Rookie Move (Indianapolis Eagles Series Book 9)

by Samantha Lind

  Chapter Seven

  Dylan

  “That was one hell of a game, man. Way to leave it all on the ice tonight,” Mark Lee, my captain, says as we enter the locker room after a hard-fought win tonight. I ended the night with two assists and one beautiful goal. One that will stay in my highlight reels for a long time coming.

  “Thanks, man,” I accept his praise. I don’t need it, I’m just here doing my job, but it’s also nice to know I’m pulling my weight and helping my teammates the best I can.

  “You keep that up, and my wife will have no choice but to give you a long-term contract,” he jokes.

  “That’s the plan,” I tell him. I’d love nothing more than to sign a long-term contract with one team. Have some kind of stability in a job that can be anything but. With the two-way contract I currently have, I can be sent down to the AHL team at any time. With the line position I’ve been given, along with the amount of playing time I’m getting, it’s looking more and more like I’ll be staying, but that can always change, and there isn’t anything I can do about it. If they reassign me to the AHL, that is where I’ve got to go.

  I strip out of my jersey, wanting nothing more than to get all my sweaty equipment off so I can get into a short ice bath before taking a shower and getting upstairs to my girl. Knowing she was here and watching me when I scored made it that more special. I can’t wait to hear what she thought of the goal.

  Unfortunately for me, as soon as I pull my jersey off, tossing it into the bin so it can be washed, a reporter steps in front of me, camera and microphone in hand, wanting an interview. It only takes a few seconds before more join the first, and I’ve quickly gathered quite the crowd of reporters all around me. I answer the typical questions on how I thought we played tonight, both my line and the entire team as a whole. With the basic questions out of the way, the questions turn to my one goal in particular. “Dylan, can you break down that goal for us, give us a little insight into how you set it up in your mind and what made you decided to pass the puck between your legs, and then shoot the puck from between your legs and behind you.”

  I chuckle at his question. “I didn’t really think about it. I knew I was all alone on the breakaway. I successfully pulled the goalie out of the crease, my attempt to protect the puck from him poke checking it was to pull it back, and it just happened to slide between my own legs. My stick going between my legs and the shot from behind me was all just a momentum thing. One of those things that just happened in the moment and I’ll probably never be able to replicate but will love seeing in my highlight reel,” I joke with the reporters. “It was just a lucky kind of thing, I guess,” I tell them as an afterthought.

  “Think you’ll be practicing that one later?” another reporter asks.

  “Maybe once or twice, but I’ll keep my focus on my slap shot,” I answer honestly. “As much as we all love dirty goals, they aren’t what usually wins us games, so I stick to the basics that we know work,” I answer a few more follow-up questions before the horn sound, signaling to the reporters that it is time to exit the locker room. Their access time is over, and we’re now free to strip without an audience other than everyone on the team. I don’t even notice when the other guys are stripping next to me at this point in my career. It’s just part of the job; I have to see way too many hairy balls and asses.

  I finally get through my ice bath, followed by a hot shower, a quick visit with the trainers to make sure I’ve got no lingering issues before I’m back in my suit and heading out of the locker room and up to the family suite to pick up Hailey so we can head home. The exhaustion from tonight’s game is settling in, and I’m looking forward to crawling into bed with my girl.

  “Good game tonight, Soupy!” one of the security guards that works the players’ access hallway calls out as I approach the elevators that will take me up to the suite level.

  “Thanks,” I call out, holding up a hand in a wave before I step into the elevator.

  “Hey, hold up,” I hear someone call out. I press the open button to keep the doors from closing, a little surprised when my coach, Scott Taylor, steps on.

  “Thanks, Soupy. You played a good game out there tonight,” he tells me.

  “Thanks, Coach. Just playing my hardest,” I tell him as I slide my hands into the pockets of my slacks.

  “And it is paying off. We’re pleased with your level of play. I want you to know I have no intentions of sending you back down to the AHL, so get settled in; you’re here for the long haul at this point. I need your speed and the depth you bring to your line. I’d like for you to do some extra work on your face-offs. I feel like that is an area that we can improve your game, but otherwise, just keep doing what you’re doing,” he tells me as the elevator arrives on the upper level, and we both step out.

  “Thanks, Coach. I’ll spend some extra time on the ice this week after practice working on face-offs.”

  “Good to hear, now go enjoy the rest of your night. I’ll see you at practice tomorrow,” he says as we step into the suite. I watch as he goes to his wife, his kids running to him just as quickly. I turn just in time to catch Hailey as she launches herself into my arms.

  “Dyl!” She shrieks my name as her arms go around my neck and her lips crash against my own. “That goal!” she says, pulling back from the kiss. “I’m so freaking ecstatic for you and that win tonight,” she tells me as she slides down my body. The slide of her against me causes my body to strum to life. I might have been tired five minutes ago, but I’m now wide awake and ready to take her anywhere I can.

  “Thanks, babe. I did as you asked and scored you a goal,” I tease her, going in for another kiss. Vaguely realizing that there are still many kids all around us, I keep things PG. I don’t need my teammates pissed at me because I was mauling my girlfriend in front of their kids. “Ready to get out of here?” I ask, linking my fingers with Hales.

  “Yep, let me just say goodbye to a few people, okay?” she asks, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth.

  “Sure thing,” I tell her, following her to the other side of the room. I don’t ever let go of her hand. Once again, that desire to be touching her at all times has returned.

  “Dylan, this is Reese Blackwood; she’s married to Austin Jones.”

  “I’m aware, babe,” I tell her, positioning myself behind her and pulling her backside flush with my front. “Nice to see you again, Reese.”

  “Nice to see you again, great goal, by the way,” she replies.

  “I think Austin was almost done in the locker room when I left, so he should be up soon,” I tell her while Hailey says a few things to Julia and Reese.

  “Ready?” I ask when she’s finished talking to them.

  “Yep, take me home,” she instructs, turning in my arms and placing a quick kiss on my cheek.

  “My pleasure,” I tell her, squeezing her hips before I lead us out of the suite and to the parking lot.

  The drive home is mostly quiet, only the radio's sounds playing quietly in the background filling the car. I pull into the garage and into my spot. Looking over at Hailey, I realize she’s fallen asleep, her head propped against the passenger side window. I unbuckle my seatbelt, then do the same to hers. I carefully slide it across her body, not wanting to startle her awake. “Hales, baby. Time to wake up. We’re home,” I say, cupping her cheek and whispering.

  She stirs in her seat, opening her beautiful blue eyes to me, and giving me a confused look until she realizes where we are. “Let’s go upstairs and get you to bed,” I suggest.

  “Yeah,” she agrees as she yawns. I get out of the car, rounding the back, and opening her door. I make sure she hasn’t rested her head against the window again before it opens. I don’t need her falling out and hurting herself tonight.

  I offer her my hand, loving the feel of her warm hand against my own when her palm slides against mine. I link our fingers together once she’s out of the car and standing next to me.

  “The exhaustion just hit
me out of the blue,” she says as we get on the elevator, taking it up to the level my apartment is on.

  “It isn’t a problem, babe. I need to get to bed myself. I’ve got practice tomorrow,” I tell her. I place a kiss against her temple, and she leans on me as we ride up.

  Once inside, we both head for the bedroom to get ready for bed. I strip from my suit, placing it with my others that need to be taken to the cleaners this week. I strip down to my boxer briefs, then stop in the bathroom to take care of business, followed by brushing my teeth before I’m ready to climb into bed. By the time I slide between the slightly cooled sheets, Hailey is already curled up on her side of the bed, face washed of all makeup, not that she wears much, nor needs it; she is gorgeous just the way she is. I’m a little surprised she’s still awake, even if it is barely.

  Once I’m settled on my side of the bed, Hailey shifts closer, placing her head on my shoulder while one of her hands rests on my chest and her leg goes over my own. I wrap my arm around her body, resting my hand on her hip. Our bodies relax into one another as we both get comfortable. I lightly run my fingertips against Hailey’s exposed skin where my hand rests, loving the feel of it under my rough, calloused fingers. Her skin is always so soft compared to mine.

  Her breathing slows, and I assume that she’s fallen back asleep now that she’s in my arms. I’m still wide awake, the adrenaline from tonight’s game still coursing through my body. “What are you thinking about?” Her sleep-filled voice breaks the silence, and I guess I was wrong that she’d fallen asleep already.

  “Mainly replaying the game in my mind. I can’t get over that goal tonight,” I tell her.

  “It was quite the goal,” she says, turning her head slightly so she can look up at me. My eyes have long since adjusted to the darkness of the room, but I can’t quite make out her facial features with how dark it is in here.

  “On my way up to get you, I rode on the elevator with Scott. He told me that he has no plans to send me back down. Said that he wants me to get really comfortable and settled here.”

  “That’s amazing!” she says, pushing herself so now she’s sitting up completely. I reach over and turn on the lamp so that we can see one another. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

  “It wasn’t something I thought I should bring up around everyone else and, well, then you fell asleep in the car.”

  “Oh, yeah.” She laughs, and my heart squeezes at the sound.

  “I started researching the med schools here,” she tells me.

  “And?” I ask, a spark of excitement taking root that we could possibly be in the same city and together all the time.

  “They look promising,” she says, biting her bottom lip like she’s got something else she wants to tell me.

  “What’s on your mind?” I ask, knowing that something is.

  “I also looked at undergrad options,” she says, worrying at that lip again. I reach over, cupping her cheek and sliding the pad of my thumb along her lip, pulling it from her teeth. “What do you think of me transferring here? Moving to be with you now?” she asks.

  “Really?” I ask. “But you love California and UCSD.”

  “I do, but this semester has sucked, more than last year did. Now that you’re playing here in Indianapolis and from the sound of it, will be here pretty permanently, have your own place—that I’m loving, by the way,” she says, pausing to take a breath, “the thought of leaving again in a few weeks and being away from you for months at a time isn’t all that appealing. Yes, I’d miss my friends, but I’ll make new ones. I’d be around to catch some of your home games, be here when you’ve got time off, be around when you have a bad day, or I have one and need to lean on you.”

  “I’m all for it, but I want you to be one-thousand percent sure that it is what you want to do. You’d be the one giving up a lot. UCSD was your number one choice of schools. Are you absolutely sure you want to give that up? What about your scholarships?”

  “I’m sure that I wouldn’t be able to get anything for the spring semester, but I can apply for some for next year. If I’m not successful, I have a college fund that I can use.”

  “If you’re waiting for me to give you the go-ahead, I’m never going to say no to us being together, but I’m also not going to ask you to give up so much. If it’s something that you really want to do, I’ll fly you back to school so you can pack up tomorrow and get your ass back here. The sooner we’re together all the time, the sooner we can start our forever.”

  “I like the sound of that,” she says and leans over to kiss me. The sweet smile that tugs on her lips tells me just how happy she is about the prospect of our forever. “I’ll start researching more tomorrow what it will take to transfer for next semester. See if it is still an option. I might have to hold off and transfer over the summer and just start here next fall if they’ve closed admissions already.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Do you think your parents will have any issues with you transferring?”

  “Eh, they might have an opinion or two, but they also know how much I hate being away from you. They might actually like it because I’d be willing to go home more to visit them since I wouldn’t always be going to you on my breaks.”

  “Good point.”

  “And when they travel with your parents to see you play, they could just come here and see me at the same time. Two birds, one stone!”

  “Another good point.” I tug her in for another kiss, thankful that she woke back up and we got this time to talk tonight. “I’m not going to cramp your style being around you all the time, am I?” she asks, pulling away from the kiss. I don’t let go of her, wanting her as close to me as possible.

  “Babe, when have you ever cramped my style?” I ask. “If anything, I’ll play better because I’ll be getting more sleep with you by my side every night. I’ll be getting laid on the regular, which, let’s face it, makes all of us a little happier.” I smirk at her as she wrinkles her nose at me.

  “Don’t be crass,” she says.

  “Like you aren’t even a little bit excited about having unlimited access to my dick.” I raise an eyebrow in question and can’t help but laugh when she cracks and falls over in a fit of laughter.

  “Stopppp,” she drags out as she laughs, and I shift up and over her, tickling her sides as we fall in a heap together.

  “You know you love my cock,” I growl, flexing my hips, causing my now-hard cock against her center.

  “Dylan!” She moans my name, and I do it again. Her legs fall to the sides, opening her up to accommodate the width of my hips. I rock against her a few times, driving us both crazy as I devour her mouth.

  Our tongues duel for dominance. Hailey rakes her nails up my back, sparking tingles down my spine and straight to my cock. I can feel the bead of pre-cum leaking from the tip of my cock as I rub against her cleft. “Tell me what you need,” I state, breaking our kiss but not the rocking of my hips.

  “To come,” she moans, barely above a whisper.

  I slide down her body, kissing the exposed skin on her shoulders—thank you to the spaghetti strap tank top she’s wearing for bed, along with a pair of panties. That’s all that separates me from her delicious body.

  I move on to the valley between her supple tits; I pull the fabric of the tank down, exposing her skin to me. I expose her left boob, allowing me access to flick the tip of my tongue against her nipple. I can feel it hardening with each flick of my tongue against it. I take pity on her, sucking her nipple into my mouth, sucking greedily from it while my other hand explores the other one, tugging at her nipple and rolling it between my fingertips. I switch breasts, showing this one the same attention the other received.

  I slide further down her body, kissing and nipping my way down. I push her tank up, exposing that skin to me. By the time I reach the waistband of her panties, she’s squirming underneath me in anticipation of what’s to come.

  We might be young, only have been with each other, spend months apart
from one another at a time, but when we are together in person, we make the most of it. I’d like to think that we’re pretty explosive together. I know I’ve never not been satisfied when we’ve explored our sexual relationship, and I’d like to think the same of Hales.

  “Don’t just sit there and breathe on me,” she says, sitting up slightly so she can look down at me.

  “Sorry, just daydreaming,” I tell her. I run my fingers over her mound, her panties still separating us. I watch her eyes as they dilate as I pass over it again. She’s ready for me to make my next move, so I slide a little lower. I hook my thumbs into her panties along each hip and slowly pull them down, purposely being slow to torture her with the extra time it takes for me to finish removing them.

  With the panties out of the way, I hook her legs over my shoulders and dive in. My tongue meets her clit, causing her back to arch off the bed. I suck her clit into my mouth at the same time I sink two fingers inside her pussy. I rotate them just right, giving a little come hither movement and finding that little bundle of nerves on the inside. It doesn’t take long for me to feel the spasms start to squeeze my fingers as her orgasm races through her body. The clamp of her legs around my head blocks out the cries that are falling from her lips.