Leaving Tracks

by Victoria Escobar

  “I got it.” Hadley yanked her bag out of the back seat and smiled but it was nervous and tired. “Get some rest.”

  She’d been awfully nervous the last two days. And before that during training. After some sleep because she was right I needed it, I’d confront her about it. I was tired of dancing around it.

  I knew my attraction to her was what was making her nervous. Just as I knew she wasn’t as indifferent as she pretended to be during practices. I gave her credit for titan level control but this couldn’t be avoided forever. I wasn’t going to pretend forever.

  I watched her go inside before heading home. I was tired. By the time I reached my drive, I was driving on autopilot. Sluggishly, I grabbed my bag and stumbled up the front steps and into the foyer.

  Wesley stepped out of the kitchen and smiled. “Welcome back. How’d it go?”

  I shrugged. “Eighth of twenty.”

  “Not bad. Not placing but certainly close. What did Hadley say about it?”

  I shrugged again. “Get some sleep and take the next two days off.”

  Wesley raised a brow. “You do look dead on your feet. Go up and get some sleep.”

  I gave him a sloppy salute and headed up to bed.

  After a six-hour nap, I was wide-awake in time for evening chores. The routine helped with some of the restlessness that I didn’t understand. I shouldn’t be restless just getting home from a trip.

  With nothing left to do after chores, I drove into town to the pool hall. I wasn’t yet legal to drink but I could smoke and play pool. Though if I smoked, I imagine Hadley would tan my hide.

  There were a handful of people in Eightballs and most of them I knew from high school days.

  “Well, well.” A man bigger and wider than me approached and slapped me on the back. “Son of a bitch, look what the cat dragged in.”

  “Jonah.” I gave him a nod and noticed most of my other football days buddies around a few of the tables. “Can I get in or should I get my own?”

  “Ha! You’re with, us man. Tell us what you’ve been up to.”

  I followed Jonah to the three pool tables in the corner the 2012 football team occupied. “Nothing much really. Farming and skating. You know me.”

  Jonah laughed and I swear I heard the windows rattle.

  Three games in with the guys and I was feeling all kinds of better. I should have thought of a night out with the guys before. The only thing that would have made the night better was if Rhett had come out with me. He wouldn’t have been able to do anything but play pool but Rhett was a damn shark at it.

  “Yo, Betsey’s been staring at you all night.” Brandon, former linebacker, jerked his head to where a group of girls surrounded their own table playing billiards instead of pool.

  I looked over and the petite blonde grinned and winked. My reaction was the same as I had to the redhead in the park. Nothing. I couldn’t even bring myself to be, well, a guy about it. I had no desire for a one nighter.

  I sighed to myself. Hadley had ruined me. This bullshit she was pulling was only more irritating and frustrating. I knew she was holding back, and that was probably part of her nervousness. She was now questioning every move she made. Well, that shit needed to stop. And, I decided, it would stop tonight.

  I put up my pool stick. “I’m out guys. I’ll try to come in more often. You were fun to hose.”

  I got the usual grief and catcalls as I left waving behind me.

  “Hey, North.”

  I froze outside the door and turned to watch Betsey in a shirt that was missing a lot of fabric for December step outside.

  “Hi, Bets. I was just leaving.”

  “So soon?” She pouted and I supposed the way she puckered her lips when she did it might have turned on any other man, but it slightly disgusted me. It reminded me of two sausages without shape being squeezed.

  “Yeah,” and then thought, what the hell, if I was going to piss her off I might as well have fun with it. “I’m in the mood for some cuddling.”

  She stepped close and ran a nail down the arm of my jacket, “I cuddle real good.”

  I grinned at her, “So does my girlfriend. And I do prefer her to you.”

  Her face turned red and she sputtered.

  I took her hand off my arm. “Have a good night, Bets.”

  “North Graton, why you…”

  I didn’t hear the rest of it as I slammed the car door shut. Just thinking about Hadley and ending the farce between us had me bundled with anticipation. I couldn’t take it anymore. She was under my skin and I couldn’t get her out. I wanted to, had tried even and it hadn’t worked. There was only one thing left to do. I was only hoping she didn’t ask me to stop, or leave.

  I knocked on her door for the first time since she started coaching me. I couldn’t just barge in on her not about this. I didn’t know if her sisters were in there or not and my control was already shaky from the car drive over.

  Hadley opened the door and frowned, “North? Why did you knock?” she asked smiling as she stepped back to let me in. The smile didn’t reach her eyes, but I knew that for the distance she kept herself at.

  She looked like she had slept as well. The dark circles that had shadowed her eyes weren’t there any longer. Her clothes–simple cotton shorts and shirt–were wrinkled; another telling sign that she had lain down at some point in the last eight hours and slept.

  “Are your sisters here?” I asked a little pleased my voice didn’t sound as strained as I felt.

  “No. Glory’s in town helping out with a dog or something. Avala was called away to the community for something; she’ll be gone until tomorrow afternoon. Morgaine is on a special delivery. Something to do with medicinal herbs and tea.” She cocked a brow that tortured my already strained control. “Is there something wrong?”

  “I can’t do this anymore.” I murmured. “I can’t, Hadley…” Before I could change my mind and go drown myself in the frozen lake to cool off, I stepped in and closed the door behind me.

  “Can’t do what? Are you telling me you’re quitting?” Hadley asked confused as she walked into the living room without looking at me. If she had, she might have seen my struggle to shore up my control before I followed her. “It was only eighth place, North. Not fifteenth or something ridiculous like that. I wouldn’t have let you compete if I didn’t think you could make at least the top ten.”

  “No, I’m not quitting.” Before she could sit down on the fainting couch, I reached out and grabbed her hand. She turned and I stepped into her personal space and pressed my body against hers.

  She froze in place and stared up at me. “North.”

  I barely heard it over the roar of my blood.

  “I can’t pretend anymore.” I whispered, looking down at her and pressed my mouth to hers.

  She was as I remembered. When she gasped, I pressed further and without thinking about it pulled her down to the rug in front of the fireplace. She made a small sound in the back of her throat when I pressed her into the unyielding floor but she didn’t push me away.

  “North,” her voice was shaking when I released her mouth to kiss along her chin to her ear.

  “Stop thinking, Hadley.” I murmured in her ear and felt her shiver right before I bit down lightly on the lobe. She shuddered and her hand came up and tangled in my hair. “Stop fighting me. Stop fighting us.”

  “North.” The hand not in my hair slid down my back stroking the muscles there.

  Trying not to rush, or lose control, I pulled her shirt up and she willingly allowed me to yank it over her head. Before it was the whole way off, I was kissing the hollow at her collar bone and down to her breast.

  She groaned and arched against me when I ran my tongue just under the edge of the lace bra. Her hands yanked on my shirt and obligingly I pulled it off swiftly. Her hands explored, and her nails bit into my shoulders when my tongue found a nipple.

  I fumbled to get the bra off then marveled for a moment the strength of her naked torso b
efore feasting. She cried out and rubbed tauntingly against my painful erection.

  God, I was so fucking hard, I wasn’t sure I’d make it through the entirety of the act of loving her. Her left hand pulled at my hair and yanked my head up to her mouth. Our tongues fought a primitive battle and her right hand slipped under the back of the waistband of my pants to squeeze my ass. She pressed against me harder and I groaned into her mouth as she dry humped me.

  “I know what you need,” I muttered and even as I met her heated mouth with another kiss, I trailed my hand down her flat abs to slide into those damn shorts that drove me mad.

  She bucked wildly when I cupped her. Her skin was smooth and I nearly lost complete control knowing she had no hair covering her mound. She was so damn hot, and wet. What was left of my control snapped.

  Frantic, almost brutally, I pushed two fingers in her and finger fucked her thrusting body. The sounds Hadley made as she climbed towards climax drove me wild with want. I wanted to be inside her. Right fucking now.

  I fumbled with my pants without taking my hand out of Hadley’s shorts. I added my thumb to the mix stroking and flicking at her clit. She was so damn close, I felt it in her desperate thrusts, and heard it in the pitch of her voice.

  “North, God, North, I…” She didn’t finish. Her body bucked wildly and she threw her head back pushing hard into my hand. When she came, the sound she made nearly had me coming in my pants.

  Ruthless, with wild abandon, I drove her up again with my hand as I yanked her shorts down with my other hand then shed my pants. I yanked my hand out only to mercilessly drive myself into her.

  Hadley’s hands twisted in my hair and dragged my face down to hers even as I plunged in and out of her. Her mouth greedily sucked at my lips before her teeth nipped then thrust her tongue into my mouth.

  I groaned into her mouth and cupped her ass to pull her closer, to push deeper into her tight, hot little body. Her left leg wrapped around my waist and she met my thrust with equal fervor and strength.

  “Come with me.” I knew she was close, I could see it. I could feel it in the way her muscles squeezed around me. I moved one hand from her ass to her to stroke her clit in time with our bodies.

  She began shuddering almost instantly and cried out my name with her second orgasm. With no control left, I plunged again and released into her.

  Shit.

  I collapsed onto Hadley and buried my face in her hair. I hadn’t the strength to pull out of her, and since she didn’t seem to mind used the moment to gather my wits. Hadley was going to kill me when she realized I’d just fucked her without a condom.

  Her hand was stroking lightly up and down my back. Her body trembled a little under me with the aftershocks of her orgasm. I breathed in the scent of her hair deeply.

  “I’m glad one of us can breathe.” She said quietly.

  I chuckled, hoped it didn’t sound strained and pushed myself up onto my elbows to look down on her. Her eyes were closed and with my movement, her hand had moved from my back to rest on my waist. Her lips were swollen and formed into a half smile.

  I didn’t know if she felt my stare or not but her eyes opened and met mine.

  “Hadley, I’m sorry.”

  She tilted her head curiously. “Sorry? Why?” She didn’t seem angry or sad. She looked, well, satisfied.

  I sighed and dropped my head to rest my forehead on her collarbone. “I lost my mind and didn’t use a condom.”

  “Really?”

  I didn’t understand the quirk of her lips. “Yes. I don’t have any diseases…”

  “Well that’s handy.” She shifted under me, sliding our still joined bodies closer together, and I inhaled shakily but I couldn’t bring myself to pull out and away from her.

  “Hadley,” I tried to keep my wits as her hands reached up to run over the piercings in my nipples.

  “I didn’t get a chance to play with these. I hope you’ll let me.” Her grin was quick and wicked and I felt myself harden all over again.

  Just the thought of Hadley suckling and teasing my nipples was almost too much to bear, and my hips moved of their own accord to press harder against her. Her eyes half closed as her breath caught and she whimpered.

  “Shit, Hadley,” I forced myself still and shook my head to clear it. “Condom. I’m not wearing a condom. I need to…” Even as I forced myself to pull back to pull out she arced up and pulled me back in.

  “Christ, woman,” I dropped my head and pressed a hard kiss to her mouth. “Condom,” I muttered. “At least let me put one on.”

  Hadley sighed and wrapped her left leg tightly around my waist again. “No need.” She murmured flexing her muscles and causing me to weaken enough to push deeply into her.

  She murmured her approval. “IUD. You can’t get me pregnant.”

  Well, fuck. I hadn’t known that. Tonight would be a very, very long night. For both of us. I was looking forward to it.

  Hadley

  I woke instantly ten minutes to five. Despite not falling asleep until twenty minutes ago, my internal alarm still punctually went off. I would have sighed if I hadn’t been scared of waking the body firmly pressed against my back.

  I did internally sigh. I should have… What, exactly? Fought him off? There was no point in denying the attraction there. And I knew it was more than just his good looks. I liked being in his company. I liked coaching him. He listened, for the most part, and was friendly and easy most of the time.

  The problem wasn’t really him. Or not directly him. He wanted that Olympic Gold. I was happy to help him with that. But once he had it… There was no need for me anymore.

  It was more than just professionalism that had kept me away from North. It was fear. I was afraid of getting attached and him leaving. And he would leave. I was broken and he deserved more than that.

  “Did you know,” North murmured in my ear, “that the moment you’re awake, your body automatically tenses up.”

  “Should I apologize?” I asked in the same low tones he had used.

  His head burrowed in my hair a moment before he answered. “No. You should relax and go back to sleep. Unless…” His hand that had been wrapped around my waist drifted lower and I caught his fingers in mine.

  “I usually get up about this time.”

  “You’re killing me, Hadley. We have two days off. You said so.” He nuzzled kisses along my ear. “Go back to sleep, babe, or you’ll make me cry. It’s way too early to be up.”

  “I don’t know if I can,” I replied but tried to relax into his arms. I could do this, I hoped. I closed my eyes and timed my breaths to his. In minutes, I was asleep.

  I jerked upright in bed staring blearily around as the resounding crack of a door slamming reverberated off my walls. The clock next to the bed read a little after eleven. And the bed next to me was empty, but since I heard the shower running I assumed North was in the shower.

  Before whoever was slamming my door could make it into my bedroom, I climbed out of bed, attached my leg and grabbed my robe. Funny, I realized as I was buckling the artificial limb, I hadn’t noticed it hadn’t been on when I had awoken earlier. As I stepped into the hall prepared to ream whoever it was slamming into my home I stopped short and stared.

  My father scowled back. “You should be up already.”

  “I won’t pretend you don’t know I was in St. Paul. I also won’t pretend you’re well aware I take rest days after traveling.” I strode passed him and didn’t stop until I was in the kitchen and fixed my coffee pot.

  “What the hell are you thinking?” he asked from the doorway.

  I glanced up at him from measuring my coffee. “I want coffee?” Knowing full well it would piss him off.

  “I am talking about,” he began through clenched teeth, “that disaster you were telling everyone you were coaching.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I pulled down a mug with a poppy red inside. “I don’t coach disasters.”

>   “Eighth place is an embarrassment.”

  I gave him a disgusted look. “For someone that hasn’t ever skated for competition, eighth place is damn good out of twenty. He did better than I had expected. I’m certainly not disappointed with that performance.”

  “Are you mad?”

  “At you, yes.” At his face I laughed, “Oh, you mean psychologically. No. I’m not.”

  “I absolutely forbid this farce to continue.”

  “Fuck off.”

  His mouth dropped open.

  I nodded, “That’s right. I said it. Fuck off. I’m passed the point you can tell me what to do. I don’t care what you or any of your elite circles thinks. I’m going to do as I please, and this is what I am currently pleased to do.”

  He sputtered and pink spots formed on his cheeks. “You. How dare you speak to me that way?”

  “My house.” I said simply, “My land. My rules. And I don’t recall inviting you in.”

  “Should I show him out?” North stood, a frown on his face, behind my father. His hair was still wet; it dripped a little onto his bare shoulders and ran down his collarbone to an equally bare chest, then down further to be caught in the waistband of his sweatpants.

  My father rounded on him. “You are a disgrace.”

  North smiled easily. “So my brother is fond of implying. Your words mean nothing to me. You can spout all you want. At the moment though, you’re upsetting Hadley and that I won’t tolerate. So, you can show yourself out, or I can throw you down the stairs while you pray no bones break.”

  “You’ll be sorry for this.”

  “I’m sorry I forgot to lock the door last night. Rest assured it won’t happen again.” North countered and stepped over to the door to hold it open.

  “Last night? Last night?” My father’s voice rose with each word. He would have rounded on me but North grabbed his arm.

  “Not that it’s your business, but as Hadley’s coaching, I stay close unless my brothers need me,” North dragged him over to the door easily. “Out. You’re not welcome here until Hadley says you are.”

  My father gave North a nasty glare. “You’ll never be what she was.”