Chapter 40
Mickey
I pause outside Gail’s room, my hand hovering over the doorknob. It’s late, and I went to bed hours ago, but I can’t sleep. I’ve been twisting and turning, trying not to focus on the Gail-shaped hole when I try to get comfortable without her body close to mine.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I open the door and stride inside. The room is dimly lit by the hallway light filtering in, shadows dancing across the walls. My gaze darts around the space, landing on a pair of lacy black panties crumpled on the floor.
A surge of heat races through my veins at the sight, arousal stirring in my groin. I shouldn’t touch them. But the temptation is too much, the need to feel the soft, silky fabric between my fingers overwhelming my better judgment.
Before I realize what I’m doing, I’m bending down to retrieve the scrap of lace. Christ, although they’re dry, I can smell her delicious pussy. The musky scent of Gail’s arousal assaults my senses, igniting my desire.
The memories of our times at Cupid’s Court flash unbidden through my mind—Gail writhing between Soren and me at the club, her cries of pleasure echoing in my ears. I shake my head sharply, trying to clear the images, but it’s no use. The damage is already done. My cock throbs in approval as I clutch the panties tighter in my fist.
Lying down on the bed, my hand moves of its own accord, slipping beneath the waistband of my sweatpants to grip my erection. A hiss escapes through my teeth at the contact. Fuck, it feels so good. With a low growl, I wrap the underwear around my aching cock and continue to pump.
In my mind’s eye, I see her on her knees before me, those bright blue eyes gazing up at me hungrily. As I stroke myself, I do so to the memory of her lips wrapped around my cock, the warmth and wetness of her mouth as she takes me deeper. Her moans, her cries… fuck, when she begged for more.
A groan rumbles in my chest, my hand speeding up against my will. The coil of tension in my belly winds tighter and tighter. I’m losing control, but I don’t want to come yet. I let go of my cock and push down my boxer briefs to free my length.
I bring the panties to my face so I can sniff them again. Her scent is all around me, enveloping my senses—the smell of her, the fantasy playing out behind my eyes. Jesus, right now, the time I’ve spent hating Gail seems like a huge waste.
Pleasure still courses through my veins, and I fist my cock again. Thrusting into my hand as I lick across the crotch part of her panties, groaning when the taste of her hits my tongue. That’s pretty much all I need.
My balls tighten, and I feel the telltale tingle at the lower part of my spine. My orgasm hits me like a wrecking ball, intense and earth-shattering. I bite down on the panties to muffle my moans as I spill over my fist in hot, wet pulses.
Without caring, I wipe my hand on the sheet, and roll to my side, intending to go to sleep. Just as I’m drifting off, I feel movement next to me. “Gail?” I ask, immediately awake as I sit up.
“No. So keep your hands to yourself.” Soren’s rumbling warning has me chuckling as he gets in next to me. I know the exact moment he notices the wet patch I’ve left, because he lets out a string of curses and pulls his t-shirt off, placing it beneath him. “You’re so fucking messed up,” he grunts.
“Guess I’m not the only one missing her,” I quip, closing my eyes again.
“No shit, captain obvious.”
Even sleeping in Gail’s bed, surrounded by her scent, doesn’t give me the blissful sleep I need to keep up with the grueling training Coach puts us through on the ice. During our practice, I notice Sawyer shooting us questioning glances, which both Soren and I skillfully ignore.
“We have to talk to him,” Soren says during a break.
I gulp down the water in my hand like it’s running out of style. “Guess so,” I reply, wiping my mouth.
We spend most of our break talking about Gail; wondering what she’s doing, how she’s doing, and—
“Are you going to ignore me forever?” Sawyer asks as he joins us.
I shrug. “Are you going to stare daggers at us forever?” I volley.
Soren lets out a derisive snort. “What did you expect, man?” He aims the question at Sawyer. “You know what’s going on when we don’t.”
“What makes you think I know anything?” Sawyer asks, cocking his head.
“Come on,” I huff. “You’re married to Lucia. Of course you know everything.”
Surprising me, Sawyer holds his hands up in a placating gesture. “I’m not your enemy.” He runs a hand down his face. “It’s just… did you really lock her up? And manipulate her into staying with you?”
I chuckle. “Did you really force your wife to walk around naked in your apartment?” The question isn’t meant as a taunt, more a reminder of the shenanigans he pulled with Lucia.
“And did you tell her you’d make sure our GM made her your fake girlfriend if she sucked your cock?” Soren asks, his tone sardonic.
“Jesus,” Sawyer mutters, palming the back of his neck. “Now that you mention it, I really was awesome.”
We all burst into laughter, and just like that, the tension is obliterated, and we begin joking around. It’s not until Coach blows his whistle that Sawyer asks, “Are you keeping the baby?”
I’m so shocked by the question that I can only gape at him because of all the things that have been running through my mind, I can honestly say that was never even a question. “Of course,” I bark. “I’m not fucking giving up my kid.”
“Neither am I,” Soren rumbles. “That’s not how you treat family.”
“And that’s what we are,” I say, bumping my fist against Soren’s. “One happy motherfucking family and all that shit.”
Sawyer chuckles. “Hate to be the one to tell you this, but you kinda need to win Gail over for that to be true.” Then he moves closer and lowers his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Unless you plan on kidnapping the poor baby.”
A low growl comes from Soren, and I almost expect him to attack Sawyer, but he doesn’t. He just pushes him out of the way and flips him off before getting back on the ice.
“Really?” I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “You just can’t help being a dick, can you?”
“No, I guess I can’t,” Sawyer laughs.
As much as I hate admitting it, Sawyer has a point, not that I’ll ever tell him that. We need to make things right with Gail.
“Seriously, though,” Sawyer says, sounding like he’s about to say or ask something he really doesn’t want to. “Are you going to… I don’t know, win her back?”
Before I can say anything, Soren asks, “Is that you asking? Or Lucia?” taking the words right out of my mouth, I want to know that as well. Because it doesn’t sound like something Sawyer would ask.
“Both,” he admits with a shrug.
“Tell Lucia it isn’t any of her business,” I smirk, already knowing it’ll piss Sawyer off.
Without another word, we get back on the ice where I can let Coach’s shouted demands guide my feet while completely shutting off my brain. Everything makes sense on the ice. After all these years together, I know the expectations, just as I know what it means when Sawyer fakes left. It’s so unlike the mess with Gail that doesn’t come with a rule book or mapped out strategies.
Coach has us running drills, skating hard, testing strategies for the Jersey Jags. We move like cogs in a well-oiled machine, passing and pivoting, our skates carving whispers into the ice. But there’s an edge to today’s practice, a silent understanding that the season’s climax is upon us.
“Stay sharp, Mickey! Eyes on the prize,” Coach says, and I nod. My legs pump harder, my silver gaze locked on the black disk that dances elusive as a shadow across the cold, slippery stage.
“Good! That’s how we’re gonna break ‘em,” Coach approves as we execute a play with precision.
“Damn right,” I murmur, sharing a look with Soren. We’ve been through hell and back, on and off the ice. And nothing will keep us from victory.
“Good goin’, boys. The Jags won’t know what hit ‘em!” Coach concludes, slapping his hands together, his eyes gleaming with a warrior’s fire.
Nothing would make me happier than beating Jared when he has the home advantage.
I blow out a breath, feeling every ounce of tension building around all of us. Coach isn’t just preparing us for the Jags, it’s also for the postseason. With only five days separating the end of the regular season and the playoffs, he wants us to be ready and fine-tuning line combinations, strategizing, and everything else that comes with the next stretch.
The Sabertooths aren’t just competing for the Stanley Cup, but also for personal achievements like the Art Ross Trophy, the Hart Trophy, and other accolades. We only have one game left until the Stanley Cup playoffs begin. In short, this stuff with Gail couldn’t have happened at a worse time.
Even as I think that, I know I don’t actually feel that way. After I’ve let my anger and past hurt make room for my new reality, I’m excited… no, that doesn’t cover it. I’m happy. And yeah, I’m in love. Who would have thought, definitely not me.
The mother of all irony is that back at Cupid’s Court, both Soren and I were falling for Abby, and we did want to see if we could find a way to see her outside that place. But then the pregnancy threw all our plans and ideas to the wind, and yeah, we turned into heartless jerks.
“A penny for your thoughts?” Soren says, punching me lightly on the upper arm.
I look around, noticing that every one of my teammates is in various stages of undress. Some wet from the shower, others walking toward the shower. Huh, I didn’t even notice Coach stopped talking, or that I got undressed and showered.
Turning off the water cascading down my body, I look at Soren. “Not here,” I answer, reaching for my towel.
He nods and joins me as we walk back to our lockers and get dressed in silence. I don’t think I’ve ever been that deep in thought that I’ve been completely oblivious to what was happening around me. But right now, I can’t think about anything but Gail.
“Alright! Enough with the moping, we’re going to O’Jackie’s getting some beers,” Sawyer announces, making it clear he isn’t going to take no for an answer. “I’m texting Lucia now so she knows not to expect me soon, and then we’re going to have some fucking fun.”