Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Austin rarely noticed that he belonged to the older generation of hockey players, but after Friday’s brutal game, he felt every one of his thirty-three years — and every bone in his body.
This week, it wasn’t just the numerous articles about him, Delfina, and Lilly that had been getting to him.
The press had been relatively harmless. So far, no one doubted that he’d always known about Delfina and had simply wanted to keep her out of the spotlight.
Soon, though, someone would do the math and realize that she’d been born while he was still married to Christine.
It was highly likely that Christine herself would notice and announce it.
The thought stressed him out, especially since, according to Lucy, she would also be a guest at the banquet the next day.
It wasn’t Christine who bothered him — it was her big mouth and the fact that Lilly was about to meet her.
He probably should tell her what had happened back then, even though the thought felt like a pebble in his head.
But no, mostly he was exhausted from the series of away games.
He hadn’t seen Delfina or Lilly in person and…
God, he missed them. Talking on the phone was fine, but not the same.
Tomorrow, he’d be home and he’d persuade Lilly to come over after the banquet.
Delfina now had her own room in his house, and Lilly…
well, she could sleep over. They didn’t have to tell Delfina anything, although lately he’d been thinking it might be easier to tell her that he and Lilly were… that they were what?
Together?
He liked the idea.
Yawning, he opened the door to his hotel room and kicked it shut again.
It was ten o’clock and the boys all wanted to go out to forget the last few hours, but all he could think about was his bed.
Having a single room was one of the perks of being team captain.
The younger players and rookies shared rooms, but the coach had remarked that he deserved a little privacy since he hardly ever got any because of all the players coming and going from his house.
His phone rang, and with a groan, he pulled it out of his pocket. He didn’t want to talk to anyone! He… Oh, it was Lilly.
“Hey.” He answered and slipped off his shoes.
“Hey,” she replied softly…and he couldn’t fathom how, with just one word, she managed to bring a smile to his face despite the terrible game. “I’m sorry you lost.”
He sighed and threw himself backward onto the hotel bed. “Yeah, me too.”
“I was worried about your shoulders for a while. You were really snuggling with the boards.”
He closed his eyes. “What was I supposed to do? They looked lonely, and I wanted to comfort them."
Lilly chuckled softly and the sounds from her mouth were enough to ease some of his tension. “You’re too nice. You can’t just offer up your body on a silver platter to groups of strange boards!”
He smiled broadly and shifted his position higher on the bed. “So that’s why you’re calling? To make sure I’m not cheating on you with some sexy board?”
Her laughter grew louder. “No. I’m calling because I received a strange package today that I can’t explain. I thought you might be able to help me out.”
Oh, he knew exactly what she was talking about. “I don’t know why the package is strange.”
“Well, it only contained a jersey but no card, no chocolate — why no chocolate? That’s even more important than the card! — and it’s much too big for Delfina. Not to mention that Del already has one of your jerseys. I had to buy it for her at the stadium after your last game.”
“I know. She showed it to me.” He smiled broadly, opened his eyes, and stuffed two pillows under his head for comfort. “And it’s a good thing the jersey is too big for Del because it’s for you.”
“Oh. What?”
“Well, since you’re such a big fan of my physical sport, it felt wrong that you didn’t have one.”
She snorted. “You expect me to wear it?”
He licked his lips before whispering hoarsely, “Mostly, I expect you to let me take it off you.”
Although the thought of her walking around with his name on her back probably turned him on even more. It was crude, but true. Shit, next time he’d demand she wear nothing but his jersey.
“Mm hm,” Lilly replied, but he heard her swallow. “You know, I would have enjoyed flowers too.”
He chuckled softly. “It’s a new jersey, and every time they order new jerseys, the marketing department asks us if we want some for our family and friends.”
“And you thought of me?”
“Well, I noticed at the last game that nobody recognized you as a Hawks fan.”
“That’s probably because I’m not a Hawks fan.”
He gasped indignantly. “You take that back!”
She laughed. “I’m a fan of you,” she whispered. “I wouldn’t watch a hockey game if you weren’t in it.”
He smiled. For some reason, her words made him incredibly happy. They stirred a deep, warm feeling in his chest that made him want to purr, yet he didn’t like cats.
He shook his head and said, “Well, I did buy you the perfect jersey. I think all your clothes should have my name on them, so any shady characters know they shouldn’t even try to bother you.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t sound like toxic, possessive behavior at all,” she said cheerfully. “I’ll do it!”
He grinned. “Okay, then only wear it to games…and in bed.”
“Is that a fantasy of yours?” she asked huskily. “Me in your jersey?”
He swallowed. “Depends. Is Del sitting next to you?”
“It’s ten o’clock! I’m in bed.”
“So she’s in bed too?”
“She’s sleeping over at Yunai’s tonight. It’s her first sleepover at a friend’s house in Los Angeles and she was really excited. So, yeah, I’m alone.”
“In that case, yes, it’s one of my fantasies,” he murmured, letting his voice deepen.
“Actually, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask you to put on the jersey right now...
and to tell you that every time you wear it, you should think about me.
About me, a hard wall, and your workshop, to be precise. ”
There was silence on the other end for a few moments and Austin was beginning to wonder if he’d gone too far…when he heard the rustle of clothes.
“Okay,” came the reply. “I’m wearing it.” She hesitated before murmuring, “And nothing else.”
Heat gathered in Austin’s groin and he cleared his throat. “Nothing else at all?”
“No. It’s laundry day. I’ve run out of underwear.
Shit. He hadn’t imagined laundry day could be so erotic — but apparently, he’d had no idea.
“But you know what bothers me about the jersey?”
“What?”
“It doesn’t smell like you.”
He swallowed and the heat spread throughout the rest of his body.
“The scent would help me imagine you better downstairs, in my workshop, by the wall.”
“Well, you have my voice,” he whispered. “Would that help?”
He heard her inhale shakily and his whole body tensed. “Maybe. Perhaps I’ve had a little practice thinking about you.”
He dug his heels into the mattress. “Where?”
“In the shower. In the mornings when I swim. On evenings like this, when you’re away at an away game and I’m all alone…”
His mouth went dry. “And what do you do then?”
“I think about your mouth. Your tongue, if I may be more specific.”
“Oh, please,” he said roughly. “Be as specific as you like.”
She laughed throatily…and he got hard.
Desire worked its way across his skin like hot fingers until everything inside him tightened with lust.
“When I’m done thinking about your tongue, I spend a lot of time in my mind thinking about your fingers. You have magic fingers and I know exactly where I want them.”
“Are you wet where you imagine them?”
“Yes.”
His erection began to throb. “Fuck. So while you’re imagining my fingers…where are your fingers?”
“Where they are now,” she breathed. “Between my thighs.”
“While I’m on the phone with you? Without my permission?” he managed, rubbing himself through his sweatpants.
“You’re too far away to punish me and, besides, a woman has needs,” she whispered. “Where’s your hand?”
He slid it inside his sweatpants and gripped his penis tightly. “Where I imagine your mouth.”
Her breathing quickened. “That’s one of my fantasies, you know?” she whispered hoarsely.
“Tell me about it…while you insert a finger inside yourself.”
A soft gasp was the reply before she continued: “Well, in my fantasy, your hands are above your head and you promise you won’t use them, or I’ll have to bind them while I kneel before you.”
Austin closed his eyes as he increased the pressure of his fist.
“I lick down your shaft and over your tip before I take you deep in my mouth,” she whispered, a small whimper escaping her lips that went straight to his cock, as if she was turning herself on with her words. And shit, if that didn’t turn him on.
He pumped faster. “Use a second finger, Lilly.”
The moan from the other end let him know she was following his instructions — and shit, that was hotter than anything. That she was doing what he told her to do.
His rhythm quickened as he thrust his hips forward repeatedly, his hard cock in his fist, imagining it was her mouth.
That his thumb was her tongue. “In this scenario, where I’m not allowed to use my hands,” he whispered tensely, his balls tightening almost painfully with pleasure.
“Couldn’t I at least hold your head in place while I fuck your mouth? ”
He was rewarded with another urgent whimper. “God, Austin, you can do anything you want to me and ask for anything you want,” she whispered, her voice dark and raw with desire.
“All I want right now is for you to come for me while you imagine my cock deep in your mouth and I return the favor with my tongue between your thighs.” He slid up and down his shaft faster and faster until he knew he couldn’t take it any longer. Then he whispered hoarsely, “Come for me, Lilly.”
It was as if her name on his lips was all she needed.
A guttural groan came through the receiver as his cock twitched in his fist and he gushed in greedy spurts into his sweatpants.
All he could think about was her wearing his damn jersey while she came…
and he couldn’t wait to see her again tomorrow.
He heard Lilly breathing heavily on the other end as he gasped and pressed his head into the pillow. “Shit, I wish it had been my tongue,” he whispered.
She laughed. “Same here. But…we’ll see each other tomorrow. Are you picking us up for the banquet?”
“Nothing could stop me.”
“Good. I bought a new dress, as well as one for Delfina.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
More than he was looking forward to hockey.