34. Colby
THIRTY-FOUR
Colby
The more Novi and I sneak around, the more comfortable I am with it. Sure, I have moments of paranoia, but we’re able to keep it professional at work, and that’s really my main concern.
Turkey knows, but he really is a true ally, and I have no worries about him saying anything to anyone. Having a trans sibling, he’s probably had his fair share of keeping other people’s secrets.
Being with Novi makes the cloak-and-dagger stuff worth it.
That, and the sex. Dear fucking God, the sex.
I think I’ve fucked Novi on every surface of his place since his sister left for Canada.
Walking out that morning after I’d first topped him was awkward as fuck when I remembered she was still there.
In my defense, I was too engrossed in everything Novi to register the small reminders around his house, like the kids’ toys, Elena’s purse, or anything that contained a color other than beige, black, or gray.
But since his family left, all my rules have gone out the window. We’re still careful, and we still take any and all precautions so we don’t get caught, but the number of times I end up at his house instead of my own … well, there’s no more limit on that.
I don’t want there to be.
One side of me is screaming that I’m being careless, but I’m getting addicted to how good it feels to be with him. It makes it impossible to enjoy this completely, and I hate that I’m getting in the way of my own happiness—in both aspects of my life.
I want to spend every waking moment with Novi, and he’s taken advantage of that. Not that I’m complaining.
Here, with him wrapped around me, naked skin against skin, my back to him while I lie on my side … it’s peaceful and … right. I’m content.
Even if I am being poked in my lower back by Novi’s morning wood.
I wouldn’t normally complain about that, but last night, he claimed to have missed my ass so much that he had to use it every which way he could.
Ever since discovering what a prostate orgasm feels like, he’s been needy for it. Demanding even.
I was looking forward to switching back to me, but after a night of being fucked fast, hard, slow, long, my ass is more than a little tender this morning.
Yet, as Novi begins to stir and moves his hand down my stomach and pulls me against him harder, my well-used hole contracts as if searching for his cock.
“Are you too sore for more?” He grinds against me, his cock slipping in between my ass cheeks.
“Good morning to you too.” My comment might be sarcastic, but I’m smiling as I ignore the ache in my ass and push my hips back.
“You too sore?” he asks again, his deep voice more desperate than before.
My skin is sticky, but I can’t tell if it was from the mess we made last night or if he’s leaking precum into my crack. Either way, I don’t care if I’m sore. “I need you.”
He lets go of me for a second, then reaches between us and lines up his freshly lubed cock, slowly pushing in. It’s only been a few hours, and while it’s a tight fit, I stretch open easily for him.
We ditched condoms after that first night I topped him. We’ve had physicals, we’re exclusive, and that’s good enough for me.
Novi’s hand creeps down further on my stomach, and he wraps his fingers around my dick. He strokes in time with his thrusts inside me. He’s slow and gentle, and he murmurs how good it feels into the back of my hair.
Despite being spent, despite being sore, I love what he does to me. He turns me inside out in the best ways, makes me feel sexy and cherished and owned.
Novi’s phone goes off on the nightstand, and he pauses to reach for it.
“Really? You’re checking your phone while you’re inside me?”
“I … lost track of time. We are late for All-Stars meetup with Collective.”
He goes to pull out of me when I reach behind me and grab his ass so he stays right where he is.
“Do not start something you can’t finish, Radimir.”
“Ezra will be mad. He’s super clingy, and whenever I don’t reply, he reminds me I am his best friend, and if I keep him waiting, he will think I have defected our friendship.”
“You are both ridiculous. Tell him we’ll be there in an hour.”
“I will tell him we’re getting in the car. One hour gives him time to come over here, and we’re in LA. If you can’t use traffic as an excuse here, when can you?”
“Hurry up and reply so you can get back to what you were doing.”
“You’re so demanding of me. I am only one man. It is not my fault I’m so popular.”
“We really are in a relationship now. We’ve gotten to the pause during sex part to look at our phones.”
And even though I’m dead serious and my dick is crying, is it weird that I’m okay with it? It’s like a new milestone in this unconventional courtship.
“Done. Now to make you come.” Instead of going back to fucking me in that slow and caring way, he pulls out of me completely.
I almost complain until he pushes me on my back and then leans over me and swallows my dick. He jerks himself off while he sucks me down, and considering I’m still spent from hours ago and I’m no spring chicken anymore, the orgasm that rocks into me is hard and fast.
With Novi’s mouth on me and the way he licks over my tip on every upstroke, I come faster than a teenager. He follows me over the edge, but only after I lift my head and watch as he drinks all my cum.
I relax back into the pillow and try to catch my breath, but he doesn’t let me.
Novi taps my thigh. “Up. We need to get in the shower and get on the road.”
The only reason I comply is because I like hanging out with the Collective.
They’re chaotic and fun, but most of all, Novi and I get to be a real couple with them.
Hiding our relationship might be necessary, but that doesn’t mean it’s not triggering sometimes.
I have closet PTSD from when I played in the AHL, and this feels a lot like putting myself back inside those teeny tiny four walls.
Novi more than makes it worth it, but it’s still nice to step out every now and then and breathe the fresh air.
The Collective is my fresh air.
I’m ready for the chaos.
I’m so not ready for this type of chaos.
We walk into Oskar and Lane’s house, having lucked out that’s where the Collective decided to host their annual All-Stars meetup, and the first thing I see is Ezra pinning down Turkey in the middle of the living room.
Turkey is on his stomach, Ezra is straddling his back, and he’s pulling Turkey’s hair and yelling something in Polish. I assume.
Novi turns to me. “See, I told you I am popular man.”
“This is over you?” I don’t mean to sound doubtful, but oops.
“I’m the only teammate who knows about him,” Turkey yells.
“I was the first to know about him,” Ezra boasts.
Connor Kikishkin raises his hand. “Uh, actually, that was me.”
“Don’t make me come for you next, Kiki. I’ve claimed him as my best friend.”
“What am I? Chopped liver?” retired NHLer Westly Dalton says.
Anton sighs. “Ez, you’re in your thirties. Don’t you think you’re a little old to have a best friend?”
“No. Everyone must love me.”
“Sure, he goes from adamant no one will love him to everyone must love him,” Anton mutters.
I shake my head at Novi. “You’re a terrible influence on a group of guys who are bad enough as it is. Make this stop before he hurts your winger.” I wave my finger in the direction of the living room.
“You are no fun.” But he does as I say and pulls Ezra off Turkey. “Never fear. There is lots of me to go around, but I have sad news. Best friend status has been taken from you both.” Novi’s whiskey-colored eyes meet mine across the room. “Colby wins that, hands up.”
“Hands … up?” Connor Kiki asks.
“He means hands down,” Turkey says.
Novi smirks. And there’s another point for Turkey.
I’m still smiling over Novi calling me his best friend though. Because that’s what partners should be: each other’s number one.
“Eww, you’d choose your partner over me?” Ezra asks.
Novi throws his arm around him. “Don’t worry. You are a very close second. Third at the most.”
“What about Elena?” I supply helpfully.
“Shit. Then fourth. But you’re a very close fourth.”
Ezra turns to West. “Westly Ann Dalton, you know how I love?—”
“Nope.” West puts up his hands. “Don’t come crawling back to me now.”
“Ugh. Fine. Turkey, how about it?”
Turkey throws his hands up. “Sure. Seeing as Novi discarded us so easily.”
“Why are you even here?” Novi asks. “You are not in Collective.”
“I invited him,” Ezra says. “When I’d heard that he’d tried to steal you, I had to have words with him.”
“Plus, my sister. I’m a true ally.”
Ezra shakes his head. “Nah, mainly the best friend thing.”
“So you two are really together, then?” Connor asks, his gaze flitting between me and Novi.
I’ve still barely stepped inside the house, so I move over to where Novi’s standing in the living room with everyone else.
He wraps his big arm around me. “Da. We are in a very serious relationship too. He said so today, while we were having sex, and?—”
I cover his mouth with my hand. “Do. Not.”
“I knew you lied when you said you were getting in the car!” Ezra yells. “First, you choose him over me, and now you’re lying.”
Ezra points my way. “You are a pest.”
“Keep pointing that finger at him, and you will be down to nine,” Novi threatens.
Not going to lie, it’s hot as fuck.
Ezra quickly puts his hands in his pockets.
“You done peacocking yet?” Anton asks. “Skills is starting.”
We take our seats around the living room, some of us on the floor, others on chairs they’ve dragged in from the dining room.
We end up right by Connor, with Novi taking the seat on the couch next to him while I sit on the floor between Novi’s legs. He plays with my hair as we watch All-Stars and he and Connor talk.
I try not to eavesdrop, but it’s not like they’re attempting to have a private conversation.
“Doing the secret thing too, huh? How’s it working out for you?”
“It’s …” His hand pauses in my hair. “Not our first choice.”
Connor nods. “Neither. I can’t tell you how much I’m holding out for this off-season.”
“Why aren’t you and your man flaunting it?” he asks. “You no longer play hockey.”
“No, but we agreed to a full year of me being out of the league before we announce I’m dating my old team’s owner. We wanted that big enough gap between leaving and announcing, you know? Otherwise, it opens a bunch of unethical doors we don’t want to deal with.”
My heart sinks, and my gut lands in my throat. Because we didn’t think of that. We’ve been saying we can hold out until Novi retires, but what are the chances anyone will believe us if we say we only started dating after he left if we announce our relationship the day after his last game?
It’s impossible to know if our relationship will survive that long in the shadows.
Something’s got to give. I just … haven’t had the balls to open my laptop and look for another job. Maybe this is the kick in the ass I need to protect my future.
Our future.