Chapter 16 #2
“Well, hell, why didn’t you have a treat in Newhope?”
“I told you why. Things are different here.”
“Yeah, they are. These guys are my teammates. I’m with them all the time.”
“Who says I’m interested in a hockey player?” Her eyebrow arches. “I’ll be lucky if he has all his teeth.”
“I have all my teeth.”
“Only because Grammy Gwen cast a spell so you wouldn’t get hit in the face with a puck.”
“She did not.”
Heather gives me a look, and I hesitate, thinking. I have had a few close calls in my career. Still, that doesn’t mean… Does it?
“Well…” I don’t know how to respond to this new information. “Just don’t date any of my teammates.”
“Deal.” She sticks out her hand, and I give it a firm shake.
“I guess that means I’m on Maddie duty then?” I do my best to keep the disappointment out of my tone.
With the way Gigi looks tonight, I was thinking John might need to sneak into a bathroom with Kendall.
“Actually, Haddy offered to watch her for us tonight. She said she’d be leaving early anyway because of the baby, and she and Maddie could have a movie night. Mr. Toad and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
“Good one.”
“And Mads has never seen it, so bonus!”
“Well, have fun tonight. Make good choices.”
“I always do.” My sister turns to go just as Ryan the photographer walks through the door.
Heather waves and runs over to him, and he gives her a smile I kind of don’t like. But at least he isn’t a Champion.
A woman with bobbed dark brown hair and a tall guy who looks Russian are also with him. They’re dressed as Natasha and Boris, and they all mix in with the crowd dancing in the middle of the living room where the furniture used to be.
Looking around, I realize Spanky’s cage is gone, and I didn’t see Ladybird in my rush to get changed and get back down here.
I turn to go to the kitchen when I notice Donovan dressed as a pirate, bending down and talking to Gina. He’s smiling at her, and she reaches out to grab his arm, giving it a firm shake.
He says something in her ear, and her eyes close. My vision goes red, and I forget about the dogs, my daughter, my sister… everything. What the fuck?
Without really thinking about it, I stalk over to where the two of them are standing.
“Hey, Sly,” my team captain says. “Or should I say matey?”
He’s teasing, but I’m grinding my teeth so hard, I might break Gwen’s spell.
“You okay, man?” Don’s eyebrows lower as he reads my face.
“What’s going on over here?” My voice is growly.
“Owen,” Gina laughs, her voice noticeably higher. “We’re just chatting. I-I’ve been friends with Donovan for years…”
“Friends. Is this friendly?”
“Yeah.” Donovan straightens to his full height, a taunting grin curling his lips. “You got a problem with it?”
I stand straighter as well, not backing down. Donovan is an inch taller than I am, but I don’t really give a shit. I’m ready to punch him straight in his crooked nose.
“Maybe I do.”
His shoulders drop, and he exhales a laugh. “Owen, bruh. It’s not what you think. Trust me.”
Gina’s eyes are wide, and she puts her hands on both my arms, turning me away from him. “Come with me.”
I hold Donovan’s pale blue eyes a beat longer before letting Gina drag me into the kitchen. We push through the door, where I see Maddie sitting at the bar with Zander, dancing him back and forth along the granite countertop as she watches It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on Gina’s iPad.
“What were you doing out there?” Her voice is a sharp whisper.
“He was hitting on you.”
“Oh my gosh, Owen, he was not!”
“He had his hands on you, and his face was in your hair.” Most likely sniffing up all of her sweet cherry scent.
Something like amusement dances in her eyes as she grabs my wrist, dragging me to the back of the kitchen, away from everyone, and into the laundry room, slamming the door.
My brow arches, and I reach for her.
She blocks my hand. “I’m going to tell you something, and you have to swear to me you will never, ever repeat it.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Stop misreading everything and listen to me.” Her green eyes flash with impatience, and fuck, bossy Gina is hot.
“Okay.” I hold up both hands.
“Donovan is gay.”
The small room falls silent, and we blink at each other. The noise of the party seems far away in this small room, behind the closed door. The sound of our breathing is louder, and I wonder if anyone would hear if we…
Then I realize she’s waiting for me to say something, which now seems silly. I’m a lot less mad than I was ten seconds ago.
I straighten, looking around the room, my unexpected, jealous rage forgotten. “You’re sure about that?”
“Oh my gosh, yes!” She drops her head back, groaning. “All last year, Maverick and Haddy were trying to push us together. He finally just told me, because he said he didn’t want me to think he didn’t find me attractive or whatever…”
“So he does find you attractive?”
She steps forward, putting her hands on my shoulders and smiling. “Yes, he does. In fact, he told me I looked very beautiful tonight.”
My jaw clenches, and I might be remembering my rage.
I look over my shoulder in the direction of the party. “Mother…”
She catches my chin, pulling my face back to hers. “He’s not bisexual. He’s 100 percent gay, and you can’t tell anyone.”
My eyes narrow. “I would never out him, but if he’s so gay and he thinks you’re so beautiful…”
“He doesn’t know how the guys will react, and he likes being team captain.” She steps back, twisting her fingers. “Of course, Mav wouldn’t care. We grew up with our uncles Craig and Clint…”
“My aunt Cass’s little sister lived with a drag queen before she got married. Auntie Monay still lives in Eureka with her dog Angie Dickinson II.”
Gina’s eyes widen, and she holds up a finger. “We’ll come back to that. The point is, he’s not ready to come out, and it’s a very personal thing. You can never, never tell him I told you, and if he does choose to come out at some point, you’d better be the most surprised member of the team.”
Catching her by the waist, I pull her to my chest. “How surprised would you be if I told you John needs to see Kendall right now?”
Her lips press into a smile, and she reaches up to thread her fingers in the short pieces of hair that have escaped my ponytail.
“I do love a guy in a ponytail.”
Leaning closer, I kiss the side of her jaw. “How do you feel about pirates?”
“Hmm…” She exhales a noise that registers straight to my cock. “I’ve never been with a pirate before.”
Moving my face above hers, I look down at her soft lips. “I’d be up for a quickie… if you would?”
She rises onto her toes, wrapping her arms around my neck. Our noses slide together, and she nods. “I would.”
“Fuck, Gina.” I groan. “I might’ve begged.”
A soft laugh slips from her throat as I consume her full lips. We kiss through our smiles, tongues curling, as we pull each other closer.
Her dress is beautiful, and it’s all the way to the floor. I can’t figure out the best way inside it, until she turns to face the washer.
“Here…” She grabs the skirt, pulling it higher. “Help me.”
Oh fuck. My dick is so hard, I’m not about to question this. I slide my large hands up the outside of her thighs, lifting the sparkling garment over her cute, round ass.
My brow collapses, and I grip her soft flesh with my hands, kneading it, spreading it apart with my thumbs.
“I love your ass.” I groan.
“Owen…” she moans, and I know, it’s supposed to be quick.
I unfasten my pants, letting them fall so my cock is exposed. Sliding my hands up her thighs, I find her clit and begin to circle. She’s already so fucking wet.
“Fuck…” I reach down to search my pockets. “I don’t have a condom.”
“Just pull out,” she groans. “Hurry, I need you.”
“Gina.” My throat aches, and I know this is risky.
I have too many feelings for her, and trusting my animal brain to know when to stop is asking a lot. But the crack in her voice is more than I can bear.
Grasping my dick, I slide it up and down her dripping core before thrusting balls-deep into her body.
“Fuuuuuuk…” I groan, gripping the shelf for support. “Gina, holy shit, that’s good.”
My voice is ragged. She’s so hot and warm and tight and wet. I’m pretty sure my brain broke, and then she starts rocking her ass against me.
“Fuck me, Owen,” she whispers, and I almost blow right there.
Gripping her slim hips, I pull her body against mine, squinting my eyes to keep from coming in two pumps like a fifteen-year-old.
“It’s too good…” I groan. “I’ve gotta stop.”
“Don’t you dare,” she gasps, fucking me with her hips.
“You feel so damn good. I’m gonna come.”
“Just a little more.” Her hips keep rocking, and I gulp back a yell.
Two more thrusts, and I yank my cock from her luscious body, holding it away from her sparkling dress as I come on the dirty clothes in the open basket.
“Oh, shit…” My legs shake, and I can’t believe I had the willpower to pull out. “I’ll clean this up.”
Gina turns, pulling my face down to hers and kissing me long and hard. I put my hands on each side of her, kissing her back with equal force, equal hunger.
“You didn’t finish.” Dropping to my knee, I toss her leg over my shoulder and bury my face in her sweet pussy.
“Oh, shit!” She lifts her hips, gripping the back of my head with her hand.
I lick and suck, faster as she rocks her hips against my face.
“Right there… Right there!” She hits a note the dogs probably hear, then breaks into shudders, pulling my hair and moaning.
I kiss the inside of her trembling thigh, straightening on my knees to wrap my arms around her waist. She bends down to hug me, kissing my temple as her fingers comb my hair.
A loud cheer comes from the party, bringing us around, and I stand, straightening my pants and tucking in my shirt. She cleans up with an unstained washcloth then smooths her dress and straightens her hair. I scoop up the dirty clothes and toss them into the machine.
I flip the switch to rinse only. We can worry about sorting and all the rest tomorrow. She starts to exit through the door, but I catch her arm, pulling her to me again.
Looking down, I hold her cheeks in my hands, gazing into her bright eyes. I’m so different now.
I came here a broken man. A man who thought life had nothing left for him. A man who didn’t want a second chance, who wanted to bury that part of himself.
Now I have her, this magical creature. Looking into her eyes, I see a family, a mother for my little girl, someone to share my life with.
She steals the breath from my lungs, she makes me irrationally angry at the thought of another man touching her. She makes me irrationally happy…
Tracing my finger along her jaw, I huff a laugh. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Her pretty brow lines with concern.
“How I acted just now… I didn’t know I could feel that way.”
“Oh…” Her head tilts, and a teasing glint is in her eyes. “I’ll let you make it up to me.”
“I will.”
“Next time you’re blind with jealousy?” Her eyebrow arches.
“If I fuck your brains out every time I’m jealous of you, there won’t be anything left.”
She places her hands on my face, rising on her tiptoes to kiss me long and slow. “You never have to be jealous, Owen Stone. I’m not going anywhere.”