Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
RYAN
T uesday afternoon, I strode out of my office. We had practice in thirty minutes. My phone buzzed in the pocket of my team sweats, and I fished it out, then stopped. It was a message from Jonah.
Janet
I have news. Can I see you tonight?
I tapped a message back to him.
Ryan
Sure. How about six?
Janet
That works.
As a smile crept over my lips, I looked up.
Finley strode toward me, his mouth pressed into a grim line. “Hey, need to talk to you.” He grabbed my elbow and led me into his office, next to the one I shared with the head coach.
“What’s up?” I scanned the room, it was smaller than the one I was in but held the same furniture. He had a few older trophies on a shelf behind his desk, maybe from when he played in high school?
He poked his head around the door jamb, looking each way, then shut the door and locked it.
Why the hell was he locking us in? My pulse quickened and a queasy knot formed in my gut. Something was up.
“This was in my mailbox today.” He pulled a folded letter off his desk and handed it to me. “Know anything about it?” His gaze hardened.
I held the letter in front of my face and read it. Who the hell sent people written letters these days?
Coach Finley:
There’s a situation on your team you need to know about. One of your forwards is having an affair with Coach Gibson. I’ve seen them together on multiple occasions. If you need proof, here’s a photo of them at the gay bar on Mill Avenue.
Fucking hell. My heart jolted and my mouth went dry. I struggled to keep the paper steady in my trembling hands. I dropped my gaze to a blurry photo of my first kiss with Jonah the night Owen attacked me. The fucker took a photo of us? And held on to it all this time?
I dropped the paper to my side and rubbed my chin. I could deny it. The photo was blurry, but it sure as hell did resemble the two of us. I?—
“I saw Boehm leaving your hotel room in the middle of the night.” He paced across the small room, the stark light from the fluorescent bulbs in the ceiling painting the air in vivid hues. He stopped at his desk. “I haven’t said anything to Patterson.”
My gaze snapped to his. He knew but hadn’t said anything? I swallowed thickly .
“The organization doesn’t need a scandal right now. We’re headed into the Frozen Four and bullshit like this could throw the whole team off.” His gaze pierced mine. “I want a win this year, Gibson.”
“S-so, what do you want to do about this?” As my breath grew shallow and my peripheral vision spotted, I grabbed the back of a chair and sat down. Fuck, I might pass out. Nausea coiled in my gut. I had to hold it together.
“Tell me what’s going on. All of it. Do you have any idea who the guy is that wrote the letter?” He slapped his palm on his desk and leaned over me, his face close to mine, his brows lowered.
I gaped. “O-Owen. The person who wrote the letter is Owen.” I scrubbed my face. Fuck, he’d done it. The son of a bitch.
“Who the hell is Owen?” He hiked a hip onto his desk and held his hands together over his lap. “I don’t know of an Owen on the team.”
“He’s not on the team. He’s a student I met when I first got here. He…” Oh fuck, how was I supposed to explain my stupidity of hooking up with the guy? I inhaled a calming breath, then glanced at the paper again. Who the fuck writes letters like this anymore? I shook my head, then threw my gaze at Finley. “Owen was a man I hooked up with. Things didn’t work out and he started stalking me.”
“A stalker? This guy is a stalker.” He cocked a brow. “You queer people stalk each other?” He gave me a smirk.
Was he trying to make me feel better? “Not usually, no.” I took a few more deep breaths, my chest relaxing and trembling hands slowing. “So, the whole story? Owen attacked me at the gay bar the night of the photo, and Jonah, um, Boehm, and his friends happened to be there. Boehm punched the guy?—”
“Fuck, the players are not supposed to be getting into bar fights, but I’ll let that one slide.” He huffed a soft chuckle.
“And we sort of…” I shrugged. “We had a moment. In the co mmotion, I twisted my injured knee and Boehm took me home and took care of me. It started a…we started a relationship.” I gauged Finley’s reaction. He knew about my history with my knee, all the coaches did. “He’s not my player. He’s your player.” Good God, was I really using that excuse?
He freed a quick snort. “Uh-huh. It would still cause a scandal. Five years ago, a male coach had sexual relations with a player on the women’s team, and it sparked all sorts of hell for the organization. Now this?” He stood and walked in a circle. “Not only is it grounds for a reprimand, it’s…well, it’s gay.”
“Gay?” I stared at him. “Technically, I’m gay, but Jonah is?—”
“I don’t care what color of the rainbow flag Jonah flies under. If we reprimand you for pulling the same shit the hetero coach pulled, are we going to have problems with some queer civil rights organization?” He threw his hands up and dropped them. “Fuck, I don’t know.” He paced to the other side of the room. “And we’re so close to the end of the damn season, and your boy, Boehm, just got invited to the Maple Leafs’ camp.”
“He did?” My eyes widened. So, that’s what his text was about. My stomach fluttered. I couldn’t wait to see him. I should pick up some champagne.
He dropped into his desk chair and leaned back. “So, what I need to know is, what is this Owen character going to do if we keep this under wraps?”
I swallowed hard. He was willing to keep my relationship with Jonah a secret? “I don’t know.” My heart plummeted. Knowing the lengths Owen had gone to already, he wasn’t going to stop with one letter. With a scoff, I hung my head. “Shit, he’ll probably keep sending them until he finds someone who’ll listen.” I was fucked. I crept my gaze to Finley’s. “Maybe I should quietly resign.”
“Just before the Frozen Four? No fucking way, Gibson.” With a shake of his head, he scowled. “I’ve been waiting too long to bag this championship and I think this year we have a winning team. ”
“I think you’re right.” Warmth swelled in my chest. I’d been blessed with a great group of players. But how to handle Owen? “So, what do you suggest?”
“I’m not sure yet.” His gaze softened. “But I know we need you out there. You’re a great coach.” He squeezed my shoulder, then snatched the letter from me and set it on his desk. “I’m going to hang on to this for now.”
“Yeah, okay.” I scanned around the room, my pulse slowing. He wasn’t going to out us to Patterson, and with it being a non-issue soon, maybe it would go away.
“I do think it would be a good idea for you to stay away from Boehm.” Planting his hands on his hips, he paced behind his desk. “You know, until the season ends.”
Fuck, Jonah would never go for that. “Sure,” I said, nodding. I’d at least talk to Jonah about it. I rubbed my sweaty palms over my thighs.
“Don’t you think? I mean, no reason to give this guy more ammunition.” He puffed a breath out of his nose. “Then if he gets to Patterson, you can say it was a one-time thing, and it’s over.” He peered at me. “Right?”
“I suppose.” But Jonah didn’t deserve that. We were in love. We were making plans for our future. I tensed my jaw. We’d have to be even more careful around Finley and Patterson from now on. No midnight rendezvous in my hotel room when we were traveling. I stood up. “Hey, thanks, man,” I said, holding out my hand.
He slapped both hands around mine and shook it. “Yeah, well, shit happens, and you’re both consenting adults. Plus, I saw how much you care about him when he hit his head.” He freed my hand. Ticking his shoulder, he said, “And you’re right. You’re not his direct coach, and you’ve never gotten between him and me on the ice. Some of these rules that are meant to protect the players go a little overboard.” He brushed his hand down the back of his short hair. “Let’s, uh, let’s both keep an eye out for your boy Owen and see if we can intercept any more letters.”
“Agreed.” Though, if I saw him around here, I might throttle the bastard. I stepped to the door and placed my hand on the knob.
“Oh, and, Gibson?” He stood and gave me a lopsided grin. “Have a good practice.”
I waved behind me as I opened the door. “You too. And thanks again.” I strode down the hallway to the rink. Holy shit, I’d been given a second chance.
Later that evening, I paced across my living room floor in front of my patio doors, the setting sun throwing hues of red and orange across the sky. When Jonah arrived, I had to look surprised about the invitation, but then I’d have to tell him about the letter.
My front door clicked, and Jonah swept it open, then closed it behind him, a broad smile lighting up his face. “Hey.” He sauntered into the room, and I met him next to my kitchen island.
“Hey.” I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and hauled him in for a quick kiss.
Hooking his arms around my waist, he held me for a heartbeat, then let me go. “I have news.” He snatched my hand and led me to my sofa.
“Yeah?” Pretend to be surprised… I sat in the corner of the sofa and he fell in next to me. “So?” If I hadn’t known about the invitation, I’d probably have already sideswiped him with Owen’s letter. Fuck it, it could wait.
With his smile growing even wider, he rocked once. “I had a meeting with the Leafs’ scout today.”
“You did?” I met his gaze. “And?” I bit my lower lip.
“And I’ve been invited to the camp.” He squeezed my hand. “ We’re going to Toronto in July.” He giggled. “I’ll be missing the Fourth of July, but who gives a fuck?”
“Really? That’s great, Jonah.” As a grin tugged my mouth, I threw my arms around him and pressed a hard kiss on his lips. “I’m so happy for you.” I studied him. How long did I have to wait before I told him about Owen’s letter? This was fucking stupid. Owen had ruined this moment for us.
“Yeah?” His smile waned and he cocked his head. “What’s, uh, what’s wrong?” He looked me over. “Did something happen?”
Fuck. I was no good at faking shit. “I’m sorry, Jonah, but I have some bad news.” I dipped my head, my chest aching. How was he going to react to this? I tensed my lips, then focused on him. “You know how happy I am for you, though, right? You deserve this.”
“Thanks.” He slumped his shoulders. “What’s the bad news?”
I scoffed. “Fucking Owen made good on his promise and left a note about us in Coach Finley’s mailbox.” I opened my mouth and made to speak.
“What the fuck? Are you still a coach? Did you get fired?” With wide eyes, he gaped at me.
“Finley’s keeping it quiet. He’s the only one who got a letter.” My chest prickled with heat. Holy shit, what if Owen had handed them out to all the coaches? This would be ending very differently. “He doesn’t want a scandal to upset our chances in the Frozen Four.”
With a tsk, he said, “Yeah, sounds like Coach.” He chuckled. “Wait, a letter? Like a handwritten letter?”
“Yes. It wasn’t signed, but who else would have done that?” I darted my gaze over Jonah’s stunning face, his light-blue eyes surrounded by the long black bangs. It would almost kill me to not be with him for the next few weeks. “Jonah, Finley wants us to stop seeing each other until after the season is over.” I drew a deep inhale. “He thinks that if Owen gives out more letters, then I can deny our relationship and just say we had a hookup.”
“Fuck no.” He puffed a breath out of his nose, his nostrils flaring. “I’m not letting that asshole stop us from being together.” He glared at me. “What the hell difference would it make? We could still deny whatever bullshit he puts in a letter.” His glare shifted into a stare. “Wait, why didn’t you deny it anyway?”
I scoffed. “One, there was a picture in the letter of us kissing in the bar that night you threw him off me. And two, Finley saw you leaving my hotel room.” I arched a brow at him.
“Oh shit.” He shook his head. “I didn’t think he’d seen me.” He twitched the corner of his mouth. “So, Coach Finley has known about us for a while, huh?”
“Yes, and he never said a word.” A slight grin played over my lips. “He didn’t think it was a big deal since I’m not your direct coach. He feels the way we do about it.”
“You know? I’ve always really liked that guy.” He huffed a quick laugh. “Shit, so what do we do now?”
“There’s a chance Owen will try handing out more letters when he sees there was no response to the first one.” I watched his eyes narrow at me. “We’re going to keep an eye out for them.”
His lips pinched and he straightened his spine. “Maybe I can catch the fucker bringing it to the rink. I’ll?—”
“You’ll do nothing. You beating on him will only make things worse.” I gave him a pointed look. He had to hear me on this. “You understand?” Grabbing his hands, I shook them between us.
As a smirk curled his lips, he said, “But if Ace?—”
“No, Jonah. None of the squad is going to do anything to Owen.” I bit back, even if the fucker deserves it . “Promise me.”
With his gaze hardening, he wrinkled his nose. “Seriously?”
“Promise?” I squeezed his hands. “Jonah?” My pulse raced.
“Fine. I promise.” He glowered and leaned his side into the couch cushions. “That fucker shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this. It’s none of his fucking business.”
“I know.” I freed one of his hands and mirrored his position, leaning my cheek on the back of the sofa. “We have to be really careful from now on. No Club on Mill, no dinners outside of this apartment, and definitely no late-night visits to my room when we’re on the road.” At least we could still hole up here.
“But Owen knows I come here. Maybe you should start coming to my place?” He lifted his head, the hint of a smile teasing his lips. “You could join us for a squad dinner.”
“No, Jonah. That’s just…” I huffed. “It’s too weird. Archer and Tyler are still my D-men. I’m already blurring the lines with you and me.”
“But Archer’s dad is going to be coaching him if he makes it into the Coyotes. Why is it so weird to coach people you hang out with?” He brushed his knuckles down my cheek, his gaze dropping to my mouth. “I thought we’d be kissing by now.”
With a soft snort, I said, “I know.” Tipping my head back, I gazed at my ceiling fan for a beat, thinking about what he’d said, then faced him. “When you’re coaching a player, you need to mentor them. When you cross into the friend zone, the mentoring part becomes difficult. A father is a mentor, so I don’t think what Archer’s dealing with is the same.”
He lifted his brows. “My, aren’t we philosophical tonight.” He lifted the corner of his mouth.
“Shut up.” I poked him in the ribs.
He squirmed and grabbed my wrist. “So, for the next few weeks, we’ll keep it on the super down-low and only spend time together here.”
“Yes, thank you.” Hopefully, we’d be able to intercept any new letters from Owen, and now I had Finley on my side. We just had to get through the next few weeks with all the travel for regionals. If we won our games, then we’d be on to St. Louis for the real deal. “What do you want to order for dinner?”
Shimmying closer to me, he said, “You?” With a smirk, he nibbled on my neck and skimmed a hand under my shirt and up to tease a nipple into a hard nub. “Fuck, I want you.” He bit his way to my chin, then devoured my mouth in desperate kisses, darting his tongue across mine.
I groaned as my dick swelled in my sweats. To hell with food for now. I unfastened his jeans and worked his solid cock out, giving it lazy strokes.
With a moan, he freed my mouth and tipped his head back. “Jesus, that feels good.” His darkened gaze met mine. “I haven’t done anything since the last time we were together.”
A shiver raced down my spine. “Yeah? So, you basically saved yourself for me?” I swirled my palm around the flared crown of his cock, sliding precum around it.
He hissed and tensed his brows. “You can think of it that way.” Grabbing the back of my head, he planted eager kisses on my mouth, his tongue gliding against mine.
Slanting my mouth over his, I met his intensity and stroked faster over his dick. As I broke the kisses and sucked his earlobe into my mouth, I murmured, “Bedroom?”
With a stuttered nod, he said, “Fuck yes.” He untangled himself from me and stood up, then grabbed my hand. “Okay if I fuck you tonight?” He bit his lower lip, his gaze dropping to my tented sweats.
“Yep.” Pulling him along, I strode into my bedroom and flicked on the nightstand lamps. I wanted to see all of him. “Strip for me.”
“Yes, sir.” With a snicker, he mock-saluted me, then dropped his jeans and briefs and shucked off his shirt. His thick, hard cock bobbed between his thighs.
My mouth watered. “You look delicious. Can I?” With a sly grin, I dropped to my knees and grabbed his ass cheeks, then sucked him into my mouth.
His knees buckled and his dick pulsed. “Holy fuck, Ryan.” His breath caught and the skin on his thighs pebbled. “Not too much.” He clutched my hair .
I gave him a few slow tugs with my mouth, lapping at his shaft. It was just a tease before the main event. I liked bottoming for him, but I also got off on controlling him. As he shuddered and a whimper worked out of his chest, I pulled off with a wet pop. “Now, get on my bed.”
“Yeah?” His pupils widened and he climbed up. “You got some nasty ideas in that head of yours?”
“I do.” I wanted to fuck myself on him. But I’d keep him guessing for now. Twisting my lips, I threw off my sweats and stepped to my nightstand drawer, then pulled out my plug and the lube. “Prep me.” I handed it to him.
Sitting up on the bed with his legs sprawled out, he slathered lube on the plug. “Okay, come here.”
I mounted the bed, then lay on my back and lifted my knees into my armpits, exposing all of me to him.
His dick jerked and precum slipped down his shaft. “Looking at you like that just made me come a little.” He gave himself a slow stroke, then knelt between my legs and swirled his palm around my shaft. “You have such a beautiful dick, Ryan. You know that?” He roamed his gaze up my abs, my chest, and finally, to my face. As he fisted the base, he nudged the plug against my hole. “I wish I could play with it all the time.”
“That might be a little awkward, don’t you think?” I gave him a soft grin, my hole clenching and balls aching. He needed to keep going and quit talking.
“Yeah. Too bad we can’t just stay in your apartment for days on end and fuck.” Tilting his head, he admired my cock, then lowered his head, opening his jaw wide.
As his hot, wet mouth enveloped my dick, a shiver raced over my heated skin. “Fuck yeah,” I rasped.
He slowly pushed the plug into my hole and moaned over my dick, pumping it and flicking his tongue at the tip.
Arching my back, I groaned. Sensation knotted inside me, and my balls drew up. I loved his blowjobs. I loved the slow way he used me when he fucked me .
As he stroked my prostate with the plug, he opened the back of his throat and swallowed around my cockhead.
“Oh fuck, Jonah.” I bucked and my thighs trembled. I’d come if he kept that up. “C-close, shit.” I pushed on his shoulders. As the edge of pleasure surged and waned inside me, I panted.
He hummed over my cock, then slid off and squeezed the tip. “How many times did you jerk off and think of me this week?” He gave me a wicked grin, his eyelids hooded under his long dark bangs. Slowly, he worked the plug into and out of my hole, skimming my prostate each time.
It was maddening how slow he fucked me with the plug. And now I had to think? “Uh, um…a few times.” I clutched at my knees, my fingers digging into my flesh.
“Only a few?” He stopped with the plug all the way in my ass, then swirled it around. “Come on.”
“Every day?” I peeked down at him, sensation coiling low in my belly. Yeah, that was about right. It had become my go-to bed ritual, for fuck’s sake. “Every day.”
“Jesus…” Raised on a straight arm at my hips, he hung his head, his black hair veiling his face. “In the morning or at night?” He snapped his gaze to mine and raked his teeth over his lower lip.
“Night. Before bed.” A pulse of sensation rushed up my spine as the plug rubbed my insides. I gasped.
“I’m going to join you. Every night before bed, I’m going to jerk off and think of you.” The edge of his lips curled. “Well, except for the nights when we’re together like this.” He pulled the plug out of my ass and sat up on tucked legs.
That was it. He was mine. I hopped up and crawled to him. “Legs out.” I straddled him as he shifted on the bed.
“What are you doing?” He leaned back on his arms, watching me.
“This.” I lined up his cock to my hole and dropped down, the stretch burning my insides and filling me with pleasure at the same time .
“Oh fuck.” He gasped and hooked his arms around my torso, burying his cheek against my chest.
I held his shoulders and rode him, pushing up and falling down, the pressure and friction of his thick cock sparking tingles over my skin.
Sucking in one of my nipples, he held tighter to me. “Faster, Ryan. Need you to go faster.”
I quickened my pace, panting and writhing over him. “You feel fucking good, Jonah, so fucking good.” As his rock-hard cock pegged my prostate over and over, my balls tightened and an explosion of sensation shot through my body. “Fuck, coming.” Hot cum spurted in ribbons between us as my ass contracted over his dick in intense waves. Holy hell, I hadn’t come handsfree in a long time.
With a loud groan, he yanked me to his chest and his body tensed. “Oh God, coming.” He shuddered under me and squirmed, rocking his hips as best he could.
As the heat of his release filled me, I planted a palm on his cheek and guided his face to mine, my heart bursting with emotion. “I love you, Jonah.” I pressed my mouth to his lips and held them while his orgasm rippled through him.
As it slowed, I broke the kiss and gazed deeply into his dazed eyes. No matter what we faced in the next few weeks, I knew we’d have each other. As long as I had him, I had it all.
Between heavy breaths, he said, “Ryan, I love you too.” His eyes cleared and he swallowed hard. “So fucking much.” He claimed me in a hard kiss, then cupped my cheek and brushed his thumb over it. “Just want you to know, though…” A smirk crawled across his lips. “I meant what I said about jerking off together at night.”
“What?” I chuckled. “This isn’t going to involve phone sex, is it?” I planted a quick kiss on his forehead.
He lifted a shoulder. “It could. I mean, I could call you on FaceTime every night, and we could?—”
“No, Jonah.” I scoffed a chuckle. “Especially not when we’re traveling for regionals next week.” I attempted to harden my gaze. “We’re both going to need our rest.”
“Fine.” He pressed his lips together. “I’ll just text you to let you know when I’m doing it, and you can use your imagination.”
“Oh no.” I shook my head, then rubbed my eyes. As his spent dick slid out of me, I rolled off him. Where the hell did he come up with this shit?
“Anyway. Hungry for food now?” He freed a soft chuckle. “Sex always makes me hungry.”
My stomach grumbled. “Yes. Let’s clean up and order something, then maybe we can cuddle on my sofa?” I hopped off the bed as his release slithered down the inside of my thigh. Shit, better hurry into the washroom.