He shifted in his sleep, burrowing closer, and my heart clenched with so much love, I could barely breathe. This beautiful, stubborn, brilliant man had waited for me. Had sacrificed and suffered through months of pretending I was nothing more than his coach, all to protect his future and mine.
I thought about that first practice, how he’d challenged me about being qualified to coach him. The anger in his eyes that had slowly transformed into respect, then friendship, then something so much deeper. How he’d pushed me to be better, not just as a coach but as a person brave enough to want things for myself.
The trophy was still on the floor in the hallway. A symbol of everything he’d achieved, everything we’d sacrificed for. Tomorrow, he’d fly to Detroit to start his NHL career. My contract would run through August, and then…
Then we could stop living these separate lives. Stop pretending we weren’t everything to each other.
I traced his features with my eyes, not daring to touch and wake him. He needed rest after the game, after the emotional toll of finally being free to come to me. But I couldn’t stop looking, couldn’t stop marveling that we’d actually made it through.
Exhaustion finally pulled at me too. I curled around him, my body finding its place against his like puzzle pieces clicking together. His breathing was deep and even against my chest. The sound of home.
* * *
I woke to soft lips on my neck, gentle kisses trailing across my shoulder. Consciousness returned slowly, my body recognizing Adan’s touch before my mind fully engaged.
“Morning,” he whispered against my skin, his voice rough with sleep.
I hummed, tilting my head to give him better access. His hands were gentle, reverent, mapping my body like he was relearning something precious. This was different from last night’s desperate reunion. This was tender, unhurried, like we finally understood we had time.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Don’t know. Don’t care.” He kissed his way up to my mouth, slow and deep. “Just need you.”
I opened for him, our tongues meeting in a lazy dance. His weight settled over me, skin against skin, and I wrapped my arms around him to keep him close. We kissed for long minutes, hands roaming but not rushing, reveling in the luxury of touching without fear.
“Would you want to…?” Adan didn’t finish his sentence, but I knew what he was asking.
“Go all the way? Yes.”
He swallowed, his eyes dark as they met mine. “I’m not sure if I want to…” He made a gesture, then said it anyway. “…be on the receiving end.”
“It’s called bottoming,” I said, unable to resist teasing him a little.
“I’m not worried about getting the terms right, but I wanted to…”
“Negotiate?”
“You’re not making fun of me, are you?”
I grinned, but then something softer took over. “No,älskling, I’m not.”
“Älskling? What does that mean?”
“It means darling. Because you are. My darling, myälskling.”
His eyes grew endlessly soft, such a stark contrast to the hardness of that body, the fierceness of his character. “I love that.”
“And I would love to bottom for you,” I said softly.
His eyes lit up. “Yeah? You sure?”
“Never been more sure of anything. I want all of you, Adan. Everything.”
“We need supplies, right? Like, condoms and… lubricant, I think?”
Apparently, his research hadn’t covered that, but luckily for both of us, mine had. I reached for the drawer in my nightstand and took out the lube and condoms I’d stocked there in anticipation for our separation to end at some point.
I handed them to Adan, my heart pounding with anticipation. He took them, his fingers brushing against mine, sending sparks through my body.
