Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Worked Up
GABE
The steam created a thick curtain so that I could hardly see my hand in front of me. The wood creaked underneath me as I leaned back, spread my legs, and waited.
I had taken off my clothes and hung them on the hook just outside the room, grabbing a white towel and wrapping it around my waist. Eli hadn’t moved like I’d expected him to.
He stayed seated on the bench, not even looking in my direction.
Judging by the way his dick wanted to rip through his shorts, I could tell he was into this as much as I was, so then why wasn’t that door opening yet?
Why wasn’t Eli sitting next to me with his hand wrapped around my hard dick?
I knew he was still in the training room.
I could smell him, even through the closed glass door, even through the moist odor of warm, wet wood.
His scent was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.
Like a field of honey-soaked lavender sprinkled with rosemary and thyme, spiced with oak and leather.
It was a delicious smell. A plate of the finest, most exquisite ingredients whipped together to make the most tantalizing dish imaginable.
I wanted to devour every inch of him, only so I could lick the plate clean.
That wasn’t all I wanted to do, though. Yes, there was a sexual attraction that was undeniable, but underneath that was another thread that was beginning to wrap itself around my heart.
Eli intrigued me. I wanted to know more about him, and not just if he was a top, bottom, verse, or side.
I wanted to learn what made him tick. What were his pet peeves, what brought him joy, did he have any hobbies?
What kind of shows did he like to watch?
Did he like to sit down with a good book, or was he more of a brain rot on social media kind of guy?
His humor seemed quick and dry, which was exactly my style.
What did he sound like when he was cracking up?
The kind of laugh that brought tears to his eyes?
All of these were questions I wondered if I’d ever have answered.
Judging by the fact that the door still hadn’t opened, the answer to that was likely a big fat “fuck no.”
I leaned forward. The warm steam swirled around me. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead.
Maybe it was better that Eli stay far away from me.
I couldn’t give him anything beyond empty hookups anyway.
A relationship for me was completely off the table.
I’d made my peace with that and wasn’t going to change my mind.
Especially not now when there was either a bloodthirsty hunter in the area or a pack war beginning to brew.
The last thing I needed was more attention in my direction.
It was a sacrifice I had to make for the good of the pack.
Even if that meant giving up my fated mate.
I had done my research in the last few weeks on the fated mate situation.
It was real, and it might have been what was happening, but the eternal and unbreakable bond required commitment and consent from both parties in order to become fully realized.
Right now, it was just a vague(ish) and persistent (as fuck) tug toward Eli, whether it was in the way I kept stealing glances at him in the locker room and on the ice, or the way I just felt happy knowing he was simply in the same room as me.
It was still early. And it was still possible to cut it short before things got even more complicated between us.
Sacrifices weren’t new to me. I’d made many of them throughout my life.
Growing up in a single-parent household with a special-needs sister meant I had to step into a caretaker role before I knew how to solve for X in an algebra class.
I didn’t blink an eye if someone asked me for something, whether it was family, friends, or teammates.
I moved the sun and the moon to make something happen for someone, even if it was at the detriment of my own well-being. It was just part of me.
So if I had to snuff out the flickering flame in my chest that ignited the moment Eli crossed my path, then so be it.
Back to darkness I went.
I closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind.
It worked for a moment before the empty space was filled with thoughts of Eli.
His damn smile, his laugh, his bright hazel eyes, his slightly furry butt that I had to pry my eyes off in the locker room.
His prowess on the ice and his smart and strategic mind.
He was new, and our first game may have gone to shit, but I could already tell he was going to help lift us up to championship status by the end of the season.
Stop thinking about him.
The door opened, and steam rushed out of the room. It shut again with a heavy thud. The wood floors creaked as a shape moved through the dense fog.
Elijah Sager appeared, wearing a loose towel wrapped low around his waist. Sharply defined oblique muscles formed a V down his hips that made me want to stick my tongue out and lap like a fucking dog in heat.
A light brown trail of hair climbed down from his belly button and disappeared underneath the towel.
I scooched over and patted the empty space next to me. Eli smiled at me and sat down. Only a few inches separated our knees.
“This is nice,” Eli said. “We didn’t have a steam room with the last team I played with.”
“It’s pretty new. Something Emmy pushed for. He heard there was a surplus in the budget and wanted to make sure his team was being treated right.”
“He’s a solid captain. I can tell he’s not just focused on the game but that he cares about us. That’s important.”
“It is. Yeah, we’re a tight team. Like family.” I looked over at him. If only he knew just how much like family we really were.
Not a family. A pack.
Not everyone on the Bobcats team was a shifter, but a good chunk of us were.
It helped when it came time to cover for things like full moons and why some of us just didn’t really bruise much.
If someone commented that Emmy seemed to have bounced back quickly after a pretty bad knee injury, I’d wave it off and dismiss it as good genetics and a healthy workout routine.
Nothing else. Certainly had nothing to do with the enhanced healing and regenerative abilities inherent in every shifter.
Eli had his hands resting on the bench. I inched mine closer to his. Our fingertips touched, but he didn’t jerk away. “You feel like you’re fitting in okay, right?”
“Oh yeah. Well, I mean, I did. But after yesterday’s performance, I wouldn’t be surprised if that changes.”
“What do you mean?”
“I messed up last night. So many mistakes. I mean, I even forced a cross-ice pass and took an offensive-zone penalty. Rookie mistakes, but it cost us the game.” His expression scrunched together.
His hand balled into a fist before he relaxed it again.
It was clear he was still beating himself up about his performance, and that tore me up.
I didn’t like seeing him this down on himself.
“Hockey is a team sport. This isn’t tennis, this isn’t chess, it’s not Olympic breakdancing.
There are six of us on that ice at a time.
We’re all responsible for yesterday’s loss.
Not just you. And besides, it was the first game of the season.
Doesn’t mean shit. We just fix our fuckups and win the next one. That’s all.”
Eli turned his head to face me. His eyes searched mine before dropping to my lips for a fleeting moment. “That’s all,” he said, seemingly agreeing with me.
“Is that why you were working out so hard out there?” I asked and nudged him with a shoulder.
A bare shoulder.
Skin touched dewy skin. I sucked in a breath. Sparks went off in my vision. It took everything in me not to rip off my towel and push him down on the bench, locking my lips with his and feeling more than just our shoulders rubbing together.
Eli laughed, although it sounded strained. “No, it’s because I wanted to get a good pump on.”
“A pump, huh?”
“Mhmm.”
“How often do you pump up?”
“I dunno.” Eli shrugged. “Six times a week?’
“Damn, not bad. What’s the highest number of pumps you got in a day?”
“Huh? Two, I guess. I don’t like going to the gym more than… You’re such a dumbass.”
Ah, he must have figured out what I was insinuating. I laughed and slapped his thigh, but I didn’t take my hand off. I squeezed his muscle and heard a tiny groan escape from his throat. He must have tried to swallow it down. “I think my record is five in one day.”
There was an impressed “huh,” followed by a brief pause. “Three,” Eli said. I could see him getting red, although maybe that was from the heat. “For me.”
“Three, huh? Interesting. And have you pumped already today?”
Eli gave me a nod. “Three times.”
“Oh,” I said. My eyebrows drew up my forehead.
“I’ve been worked up.” He almost sounded apologetic.
“Really? That’s fucking hot,” I said, and I moved my hand higher, my fingers slipping under the towel. He didn’t move away. “Want to try and beat your record, then?”
I watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down.
He didn’t answer me with words; instead, he spread his legs a little wider.
The towel twitched. He was hard, same as I was.
I moved my hand higher up his leg, rubbing him, massaging him.
He dropped his head back and closed his eyes.
The door was shut, and the steam created a thick curtain that made it impossible to see inside.
But if someone opened it…
Fuck it. I wanted Eli so fucking bad. The fact that I could feel the heat of his pulsing, hard cock against my hand made me absolutely feral.
And that was saying a lot for someone who had the instincts of a wolf.
I reached for him, gripping him firmly in my hand, still underneath the towel.
Eli’s groan was louder this time. His cock was rock hard and warm in my hand.
I teased the tip with my thumb, feeling him already dripping wet for me.
I leaned close to him as I began stroking him. “Like that?”
“Mhmm, I do.”
“Yeah?” I couldn’t help but nip at his throat.
He seemed to like it, tilting his head so more of him was exposed.
I could see the pulsing of his carotid artery, blood pounding through him.
I sucked on his neck, licking him, tasting his sweat and his skin and his sex. It was just as exquisite as his scent.
Eli’s arm crossed over mine. He rubbed my knee while he moaned. His towel fell open. I looked down at an absolutely beautiful fucking cock. If there was ever a Mona Lisa for dick, it would be Eli’s.
It was perfect. Thick, long, perfect pink head, a sexy bush, and a beautiful set of tightening balls.
“Fuck, you have such a nice dick.”
“Thanks,” Eli said as he tugged on the edge of my towel. “Now, let me see yours.”
“You can do more than just see it,” I said before opening the towel. Eli gave another little moan that had me rolling my eyes. His sounds were so fucking hot. I wanted to turn him into a whimpering, begging mess, pleading with me to let him come.
Eli’s hand wrapped around my shaft. I leaned back.
Our arms were crossed, both our dicks in our hands.
This was bliss. The hot steam further relaxed every muscle in my body, down to my damn toes.
I gave a thrust up into Eli’s fist. Eli quickened his strokes, and I matched his pace.
I pressed my leg against him, but that wasn’t enough, so I lifted my leg and rested it on his.
“That feels so, so good,” he said, keeping his voice low. “And your dick is so hard. Fuck.”
I made it throb in his grip and earned another moan that originated somewhere deep down in his chest. This moan wound my core up tight. I could feel myself getting close to busting my load. That’s how pent-up he had me. All he had to do was jerk me off for five minutes before I was ready to blow.
“Fuck, Eli,” I warned. My toes curled against the warm wood slats. “I’m already close.”
“Oh God, so am I, Gabe.”
That made me jerk him faster. I wanted to see him come. Wanted to break his record and then lick up all the evidence. So close, sooo close, just a few more—
Voices from the training room made us both freeze.
Sounded like Dylan and Soren loudly talking shit to each other.
They were getting closer. Eli let go of my dick, and I let go of his as we hurried to cover ourselves back up with our towels, doing it just in time as the door opened and a cloud of steam escaped.
“Oh, hey, guys,” Dylan said, smiling like a goofy golden retriever who had no idea his owners were fooling around. “Room for two more?”
“Yeah,” I answered with the bluest balls imaginable and a tightness in my throat that felt like a damn boa constrictor was wrapped around my neck. “Yeah, come on in.”