Chapter Twenty
Adrian
It was hard to think clearly with Rip near enough for me to count the sprinkling of freckles across his nose and the scars crisscrossing his handsome face.
His poor body had taken so much abuse throughout the years.
While my heart wanted to burst with happiness, those old insecurities still threatened.
This was me—Awkward Adrian. Quiet Adrian.
Friendless Adrian. The kid who’d never had someone to sit with at lunch or to walk home with from school.
Megastar athletes didn’t fall for the invisible man. The man no one wanted.
“You don’t believe me?” Rip asked, more somber than I’d ever seen him.
His lashes lowered for a moment, and when he met my eyes, I was shocked to see them shiny and brimming with tenderness.
“Adrian. You’re the most real thing I have in my life.
At any time I could get hurt and my career would be finished.
Would you walk away from me if that happened? ”
“What? No,” I answered automatically, horrified he’d allow that to cross his mind. “Of course not. I’m not with you because you’re a hockey star.”
“I know.” Again his lips touched mine. “I know I can trust you with everything.”
“You can,” I said, barely recognizing my shaky voice.
“And I feel the same. You’ve been part of my life forever, yet I never knew you.
But these past few months have changed that.
I’ve changed.” Suddenly shy, I ducked my head to break his direct, unflinching gaze.
“You made me feel seen. Heard. You let me in to see you’re more than scoring points and breaking records. ”
He chuckled. “Goals, baby. We score goals in hockey.” Face filled with emotion, Rip skimmed his fingertips down my face.
“And tonight, my ultimate goal is to show you how much you’ve come to mean to me.
There’s a reason you’re the first person I told about my father.
You made me less empty. Less afraid to face an uncertain future.
It’s always been you. You are my ultimate goal. ”
At his kiss, I held on to his face, my lips clinging to his.
So often the fantasy of a teenage crush didn’t live up to the hype.
But the reality of Rip as a lover far exceeded my childish yearnings.
The few lovers I’d had in the past had made sex about pleasuring them and putting their needs first, and I’d been grateful simply to be wanted by someone to chase away the loneliness.
I’d given them what they wanted without expecting anything in return.
Not with Rip.
“Open for me, Adrian. Let me taste you.” His mouth settled on mine, warm and firm.
“Rip.” I sighed as his tongue sought entrance, and dizzy with the need to become one, I held on to him as he nipped and licked, my body vibrating with desire. I sucked his tongue, licked and bit his lips, and he groaned in return.
“Off,” he demanded, and without waiting for me to respond, flicked open the buttons of my shirt.
“You’re so beautiful.” Rip buried his face in my neck and inhaled deeply.
I held him close, running my hands over his broad shoulders, feeling the hard, sculpted planes of his muscles. “Smell so damn good.”
God, I loved him. The way his hair curled at the base of his strong neck. The dimple that flashed when he smiled. The scar etched in his brow and all the ones on his body. How he made me feel special. Like I was the only one in the world who mattered. I wished I could take away all his pain.
“Fair is fair.” I pulled at his Blades sweatshirt, and he yanked it off, displaying the ridges of his abs. My breath caught at his physical beauty. I rested my cheek against his chest, loving the scrape of hair, and hummed with pleasure.
“Let’s go to the bedroom.” Rip held out his hand. “There’s not enough room here for what I want to do with you.” He kissed me again. “Plus, I don’t want to ruin the leather.”
I laughed out loud, and together we ran through the living room. I jumped on his bed, so damn happy, afraid this was all a dream but willing to stay asleep forever if it meant this feeling would last. We shed the rest of our clothes, tossing them onto the floor.
Naked and resting on those powerful arms, Rip caged me underneath him, his thick cock stiff between us. I was rock-hard too, halfway to orgasm merely from lying so close.
“Touch me,” I begged, running a hand along the length of my shaft, shameless in my greedy hunger for him. I’d never been this sexual until Rip released a hidden side of me that simmered beneath the surface whenever he came near, waiting for him to set it free. “Please.”
“Look at you,” he murmured. “So anxious. So beautiful in my bed. Where you belong.” A calloused hand encircled me, and as he pumped, I threw back my head, surrendering to pleasure. Wet lips suckled the head of my dick.
“Oh my God,” I cried out and came so hard I saw stars.
Through half-open lids, I watched Rip lick his fingers, then lap up the remainder of the come running down my stomach. A wicked grin tipped up the corner of his lips, and he lowered his head between my thighs.
Anticipation crawled through my veins, and my breath caught as something soft and wet licked my hole.
I widened my legs, and Rip settled in, his slick tongue penetrating me.
I shivered and shook, my hands clawing at the sheets as he ate me out.
Delirious with desire, I pitched my hips toward his face.
“More, harder, oh God, I need you. Please.”
He stopped and rose. His lips gleamed. “I need you too, baby.”
I licked my lips, my dick half-hard again as he rolled the condom on. He was huge, and I wanted him so bad, I almost swooned when he entered me. I was filled, yet Rip thrust deeper, pulling me taut, stretched to the limit. The burn of his slide left me crying out yet wanting more.
As if he sensed my craving, Rip drove in farther, opening me wider, pleasure intensifying with each movement.
His pace increased, and he had me bent almost in half as he took me to the moon and back.
Any control I had was lost. I was a single element.
Desire. I thrashed on the bed as Rip continued to hammer into me, sweat dripping from his body and mixing with mine.
Those bright golden-flecked eyes were pinned to my face, blazing with a passion I’d never seen before.
“Adrian,” he called out, his raspy voice breaking. His hips punched into me. I wanted to wear his marks so I could carry him with me wherever I was.
“So good, don’t stop,” I urged. “Don’t ever stop.”
I grabbed his ass and dug my fingers into the tight flesh. Daring, I allowed my finger to slip into his crack, and Rip hissed and came, his cock jerking endlessly. He fell on top of me, and like other times, I welcomed his weight.
“Rip?” I reached for his hand, lacing our fingers together. “I love you too. So much.”
He smiled against my skin. “Stay. Please?”
“Okay.”
He remained heavy and half-hard inside me, and I played with his dark waves. “I checked the schedule, and you don’t have a game for the next few days.”
He yawned. “Mmm, yeah. At the end of the season, it slows down in preparation for the playoffs. There are only three more regular-season games.” He stretched, and I couldn’t help admiring his sleek torso.
“Then what?” I sat up in bed. “I didn’t have a chance to tell you, but Rob wants to send me to follow the Blades for the playoffs.”
Rip’s brows shot up, and he beamed. “Yeah? I think I like Rob more and more every day.” He kissed my shoulder, and I laughed.
“I have to tell you, Bryan is pissed. He was looking forward to going to the games.”
“Tough shit. I’ll make sure you get the scoop on our prep for the postseason and some other exclusives. And I’ll give you the name of our hotel so you can book a room there, though we won’t be able to stay the night together. Coach is pretty strict when it comes to playoffs.”
“I’ll have to see if the cost fits within the station’s expense budget. But I’m excited to go. It’ll be my first time. Neil said he’s coming as well, courtesy of the magazine, so I’ll get to see him too.”
“He gets complimentary tickets to all the playoff games.” Rip’s stomach growled. “I’m starving. What do you want for dinner?”
“I don’t care. Italian?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I need the carbs. What do you want?” He grabbed his phone. “I’m getting Chicken Milanese with penne in vodka sauce and broccoli rabe.”
“I’ll have the same but with chicken parm. In the meantime, can I take a shower?” I gave my stomach a rueful glance. “I’m a little sticky.”
“Yeah. I took some Blades merch for you before I left—track pants, T-shirts, and some sweats.”
“Thanks. I-I brought a change of clothes. For the office tomorrow.” I pretend-glared. “In case you ruined another one of my shirts.”
Rip’s eyes danced, and he pressed a soft kiss to my mouth. “Good.” He smacked my ass. “Go take your shower. I’ll leave the stuff on the bed for you.”
I couldn’t stop smiling under the water.
I scrubbed myself and shampooed my hair.
When I came out of the bathroom, I slipped on the sweatpants, and hearing Rip’s voice, figured the food had come.
Bare-chested, I walked into the living room, only to see Rip on the computer with Devlin Summers and Brody Martin on the screen.
“Is that Adrian?” Brody called out and waved. “Hi, there.”
“Uh, hi.” Guess there was no way to hide what we’d actually been doing.
Rip swiveled around on his chair. “They had some free time, so I told them it was okay to do the podcast now.”
I waved a hand in front of me. “Can I put a shirt on, at least?”
Rip waggled his brows. “Personally, I prefer you like this, but if you insist…” He snickered, and my face heated even as I rolled my eyes.
“Very funny.”
“Give us about twenty minutes to set things up,” Dev said. “We’ll be back.”
“We’ll be here.” Rip rose from his chair. “The food should be here any minute. We can eat before or wait until after if you want.”