by S. R. Grey
“I’m not. I’m telling you now.” I shrug. “It just happened yesterday.”
My friend looks confused. “Wait. I thought you two were busy painting.”
“We were.” Looking over at her, I wink. “But then we got busy doing other things. That’s where the kinky part came in. Just think paint and sex and sticky bodies…” I let out a little squeak.
Wistfully, Bettina murmurs, “Ahh, I can only imagine.”
“Imagine more.” I give her a wry smile. “Then you might be semi-close to how fucking hot it was.”
Bettina makes a face. “Shit, I hate you. Wild paint sex with that sexy man? You are one lucky bitch.”
I assure her, “Aw, I’ll find you a hot man to have wild paint sex with. I promise.”
Crossing her fingers, she says, “I hope. And I’m holding you to that, by the way.”
“Don’t worry, I will,” I assure her.
“So tell me about the hot paint sex,” she says. “Was it all pretty much perfect?”
“For the most part. But cleanup was a bitch.”
She laughs. “I’m sure it was.”
“It did lead to some really good shower sex,” I share.
Bettina nudges my shoulder. “So Landen is that good, huh?”
Sinking down into my seat, I giggle. “Is he ever! Apart from the kinky paint part—and that was amazing—the man is just as skilled with his cock as he is with his hockey stick.”
As if to underscore my point, at that exact moment, Landen goes on a breakaway.
“Mmm, whaaa…” I can’t even speak, so I just grab Bettina’s arm.
Suddenly alone in the defender’s zone, Landen pretends to wind up, but changes tactics at the last second and backhands the puck into the net.
“Holy hell, he just beat the opposing team’s goaltender, and so damn easily.”
Bettina grins. “Looks like Landen is scoring all over the place lately.”
I can’t argue that, and I nod excitedly. “You better believe it. And after that sweet freaking goal, he’ll be scoring again later tonight as a reward.”
That makes my friend laugh.
Oops, someone a few rows back overheard me. I hear snickering.
Oh, well, who cares?
My relationship with Landen is no secret. Even Ahren knows, and she’s cool with it.
A few local hockey bloggers have also caught us out. There are pictures on their sites of us at dinner and dancing at a club.
I’m just happy the Wolves’ organization has no problem with our dating.
“So what’s next for you two?” Bettina asks.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m asking how serious is it getting? It’s been a couple of months of seeing him all the time, right? So do you think there’s a future with this guy?”
I think about it and reply honestly, “I do. I have from the start. But spending time with him has only solidified my feelings…and his.”
Bettina then asks, “Have you guys said ‘I love you’ yet?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Do you love him, Cricket?”
Do I?
I blow out a breath and realize, “Damn, I think I do.”
“Think? Or know?”
With certainty, I say, “I know I love him. It feels amazing to say it out loud. Maybe it is time for me to tell Landen, to let him know just how deeply I feel for him.”
Bettina’s clearly on board. “Yes! Let him know. What’s the holdup?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug, feeling uncertain all of a sudden. “Maybe I shouldn’t rush saying it. I think I’ll just wait until the time is right.”
“Do what you want,” Bettina says, taking a bite of her jalapeño-laden hot dog. After she’s done, she adds, “I wouldn’t wait too long, though. You should let Landen know where your heart is. In doing so, you’ll stake your claim.”
“Stake my claim?” I murmur as the horn sounds and the game ends with a Wolves victory.
As Bettina and I stand, readying to leave, I think about how I do kind of need to stake my claim.
That’s it.
I’m telling him.
No more waiting.
Landen needs to know how committed I am, and that I do love him.
Before someone else swoops in and lures him away.
The L-Word
I score a goal on a beautiful breakaway shot, and we ultimately win the game.
The best part of my day, though, is afterward when Cricket comes over to my house.
Not only does she look adorable in a cute floral sundress, but the way her long blonde hair flows down her back makes her extra sexy tonight.
I suggest we eat right away so I don’t devour her.
Yeah, I’m saving that for later.
Since she informs me that she’s really hungry—“I ate nothing at the game with Bettina, even though she had a hot dog”—I get right to work on grilling burgers.
While I’m out on the back patio, flipping meat patties, she throws together a quick pasta salad in the kitchen.
Since it’s a pretty February day in Las Vegas—not too hot, not too cool—we decide to eat out on the patio.
We set up at the little iron table in the back.
“It’s so pretty out here,” Cricket says, gesturing to my landscaped gardens and the desert expanse behind where my property ends.
“Yeah.” I nod, swallowing a bite of burger. “I like that it’s not developed much at all. That’s why I chose this particular house.”
Leaning forward, she adjusts the umbrella above us so that the sun’s not shining right into our eyes. “Well, I’d say you chose wisely.”
She adjusts her cool mirrored sunglasses, and we dive into our food.
It amazes me that even doing the simplest things with Cricket, I have the best time.
I guess that’s why I want to be around her as much as possible.
What does that mean, though?
Hmm, I need to think about that one.
I kind of already know—the answer on how I feel about her starts with a big ole letter L.
But feelings like that require serious talks and even more commitment.
My brain is quick to remind me of how I played it this way.
You wanted to date her exclusively, right?
Hell, you even have clothes and shit at each other’s houses.
Plus keys!
You were onboard with all of that.
Where did you think all this would lead?
True, true, it’s all fact.
But am I really ready for the next step?
Good question.
We’ve jumped over so many “firsts” and gone right to this.
It was by my design, of course.
And I take full responsibility.
Still, I have to wonder.
Did I make the right choice when I won that bet and asked Cricket to see me and only me?
Like from date number one?
And I vowed not to see other people.
Hmmm…
Was it too much, too fast?
It’s a little late now, Landen.
Cricket pulls me from my confusing reverie when, after clearing the dishes and taking them inside, she returns and sits back down, and then asks, “Hey, where are you? You look like a man with a lot on his mind. You’ve been this way too, through most of the meal.”
Waving my hand, I try to dismiss her accurate observations. “No, no, there’s not that much on my mind. I was just thinking over a few things.”
“Yeah, like what?” Smiling, she reaches over the frosted glass top of the wrought iron table and covers my hand with hers. “Were you reminiscing about that awesome goal you scored at today’s game? Because let me tell you, Landen, that one was something.”
I chuckle, happy as hell to think about something other than my errant musings. “It was pretty sweet, huh?”
“Pretty sweet?” Cricket pulls her hand back so she can reenact my
backhand shot. “Whoosh! Score! That was more than pretty sweet, my beautiful man. That goal was freaking perfection.”
I shake my head, peering down at the tabletop, a little embarrassed by her gushing.
Truthfully, I feel guilty for the thoughts that were just running through my mind.
You care about her, so stop it!
I shut my inner voice up and just murmur, “Wow, thanks, babe.”
“Landen, I’m serious.”
“I know you are.”
Shit, I can’t say it, not now, but what’s “perfection” is having the woman you love be your biggest cheerleader.
Fuck, I just said the L-word.
Not out loud but in my mind.
Still.
Damn, I really need to get my head straight.
I’m everywhere yet nowhere.
Ugh!
“Landen…” Cricket waves her hand at me. “I feel like I’m losing you again.”
“Sorry. I was just, uh… I was thinking about how it’s going to suck to be on the road for the next week and a half.”
Hey, at least that much is true.
“I know.” She cringes. “It’ll be the longest we’ve been away from each other since we met.”
“I know, right?” I shake my head, dismayed.
Despite my sudden uncertainty, I really don’t want to be away from her.
What if it makes things worse?
What if time apart causes me more confusion?
“It sure is going to blow,” I mumble.
“Aww…” Cricket cocks her head, and damn, she is stunning. This woman takes my breath away—always. “So you’re saying that you’ll miss me?”
It’s the total truth when I reply, “More than you could ever imagine.”
Our eyes meet then, her azures to my greens.
There’s so much more I want to say.
But I’ve never been the best talker.
Still, I can take her hand.
So I do.
I can also stand and lead her into the house.
I do that too.
“Do you want to go up to my bedroom?” I ask when we reach the stairs, my voice a silky whisper.
She nods.
Cricket is often the aggressor, which is totally fucking fun, but tonight I want to be the one in charge. If for nothing else but to assure myself that every decision I’ve made up to this point has been the right one.
Taking control, I sweep her off her feet.
Like literally, I lift her into my arms and carry her up the stairs.
Giggling, Cricket buries her face against my neck. “Damn, Landen, I’m missing you already.”
Kissing the top of her head, I tell her, “That’s why I’m going to give you some amazing sex to live on for the next several days.”
She leans back, peering up at me as I stop on the landing.
“You always give me amazing sex,” she says. “But hey, I’m up for more.”
I dip her down so she can feel how fucking hard I am. And then I say, “I am too, babe. You feel how much?”
“Mmm, Landen… You better get me into that bed of yours as fast as you can.”
I laugh, feeling better about things already. “Your wish is my command.”
In the bedroom, my clothes are flying.
But I insist Cricket lose only her panties.
I tell her, “I want to fuck you with that dress on.”
She does me one better.
Standing before me, not only does she slip off her panties, but she somehow manages to ditch her bra with her dress on, leaving the top buttons undone in the sexiest possible fucking way.
“You must be trying to kill me before I leave,” I tell her gruffly.
She shrugs. “No. I’m just trying to be a little creative.”
“Well, it’s working. And for the record, I fucking love creative.”
“Hmm, I bet you do.”
“Enough talking.”
Ever so gently, I lay her down onto the bed.
I want to go slowly for now.
There’ll be time for desperate and frantic later.
Lifting the floral material of her dress, I kiss my way up one inner thigh, then switch to the other, kissing higher and higher.
Cricket is breathing hard, trying to remain still.
When I reach her already wet pussy, I lift her up by the ass and lathe my tongue along her folds.
Once, twice, again and again, like she loves.
I tease at her clit with little circles, taunting her with the promise of more.
She groans and writhes against me, urging me to finally suck her nub into my mouth and stroke it with my tongue.
Spasming, she comes hard.
I’m ready to climb up and enter her, but she makes me stop.
“No,” she says, “it’s my turn now.”
Shit, I’m not saying no to that.
I flop over onto the bed, and she rises up to her knees.
Leaning down, she takes me into her mouth.
“Jesus.”
Cricket works me to the edge but never over the brink.
I close my eyes and just enjoy, loving the feel of her mouth, her tongue.
When she stops, I don’t have to wait long before she climbs atop me.
When I open my eyes, I see that she’s unbuttoned her dress all the way.
God, she’s sexy.
Her beautiful breasts are spilling out, so I reach up to massage the soft mounds.
“You look so beautiful on top of me like this,” I tell her.
Smiling but saying nothing, she lowers herself slowly down onto my cock.
We both gasp once I’m fully sheathed inside.
“I may look beautiful, Landen, but you feel beautiful,” she murmurs.
Reaching up, I cup her cheek and profess, “I fucking love you. You know that already, though, right?”
Whoa, where did that come from?
Did I just say that out loud?
I guess I did since Cricket has frozen atop me.
Shit, I feel her now more than ever. And she feels more amazing than before.
Is it because I’ve just admitted what’s in my heart?
She sucks in a breath.
I feel that too.
She then says softly, “I love you too, Landen. I truly do.”
We both breathe out then.
And it’s okay.
I do love her.
And she loves me.
So loving each other is what we do late into the night.
I Miss Him
Morning comes way too soon.
As the dawn light pours in through the blinds that we forgot to close last night, Landen’s alarm blares to life.
“Ugh, no,” I groan, rolling toward him. “I don’t want you to go. Just stay.”
After turning off the annoying beeping, Landen wraps me up in his arms.
Nuzzling my neck, he says, “I wish I could, babe. I’d like nothing more than to hang out with you all day in bed. But sadly, duty calls.”
“I know.” I sigh. “You go do your hockey thing and score lots of goals, okay? Make me proud.”
Chuckling and holding onto me a little more tightly, he says, “That’s the plan.”
We kiss for a minute or two, but quickly realize there’s no time for more.
Hopping out of bed with a disappointed growl, Landen prowls like a panther naked to the bathroom.
God, he is so damn hot when he’s fired up.
I like primal Landen.
He’s like a big blond lion.
And he’s all mine.
I know that now, as we’ve both said “the words.”
Bettina will be so happy.
I sigh, giggling as I snuggle down into the blankets and think about last night.
As I hear the shower turning on, I grumble, “I sure am going to miss that man.”
The only saving grace is that I’ll be busy too.
My hectic schedule starts rig
ht away—I have a promotional event today.
I pick up my phone from the nightstand and check my messages for any changes in the itinerary.
There is one.
“Oh,” I murmur as I read the email from the team. “It looks like Blake Cavaletti and I will be heading over to the grade school. He’ll be the one giving a talk to the kids and passing out autographed photos.”
The original plan was for a minor “scratched” player to go with me. But clearly since Blake has become available, the team has assigned him to me.
Hmm, but why exactly is he available?
I discover as I read on.
The email informs me that Blake’s not going on the road trip due to a minor injury he sustained during yesterday’s game.
I tap the phone to my chin.
Now that I think about it, I do recall Landen mentioning something wasn’t quite right when Blake came into the locker room after the game.
“He was definitely limping,” Landen told me.
I grimaced, replying, “I hope it’s nothing bad.”
He assured me it probably wasn’t.
I’ll have to tell him it’s obviously more than nothing if it’s keeping Blake at home.
I have to admit, though, that I’m thrilled Blake is doing the promo event. The kids will be so much more excited to get to interact with a top player.
And speaking of the event…
I check the time.
Eek, I have to meet Blake in an hour and a half.
As soon as Landen comes out of the bathroom, I inform him of the update on his teammate.
I then throw on one of his discarded tees and start to rush into the bathroom.
But Landen stops me.
“Whoa, hold up there a sec.” Clad only in a fluffy white towel—sigh—he slides his hand up under the oversized tee and grabs my ass. “Thank fuck Cavaletti has a wife he loves and adores. I can trust him to not be trying for a piece of this.”
He squeezes one butt cheek, and I assure him, “Don’t worry. I’m all yours.” I start into the bathroom, Landen’s hand slipping away as I coo, “And it’s all because I love you.”
As I close the door, I expect to hear it back—those words flowed so freely from his mouth last night—but I don’t.
Maybe I just don’t hear him.
I’m sure we’re okay.