Rookies Say It Better: Book 2 in The Minor League Mayhem Series

by Heather C. Myers

  “What do you mean, Hanson put you up to it?” Jack asked, peeling off his shirt.

  Alec kicked off his skates and put on the skate guards. “She thinks it’ll get everyone off my back,” he said.

  “Clearly, it worked,” Jack replied. “You were fucking good tonight.”

  Xander walked across the room to give Jack and Alec fist bumps before leaving. Alec shimmied out of his shorts and then tugged off his tights after removing his hickey socked and his shin guards.

  “Is there more to it?” Jack asked.

  Alec pulled on a pair of sweatpants and stepped into a pair of shoes. He lifted a shoulder. “You know me,” he said. “Do you really think I’m capable of committing to some?”

  “Don’t underestimate yourself, Sinclair,” Jack called as Alec stepped out of the locker room.

  Now that he was out and in Noah’s arms, the conversation wasn’t as prevalent in his head. All he could think about was how good Noah felt against him, how proud he was that she had come to watch him play.

  “You guys go on,” Alec called, not taking his eyes off of Noah. “Don’t wait up.”

  Lily opened her mouth to say anything, but Jack tugged her along. Alec grinned and bent down to kiss Noah again. She smiled up at him, pressing her pelvis into his. He groaned through the kiss, his cock growing just being against her. He had never felt this sexually excited before, and it caused him to falter slightly. Normally, he was in better control of his reactions. He could handle himself better than usual because sex was something common, something he did to get pleasure. He would never have called it exciting.

  But Noah changed all that.

  “Can I show you some place?” Alec asked, pulling away from her but only slightly. “Some place I like to go to in order to get away and think?”

  Noah nodded, chewing her bottom lip. It was stupid; it was like she was shooting lightning bolts to his crotch and there was nothing he could do about it. All because she bit her lip.

  He took her hand and pulled her away from the prying eyes of Jack and Lily, away from where his teammates were still lingering. There was a back exit in the stadium so he could avoid the media if he wanted. Never in his career had Alec wanted to avoid the media, but if it meant getting Noah alone, he would do whatever it took.

  Instead of heading outside, however, he pulled her into a small room where there was a whiteboard and a few chairs.

  “Katella Hanson has this room when she calls a meeting for the ice girls,” he said. “I like coming here. I write out my thoughts on the white board, try to unjumble them. I don’t think she knows I come here. I don’t think there are cameras around. But the silence soothes me in a way I had never been soothed before.”

  Noah stepped forward, glancing around. “Why did you bring me here?” she asked.

  “Because I thought maybe it would help you,” he said. He gave her a small smirk. “That, and I wanted to get you alone. I’m sure Lily and Jack are going home, and I didn’t want to have to go there with them just yet.”

  Noah nodded, looking at the ground. There was a shyness to her face, something Alec hadn’t expected to see from her. She played with her fingers, clearly a nervous action. He suddenly realized that maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he had read the signs wrong and she wasn’t interested in him in this way. Maybe he should take her home.

  Without warning, Noah looked up and stepped towards him. She rolled up to her toes and slowly pressed her mouth to his. Alec was surprised by the bold gesture, but not enough to pull away. This was what he wanted.

  It wasn’t long before clothing littered the floor around them. Their bodies pulsed, naked, throbbing with desire. Their mouths were attached, kissing, biting, gnawing, fighting for dominance. Surprisingly enough, this was the last thing Alec expected to happen. He genuinely wanted to be alone with Noah, away from prying eyes and judgmental scowls. He didn’t want to talk about their relationship or about hockey. He just wanted to be around Noah. Because Noah had this ability to turn everything down when life got too loud. And he needed that.

  Having sex in the stadium was just a bonus.

  His mouth ripped away from hers, only to suck in air. He wanted her throat. He wanted to taste her again and again. He was a fiend; he couldn’t get enough.

  Noah cocked her head to the side, giving him better access to her. The sounds she made when he touched her, when he kissed her, were like church bells ringing around his cock. How she had the power to bring him to his knees, he didn’t know. But he refused to question it. It was just who Noah was.

  There was a table just off to the side. Alec wasn’t sure if it would be disrespectful to pick up Noah and take her there. He didn’t actually care about what someone else might think. His only concern was Noah and what she would prefer.

  His lips dropped to her chest, between her breasts, while a hand trailed up her curves, reminding himself that for the time being, this belonged to her. He groaned at the thought. Noah was supple, full of life he couldn’t find anywhere else. He wanted her more than he could want anyone. Never had he felt this way before. Never had he had a woman and felt the need to go back for seconds.

  He picked her up, gripping her ass, and carried her to the desk. She kissed him as he did so. Unable to keep his eyes open, he nearly stumbled forward. He caught her just in time, preventing himself from falling and taking her with him.

  Without warning, Noah threw her head back and started to laugh. A loud, contagious sound, like she was still a kid and something happened that she found hilarious. He started laughing too - something else he hadn’t expected to ever experience. Sex had never been funny before. It was a serious act he wanted to engage in on a deep level. And yet, the pure sound of amusement made him feel light and easy.

  His lips turned up once they settled and he gently placed her on the table.

  “You are something else, Noah,” he murmured before he could stop himself. He didn’t want to ruin the moment with words.

  “Say that again,” she said before biting her lip. “My name. I like when you say it. It makes me feel... special.”

  Alec swallowed. No one had ever told him that before. He wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

  “Noah,” he said in a voice just above a whisper.

  He leaned down and kissed her again, his hands trailing to her thighs and spreading them open. After making sure he had a condom on, he slid into her, slowly at first. He bit down on his bottom lip, trying to keep a groan of pleasure from piercing the silence. God, she was so wet, and it was all for him.

  He filled her up until he couldn’t push anymore, until he stretched her out and her face was contorted into a mask of pure ecstasy.

  God, she was beautiful. He always knew that, but he had taken it for granted. He wrote her off. He ignored her. And now, there was so much time to make up for.

  When she was settled and comfortable, he began to ease in and out of her. He had to grip the base of his cock every other second for the first moment or two, just to make sure he didn’t come right there. It was hard to get over the fact that she was beneath him, that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  He moved back and forth. Time stopped making sense. It could have been hours. It could have been minutes. As long as she came around him, shook him to his very core, he was good. But she had to come soon because he didn’t think he was going to last much longer.

  It took a couple of moments. She really made him work for it. But when she released, it coaxed everything he needed out of him and he was utterly shattered. He didn’t know where her orgasm started and where his ended. It didn’t matter.

  By the time they finished, they were hot, sweaty, and writhing. And he wanted more.

  “Let’s go home,” he said, kissing her forehead, “before I fuck you against the wall.”

  18

  Noah

  The next morning came too soon. It was one of those mornings Noah didn’t know she would dread up until it came. Today, Alec had to leave
for a road trip. He’d be gone for the next five games, playing in two different cities. The smell of freshly-brewed coffee filled her senses and allowed her to crack open an eye. After what happened at the stadium, they came home together and did it again, trying to be quiet so as to not wake up Lily and Jack. Noah knew Alec didn’t care, but Noah did. Lily was still her friend – right now, her only friend – and while she was having fun with Alec, she also didn’t want to make things tense between her and Lily.

  “Wake up for me before I go?” Alec asked. Noah would never say he pleaded because that word wasn’t in Alec’s vocabulary. But there was a softness out of it that tampered the command and made it a gentle request in the form of a statement. How could Noah refuse him?

  You’re getting weak, girl. Get it together.

  Noah opened her eyes, only to find Alec dressed, holding a blue mug of coffee. When he saw that she opened her eyes, he extended it out to her. She murmured her thanks, sitting up and positioning herself against the headboard behind her, taking the mug of coffee in her hands.

  “I’m leaving in a few minutes,” he said.

  Noah brought the mug to her lips, nodding her head as she did so. She could tell by the way Alec’s dark blond hair was a dull gold that he had already showered. Taking a long sip of the hot liquid, she pointedly ignored the disappointment at the fact that Alec hadn’t woken her up to come and shower with him.

  “I know,” she finally said after finishing, when it seemed like Alec was still waiting for some kind of response from her.

  She wanted to tell him to get back into bed. She wanted to tell him that she would miss him and ask him if he was absolutely sure he had to go right this very second and could he please maybe, just maybe stay with her for a little while longer. She wanted to tell him that he made her feel safe, that he always had, even when they weren’t particularly fond of each other, and now that that feeling was going away, she didn’t feel as comfortable and wouldn’t until he got back. She wanted to tell him she was in love with him but couldn’t seem to find the words. As such, she remained silent.

  “Uh, thanks,” Alec said. “For helping me. With everything. I’m not talking about – I mean, pretending. I know it must be hard since I’m sure you hate me, but it definitely helped things.” He handed her a newspaper turned to the sports section. A small, black and white shot of Alec was immersed between a column of text.

  Sinclair on fire as Mayhem win!

  Noah scanned the article. It was filled with game notes, all focused on Alec and his play. Her lips curled up as she continued to read, and pride swelled through her body. This was her man. They were writing about her man.

  Well, not technically.

  Not in reality.

  They had yet to talk about the sex they were having that was definitely not a requirement for this fake relationship bullshit. They had yet to talk about the way they shared a bed or the way they looked at each other or touched each other. Hell, even the way Alec said her name was better than anyone else saying it.

  And Noah didn’t want to say anything. She didn’t want to ruin it because once it was labeled, then what? Then he was dragged into her drama. He was responsible for her. And Noah didn’t want that. As much as she wanted Alec, as much as she wanted everything to be real and to be known that it was real, she couldn’t force it. She couldn’t bring him into her world because she would not put him in a position where his career was jeopardized.

  Noah was crazy about Alec, but she knew Aaron. Alec had hit Aaron. What if he had broken a finger? What if Aaron retaliated? He had a friend who was a sports journalist. What if Pat Zummo wrote nothing but awful things about Alec that would subsequently ruin Alec’s career, turn the public against him, force Seraphina Hanson to fire him?

  “Good luck,” she said, offering him a small smile.

  Disappointment flashed in his green eyes, but she blinked, and then it was gone. For a moment, Noah wasn’t even sure what she saw had actually occurred.

  “Thanks.” He nodded his head and headed for the door to the bedroom. When he reached it, he bent to pick up his hockey bag, and turned one more time so he could look at her again. “You know, if you need me, for any reason, for anything, you can call me, and I’ll be there, right?”

  Noah swallowed. She did know that. Alec didn’t even have to tell her that, and she knew he would be there for her with every fiber of her being. And yet, even knowing this, she refused to ask him to stay. She wouldn’t tell him that she was afraid of him leaving, not because she didn’t trust him or because she was going to miss him – which she would – but because she worried that Aaron would get to her once he was gone. This road trip wasn’t about her. It was about him and his team, and the last thing she wanted to do was make it about her.

  Because she knew Alec would stay if she asked. Because she knew Alec worried about her, Alec cared about her. And she refused to be that girl.

  “Wait,” she called. She threw her legs off the bed and strode over to him. He waited, a curious frown on his face.

  Noah had no idea what she was even doing. She and Alec were supposed to be pretending to be together. They weren’t actually together. Not in the scope of reality. And yet, Noah couldn’t help but want to be together. Maybe she was projecting. Maybe she saw Alec as some white knight, ready to save her from her pathetic little life. Maybe what she felt for him wasn’t real.

  But God, did it feel real. She never felt like this with Aaron, not even in the beginning. She couldn’t keep her eyes off of him, and whenever she looked at Alec, pride filled her chest almost painfully. She loved him. She was crazy about him. She wanted him all to herself.

  Even so, she knew that she brought so much baggage with her, it wouldn’t be realistic to expect him to want her in the same way she wanted him. Alec liked having sex with her because Alec liked having sex, period. She wasn’t special, just someone doing him a favor, helping out his career, and engaging in sex. That was it. Feelings weren’t involved.

  When she finally reached him, she stood on her toes, placing her hands on his chest, and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Just because she knew this wasn’t real, just because she knew there was no way in hell Alec would ever want to be with her, didn’t mean she had to stop herself from showing him how she felt. She didn’t expect him to return the sentiment. But she wasn’t going to deny what she wanted any longer. She had spent the last three years doing that with Aaron. Being away from him, realizing she could have a life that didn’t include him was liberating, and she wasn’t going to waste it being afraid of her own desires. Maybe she would tell Alec how she felt, but not right now. He had his own stuff he needed to worry about. They could always talk when he got back.

  Alec returned the kiss, cupping the back of her head with his hand and placing a possessive hand on her hip. He tilted her head to the side so he could slide his tongue in her mouth and go deeper. Noah had no intention of turning the gentle kiss into something more, but she also wasn’t going to stop Alec from doing so. It felt so good to feel him kiss her in such a way. It gave her goose bumps and warmed her insides all at the same time.

  When he pulled away, he unexpectedly placed a kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes, leaning into it. She hadn’t expected Alec to be so tender. She hadn’t expected a lot from Alec. But she was glad to see this side of him. She was glad to know a part of him no one else knew.

  “Miss me when I’m gone?” he asked, pulling his lips away from hers.

  “Miss me more?” she replied. There was still that part of her that wanted to fight back, still that small part of her that was just a tad prideful where she didn’t want to admit to any vulnerabilities. She had done that in the past with Aaron, and he had used her secrets against her. She refused to do that again. But maybe with Alec…

  She stepped back. No. Noah had to remember that she and Alec were just pretend – a ruse used to win the public’s affection, so everyone would fawn over Alec and his talent. So they wouldn’t write him of
f as some womanizing hack. Feelings were not supposed to happen, especially not between them. The sex was physical release that cumulated because of attraction. Alec might get on her nerves, but he looked good doing it.

  “I’ll miss you a reasonable amount,” he said, his lips curling into that patented smirk.

  Except, the look in his eyes hinted at more than that. At something that maybe meant more, too.

  But that was crazy. Just because there might be something didn’t mean there was. This was Ale Sinclair, after all. He put the sin in Sinclair, and there was nothing anyone could say that would get him to settle down. Plus, it was highly unlikely that he would want to settle down anyway.

  He gave her another quick kiss before he turned around and left. This time, she didn’t stop him. Lily was actually going on the trip with them – traveling separately, of course – which meant Noah would be alone. Which was both thrilling and a little bit exciting. Being free and alone gave her the chance to show herself what she was capable of. She wasn’t a victim, and she didn’t need anyone telling her what to do.

  Having said that, being on her own made her feel much more vulnerable than she liked. Especially since Aaron could get to her at any moment and there would be no one around to stop him.

  19

  Alec

  Alec wanted to mind his business. He did. But as he left the apartment building, he happened to glance over at the parking lot and happened to notice a strange car sitting in front of the complex. There was no one inside of it, at least from where Alec was standing. Something churned in his gut. He clenched his jaw, looked away. His car was parked in the lot nearby. He should go to it. The plane was waiting. He had to catch it before he left for his job.

  And yet…

  He blew out a breath. He clenched his jaw again. The gesture did nothing in terms of helping him figure out what to do. It caused his temples to pinch and rooted him in the moment. He glanced down at his hockey bag and decided, at the very least, he could put it in his car. He knew he was already running late but his gut refused to leave him alone. There was something that didn’t sit right with him, and he’d be remised if he didn’t at least check it out.