Cayden
FORTY-SIX
My eyes open as soon as the wheels touch the asphalt. It’s been a long week on the road, and you can tell everyone is feeling it by the silence on the way home.
It’s dark in the cabin except for a couple of dim overhead lights from the seats of coaches and assistants as they go over the game play from tonight’s loss.
We won two out of three of our away games, but no matter how many wins you get, it’s always the losses that sink their claws into you that you can never shake.
The other team was just better tonight, and that’s a hard pill to swallow. We had too many defensive breakdowns, the turnovers happened left and right…not to mention all the penalties we racked up, making the power plays one of our biggest disadvantages in the game.
I was left hanging in front of the net more than once tonight, but it happens. We win as a team and lose as one. The guys had an off night, but you shake it off and push through it, not letting it get in your head.
Right now, we’re tired, beat up, and ready to get back home, leaving it all on the ice for now, knowing full well our asses will be worked in the next practice.
When the plane finally comes to a stop, I stand and grab my bag from the overhead, slinging it over my shoulder.
Most of us have already changed back into our suits, but I see a few stand up and drop their sweats to step back into their slacks.
This season, the league finally dropped the mandatory dress code, but Coach still prefers the suits. He’s made it clear that if we are going to represent the Bolts in public, then we need to look professional.
So we do.
Even though it’s a pain in the ass sometimes to change on long flights, it’s become part of our routine to wear them, and a lot of guys in our lineup agree. If you want to be the best, then you need to look the part.
Neckties, on the other hand, are not my thing, so I was glad that Coach approved the open-collar look. Undoing the first couple of buttons, I loosen the collar more so I can breathe before following the line down the aisle.
“God, I miss my fucking wife and son,” Knox mutters once we hit the pavement and head in the direction of our parking.
“How is Jett Jr. doing?” Hayes asks with a grin.
“Give it up, Hayes. He’s not naming his son after you,” Foxx chuckles.
“Beckett Montgomery Stone couldn’t be more perfect. I facetimed them on the plane, and I swear he’s already gained a pound.”
“Enjoy every second,” I say, as I near my black Porsche. “It goes by way too fast.”
“I intend to,” he smiles. “Get some rest, Blade. You earned it after tonight.”
We divide and go our separate ways as I get in the driver’s seat.
I glance at the dashboard.
12:45 a.m.
I know from Mae’s text earlier that Scarlett’s tucked in bed and sound asleep next to her.
Pushing the ignition button, my car roars to life, and it takes me all of two seconds to decide where I need to be as I whip out of the parking lot and head in the direction that I’m being pulled in.
At this late hour, and taking speeds a little faster than I should, I arrive in front of her apartment building just twenty minutes later.
Grabbing my duffle, I’m out the door and walking up her steps before I can think twice about why I came here first.
Knocking on her door, I wait for her to answer. I probably should have called…probably should let her sleep.
There are a lot of probabilities I should and shouldn’t be doing, but they all vanish the moment she opens the door.
Her hair is messy from sleep, and she’s wearing my black Bolts t-shirt that I gave her. My gaze travels down her bare legs ending in perfectly polished pink toes.
“Cayden?” She asks, surprised, her green eyes blinking the sleepy haze from them.
“Hi, little moon,” I say quietly, suddenly feeling the weight of the last week come crashing down on me.
“Did you come straight from the airport?”
Nodding, I step inside when she opens the door wider and drop my bag on the floor. I hear the door shut behind me and turn.
“The thought of going home to an empty bed didn’t feel right. Not when I sleep better next to you.”
“You look exhausted,” she whispers, stepping closer as she peers at me with a concerned look on her face.
“Forty saves will do that to you,” I grunt, taking off my jacket and laying it over the couch.
“I saw,” she winces, running her hands up my chest before cupping my face. “How are you holding up? Are your hips hurting?”
“I’ll live.”
Taking my hand, she leads me to her bedroom and pushes me to sit on the edge of the bed.
Dropping to her knees, she starts to untie my shoes, and I shake my head.
“I can take my own shoes off.”
She continues to work the laces and pulls off my polished black dress shoe before sliding down my sock next.
“When’s the last time you let someone actually take care of you?” She asks, moving onto my other shoe. I’m too tired to argue, so I let her do her thing.
“If I remember correctly, you took care of me really well the night you slept over before I left,” I smile.
“I’m not talking about sex,” she chuckles, rolling her eyes. “You do everything for Scarlett…Mae…you single-handedly carried the game tonight for your team…when do you get taken care of?”
“I don’t know…I guess since Scarlett was born, I’ve been on autopilot. I don’t need someone to take care of me. I’m the one who takes care of others, not the other way around.”
“Exactly,” she sighs, pulling off my last sock and standing up.
Stepping between my legs, my head drops to her stomach as her arms cradle my head in a hug.“You came here for a reason, Cayden,” she whispers.
It feels so fucking nice not to pretend I have all my shit together. With her, I can just be me, and it feels so damn good to have that part of me back.
Because the truth is, I’m tired. So fucking tired of doing everything on my own.
Tired of having everyone depend on me.
Tired of never feeling like I’ve done enough.
I’ve been treading with my head above water for years now, and I’m utterly exhausted.
As if she can sense the defeat in me, she slowly pulls me up and gets me out of my shirt and pants before pulling back her covers.
“Lie on your stomach for me,” she instructs softly, and I don’t even question it as I sink face-first into her mattress.
I hear her drawer open and peek my eye open.
She pulls out a brown bottle and squirts something in her hand. The scent of lavender fills the air as she straddles me before her hands start to glide over my body.
Moaning, I let her hands work their magic as she slowly eases all the tension from the last few hours out of my neck and shoulders. Moving further down my back, she massages my lower back and skims the waistband of my boxer briefs.
“May I?” She asks, fingering the black material.
“We are way past asking permission to touch my body, little moon,” I say in a muffled voice against the covers. “Anything of mine is yours to have.”
“Lift your hips then.” I hear the smile in her voice as my lip twitches.
I lift slightly and feel her reach around me to pull the material over my cock. It doesn’t take long before I’m growing against her hand as she slides them down, leaving me naked on her bed.
Shifting slightly, I get as comfortable as I can with a steel rod pressing into my stomach and hear another little giggle escape from the vixen on top of me.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to graze you like that. It’s hard to miss, being so big and all.”
A deep chuckle rumbles out of my chest as I grin against the mattress. “With you, little moon, you could look at me a certain way, and I’d get hard. I’m used to it by now.”
I know without looking that her cheeks are a beautiful shade of red right about now, and if I didn’t want the second half of this massage so bad, I would flip her over in a heartbeat and make it even more flushed.
Her hands begin to knead my hips, and another moan escapes.
“Fuck that feels good. I’ve had a lot of massages over the years, and nothing has felt this good.”
“Maybe I should quit my day job and be a personal masseuse for the Bolts?”
“That’s a hard fucking no,” I groan when her hands work on my glute muscles. “No way in hell is Hayes or any other guy on my team going to get your hands on their body. You’re all mine.”
“I like the sound of that,” she murmurs, moving to the side and working toward my calves.
“Me too,” I quietly admit.
When she’s done, I’m in such a relaxed state that I can barely keep my eyes open. I feel her get into bed beside me, and I roll to my side, bringing her body against mine.
She sighs contentedly as I wrap my arm around her, and the next thing I know, sleep pulls me under before I can even say goodnight.
Blinking my eyes open, I see it’s after ten.
Fuck.
I sit up in bed and reach for my phone. I haven’t slept this late in years.
I’m about to call Mae when Luna walks in with two mugs of coffee in her hand.
“Good morning, sleepy head.” She notices the phone in my hand and smiles. “I already called Mae. She checked your schedule and assured me you had the day off today, so we both agreed you needed sleep.”
She sits on the edge of the bed and hands me one of the coffees.
“And before you ask, Mae is taking Scarlett to the park and will be putting her down for a nap after, so you have plenty of time to drive home and be there when she wakes up.”
My shoulders begin to relax as I lean back against the headboard, watching her take a sip of her coffee.
She’s still in my t-shirt, which stirs something deep in my chest. Her hair is pulled up in a high ponytail, and her face is bare of any makeup, making the freckles across her nose stand out even more against her sun-kissed skin.
“Thanks for calling her,” I finally say, lifting the mug to my lips. Black coffee just the way I like it hits my taste buds, and I smile. “Thanks for the coffee, too.”
“You’re welcome,” she grins.
“I can’t believe I slept this late. I’m usually up at dawn without an alarm clock to wake me. I’ve never slept that hard…ever,” I chuckle.
“Must be my magic hands,” she says, smiling behind the rim of her coffee cup.
“Must be,” I murmur, trailing my eyes over my tee again that’s hiked up on her thighs, exposing the curve of her ass.
She squirms under my gaze, and it only makes me harder.
“So, if Mae is taking Scarlett to the park,” I say, putting my drink on the nightstand and leaning over to take hers as I place it next to mine, “then that means I have at least two hours before I have to leave.” My hand trails up her thigh and curves around her waist. “Two uninterrupted hours,” I whisper, bending to swipe my tongue along her neck.
“It would appear so,” she gasps, as I suck behind her ear, grazing my teeth against her sensitive skin.
“I really missed you this week,” I breathe, rolling on my back and bringing her on top of me. She straddles me, and when I feel her pussy settle against my cock, I can’t imagine not having mornings like this for the rest of my life.
“I missed you, too,” she whispers, biting her lip when I grip her waist and slide her over my swollen skin, coating me with her arousal.
Taking the hem of her shirt, she pulls it over her head, and my gaze hungrily goes to her breasts. Reaching up, I rub my thumb over her nipple, watching it tighten under my touch.
“Lift up on your knees,” I instruct softly.
As soon as her body lifts from mine, I’m guiding my cock to her warmth and bringing her back down to me.
“Fuck, you feel so good,” I rasp, curling my fingers around her hips as I settle deep inside.
“Cayden,” she moans, tilting her head back and digging her nails into my chest.
Sunlight streams in through the windows, catching hints of gold woven in her brunette hair. She looks almost ethereal, and I feel like I could stare at her for hours and it would never be enough.
Her beautiful green eyes meet mine, and everything inside me finally settles.
Last night, she didn’t ask anything of me.
She simply gave me a place to lay down everything I’ve been carrying.
I had forgotten what it felt like to simply exist beside someone.
Her lips widen in a smile before she bends down and touches them to mine.
I smile against her kiss and realize…
I’m happy.