Chapter Twenty-Two
Leo
The course assignments were coming in hot with all the professors getting in big exams and papers before the Thanksgiving break. Between my hockey schedule and Sophia trying to write up every game, plus her other pieces for the paper, our time together was hard to pull off.
Taking Sophia to see M?neskin had been the highlight of my fall so far.
I’d had fun singing along and watching the show but nothing compared to how it felt having her in my arms and watching her scream, laugh, and sing her heart out.
Taking her ice-skating after had just been the icing on top of an already-perfect evening.
As much as that night at the M?neskin show had felt like a date, it was almost like we’d agreed to be in a wonderful little couple-bubble for the evening before returning to our casual arrangement.
I told myself that if I wanted to have that again I should just ask her for more, but I wasn’t willing to risk what we already had.
She was too practical to say yes to dating.
She knew what we were both doing at the end of the school year, and neither of us were going to change our minds.
Even if there was a chance she’d be interested in something more than sex, I knew she’d still deny us the chance.
Knowing that didn’t change the way I felt about her.
Which is why the second I got slammed into the boards and searing pain shot through my abdomen, the elbow of an opposing player wedged into my back, I looked up into the stands where she always sat.
She was standing with her hand over her mouth, and somehow, despite the pain, I felt a rush of warmth at the concern on her face.
She’d watched enough hockey to know this was part of the game, but I’d never been hurt while she watched. A whistle signaled the inevitable penalty, since I’d basically been slammed by this guy for no reason. I skated over to the bench and Coach subbed me out.
“You okay, Harrison?” he asked as the team physician ran over.
“Yep.” I rubbed my side and took a deep breath, one that was already painful enough for me to know I’d bruised my ribs pretty good. Bruises and minor fractures to ribs over the years were one injury that I’d more than adjusted to as a regular occurrence in my life. They always healed.
The physician lifted my jersey and looked me over, pressing on my ribs while I pretended it hurt less than it did. She deemed me fine enough to keep playing, and the game finished without another incident. I skated through the pain, but I was going to have one hell of a bruise later.
As I left the locker room, rubbing my side, Coach yelled orders about icing and rest.
Yeah, no way am I resting this until the sexy brunette waiting outside the locker room for me goes home for the night.
Screwing after games had become a regular habit of ours and I wasn’t letting bruised ribs stop me from giving Sophia one hell of an experience.
I stepped out of the locker room and looked around the hall upon realizing Sophia wasn’t in her usual spot.
I scanned the area, spotting my dad and Aunt Lavi chatting a few paces away.
I started walking toward them and noticed Sophia on her phone further down the hall in the opposite direction of the exit.
She gave me small wave and mouthed “my sister” as she pointed to her phone.
I tipped my chin at her and held up one finger to let her know I’d be over in a minute.
I wasn’t ready to explain our situation to my family, so it was helpful that she was currently occupied.
“Great game, Leo,” Dad said as soon as I stopped in front of him. He pulled me into a gentle hug. His six-foot-four frame made him one of the only people who didn’t make me feel huge when I hugged them. He looked down at my side. “How are the ribs?”
“Not too bad,” I said as I bent down to hug my aunt. “Breathing hurts, obviously, but not as bad as the time I fractured them.”
Aunt Lavi shook her head, her dark side-braid swinging on her shoulder. “You should still take it easy for a few days,” she said gently.
“Ice, ibuprofen, and prop yourself up to sleep,” Dad said.
“I know.” I smiled at them. It wasn’t my first rib-injury rodeo, but Dad was a paramedic and couldn’t help himself.
“I’m glad you made it to this one.” They’d only come to a few games so far since my schedule often conflicted with the Bruins.
Pretty soon they wouldn’t have to pretend to be torn up about the choice of which game to watch.
They’d watched enough of my games over the years for me to encourage them to go to the Bruins games over mine.
Hell, some nights I wished I was watching the Bruins instead of the games I was in.
I looked past them and saw Sophia tucking her phone in her jeans, watching me with a curious expression as if she wasn’t sure if she should say hi or not.
“Hey, I’m meeting up with a friend tonight. You two weren’t hoping I’d go out with you, were you?” I asked.
Dad shook his head. “No, I promised your mother I’d come home right after the game. She’s addicted to some new show about Vikings and wants to watch it tonight.”
“Cool,” I said, hugging them both again and chatting with them about the game for a few more minutes while I tried to keep my eyes from drifting to Sophia, who’d clearly decided to wait where she was.
I walked with them toward the door before telling them I’d forgotten something inside and saying goodbye.
It wasn’t technically a lie. I’d “forgotten” my woman.
I’m not allowed to think of her like that yet, am I?
Sophia stood in the same spot, waiting patiently, like she trusted I was going to come back for her. I fought a smile at the thought.
“I did not like that,” she said as soon as I stopped in front of her.
“Me chatting with my family?” I asked with a smirk.
“No, not that.” She shook her head. “You getting slammed into the wall.”
“Boards.”
“What?”
“It’s called getting slammed into the boards.”
Her eyes narrowed and she put one hand on her hip. “I don’t care what it’s called, Leo. I didn’t like watching it.”
“Are you worried about me, Hawaii?” I asked, wrapping my arms around her waist and kissing her neck.
She huffed a little. “Well, who else is going to give me great sex if you get too injured to perform? I actually think I’m getting better at writing this shit now.” She laughed and I couldn’t tell if she was serious or masking her true concern for me.
I took her hand and started pulling her toward the door. “I am perfectly fine to provide you with great sex tonight, so let’s get out of here.”
She fell into step beside me, and I looked her over.
“I’m sorry for not introducing you to my dad and my aunt,” I said. “It just seemed kind of weird, honestly.”
She chuckled. “It’s fine. I know what this is, Leo. I don’t expect you to treat me like a girlfriend. We’re friends who have great sex.”
My heart sank and I sucked in a painful breath through my teeth. “Right,” I said, trying to brush it off. “That’s why it felt weird. Same page, Hawaii.”
Not even close to the same page.
Sophia straddled my lap and rubbed herself against my dick, moaning like she was seconds away from orgasming. Her tongue filled my mouth, and I was so turned on by her that I could almost ignore the ache in my ribs as we made out and dry humped like teenagers.
“Leo,” she gasped, lifting her lips off mine with a startled expression. “Oh,” she cried, trembling in my arms with release as I smirked at her surprise.
“Sneak up on you?” I asked.
She took a deep breath and wiggled around some more. “I haven’t done that in years.” She laughed. “I forgot how fun it is.”
“Yeah well, it’ll be even more fun when you sink down on my cock,” I said, squeezing my dick through my briefs.
She giggled and pulled at the hem of my shirt. I lifted my arms over my head to help her pull it off and winced as a shot of pain ran up my side.
“Are you okay?” she asked, stopping and looking at me with concern.
“Mhm,” I groaned, holding my breath. “Just take it off, please.”
She quickly pulled the shirt over my head and tossed it aside before looking down at my ribs as I lowered my arms to a more comfortable position. “Jesus, Leo,” she exclaimed as her fingers danced over the sensitive skin.
I looked down, and sure enough, there was a good size bruise forming along my ribcage and the side of my abdomen. “Honestly, that’s not as bad as I thought it would be,” I said as I dropped one hand to her waist and the other to my dick, pulling it out of my boxer briefs.
“Shouldn’t you be icing that or something?” she asked, frozen in place.
“Later.” I reached for the condom I’d tossed on the bed earlier. “I have other things in mind right now.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head rapidly. “I can’t fuck you; it’s going to hurt you even more. That looks painful. You should have stopped what we just did!”
I smirked at her. “This is the life of a hockey player, Hawaii. I’ll be fine. But my dick won’t be if we don’t do something about the ache I’m experiencing right now.”
I stroked myself gently until her alarm turned to a fiery glare. “Are you using guilt as a tactic to get me to screw you?”
“Of course not,” I said, the corners of my mouth lifting. “I’m just trying to make sure that you focus your concern for me on the right body part.”
She laughed and slid down my body until her face was even with my groin. “I’m not making that worse,” she said, taking my dick from me. “You’ll just have to settle for a blowjob tonight.”
I laughed, letting my head fall back before wincing at the way the laughter pulled at my sore muscles. She gave me a look before wrapping her lips around my dick and swallowing me deep into her mouth.