Chapter 14 #2
“Zoey,” Ryan spoke from the other side.
“It's fine,” I said, my voice sounding strained. “I’m fine.”
“Can you open the door, please?”
I looked in the mirror. I looked wild. Aroused. Hot and bothered.
“Zoey, please? Please, just open the door.”
I wrapped a huge bath towel around my body, over my tank top and underwear and swung the door open.
Ryan’s face was a mask of concern as he took me in.
“I’m so fucking sorry,” he said. “Zoey, you need to know I didn’t do that on purpose. I was asleep.”
“I know."
“I would never….” He looked frustrated. “You know I would never break your trust like that.”
“I know,” I repeated, trying to look anywhere but at this massive bulge that was straining against his black boxer briefs.
He ran his hand through his hair, making it stick up. “It’s been awhile… sorry… my body thinks it needs sex.”
And now my body thinks it needs sex.
I felt myself turn bright red. “I know. I’m fine.”
Concerned blue eyes looked at me. I couldn’t make eye contact. A couple minutes ago, his fingers were in my panties. He must have known how aroused I was which made it even worse. He, at least, could claim he had been asleep. I had been wide awake, and I hadn’t once tried to stop him.
“We’re good?” he looked at me.
“Totally.” Except for the fact that he had gotten further physically with me than any other guy and he managed to do it in his sleep. I wondered if I would ever be able to look him in the eyes again.
He looked at the watch on his wrist. “Fuck. We have to be at practice in 45 minutes.”
“Okay.” I stole a glance down at him, his enormous arousal straining against his underwear. I felt a wave of heat flush over my face.
He didn’t even flinch. The guy was uninhibited about the fact he had a raging boner in his shorts. “You need to come too. Dylan is bringing his expenses.”
I shut my eyes. “Right.”
“I’m going to go wake the guys.”
“I’ll be right out.”
Mica claimed he was still drunk and unable to drive so they drove with us.
We made the ride to the stadium, with Justin and Mica in the back, in complete silence.
We stopped for Jugo Juice smoothies for everyone, myself included, and then we walked into the stadium.
Ryan stopped with me at security and signed me in as a guest. He walked me into the corridor.
“I have to go change. I’ll let Dylan know you’re here. Just wait near the ice.”
“Okay.” I still couldn’t look at him.
Ryan’s hand had been between my naked thighs.
“Are you okay?”
His finger had slowly, expertly stroked me in the most intimate way.
I swallowed, not making eye contact. “Let’s never talk about that and don’t ask me if I’m okay.”
“You sure?”
“Ryan please,” I begged him, my face bright red.
“Zoey.”
“Go,” I said, pushing against his hard chest with my good hand. “You’re going to be late.”
He sighed and then he walked away. I slowly moved down the stairs and stood looking at the ice. The stadium was a different place without 18,000 screaming fans. The quiet was almost reverent, reminding me of a big, empty cathedral.
I sat down and dropped my face in my hands.
I should have never got into bed with Ryan.
None of that had been his fault. But my response to his forbidden touch was excruciating to remember.
Why hadn’t I stopped him, woken him when his hand was up my shirt?
It would have been easy to laugh off. But no.
I had waited. Because I had wanted more.
My feelings for Ryan were confusing enough, but now I had to mix in intense lustful memories along with the mortification of my over the top response to his touch. It was humiliating.
I lifted my head when a lone skater came out on the ice and slowly circled around.
The sound of his blades, scraping on the ice, reverberated.
He was tall, with long shaggy blond hair sticking out from the bottom of his helmet.
When he came around the corner, he glanced up and noticed me.
He sped up as he came towards me and when he was directly in front of me, he stopped short, his skates spraying ice up high. We stared at each other.
“Who are you?” he leaned on his stick, his brown eyes not moving from my face.
“Zoey.”
“What happened to your shoulder?”
“I sprained it.”
He winced. “That sucks. I broke my collarbone in grade 5.”
“It’s not fun.”
“You have a visitor pass.”
I looked down at the tag hanging around my neck. “That’s probably because I’m a visitor.”
His face broke into a smile. He was cute. Not as hot as Ryan, but definitely good looking. “Just came by for a visit?”
“That’s what visitors do.”
He stood there smiling at me for a long moment. “You’re different.”
“From?”
“From everyone else.”
I gave him a skeptical look. “That’s a general statement. Want to narrow that down?”
He laughed. “You’re just unexpected.”
“You don’t know me. I could be like everyone else.”
He stood there smiling up at me. “I don’t think you are.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you flirting with me?”
He laughed. “Trying.”
“Huh.”
“How am I doing?”
“You need to work on your routine.”
“Are you dating anyone on the team? Is that why you’re here?”
A memory of Ryan’s hot breath on my neck and the feeling of him pushing his hard body up against mine flashed through my mind. “No. That’s not why I’m here.”
“So, you’re single?”
I couldn’t help it. I smiled back. “Yes.”
“Seems like my flirting routine is working then.”
I laughed.
Another skater came onto the ice, heading towards us. I pulled my eyes away. It was Ryan, and he looked less than impressed. He stopped hard, spraying ice all over the guy's legs.
“Jensen,” Ryan said, his voice devoid of emotion.
Jensen? This was Jensen? He looked different from the guy who played in the games. Maybe it was the smile.
“Parker,” the guy said in kind. He looked between us.
Then Jensen asked me, “Are you with this guy?”
“Ryan is my friend.”
Ryan turned on his skates and pinned Jensen with a look. He had a smile on his face that didn’t reach his eyes. Jensen ignored him as he looked up at me. “But you were telling me the truth before.”
“About?”
“About being single?”
I swallowed, not looking at Ryan. “Yes. ”
His smile was real. “That’s all I needed to know.” He pushed off, skating backward from us. “See you around, Zoey.”
“Bye.”
When he was out of earshot, I dared look back at Ryan. He looked incredulous.
“What?” I asked, feeling defensive. I had nothing to defend, but I still felt that way.
“Stay away from that guy, Zoey,” he warned.
“It’s not like I approached him,” I hissed back. “I didn’t even know who that was.”
He gave me another dark look before he skated away.
Dylan came over with his laptop and a shoebox full of receipts. “My password for my laptop is hockey.”
“Original,” I said, taking everything from him.
“Fuck, I’m so fucking hungover.”
I glanced up at Ryan who was laughing over something with Justin. The sight warmed my heart.
“I think we should do it again sometime,” I replied, thinking Ryan’s team might like him if he had them over a few more times.
His grin was contagious. “Hell, yeah.”
“Do you think the guys would come if we had a party?”
“All of them,” he promised, as he skated away backward. “Every last one.”
I sat back down and got to work.
I finished the receipts in record time and then sat back to watch the rest of the practice.
They worked hard, doing various drills, shots on net, battling each other for the puck in corners.
A lot of times, it was two players working a drill, while the rest of the team stood in line, waiting for their turn.
I caught Jensen staring at me a few times.
Then, when they were taking a break, he skated over and whistled up at me.
“What?”
“Do you want to have dinner with me? ”
Before I could even answer, one of the coaches roared at him, “Jensen, what the fuck are you doing?”
He winked at me and skated off.
I couldn’t help it. I blushed. I looked over and Ryan stood watching with a dark expression on his face.
When practice was over, Dylan skated over.
I handed the laptop to him over the boards. “All done.”
“Amazing,” he grinned. “I’ll give Ryan your money.”
“Okay.”
“Are you really going to have a party?”
“We’re talking about it.”
“I’ll be there. And the way Justin was talking about last night, I think most of the guys would too.”
Jensen skated up and looked at the laptop. “What secret project is happening here?”
“Zoey just did my expenses for me.”
“That’s cool,” Jensen said to Dylan, “But now I need you to leave me and Zoey alone.”
Dylan grinned at him and then at me. “You want me to take him with me?”
“I can handle him.”
Dylan gave me a loopy smile. “See you around, Zoey.”
“Bye.”
Jensen watched Dylan skate away before he looked back up at me, “You never answered my question.”
“Which was?”
“Have dinner with me.”
“Probably not a good idea,” I stood up and gave him a regretful smile. “Nice meeting you.”
“Why not?”
I walked up the stairs away from him. “You know why.”
“Zoey.”
I stopped walking and looked down at him. “What?”
“At least give me your phone number. ”
“I don’t have a phone.” I continued to climb the stairs.
“Who doesn’t have a phone in this day and age?” he called up after me, his voice echoing.
“Me.” I was almost at the top of the stairs.
“I knew that you were different,” he called.
I looked over my shoulder. He stood there with the hugest grin on his face.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a big flirt?”
He shook his head. “I don’t flirt with other women. Just you.”
I waved my hand and walked out of view.