Chapter 1
1
Brett
SOPHIA: I just heard the news! Congrats, COACH!!!
brETT: Soph, I coach now.
SOPHIA: Not for a PRO TEAM!!! Why didn’t you tell me you were talking to the Triumph? And why did Noah have to be the one to tell me???
Thank fuck, the beach was deserted, because for once in my life, quiet and solace didn’t sound all that bad. Even for just a few minutes. I’d come out after making sure my lawyer sent my signed contract to coach in Montreal to let it sink in. After five years coaching in the minors, head coach status achieved.
Growing up with two little brothers and Sophia meant noise. Tons of noise. And Soph gave as good as she got. Texting didn’t stop her from being...Soph.
Noah might only be a few years younger than me, but, damn, he never could keep his mouth shut. He better be fucking grateful he wasn’t close enough for me to call him out for blabbing the news. The little shit. He should thank Kev and Mel for getting married so he wasn’t in reach to throttle him.
Surprise beach wedding. Best friend and groom, Kevin. The bride? My ex girlfriend from college, so it wasn’t as if we’d been together in the last ten years, but it still fucked with my head.
brETT: I figured you had enough coach drama to last you a few weeks until contracts were signed.
SOPHIA: Haha. Funny. Congrats. See you soon, Big B. Love.
brETT: Love ya Baby L.
Sophia: *eye roll*
brETT: You’ll always be the baby. Noah’s never been smaller than you. Not sorry. Ceremony time.
SOPHIA: Give my congrats to Kev!
brETT: Will do.
Even my baby sister had someone. Of course, her someone was the head coach for the Seattle Revenge who just so happened to be her favorite player until he retired. And that fucked with my head even more.
The waves crashed on the shore, a comforting reminder that, as alone as I felt, the world was filled with fucking wonders and lonely people staring at them. Fuck this. I needed a drink or five, and a tight, wet pussy to slide my dick into and forget all this melancholy bullshit. Phone in my pocket, I headed down the beach towards where white lights strung like sparkling stars, chairs faced a small distressed wood platform surrounded by white flowers and got ready to fulfill my duties as best man.
Kev snuck up next to me. “Hey. Mel and I appreciate you being here and doing this.”
“Shut the fuck up. Where else would I be? After setting the two of you up after grad?” And not being drafted by any pro teams. My lack of judgment greatly increased by the alcoholic haze I decided better suited my not-playing-hockey state. Melanie and I hadn’t dated since sophomore year when we figured out kissing was about as far as we wanted to take things. When I caught him staring at her like she hung the fucking moon. Drunk, I locked the two of them in my room and sat up on the roof. All night. The hangover fucked me up enough that I stopped feeling sorry for myself and was about to do…something…when I opened the door to my room. To Kev and Mel having insanely hot sex. I yelled, covered my eyes as they scrambled to cover up with my comforter and realized Mel deserved to get laid by someone with their kind of chemistry.
Just not on my damn bed.
“You still owe me a new comforter.”
He grinned. Cuffs in place, impeccable and ready to commit to forever. “We still have it.”
“Dude.”
“Memories.”
The sun sank lower, painting the sky orange and red. Lights from the beachfront hotel behind us cast a silhouette on the marital bliss set up. Full on romantic scene from some cheesy romcom. It fucking suited them perfectly.
Not sure how to say it, I stuffed my hands in my pockets and cleared my throat. “So, we doing this, or what?”
He nodded. “Hell yes.”
“And though I take full credit for the two of you finding each other, I do not have anything to do with how you love each other. To Mel and Kev. The girl I never deserved and the man who just might. From the friend who still doesn’t deserve her friendship, but will kick his ass if he ever hurts her. Though Mel has a mean right hook, so I’m sure she’d have that covered. Cheers!”
Mel’s laugh and her new husband’s half-hearted groan rose above the smallish wedding party and guests’ laughter.
Cake and first dance, then Mel’s best friend, Corey, who I’m pretty sure played for the USA Hockey team in the last Olympics, and I joined the happy couple.
“They seem to be happy, don’t they?”” she asked, a wistful smile on her face as we swayed to the Taylor Swift song I swore they picked just to irritate me. Little did they know that Soph and I snuck off to her concert not too long before she moved to Seattle. Sibling secret pact. Plus Noah played her nonstop and loved sending my TikToks.
One quick glance at the happy couple and that weird feeling washed ashore. Fuck. What the hell was this poetic shit? Washed ashore? Damn beach. Commitment didn’t scare me. Fuck, I wanted it. But choosing the wrong person did. My parents were still so in love that they, shudder, still snuck off at gatherings when they thought no one noticed.
I wanted that. Solid. Mel and Kev had it. That had to mean the chances of me finding it were slim to none, so fuck it. Sex scratched that itch for physical contact, but the rest? Waking up in the morning, brushing your teeth before bed, sharing your dinner because she couldn’t decide what she wanted on date night? Better left alone than disappointed or trapped in anything that wasn’t what my parents had.
Ninety minutes later, the itch that always found me returned, built in a slow yet steady succession until I needed to get away. Focus on anything else. The newlyweds took off ten minutes ago to do the whole newlyweds thing in their honeymoon suite, sans my comforter. Best man duties fulfilled. Corey danced with a few of the guys from college we still kept in touch with, along with their dates.
No one noticed as I slipped out and headed to the hotel bar. A low key beach vibe permeated the air. I slid onto the stool in front of the distressed bar top and motioned for the bartender to give me a shot and to keep them coming. As I turned, downed the shot, and surveyed the room. Before I even set the glass down, a sexy as fuck pair of tits with the most gorgeous face I’d fucking laid eyes on appeared before me.
A slender hand reached out, palm up. Her brow arched. “Borrow your phone?”
“Depends.” This fucking girl already has my dick twitching. Between her sunset eyes and the way her hair falls as she tilted her head, it’s getting ready to jump over the board before the penalty kill. I focus on her lips as they twist into the smallest, yet sexiest, pout.
“On what?”
“On who you are calling. Because,” I murmured as I shifted around to fully face her. “If you’re calling the guy who stood you up, he doesn’t deserve it. If it’s your girlfriend who is running late, she should’ve called you to let you know. If it’s for a ride home, then that would be a fucking shame, because having the time of your life should never be cut short.”
“Ah. And talking to you is the time of my life?”
I shook my head. “No, but being this close to the ocean and not staying to appreciate the moon reflecting on the water should be on the list.”
Her head canted to the side. “What makes you think I don’t live here and see that,” her eyes darted to the opened up deck area, “all the time?”
“Because if you did, your eyes wouldn’t drift to the sand every time the waves crashed on the shore.” Her eyes widened just enough that my suspicions were confirmed.
“Fine. But you haven’t answered my original question.” A hand tipped with red nails so dark they looked almost black as she swept her hair to the side. “Will you?”
Fuck, yes, I will.
“Let you use my phone?” I asked with a slow grin, loving how her eyes darted to my mouth when I spoke.
“What if I said please? But I can’t tell you who I’m calling?”
Now the image of her on her knees or bent over the desk in my room flashed in my head. My dick took notice and decided to puck up. I flick my finger over the dark screen then handed it over, and as she turned her back to me, I tried to not come in my pants like a damn teenager when I saw her perfectly round ass. A few seconds later, she nearly caught me staring as she spun back around and handed me it back.
“Thank you.” And then, without another word, she spun on her heel. Her perfect ass swayed as she walked away without another word.
Well, fuck me. Resigned, I turned back to the bar, where thankfully sat my next shot when my screen lit up. With a text. From my phone to my phone.
brETT: Text me at this number and I’ll answer any question you have. Maybe more. Because I do love the ocean and absolutely want to have the time of my life tonight.
She fucking texted me her number to my phone. With my phone.
brETT: I thought you said you were calling someone, Tornado?
I added the moniker as her name in my contacts.
TORNADO: Tornado, huh?
With a smirk, I responded. Not just because my dick wanted it. The fucking initiative. Damn.
brETT: You ran away before I could catch your name and left me in shambles.
TORNADO: Maybe you didn’t earn it yet.
brETT: Earn it?
TORNADO: I’ll make it easy. Tell me what your first thought was when you saw me.
Mine, or my dick’s? I thought. Fourth shot went down, smooth and warm. Not that I needed it to tell her, because my dick and I were in agreement.
brETT: Only if you do the same, Tornado.
TORNADO: Oh, I can do that. You first.
Fuck it. My plan for the night fell into place the second I turned and found myself face to face with sunset eyes and lips meant for kissing and being wrapped around my cock. Might be a bit too much.
brETT: I thought you looked like a sunset. Then I wondered how you’d taste. Everywhere.
I resisted the urge to turn around and see where she ran off to after giving back my phone. But, fuck, I’d love to see her face when she read my text. See if her lips parted, pupils dilated. Did it turn her on, or did she think I was some random creeper hanging out in my post wedding party suit?
TORNADO: I wondered how you’d look when I choked on your cock. So we’re not too far off.
Holy fuck.
brETT: Oh, honey. You shouldn’t say things like that unless you mean them.
TORNADO: Tell me what you would do if I gave you my room number and left my door unlocked. Waited in bed only wearing my thong and bra. My back to you when you walk in.
For a few seconds, I didn’t dare move, my dick was so hard. Fuck, this girl, whoever she was, was either crazy as fuck, or needed to get laid as badly as I did.
brETT: Playing a dangerous game, Little Tornado.
TORNADO: I can tell you’re the kind of man who knows how to give me what I need. Or am I wrong?
brETT: Honey, when I told you you should be having the time of your life, I meant it.
TORNADO: Don’t disappoint me, Daddy. Room 713.
Before I could type a response, her dark tipped hand slid into view along with a key card. I resisted the urge to take her in my arms, kiss her until she melted, so I could whisk her upstairs and give her what she asked for. I waited, not turning to look at her, hard as a fucking rock.
“This is so we’re clear on what I want, and that includes you taking everything the way I meant it. You know where I’ll be. Please don’t leave me waiting too long.”
The warmth of her body behind me vanished, and I felt her loss immediately. The key card on the bar top gleamed like a damn beacon in the dim glow of the bar.
Fuck yes. She had the kind of body a man could get lost in and forget all the shit tumbling around in it. And I intended to get lost all fucking night.