Chapter 29 #2
We fall into an easy rhythm after that. She handles the more complex packages—the oddly shaped ones that require creative folding techniques—while I work on the simple rectangular boxes that even I can’t destroy.
Our conversation flows just as easily, punctuated by the soft sounds of paper crinkling and scissors cutting.
We talk about the earliest Christmases we can remember, which then leads to talking about other holidays and sets off a spectacular debate about whether it’s sacrilege to put up Halloween decorations before the first official day of fall.
It’s all so fun and easy.
Too fun. Too easy.
Spending time with Kat feels comfortable in a way that makes me forget this is all temporary, that it was never meant to last beyond the holidays.
If my agent manages to pull through, I’ll get a new contract at some point and will start a new chapter of my life in whatever city wants me, and this—an afternoon spent wrapping presents on the floor with a bright eyed, dark haired woman—will just be a memory.
The thought sits like a lead weight in my mind, tugging at my subconscious even though I don’t want to acknowledge it.
My phone rings just as I’m putting the finishing touches on what might actually be my first successfully wrapped present. The screen shows Brody’s name, and my heart immediately kicks into high gear.
Oh, damn. Speak of the devil.
“I need to take this,” I tell Kat, grabbing my cell.
She nods, leaning back a little as I stand up.
“Hey, Brody,” I answer, pressing the phone to my ear as I move toward the kitchen so I won’t disturb her while I talk.
“Asher, I’ve got news.” He speaks quickly, and I can hear the edge of excitement in his tone. “The Denver Aces. They’re not just interested anymore—they want to make an offer.”
The world seems to stop for a moment, and I grip the phone tighter, going still. “What kind of offer?”
“A good one. Multi-year term, strong money, and they specifically said they see you as a core piece of their rebuild. It’s not finalized yet—we still need to negotiate the details, work through the structure, all the nitty-gritty. But this is it. This is what we’ve been waiting for.”
Relief pours through me, and I run a hand through my hair.
After months of uncertainty, of wondering if my career was over before I’d even reached my peak, of second-guessing every play and every decision, I have a real offer.
From a team that wants me. A team that sees value in what I bring to the ice.
“Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. I’ll send over the preliminary terms tonight so you can look them over, but I wanted to call you first. Congratulations, man. You earned this.”
We talk for a few more minutes about next steps and timelines, having my lawyer look over the contract and all of that, but I’m barely processing the details. The Denver Aces want me. They want me enough to make a serious offer, to invest in my future.
When I hang up, I turn to find Kat watching me with wide, expectant eyes. She’s sitting perfectly still among the scattered wrapping supplies as if she’s been holding her breath waiting to hear what this was all about.
“Good news?” she asks hopefully.
“The best news.” I can’t keep the grin off my face. “The team in Denver wants to make me an offer. A real offer.”
“Asher, that’s amazing!” She leaps to her feet, throwing her arms around my neck with enough enthusiasm to nearly knock me off balance.
I catch her against me, her momentum sending us both stumbling until I’m half-lying on the floor with her on top of me, wrapping paper crinkling and rustling beneath us. She feels so fucking good, and her excitement is infectious as she beams down at me.
She kisses me, hard and enthusiastic, her hands coming up to cup my face. It’s a congratulatory kiss, a celebration, but the moment my hands find her waist, caressing the full curves of her body, something shifts. The innocent enthusiasm melts into something hotter and hungrier.
The kiss deepens. Her lips part against mine, and when I tighten my hold on her hips, she makes a small sound that goes straight to my cock, making me hard in seconds.
This is how it always is with her—one touch, one kiss, and I’m lost. All my control, all my careful boundaries, evaporate like they never existed.
My fingers slide up her back, finding the hem of the soft sweater she’s wearing. I’ve been wanting to get my hands underneath it all afternoon, wanting to feel the warm silk of her skin, to map every curve and dip of her body with my palms.
“Want to celebrate with me, bright eyes?” I murmur against her lips, already working the sweater up.
“God, yes.” She arches into my touch, pressing herself closer. “We definitely need to celebrate.”
I take advantage of the movement to tug her sweater over her head. Underneath, she’s wearing a simple blue bra that makes my mouth water. Nothing fancy, nothing elaborate, but I know the fabric smells like her and is warm from her skin, and that makes it hotter than any sexy lingerie could ever be.
“I’ve been thinking about getting you naked all day,” I tell her, unclasping the bra and allowing her breasts to spill free. “Couldn’t concentrate on anything else. Every time I looked at you, all I could think about was getting my hands on you.”
Her response is to reach for the hem of my shirt, pulling it off with eager hands. When her palms flatten against my chest, tracing the lines of muscle and the faint scars from years of hockey, I groan at the contact. Her touch is both soft and searching, like she can’t get enough either.
“What do you want?” I ask, my lips finding the sensitive spot just below her ear. “Tell me what you want me to do to you.”
“Everything,” she breathes. “I want everything.”
Fuck. This woman.
I tug off her pants and mine, then roll us over until she’s beneath me, pinned between my body and the scattered wrapping paper. Something red catches my attention in my periphery, and I glance over to see a piece of thick satin ribbon lying on the floor near Kat’s head.
An idea flashes through my head, making my cock throb.
Sitting back on my haunches, I reach for the ribbon, testing its strength between my hands. It’s soft but sturdy, which is perfect for what I have in mind.
“Do you trust me, bright eyes?” I ask, shifting my focus back to Kat.
Her eyes are dark when she looks up at me, pupils blown wide. She doesn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“Good girl.” I help her up onto her knees so that we’re facing each other. “Because I want to tie you up.”
She swallows and nods. Reaching around her, I bring her wrists together behind her back, then wrap the ribbon around them a few times before tying it into a bow. The bindings aren’t tight enough to hurt or cut off circulation, but they’re secure enough to keep her exactly where I want her.
“You look perfect like this.” My hands trace down her arms to her shoulders, savoring the way she shivers under my touch. “Wrapped up like the best present I’ve ever gotten.”
She moans, tugging slightly at the restraints, testing them. Her back arches a little, pressing her breasts toward me in invitation.
“What was that about wanting everything?” I trail my fingers down her sides, watching goosebumps rise on her skin.
“Asher, please.” Her voice breaks on my name. “I need—”
“Tell me.” I stop my exploration, waiting. I always want to hear her say it, want her to voice exactly what she needs.
“I need your mouth on me. I need your cock inside me. I need everything you’ll give me.”
The raw honesty in her voice, the fact that she speaks with no hesitation, makes my cock throb against the fabric of my boxers.
I slide her panties down, working them off her legs as she lifts her knees a little to help me.
Then I position her on her knees with her upper body pressed against the coffee table, the wrapped presents scattered around us, forgotten for now.
Her bound hands rest on her lower back, and she looks back at me over her shoulder with eyes hooded with arousal.
“God, you’re such a fucking sight,” I groan. “I could stare at you like this for hours. But I’d rather taste you.”
With that, I drop to my knees behind her and bury my face between her thighs.
She cries out as my tongue finds her pussy, and the sound echoes through the room, breathy and desperate.
Her taste is fucking addictive, and I work her pussy from this new angle with my tongue, alternating between gentle licks and harder pressure that makes her squirm against me.
“Asher…”
She whimpers my name like a prayer, her hips rocking back against my face, and I grip her ass to hold her steady. The flesh is soft under my hands, and I can’t resist biting down gently on the curve of it, making her yelp and moan at the same time.
“Please,” she pants. “I need you inside me. Please, Asher.”
But I’m not done with her yet. There’s an antique decorative mirror against one wall of the living room, and I adjust our positions slightly so that she can see our reflection in it. Her eyes widen when she realizes what I’m doing, her lips parting in surprise.
“I want you to watch,” I tell her as I shove off my boxers and move behind her again, my hands gripping her hips. “I want you to see how perfect you look taking my cock.”
Her moan is low and throaty, vibrating through her entire body. She’s so wet I can see it glistening on her thighs, and my mouth waters at the sight.
I grab a condom from my wallet and roll it on quickly, stroking my shaft twice as my balls tighten, then position myself at her entrance. I tease her, just the tip pressing in, and she whimpers in frustration.
“I’m going to fuck you, bright eyes,” I rasp. “Don’t you worry about that. But keep your eyes on the mirror. I want you to watch me claim you.”