with shorts that show every inch of those delectable thighs. Her nose is flaming red and so are her cheeks, and I love looking at her.
“How’d it go?”
I roll my eyes as I shake my head. Unlike her, I have gloves on because my fingers get cold. My beanie is covering my ears, and I’m wearing three shirts since I couldn’t come out here in sweat pants when she’s running in those shorts. I don’t want to seem like a pansy, but I honestly don’t know how she runs without freezing her ass off.
Because I am.
My teeth rattle as I say, “Bullshit.”
“No, really? I felt good about it.”
“Utter bullshit. Same song, different verse. He doesn’t know many teams that need a defensemen. I’m big, so he thinks that will be good for me, but he can’t promise me anything.”
“And this was the multi-team guy, right?”
“Yeah, Hurricanes, Rangers, Devils, and Islande
rs.”
“I have no clue who they are,” she says, sending me a quick grin, and I breathe out in amusement. “Someone will come.”
She’s so sweet.
“I need to take you to a game.”
“You sure do. You said you would.”
“And I always do what I say.”
“You do,” she says before pulling in a deep breath. “Fuck, it’s cold today.”
“I know. You know they said it’s gonna be seventy this weekend?”
She rolls her eyes, and I laugh. “This Tennessee weather is bipolar!”
“It is. We have all four seasons in one week. I love it.”
She doesn’t seem to feel the same. We jog in silence for a moment, the air so crisp. The sun is coming up, warming the sky with beautiful reds and oranges. Reminds me of the morning I almost kissed her. Seems like eons ago.
“So where would you want to play?”
“Here,” I answer without hesitation, even though I wasn’t paying a lick of attention. “Always here. I love the Assassins. I love their family vibe, and it’s the team my aunt owns.”
She furrows her brow before glancing over at me. “So tell her to put you on the roster.”
“Isn’t that easy,” I say, taking in a deep breath. “If your aunt owned the Olympic team, would you want her to just put you on it?”
She gives me a curt nod. “Okay, I get it.”
“Yeah.”
We jog for a few beats before she asks, “Okay, so what’s your next choice team?”
“At this point, anything,” I say, and I wish I hadn’t.
I don’t want her to worry. The last few weeks have been magical. We have a system. We see each other when we can, and we talk until one of us falls asleep. Usually her, but I don’t mind. I love listening to her breathe. But I haven’t told her what Shea and I talked about. I sort of swept it under the rug and have been working toward my goals. Shea’s been great. He fired my agent and got me with his buddy Mick Majors, one hell of an agent. He was honest the first time we met, and while it was hard to hear, he doesn’t think I’ll make it in.