CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Cal
My woman never ceases to amaze me. Every fantasy, every fucking desire I’ve ever had, she fulfills them so willingly with no questions asked. With her, anything goes. Prime example: her standing here with a doe-eyed expression, waiting for direction like a good girl, while I hold a hockey puck to her lips.
“Now, open your pretty mouth.”
She opens her mouth, and I place the puck between her lips. Damn, I love how submissive and compliant she is, always ready to please me. What she doesn’t understand is that pleasing her pleases me. It’s why I did what I did tonight: played a game of cat and mouse and stalked her through the facility in a goalie mask. I didn’t take it too far; I only wanted to give her a sample to see if fear play and mask play were something she would truly like. Honestly, it would have freaked most women out, but Aspen isn’t like most women. After witnessing her consistently reading books with two pages of trigger warnings, I’m finding that my girl is a little darker than most.
When she was lying on the couch with her feet propped on my legs, reading Navessa Allen’s Light’s Out , biting that deliciously plump bottom lip and rubbing her feet together as if she were trying to relieve an ache between her legs, I knew she was reading a spicy scene. A few days later, I added her novel to my collection of stolen ones from her bookshelf and devoured the pages within a couple of days. I want to know her carnal urges and peculiarities. I don’t ever want Aspen to feel as if she needs to hide herself from me. Her fantasies are mine to fulfill; her kinks are mine to unlock. I want to make every single one of them a reality and watch her unfurl like a fucking flower.
With her mouth gagged, I spin her around to face the wall. Both hands slap against the black-painted surface to brace herself.
“This is going to be rough and fast. You’re going to take it, and you’re not going to make a fucking peep. Those sounds you make, they’re mine—just like you’re mine.”
The chances of her being quiet are slim, but if she knows what’s good for her, she’ll do as I say. If her cleaning crew has made it in, the last thing I want is for them to hear her or stumble upon us fucking. My girl seems to be a bit of an exhibitionist. I know she’s fantasized about being fucked in a public place, but her pussy belongs to me. No one gets to see what’s mine. That’s why I waited until everyone left. It’s a win-win scenario.
I take myself out of my pants, then bend her over, and tease her wet slit with the head of my cock. Slowly I slide inside her, giving her time to adjust. She moans loudly around the puck as I fill her.
“Shh,” I warn her, reaching around and pinching her nipple.
I slide my hand up to grip her throat as I deliver on my promise. The sound of our bodies slapping together echoes throughout the room. She looks back at me—her teeth clenched tight around the puck, whimpering around it. Sweat streams down my abs, and I work her body hard, fucking her roughly. Knowing she’s close, my fingers squeeze her throat. She loves when I restrict her airways; it makes her erupt and pool like a fucking volcano within seconds every single time. Puck still in place, she screams a muffled explosion of pleasure as she cums.
From behind the door, I hear a squeak coming from one of the cleaning carts.
I twist her hair around my hand, jerking her head back. “Behave.” My movements still, and I torture her clit with my fingers. “Do you want me to stop?”
Her head shakes back and forth vigorously. I pound into her, bringing her to the brink of another orgasm, then I pull out of her. She whimpers, then spits the puck out of her mouth, gasping deeply for air. I smirk.
“Don’t fucking stop,” she breathily demands.
“Did I tell you to spit that out? I think it’s cute that you think you’re my boss right now just because we’re at work. Look at you, telling me what to do, or in this case what not to do.”
Knowing she likes the thrill of being caught, of being watched, I decide to give it to her with the cleaning crew on the other side of the door. I lift her against the wall; her legs cinch around my waist. I thrust into her over and over, harder and harder, bringing her right to the edge.
“Fuck, Cal,” she cries out. I quickly swallow her moans, caressing my tongue with hers, then I bite her lip. She’s just about to tip over when I still and empty inside her.
“Fucking asshole,” she growls in frustration.
“Maybe you need to stop being a brat. We both know when I get you home . . .” I lean over and speak low in her ear. “You.” My lips trail down her throat. “Will be.” I lick and suck her pulse point, then trail my lips back up to her ear. “A good fucking girl for me and do what you’re told.” My knuckles hold her chin. “Do you want to know how I know?”
“How?” She pants.
I nip her bottom lip, then give it a suck before releasing it from my mouth. “Because you want to cum again.” I swipe my thumb over her bottom lip. “And only good girls get to cum. Isn’t that right, Angel?” I wink. “You are going to be a begging, blubbering mess by the time I get done with you.” I take her hand. “If you want to finish what we’ve started, you need to get dressed. The cleaning crew will come in here any minute.”
Once Aspen is dressed, I crack the door a little to look both ways. With the thrill of someone catching us, we dart out of the equipment room, run down the hallway, and into the arena like two teenagers. Not that it matters if we’re caught since she owns the damn place, but if they heard her on the other side of that door, I would rather them not know who those sounds were coming from.She giggles as I chase her up the stairs and through the exit to the parking lot. I grab her by the waist from behind and swing her around. Her laughter rings into the cold night air. I place her back on her feet and slap her ass before giving her a kiss.
God, I can’t wait to take her home and do unspeakable things to her.
The last few days have been complete chaos. Between work, grueling practices, Tuck’s games, and Aspen helping her mom find a new home, we haven’t had much time together. We’re on the road for the next four days for playoff games, but the good news is Aspen, Tuck, and Katherine are traveling with the team this time. Road games are tough for me. When they’re not with me, I feel like I’m losing control; sometimes I have full-blown panic attacks. Even though we won’t see much of each other, at least I know they’re safe, and if something were to happen, I’m close by. Laughter fills the Suburban. Tuck and Katherine are in the backseat cutting up as the hired driver takes us from the airport to the hotel.
Lost in thought and a little nervous about tonight, I look out the window. We pass the benches I once slept on and I quickly turn my head. I would go through everything in life a thousand times over if it led me to this remarkable woman sitting beside me, but I don’t want to relive it right now and kill the excitement coursing through me.
I squeeze Aspen’s hand and kiss her knuckles. “I love you.”
Fuck, she’s gorgeous.
“Love you too, Hotshot.”
Looking back at Tuck, he gives me a silly face, and we both burst out laughing. I love that kid.I want to give him the world, to give him the life he deserves with a dad who loves him. I want more than anything to make Aspen my wife. I want to spend my life loving her, making her laugh, and proving to her that real men stay. Reaching into my jacket pocket, I wrap my fingers around the velvet box, making sure it’s right where it’s supposed to be for tonight. I decided this would be the best time to propose. I don’t want to wait anymore, and since our families are here, I just can’t think of any better time.
My phone buzzes in my pocket; I pull it out, then click the green accept button on the screen.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Hi, Son. Sorry I couldn’t be there to pick you up. I was tied up in coach’s meetings all day. I take it you all have arrived safely.”
“Yeah.” My eyes lock with Aspen’s. “We’re here. Are we still on for dinner tonight?”
“The reservations have been made. Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“Yep.” I respond, facing forward. “Never been more certain of anything in my entire life.”
“Alright. I’ll see you at seven.”
“Can’t wait. Bye, Dad.”
We pull up to the hotel, exit the vehicle, and help the driver unload our luggage onto the bellman cart. The bellhop rolling our stuff inside as the SUV drives away. We’re making our way into the entrance when out of nowhere the media begins to surround us. Chaos erupts as microphones are thrust in our faces and journalists begin barking out questions over each other.
“Mr. Miles, there are rumors surrounding you exploring free agency; are they true?”
“What does free agency mean for you and Miss Taylor?”
“Is it true you are leaving the New York Blaze organization?”
“Miss Taylor, were you aware that Mr. Miles has chosen not to renew his contract with your organization? What does that mean for your relationship?”
As more questions are yelled, Aspen, Tuck, and Katherine stand stunned. Aspen looks to me for answers. I avert my eyes, not wanting her to see the truth in them. Apparently, news travels fast, especially when it’s leaked. Aspen’s eyes widen. Tuck’s head lowers in defeat. She quickly schools her expression and takes Tuck by the hand.
“No comment at this time,” she says, pulling him into the lobby.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. This was not how she was supposed to find out. I was going to have a conversation with her tonight after I proposed.
“Asp—”
Aspen ignores me and walks to the front desk of the lobby with Tuck. Her mom and I trail behind her. I look at Katherine, hoping she will help me out of this mess. She shakes her head. My shoulders fall. I just want to explain myself, but Aspen was completely blindsided, and she’s shutting down.
She whips around, “Is it true?” she asks with fire in her eyes.
I don’t answer. I don’t know the best way to. I’m just mute.
“I need an extra room if you have it, please,” she says to the clerk behind the counter.
“Aspen.”
She cuts me off, “Not now.”
“Please, just—”
She turns around and faces me.Looking around to see if anyone is listening, she lowers her voice, “Cal, I said not now. We are going to talk about this, but it’s going to be in a private setting when it’s just the two of us. I need to collect my thoughts.”
The clerk hands Aspen the extra room key, and she slides it over to me. “Put that in your pocket.”I do as she says, slipping the plastic keycard into my pocket. After we exit the elevator, we follow several steps behind the bellhop to the room. I try to hand the keycard to her mom, thinking it’s for her, but Aspen covers my hand. I frown in confusion.
“You can stay with us until the bellhop leaves; then you need to go to your own room.” She whispers.
My heart sinks. Today has literally gone to shit. I wait as the bellhop places our luggage inside Aspen’s suite. She walks directly to a bedroom and closes the door quietly behind her. I sigh deeply and pick up my suitcase.
Tossing the luggage onto the bed in my lonely ass hotel room, which is five floors below Aspen’s, I pull up my agent’s contact. The phone rings once before he answers.
“Cal?”
“It’s Mr. Miles today.”
He sighs on the other end. “Shit. I’m sorry, man. I left you a voicemail, but I’m guessing you didn’t get it. How bad is it?
“Bad enough your job is in jeopardy.”
“It was my new personal assistant. She was in my office when I was talking to you the other day, and she must’ve run to the media.”
“She works for you, right? So, she’s obviously signed an NDA. We’ll just—”
“It’s a little more complicated than that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I said, and before you ask, no, I can’t sue her.”
“Why the fuck not—?” I release an exasperated breath and pinch the bridge of my nose. “For fuck's sake, Nate, please tell me when you say personal assistant, you mean the kind that actually works for you in a professional manner.”
I’m met with silence. “Goddamnit, Nate!” I roar.
“I wasn’t thinking, Cal. I’m sorry.”
“We’re going to chat about what this means for our professional relationship later. In the meantime, this is your mess to clean up, and I expect it to be squeaky fucking clean within the next two hours. I swear to God, Nate, if this fucks things up with Aspen, I will fire your ass with no hesitation. I don’t care how far back our friendship goes.” I click the red button.
Nate has been my agent since he took over his father’s sports management firm. He was a buddy from college and referred me to his dad when I was drafted a decade ago. I still consider him a good buddy, but I have half a mind to fire his stupid ass. There’s no telling how many times I’ve told him that one of those women would eventually cause a problem someday.
Plopping down on the bed, I rest my head back on the oversized pillows. I reach inside my jacket pocket and take out the box.My thumb flips the black velvet lid open and close, over and over again. I’m lost in a daze thinking about how this day should have gone. Instead of a day filled with happiness and ending with a token of my promise to love Aspen and Tuck forever, my girl is hurting, and there’s not a damn thing she will let me do to fix it right now.
Sitting up, I come to terms with the fact that a proposal isn’t in the cards for me today. Unzipping my suitcase, I take one last look at the diamond ring before closing the box and tossing it into the side pocket of my luggage. This is so fucked.I pace back and forth in the hotel room, waiting for Aspen to show up. Surely when she said we would talk in private, she meant immediately.
As time slowly passes, I look at my watch; it’s already a quarter after five, and it’s time to head out to meet my dad if we are going to beat traffic, assuming they’re all still going to meet my dad tonight. It’s not surprising that after two rings her phone goes to voicemail. Figures she would press the fuck you button on me right now. If she thinks I’m giving up that easily, she is dead fucking wrong. I head to her hotel suite and knock. Katherine opens the door and steps into the hallway.
“Cal, right now isn’t a good time.”
“I need to explain,” I plead.
Katherine takes my hand in both of hers. “I’m sure there’s a good explanation for all of this, and she will listen. Just go to dinner with your dad and come back when she’s had time to process. Okay?” She pats my cheek. “It’ll all work out in the end, Sweetie; give her a little space. She’s trying to navigate the emotions of being your girlfriend while being your boss and staying professional. This is a tough position for her to be in, and she needs a minute.”
My head drops with my shoulders in defeat. Katherine gives me a hug, and I wrap my arms around her slender frame.She releases me, places a hand on my shoulder, and squeezes. “She loves you, Cal. She’ll come around; just give her a little time.”
Nodding, I turn around and head back down the hall. I pull out my phone and call my dad.
“Hi, son. Are you guys on your way?”
My heart feels like it’s stuck in my throat. What do I tell him? I swallow thickly.
“Dad?” I choke out. Recovering, I mask my emotions with a cough. “I, um . . . I really wanted to see you, but can we take a rain check?”
“Is everything alright?”
“Yeah. Yeah. Everything’s fine. Aspen just had something come up that she can’t get out of. You know how it is.”
“No. That’s fine. I have some things I need to do here anyways, so that actually works out.”
“Can we do lunch tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow’s game day.”
“Exactly. Maybe having lunch with me will soften the blow of us kicking your team’s ass on your own turf.” I chuckle.
“You’re a mess, kid. Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you, Son.”
“Love you too, Dad.”
I press the red dot on my screen, ending, then text Aspen.
Me: I love you, Angel.
As I exit the hotel, I slide the phone into my back pocket. Rain pelts down in sheets, harmonizing with my mood. Stepping out from under the awning, I tilt my head back toward the sky and allow the forceful drops to pour down on me, wishing they could wash away this awful day. Minutes go by before my phone buzzes in my pocket. I duck back under the hotel awning.
Aspen: I love you too .
Drops of water litter my screen from my dripping hair while my fingers fly across the screen.
Me: Can we please talk?
Aspen: Maybe tomorrow. I’m not in a good headspace tonight.
Me: We really should talk about this now.
Aspen: I can’t deal with this shit tonight.
I wait for another text to come through, watching the text bubbles dance across the screen then disappear. Fuck this shit. With my mind made up, I storm back inside the hotel.