Chapter 28
Axel
It might have been a good thing that Luca had more self-control than I did. If he’d come home with me, sleep would have been out the window. Was that how it was with a new relationship? Did you want to fuck every time you were together, or was it just me?
After yesterday’s rigorous physical assessment and drills on the ice, I was still sore, even after walking across Brooklyn.
I went in early to hit the bike to work out some of the lactic acid hanging around in my muscles before we took the ice.
The team was ready to start line placements, and I needed to be sharp.
Twenty minutes into my warmup, Decker walked in. He got down on the mats and started to stretch. “How’re you feeling?”
“I’m dragging a bit. But it's only day two. I’ll get there. How are you?”
“A little tight.”
When he was finished, he got on a bike. We peddled our way through small talk about his kids and how his wife, Jenna, was preparing for the season, and when I was hosting the next team party. “Did you hear who the GM added to the roster? Should give us more experience and even more of an edge.”
I shook my head. “No. I’ve been busy. Anyone I would recognize?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. A defenseman from Montreal and a forward from Los Angeles. Guerin and Williamson”
I looked at Decker, sure I hadn’t heard the name correctly. “Williamson? Heath Williamson?”
“Yeah,” he said, “I think that’s his name. You know him?”
Breathing out, I managed to reply from my shocked state. He was the last person I thought would end up here. “Uh, yeah. From juniors a hundred years ago. Wonder why he wanted to leave LA?”
“Who knows. Maybe he wanted a change. You know how this goes. Or maybe you don’t. This is what, your second team?”
I nodded. “I didn’t get moved around much.”
“Think he’ll jive with us?”
Nodding was all I could do. “Yeah. I think it’ll be fine.”
When my time was up, I slid off the seat to get suited up. “See you out there.” Striding to the bathroom, I needed a moment. The last time I saw Heath, I’d made a serious fool of myself. But what happened between us back then was water under the bridge. He’d moved on, and so had I.
Back in the locker room, I laced up my skates and put on my helmet. Gliding onto the ice, I warmed up for the drills. When Coach called out the first line arrangements, I quickly forgot about my new teammate. Decker was in the north net, stretching before we got started.
“Let me see Hughes at center, Kozlov, and Nichols. Five attacks on goal. Go,” Coach said.
Our line worked well, passing the puck back and forth, before I took a shot that sailed over Decker’s shoulder and into the net. Kozlov on the left worked well, but Nichols on the right had a lot to learn. I could help him if he were open to it.
“Good shot, Hughes. Do it again,” Coach called.
I looked over at Nichols. It was obvious the kid was nervous, and I was sure it had to do with me.
Anyone who did their due diligence could easily find my reputation.
I told it like it was, and if there was a fight to be had, it was me.
But not now. I wanted to be the man Luca saw when he looked at me.
So that meant a different approach. “Show me what you’ve got, kid. Teach me something new.”
A slow grin crossed his face. “Yeah?”
“Of course. Show me what you can do.” He took off down the ice, passing to Kozlov, then back to me. Each time we started, it got a bit better. More confident, until the last attempt, where I set him up to deke Decker. The puck sailed into the net under his glove.
The three of us met in a hockey hug to celebrate the goal. “Good job, kid,” I said, patting his helmet.
“Don’t get used to that,” Decker shouted. “At least not at practice.”
I tapped my helmet to Deck’s when he skated out of the crease for a water break. “There you are,” I said, patting his helmet. “We can’t let these teenagers show us up.”
He snorted. “You got that right.”
On the way home, I stopped by the market to pick up some fish and chicken for dinner.
Luca had enjoyed the spiny lobster, but they didn’t carry it.
I’d have to go to Chelsea to get it, but not tonight.
Along with a variety of vegetables and a couple of bottles of his newly discovered favorite white wine, it would make for a delightful start to the weekend.
I was opening a bottle of wine when the front door opened, and Luca walked in.
“Hey,” he said, eating me up with his eyes.
“How was your day?” He put down his bag and came directly to me.
I put down the wine and wrapped my arms around him.
My mouth covered his as we sank into a kiss. The world was right when he was here.
Breaking the kiss, I went back to the wine. “It was pretty good. Much better now that you’re here. How was yours?”
Luca kissed my shoulder. “Not too bad.” His hand ran up and down my back as he stood with his torso along my side. “Lots of paperwork, but I’m ready for a weekend.” He couldn’t stop touching me, but the news about Heath lingered in my head.
Rather than further his advances for affection, I pushed the plate of appetizers toward him. “Try one of these. How about a glass of wine?”
Luca dropped his hands from my body as if I’d scolded him. “Did I do something wrong?”
I chuckled. “Yes. You took your hands off me. Put them back.” He didn’t listen.
“Not until you tell me what’s bothering you.”
“What makes you think something is bothering me?”
He chuckled. “Honestly, I expected you to be naked and maul me when I walked in the door. The kiss was a good start, then you stopped. That’s not like you.”
I smirked as I handed him a glass of wine. “Naked, huh? I can definitely do that next time. But I do want to talk for a minute.”
He froze. “Should I be worried?”
“No,” I said, trying to assuage his concerns. “It’s team business, nothing to do with us.” Luca visibly relaxed, but the damage was done. He was already in his head. One day, I would learn. “I’m sorry for worrying you, love.”
He put his glass down, then reached in to hug me. I held him tightly as he spoke. “It’s okay. I’m tired, and it’s making me overreact.”
Kissing his cheek, I leaned in. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Tell me what’s going on.”
When he took an appetizer, I started. “I was caught off guard today with news of two new teammates.”
“Really? Are you worried they won’t fit in?”
I took a sip of wine, then set it down. “Nothing like that. Do you remember when I told you about my ex, Heath?”
Luca’s brows shot up. “You never told me his name, but yes, I remember.”
“He’s joining the team on Monday, along with another defenseman from Montreal.”
He shifted, looking uncomfortable. “What’s bothering you then?”
“Nothing about them, but I am concerned about how it makes you feel. I don’t want you to doubt anything about us.”
Luca set his wine glass down, and I expected to have to tackle him to keep him from leaving.
But that’s not what I got. “I’m only human, Axel.
Am I jealous of that closeness you shared?
Yes. Only because I know how special you are.
At the same time, I understand who your team signs is out of your control.
If you tell me there’s no problem, I’ll believe you. ”
I gaped at him. If he walked in and told me an ex would be working with him, I might lose my shit. But evidently, Luca was more mature than I was. “The only problem I have is you trying to stay away. It felt like a week.”
Luca’s cheek grazed mine, and I felt him smile. “I love you, Axel. And it was only two days, not a week.”
“Whatever,” I said, kissing him soundly. Luca put his arms around me, marking the end of that topic. I wanted to go back to our island and forget the world. Only him and me in our secluded happy place. As the scent of bodywash we’d bought in Bermuda filled my nose, it made me long for our beach.
Luca nuzzled my cheek. “Take me to bed.”
My heart hammered as we made our way to my bedroom. He downed the last of his wine, then set the glass on the dresser. “I came prepared. I didn’t want to wait.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, stripping out of my clothes.
“I stopped at home and took care of business. I didn’t want to waste any time.”
When he was naked, he stepped forward and kissed the side of my neck, then sucked on my collarbone before dropping to his knees.
His hand ghosted over my pecs and abs, causing gooseflesh to ripple across my body.
With his eyes on mine, he ran his hands over my thighs to the back of my legs. “You okay, love?”
“Never better.” He took me in one hand, then moved to nuzzle his nose along my sac.
His eyes closed as he inhaled my scent. When he finally took one of my balls into his mouth, my legs shook as I tried to restrain myself.
I endured his teasing for as long as I could until I fisted his hair, nearing my breaking point. “I need you.”
Luca rose to his feet and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he crawled onto the bed.
Wasting no time, I followed him down, and I kissed him deeply.
Starting at his neck, I worked down his body, leaving open-mouthed kisses in all his sensitive places. His side, along his hipbone, in the valley of skin between his hip and thigh. The rasp of my unshaven jaw between his legs and inner thigh made him shiver.
“Axel, please,” he panted, lifting his hips for added friction.
“Is this what you want?” I gripped his erection, tugging lightly, making him leak onto my hand. “Is this what you want?”
“Yes, more. Don’t make me beg.”
I took his length inside my mouth and sucked gently as I prepared him to accept me into his body. When I grazed his spot with my fingers, Luca reached to ease the discomfort until I pulled his hand away. “Not yet. All in good time.”
“Axel,” Luca warned. “Tit for tat. Next time, you might get the world’s slowest blow job.”
I grinned at his threat of retribution. This was pre-love Luca, busting my balls at every opportunity. When he whined, I looked into his lust-drunk eyes. “I would rather die than hurt you.”
“I might die if you don’t hurry up.” He was feisty tonight. “This isn’t the first time.”
“I am well aware, but you have to trust me,” I murmured. “Why would you want to steal my fun?”
“Fine,” he groused, trying to relax into the pillow. His eyes landed on the painting.
“Our beach.” His tone said he longed for our villa as well.
“Yes. You look at that while I take care of you.” I kissed him quickly, then moved to push his legs to his chest. I licked over and over through his crease, lingering on his opening before moving over his balls and up his shaft.
“Axel,” Luca groaned, calling my name.
Fingers twisted the sheets as every muscle in his body tensed.
Sweat formed as he fought to hold off the orgasm.
Mesmerized by him, Luca was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen with his head shifting side to side, tendons straining in his neck, his erection throbbing in my hand.
And the sounds. Dear god, the sounds. One word echoed in my head. Mine.
Close to his breaking point, I pulled back and slathered us both with lube. He was ready, and I was probably overdoing it. But I wanted nothing but my name on his lips when he reached that point.
Luca wrapped his long fingers around my shaft, rubbing his thumb over my tip. “Please.”
Lingering no longer, I gave in. “You on top. Ride me.” Without allowing him time to protest, I rolled us until I landed on my back.
Luca’s chest rose and fell, flushed skin glistening in the low light as he planted his knees on the bed by my hips.
With my length in my right hand, I held his hip to line myself up with his entrance, rubbing the head along his opening until Luca leaned forward and flattened his hands on my chest, then lowered himself onto me.
My tip snugly lodged in his entrance, I froze with him in the moment.
Eyes on me. Never letting me go. “Breathe, love. Take your time.”
He blinked as he began to exhale, his muscles relaxing enough for him to move.
With the patience I no longer possessed, Luca slowly inched himself onto me, stopping to breathe until I was fully inside him.
His hair draped his face, his mouth open, his neck and Adam’s apple calling to me. “You’re so beautiful when you take me.”
Luca released a husky, drunk laugh with his hands splayed across my chest. Taking his girth into my hand, I stroked just enough to bring his pre-cum to the tip.
He watched as I swiped a finger through it and stuck it in my mouth.
I moaned as the briny flavor hit my tongue.
“I’ve always preferred salty over sweet. ”
He grinned down at me, then began to move, taking his time to test every synapse in my brain.
Leaning forward, the change of position brought him greater pleasure.
I swallowed his gasps and his moans, every sigh.
I stole his breath, then breathed life into him as I stroked him vigorously to release as his channel tightened around me.
My eyes rolled in my head as I filled him, bucking my hips, meeting his movements.
Luca slumped onto my chest, neither of us concerned about the mess between us. Running my hands through his hair over his back, he shivered before kissing my chest. Settling into my side, we held one another, content to be back together.