“Not everyone dates for years like we did.”
“No, but shouldn’t you at least make sure your friends know your woman if you’re going to get married? It just strikes me as weird.”
“Hm, interesting. I will have to observe this.” Tanya wiggled and cuddled closer, if at all possible. “Sleep now.”
He kissed her forehead. “Good night.”
“Mm, night.”
* * * * *
Tanya sucked in a breath through her mouth and dug down deep for the last drops of energy. The smell of burning rubber and squealing wheels as girls churned up boards filled the skating rink.
“Move those feet. Move ’em!” Aaliyah, the league’s general manager and assistant coach to the travel team, called out from the inner track.
Tanya hunkered down and put on a burst of speed. Lotta Byte skated past as if Tanya were standing still. She groaned and pushed herself to fall in behind Lotta to draft off the faster skater. Tanya didn’t have a hope or a prayer of overtaking Lotta, but she could try to keep up. She gained about six inches before Lotta turned up the gas and sped away. Coming out of a turn, Lotta glanced over her shoulder, grinned and rocketed forward, displaying exactly why she was one of the Metro City Derby Dame’s top skaters.
Three blasts on a whistle from center rink and Tanya let herself coast around the track, hands on her knees and sucking in lungfuls of air.
Lotta Byte and Mallory Bruiser coasted up on either side of Tanya. She stood up, pulled the mouth guard out and stuck one end through the vent holes on the top of her helmet like every other derby girl.
“You’re getting faster,” Lotta said, which was surprising because the woman was shy and hardly said five words to anyone.
“Thanks. Maybe someday I’ll be able to keep up with you,” Tanya replied.
Mallory merely grinned, her face red and splotchy.
“Everyone come to the middle and take a knee,” Aaliyah called through her megaphone.
Tanya banked left and went to a knee, letting her weight on her kneepad slow her to a stop. She shifted to sit on her bottom and began stretching her legs and arms. Her muscles were screaming, but Lotta Byte’s observation about her increasing speed rested in the back of her mind.
She was getting faster.
Typically Tanya played either as a pivot, which was a key blocker role, or jammer position, all of which required a good deal of speed and maneuverability. As a pivot, she led the pack and was the last line of defense to take out the other team’s jammer, or point scorer. When she played as jammer, she wasn’t the fastest, but her speed coupled with her sturdier build and strength meant she could hit and move her ass.
Mallory slid in next to her and jerked her head in a nod.
Aaliyah waved a handful of papers as she spoke. “I want to take a minute to talk about Saturday’s bout against Sin City Rollers. Everyone knows the Olympics are in town, so give yourself extra time to get to The Warehouse to set up for the bout. Remind your family and fans to allow for more time. Metro City PD will not, I repeat, will not be on-site Saturday to assist in security or traffic control. We’ve had volunteers from derby husbands to act as stand-ins, so they will be taking over this weekend only.” She glanced at the papers. “I think that’s it.”
Mallory cupped her hands over her mouth and yelled, “Aaliyah, talk about attendance.”
Aaliyah glanced up and glared at her girlfriend. “Why don’t you?”
“Okay.” Mallory shrugged and got to her knees. “We’ve had a lot of orders and inquiries from people in town for the Olympics. It sounds like we’re going to have a huge crowd. Get your family and friends pre-ordered for this bout. Sin City is bringing a lot of people with them too. We have a maximum capacity of thirteen hundred people. Typically eight to nine hundred come to a game. A sell-out crowd is not an impossibility.”
“Thanks, Mallory.” Aaliyah slapped the papers on her thigh. “That’s a wrap, girls. See you tomorrow for a dress rehearsal practice. Get out of here.”
Tanya got to her feet and skated slowly to the benches where girls were already stripping out of their gear. She plopped down in her seat and was almost immediately bracketed by Mallory and Goldie.
“Shit.” Tanya glanced at both women. “Can I help you?”
Goldie laughed and shouldered her roughly into Mallory. “Just curious how you’ve been the last few days.”
Tanya compulsively grabbed her cell phone and glanced at the screen. There was one text she was itching to read, but not with an audience.
“Good, just busy,” Tanya replied.
“Oh come on, you aren’t going to hold out on details, are you?” Goldie glared at her and Tanya became very interested in removing her wrist guards.
Mallory snorted, but held her tongue.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Please, you’re a horrible liar.” Goldie chuckled. “I’m guessing it’s been good. My new vibrator’s been amazing.”
How did Tanya reply to that? She shifted in her seat and tucked the wrist guards away. These women were her friends. She took a deep breath and started at the only place she knew. “Things in the bedroom are better. It’s just that it seems that we have some other things to work out too.”
“But you’re working on them?” Goldie asked.
Tanya nodded. “We are, but a lot of it’s going to wait until after the Olympics. Cole’s working crazy hours right now and I don’t want to put too much stress on him. The important thing is we’re talking about this stuff now.”
“That’s good,” Mallory chimed in, nodding.
“It is.” Tanya smiled and felt it deep in her soul. Somehow Cole and she had become disconnected and now they were finding that spark again.
“Okay, well if you want to pass any of that good mojo to me that would be wonderful. Aaliyah’s ready to chew my ass out, so I got to go, ladies.” Mallory picked up the skates she’d removed and jogged off to find her girlfriend.
Tanya shook her head and stripped the rest of her gear and skates off.
“I’m glad things are going well. Call me sometime and let me know what’s going on. Maybe we can do lunch or dinner if you don’t mind the boys.” Goldie shoved her skates into a duffel bag and stood.
Tanya blinked, surprised by the request. Goldie was friendly with everyone, but she’d never offered to hang out with her one-on-one.
“That would be nice. I like your kids.” And being around kids made Tanya remember just how much she wanted them. Soon.
“Awesome. Got to run, sitter’s going to hate me this week.” Goldie waved and took off for the entrance, leaving Tanya alone and free to check her phone.
She clicked the text message icon and held her breath at her husband’s name. The text was just two words.
I’m picking.
* * * * *
Cole peeked out the window.
Tanya was home.
He let the curtain fall and headed for the living room. Since he’d gotten off early and knew Tanya was always starving after practice, he’d taken the liberty of grilling up dinner so she wouldn’t have to make something.
Truth was he felt guilty that he’d dumped on Tanya, and sex wasn’t going to make everything better, though it had opened the door. The lack of intimacy had only been an indicator of a deeper problem brewing, one he’d kept bottled up.
The front door opened and closed with a bang. He listened to Tanya punch in the security code and roll her bag into the hallway closet where it stank up anything stored there.
“Cole?”
He shook his head. “In here.”
Tanya poked her head into the living room and her gaze went straight to the blanket on the floor and the candles he’d set up in a makeshift picnic.
“What’s this?” She stepped into the room, revealing the all-black getup she’d worn to practice. Black tank top, black shorts, black knee-high socks and her hair in pigtails.
It was fucking hot.
> “I was going to set up on the patio, but it rained earlier so I brought it in and there you go.” He waved at the setup, feeling more than a little ridiculous. They could eat at the dining table like regular adults.
“Aww.” She crossed to him, skirting the picnic, and kissed his cheek. “Thank you. What did you make me?” She threaded their fingers together and turned toward the spread.
“Grilled chicken and vegetable kabobs.”
“Sounds yummy.” Tanya toed off her shoes and sank down on the blanket. “Going to join me?”
“Sure, let me get you a drink. Lemonade?”
Tanya twisted to peer up at him. “Did you do something I should know about?”
A dozen instances he’d thought her better off without him swirled in his brain, but he shoved those into a corner of his mind and shook his head. “Nope.”
She didn’t seem to believe him and he couldn’t blame her.
Cole escaped for a moment to the kitchen and poured them both large glasses of lemonade before joining her on the blanket. Tanya was already unwrapping the food from the tinfoil pouches he’d prepared it in.
“How’d practice go?”
She chewed the bite of zucchini on the end of the kabob and bobbed her head. “Really good. Speed skating practice has paid off. I’m not super fast, but I am getting faster. How was today?”
He shrugged. “Quiet. There were some leads on the suspected bomb makers from the weekend and we’ve been investigating those. Hopefully they’ll track them down.”
“In other words, be prepared for an early morning call to duty?”
Cole nodded. “Wouldn’t surprise me. Something about crime and 2 a.m. seem to go together awfully well.”
They lapsed into contented silence, eating his peace offering and enjoying the soft glow of candlelight. Did the heroes in her books do these kinds of things? Were they full of soft touches and gentle lovemaking? Or was she reading the kind of down-and-dirty stuff he’d seen online? Did it arouse her? Their sex life hadn’t been very active until recently. Had she taken care of those urges herself? When?
The idea that he might have been in the next room while she read herself horny and got herself off—it was something he wanted to see firsthand.
Cole cleared his throat and shifted. “I was thinking about this. Why don’t I ever see you reading any of these romance novels you said you were into?”
Tanya choked on her food and grabbed her glass. She sucked down almost half of it before glancing up at him. “What do you think I do on my tablet?”
“I don’t know. Work?”
She tossed her head back and laughed. “About the only work I do on my tablet is check email. Other than that it’s mostly reading.”
He stared at her. So many evenings he spent watching TV while she read—and she’d been reading romance novels the whole time? The kind where people tied each other up? He shook his head, his mind blown.
“Wait, so you mean to tell me that all those evenings you’re on the couch, you aren’t working?”
She shook her head, grinning from ear to ear.
“You little shit. I’m always so concerned I’m bothering you and all you’re doing is reading?” He gaped at her, both amused and incredulous.
“Hey, reading is good for the mind.”
And for the body too it would seem. What did the couples she read about do on the page? Maybe he could get a few ideas.
“Can I read one of your favorites?”
Tanya literally spewed lemonade across the blanket, choking and laughing. “What?”
“That was disgusting. Thanks.” He wiped his face with a napkin.
“I guess you can read them. I got a new one in paperback yesterday by one of my favorite authors. It’s, ah, pretty far out there. A lot of the bondage stuff though.”
“Maybe I can read something else.” He was okay tying her up, and the little bit of spanking had been fine, but the idea of anything more was outside his comfort zone. The raw sex though, that was right up his alley. A little rough, her skin going red. He shifted again, trying to ignore the growing hard-on in his pants.
“Probably a good idea.”
They chatted and bantered for the remainder of the meal, talking about anything and nothing. He even kept his mind mostly out of the gutter. It was refreshing. Why didn’t they do this more often?
When Tanya finished she leaned against the sofa and laid her hands over her stomach.
“That was amazing. You should cook more often.” She winked at him.
“Tell me when.” He saluted her with his glass and sipped some of the tart concoction. “I’ll put dinner away if you want to go clean up.” Usually she jumped in the shower the moment she got home from practice. He’d upset her normal routine, but he didn’t think she’d minded too much.
“That would be lovely. Do you mind?”
“Not at all.”
Tanya stacked the plates before getting up and heading to the bedroom. Cole checked his watch. It was plenty early enough to have a little fun, and he had ideas. Lots and lots of ideas spinning around in his head.
He cleaned up their picnic, wiped down the kitchen and made his round through the house, locking the front door and securing the windows he’d opened up earlier to let the fresh air in.
When he entered the bedroom, the shower was still going in the master bath. He went straight to the Pandora’s Box sitting under the bench at the end of the bed. He was all for going with the spirit of the game she’d proposed.
Cole picked one of the cards at random.
Do something for your partner’s pleasure, after all, it is better to give than to receive.
From the bathroom he could hear Tanya humming in the shower, water falling to the tile floor.
He rubbed the card between his fingers, not even bothering to read the supposed health benefits that were printed after the suggestion in bold type. The card went on the TV table against the wall in line with the other used cards. He stood and stripped out of his clothes, an idea already in place.
Cole strode into the bathroom, which was almost as large as their first apartment. It had a tub big enough for two people, his-and-hers counter space and sinks, a toilet stall and a shower with four showerheads. The glass door was fogged over, but he could still make out Tanya’s form. She swayed back and forth, humming a tune he didn’t recognize. He could push her up against the wall and take her like that, but this wasn’t about his gratification. It was about her, and showing her that she was special.
He pulled the door open and stepped into the steam. Tanya turned and stared at him, surprise making her eyes go large and round. She stood under a showerhead, her hair slicked down her back.
“Hi,” she said.
Cole didn’t respond. He walked toward her, crowding her back into the corner, and took her mouth in a rough, insistent kiss. She wanted less tenderness, he’d show her the other side. She arched toward him, her breasts rubbing against his chest. He palmed her firm ass and thanked roller derby for the toned body it had given her. She might be a small woman, but she wasn’t easy to break.
Tanya’s hands coasted over his shoulders as the showerheads pelted him with hot water that had nothing on the scalding heat that bubbled up between them, immediate and insistent. He hadn’t felt anything like this since they were in high school, just discovering their sexuality. The years hadn’t diminished how much he wanted her, he’d just forgotten. Well, there was plenty of time to make up for now.
She reached between them and wrapped her hands around his cock, double-fisting his length.
Fuck.
He groaned at the feel of her hot little hands stroking him.
Cole slid his hands down her shoulders and cupped her breasts. She pressed against his hold, their mouths still sealed. He thrust into her mouth with his tongue and gently abraded the tips of her nipples. Her hands stilled on his cock, she groaned and thrust her chest forward again. He applied more pressure to the tips and she gasped, her e
yes flying open and dilated. He dropped a hand to her hip and squeezed.
Tanya shook her head a little, her gaze focusing on his face. Her cheeks had a fresh, pink stain on them and her lips were glossy and slightly swollen. She surged up on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back in a way that spoke of a person starving. Arousal coursed through his veins as he gathered her closer, their desire building higher and higher.
She nipped his lip, he sucked hers. It was a sensual battle of wills, each vying to brand the other with a mark, some evidence of the connection burning between them. Cole pinned her against the wall and she shivered, gasping into his mouth. He ground his pelvis against hers and she wrapped her thigh around his. He thrust his tongue into her mouth as she dragged her nails down his chest. He arched into it, the slight sting of hot water hitting sensitized flesh new. She’d never used her nails like this before, not unless it was in climax.
He kind of dug it. Was this from her books too?
Tanya’s hands were all over him, gripping his shoulders, rubbing his cock, holding him closer. He covered her hand with his and brought it back to his chest. They both watched as he pushed her fingers into the muscle and dragged them down, leaving white lines that quickly turned red. She seemed to understand immediately and drew her other hand up his side. He hissed as she scraped the ticklish spot under his ribs, but couldn’t deny he liked it.
She gently scored his chest and thighs, leaving little reminders on his skin that he was hers. The primal part of him that wanted no other person to ever come between them liked this.
Tanya wrapped her leg higher around his thigh, pulling him even closer. Her breathing hitched and every so often she moaned.
It would be easy to hitch her leg higher and fuck her against the wall. But the dare had been about his partner’s pleasure above his own.
He pushed his hand between them, ignoring his aching cock, and cupped her mound. Her hips shifted back and forth. Water and her arousal mixed together, making her glide across his palm. He pushed his fingers into her channel and her inner muscles squeezed tight. Her eyes drifted closed, as if she’d won some victory, her lips slightly parted. Maybe she had. Tanya had him wrapped around her little finger so tight he was wound in knots.
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