Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
ROWAN
T yler was killing me here, insisting on icing my knee before we could fool around. “How much longer?” I sighed.
“You’ve got about five minutes left.” Tyler stood in his briefs with his round ass to me, taunting me.
“I brought lube and a condom in my bag.” I smirked. I was no dummy. I’d prepared this time.
“You did?” He twisted, his cock at half-mast under the fabric of his underwear.
God, he was mouth-watering. My dick swelled and ached. I palmed it through my joggers and sensation shivered up my spine.
With a sly grin, he crawled onto the bed and over me, straddling my legs, and pressed a hungry kiss on my mouth, slipping his tongue inside and tasting me fully. “Mmm, you know I’ve been thinking about this for days.” He bit his lip between his teeth and released it, palming my firm cock. “You’re so hard.”
With my breath catching, I gazed deeply into his eyes. “It’s your fault, parading yourself around me half-naked.” My dick tingled, and I rolled my hips into his palm. “I want to fuck you again, Tyler. ”
“You do?” Dipping his head, he looked down the length of my body. “How are we going to handle your knee this time?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t fucking care. I won’t feel it.” Grabbing his nape, I pulled him to me, slanting my mouth over his and kissing him again and again. I’d never tire of having his mouth anywhere on my body.
As he broke the kisses, he said, “Think you can do it standing with your leg straight?” He bit my lower lip and slowly freed it.
I nodded quickly. “Yeah, fuck yeah.” Wherever he was going with this, I liked it.
“Okay.” He lifted a leg and sat beside me, then removed the ice pack and rewrapped my bandage. “I brought supplies too.” Twisting his head, he glanced at me. “I’ll get them and get us set up.” He crept to the end of the bed, opened his bag, pulled out lube and a condom, and held them up. “We’re a dirty pair, aren’t we?” He snickered.
“We are. How are we doing this?” I shifted down the bed. “You going to suck me first?” I could hope.
“If that’s what you want.” He crawled over me again and lowered my briefs and joggers. “Let’s get you undressed first.” Stopping, he flicked his tongue over my nipple and gave it a short bite.
“Uh…” As sensation shot from my chest to my dick, my body jerked. “You need to be naked too.” I sat up on my elbows, watching the flex of his arms as he slid my clothes off my legs and tossed them. A wet spot seeped through his underwear at the head of his cock. Shit, I wanted him on top of me, skin on skin. “Come here.”
With a wicked peek at me, he skimmed his underwear down and off, his long dick bobbing in front of him, the head a purplish color. “Did you change your mind?” He snuck up the bed, his dirty-blond hair falling over his gorgeous face.
“I think I did.” I pulled him down over me, chest to chest and hip to hip, our hot, hard cocks pressing together. Yeah, this was what I wanted. “Kiss me. ”
Tilting his head, he gazed deeply into my eyes. “I love the freckles on your nose, you know.” He brushed his finger over the bridge of my nose.
Love? “Yeah, you’ve said something about that before.” Lifting my head, I brushed my mouth over his, swiping my tongue along his lower lip. I love everything about you . I kissed him harder, winding my arm around his head and threading my fingers through his hair.
Rocking his hips, he slid his cock along mine, and he whimpered. “Fuck.” With a ragged breath, he popped the lube open and squirted it on his fingers. “This is going to feel amazing.” He rolled to the side, slathered both our dicks with lube, and fisted them. “Move your hips.”
I thrust into his hand, my dick gliding along his, the friction intense. As tingles shot through my body, I rasped, “Oh yeah, babe.” Closing my eyes, I lost myself in sensation, the feel of his body resting over mine, the closeness.
He pressed his mouth over mine in heated kisses, his tongue in a carnal dance with mine. For a few long minutes, we kissed and rubbed on each other. My hands roamed over his back, skimming every inch of his hard muscle and soft skin within reach. I was in heaven. As tension built in my gut, my balls tightened.
He broke the kisses, breathless. “Want you to fuck me now.” With his throat dipping, he brushed my hair back from my forehead and locked his gaze on mine. “If your knee hurts at all, we stop though. Okay?”
Jesus fuck, my knee. “Yeah, okay. But when the damn thing is healed, we are going all out.” I raised the corner of my mouth.
“Hell yes.” He lifted off me. “Do you want to prep me?” He hopped off the bed and held his hand out.
“Yes.” It had been so hot prepping him before. Taking his hand, I shimmied off the bed. “Should I do it the same as before?”
With a smirk, he handed me the lube and condom. “Yep, just finger me until I’m ready.” He fell onto the bed with his elbows and knees at the edge of the mattress, his legs spread and his back arched. “Go for it.”
As my gaze found his pink, puckered hole, my cock twitched and dribbled precum. This was different from the first time. I was going to have all the control. Biting my lip, I nodded and slicked my fingers with lube and then slid them up his crack as I stepped in behind him.
He breathed out a moan. “Yeah, that’s it. You can rub your dick on my ass too if you want.” He dropped his head.
“Okay.” My dick was already lubed up, so… As I rubbed my sensitive cock on his ass cheek, I circled his hole and dipped the end of my finger inside him.
He whimpered. “That’s it. Go all the way.” He bore down on my finger, and it slid inside him.
This wasn’t very different from fingering a woman…was it? I grabbed his hip with one hand and pumped my finger inside him, angling it. There was a spot in here somewhere?—
“Oh fuck. Right there, baby.” He arched his back more.
As heat shivered over my skin, my cock leaked against the globe of his ass. “Can I add another finger?” I needed to hurry this along before I lost my load on him.
“Yes, go ahead.” He hissed and squirmed under me.
Pushing another finger inside, I groaned. He was hot and tight. This was going to feel so fucking good. I rubbed over the internal spot.
With loud gasps, he pushed back on my finger. “Now, fuck me now, Rowan.”
“Hell yeah.” After rolling on the condom and spreading more lube on my cock, I lined up the head to his hole and worked the tip inside him, his tight heat enveloping me. “Oh my God, baby, you feel good.” Clutching both of his hips to bring him to me and stepping closer, I slowly pressed inside him, my eyes rolling back in my head as pleasure engulfed me.
“Holy fuck, so good.” He panted, gripping the covers of the bed tightly in his fists. “Go hard, Rowan. I can handle it, and fuck, do I need it.”
“Yeah?” As my balls rested against the tops of his thighs, I swooned. If I didn’t slow this down, I was going to bust a nut any second. “Uh, give me a minute.”
“You okay?” Twisting his head, he looked at me. “How’s the knee?” His brows wrinkled.
“What knee?” I gave him a lazy grin and snapped my hips, thrusting in and out of him, my stomach clenching as sparks lit up my spine.
“Oh, sweet Jesus.” He dropped his head and whimpered, goosebumps breaking out over his ass. “Harder.”
“You got it, babe.” Pistoning my hips, I pummeled him with sharp thrusts. Sensation coiled deep inside me and my balls tightened, watching the sway of his hair with each push of my dick inside him.
Angling his hips, he gasped. “Fuck, gonna come.” He pressed his head into his forearm on the bed and stroked his leaking cock with his free hand.
I quickened my pace, letting sensation run rampant inside me. As pleasure surged from my cock to my toes, I slammed into him and held it, my climax spilling over the edge. I gritted out, “Holy fuck, babe.” My cum burst into the condom, again and again, filling it.
“Yeah, fuck yeah.” He panted and slowed the pace of his fist on his cock.
As it calmed, I leaned over his back, my chest heaving with ragged breaths. If it were this good now, what if— “No condom next time. I don’t care what it takes.” I pulled out of him and slipped off the condom, then tied it off and threw it in the trash can.
“I’m down with that.” He rolled to his back, his body slack against the bed.
I made to crawl onto the bed over him and stopped. Fuck, my knee. I twisted, backed onto the bed, and rolled to my side. “ That was amazing, Tyler.” I brushed my fingers up his rippled abs and chest. “You’re amazing.” My turn to gush. As his gaze met mine, my heart flooded with emotion. I loved him, really loved him. Who knew I could feel like this about a guy? “And we need to lose the condoms.” It was time, wasn’t it? Especially with our feelings being this strong.
“I agree.” He snuck his arm under my neck and pulled my head over his shoulder. “We can get tested at the student clinic.” He kissed my hair. “Let’s do it as soon as we get back.”
The student clinic? “Yeah, I suppose it would be more discreet than asking the team doc to do it.” I snuggled into his side.
“We don’t need the team doc asking why.” He chuckled. “Not that I think it would be a problem anyway.” He trailed his fingers through my hair. “Your hair is soft.”
His touch tingled over my scalp. “And a mess. It’s so thick. My hairdresser tries to thin it out when I have it cut.” I huffed a laugh. “You think it’s big now? You should see it when I’m home with the humidity.” At this point, I’d given up trying to tame it too much.
“I like it. It’s fluffy.” Stopping his palm on my cheek, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on my mouth. “You know I’ve thought you were a hell of a good-looking guy from the moment I saw you.”
“You did?” My gaze rose to his. He’d sure kept it hidden.
“I did. Myles teased me about us getting together from the first day Coach made us partners.” His gaze searched my face. “Sometimes it’s hard to believe I’m with you like this.”
“Well, get used to it.” Grabbing the side of his head, I pressed my mouth to his, throwing one of my legs over both of his.
He slanted his mouth on mine and turned into me, giving me slow kisses, taking long sweeps of his tongue against mine.
As I explored his mouth, I bit gently on his lower lip and came in for more, slipping my tongue over the seam of his lips and dipping it inside. As I pressed my plumping cock against his hip, I freed a soft moan against his mouth. This was hot and sexy, but these kisses were more about connection.
With a long exhale, he lifted his chin, giving me access to his throat. “God, you feel good against me.”
I nibbled and licked his chin and neck and then worked my way back to his mouth, pushing my tongue inside as my lips claimed his.
His touch shivered over my skin as he brushed his hand up and down my back. “Can’t get enough.”
“Me neither.” I lapped at his upper lip and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “I could probably go again, but I know you have to rest for tomorrow’s game.” I left his mouth to gaze into his darkened eyes.
“Yeah, leave it for the morning.” He shifted. “Let’s get under the covers and spoon all night.”
“Hell yes, that’s what I’m talking about.” As I shimmied under the covers with him, he flipped to his side, his back to my chest. I wrapped an arm around him and covered us both in sheets and blankets. “Good night, Tyler.”
He lifted for a moment and turned off the light by our bed. “Good night.” He kissed the back of my hand and settled in.
The next morning, after a round of satisfying blowjobs, I hit the shower first and started my morning routine.
His phone buzzed in the room.
“Hello?” Tyler asked.
After wrapping a towel around my hips, I spread hair paste on my palms and worked it into my hair as I stepped out of the bathroom. Who was calling him now? Was his mother all right?
“Hey, Dean. Good to hear from you. What’s up?” He flicked his gaze to mine, and a smile spread over his lips. “Yeah? That works.”
I watched him. He must be hearing from the Blackhawks. An ache played over my heart. What would our future look like? Did we have one? How the hell did other hockey players make this shit work?
With a frown, I ambled into the bathroom. Other hockey players were not dating hockey players. That’s how it worked. One of the parties involved ended up sacrificing for the hockey player and following them to whatever home base they played in.
Setting my hands on either side of the sink, I leaned in and looked at myself. Would I make a sacrifice for Tyler? He was the sure bet for the NHL, not me. How was it I was even entertaining these thoughts? I was not the same guy who came out here. That guy came here to be noticed by scouts, to be a better player.
Tyler rounded the corner into the bathroom with an open-mouthed smile. “Hey, babe. Guess what?” He threw his arms around my waist from behind and nuzzled behind my ear.
I put on a happy face. “Was that more info on Chicago?” I primped my hair.
“Yep. We’re working out the logistics for me seeing them over the Christmas break.” He met my gaze in the mirror. “I can’t believe I might play for the team I’ve been rooting for since I was a kid.”
“I can.” I grabbed his cheek, turned his head, and planted a quick kiss on his mouth. “I’m proud of you, babe. You’ve worked hard for this.” I parted my lips. When had we started calling each other babe outside of sex? I’d never felt like calling someone that before. It felt natural with him. Holy fuck, I was in for it. Decisions to make and all that.
“Anyway, I’ll get in the shower now and we can hit the breakfast buffet.” He freed me, started the shower, and dropped his sweats to the floor.
At breakfast, I sat with Hodge on one side and Ace on the other at a large round table in a conference room. As I stuffed my fork into a plate of fluffy scrambled eggs, my gaze caught on Burns, eyeing me from the other side of the table, his curly brown hair falling over his blue eyes. After swallowing my eggs down with a gulp of orange juice, I said, “What?”
Ace stopped eating and looked from me to Burns.
“You and Tyler get any sleep?” He wiped his hand on a napkin and sniggered.
Hodge’s gaze cut to Burns. “Of course we did. Why wouldn’t we?” He pressed his lips together and scanned the room.
All the guys were minding their own business, eating and talking about the game to come. The coaches were seated way off in a corner, probably strategizing what game footage we’d watch today.
Cummings dropped in between Hodge and Burns with a full plate of pancakes and bacon. “Hey, guys. How did everyone sleep?” He threw a smile around the table.
“Great.” Hodge fixated on Burns. “Best sleep ever.” He set his fork on his plate, only a mound of fruit left on it.
Ace straightened his shoulders and set his fork on his plate of eggs and toast. “What’s going on here? We need a good D-line today, no bullshit.” He fixated on Burns.
“Nothing.” Burns pushed his eggs around his plate with his fork. “I don’t care, you know.” His gaze snapped to Hodge’s.
“Don’t care about what?” Hodge lifted his brows.
Did the guy know? How the hell would he though? We hadn’t made it obvious we were together, had we? I stared at Burns and then Hodge.
Burns slid his plate and chair closer to Hodge and leaned in. In a soft voice, he said, “I have the room next to you guys. Do you really think I didn’t hear what was going on over there?” A lopsided grin played over his mouth. “More power to ya for getting some on the road, but you better not let this thing”—he pointed his fork between us—“cause problems for the team when Mackenzie gets back on the ice.” He snuck a glance toward the coaches’ table and leaned back into his seat.
Had we really been that loud? “Shit, what about Neuman?” I glanced his way.
“Naw, the guy fell asleep as soon as we were back in the room and could sleep through a freight train. You get me?” As his grin widened, he lifted his brows. “Just…don’t fucking lie to me.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “We have to be partners through tonight and next week’s game, right?”
“Yeah, we do.” Hodge hung his head and snuck a peek at me. He was waiting for me to say it.
“Yes, we’ve got something going on. Don’t worry. It won’t interfere with our game when I’m back on the ice.” I inhaled deeply. “I’m, uh, I’m bisexual.” There, I’d admitted it to a straight guy now. Or was he? I narrowed my eyes at him. “Did you like the show?” I chuckled.
“No.” As his cheeks flushed, he looked away for a beat, scoffing a laugh. “I had a feeling you two were getting cozy off the ice.”
“How?” Cummings stuffed pancake into his mouth.
“The way they look at each other.” With a soft grin, he shook his head. “Like a couple of love birds. Are you two in love?” His grin shifted into a smirk.
“I, uh…” My gaze swept to meet with Tyler’s. “We, um…” I scanned the table, Ace and Cummings both watching me. Shit, saying it now wouldn’t be special. It needed to be special.
Hodge swallowed hard. “What we have is between us.” He lifted his chin. “Right, Mackenzie?”
“Right.” Relaxing my shoulders, I blew out a long breath. Holy shit, that was close.
“Does anyone else know, or are there any rumors?” Ace studied Burns. “Because I think this needs to stay between us. You get me?” His gaze grew hard.
Burns widened his eyes. “No, no rumors that I know of.” His brows lowered and he tapped his index finger on the table. “Look, I’m not a snitch.”
“Okay, good.” Ace patted Burns’s shoulder. “You’re a good guy, Burns. I’m glad we could be open with you.”
Wow, Ace was taking charge. With him being as good as he was, everyone admired him. It was great to have him on our side. “Thanks, Burns. We appreciate it.”
“No problem. I like you guys. You have good vibes.” He held out his fist, and we each bumped it.
We won our next game against Denver, and Hodge and Burns were a big part of it, playing like real D-line partners and giving Ace the shutout he was looking for.
After we got home, Tyler and I got tested at Student Health Services and were now waiting on our test results. I wasn’t exactly worried…
Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving, I sat next to Tyler in our geology class as the professor ended the lecture, wishing us all a happy Thanksgiving. I closed my laptop and glanced at Tyler. “What are you doing after this?”
“Don’t know.” He slid his laptop and book into his backpack. “How about we grab some lunch?”
“Yeah? Where at?” Grabbing my bag, I stood and hefted it over my shoulder. With the physical therapy I’d been doing with our trainer, my knee was much better. I wasn’t even limping anymore.
“I was thinking…” He rose and grabbed the back of my arm, leading me out of the classroom. “Pizza?”
“Since we’ll be eating turkey and dressing for the foreseeable future, I think that’s perfect.” I strolled out the doors into a hallway filled with students and happy chatter. A lot of them were probably headed home tonight to be with their families. But I had a new one right here .
“How about Spinelli’s? We can walk there and won’t that be good for your knee?” He strode into the sunshine outside our building, along the palm tree-lined walkway.
“Hell yes.” The back of my hand brushed his as we made our way through students walking and riding skateboards and scooters. I twined my fingers in his. Nobody was going to care, right? They’d have to know who we were.
He squeezed my hand as we strolled to Mill Avenue and turned the corner onto a sidewalk, passing by shops and restaurants tucked away inside brick buildings.
My gaze caught on the jagged peak of “A” Mountain rising over the glass high-rises. I had another class this afternoon, but if he wanted me to, I’d ditch it. “What’s on the agenda for tonight?” No morning skate for tomorrow. We had a rare few days off, even though we were expected to train on our own.
He swung our hands between us, the sunlight shining off the highlights in his dirty-blond hair. “We could hit the bar or?—”
“Stay in and enjoy each other?” I raised the edge of my mouth. “If we hear from the doc at student services, I say we stay in.” Could we be so lucky? It had been three days.
“Oh, hell yes.” He kissed my knuckles and stopped at the pizza place, then opened the glass door. “After you.”
“Thanks.” I walked inside and looked around, taking in the wild art murals on the walls, the metal staircase leading up to an open second floor, and the big crystal chandelier over our heads. The place bustled with people already. “Want to sit at the bar?” I spied a few empty seats.
“Are we getting beer?” He hooked a brow at me.
Should I bail on my last class? No. “We don’t have to get beer to sit at the bar.” I pulled him past black chairs and long, colorful tables with more artwork on them and hung our backpacks on the back of our barstools before I hitched myself up.
“You have another class today, right?” He slid onto his stool. “I don’t. Do you mind if I get a beer?”
“I can’t stop you.” I eyed him. But damn, it sounded good .
The bartender stopped at us, dropped off menus, and Tyler ordered his beer while I got a lemonade. I’d wait for later. If I had to go to this damn class, I didn’t want to be nodding off in it.
He scanned the menu, rubbing his chin. “What do you want to get? Do you want to share something?”
“Sure.” I peered at his menu over his shoulder. “There are a few crazy things on here. Like, who would eat macaroni and cheese on a pizza?” I chuckled. “Talk about carb loading.”
“We should try that the night before a game.” He wagged his brows. “But how about this one with the mozzarella, basil, and tomato?”
“Yeah, looks almost healthy.” I watched the bartender drop off our drinks, and then we ordered.
I sipped my lemonade. “So, tell me what to expect tomorrow.” I was having Thanksgiving with NHL players. I was still a little starstruck over it, especially meeting Jett Jarvis.
“I think Leo and Archer are coming over early in the morning to get the bird in the oven and start on the other food.” He drank some beer. “Do you…want to stay the night at my place?” He faced me.
“Do they all know about us already?” I worried my lower lip. Would he have told them?
“No, and Ace and Zoma left for Colorado Springs already. So, it’ll only be us and Myles at the house tonight. How do you want to handle this?” He grabbed my hand, resting on the bar.
“Let’s tell them as they arrive.” My heart filled with warmth. He’d been so patient with me. “I’m proud to be your boyfriend, Tyler.” And we’d have even more to celebrate.
“Good.” He leaned in and kissed my cheek.
My phone buzzed in the pocket of my backpack. “Hold on.” I fished it out and held it to my face. I didn’t recognize the number. “Student Health Services, maybe?” I let my lips curl and started the call. “Hello?”
“Hi, is this Rowan Mackenzie?” a female voice asked .
“It is.” My heart pattered into my throat. This was it. What if I had something? The weekend might be ruined.
“I’m Patty with ASU’s Student Health Services, and I have the results of the tests we did for you on Monday,” she said.
“Okay. Go ahead.” My gaze locked on Tyler’s, and I tensed my lips.
“Everything came back negative.”
Puffing out a breath, I smiled. “Okay, thanks so much.” Holy hell, was I relieved. I don’t know why though. It wasn’t like I was expecting to have picked up something. I’d been careful.
“Do you have any questions?”
“Nope. Thanks so much. Goodbye.” I hung up the call. I couldn’t wait to tell Tyler.
“Well?” He fixated on me. His phone rang on the bar top. “Fuck.” He answered the call. “Hello?”
I freed a soft snort. They were making their rounds and probably trying to get through it before the holiday. I picked up Tyler’s beer and sipped it. I needed a little something after that.
“Yeah.” Tyler peeked at me. “That’s great. Thank you.” A sly grin worked over his lips. “No questions. Goodbye.” He hung up his call. “Are we barebacking tonight?” He beamed at me.
“Looks like we are.” I lifted my lemonade to him. “I’ll pick up some champagne for us.”
“Oh, you’re going to make it romantic?” He tapped his glass on mine.
“I sure as hell am.” I drank my lemonade and set it down as the bartender brought us our pizza. This was going to be the best Thanksgiving I’d ever had.
He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on my lips. “I’m so glad we’re going to be together this weekend.”