Chapter 37
~Riley~
The days after we get back from Calgary are full of stolen moments for me and Hudson, and I never know when the next one will come.
He comes to my house the night we get back, but after dinner together and a heated, frantic tumble on my bed, he has to leave.
“Lewis will have too many questions if I don’t come home tonight,” he explains, zipping his jeans back up before giving himself a once-over in my mirror to make sure nothing is out of place. “If you don’t want me to say anything to him about where I am, I have to go.”
Frustratingly, he has a point, and since I’m not ready to take our brand-new relationship public, I wave goodbye from my door, shivering as the bitter cold seeps into my bones. It makes my bed feel even colder when I crawl back into it alone.
At the rink, I do my best to keep up the pretense. My hand brushes Hudson’s when we warm-up on the ice, and his hand ‘accidentally’ finds my breast when he’s spotting me in the gym. Thankfully, no one seems to notice.
Everyone is buzzing from Keaton’s win in the men’s competition and the silver medal for one of the club’s pairs teams, and with the Grand Prix final out of the way, everyone’s attention shifts to the national championships.
This year, the Canadian championships are taking place in London, Ontario during the third week of January.
Most of the club’s skaters will be competing there, and those who aren’t will be at the US championships the following week in Denver or at the European championships in February.
Although Christmas and New Year’s are coming up fast, we won’t get much of a break.
This isn’t the time of year to skip out on training.
All the focus on competition means less time for gossip, which works in our favour. No one seems to suspect anything about me and Hudson, and if they do, they keep it to themselves.
“Hey,” he greets me casually in the hallway between locker rooms when we happen to walk past each other on Wednesday. “Are you and Hannah still going to the mall sometime this week?”
Even though the question is completely innocent, I glance around to see if anyone is paying attention. They aren’t; people are going in and out of the change rooms between sessions, all in a hurry to get to the next thing on their schedule.
“Yeah, on Friday. She says West Edmonton Mall will be too busy with the Christmas shoppers so we’re going to go to Southgate Centre instead?”
The sentence comes out as a question since I’m not sure I have the name of the mall right, but Hudson nods. “Probably a good plan. I need to pick up some things too. If I can switch my on-ice sessions around to get Friday off, do you mind if I tag along? I had fun shopping with you before.”
The memory of our time at the mall brings a smile to my face, but I hesitate before answering, lowering my voice so we won’t be overheard. “Is that a good idea? Hannah doesn’t know about us.”
Hudson’s eyebrows raise. “What do you think I’m going to do? Maul you in the mall?”
His wordplay only slightly detracts from the heat his words send shooting through me. I do want him to maul me. It’s only been two days, but I miss his touch already.
Seeing something in my expression that must give away my thoughts, Hudson’s lips twist into a smile.
He glances up and down the hall, the same as I did earlier, and when he’s certain no one’s around, he grabs my arm with one of his hands and the doorknob behind him with the other.
In a matter of seconds, we’re inside a storage room I’ve never seen before.
Fresh towels are stacked on shelves to one side of us and bottles of soap, shampoo and cleaning supplies fill the other side.
It’s obviously some kind of supply closet for the changing rooms, but I barely have a moment to process that before Hudson backs me against the door he just closed and lowers his mouth to mine.
Instantly, every other thought flies out of my head.
Butterflies flutter to life inside my stomach, accompanied by an aching, empty sensation even lower.
His hands cup my head, making sure it doesn’t press too hard against the door, and his body molds against mine.
It doesn’t take more than a minute of his mouth devouring mine until I can feel his cock start to harden against me.
“What are you doing?” I gasp when his mouth drops to my neck, letting me finally come up for air.
“Reminding you that this is a very good idea.”
“That’s… that’s not what I meant,” I choke out, barely able to speak when his hand slips into my leggings and his fingers stroke along my sensitive skin.
Trevor and I never made out at the club, even though everyone knew we were together.
He might have put his arm around me, but it never went any further than that.
And that never bothered me, since the rink is our workplace and I was happy to keep things professional.
What Hudson and I are doing now is risky, reckless, forbidden…
And the hottest thing that has ever happened to me.
“Oh, fuck,” I moan when his fingers slide lower and one finds its way inside me.
This is wrong.
It’s crazy.
I want more.
“I’ve been dreaming about watching you come again,” Hudson whispers into my ear before biting my earlobe gently, pulling it between his teeth while his finger pumps slowly in and out of me. “Watching you stretch in dance class this morning? Torture.”
“Hudson.” His name is a plea on my lips as his thumb grazes over my clit.
“Do you want me to stop?” He tenses as he waits for my answer, but that wasn’t what I meant at all.
“No. God, no.”
“Good,” he breathes in relief. “I promise I’ll be quick.”
I don’t doubt it. My body is already tuned to him, desperate for more of his touch, and when I start rolling my hips against his hand, he groans in approval.
“That’s it. Take what you need, Pip.”
For some reason, the fake nickname he invented on my first day here sounds sexy as hell at this moment.
Probably because I’m already out of my mind with need.
“Harder,” I beg, and he obliges, sliding a second finger into me and pumping even faster, stroking my clit every time he pushes in. His mouth covers mine to muffle my moans, and the pressure inside me reaches its breaking point.
I come right there against the door, panting against him, forgetting all about where we are and what we’re supposed to be doing.
I’m quickly reminded of all of it when a voice outside the door, too close outside the door, calls my name.
“Riley? Where are you?”
“Shit,” I hiss as the bliss of my orgasm fades into panic. “It’s Hannah.”
We were supposed to have a cup of tea together before our gym session. I completely forgot.
Hudson removes his hand from my pants and takes a step back, looking as unflustered as always. “And?”
“And if she finds us here, she’ll know…”
“She won’t know anything,” he promises. A smile flashes across his face, as easygoing as always. “Trust me.”
With that, he pulls me gently away from the door and opens it, calling out to my friend.
“Hannah? You’re looking for Riley?”
Footsteps echo down the hall towards us and she appears in the doorway right as I arrange my face into as neutral an expression as possible. “Oh, there you are. What are you doing in here?”
Her eyes scan the contents of the closet curiously before returning to me and Hudson. My body’s still weak from the pleasure my boyfriend just gave me, but he looks fresh and completely relaxed.
“I was just showing her where the extra supplies are kept. She’s still learning all the ins and outs of the club.”
Hannah’s face scrunches up, not looking convinced. “I don’t think I’ve ever needed to come in here.”
“Lucky you,” he replies breezily before reaching onto one of the shelves and pulling out a small box of tampons, using the hand that wasn’t just inside me. “Here you go, Pip. Hope those cramps get better for you.”
My jaw drops as he gives us both a wave and heads out of the room, whistling to himself as he goes. How the hell does he always have an answer for everything?
Hannah’s look of suspicion morphs to sympathy. “Is it bad? You look a little flushed.”
“Yeah, that’s why,” I mumble, trying to hide the box in my hand as much as possible before leaving the room. “Do we still have time for tea?”
I drop the box in the change room on the way to the café in the lobby, my heart still racing with how close we came to getting caught, and knowing that, no matter how crazy it might be, I’d do it again.