Chapter Eleven
Elliot
My alarm beeps from wherever I left my phone, stirring me awake. There’s a heavy arm wrapped around my back, and a very hard chest beneath my head. Hunter stayed the night, and we ended up falling asleep on the couch after feasting on popcorn and a giant bowl of pasta.
I’m pressed against his side, one leg thrown over his thigh and my foot nestled beneath his calf. He feels so good. I don’t want to leave for morning skate.
Lifting my head, I swallow a few times to dampen my mouth. I glance down and grimace at the wet patch on Hunter’s shirt. Oops. I must’ve drooled on him.
“Morning,” he says, voice all thick and gravely and sexy as hell.
I cover the dribble puddle with my palm and give him a tired smile. “Morning. Did you sleep okay?”
“Like a baby.” Without loosening his hold on me, he stretches his long body, causing the hem of his t-shirt to rid up to expose his lower abdomen.
“Can I get you a coffee?” I ask. “I normally grab one before practice but I have a machine here.”
He shakes his head. “No, it’s okay. I can wait until I get home.”
Guilt claws up my throat. This isn’t how I wanted to end our first night together. With me rushing out the door. But we have a game against Winnipeg tonight, so we’re on game-day schedule. Though, the thought of not seeing him until after the game tonight feels too far away.
“I.. um… have a few hours this afternoon before I need to leave for the arena. Would you…” I smooth my hand over his wide chest. “Do you want to maybe come over and nap with me?”
He runs his fingers through my hair before pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I’d love to nap with you.”
I’m grinning to myself while I shower and get ready to head to the practice facility. When I join Hunter in the kitchen, he’s made me a coffee in my travel mug, and folded the blanket on the couch.
“Text me when you’re leaving practice and I’ll drive over,” he says, walking with me to the door.
That same wave of guilt from earlier washes over me again. I’m being selfish. Can I really ask him to come all the way back in a few hours?
“I feel bad,” I blurt.
“Why?”
“Because you’re driving home, to come back after practice, only to leave again when I go to the arena.” I wave my hand in the air, mimicking him going back and forth before a thought enters my brain. I suck in a sharp breath, and my next words come out in a rush. “Would you… Do you wanna come to mygame tonight? If you’re not doing anything. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” I twist my hands in front of me.
His smile is soft and warm. “El, I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t want to.” He cups my face with one big hand and presses his lips to mine. “And, yes, I would love to both. So let me know when you’re leaving, and I’ll be here.”
There’s a bounce in my step when I arrive at the practice facility. Knowing Hunter is going to be at the game tonight when I’m starting fills me with so much excitement I’m practically bursting.
I’ve always been envious of my teammates when their significant others come to watch them. Blaine always finds Alex during warm-ups, something he’s done since they started dating. Jacob didn’t come to many of Ethan’s games while he was playing, but the times he did, Ethan would skate over, and they’d share a moment together. Jackson always finds Hayden and the kids if they come along, and the same with Zach and Carter now that Carter’s living in Chicago after retiring from playing football in Denver. Then there’s Maria, who stands at the glass with baby Paisley, and Kendrick skates over to interact with her, and the media eats that up.
For years, I’ve watched them all have these cute moments through the Plexi, and it made me sad because I wanted that.
I don’t know whether Hunter will stand at the front, but the thought that he’s there watching me? Gah, fuck. I want to scream in glee. I’m gonna wave at him so hard my arm might fall off.
On the ice, we work through various drills as Winnipeg hasn’t been very strong offensively this season. Something I’m notcomplaining about because I’ve studied hours of tape. I’m not worried about facing them, but it’s always good to be prepared in case they have a sudden spurt of hunger.
“How’s the groin feeling?” Terry asks. He’s the team’s goaltending trainer and the one I work closely with. “Any tightness?”
I sprained my groin a couple of seasons ago, and it took me out for six weeks. There have been times since where I’ve aggravated it, but we’re conscious that another flare-up could see me out for longer, and with the big push toward securing our playoff spot, it’s not something we want to risk.
I snicker.
“The groin is feeling good.” Especially last night when I felt the length of Hunter’s erection against my thigh, but I don’t tell him that.
I wasn’t ready to get naked with Hunter, but kissing him was like nothing I had experienced before. It was like I had the lightbulb moment of realization where I understood why my friends are so affectionate and physical with their partners. He made me feel really good. In fact, he made me feel so good, I had trouble keeping my cool because the dopamine was popping off in my body like a squirrel at an EDM party.
