18
If there ever was a day that could be chalked up as a complete washout, it”s today. After my futile attempts to persuade Emma that I”m not the douchebag she believes me to be, everything took a turn for the worse. Firstly, I collided with Parker during the morning training session, as he prodded for details about my previous evening. Then, Coach Thornton left no room for praise during the video analysis. And truth be told, he was on the mark; I just couldn”t seem to find my stride today. To cap it off, I narrowly avoided turning my freshly mended bike into scrap metal during a hairpin turn. All day, I”ve been in a state of disarray, my mind unfocused. Now, I”m pacing back and forth in my living room. It”s inconceivable that Jessica might be the harbinger of doom for my chances with Emma. I contemplate whether reaching out to Jess could be of any use. And then what? Sneers the unkind voice in my head. What are you going to say to her? ‘Please, assist me in winning back Emma?’ Insist that it wasn”t meant in that manner? Fuck! There”s simply no turn of phrase that would coax her into helping me. On the contrary, she”d likely find a way to drive a deeper wedge between us. No, I certainly won”t be seeking Jessica”s counsel. Perhaps, I should try giving Emma a call, attempting to engage her in conversation. No, that”s a notion just as ill-conceived. She requested time to think. If I press her now, I risk sending her packing for good.
“Fuck!” I roar, hurling my phone onto the couch. It bounces off the cushion and clatters to the floor. I rub my temples, contemplating what could serve as a distraction. I don”t want to face the guys right now. Given my mood, one wrong word and I might just lose it. Riding my motorcycle again doesn”t appeal either. I”ve been out on it for three hours already today.
So, I decide to hit the hay before I”m tempted to reach for the bottle and repeat the same mistake as the night of the playoff party. It turns out to be a grueling night. I wake up repeatedly, glancing at my phone each time. I”m hoping for a message from Emma. All in vain. The next morning, I feel utterly drained, and my foul mood is even irritating me. To spare my buddies, I decide to hit the weight room and channel my aggression. I actually train until I”m so depleted that the barbell slips from my hand. Holding onto a glimmer of hope that I might run into Emma, I spend the entire day at the ice rink. To my disappointment, I only run into her father. My last hope is Toby”s birthday party tonight. And indeed, she”s there. My chest tightens painfully as I spot her in a jaw-dropping black dress in the VIP area. She”s seated between the birthday boy and Parker. He”s grinning at her like an idiot while they chat. I can feel the jealousy surging within me. Though he”s my friend, I don”t entirely trust him. To be honest, I don”t trust anyone when it comes to Emma. So, I make haste, passing by the security guards and heading up to the VIP area. I greet the others and congratulate Toby. He”s delighted with the bottle of Irish whiskey I brought him and invites me for a beer. We”ve barely placed our order when Byers and a few of the defensemen arrive. I leave them with Toby and settle into the armchair diagonally across from Emma. She”s already noticed me and offers a smile my way. I wonder if she”s had enough time to mull everything over. Damn, I hope so! Unfortunately, she doesn”t seem inclined to come over and talk. That”s tough. The waiter brings my beer, which I take a big swig of while studying her. She”s wearing golden earrings that resemble tiny leaves. They cascade almost to her shoulders, glimmering with her movements. Her dress hugs her body like a second skin. It”s shorter than the last one but has long sleeves to compensate. When she briefly turns to Toby, I catch a glimpse of the deep back neckline. I take another gulp, washing away the dryness in my throat. Perhaps I should leave, spare myself the pain of being so close yet so far. But I can”t bring myself to do it. Instead, I sit there like a damned masochist, gazing at her. Her face is dangerously beautiful! Those dark, smoldering eyes...
“Durand!” Toby”s voice snaps me out of it. I glance over at him. The Canadian is shaking our goalie”s hand, and he”s got none other than Jessica in tow. Well, look at that, she”s found a new direction rather quickly, considering how desperately she wanted me back, I think to myself, shaking my head in disbelief. I watch the two of them as they sit down, and she snuggles up to him. Well, they”re actually a perfect match, I contemplate. Like toilet paper and... well, you get the idea. I redirect my attention to Emma, who is also observing the newcomers. I wonder what”s going through her mind now.
“Listen up, everyone!” Toby calls out, handing his sweetheart a monstrous piece of that triangular Swiss chocolate we all love. Mandy needs both hands for that monstrosity. “As the Devils” betting officer, I have an announcement to make! Parker and Durand approached me with a request to settle their bet before the agreed-upon date!”
And I know exactly why they want that. They”re scared stiff. I know from Parker that the thought of facing his personal little puck hell at the end of the season is eating away at him. The two of them want to get it over with. “And so, after careful consideration...” Toby pauses dramatically, then raises his hands authoritatively. “... I”ve decided to grant their request and move the date to tomorrow night at eight o”clock!” Applause erupts, which Toby, in his role as betting officer, solemnly acknowledges. Internally, I chuckle. Show-off. All that”s left is for him to take a bow. He sits back down with his girlfriend, who plants a kiss on him, then gets up and goes over to Emma. At first, I think she intends to squeeze herself in between my girl and Parker. But then I see her extend her hand, pulling Emma to her feet. Emma shoots me a brief, electrifying glance as she passes by with Mandy. Fuck! It”s only now that I notice how deep the back of her dress is cut. The fabric barely covers her butt. My cock responds automatically as my gaze travels up her spine, discovering a tattoo I”m unfamiliar with. It”s a kind of tribal design from which a rose blossoms. Is that new, or was it already there two days ago when she writhed beneath me in my bed? I can”t recall seeing it. A thought stirs in my mind. A promise to myself. If I manage to get this woman in my bed again, I”ll explore every inch of her body. That”s as certain as the Amen in church.
I watch Mandy and Emma, who are heading downstairs past the security guards, making their way to the dance floor. Dammit, in this dress, she”ll practically be inviting men to touch her on the dance floor. My hands start to sweat with anger. I should follow her, make sure no one gets too close.
“Well, Whyler!” Durand”s voice interrupts my thoughts. He stands above me, wearing a smug grin and holding a bottle of beer. What does he want now? I get up, not liking the way he”s looking down on me.
“What do you want, Durand?” Standing tall, it”s me now looking down at him. But that doesn”t seem to faze him; he still regards me with that smug expression.
“Looks like I”ll soon be Mr. Flake”s favorite,” he remarks.
“Because you”re banging his daughter?” I retort with a laugh. “Keep dreaming.” While Carl wasn”t exactly thrilled that I left Jess, it hasn”t changed my position as his star forward. He knows I”m his best man.
“Well, you see, it”s the whole package. You”re sabotaging yourself. First, you lose it at Jessica”s gallery opening, then you break up with her, and lately, you”re even faltering in training. Looks pretty bad for you, don”t you think?”
“The only thing that looks bad is the stench coming out of your mouth. Now, get out of my way.” I shove the Canadian aside and stride towards the bathrooms, determined to avoid any confrontation, whether with Durand or any guy getting too close to Emma. As I approach the hallway leading to the restrooms, I”m about to pass the ladies” room when someone grabs me and pulls me inside.
“What the... Jess!” I exclaim, irritated when I see who it is. “Are you out of your mind?”
“You”re about to find out,” she hisses. A girl at the sink, washing her hands, spots us.
“Hey, what”s this? This is the women”s restroom!” she scolds.
“Yes, and this is important,” Jess replies, grabbing her by the arm and roughly pushing her out the door.
“You”re crazy, you stupid bitch!” the stranger grumbles, but Jess doesn”t engage with her. Instead, she shuts the door behind her and leans against it, preventing anyone else from entering.
“So, what do you want?” I ask, exasperated, crossing my arms. I shouldn”t even be speaking to this witch after she stirred up trouble between Emma and me yesterday.
“I want you to make a decision.”
“Okay, this is ridiculous. I have no idea what”s going through your crazy head, but you”re definitely not going to dictate decisions to me. I”m sorry you”re hurt. I”m also sorry I used you. It wasn”t right of me and there”s no excuse. I get that. But you have to move on from our breakup.”
“Oh, I will move on, in my own way. And that”s why you”ll decide.”
“Her or you?” I furrow my brow. Her or me?
“Either I ensure Emma loses her job and goes back to the backwater town she came from, or I make sure you get kicked off the team. And more than that – no hockey team in the world will ever sign you again.”
“Okay, you know what, you need help. You should schedule an appointment with a psychologist.” With that, I try to push her away from the door and leave, but she pushes back and screams, ”You don”t believe me, do you?” Then, she raises her fist and punches herself in the face so hard that the skin at the corner of her mouth tears and she starts bleeding.
“Have you completely lost your mind?!” I think I”m going insane. This woman is a freak!
“It”s possible,” she shrugs. “I”ll disfigure myself so badly that not even my parents will recognize me. And then I”ll say it was you. The police, the press, everyone will know what a psychopath you are. How do you think that will affect your career? Dad will kick you out and no one – especially not with the reputation of a woman beater – will want you.”
“You wouldn”t do that,” I say, looking back and forth between her ice-cold eyes and her split lip.
“Think so, huh? Caleb, I”ve reached a point where I”d do anything. And you know what, you brought this on yourself. You should have never left me. But you thought you could replace me with that slit-eyed whore. Well, this is what you get. If I can”t have you, then no one should.” Jessica steps away from the door. “You have three days to decide.” She turns around, grabs the handle, and is about to leave when she pauses – but she doesn”t turn to me. “And, Caleb, if I don”t have an answer from you by then, I”ll make sure both of you get kicked out. So, you better make up your mind soon.” With those words, she disappears, leaving me alone.
“Fuck!” My fist slams into the tiled wall. This can”t be happening; this lunatic is blackmailing me! I need to get out of here, I need time to think. I have no idea how to fix this shit.
“Caleb?” I hear a soft voice behind me. Shit, I thought we were alone. I turn around and see Emma emerging from one of the stalls. There”s an apologetic look on her beautiful face. She extends a hand towards me, which I grasp in surprise.
“You heard what just happened?”
“Yes, and I”m terribly sorry. I was disappointed because you took advantage of that poor girl. But Jessica doesn”t deserve my sympathy at all. That woman is a complete nut job. What she just threatened you with is insane!” At this moment, my ex doesn”t matter to me. I can”t believe my luck. Emma has come back to me, I have her again! I pull her into my arms, burying my nose in her silky hair and closing my eyes. Never again, I promise myself, will I risk losing her.
When she eventually pulls away from me and looks up at me, my heart aches with relief.
“What will you do about Jessica?” she asks, concerned. Out of anger towards that witch, I bite down on my teeth. “I don”t know yet, but I”ll come up with something. I promise. Don”t worry.” Trying to appear composed, I gently stroke her cheek with the back of my hand. “What do you say we get out of here?”
She smiles gently. “Sounds like a plan.”
I pull her back into my arms, bringing her face between my hands and kiss her. Damn, how I”ve missed her and her taste!
Since I want to get out of here as quickly as possible, we say our goodbyes to the birthday boy and his girlfriend and leave. The taxi ride to my loft brings back memories. It feels like an eternity since I escorted Emma home from the Brillant that first night. Back then, she seemed unreachable; today she sits snuggled up next to me. A lot has happened since then. Briefly, Jessica”s threats come to mind. I urgently need to figure out a way to deal with that witch. But not today – right now, there”s only one thing on my mind: having Emma in my bed.
When we arrive at the loft, I help my beauty out of her coat. Then, I pull her in for a kiss.
“Is there anything else I should know about you?” she asks when I finally let go. The question sounds playful, but I know there”s a kernel of truth in it. Emma wants to make sure I don”t have any more skeletons in my closet before she commits to me.
“Well, to be honest, I do have a fetish,” I admit, causing her to narrow her eyes. “It”s related to sex.” Now, a crease forms on her forehead, but it quickly smooths out.
“Could it be related to bodily fluids?” she speculates.
“You could say that, yes. You”ve noticed, I take it.”
“I could say that” she playfully repeats my words.
“I can”t help it. You just taste too damn good,” I confess, letting her feel that the thought of her juices alone gets me hard.
“Good to know.” Emma grins, biting down on her lower lip. “And what else are you into?”
“The thought of coming on your pierced breasts or the tattoo above your ass almost makes me explode,” I admit, hoping she won”t find me repulsive because of it. Shaking my head, I lick my lips. “Now you probably think I”m a pervert.” Damn, I shouldn”t have said anything. Emma reaches up, takes hold of my chin, and forces me to look at her.
“I don”t know how uptight the women that you had before me were – and I don”t want to know! But I”m into kinky sex. Into really hot, kinky sex.” The wicked grin she gives me makes me realize she has no problem with my fetish. Fuck, and I thought she couldn”t get any hotter. After our last session – where she sat on my face with her pussy – I should have known she”s different from other women. Emma is more uninhibited, more open. I could have seen that from her many intimate piercings.
“And now come, I want to find out how good you taste,” she says in a seductive voice, taking my hand and trying to pull me towards the couch.
“Wait,” I stop her with a painfully hard cock in my pants. “I promise you; I”ll fuck you on every single piece of furniture in this loft, but today I want you in my bed.” With that, I pull her back, lift her into my arms, and carry her upstairs.