16. A Man On A Mission
CHAPTER 16
A MAN ON A MISSION
BAY
T he way Cole is looking at me is everything.
Everything I’ve wanted for longer than I care to admit.
“Cole,” I murmur, taking his hand and pulling him down until he’s sitting by my side on Lakyn’s gigantic guest bed. “I had no idea. I thought you were happy hooking up with a different woman every weekend. It never occurred to me that it was just a front.”
He scoots closer, taking me into his arms until I’m practically sitting on his lap. “You had a boyfriend, Bay. Even if I had told you how I felt, I doubt it would have made a difference. You aren’t the cheating type.”
Cole isn’t wrong. “I started to realize that my feelings for you weren’t just friendship around the same time,” I confess. “I was in denial about Topher’s dark side and about not being as happy with him as I told myself and the rest of the world. But you’re right. I wouldn’t have cheated or broken up with him just because I felt attracted to you. Whether you had told me how you felt, I wouldn’t have wanted to hurt Topher.”
Cole’s dark blue eyes are full of understanding. His face is so close that I can see the silver and white flecks swimming in the sapphire blue of his irises. “That’s one of the many reasons why I fell for you, baby. You’re so kind and considerate of other people’s feelings. I think sometimes things happen for a reason. Maybe I had to pine for you to appreciate you enough to know that I can’t ever fuck this up. Maybe you had to go through that breakup to really see beyond our friendship. Last year, it wasn’t the right time for us. But now it’s our time and you better believe that I’m never going to let you go. I love you, Bay.”
“I love you, Cole.” I whisper before kissing him like my life depended on it.
His lips are soft, but he kisses me hard.
Every brush of his tongue against mine, every scrape of his teeth, skilled and deliberate.
My body responds to him as if I was made for this. For his kisses, for his arms.
When my back hits the mattress, Cole comes down with me, covering my body with his, but careful not to crush me with his much bigger frame.
Fire is coursing through my veins, my nipples are two hard, aching points as Cole’s fingers close over the globes of my tits.
I’ve never been so aware of the fabric of my clothes touching my skin, my senses heightened by the warmth of his body so close to mine.
“You know,” he murmurs, lifting the thin material of my jersey and exposing my stomach with excruciatingly slow movements. “You’ve always looked hot in a Star Cove Knights jersey, but we have to do something about you wearing another guy’s number. I know you care about Ryker just as much as you care about me, but he’ll have to learn how to share. I want to see you wearing my name on your back, too. I’ve always wanted to see you in my jersey, but I couldn’t ask you when you weren’t mine.”
I love how possessive he is. “I’m sure we can work it out. I can alternate jerseys.”
Cole’s lips twist in an amused smile. “Is it weird that seeing you kiss Ryker bothers me less than seeing his number on your back?”
I lift my back to help him slide the jersey off of me, giggling when he throws it behind him with a satisfied look on his face. “Cole, play nice.”
He lowers his face, taking one of my nipples into his mouth and sucking on it through the thin lace of the half-cup of my bra. “I’m going to play very nice,” he chuckles, adding his teeth to the mix. “I know you love Ryker and during summer training we got very close. I’m going to do my best to make this thing work. All I want is to see you happy, Bay. And if Ryker is a part of it, I’m never going to get in the way.”
Cole’s words fill my heart with hope. And yet, there’s a part of it that still isn’t mended.
I thought he cared and I miss that easy, natural connection we had from the moment we kissed. He was the first person I felt truly comfortable with, enough to let go, to finally get out of my own head and just feel.
My teeth catch on my bottom lip as I focus on the man in my bed. I should think about all the things that make my heart feel full, ignoring the fresh scar Jagger left in his wake. Eventually, it’ll heal or at least scar over. I make a conscious effort not to think about Jagger.
Cole’s mouth leaves my chest, starting a slow, sensual journey down my stomach.
The feeling of his silky soft lips, in contrast with the hint of blond stubble that’s beginning to appear on his face, lights my skin on fire.
I’ve imagined being with him like this so many times lately, but the reality surpasses every dream I’ve ever had. He’s my best friend. He feels safe and familiar, but at the same time, this is Cole. The hot, blond Viking with sexy blue eyes and a hard, muscular body sculpted by years of hockey.
“Cole,” I whisper when his lips reach the line of my lace panties.
He lifts his gaze to meet mine, but his lips stay the course. “Hmm.” It’s his only answer.
He takes off my panties with deft, practiced fingers and I brace myself for the inevitable nerves at the thought of getting completely naked in front of someone new.
There’s nothing but excitement as Cole drinks me in, looking at my exposed body as if it was the most beautiful work of art he’s ever seen.
“You have no idea,” he murmurs. “I’ve been dreaming about this so many times. But you’re more beautiful in reality than in any of my fantasies, Bay.”
I believe him, because I feel the same way. “I think you should take your clothes off, too. You aren’t the only one who has been imagining this moment. Give a girl some man candy.”
There’s a wicked glint in his eyes. His lips curved in a smile so full of promises that my skin tingles in response.
He does that thing all men do, grabbing the back of his t-shirt to take it off.
I’ve seen Cole without his shirt before at pool parties, but holy fucking shit. This time I can look my fill without needing to hide how much I like what I see.
The second his shirt hits the floor, he lowers his jeans down his hips, revealing a pair of skintight navy boxer briefs that do nothing to hide the fact that I’m not the only one who’s excited.
My eyes feast on Cole’s trim, muscular hips, on that deep V that points down to the impressive, thick length I can make out clearly from under his boxers.
His thighs are thick, sculpted by years on ice skates, his legs long and strong.
I squeal, surprised when Cole doesn’t climb back on the mattress, but kneels at the foot of the bed. He grabs my thighs, sliding me down until my ass is teetering on the edge of the mattress.
“What are you?—”
Cole props my thighs on his shoulders and when he lowers his head, the words die in my mouth.
His lips glide from my entrance all the way up my slit. It’s a light touch, with just enough pressure to make goosebumps appear on my skin.
When he reaches the spot that’s throbbing with need, he opens his mouth, placing a soft kiss on it, and I squirm.
I don’t have the chance to say or do anything, because Cole’s mouth doesn’t leave. He sucks my sensitive skin into his mouth just long enough to send a million sparks of pleasure to all my nerve endings.
I gasp, so excited I can barely breathe, and that’s when he releases my heated skin to deliver a hard lashing of his tongue.
Another firm lick follows the first, then another, and I find myself right on the edge without even realizing it.
My clit is pulsing, sending sparks of pleasure everywhere and I’m so close, so fucking close.
Cole lifts his eyes to look at me right before sucking my clit into his mouth again.
That’s my undoing. I don’t even realize that I’m grabbing the slightly longer hair on the top of his head, writhing against his face. Wave after wave of searing hot pleasure crash over me as I move my hips in synch with Cole’s talented mouth.
His kisses eventually slow down, leaving my swollen, over sensitive flesh in favor of my inner thighs, the spot behind my knee.
My entire body is humming, still in the throes of small aftershocks of pleasure.
Cole gives me time, kissing me and caressing me like I’m the most precious thing in the world.
“That was…” I say when I can articulate some kind of coherent thought. “I thought you’d be good at this, but I didn’t know you’d be this good.”
If the orgasm he just gave me wasn’t enough of a prize, Cole’s smile is an even better reward. “You have no idea, Bay. No fucking idea. I’ve thought about the way you’d taste, how I’d make you come so many times. I should be certifiably insane. But tasting you, hearing the way you sound when you come, made it worse. I’m addicted to your taste, to your softness. I’m obsessed with you.”
I pull him closer, reveling in the feeling of his hardness against my stomach. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I might be obsessed with your mouth.”
“Good,” he chuckles. “Because I could spend all night feasting on you, baby.”
When we kiss, I can taste myself on Cole’s soft, swollen lips. Despite the intense orgasm I just had, my body reacts with a pang of desire, my core clenching with need.
“For as much as I would love that,” I say, tracing the outline of his erection through his underwear. “I think I need a little more right now.”
He nods, his throat working as he swallows. “So you’re not going to judge me if I last three quarters of a second, right?”
“I promise I won’t,” I reassure him. “We have all night.”
We work together to slide his underwear down his hips and while I could see through his boxers that Cole is pretty blessed when it comes to size… holy shit.
When his cock springs free, I don’t know if I should feel lucky or a little scared.
“You know,” I admit, closing my fingers around his base and gliding my tight fist all the way up to his tip. “I’ve heard rumors about how good you are in bed and that you have a big dick, but I wasn’t prepared for all of this.”
My eyes must still be wide with the surprise, because Cole chuckles, a mixture of pride and bashfulness in his dark blue eyes. “I promise I’ll be gentle, baby. You know I would never hurt you, right?”
“I know.” I say, kissing him while I still stroke him with slow, languid movements. “I trust you, Cole.”
“That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever heard. But I just realized that we might not get tο go all the way tonight.”
I halt my movements. “Why not? Are you still worried about coming too quickly? I swear Cole, I don’t care. I?—”
He shakes his head. “It’s not that, baby. With Topher’s threats and thinking that you saw me as nothing more than a friend, I could have never predicted the way this night turned out. I’m sorry, Bay, but unless your sister keeps condoms in her guest bathrooms, we’re fucked. I used to always have a condom on me, but I must have let one of the guys borrow it at some point. Since I haven’t been interested in hooking up with anyone lately, I never thought about replacing it.”
I cup his face with one hand, letting the other slip down to his balls. I keep my touch light and slow. “I’m on birth control and I swear I’m clean. I can give you all the details you need but?—”
He catches my drift. “I’m clean too, I swear. We get tested every year before the season starts. I got tested by the Heroes too last summer. And you’re the only girl I’ve been naked with in over a year.”
I feel giddy with excitement. “Then if you’re ok with it, we don’t need a condom.”
Cole’s mouth meets mine again, and he pulls me onto his lap, guiding me until I’m straddling him. My inner thighs touch his outer ones and I’m hovering over his hard shaft.
His hands keep me steady, guiding me down. But just when we’re lined up, he shifts the angle ever so slightly.
“Fuck Bay, I love how soaked you are for me,” he utters, titling his hips to rub his length over the sensitive skin of my slit.
My heart is beating so loudly that I’m pretty sure he can hear it. “I want you, Cole.” I nip at his bottom lip.
“Let’s go slow, baby. If it’s too much, I need you to tell me, ok?”
I nod, holding onto his shoulders for extra balance.
Cole begins to lower me slowly, impaling me on his thick, hard shaft.
I’m so wet that he slides in easily, but his size makes for a really snug fit.
“Are you ok?” Cole asks when he’s sheathed inside me to the hilt.
“More than ok,” I pant. “You feel good. I just feel really full.”
Neither of us moves for a long moment, but Cole captures my lips in a deep, passionate kiss.
We start moving together, slowly grinding against each other, our mouths still fused, our gazes locked.
I’ve never felt this close to anyone before. This feels so right. Cole’s eyes are the deepest, darkest blue. The way he looks at me as if he wanted to take my soul while he’s taking my body is everything.
His shaft drags over my clit with every thrust as he lifts me over his cock and drops me back down as if I weighed nothing.
“Cole,” I moan. “I’m close, so close.”
I don’t know if he can hear the shock in my voice, but for someone who had never had an orgasm until a few weeks ago, this is pretty fucking amazing.
“Thank fuck,” he chuckles. “Making love to you after my self-imposed break from sex is a challenge, but going bare for the first time is like I’m trying to embarrass myself.”
He pulses inside me in a way that makes me see stars, and I squeeze my inner muscles. “You lasted long enough to make me come again,” I pant. “I seriously need just a tiny little?—”
“Let go for me, baby. I’m right there with you.”
He shifts and my back hits the mattress again. Cole angles us so that he can thrust harder and faster.
His fingers are keeping my hips in the position he wants them. The way he’s banging into me creates a ripple effect that reverberates right into my clit.
Pleasure ripples through me and I shatter into a million pieces. It’s the highest of heights and soon I’ll be falling back on Earth. It’s exhilarating and scary at the same time because I’m stripped bare. But I’m not really afraid because I know that Cole will be there to catch me.
“Fuck, Bay, I’m gonna come.” He stills, hiding his face in the crook of my neck.
His warmth floods me as he spills into me with pulse after pulse, and I want every single drop. My inner muscles keep fluttering around his hardness, milking him until he has given me everything.
Neither of us moves for a long, blissful moment. In Cole’s arms, nothing else matters but the feeling of his skin against mine, our hearts beating like one. For now, I can be in this moment where the rest of the world, all my problems don’t really matter.
I should probably go to the bathroom and clean up, but my body is sated and I’m warm and safe. My eyes close as my mind is at peace, at least for now.
I’m vaguely aware of Cole pulling the covers over us and keeping me in his arms. We’ve slept like this many times before, except we weren’t naked.
“Sweet dreams, baby.” He murmurs.
Slumber takes me under and I go willingly, my heart fuller than ever before.
RYKER
The party is winding down when I return to the living room.
I can’t help but be jealous of Cole right now. I would have loved to stay in that room and I don’t think Bay would have minded. But I think they needed some time alone to sort through years of repressed feelings. My jealousy is all about the fact that I can never have enough of Bay’s soft, perfect body.
When my girl said that she loves me and Cole equally, I believed her and that puts my mind at ease. I know I have Bay’s whole heart and her feelings for Cole don’t detract anything from my relationship with her.
Stepping aside for tonight is a small sacrifice but I like to think that if roles were reversed, Cole would have done the same for me.
Lakyn had invited me to stay here with Bay tonight. Now that Cole has taken my place, I need to find another place to sleep. I can always go back to the hotel room the team booked for me. I’ll have it all to myself since I usually room with Cole. But that’s worst case scenario, I’m sure this house has a ridiculous amount of bedrooms and Lakyn won’t mind the change in sleeping arrangements.
However finding a bed for the night isn’t my main concern right now. I came downstairs to check that Topher was kicked out without any further problems, but there’s also something else on my mind.
I spot the man I was looking for in a corner, deep in conversation with a couple of Lakyn’s men’s new teammates.
“Hey Jagger,” I say, once the other men say their goodbyes. “Got a minute?”
His shoulders are rigid and his eyes slide away from mine when he answers. “I just called an Uber to take me to the team’s hotel. My ride is five minutes away.”
“Cancel it.” I bite out. “You and I need to talk.”
Jagger exhales, his eyes still focused on anything but me. “Can whatever this is wait until tomorrow? Honestly man, I’m beat.”
I’m tired too but I shake my head. “I’d rather talk now. You can call another Uber or I’m sure we can crash here.”
“I’d rather not,” he says, looking at the living room door as if it held the key to his salvation. “Whatever you have to say, can we make it quick?”
His attitude is pissing me off, but I really need to get through to him and to cut all the bullshit, so I change tactic.
“I’ll tell you what, book another Uber and I’ll walk outside with you, we can talk while we wait.”
Jagger rolls his eyes. “Fine. Give me a sec to say goodbye to Lakyn and the guys. I don’t want to be rude.”
When we finally walk outside, it takes me a few moments to decide how to begin. I came looking for Jagger without a real plan, I just know that I need to get him and Bay to talk again.
“Do you love her?” I ask him.
“Not that bullshit again.” Jagger stops walking in front of me.
This time when he turns around, he looks me right in the eyes. It’s progress if you ask me. “Answer me.” I insist.
His tone is sharp, every word a poisoned arrow directed at me for lack of a better target. “Why the fuck does it matter? If we had any doubts that Topher would follow through with his threats, we’ve seen tonight that he really meant every word.”
I taunt him a little bit in the hopes of shaking him a little. “Sure. But the truth sets you free and Cole and Bay are together as we speak.”
The flash of jealousy in his eyes tells me all I need to know. “How can you be so fucking calm?” he asks, getting more agitated with every passing second. “What if Bay dumps you for Cole?”
I don’t hide the smile his words put on my face. “She didn’t dump me. She loves Cole, but she loves me too. She doesn’t want to choose between us.”
His tone is laced with bitterness. “So Cole got his girl, but it cost him everything. Where is he going to stay? I guarantee you Topher isn’t gonna go back on his word. When Luca kicked him out, he kept snarling that Bay belongs to him.”
Fury mounts in my chest, but I need to stay the course and focus on Jagger. “Bay will never take him back. And Cole will be just fine. I have a spare room in my apartment and I offered it to him. So Topher can’t touch him anymore.”
My words have the opposite effect than I intended.
“Fucking awesome. So the three of you can walk into the fucking sunset now.”
I fight the urge to hit him, he’s being an idiot. “You’re jealous. I guess that answers my earlier question. You love her.”
Jagger runs a hand through his hair, more frustrated than I’ve ever seen him. “I do. But it doesn’t fucking matter. Look man, you’re right that I’m jealous. It’s not for the reason you think though. I’m glad Bay has you and Cole. I’m sure you guys will make her happy. I’m just pissed that Cole’s problem was an easy fix. Mine isn’t. If Topher releases that video, I’m done. Just the idea of my mom and my gran seeing it… without even considering Bay. She’d be disgusted if she saw it.”
“Jagger,” I say, clasping his shoulder. “The truth will set you free. I think you should tell Bay what’s in that video.”
“I can’t.” He wails. “Seriously it’s?—”
I tighten my hold on him. “You should give Bay more credit than that. Don’t forget she’s a Zeta. She understands initiations and peer pressure.”
He laughs, but there’s no mirth in it. “Right. Let’s assume that she won’t run the other way if I tell her. It still doesn’t solve my problem. If Topher finds out, he’ll release it and my family will be embarrassed. My dad is working on a huge merger that would make Connelly Tech an even bigger giant in a lot of different sectors. We would go from a tech giant to a real conglomerate. I can’t afford to cause a scandal right now. If this deal went south, my family would never forgive me.”
I understand the pressure he feels. “I get it, Jagger. You know my family is very similar to yours. Our fathers play golf together, for crying out loud.”
He scowls at me. “Your situation is different and you know it.”
I sigh. “Yeah. Thank fuck my older brother wants to take over from my parents and run the banking group we own. That however doesn’t mean that my family would be indifferent if I was caught up in a big scandal and you know it.”
Jagger shakes his head. “So if you understand that Mumford has me by the balls, why don’t you leave me the fuck alone?”
“Because,” I bite out. “No one is invincible. You should have learned that in all the years you’ve played hockey. No matter how strong and dangerous your opponents are, everyone has at least one weakness you can use to your advantage. And if you love Bay, you should trust her.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he snaps. “Trust has nothing to do with it.”
I disagree. “Trust has everything to do with it. You should trust Bay to understand and forgive whatever you think you’ve done in that video. You should trust her to help you stay out of Topher’s radar.”
This time Jagger’s laugh is skeptical. “Are you suggesting Bay and I keep hooking up in secret?”
I nod. “Why not? You were pretty good at sneaking around until my dumb ass got jealous and outed you at that party. If you want to be one hundred percent sure you don’t get caught, you can hook up at my place. In the meantime, we can all work on finding that video and destroying it.”
He looks at me as if he can’t believe what I just said. “Why would you help me?”
My eyes roll right on cue. “Because I don’t abandon my friends in their time of need. Besides, I want Bay to be happy. Don’t ask me why but she’s quite fond of your dumb ass.”
Jagger flips me off, but there’s no heat in it. “If we found that video, I wouldn’t have to worry about Topher.”
There’s still doubt in Jagger’s eyes. “Is there a but?”
He lowers his gaze, exhaling nervously. “I don’t know if it’s possible to fix things with Bay. She thinks I got a blowjob from Candace and Bianca.”
If there was an eye rolling championship, I would win Olympic gold. “Duh. She thinks that because you let her believe it. You’ll have some explaining to do.”
Jagger groans. “Do you really think I should tell her what I did for my initiation? I mean, we’re under oath to never reveal what happens on initiation night. As Zeta president, Bay should understand. Right? And if we find that video and we destroy it, does she really need to know?”
I give him a back slap, maybe a little harder than needed. “Jagger, she’ll understand because she knows what happens on initiation night. But if you want to be with Bay, really be with her , I think your relationship should start with no secrets and with total honesty.”
He sighs. “I know you’re right. I’m just scared shitless. What if she thinks I’m a disgusting human being after I tell her? What if she doesn’t even want to talk to me?”
I wrap my arm around his neck, pulling him into a headlock. “Don’t worry, I have a plan. I’ll come with you and make sure Bay hears you out. You helped me out after I pushed Bay into the pool, I feel like I owe you one.”
Jagger hugs me when I release him from the headlock. “If she gives me a second chance and we find that video, I’ll owe you forever.”