“Smart decision then. Come on, I need at least an hour of sleep before I fuck you senseless again.”
“Getting old, are you?”
Instantly, I grab her thigh and pull her to her side and spank her ass. “Don’t be naughty, otherwise I willtie you up.”
“Do it,” she rasps.
Of course, she would say that.
“I will just take a little rest. Your pussy needs it too.”
“Considerate of you.”
We both settle under the covers, and I’m not sure if it’s the silence or the orgasms that I had, but we both manage to drift off to sleep.
Only to wake a few hours later, and without any words, I slid right into her. Spooning from behind, I took her slow until the very last minute when I went in deep and hard, our bodies tight together as her tits jiggled with every pump and moan. We both seemed to sync our orgasm before falling into a sated slumber.
I’ve never considered myself a cuddler. Hell, I never spend nights with women. It’s a quick gratification kind of thing. But with Gracie? I’m breaking a few rules. I know because of the bedside clock and the fact there is warmth from her sleeping body pressed against mine, with my arm wrapped around her. As if it’s all some natural instinct.
Somewhere just before five, I sneak out of bed to leave. Dressing, I make it to the door of her bedroom and pause to glance over my shoulder to take a mental picture of Gracie stirring in bed.
“It was fun. Good luck with the game,” she mumbles groggily.
My jaw ticks because I’m not sure if I should half smile from that comment. She’s making this too easy.
“Sleep. You deserve it,” I whisper.
And she deserves more than a night too. But she seemed to be on board with whatever silent one-night arrangement we had, and I can walk away with one night. A perfect release, a perfect fit to my body, and now I can focus on my almost perfect career.
CHAPTER 5
ASHER
4 WEEKS LATER
Not going to lie. I’m dragging my feet and pasting on a smile as I sip on my wine. Red wine wouldn’t be my choice for Thanksgiving Day because it’s heavy paired with the dinner buffet and my physical state. But when the team owner invites you to stop by on Thanksgiving Day, you don’t say no. Especially since he knows that I didn’t have particular plans. We got back extremely late last night from our away game, and I can count the number of hours that I slept on one hand.
Declan smiles at me as we stand in the living room near the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the lake. “Thanks for stopping by. Violet wouldn’t be impressed if you didn’t show. She has a thing for inviting everyone and then worries if she missed someone who doesn’t have any plans.”
“The thought of driving up to Chicago for the day only to turn back around wasn’t exactly my idea of holiday fun, so I’m happy to be here,” I reply. My parents were understanding of theplan, anyhow.
He looks down into his drink. “Still, last year when she found out the rookie from Germany had no place to go, she cried for a solid ten minutes until my nephew, Connor, assured her that he was with him.” None of us asks about the dynamics between Declan and our team captain who happens to be his nephew. For most people, it would be considered nepotism, but everyone in the organization sees it purely as talent deserved. I’m familiar with the dynamic with my own family.
The house is crowded, which makes me wonder how his wife would even notice if a rookie was missing, but some people are just great hosts like that. Apparently, the last coach was an anti-social asshole which is why it was a welcome relief to the team when I managed to laugh during first practice.
Noticing Hudson Arrows in the corner talking with someone as they both balance a piece of pie on a plate, it causes me to wonder. “Is there anybody from the hockey world or Lake Spark that isn’t here?”
Declan glances over his shoulder to eye the scene that I’m looking at. “Today, there is no hockey talk. Hudson is actually neighbors with my brother-in-law. Their kids grew up together.”
Huh.
That means Gracie.
I haven’t seen her around, but it doesn’t mean that she hasn’t floated into my mind uninvited. Instead, I have flashes of her on top of me and under me, depending on my mood. Most definitely she is responsible for my hand when I’m in the shower, and she has no idea.
Sometimes, I think about contacting her for one more time. We both need an escape, right? What’s the harm in another night or even a few spare hours?
“I need to check on my wife. Happy wife means a happy life. You should grab a piece of the pecan pie, it’s a recipe that uses my family’s maple syrup farm.” He winks at me.
