Chapter 21
MADDIE
Iwas a ball of rage when I got back to my building. Matt had to understand why I was scared to tell my brother about us. Noah was too overprotective to the point it was irritating. Even my dad wasn’t like that. I couldn’t tell Noah I was with Matt tonight, but I had been testing the waters. Pretty sure Dinah knew, and she was letting me tell her on my own terms. I had to be extra careful around her.
I took a shower to calm down, but I was annoyed and cold when I got out. I sat on my bed with my hair up in my towel while I stewed. I was brushing out my hair, ready for a late night of cuddling up in bed with my e-reader, when I heard Ari come in from the hallway. There was someone with her, as I heard another voice, and then Matt stood in the doorway of my bedroom. He had changed out of his suit and was in comfy sweatpants and a hoodie. That casual combination shouldn’t be hot, but it was.
Ari popped her head in. “Hey, look who I found outside like a lost puppy?”
I checked my phone and saw I had several missed calls from Matt. “Sorry.”
Ari smiled at me and then walked back to her room. Matt shut my bedroom door and set his bag down.
“Maddie.”
“I’m sorry. I’m in a bad mood.”
His eyes softened, and he kicked off his shoes and got into bed with me. I pulled the comforter over him and felt warmth envelop me as he squeezed into my twin bed. He hugged me to his chest, and it felt so nice, like he knew this was what I needed. He didn’t speak but instead stroked my hair and held me close. Exactly what any good boyfriend would do.
“I’m sorry, sweet pea,” he said into my hair.
I couldn’t help but grin. I loved that cheesy nickname and the way his voice purred like it was honey off his lips.
“It’s not your fault.”
He turned me in his arms and cupped my face. “I don’t want to be a wedge between you and Noah.”
“It was already there. Do you understand why I said we can’t tell him yet?”
He nodded. “I hate it. I want to hold your hand in public and tell everyone you’re my girl. I hate that we’re lying.”
“I know, baby, but…until my brother gets more comfortable…”
“Were you trying to tell him about us tonight?”
“Feeling him out,” I admitted weakly. Just the thought of me having a boyfriend set my brother off. I couldn’t imagine what he’d do after I told him that boyfriend was his teammate. Who lived with him. Noah would blow a gasket, and it could put Matt’s career in jeopardy.
“Okay. Whatever you want. I just want you,” Matt admitted.
Butterflies fluttered around my stomach at the sincerity in Matt’s voice. When I stared back into his eyes, I saw all his feelings pouring out at me. Matt was a people pleaser, and it killed him not to tell my brother about us. I loved that about him. He wanted to do the right thing, but right now, we had to keep this from my brother for a while longer.
“Okay…” I whispered back.
“What do you need tonight?” he asked.
“Cuddles,” I said meekly, snuggling back down into his chest and laying my head there.
He kissed the top of my head. “I can do that.”
“Sorry. I’m not in the mood for sex.”
“That’s okay. I want to be here with you. “
If I wasn’t already horizontal, I would have melted into a puddle of swoon. This man. Oh boy, he was so good with his words. It wasn’t that he was a smooth talker, either. Matt was sincere in everything he said. If I read him in a book, he would be the perfect book boyfriend. But he wasn’t fictional. He was real, and he was mine.
“Movie?” I asked. “I might fall asleep, though.”
He kissed my temple. “Sure.”
I turned on my TV and snuggled down into him again, loving the warmth of his body beside me.
“Hey, what do you have going on tomorrow?” he asked.
“Nothing much. Studying. Why?”
“I have plans for us.”
I peered at him curiously. “What plans?”
“I want to spend the day together. I’m back and forth traveling next week, so I want to take the day to enjoy it with you. If you’ll let me.”
“I’d love that.”
“Yeah?”
I felt my mouth twitch at the start of a smile. “I love spending time with you.”
“Good. So it’s a date.”
I broke out into a full grin then, giddy that this man was putting in all the effort.
First, he came over after a fight with my brother to see if I was okay. Most guys would expect sex, and even though I felt Matt’s arousal against my back, he wasn’t acting on it. Instead, he wanted to hold me and tell me it was going to be okay. Then he planned a date for us tomorrow.
How did I get so lucky?
* * *
“Really?” I asked Matt and put another book on the stack he was holding for me.
“Really, sweet pea. I want to spend the day with you, and I know how much you love your books.”
I wanted to do a little dance, but that would be weird, and I didn’t want to embarrass him. The way his lips curved up into a shy smile told me he was sincere.
This morning, Matt woke me up and told me to dress cute. He took me to the local brunch place I loved, where we drank coffee and ate delicious French toast. Then he said let’s go to the bookstore. He was perfectly content with watching me walk around the local bookstore, scouring the shelves for romance books. He already had a stack of four, and I was going to add more.
“This is a perfect date,” I told him as I walked down the aisles, finding another book to add to the pile.
“I knew you’d like it.”
“I do.”
I picked up another book, read the back, and then put it back on the shelf. I peered at the stack Matt was holding and put a finger to my lips. Did I really need all those books? Maybe I could get the ebooks instead?
“Whatever you want,” Matt said.
“Huh?”
“I’m buying.”
Oh, no. He wasn’t supposed to do that. I was content with him being my human cart, but I didn’t need him to buy all these books, too.
“That’s not necessary,” I told him.
“Let me.”
“But you paid for brunch.”
He grinned. “Then you can pay for dinner.”
I grinned back at him. “Deal!”
I browsed for a little while longer, placing one more book in my pile. I preferred my e-reader because it was more portable, but sometimes having paperbacks was great.
Matt graciously purchased all my books for me, even though I felt bad. He made a lot of money as a hockey player, but after he told me he was going to pay for his sister’s school, I didn’t want him to spend money on me or think I was taking advantage of his kindness.
“Oh, I loved this one,” the clerk at the bookstore said as she scanned our purchases.
I beamed. “I love that author. So good.”
“Do you want a bag?” she asked.
“I can carry it,” Matt said.
“A bag would be great, thank you.”
Matt pulled out his credit card and handed it over. He didn’t even flinch at the cost. The clerk gave us a smile when she handed over the bag to Matt. He took it and slid his hand into mine as we walked out of the store.
I loved to hold his hand and walk beside him. If we weren’t in West Philly, I’m not sure I’d be that brazen. We couldn’t do that if we were out and about near my brother’s.
I was still so afraid of what Noah would think. He made it clear last night he didn’t think I had good judgment. He called me this morning and texted an apology, but I sent his call to voicemail and left him on read. I was still mad at him for being an overprotective brother. He obviously already liked Matt, but he’d be furious when he found out. Matt felt guilty, and he already pushed me on it, but I needed time to figure this out. Noah didn’t like any guy I dated. How much would he freak out when he found out I was dating one of his teammates?
“You travel tomorrow, right?” I asked as we walked back to my building.
This upcoming weekend was the Halloween party at Kiira’s. I was bummed he couldn’t come, but I was still gonna go.
Matt nodded. “In Buffalo tomorrow, game’s on Tuesday, then home for practice, then back out to take on New York.”
“The traveling’s a lot, huh?” I asked.
He shrugged. “You get used to it.”
I wasn’t sure I would. Rox played in one of the fledgling pro women’s leagues, and I couldn’t imagine how she dealt with her schedule, Benny traveling, and having a full-time job. Granted, her league only had a handful of teams, so it wasn’t as intense. Everyone thought since I was so good at hockey, I wanted that too, but that wasn’t my goal in life.
We made it back to my dorm, and as soon as we got inside my room, I kicked off my shoes and took my books out of the bag. I arranged them on the desk and grabbed my camera from underneath my bed.
Matt cocked his head at me with interest. “What are you doing?”
“I’m behind on my reviews, and I need to take pictures for my account. Book haul is the perfect thing to post.”
He lay back on my bed and took his phone out. “Do your thing. I have to watch game tape anyway.”
“You don’t mind?” I asked. “I have to write some reviews. And Dinah’s newsletter.”
“I don’t mind. I feel bad keeping you from your work.”
I shook my head. “I want to spend time with you, and then you’ll be traveling a lot this week.”
“True,” he conceded.
I took a couple of photos and scheduled posts for my feed, and then I sat at my desk and wrote Dinah’s newsletter. She hated doing it, and it was one of the biggest things I took off her plate.
“What’s book boyfriend material?” Matt asked.
I laughed and checked my phone to see he saw my book haul post because he liked it. I had shot off a caption that read, “The boyfriend took me on a fun date to the bookstore today. He didn’t even mind when I spent hours picking new books or making him carry them. He’s like a total book boyfriend!”
The comments were rolling in, some asking about the boyfriend because I’d never mentioned him before, and others talking about how much they loved or hated the books I posted. Readers could be so opinionated, but I loved it.
“It’s a good thing,” I told Matt.
A text came through from Dinah.
D: Newsletter looks great, thank you so much! Be proud of me. I wrote three chapters today.
ME: Yay! Now finish the draft.
D: Okay, boss! Also…when do I get to meet the boyfriend?
ME: When your husband learns to behave himself.
D: I’ll talk to him. I’m mad at him for the way he’s acting.
ME: D!!! It’s between me and him.
D: I’ll talk to him.
I wrote a couple of reviews, and then I crawled into my bed with Matt. He put his arm around me, and I lay on his chest while he watched video, preparing for his next game.
“Thanks for today. It was fun.”
He kissed the top of my head. He turned off his video and set his phone down. “I enjoy spending time with you. I’ll hold your books whenever you want.”
I couldn’t help the smile that broke out on my face. Oh boy, this man was so sweet. The more time we spent together, the more my heart did that little pitter-patter. My feelings for him were growing so strong.
“Are you worried about the game?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No. I feel more confident, but Noah said I had to watch out for Chester when we play New York. He just got called up.”
I stiffened beside him. “Jaime Chester?”
“You know him?”
It felt like there was a brick in my stomach. I didn’t know Jaime got called up. When we were dating, New York had drafted him, but he was still in the prospect system while he played at university.
Oh no. Noah was going to go after him during the game.
“You need to worry about my brother losing his shit,” I warned Matt.
“Why?”
I stared at Matt, hoping he wouldn’t make me say it.
He frowned. “Maddie, what’s going on?”
The brick sank further, anxiety snarling itself inside me. “He’s my ex.”
A scowl darkened across Matt’s face. “The one who did the revenge porn?”
I nodded.
Matt folded me into his big arms. “Oh, sweet pea, I’m sorry.”
“Please promise you won’t fight him?”
His jaw was set into a hard line.
“Matt…”
“Okay, I won’t. But he’s gonna try to rile up Noah.”
“I know!” I exclaimed. “Try to tell him to keep a cool head, okay?”
He tilted my head down and looked deep into my eyes. “I promise. No fighting. But how does New York not know that?”
I shrugged. “They probably don’t care. A lot of white men in hockey get away with anything.”
That was the unfortunate part about the sport I love. There were a lot of shitty people in it who did terrible things and got away with it all because they could score a goal. I didn’t want to talk to my brother, but I pulled out my phone and gave him a warning.
ME: DO NOT GO AFTER THAT ASSHOLE CHESTER!
NOAH: I thought you were mad at me?
ME: I still am, but don’t jeopardize your career by going after some rookie that’s probably not going to stay in the big league.
NOAH: I’m not making any promises.
I groaned. Big brothers were the worst.
Matt seemed to know I needed a distraction because he rolled me over so I was straddling him and took my mouth. I melted into his touch, letting him slide his tongue into my mouth. It didn’t take long for our clothes to fall off.
Matt grabbed a condom when I stopped him. “Wait.”
He stared into my eyes. “What’s wrong?”
I raised my hands over my head. “You didn’t get to tie me to the bed last night.”
He gave me a wolfish grin. “Oh, is that what you want?”
“Mmmhmm.”
He set the condom down and reached into the drawer for the cuffs. He unhooked the chain in between the cuffs and hooked straps onto each one. He got back into bed and straddled me. He lifted one of my hands above my head and put the cuff around my wrist, and then he tied the strap to the headboard. He took my other hand and repeated the action so I was spread out like his plaything.
He cupped my face. “Okay?”
I tried to move my hands to escape and struggled. “Good.”
“Not too tight?”
I shook my head. “It’s perfect. Now get inside me.”
That naughty grin spread across his face. “Oh, I don’t think so.”
“Please?” I begged, putting on a playful pout. We both knew it was all for play, and I was begging him to torment me.
He kissed his way down my body, making a slow descent as he savored every inch of my skin, and I couldn’t stop him. I couldn’t push his head down so he”d eat me out or grab him and make him get inside me faster. I was a horny mess, and he wasn’t letting me have him.
I fucking loved it.
I loved that he was being a tease by slowly circling my nipple with the tip of his tongue and then doing it to the other one. He danced his fingers down between my legs, but he stroked my thighs instead of going where I wanted him to.
I tried to arch my hips up to meet his fingers, and he nipped at my thigh. “If you’re not a good girl, I’m gonna end up having to get you ankle restraints too.”
Well, I wasn’t going to say it, but I wanted to try that out eventually.
He pressed a thumb against my clit and plunged his thick fingers inside my entrance. “You want to be a good girl, right, sweet pea?”
“Y-yyes,” I moaned out as his fingers stroked me deep, finding my g-spot and setting me off.
His voice was like honey. “That’s a good girl. Come for me.”
Matt taking charge in the bedroom was a surprise. He was so mild-mannered and gentlemanly that watching him transform into this growly tormentor made play all the better. It made me obey his every word.
He barely gave me time to recover until he was sliding inside me, and then the pleasure coursed through me again.
He took me hard, pressing me into the mattress as I was bound and laid out for him. I couldn’t dig my nails down his back or hold onto him, but the inability to touch him made it hotter. It made me cry out harder.
He didn’t stop until I came at least two more times until I was begging him for that final release. Then he roared out his own climax in that beautiful guttural sound I loved.
He pulled out and took care of the condom. Then he came back to the bed and untied me. He cradled me in his arms as he kissed my wrists one by one. I giggled at the sensation. He hadn’t hurt me with the restraints, and he had been so good at making me comfortable. I loved the care he gave me afterward.
He cupped my face. “You okay?”
“So okay,” I breathed out.
We lay together for a little while, cuddling in my too-small dorm bed, as we basked in the afterglow. In that moment, I knew I was in big trouble. I had fallen hard for Matt Callahan, but it was far too early to express those words. So I just kissed him instead.