Chapter One #2
The demon theme of the mask fit Gem’s mood perfectly. Entering the event, Gem’s body throbbed with excitement. His intention was purely to find a sweet sub that he could spend a few hours working over to get out of his own head.
Control.
Gem needed to be in control of something. Someone. At least for a few hours. He wanted to exhaust himself and a sub until Gem returned to his hotel to sleep like he needed. He had a big game the next day and there was no way that Gem would be able to focus until he got out of his head.
Subs interested in finding a partner for the night were lined up, with bands wrapped around their upper arms indicating their interests.
Gem zeroed in on the man in black leather pants with a tight black leather vest and three bands indicating that he was looking for a D/s session with a full power exchange, including impact play, and was open to sex.
Fuck! Gem’s mouth watered at the muscular man that he knew could not only take what Gem would dish out but also look good while doing it. His cock pressed against the zipper of his pants and Gem hoped the sub liked it rough. He’d ask. Consent was everything in an exchange like this.
The sub’s black leather mask fitted much like Gem’s, hiding everything but his mouth and those amazing dark eyes. A challenge was directed at him as Gem pulled the young man’s head back with a hand fisted in the sub’s hair.
Try me.
Test me.
Hurt me.
Eyes could say so much. Sometimes too much.
Leaning forward, Gem made sure that the only thing this sub could see was him. “Consent?” he asked softly.
The sub licked his lips before nodding. “Yes, sir.”
“Safe word?” Gem requested.
“I use the traffic light system with new Doms,” the sub said. “It makes things easier so there are no misunderstandings.”
Gem hummed with approval. The boy was smart. Practiced. “I acknowledge that your safe words are the traffic light system. Red means stop, Yellow means we pause and talk about the scene until you give the word green. I will use the same.”
“Agreed,” the sub said.
The faint accent that Gem was picking up sounded Russian. With Gem’s experience in the hockey world, it was an accent that he was familiar with. “I have a private room for the evening. Will you come with me?” Gem offered his hand.
The sub placed his hand into Gem’s, allowing Gem to help him to his feet.
“Would you like to share your name or have me call you by anything?” Gem asked.
“You can call me Ty,” the sub replied.
Gem did not miss the way the name was given. He doubted that it was the boy’s real name. Very smart. “You may call me sir or Beelz.” Gem came up with his own moniker quickly.
There was a flash of a smile before the boy could hide it.
“Come with me,” Gem ordered. He placed his lower hand on the sub’s back, urging him toward the stairs.
Sighing, Gem opened his eyes to stare back down at the message exchange that had taken place a few days ago.
Ty had been worried about his job since before Christmas.
The company that he worked for hadn’t renewed his contract and Ty said that a deadline was coming up.
Ty wanted to stay at his company but it appeared they wanted to go in another direction.
Not knowing what kind of business Ty was involved in limited the amount of advice he could give, but Gem had tried his best. He wanted to be helpful and felt like he’d failed the boy.
Not having an interaction with Ty was concerning.
They hadn’t gone this long without communicating since the first night that they’d been together. Ty had found Gem’s profile on the BDSM organization app and had reached out with a very sweet message of thanks for the night that they’d shared.
Gem had already been smitten but that message had pushed him over the edge.
It might have been a mistake.
From the silence on the other side of the country, Ty either didn’t want to talk to him or found someone closer that could give him what he needed. One more try. Gem would send the same message that he had the last two days. If the sub didn’t respond, then Gem wouldn’t bother him again.
It hurt his heart. In the six months from their first scene to that moment, Ty had somehow worked his way into Gem’s heart.
At first, it had been fun to message with the sub and be the encouragement that the other man needed.
Slowly it had turned into more until they’d agreed to an online 24/7 D/s relationship.
It was ridiculous for Gem to even have caught such strong feelings for someone that lived on the other side of the country. He should be concentrating on his goalie position and finding his place within the team.
Still, Gem had to try one more time.
‘Are you okay?’ Gem hit Send before he could talk himself out of it.
Turning off the engine of his SUV, Gem exited the vehicle to walk around and open the back. Several of the elementary school-aged kids were playing in the yard next to his. They waved and Gem returned the gesture before grabbing the brown grocery bags.
The neighbors knew who he was and what he did for a living.
The adults had promised to keep the kids from bothering him but Gem wasn’t too worried about them.
The children were friendly and well-behaved.
They reminded Gem of him and his brothers when they had been young.
Full of energy and looking for some good old-fashioned fun.
Gem also liked hearing them playing outside his windows.
The way a neighborhood should sound. In the apartment, the silence had been chilling, making the loneliness in his heart seem bigger.
Now that Gem had settled into his house, it felt like he was starting to enjoy living in his newly adopted city.
Early March was at the end of the season, and he had cemented his place as the starting goalie.
They might not make the playoffs but if they won most of the remaining games, they would.
The Iron Cup, the PAHL’s championship trophy, could belong to the Boston Beans.
How jealous would Nix and Aries be if it was Gem holding it up on the ice at the end of it all?
It was a dream every child that grew up wanting to be a professional hockey player had.
And Gem loved the city that he played for. The fans were great. His coach was a tough but inspiring ex player. The management ran the team smoothly with a lot of extra community outreach that Gem tried to always be available for.
Gem hit the button to close the back of his SUV as he started up the walk to his townhouse.
The lawn was thick and green with gorgeous flowers in planters lining the brick walkway.
The front door needed a new layer of stain but that was on Gem’s list of updates that he would knock out during the off-season.
Except for the three weeks he’d be vacationing in Hawaii with his brothers, their partners, and some friends, Gem would still have plenty of time to get his repairs done.
It looked like he would be doing those repairs all alone.
In his plans, Gem had been hoping that his relationship with Ty would have moved past their secret and masked scenes and online to something that they could build on properly. He’d been making plans while Ty had slowly been pulling away. Gem should have seen it sooner.
Ty was a grown man. Older than Gem himself.
If Ty wanted to cut off communication, there was nothing that Gem could do about it.
Instead of giving all his thoughts to what should have been a one-night stand, Gem needed to concentrate on what he was being paid very good money to do.
To play the game. Get their team into the playoffs.
Head in the game. That was what he should be focusing on.
Head in the game. Gem repeated that mantra all the way up the stairs to his house.
* * * * *
Luka
Setting his suitcase and bag on the tile floor beside the door, Luka peered around the entry of the apartment that had been secured for him. An apartment. In Boston. Fucking Boston. Not that the apartment wasn’t nice. It was just a little too nice for his tastes.
The apartment was in the heart of Downtown, close to the arena where he would now play. The Boston Beans hadn’t spared any expense to bring Luka onto the team in a last-minute trade deal.
The apartment manager himself had taken the time to show Luka around while informing him that one of his teammates had just moved out, allowing the team to secure a lease for Luka.
Apparently, the apartment building housed not only several teammates but other professional athletes and high-powered businesspeople.
The building catered for those who valued privacy and convenience.
He could pick up the phone and request a concierge to make a run for him, bringing him any supplies he might need.
There were two restaurants on the second floor, along with a small market and even a coffee shop-bakery combo.
The gym located on the third floor would put several chains to shame.
A business center and access to meeting rooms also came with his lease.
Everything that Luka might need was at his fingertips.
Almost everything.
It wasn’t Seattle, the city that held Luka’s heart. Or the Seattle Harbor Seals, where Luka wanted to be playing.
With a heavy heart, Luka shuffled forward to check out the place.
He’d lived in his gorgeous home in one of the best neighborhoods in Seattle for over a decade.
Luka had been proud of his home, often inviting teammates over to hang out.
All that was over now. Luka was no longer a part of the Seattle Harbor Seals organization.
He was now a Boston Bean. Luka snorted. Fucking Boston.
Luka had been traded.
Even though Luka had suspected the trade was coming, he had held out hope that it was just his paranoia and an agreement would be made. It hadn’t. His agent had called and woken Luka with the news that he was going to Boston. And he had a game that very night.