Hooking
Page 11
She immediately laughed. “Translation: Can we fuck?”
“Hey, don’t make it sound so crude. I’m not cheap and easy, you know,” I joked.
“Phbt! Okay, so you’re not cheap,” she amended with a giggle that shot to my dick. A fucking giggle had me hard as a rock. Christ almighty.
“I really wish I could. My aunt and uncle are coming over for dinner tonight. My brothers will be here too.” She giggled again. “You wanna come over and meet them?”
“Uh, think I’ll pass on that.” Not because I was a pussy, but because I wasn’t ready for any meet the fam shit.
“You sure?” she asked, and I could almost hear the humored curl on her sexy lips.
“Pretty sure. How about tomorrow after morning skate?”
Her beautiful laughter rang out again. “Now who’s being relentless? How about we’ll see?”
Looking to the heavens for strength, I dropped my shoulders in defeat. “Okay,” I grudgingly replied.
I spent the night having a drink down at McGregor’s with several of the guys. We all dispersed early because we needed to get some sleep. Maybe Sydney had actually done me a favor. Shaking my head, I grinned and climbed into bed.
Before I knew it, my alarm was going off and I was on my way to the arena.
After Saturday’s morning skate, I called her. She answered on the third ring and sounded out of breath. Immediately, I thought the worst.
“What are you doing?” It came out sharper than I’d intended.
“I just got off the treadmill. Why? Everything okay?” she asked, sounding perplexed. Running my hand down my face, I berated myself for being a dumbass.
“Yeah. Sorry. It’s been a rough couple days. Wondered if maybe you wanted to come over. I have a few hours before I have to be back at the arena,” I said, trying to keep my emotions in line. It was rough because I wanted to feel her skin against mine. Fuck. No, I needed it.
She remained silent, and I waited with my breath held. Abrasive irritation skated under my skin. Agitation had me strung tight.
“I’m all sweaty,” she finally tried to argue.
“Good. I’d like to keep you that way. Please come over?” It was a pregame booty call, and I wasn’t going to pretend it was anything less. I wanted her with an intensity that I wasn’t used to.
Expecting her to politely decline, I braced myself. I heard her sigh.
“Why are you so difficult to say no to? Okay, I’ll head over, but I can’t stay long.”
Fighting a fist pump, I grinned. “See you soon. Don’t bother with a shower.”
That would waste precious time, and my dick was damn near painfully hard.
I prowled around the house with Victor on my heels as I waited for her to arrive. It seemed like hours before the doorbell rang. I was tempted to give her my code so she could let herself in, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that.
Before she could hit the bell again, I flung the door open, pulled her inside, and slipped my hands up the back of her shirt as my lips connected with hers. Immediately, my nerves settled. When I broke free to breathe, I rested my forehead on hers. “I told you to come straight over.”
Equally winded, she huffed. “No way was I bringing my nasty ass over here like that. There was no way you were, um, you know… down there if I was stinking.” Her cheeks flushed a sexy pink, and I laughed.
“What? Were you afraid I’d stick my face in your pussy and tell you that it was rank?”
“Oh my God! I can’t believe you just said that!” Eyes bugging, she shoved her face into my T-shirt. I continued to chuckle as I dragged her down the hall my bedroom.
“Alex, I want to get one thing straight,” she said, digging in her heels as she stopped me and raised my shirt.
“Yeah?” I asked, sucking in a breath at her touch.
“I’m here because I want you. Whatever magic you have going on with that dick makes me extremely happy.” Her lips curled into a devilish smile.
“By all means, I want nothing more than for you to be happy,” I said on a gasp as she undid my jeans.
She chuckled. “Good.”
Within minutes, we were both naked and quickly losing ourselves in each other.
Every single worry I had took a back seat when I was inside her. It was like magic, or the best therapy in the world.
After battling for the puck against the boards, I was finally able to get control of it to pass off to McGregor. He passed it back to Baranov because Halvorson was tangled up with the opposing defenseman. It didn’t take long before he worked free, and Baranov passed the puck back to Halvorson, who took the shot.
“He shoots! He scores!”
Everyone piled on Halvorson as we yelled and celebrated. Our line worked great together on the ice. No matter what, I had to admit that.
Kalashnik wrapped his massive arms around us all as we laughed. He and Baranov were cousins and had an almost telepathic ability on the ice. They were two of the best defensemen in the league in my opinion. Then again, they’d been playing hockey together since they were like three.
We had a 2-1 lead going into the last few seconds of the third period. All we had to do was play tight defense and we were set.
The buzzer sounded, and everyone piled out of the box as we celebrated in one giant huddle.
The game had been intense, but we came out on top, and we were off on Sunday with a late-night flight out for a game Monday night. We’d be gone all week, with away games Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
“Good fucking game!” Halvorson shouted once we hit the locker room, and everyone gave an answering roar. There were huge smiles on everyone’s faces.
Mine slipped slightly when I dug out my phone to see that Sydney had bailed on getting together after the game.
“Who pissed in your victory punch?” asked Halvorson as he tried to look at my screen. I gave him a disbelieving look and locked my phone before shoving it back on the shelf. We weren’t close like that. What the fuck made him think he could be all up in my space like that?
“Back off, dude. Jesus.”
He rolled his eyes and turned to talk to the reporters that were filing in.
After the brief obligatory question and answer, I showered and grabbed my bag.
“You coming with?” Baranov asked as he stepped out into the cool evening behind me.
“Nah. Think I’ll head home. Gonna soak in the tub and get to bed early.” I’d taken a puck to the thigh and noticed a bruise forming already when I’d showered. So that wasn’t a lie. I really did want to take a hot bath, even though I’d hoped it wouldn’t be alone.
Since I had all day Sunday off and so did Sydney, I wanted to make the most of it. Especially since she’d declined having a drink with us after the game. She’d said she had a family thing. At nine thirty on a Saturday night.
It made me want to pout like a toddler.
Jealousy wasn’t a feeling I did well. It took everything I had not to act like a greedy little fucker and beg her to be with me instead. The last thing I wanted to do was scare her off by pushing for too much time with her. But tomorrow, I wasn’t taking no for an answer.
“Who Wants To Live Forever”—Breaking Benjamin
My alarm went off early, and I woke disoriented. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember why the hell I wanted to get up so early. Then a text vibrated my phone in my hand.
Biker Boy: Hurry up. Get here ASAP or I’m picking you up.
Me: LOL. You don’t even know where I live
Biker Boy: Don’t be so certain. I have resources
My eyes went wide, and I scrambled out of bed. Surely he was kidding. I paused for a moment. Then I decided I didn’t want to risk it.
Me: Getting dressed now.
Biker Boy: LOL. Dress warm. Leggings if you have them
Warm?
It didn’t take long, because I skipped makeup and shoved my hair up in messy bun. Thick leggings, a hoodie, my slip-on Vans, and I was out the door
. Thankfully, no one was up and moving in the house to question what I was wearing. It was still fairly warm for as late in the year as it was. Then again, my parents and my aunt and uncle had still been going strong when I went to bed last night at midnight.
Dangerously on autopilot, I made it to Alex’s house without memory of the drive. His door opened as soon as I rolled in the driveway. I stumbled up the walk. “I need coffee,” I muttered. He had the nerve to laugh at me.
I glared. “Do you value you your balls?”
His hands hovered protectively over his junk as he continued to laugh.
“You think I’m kidding?”
“No, but I think you’re grouchy and not thinking clearly, because you get plenty of enjoyment from them.” He snickered, and I took a deep, angry breath. “Okay, okay. Come on. Put your knives away, I’ll make you coffee.”
I followed him inside, and he popped a K-cup in the machine but filled an insulated mug instead of a regular mug and handed it over. He pushed the sugar bowl toward me and pulled creamer from the fridge.
Raising a brow, I doctored my coffee and sampled it to see if I had it right. A sigh slipped from me at the heaven that washed over my tongue.
“If you don’t stop that, you’re going to ruin my plans,” he said as he glanced at the clock on the stove. An evil smirk curled my lips as I slowly licked the coffee off my top one. Victor wandered into the kitchen and wove around my legs, meowing.
Alex ignored his feline as he growled and gently grabbed my elbow. “Let’s go.”
As I settled into his car, I sighed. “Ohhh, this is nice,” I said as I set the cup in the holder and stroked the leather. “This looks expensive.”
He shrugged as he backed out of the driveway. “It wasn’t too bad.”
“Will you let me drive it sometime?” I was kidding, of course. He didn’t look at me because he was concentrating on the early morning traffic.
“Sure. When?”
I almost choked on the coffee I was sipping on. “Uh, I was joking, but whenever. Except I can’t drive a manual transmission.”
He laughed. “Then why’d you ask to drive it?” A quick glance my way showed the twinkle in his gorgeous eyes.
“I was kidding?” I wrinkled my nose and shrugged.
“I could teach you,” he offered, and my mouth dropped open.
“You’d teach me to drive in this? God, I’d be terrified I’d wreck it!”
He shook his head with a smile. “It’s only a car. Besides, I’d take you to an empty parking lot somewhere until you got the basics down.”
“You’re serious!” I said in amazement as I turned in the seat to get a better look at his expression. He glanced my way again before returning his attention to the road with a sexy smile.
“Of course I am.”
I was surprised when he pulled up to the practice arena. They didn’t always practice at the main stadium, and sometimes skated at the smaller rink that was incredibly close to one of the apartments I’d narrowed my search down to. It was actually within walking distance.
“What are we doing here?” I asked in confusion.
“You ever skated before?”
“On the ice?” I asked with huge eyes and my mouth hanging open.
He chuckled in that ruggedly sexy way of his. “Yeah, babe, on the ice.”
“Uhh, no.”
“Then come on. I’m going to teach you.”
“Uh-uh! No way!” I argued. He got out of the car, reached in the back seat, walked around to my side, and opened the door. One arm on the roof of the car and one on top of the door, he leaned toward me. A duffle bag was slung over his shoulder.
“Sydney? Get out of the car or I’m going to pull your pants down right here and have breakfast.”
“You wouldn’t!” I narrowed my eyes at him. Then I had to shake away the image it evoked, because hell if it wasn’t tempting.
His answer was to raise his brow and smirk. “Sweet Jesus, you would,” I muttered as I jumped up, forcing him to stand upright. Still he kept me caged between his arms.
“Don’t worry. No one will be here. Everyone is out resting and shit before we fly out tonight.” He gave me a half smile.
“You had a morning skate yesterday, the game last night, a flight tonight, then a morning skate tomorrow, with a game tomorrow night, and you want to skate now?” I asked, incredulous.
“Babe, if I could fuck in skates I would.” Once he said it, he looked thoughtful.
“No! Absolutely not!” My outburst had him laughing like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.
He took my hand in his and tugged me away from the car so he could close the door, then dragged my protesting self into the arena. We stopped at the counter where a young guy was sharpening skates. When he looked up, he grinned.
“Hey, Alex. What are you doing here?”
“Gonna get a little ice time. Need some skates for her. Mmm, and a helmet. Think you can hook us up?”
After figuring out what size I wore, he pulled out a pair of skates that looked like they were kids’ skates compared to Alex’s that he was lacing up as he sat on the bench. He patted the spot next to him. “Sit down, and I’ll help you get laced up.”
Expelling a frustrated breath, I rolled my eyes and flopped to the seat. He lifted my leg, swapped my shoe for a skate, and pulled the laces snug. Then he pointed to my hair. “Gonna have to take that out,” he instructed. Huffing like a child, I did as he said. He motioned for me to turn my back to him. A shiver slipped down my spine when his fingers brushed my back. Even with my T-shirt and hoodie separating us, I could feel his heat.
Color me shocked when he braided my hair. Yes, braided. “Where did you learn to do that?” I asked.
He gave me a mysterious smile and helped me to my feet. I wobbled a bit, but it wasn’t too bad. Then again, we were on the rubberized floor still. “Let’s go,” he said as he started toward a door, holding my hand. As we passed the counter, he handed his bag to the guy there, who took it and secured it.
The second we stepped through the door, the temperature dropped drastically.
“Holy shit! I’m going to freeze. I didn’t dress nearly warm enough for this!”
That sexy grin tempted and tantalized me, and I momentarily forgot any complaint I had. “Trust me, you’ll stay warm.”
“Okay,” I said on an airy exhale as he held my gaze.
He swung open the door or gate to let us out onto the ice. The second his first skate hit the ice, he glided away but circled around and came back. Sliding to a stop, he held out his hand to me.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m right here,” he said with kind eyes and a beautiful curl to his lips. In that moment, it truly seemed like he was right there. One hundred percent there in every way I needed him to be. My nerves were on edge, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified, but I trusted him to keep me safe.
Taking the plunge, I placed my shaking hand in his and stepped out onto the ice.
And promptly about busted my ass.
Like he promised, he caught me. His perfectly white teeth were exposed as he gave me a huge smile. “I told you,” he murmured before he brought me upright. After that, he started by teaching me to fall properly.
“Um, shouldn’t you be teaching me how not to fall?” I asked with a raised brow. He chuckled.
“Don’t worry. I will, but it’s inevitable that eventually you’ll fall. Hell, we occasionally bust our ass in a game. Shit happens. Best to know how to minimize the possibility of getting hurt.”
I sighed. “Okay. Fine.” With an exaggerated pout, I practiced what he showed me. We made laps, sometimes in front of, sometimes behind the single net that was set up on the ice.
Step by step, he walked me through the movements and the body mechanics. I’d lost track of time as we went round the rink and back and forth. Though I’d started out as scared shitless, by then I was laughing constantly.
He was skating backward as he held my ha
nds and I clumsily skated forward. “You catch on pretty quick,” he said with a crooked grin.
“Ha! Right. I suck. You can tell me; you won’t hurt my feelings.”
He stopped and pulled me until I was flush with his lean body. Then he wrapped one arm around me, holding me snug. “I’d never lie to you.” His expression was dead serious, and his thumb traced my bottom lip.
It was one of those moments where everything around me seemed to freeze. Every cell in my body screamed for him to be closer, and I wanted him to kiss me in the worst way. I was pretty sure he leaned closer. The warm puffs of his breath feathered across my skin.
Then his lips quirked, and he released me and skated backward. Insecurity and fear caused my throat to tighten for a moment before I remembered the things he’d taught me. “There’s one more thing I want to show you,” he said with a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.
He turned and skated to the edge of the rink, where he let himself out of the gate. Panic fluttered at being left alone in the middle of the ice. “Alex!” I called, but he was already through the door to the front of the arena.
“Oh shit,” I whispered to myself. Glancing around, I realized there was indeed no one around. Dammit. Closing my eyes, I prayed he’d be back soon. Then I opened them and realized this might be the perfect opportunity. If I messed up, no one would see.
Utilizing the skills he’d shown me, I slowly started to move across the ice. My heart raced, and I breathed rapidly, but a smile spread over my face. I’m skating! On the ice and by myself!
Except, I wasn’t sure if I was coordinated enough to stop on my own. Then I figured if I couldn’t stop, I’d run myself into the wall. It couldn’t be that bad. I hoped.
The craziest thing happened though. I was actually able to stop like Alex had shown me. Then I took off again. Never getting too much speed, but moving of my own accord and in the direction I wanted to go.
Now, I wouldn’t say I didn’t wobble a little here and there, but I didn’t fall. There was a close call, but I crouched and prepared to catch myself. It was one of my best accomplishments to date, and I laughed as my skates scraped along the ice.