Chapter 18
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
ZEKE
What was supposed to be a quick shower before the awards tonight turned into Jasper pressing my chest against the tile and fucking me like he was trying to etch himself into my spine.
Roman just leaned back against the wall, stroking his cock, eyes glued on every thrust, every sound, and every shudder that tore through us.
The things that came out of Rome’s mouth while he watched…
Fuuuck. They were the kind of words that make your knees buckle and your back arch because Roman doesn’t just talk.
He speaks to ruin you, and I don’t know what got me off harder—Jasper’s cock driving into me like he couldn’t get close enough, his breath ragged against my ear as he whispered how much he loved me, or Roman telling me I was taking it like a good boy while he just watched as if we existed purely for his pleasure.
Both, always both.
Now I’m standing in the living room in my charcoal suit pants and crisp black button-down when Roman strolls in, wearing the same, except his pants are navy and his shirt’s white, top buttons undone, giving me a flash of tattooed skin at his collarbone.
It’s enough to make my mouth go dry, and he just grins.
He knows exactly where my mind’s gone and lets me look as long as I want.
“You’re in so much trouble,” I say, my lip twitching as I give Roman a slow, obvious once-over. “You know what seeing you in that suit does to him.”
“Why do you think I wore it?” He just smirks, spritzing cologne on his neck.
Not even a minute later, Jasper strides in and stops dead in his tracks, eyes going wide as they sweep over the two of us.
“Fuck me,” he growls. “You two in suits give me an instant hard-on.”
I laugh, but Jesus Christ… he’s in all black, and it’s doing things to me. The shirt, the slacks, the way every inch clings to him like it was stitched with the sole purpose of being ripped off. He looks so good it’s criminal.
“You don’t have to pretend,” I tease, moving closer and brushing my lips over his. “We all know this is your favorite version of Roman.”
Jasper grins, shaking his head. “Not true… I haven’t seen my favorite version of Roman yet.”
He crosses the room, slides his hand up to Roman’s jaw, and buries his face in the curve of his neck. He inhales, breathing him in like he’s chasing a high.
“Pretty sure the day you finally let me sink my cock in you, that’ll be my favorite look.
” Roman’s whole body tightens, pupils blown, and his gaze is pure heat as it lands on Jasper.
“You like that idea? Me getting you out of this suit and fucking you full for the first time?” His hand catches Jasper’s and presses it to the thick line of his cock.
“What do you think?” he rasps, ghosting his lips over Jasper’s like he’s about to lose control.
Jasper smirks, his hand still flexing possessively over him. “One of these days, I’m gonna watch you dripping my cum, baby.”
I barely manage to catch my breath before I clear my throat and try to sound like I’ve got my shit together.
“Okay, guests have started arriving. I saw them coming up the drive, so you two need to shut your boys down. Tell them they’ll get to play later, but right now, we have to go.”
“Like you’re not desperate to fuck him too,” Jasper fires back, and the rumble of laughter from all three of us fills the room.
We head out, making the short walk from the cabin to the main house, where the celebration’s already in full swing.
“What’s the plan with Addie tonight? We’re leaving tomorrow, and we have to figure shit out,” Jasper says as we walk through the snow.
“Neither of you is to try and talk her into anything,” Roman warns, glancing between us. “Tell her how you feel, fine, but she’s got to want you enough on her own.” Jasper pauses, slowing his pace, and exhales hard. “You know what I mean. Whatever happens between me and her… it’s gonna take time.”
“We’ve all felt it, Rome,” I say, jamming my hands into my pockets. “This isn’t just screwing around. I know she scares you, but she loves you. She might not have said it, but she loves all of us.”
Jasper’s grin breaks out wide. “She does, doesn’t she?” he says, almost in awe, and just like that, the heaviness lifts. The tension eases, and we keep walking toward the party with just a little more hope.
The place looks incredible—silver and black everywhere, winter-themed, and sparkling like fresh snow. It’s elegant, festive, and exactly what you'd expect a week before Christmas. But none of it really registers when Addison is the only thing I’m looking for.
“Do you see her?” Roman asks, his eyes scanning the room, and I can tell he’s restless.
“No, but if she’s coming with her parents, I bet they’ll wait until most people arrive. Tonight’s all about her dad, after all.”
“I can’t wait to tell him I’m going to steal his daughter,” Jasper mutters, “which I’ll do in front of everyone if that prick even breathes near her.”
I follow his gaze and spot Mikey King pushing through the crowd, still wearing that smug grin and that same overinflated ego, like time hasn’t touched him at all.
“Play nice,” Roman says under his breath. “I don’t want to ruin the night for Coach and his family.”
“I’m always nice, Captain.”
“You’re also a sarcastic ass,” I shoot back, grazing my fingertips along the back of Jasper’s hand. “Come on, let’s get a drink.”
We’ve spent the past twenty minutes mingling—close, but never too close. There’s a careful rhythm to the way we move around each other. We’re always within reach but never quite touching.
We’ve been catching up with people we haven’t seen in years, nodding along to old stories and smiling through polite conversations, when my body lights up without warning.
I turn, mid-sentence, no longer hearing a word coming out of Grant Baxter’s mouth as he drones on about his brother’s messy divorce.
I leave him mid-ramble, already forgotten, because standing at the entrance is Addison Hope.
I’m met with deep-blue eyes, a vision I wasn’t even remotely prepared for. My gaze flits left and finds Roman and Jasper across the room. They’ve gone still, staring at Addie the exact same way I am, like they’ve just seen something holy.
She’s wearing a dark-blue gown that clings to her body like it was sewn onto her skin, hugging every curve, the color a perfect match for her eyes.
The fabric slides down her body and pools at her feet, elegant and tempting all at once.
The ruched neckline hides those perfect breasts I’ve spent the last few days worshipping, and her hair’s pulled back, with a few loose blonde strands framing her face, making her look even more devastatingly beautiful.
She’s on her dad’s arm, who looks exactly like he did five years ago. Her mom and sister walk beside them, but all I see is Addie. My focus zeroes in on her, and everything else becomes background noise.
She belongs to us.
I want to cross the room, pull her into my arms, and show her how much she means to me in front of everyone. But until we’ve all figured out what this is and what we’re doing, it wouldn’t be fair to her or any of us. So I stay rooted to the spot, my hands clenched at my sides.
Mikey King is on her like a fly on shit, and despite the way she clings harder onto her dad’s arm, Coach doesn’t tell him to back off, which blows my fucking mind.
If I ever have a daughter, and some asshole who cheated on her had the balls to show up smiling like nothing happened, I’d be the first one dragging him out by the throat.
I turn to the left and catch Roman’s eyes across the room.
He tilts his chin subtly toward Jasper, who’s standing rigid, looking the way he does right before he forgets to hold back.
I shake my head once. It’s not a warning, just a reminder that you don’t leash Jasper.
You don’t cage that kind of fire. You just make sure he knows he’s not alone, and he’ll find his ground.
He’s got more restraint than anyone gives him credit for, but we know the signs.
We know when that control starts to splinter.
So I go. I move through the crowd, my eyes focused on the family, who are now surrounded by well-wishers and old friends. My body slots in behind Addison, close enough to touch but not enough to draw attention.
Until I do touch her and let my fingers drift across the bare skin at the small of her back, right where the dress ends above the swell of her ass.
Her skin prickles, and I swear I hear her gasp.
The corner of my mouth lifts before I slip seamlessly into the moment, throwing an arm around her dad like I’ve done a hundred times before.
“Hey, Coach.”
The man who’s the reason I ever made it to the NHL turns around, his face splitting into that huge, beaming smile I grew up chasing approval from.
“Zeke… look at you,” he says, giving me a once-over.
I catch Addie doing the same, but the only thing in her eyes is pure, unfiltered want. I get it—hell, I can’t look at her for too long either. I’m already half hard, and that’s not going away anytime soon.
“How’s it going, Coach?” I ask, and he opens his arms wide, looking around the room.
“I’m going to soak all this in before it’s back to the ice next week.”
“You deserve it.”
He claps my shoulder, pride shining in his eyes. “Thanks, son. How’s Boston treating you? I’ve been keeping up with you, Jasper, and Roman—watching every game. You boys make this old guy proud.”
“Couldn’t have done it without you, you hard-ass,” I say, and he lets out a big booming laugh, shaking his head.
“Some of you boys needed someone to give you a serious kick up the ass to get moving, and I guess that had to be me.” I nod, grinning, when someone calls his name from across the room. He claps my shoulder once more and excuses himself before stepping away.
Mikey suddenly appears again, sliding his arm around Addie’s waist, but she instantly shrugs him off, not even being subtle about it.