Chapter 5
5
Brett
“I don’t expect special treatment, but at least let me call you Coach Big B?” Noah bounced on his heels next to as his pink haired friend, Eden, fought a grin. She was cute, but fuck, the way the breath left my body when I saw the girl I couldn’t get out of my mind made every other woman fade away.
Like she had ever since the moment I first laid eyes on her. I didn’t know it then, but she ruined me for other women. Not that they lined up at my door for the chance to hop into my bed, but until that night, sex had been a physical act that felt great, but meant nothing when it came to the person I slept with. I respected them and made sure it was a beneficial situation for both of us.
Until the wedding. Or, more specifically, the hours after the wedding in the bar. “You call me that, and you’ll be doing drills.”
Noah reared back, an amused grin on his face. “You don’t scare me, Big B. Drills? Pshaw, you don’t scare me.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, even though my mind drifted back to Zoe. Her body, her laugh, her cries and whimpers when she came all over my cock.
Zoe. My Little Tornado is Noah’s Zoe.
His best friend.
My baby brother’s fucking best friend.
“Call me Coach, Lil B. Or else.” My hand twitched, and my cock made it known to me that our girl was close by, and we fucking needed her. Now. Fuck, five minutes in her presence and every fucking thought involved filthy, fucking dirty as hell things. My eyes drifted to where she had disappeared only a few minutes before.
“Or else? I for one would love to see someone put Noah in his place,” she said, a lock of her bright hair wrapped around her finger as she grinned as the waiter shimmied up to our table.
The indistinct murmur of the crowd buzzed in my ears as everyone ordered, but when Noah added, “And our absent friend will have the Chettinad Chicken chicken, with basmati rice and an iced ginger tea.” That buzz turned to a roar at the idea that my baby brother memorized Zoe’s order. Because he had been out with her, and somehow, a part of me claimed her. Hated that anyone, even my baby brother, knew more about her than I did. I should be the one ordering for her. I growled low in my throat as Eden cleared her throat.
Caught. Our eyes met, and yep, that gleam in her eyes told me she heard every dirty detail.
But why the fuck did I feel like there was a missing piece of the puzzle? Noah was droning on and on about the fuck knew what. As per usual. Eden sat, popping fry after loaded fry in her mouth. An amused, if not worried, around the edges of her expression. When Noah took a breath, she said, eyes wide and not even close to innocent, “Gee, I hope Zoe is ok. So, tell me, Coach, how do you like Montreal so far? Have you found a place to live yet?”
“Big B is staying at my place-”
“Just until I find a place.”
Noah reared back. “What the hell? Is it because I gave you the room with the bunk beds?”
“No fucking way am I staying in your fucking kid's bedroom.”
My little brother rolled his eyes, reminding me so much of when he was younger, and I told him to run drills or had him go one on one with Mason. “Fine, you can have the guest room.”
Eden twisted on her stool, neck strained as her eyes darted over the crowd toward where Zoe disappeared.
“Gee, thanks.” Done with waiting for Zoe to come back, I said, “Be right back.” Noah gave me a thumbs up as he and Eden fought over ordering more food. She swatted his hand as he went to grab at the plate in front of her.
“Noah, I swear if you take one more, I’ll stab you with a fork,” she warned and pointed at him with said utensil. The two of them grinned and kept sparring until Eden called out as I walked away, “Keep an eye out for Zoe, will you, Coach Big B? Just in case she needs…help, or something.”
I left the two of them sparring with utensils as the food arrived. And zigged and zagged until I reached the hall where Zoe disappeared. But she was nowhere in sight. I glanced across the dining area, to the bar, but the girl who haunted my dreams was nowhere to be seen. I was just about to give up when I saw a flash of blue outside in the dimly lit open patio lounge area. The night air was cooler than usual, and she was the only person outside. My feet carried me to her of their volition, and when she spun and crashed into me, my arms instinctively wrapped around her to steady her so she wouldn’t fall.
“I knew you were falling for me, but this is a whole new level, honey.”
Her scent, just as fucking intoxicating as I remember, surrounded me, her sweet curves pressed against my body as she stared up at me. Trapped in a timeless moment. She blinked and stepped back as she crossed her hands over her chest. “Whole new level would be texting you and having you meet me in the bathroom, bend me over the sink, and stuff my panties in my mouth so no one would hear me scream when I come.”
Fuck yes. I closed the distance in two steps, loving the way her chest rose and fell with each breath. How her pupils dilated, and her lips parted softly. “Or,” I ran my nose along her jawline, and nipped the sensitive skin behind her ear, “I could fuck your mouth with my cock so no one could hear you and come down your throat. Take you home and ruin you all over again.”
There it was. That sound she made when she wanted me to touch her. The sound that permeated my dreams. Lived in my head as I stroked my cock over and over, remembering how fucking amazing it sounded falling from her.
The memory paled in comparison to the real thing.
Her hands gripped my shirt, curled into fists. Just as I thought she was about to give in, she shut her eyes and pushed me away. “We can’t. I can’t. Noah-”
“Is a pain in the ass grown up man.”
“And he’s my best friend.”
“And he’s my baby brother.”
“But…Brett, I only slept with you to get over someone. Who hurt me. That was why I was there that week. And I knew who you were when I saw you in the hotel lobby the day before I asked to borrow your phone. I saw an opportunity to get back at him for cheating on me, and keeping our relationship a secret.” She drew in a deep breath. “Sleeping with his new coach would be the kind of revenge the cheating asshole deserved. I can’t…I’m not worth it, Brett. This can’t happen.”
Her eyes, so full of fire and desire moments before, filled with a sadness that ate away at me. When she walked away from me for the third time, Zoe took a part of me with her.
Two weeks later…
With every second that passed, staying away from Zoe became the torture only the strongest man could endure. I didn’t give a flying fucking hockey puck why she slept with me. Our chemistry, the way the air crackled with intensity when I knew she was in the building, or filming the walk in or that damn Taylor Swift sound bite, was as real as it could get.
Drills, team meetings, media…the last week and a half flew by in a blur.
Every damn time I passed one of the Triumph players, my team now, in the hall, on the ice, I wondered if this was the guy who hurt my girl. Half of me wanted to thank him, which was fucked up, because if he hadn’t, she wouldn’t have
But now, with the guys all fighting for their spot on the team, the fewer distractions, the better. The roster was set except for a few key positions. And every day, the lines were getting more and more comfortable with each other. The only pain in the ass refusing to get along with his potential teammates?
Liam Shaw. Mason’s best friend from college. Something about the guy always bugged me, but Mason liked him, so I stayed out of it. The guy had a chip on his shoulder after getting laid out last season in the playoff series against the Revenge.
The sound of skates on the ice and the familiarity of practice, a routine I’d lived most of my adult life, should have been comforting. Instead of filling the hole completely, there was a vacant spot. Waiting to be occupied…by Zoe. I leaned against the boards, watching but not seeing a damn thing. Giving in to the impulse I’d been fighting for almost three months, I pulled out my phone.
brETT: I can’t stop thinking of you. And I’m not sorry, Tornado.
Fucking lovesick fool. Mel would squeal with delight to see me so torn up over a girl. Much younger than me girl, who was also my little brother’s best friend.
I blew the whistle, signaling the end of practice, and skated off the ice, only to look up and see her standing just outside the tunnel. Filming practice. Her brow knit together, and as she lowered her phone, my heart fell to the bottom of my stomach. God, Soph would never let me live it down if she knew I was sending mushy texts, but suddenly, I didn’t care.
Or perhaps I hadn’t cared all along. When her lips twitched as she fought the smile spreading on her lips, the realization hit me.
I wanted to wake up every morning next to Zoe. Get her breakfast in bed. Wake her up with my face buried between her thighs so she could make those little noises for me for hours and hours. Maybe not today, or tomorrow because fuck, I was pretty sure I’d either scare her away or Noah would have a fit that I stole his best friend. Just like when our brother Mason ended up being Zeus, our dog’s favorite when he was ten. But if it took a month or even six months, I’d fight for her.
brETT: Don’t you want to see how many greatest nights of your life you can have, Tornado?
Her eyes danced as she read the message, tongue darting out as she licked her lips. I waited, holding my breath, willing her to respond.
TORNADO: Does that mean I get multiple orgasms?
brETT: Oh honey. Orgasms. Breakfast. Dessert. Movies in bed, naked. Any fucking thing you want. Text me it, and fuck, I’ll make sure you scream my name and have the fucking time of your life. Forever.
No. Fuck that, I’d fight for her. Make Noah understand. Zoe locked eyes with me as I skated to the opening and stepped off the ice. Her smile grew with every step she took forward.
Noah skated up behind me, his goalie stick taped just the way I showed him how to do it when he was eight, in hand. “Lil B, I’m in love with your best friend. Got a problem with that?”
He looked back and forth between us, took a few seconds, then shook his head. “Why the fuck would I? Zoe has a mean right hook. And you’re the best fucking guy I know. Plus she’s bad ass charades player, and we’re a fucking shoo-in for Christmas game night if she’s your girl.” He shrugged. “I’m in.” As he passed Zoe, he kissed her on the cheek and whispered something in her ear, and she laughed loudly.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she murmured.
I stepped up, took her face in my hands. “We’re going to HR right after I kiss you, Little Tornado.”
“We are?” she asked, her brow furrowed. “Why?”
“Fraternization or immoral behavior clause.”
“But-”
“Unless ‘reported to HR upon commencement of said relationship’,” I interrupted. The guys came off the ice, one by one, but from the grins and nudges, I wasn’t worried. Yet. “And I plan on beginning a relationship with you, Zoe.”
“Then, by all means-” she said, her sunrise eyes filled with a mischievous glow.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Liam Shaw yelled from the ice, spraying a flurry of white our way as he halted. “What the fuck are you doing with him? And why the hell are you about to kiss Mason’s older brother?”
Then it all made sense. The attitude and his avoidance of doing any sort of promo for Zoe or Chris or even Lanie. He had been on my cut list since the week began, but until now, I hadn’t been solid in my decision.
Zoe glared at him. “Because I can. And he’s not a two-timing cheating asshole, Liam.”
“You fucking cunt,” Liam said, starting towards her. I was about to deck the jerk when Noah’s taped stick flung over from the side board and laid him out flat.
“Dude, you were always such a prick. And don’t talk about my best friend or my brother’s girlfriend like that again, or I’ll show you just how heavy all that damn tape makes my stick when it connects with your pretty face.”
I leaned over and added, “Shaw, I guess this is about as good a time as any to tell you to clean out your locker and call your agent. You’ve been waived. Have a great day.”
Zoe’s eyes widened, and as I scooped her up into my arms, she whispered in my ear, “That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. And,” she licked my ear, “I’ve always wanted to make out in the coach’s office. Maybe over his desk. Wearing only my Triumph hoodie…”
“Time of your life, honey. Who am I to deny you a single moment?”