Chapter 23Nick
Chapter 23
Nick
NOVEMBER | Tarot: Page of Swords
I was back at work, still feeling crummy, but we couldn’t afford another loss from the backup goalie. I was doing the bare minimum to stop pucks and nothing more. It was still early in the season, having just turned to November, but it would be bad for morale for us to start dropping too much this early. We were having an optional practice before taking off for a few days on the road.
“You’re quiet, Rook. Still sick?” Sorrento asked.
“Kinda. Not too bad,” I said. “And I’m not the rook anymore.”
“Sorry my kids gave you the plague. I owe you big time for that one.”
“It’s cool. I couldn’t resist Bella feeding me.”
I continued getting dressed, returning to my silence.
“No, he’s never really acted like this,” Mikey said. “Something else going on?”
I gave a little smirk, my stomach giving a flash of that roller-coaster swoop. “I’m kinda seeing someone.”
Whoops and shouts echoed off the dressing room walls. “Atta boy!” and “Such a dawg!”
“Who is she?” Guy asked.
“Oh, just someone I met on the apps. This will be my first time being away from her.”
Sorrento cocked his head. “Wait, was she with you when you were sick?”
“Yeah, she helped me out.”
Guy narrowed his eyes and paused, but didn’t say anything. Shit. Annie had texted Kitty that she was helping me out. He and Mikey exchanged a look. Mikey shook it off.
“Finally found a little Mommy of your own to take care of you, huh?” Mikey said. “What you’ve always wanted.”
“When do we get to meet this mystery woman?” Beatty asked.
“Oh, it’s still all new. I wouldn’t bring her around you crazy asses for a while. But it’ll be my first road trip since we started.”
“Welcome to phone sex, my friend,” Leroy said.
“I-I don’t know. Seems early for that.”
“No, no, not at all,” Leroy cooed. “Good way to blow off some steam together and get to know each other.”
“I’m not really good at dirty talk and stuff,” I said. “You typically don’t give the best advice either.”
“He’s right,” Sorrento said. “The road’s a great way to get a little closer while you’re far apart.”
“Um. What should I say?”
“So glad you asked, young Obi,” Mikey said, throwing an arm around my neck while he was just in his underwear.
“You’ve come to the right place,” Beatty said with his missing-toothed grin.
* * *
We’d landed and settled at our hotel in Vegas, having a fun team dinner at a casino’s buffet. I’d made up my mind that I’d try to have a sexy chat with Annie and excused myself from going out for more drinks after. I’d had one with dinner just to make sure I was loose.
I texted her when I knew she’d be winding down for the evening.
Get your place unpacked?
Annie Markham
Mostly! How are you feeling?
I’m back at work. We’re in Vegas. Mostly better
Glad to hear it
Could I maybe call you?
My heart took off as my phone rang with an incoming FaceTime request.
“Hey, Annie,” I said, smiling as her face filled my screen. She was wearing one of her boobalicious tank tops and what looked like some little shorts. “Good to see you.”
“You too,” she said softly. Her brow wrinkled. “You look tired.”
“Yeah. Still recovering a little. I declined going out for more drinks.”
“We could have gotten you more time off. You’re sick, Nick.”
I shrugged. “I’m well enough to catch pucks. And I don’t get in close contact with many people. Wanna show me around your place now that you’re unpacked?”
Her smile was soft. “Sure. Let me flip my camera.”
I loved her narrations as she walked from room to room, her voice more tinged with her Southern twang since she was tired from a long day. Her place was small, but she’d made it look warm, with little trinkets tastefully placed to brighten it up.
“I decorated the mantel.”
“Hey, walk a little closer. Who’s in the picture?”
“That’s me and my mom on Thanksgiving, not long before she got sick the first time.”
“Oh, I didn’t know your mom was sick.” I felt guilty that she’d talked to my mom and I had no idea about hers. I’m usually better about things like that.
“Oh, uh, yeah. She passed about five years ago now.”
“Gosh, Annie. I’m sorry. And I made you talk to my mom and everything.”
She gave a soft chuckle. “I don’t hold all moms accountable for the loss of mine. It’s fine. Your mom was cool.”
“What was your mom like?”
She got a dreamy look. “She was the best. Thanksgiving was her favorite because it was so loud and full of people. We always made pies together.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yep,” she said breezily. “But anyway, here’s the bathroom, which you remember.”
She ended in her bedroom, plopping down on her bed and flipping the camera to face herself again.
“Thanks for the tour. It looks great in there.”
“Thanks, bub.”
Silence fell between us as we watched each other. She rubbed her lips together.
“I was thinking more about our arrangement.”
Annie tucked her hair behind her ear, casually stroking her fingers through the length. “What about it?”
My face felt hot. “I was wondering if maybe we could . . . start now?”
Her mouth dropped into a scandalized smile. “Nick Oberbeck, are you booty calling me?”
“No!”
“Yes, you are! You’re on the road and feeling lonely, so you called the hottest girl in your contacts to get a little action.”
I put a hand over my burning-hot face. “No, Annie, it’s not just—”
“I’m teasing, Ober. You wanna get a little nasty on here?”
“I mean, we could check off me watching you and talking you through it. I could watch and learn.”
Annie bit her lip and gave a drowsy blink. “I could get into that. So you’ll be in charge this time?”
My voice was unduly raspy when I answered. “Yeah.”
She watched me, waiting. “Well? What should I do first?”
There was Annie, waiting for instructions. I could tell her just about anything and she’d do it. “You nervous, baby?”
“Sorry,” I said, running my hand over my face. “I wanted to be better at this. I want to be sexy for you.”
“Hey. Don’t apologize. I’m on your side. Do you want me to get us started and you can jump in whenever you feel good?”
“Let’s do that,” I said.
Those green eyes glinted with a flash of the devil. “Take your shirt off, Nick.”
I obeyed in an instant. “Good boy,” she cooed. “Stand up for me. Leave your pants on, but show me if you’re hard.”
No issue there. The second “good boy” left her lips, I was hard as a rock. I stood, running my hand over my aching hard-on.
“Mmm, gray sweats and everything. You came prepared.”
I grinned at her words, looking down at my hand working over my erection and up at her for approval. “That’s it. Now don’t touch it unless I tell you to.”
I groaned, her control ruining me already.
“Oh, is the little dove crying so soon? I thought you called to see me and tell me what to do,” she taunted.
“I did. Please let me see you. I never got to see you enough when we did this the last time,” I croaked.
“You mean when you were bad and grabbed my ass and titties in your bed?”
An apology was on the tip of my tongue, but was cut off by her removing her shirt, her dusky pink nipples revealed. She grabbed her breasts, closing her eyes and tipping her head back.
“So perfect, Annie. Does that feel good?”
“Hands where I can see them, Oberbeck,” she commanded, so I rested them on my bare chest. “Ooh, yeah. I like them there. Touch your chest like you’d touch me.”
Gladly. I coasted my hands over my abs and chest like she was grinding in my lap instead of on my screen. She climbed off her bed and turned her phone so I could watch her lower her shorts and underwear.
“Gorgeous, Annie. Are you wet?”
She grinned and sat back on her bed, carrying my view with her. She sat up, spreading her legs so I had a good vantage point. “What’s it look like to you, Nick? Am I wet?”
I swallowed hard, her pussy glistening on the screen.
“I usually lay on my stomach, but I know you want to see how it’s done.”
“Yes, please. I want to see you come so bad.”
“What do you think you need to do to make me come, Nick?”
Shit. Time to revisit the locker room talk. I was drawing a blank, so I flashed back to all the times I’d jacked off thinking of Annie, of the last time we hooked up. “I miss how your body feels in my hands. Your legs squeezing around me. Your pussy tightening as I wound you up.”
“Good,” she hummed, her fingers making slow circles at the top of her slit. “You see this, Nick? This feels good.”
“I wish I could feel how wet you are,” I whined.
She bit that dang lower lip again with a smile, rolling her body and showing off her beautiful figure.
My breath kept picking up, practically panting like I’d just run a race.
“You doing okay over there, Nick?”
I squeezed my balls through my pants, tortured. “I just-I just want you so bad. You’re so fuckin’ pretty.”
“That cock leaking for me?” Every question was slightly taunting, teasing, knowing I was hanging by a thread.
I flexed my cock, making sure she could see it. “Fucking throbbing for you.”
“You wanna touch it?”
“Please.” I was desperate, dying watching her. Begging like a dog for scraps was my only way to communicate.
She ran her fingers through her wetness, pulling them to her mouth.
I groaned, feeling that much closer to the edge. “Do you like to taste yourself?”
“Wouldn’t you like a little taste?”
“So bad, Annie. You tasted so fucking good. I need you again, please. I need to touch—”
She shushed me softly. “Sounding like a dove again, huh? I got you, baby. Take everything off and show me your cock. It’s been too long.”
I stood from the hotel desk chair where I sat, quickly shedding my layers. “I’m so hard for you, Annie. My balls are fucking aching.”
“Why don’t you touch yourself then? You get five strokes. Don’t waste them.” Her name came out as the neediest whine. “I know, dove. But if you’re so focused on you, you won’t learn how I like it. Isn’t that what you want?”
I gasped as I finished the final stroke. “I’m watching. I’m going to learn.”
A soft smile curved her lips. “You’re doing so good, Nick. Sometimes I like a couple fingers inside while I touch myself. Not always.”
The view I had accentuated her perfectly done nails. “Your nails are pretty.”
She grinned. “Thank you.”
“You feel good, Annie?”
She moaned her answer and I croaked out her name, one hand cupping my balls while the other squeezed my base. She winked and brought a hand to her breast, pinching her nipple and continuing the rubbing on her lower half. She panted.
“Nick, go ahead. Give me all you got. Pretend it’s my mouth on you. Like you’re gonna put it all over my tits.”
I hissed out a cuss, spitting in my hand and stroking myself as I watched her fingers go faster. She flipped over onto her stomach, lifting her hips so I could see her hand working.
“That tight little pussy, Annie. I can’t fucking wait to touch you again.”
“Nick,” she breathed, her breaths getting shallower and harsher.
“Yeah, you like it when I get dirty for you? Tell you how I’m gonna make it right for you, make you scream, and shake, and cry out for me, claw at me, bite my neck.”
“Nick, baby, please.”
“I know it, baby. You gonna come for me?”
“Yes.”
“Please come, Annie. Just for me. All of it.”
She moaned and cried, and I bit out some words or another, and then she turned over to look at me again. She flopped toward the phone, laying on her stomach and propped up on her elbows. Her breasts looked fucking incredible at that angle.
“There you go, Nick. Come for me. Shoot it on yourself like you wanna put it on me.”
She didn’t have to tell me. I was ready. “Annie.”
I almost blacked out it was so good, and we weren’t even in the same room. When I came to, she watched me with a lazy smile.
“You have fun?”
I laughed, glancing at the mess on my stomach. “Maybe a little more than fun.”
“You learn anything?”
“That I can’t fucking wait to try it out on you.” I cocked my head to the side, enjoying her dazzling smile.
“Well, as soon as you’re back and not sick, we can play.”
“Counting the minutes.”
She yawned, and somehow it was extra cute with her naked and lying on her stomach. Innocent and naughty at the same time. Bared for me. “You sleepy, angel?”
“Kinda.”
I gave an awkward smile. “I don’t wanna hang up yet.”
Her lashes fanned on her cheeks as her eyes cast down. “I don’t want to be too . . . relationship-y. But I also don’t want to make our only connection fucking. We’re adults, you know. We get to decide what friends looks like for us. We can do whatever we want as long as we keep it quiet.”
“Yeah, I get it.” Disappointment popped the glowing iridescent bubble I’d been floating in. This wasn’t a relationship. It was friends with benefits. But it sure felt like a relationship. I didn’t like having to lie to my friends about who I was seeing or what I was doing. But I also understood where Annie was coming from. She moved out west for this job and couldn’t afford to lose it. She was doing more than she needed to by fulfilling my wishes. She wasn’t getting nothing out of it, but she was more at risk than I was. If we got found out, I’d be fine. She wouldn’t.
So undercover friends we’d be.
“We could . . . try to watch a show together? I’ve got a couple of things to do before bed. Wanna hang tight? Go clean yourself up?”
We both got ready for bed, her wearing a big t-shirt and some long socks when she came back to the camera. We fumbled around trying to sync a show, but it wasn’t working.
“What if I read to you?” I asked. “I brought that Christie you were reading at my house.”
Her eyes rounded and she got a touched look. “You did?”
“Yeah. I haven’t read that one in a while. Might be fun to reread.”
She scrunched down in her sheets and propped the phone next to her pillow, her tired eyes content. “I’ll let you read to me.”