“FUCK, man. If you hustled half as hard on the ice as you do to get out of here on Thursdays, you’d be a first-round pick.” Archer, our second-line defenseman, said from the row of lockers across from me.
“I’m already a first-round pick. Maybe you should start packing faster. You could learn something.” I stuffed the last of my gear into my locker, thanking god we had an equipment manager who would wash them before tomorrow’s game.
There was a round of chuckles from the guys, but the room went silent when our assistant coach, Matty, walked in. “Ryder.”
“Yes, sir?” I had always liked Matty. He was good at practice and helped keep the bench organized during games. I didn’t particularly like calling him sir, but for hockey, and only for hockey, I did what I was told.
“Coach wants to see you.”
The guys winced in unison. It was never good when the coach wanted to see you after practice. I quickly ran through the drills in my head but couldn’t come up with a fuckup big enough to be called in.
River raised a single brow in question.
I shrugged it off. Who the fuck knows, man.
Matty nodded toward the door. “Let’s go.”
“Yeah, alright.” Any day but Thursday, I wouldn’t give a shit, but I didn’t like the idea of Sid waiting for me. Fuck. The sound of her breathy moans last night nearly did me in.
I left the rest of my gear on the bench. It would have to wait until whatever Coach had to yell at me about. River grabbed his bag as I walked by and moved closer to me than necessary, dropping his voice low so only I could hear. “I’ll let Sidney know you’ll be late.”
“Thanks. I won’t be long.”
River gave me a knowing look. Depending on Coach’s mood, I could be here for a long-ass time.
Luckily, Coach only wanted to talk about a few new plays, not to give me shit for some unknown reason, so I was only running a half hour late. Normally, I’d be all for a one-on-one session with him, but all I could think about was getting home to Sid.
The sight of her car in the driveway kicked up my heart rate and sent energy pulsing through my veins in anticipation of seeing her again. Her needy moans and delicious fucking whimpers had haunted me since our call.
I dropped my stuff in the entryway and went straight to the living room, where the guys were shouting. I was ready to give them shit for interrupting Sid but froze. She sat next to Alex with an Xbox remote in her hands, and River stood to her left, eyes glued to the screen. They were both laser focused on the latest NHL EA Sports game.
Lucas was practically giddy, counting down. “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.”
Alex yanked Sid into his arms and stood, twirling her around. “You’re my fucking hero.”
River stared at the TV, stunned, mouth dropped open. A slow smile curled my lips at the sight of her with my friends. She looked good, beaming in triumph. One of my sweaters dwarfed her; she’d rolled the sleeves up to show her wrists, and the bottom of her shorts was barely visible beneath. Girls were notorious clothing thieves. Shirts, hoodies, hell, even socks went missing. Klepto souvenirs. I didn’t let them wear my shit ever, but Sid was different. A deep possessiveness warmed my stomach. I liked it when she wore my things.
I should say fuck it and stay down here for the night, but I was entirely too selfish for that. “Hey, Sid.”
Flushed pink, she turned to me with an ear-splitting grin. “Hey, King.”
The guys laughed, chirping her for losing the bet.
“Fuck, I forgot about that. I didn’t think he had it in him to win.” Alex grinned at her and gripped my shoulder, giving me a little shake.
Her cheeks flushed a beautiful deep pink, and she bit her lip.
“Your girl here just whipped River’s ass, five-nothing.” Lucas plopped down on the couch, looking at her in awe.
I fucking feel you, buddy.
I let out a low whistle. “Damn. I didn’t know you were a secret gamer.”
She chuckled, mouth twisting to the side. “I’m not.”
“You hear that, River? You got crushed by a rookie.” Lucas beamed.
Alex squeezed her again before patting River on the back. “It’s alright, Riv. You eventually had to lose.”
“You all lost too,” River grumbled.
Alex kicked his feet onto the table. “Yeah, but she beat you. That’s all that matters.”
River turned his stunned gaze on Sid, lowering his remote from its frozen position in front of him. He looked deathly serious before a chuckle rumbled up his chest, and he held out his hand for a shake. “Nice work. Do you give lessons?”
She clasped it in her own, giving it a firm shake. “Not going to share my secrets, River. You’re just going to have to figure out how you lost by yourself.”
A chorus of excited “oohs” circled the room.
River handed her a remote. “Best two out of three?”
I grabbed it before Sid could and tossed it on the couch. “Alright, you guys. It’s been fun and all, but she’s got studying to do.”
Sid looked at me for a second. Did I overstep? She was having fun. Who was I to break it up?
“It’s probably best before I give these guys a complex. Wouldn’t want River to lose multiple times in one night. I don’t think he’s ready for that. Maybe next time.” She grabbed her bag and winked at me.
I lifted the bag from her shoulder. “Fuck, Sid. This has got to weigh fifty pounds.”
From now on, I was carrying it for her.
We walked upstairs, and this time, Sid didn’t hesitate to sit on my bed. She took out several books and tugged her knees up to her chest.
“You know Alex is never going to stop hounding you until you tell him how you won. I mean, the guy’s been losing to him for years.”
“Too bad for him, I have no idea. I think River was going easy on me.”
“Doubtful.”
He knew we would never let him live it down.
Sid was surrounded by books, and my chest collapsed in a dejected sigh. There were slight blue smudges under her eyes. She’d worked several extra shifts the past few weekends, and I wasn’t sure how she managed to balance out her schedule. She covered her yawn, but I could see she was barely hanging in there.
“You hungry? I thought about ordering some Thai.”
“Yeah, that sounds great,” she said and adjusted to be comfortable against the headboard.
“Okay. I’ve just got to grab a quick shower. I didn’t get one at the rink.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I wondered what that smell was.”
“Smart-ass.”
“Well, one of us has to be smart.”
I grabbed a change of clothes and called the Thai place as I headed toward the bathroom and made quick work of my shower.
After throwing some pants on, I walked back into my room, already talking to Sid.
“Hope you don’t mind, I ordered a few of my favorites for you to try.” Tossing my dirty clothes in the bin, I searched through my bag to find my pencils before saying, “They said it will be pretty fast, twenty minutes-ish.”
Realizing I’d been met with silence, my eyes drifted up. Sidney stared at me; her mouth was open, eyes hungrily tracing over my tattoos, taking in every detail. My skin heated as her gaze roamed over my chest, and her tongue darted out, wetting her bottom lip. I moved slowly, trying not to disrupt her gaze. My girl was so caught up by my naked chest she wasn’t thinking straight.
A groan rumbled in the back of my throat, and she looked away. I crossed the room in a few steps and slid my fingers across her jaw, guiding her gaze back to mine. “You like what you see, Sid.”
My fingers tightened, and a shiver rolled through her, leaving goose bumps in its wake. Fuck. I lowered myself until my lips were barely an inch above hers, and an overwhelming need to kiss her took over my sanity.
She pulled back, putting much-needed space between us that I fucking hated, and examined my chest. “Do your raven tattoos mean anything?” Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper, still caught in the moment we shared.
She didn’t know how much that question dug into me. There was nothing she could say that would snap me out of my daze better than bringing up Marcus.
I sat beside Sidney, needing her close before I answered, and ignored the reasons why. I cleared my throat and tried to explain. “Did I tell you that Marcus is Piper’s brother?”
Her eyes went round with shock. “I had no idea.”
“We all grew up together. His mom used to scoff at us, ‘You two are too smart and too much trouble for your own good’ She always softened it by saying it was in our nature. ‘Two little ravens who can’t wait to fly.’ Marcus was born for bigger things. I always felt like he was leading me to places I’d never have reached on my own. When he died, I got the tattoo of two ravens so I could keep a part of him with me while I reached for his dreams.” I sucked in a choked breath.
Her eyes never left mine, full of understanding, not pity. Her fingers intertwined with mine, and calm washed over me as I gripped her hand.
“You know, you remind me of him.”
Her eyebrow lifted with that.
“He was always so driven. He always knew where he was headed and what he wanted. His steadiness grounded me.”
I searched her eyes. Did she catch on that she grounded me? No one could ever replace the friendship he and I had built on years of scratched knees, video games, and shared dreams. But there was something here that could grow into that same deep connection. The tension between us grew thick, and her pulse was visible in her neck.
She sucked me in, and I was helpless to the fall.
Her chest rose and fell at double speed, and something filled her eyes that I couldn’t decode.
My phone buzzed beside us, breaking the tension, and she pulled away.
I checked it, needing the distraction. “Food’s here.”
Throwing on a shirt, I headed to the front door and gave the driver a nice tip for being early. I set up the food for us and divided the plates on the floor in front of the bed, inviting her to sit with me. She devoured her food, and her hum of satisfaction sparked heat in my chest. I wanted to be the one who made her sound like that. Mouth full, she gave me a thumbs-up, mumbling, “Really good.”
Within a few minutes, she leaned against the side of the bed with her head tipped back, looking as content as could be. All I wanted to do was lean in close. Instead, I cleaned up around us and let her relax before we got back into it.
Fuck it, I was taking a chance. “Sid?”
“Mhmm.”
“Can you answer a debate between Alex and me”
Her eyes were still closed, but she nodded.
“I’m trying to figure out what a girl’s doing when she tells a guy she’s clearly into that she doesn’t want him.”
She laughed, eyes still closed, and gave me a big smile. “She’s lying.”
She was on her side, and I was on mine, facing her. I could feel my eyes drooping, but I kept asking questions. Just a few more, and I would get up and go into the other room.
I woke up a few hours later, and Sidney was softly pressing against me. I was wrapped around her, hugging her to me, and took deep breaths of her citrusy scent. Unable to resist, I traced the long column of her neck with my nose, gently kissing the base of her jaw, and groaned when Sid made a soft whimpering sound. My dick instantly hardened, and my muscles strained not to grind it against her perfectly placed ass.
Sidney stiffened, and I held my breath. It might kill me to leave this bed, but I would fucking make myself if she asked me to.
She shifted back until her ass pressed against my cock.
Fuck.
I didn’t even try to stop myself from thrusting forward. She moaned, and I rubbed my length between her cheeks, cursing the layers of clothes between us.
I shifted until my cock pressed against her cunt and fucking ate up her hungry, needy sounds. Her hips rocked against me, urging me on, and I took it as my sign to keep going. I thrust steadily against her, my dick straining in my pants, and placed wet kisses where her shirt slipped over her shoulder. “Fuck, Sid.”
Her nails dug into my thigh, and my mind blacked out with lust. I flipped her onto her back and bracketed her head with my forearms, keeping my weight off her.
Her pupils were blown wide, her heart pounding against mine, and I breathed against her mouth. “You’re beautiful.”
She ran delicate fingers across my cheek and raked her nails into my hair, drawing my mouth to hers. I groaned, a shiver running down my spine, running straight to my cock with the first taste of her sweet mouth. I got lost in the kiss before pulling back and biting her bottom lip. “Fuck, you taste good.”
She searched my gaze. “Shut up and kiss me.”
She didn’t have to ask me twice. I dropped my lips to hers, taking it in a hungry, messy kiss. I wanted to consume her, own her, and by the way she grabbed my hair, holding me closer, she felt the same way.
I shifted until one of my legs rested between her thighs and the other on the outside. She gasped into my mouth when I pressed my leg against her sweet, needy cunt while rocking my pulsing cock against her thigh.
She moaned and lifted her hips, giving me a better angle to thrust against her. It had been a long fucking time since I came in my pants, but I was so fucking close already.
Sid’s teeth sank into my bottom lip, and I tasted the metallic tang of blood when I ran my tongue over it. I broke our kiss, sinking my weight into her, and removed her hands from my hair, pinning them above her head with one hand.
She squirmed beneath me but didn’t try to escape my grasp. I gripped her jaw with my other hand, forcing her mouth open, and ran my thumb along her bottom teeth. Her eyes were near black as she sucked my thumb between her lips, swirling her tongue around it. Fucking christ. I groaned, my eyes rolling back, and I thrust hard into her thigh. Fuck, that was hot.
I pulled my thumb out of her mouth, growing impossibly hard with her whimpered protest, but I wanted to know just how dirty my girl was. I widened her jaw with my fingers, and a low rumble vibrated through my chest when she tilted her head back, giving me more access. Spit pooled in my mouth, and I let it slide off my tongue into her mouth. Her eyes widened, and she rocked her cunt against me, chasing the friction.
I dropped my mouth to hers and spoke against her lips. “You like that, needy girl.”
Sid moaned and shook beneath me. I ground my teeth against the urge to strip her naked and fuck the shit out of her. Every fiber of my being wanted to make her mine. But she wasn’t ready for that step yet. It wouldn’t stop me from marking her. I trailed open-mouth kisses down her neck before sucking hard and biting the skin. Her neck was covered in deep purple bruises where I’d marked her. A wide smile formed on my lips, loving that everyone would know someone owned her. Even if she wasn’t ready to tell them it was me. She kissed me and sucked my tongue hard into her mouth, working it over like she would my cock, and I was so fucking close to nutting against her.
I ripped my head back. “I’m too close.”
“Me too.”
Shit. I lost control with her admission and ground hard against her cunt, listening to her sounds and finding the perfect rhythm. “If you’re going to make me come in my fucking pants, you’re sure as hell going to come in yours.”
She whimpered in response, riding against my leg, and I slid my hand between her legs, pressing my palm into her cunt. I braced myself so she could rock against me. “That’s it. Take what you need.”
Her entire body vibrated, her legs squeezing against my thigh as a cry broke from her mouth, and I quickly followed her over the edge. I collapsed against her chest and took a shuddering breath and lay there for several moments before rolling off. I hesitated before meeting Sid’s gaze, worried about what I’d find there.
Her eyes were hooded, and her skin flushed as she watched me back with a small smile. “That was unexpected.”
I laughed. That was the furthest thing from unexpected. I’d imagined some version of that since the first day we met. Instead of admitting that, I gestured toward my pants, now discolored with my cum. “I’m going to clean up. I’ll be right back.”
Sid leaned forward, moving to get up, and there was panic in her eyes. I wrapped my hand around her wrist.
“Do not fucking move, Trouble. I expect you to be in my bed when I get back. We’ll figure everything else out later.” I raised my brow, pausing before getting up.
She nodded. “Okay.”
I leaned down, kissing the tip of her nose before grabbing a shirt and jogging pants and heading to the washroom. I quickly washed off in the shower and got dressed. My eyes caught on my reflection in the mirror, and I smirked at the scratches she’d left on my neck. She’d marked me too. A twinge tightened my chest. I was completely fucked.
She was mostly asleep when I climbed in beside her, satisfaction coursing through me that I’d worn her out. I grinned against her neck. This was the second time she was sleeping in my bed, breaking rule number two.
She rotated, curling into my chest, and I pulled her in tighter, sliding my fingers through her hair. She hummed softly and snuggled in closer, her fists clasping my shirt like she was unwilling to let go. Her voice was heavy with exhaustion, barely awake. “I’m not going to fall in love with you when you have to leave.”
Fuck. My chest caved with the ache of her words. I tucked my face against her neck and took a deep breath in, waiting until she was deep asleep to reply. “I can’t promise you the same.”
