Chapter 24 Eve
TWENTY-FOUR
EVE
When I stop by campus for my usual lunch with Dad two days later, the rink is empty. I find the team gathered in a room near the coaching staff offices. I squeeze through the guys standing at the back and decline with a smile when Theo offers me his seat.
They’re wrapping up their final team meeting of the semester by reviewing game tape to break down their season performance. A projector screen shows a hockey arena. It looks like they’re up to their Frozen Four win.
“See this rebound?” Cole points to the play when it pauses. “Here. This moment.”
It doesn’t matter if I’ve watched Dad coach my whole life. Cole’s passion for this fills me with delight.
He notices me, lips twitching up at the corners for a split second. I give him a subtle wave. Dad thinks it’s meant for him.
Cole clears his throat. “Higgins gets it to Adler, but it was luck. If this was controlled and fluid, more windows of opportunity open up.”
“We scored a goal right after that,” Brody says. “Nice one, rookie.”
He bumps fists with Easton across the table.
“Don’t let it go to your head. The minute you do, your game gets cocky,” Dad warns. “The next win is never guaranteed. Wins mean nothing if you’re not doing the work it takes to earn them.”
“Keep yourselves loose over break,” Cole says. “Your individual conditioning regimen recommendations are on the table. Make sure you grab it on your way out before you clean anything you need out of the locker room. We’ll see you back here for training camp in August.”
The team jumps up in high spirits with their summer upon them. In their hustle, Cole slips through the room and snags my wrist without making eye contact. I bite my lip around a smile and sneak out with him while Dad’s busy talking with Steve.
We follow the flow of players, falling behind. Then he pulls us into the equipment room and locks the door.
“No one should need anything in here,” he says. “Hi.”
I step into him, resting my hands on his abdomen. “Hi.”
He cups my elbows. “That’s it. That’s all I brought you in here to say. I had to steal you away for myself for a minute.”
Husky laughter leaves me. “You’re not gonna kiss me?”
“Risky.” His brow lifts.
“That’s an interesting way to say fun,” I sass.
He grasps my waist, walking me back against a shelf. His head dips, lips meeting mine. It heats up from sweet to passionate, neither of us able to slow down.
“Eve,” he says reluctantly against me.
I don’t respond, kissing him until his composure fractures. His grip flexes on my waist.
“We shouldn’t be doing this. Not here. We could get caught.”
He’s right. He’s so right, and yet—
“Fuck it. I don’t care.”
If I don’t touch him in the next minute, I’ll combust. My palms slide up his chest, bumping the whistle hanging around his neck.
Cole groans, dragging me back in for another filthy kiss, fingers digging into my hip while I clutch his coaching jacket. His words come out ragged and hot against my lips.
"You drive me insane.”
“The feeling is absolutely mutual.”
A laugh that’s more of a gasp escapes me as his mouth moves down my throat with rough, branding kisses that could easily leave his mark of what we’re doing all over my sensitive skin. I tilt my head back to give him better access.
One of his hands slips under my top to fondle my breast, the other pushing down the back of my shorts to squeeze my ass. I’m as ravenous as he is, seeking any inch of skin within reach. Then his mouth claims mine again.
It’s been like this any moment we’ve been near each other since the other night at The Landmark. I don’t know how two people could be so consumed with an unending need to touch one another, but that’s how we are.
We both jump when the door handle jostles and unlocks before we have a chance to react. It swings open right as Cole yanks his hands from beneath my shirt and inside my shorts, but there’s no hiding what we were doing.
“Umm.” Easton grins like an idiot, holding the key.
Cameron has the decency to avert his eyes, smacking his friend’s shoulder. Cole recovers first and shifts in front of me.
“You didn’t see anything,” he warns.
“We saw nothing,” Easton parrots immediately, lifting his hands in surrender. “We know nothing.”
“I’m serious,” Cole says. “Not a word to anyone.”
“Got it, coach,” Cameron replies.
“Got what? Do you see something other than equipment in here, Reeves? I’m just getting more tape for my stick to take home with me over summer break.” Easton winks. After a beat, he adds, “I actually need the tape, though, if you could just—”
“Blake.” Cole sighs in exasperation.
I find it on a shelf by my elbow and toss it to him. He salutes us, then lays a hand over his heart.
“For real. Your secret’s going to the grave. We won’t let you down. I’d say have a good summer, but, uh, looks like you’ve got that covered.”
“Dude,” Cameron hisses.
“Get out of here,” Cole says.
“Going. Here.” Easton tosses the key to Cole and backs away.
Cameron covers a snicker, dragging his teammate off by grabbing his t-shirt. The door shuts. Cole wastes no time locking it again, pocketing the key.
After he makes sure they’re gone, he braces his hands on the shelves on either side of me and hangs his head with a groan.
“Feel my heartbeat.”
I place a hand against his firm chest. His heart drums hard.
“What if that had been Steve? Or your dad?” he mutters.
“That’s half the thrill,” I tease.
He puts a hand at the small of my back to tug me against him, dipping his face to press a smirk to my throat.
“I’ll show you a thrill.”
“Please do,” I encourage.
He mouths at my skin, turning my stifled giggle into a gasp.
I end up missing lunch with Dad, texting him an excuse about needing to leave.
Cole gave me the key to his place when we were sneaking around at the training facility earlier. Yesterday, I snuck home early after our first night, then ended up back in his bed last night. My calendar reminders are piling up with this week’s tasks that I keep putting off to spend time with him.
It’s still sinking in that Cole Kincaid is my boyfriend. I never thought matching with him on the dating app would lead us here.
I’m waiting for him with a pizza by the time he makes it home from work. He finds me in the small kitchen, pausing in the doorway. I’m so happy to see him, I’m unable to control my beaming expression. He eyes me like I’m the more enticing dinner.
“This is the best thing to come home to,” he says.
“Hungry?”
His devastating grin turns wolfish. “Don’t ask me that unless you like cold pizza.”
“Who doesn’t like cold pizza?” I trace the low neckline of the t-shirt dress I changed into before coming over. “Cold pizza is the best.”
With two strides, he’s on me. His mouth collides with mine and he boosts me onto the counter. My knees open to accommodate him. His fingers thread in my hair, tipping my head back as he kisses down my throat.
Heat pulses between my legs when he lowers himself to his knees. When his hot breath hits me through my panties, air gusts past my lips. He hums, slipping a finger beneath them, stretching the material as he slides it up and down.
His green eyes flicker to mine, darkening. He pulls my panties off. I spread my legs wider and he hooks my knee over his shoulder.
“I’m starving,” he says before his mouth covers my pussy.
It’s not quite like the scene we recreated from my book, but it’s just as arousing.
My hand buries in his hair and my mouth falls open with a cry. It feels amazing. He caresses my thigh and hip as he devours me.
“Oh, oh yes. Like that, please,” I beg between gasped moans.
“Wanted to taste you all day after you left,” he croons against me.
My chest heaves and tremors of pleasure race through my limbs. My core clenches, then erupts with wave after wave of ecstasy.
“Oh god, oh my god, I’m coming,” I whimper when he doesn’t stop.
He takes me right into another orgasm before the first one fades, his mouth relentless on my clit.
“Cole,” I wail. “You’re—oh!”
He growls against me in satisfaction. My eyes roll back from the stimulation to my sensitive pussy.
At last, once he’s melted my brain and my body, he sits back on his heels with a smirk. His chiseled jaw glistens with saliva and my wetness.
My stomach dips when he swipes the heel of his hand over his mouth. It’s one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen.
“You taste fucking delicious when you’re crying out my name and coming all over my face, baby.”
It takes me a second to form words. “You broke me I think.”
I give him a thumbs up. He chuckles, helping me down from the counter. My legs are still shaking and I sway against him. His arms cinch around me.
“Need some water?”
“Yes.” My desire flares at the bulge in his jeans. “What about you?”
He kisses the top of my head. “Later. Don’t want you to be sore or have you forgetting to eat again because we’re too busy fucking. I’m taking care of you.”
My stomach somersaults. “Okay.”
“Good girl.”
The praise makes me shiver. He grasps my chin, giving me an affectionate expression before kissing me.
I put my underwear back on while he gets my water thermos from the table and cleans off the counter. I crack open the pizza box.
“Still warm,” I say.
He steps behind me, massaging my nape. “Didn’t spend enough time with my tongue buried in your pussy, then.”
I twist to swat at his chest. We take our pizza slices into the living room and put on a random show while we eat.
I end up getting sucked into it by the end of the first episode. I brought some new earrings for my summer collection that need their hardware. Cole pulls my legs across his lap while I craft, absently stroking my calf.
On a whim, I grab my phone to take a short behind the scenes recording. Once it’s finished, I end up checking my email out of habit. My eyes bulge and my stomach drops off a cliff.
“Oh my god.” My hand flies out blindly, latching on to him.
“What is it?”
Tears prick my eyes. “I got in. Look!”
He takes my phone, scanning the acceptance message for the maker’s market he encouraged me to apply for. The corners of his mouth curl and he shakes my leg.
“Good job, Evie. This is amazing. Congratulations.”
I squeal, falling back against the cushions, kicking my legs. He chuckles, then drags me by my ankle until I’m partially across his lap, lifting me with an arm beneath my shoulders.
“Look what you can do when you put yourself out there,” he murmurs against my lips before kissing me.
I sway into him, fingers tangling in the hair at his nape. We stay snuggled like that when we part, my mind brimming with ideas as we watch TV.
An hour later, there’s a knock at the door. He checks his phone and mutters a curse.
“It’s your brother. He just texted me.”
“Oh, shit. Give me a second. Make sure he doesn’t see the two plates in the sink.”
I sweep my craft supplies into my tote bag, not bothering with packing them up nicely. Hopefully the clay popsicles survive. I nearly collide with Cole when he’s coming back from the kitchen.
He takes me by the shoulders. “Should I get him to leave?”
“No, it’s okay.” I press on my toes to give him a quick kiss. “He’ll get suspicious if you keep dodging him when he wants to hang out.”
“I could tell him I have a girl over,” he suggests. “Which is true.”
“Yes, but then it could backfire.”
“How?”
“He might want to meet her. I’ll hide, then you can sneak me out.”
He sighs, tangling our fingers. “I don’t want you to go.”
“I don’t either. But I actually have a bunch of store orders I need to pack up before tomorrow. They were on my to-do list and I pushed them off to go out with the girls for drinks, and then…” I trail off, leaning into him. “Someone has barely let me leave his bed for the past two days.”
His lips twist ruefully. “Fair enough.”
Benson knocks again, yelling through the door. “Dude, are you dead or just taking a shit?”
Cole rolls his eyes. “I love him but I also kinda want to kill him right now.”
I’m frozen by indecision on where to hide for a moment until he nudges me in the direction of the bedroom. I hurry into his closet and text Jess an SOS.
It’s difficult to hear clearly. Benson makes a commotion when he comes in.
I only catch half of it, relieved when he mentions a beer run.
Jess answers and agrees to be my getaway ride.
The walk isn’t far, but it’s quicker and erases any risk of my brother spotting me walking through town while they’re out.
Cole opens the closet, startling me. He gestures to the door with a nod of his head.
“We’re leaving. Told him I needed my phone charger,” he whispers.
“Perfect. Jess is going to give me a lift.”
He grasps my throat in a loose hold, dragging me in to steal a kiss. I clutch him, reluctant to leave the happy bubble we’ve formed in his apartment to spend the night alone in my own bed.
His forehead rests against mine. “What about tomorrow night?”
“Family dinner,” I remind him.
“Damn it. Right. At least I’ll get to see you.”
“I’ll sneak over after.”
“Okay.” He kisses me again. “Good luck with your orders. You’ll get them all done.”
“Cole! You ready or what, man?” Benson shouts from the hall.
We both stiffen when his voice grows closer. Cole throws a frown at his door.
“Relax, I’m coming!”
“Bye,” I breathe.
He gives me one last smoldering look before leaving with my brother. I wait until the apartment goes quiet, then text Jess that I’ll meet her outside.
Before I go, I steal one of Cole’s shirts. If I can’t sleep in his arms, at least it will feel like he’s close if I wear his clothes to bed.