Feeling a bit queasy, just got into a cab. Sorry for leaving.
Ariella answers me right away, no doubt she has her phone right next to her, in case her parents text her about Jagger.
Ariella:
Oh no, hope you feel better. Text me when you get home.
I look out the window and into the darkness of the night as the car zigzags its way through the Saturday night traffic. I take out my credit card, tapping it on the reader, before I step out and head to the front door.
Me:
I’m home.
I send out the text and step into the house, thinking to myself that for the third time, he’s let me walk away from him.
eight
Zane
“Zane,” she groaned my name as she slid down my cock, my hands at her waist as I helped her ride me. My back was to the headboard, her hands on my shoulders. “It’s so good.” If only she fucking knew how good it actually was.
“Show me,” I egged her on. “Show me how much you love my cock in your pussy.” Her back arched as she used her knees to help her move up and down. Her head fell back. The ends of her hair swished over my thighs. She moved one hand from my shoulder to the back of my head and then put the other one on my knee. “That’s it,” I said, looking between us, seeing her move up to the tip and then slide back down. “You’re taking me so well.” One of my hands moved to her clit as I used my thumb to rub it in circles, her pussy tightening on my cock. I leaned forward and took one of her nipples into my mouth and she slammed down on me. “You like that, baby?”
“I like anything you have to give me,” she said breathlessly, my eyes staring into hers. “I’ll take whatever you want to give me.”
My eyes flutter open and I look over to the side, seeing that my bed is empty and I’m all by myself. My heart hammers in my chest, wishing she was fucking here. Knowing if things were different, I would have taken her home with me last night. And that isn’t something I ever do. It’s been five months since I last had her and every single day feels longer than the last.
I toss the covers off me and get out of the bed, my cock as hard as granite as I walk to the bathroom and start the shower. I step in and let the cold water hit me until it warms up. I hold up one hand, putting it on the shower wall as I think about kissing her last night. My other goes to my cock as I think about the last time I had her in the small fucking shower in the hotel room. Fucking her into the wall as she took my cock and begged me to fuck her harder. I close my eyes, picturing her fucking perfect face. Everything about her is perfect from her eyes to her lips to her fucking body; everything. I grip my cock tighter as I moan out her name and come on the shower floor. I hang my head, letting my cock go and holding up myself up against the wall.
Last night, I couldn’t take my eyes off her, even knowing I shouldn’t be fucking looking over at her table every two seconds, but my eyes and my head were not on the same page. I saw her get up and I was suddenly making my way toward the back. I kept telling myself I was doing it to make sure no one bothered her. I heard the door slam shut when I turned the corner. I thought someone had dragged her out there. By the time I could stop myself, I already had her pinned against the brick wall with my mouth on hers in the exact way I’d been trying to fight all night long.
I spend the rest of the day surfing to forget about her, which doesn’t work. When I wake up the next morning, it’s again from another dream about her. Waking up to the reality where I know I can’t have her, I decide to get dressed and get to work before everyone else so I can hit the gym.
I spend time on the bike and then run on the treadmill for about an hour before I hear some of the guys coming in. Needing to make a protein shake to get through the day, I turn off the treadmill, and say hello to a couple of people before my meetings officially start. Eric is the first one in. “Hey, Coach,” he greets as soon as I turn on the blender.
“Hey. Been thinking,” I tell him, “I’m going to do some one-on-one meetings with some of the team today.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Something wrong?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I just want to touch base with them, see what they have to say about how the season has started. I think it’s important that everyone is on the same page, to show them I’m invested in them and their wellbeing.”
“You want to do this with Cam and me or just yourself?”
“You think Cam is going to want to sit in with some of the guys if they have complaints about anything?” I ask him, putting a straw in my shake.
“Good point.” He leans against the counter and crosses his feet and his arms.
“I want to have an open-door policy. Which isn’t normal, I know. You are just opening yourself up to all the shit and playing babysitter. But I want them to know they can come to me. To know I have their backs.”
“I think that’s a good thing to have. They don’t really know you or me at this point, so it’s going to be difficult for them to come to us with an issue. This is just you giving them access to you.” I nod at him, knowing he would be the one to get it. “I’m going to hit the gym before we take the ice.”
I walk out of the kitchen and head to the locker room, seeing a couple of the rookies in there shooting the shit. “Hey.” I stick my head in. “One of you come with me.” They all share a look with each other, like they are in trouble. “Relax,” I snap, “I’m meeting with everyone one-on-one so you might as well get it over with.”
I turn and head back to my office, not sure which one is going to come into my office first, but I’m not surprised when it’s Owen. He’s been the leader of the rookies this year, on and off the ice, and when he comes into my office, I bark out, “Close the door.”
“You said I wasn’t in trouble,” he groans and then I laugh.
“You aren’t, but I also want this to be a private conversation,” I tell him, pulling out my chair. “You want something to drink?” I ask him, motioning my head toward the fridge.
