24. Chapter 24 #2
“Ah.” Dom nods dramatically, swirling his whiskey.
My mind isn’t on the game. It’s across the open living area, wrapped in a black silk slip dress, laughing with Jessica and Melody near the patio doors.
Lilly looks fucking breathtaking. Every time she shifts her weight, every time she looks at me, every time I hear her laugh over the music, a fresh wave of territorial heat slams into me.
My eyes haven’t left her for more than five seconds all night.
It’s been two days of torturous distance since I took her home and fucked her on my patio, and seeing her like this and not being able to touch her is driving me out of my fucking mind.
“You’re burning a hole through her, Z,” Dom mutters beside me, leaning back against the marble counter with a smirk.
“Her father’s here.” I don’t look away from her. Coach is across the room talking to the head athletic trainer.
Dom chuckles, swirling the ice in his glass. “You two gonna break the news to Coach anytime soon? Or wait until he catches you with your tongue down his daughter’s throat?”
Suddenly, Jace pokes his head between us, his mouth hanging open in shock. “You’re fucking the Coach’s daughter?!”
My head snaps toward him, my eyes locking onto his with a glare. “If you open your mouth, Jace…”
“Woah, woah!” Jace immediately throws both hands up. “I heard nothing.”
I turn my gaze right back to Lilly. She catches my eye, biting down on her lower lip. A spark passes between us across the crowded room.
“You know, back when Melody and I were hiding from Dom, the sex-“ Jace starts, but Dom interrupts him with a low grunt.
“I don’t want to hear about my baby sister’s sex life, Jace.”
“I was about to say that we had to hide every time. No kisses around anyone, no sex, no affection, just… that. The look Zed’s giving Lilly right now. And it fucking sucked.”
Oh, it sucks, alright.
“Let’s not forget you hid your identity from Melody,” I remind him, not taking my eyes off Lilly.
“And you offered her a threesome with me,” Jace points a finger at me.
“What?!” Dom snaps his head toward me.
“It was a fucking joke.” I roll my eyes. “I didn’t mean it. I was bored out of my mind on that damn trip, I wanted to stir some shit up. Forgive me for entertaining myself. I did help you grow a pair and approach her, though, didn’t I?”
“That was the longest thing you’ve ever said to me,” Jace shakes his head in disbelief.
“Guess I’m feeling chatty tonight.” I shrug.
I’m not feeling fucking chatty. I’m feeling fucking horny. The rest of the guys who came over might not be approaching Lilly, but they sure as fuck are looking at her.
What’s keeping me planted where I am, though, is the fact that Lilly hasn’t looked at a single one of them. Meanwhile, she hasn’t stopped looking at me.
She says something brief to Melody and Jessica, excuses herself with a polite smile, and starts walking down the main hallway toward Dom’s guest bathroom.
Right before she disappears, she glances back over her shoulder. Her eyes meet mine through the dim, warm light of the hallway in a silent invitation.
My pulse slams against my ribs. I slowly lower my volka-soda to the kitchen counter, my fingers tapping three distinct times against the wood.
“Excuse me,” I tell Dom and Jace without waiting for a reply.
I push away from the island, my shoulders cutting a clean path through the crowd as I follow her down the dark hallway.
The second the door clicks shut behind me, blocking out the thumping music from the living room, Lilly spins around.
“Hey,” she starts, her cheeks flushing pink as a smile tugs at her lips. “I didn’t know if you understood what I was…”
I don’t let her finish. I step into her space, my hand snapping up to cup her jaw, my fingers digging into her hair to tilt her face back. I cut her off mid-breath, slamming my mouth down onto hers.
Lilly lets out a sweet, muffled whimper straight into my mouth, her hands flying up to clutch at the front of my black T-shirt. I press my body into hers, driving her back until her hips are pinned flat against the edge of the marble vanity.
My tongue slides past her parted lips, taking complete ownership of her mouth, tasting the sweet cocktail on her tongue mixed with the taste of her that’s exclusively mine.
I drink her down like a starving man, my thumb pressing against her jawline, keeping her locked right where I want her while my other arm sweeps around her waist, lifting her until she’s sitting on the cold edge of the sink.
Her bare legs wrap around my hips, pulling my already hard cock flush against her. A growl vibrates straight out of my chest into her mouth.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” I growl against her lips, breaking the kiss just enough to trail my mouth down the column of her neck, biting down lightly.
My hands slide down the silk of her slip dress, bunching the fabric up her thighs until my warm palms are resting flat on her bare, soft skin. I lift her higher onto the cold marble counter, spreading her legs wider to wedge myself right between them.
My mouth moves down to the hollow of her collarbone, my teeth nipping at her skin, marking her right where the low neckline of her dress leaves her wide open.
“Zed...” she gasps, her fingers tangling into my hair, her head falling back against the vanity mirror with a soft thud. “Someone... someone could come in.”
“Let them,” I grit out against her throat.
I’m tired of being a fucking secret.
“He…” she breathes out, her small fingers tangling in my hair as her head tilts back, exposing the pale skin of her throat to my mouth. “He deserved it.”
I chuckle against her collarbone and lift my head to look at her. “Such a bloodthirsty thing, aren’t you?”
“Only when it’s deserved.” A small smile curls her lips before a flash of worry softens her eyes. “Are they going to fine you or suspend you for the next few games?”
“They’ll fine me,” I whisper against her lips, my thumb brushing over her cheek. “But he stepped into my space and swung first. So it’s a Game Misconduct, not Match Penalty. No suspension for me. I’ll be back on the ice for the next game.”
Lilly lets out a soft sigh of relief, her hands sliding up to hook tightly around my neck. “Good. Because I like watching you out there.”
“Do you now?” I drawl.
“Yes,” she breathes against my mouth.
I reach down between us, hooking my thumb into the thin, elastic strap of her panties, dragging them to the side. My fingers slide right through her, finding her pussy already wet for me.
Lilly lets out a sharp sound, her back arching off the mirror, her hips twitching against my hand.
“Already so wet for me,” murmur, my thumb sliding against her clit
Lilly’s hands clutch at my shoulders, a moan escaping her lips as my fingers set a slow rhythm.
The knob turning is the only warning we get.
The heavy door swings open, and the thumping bass from the living room floods the quiet bathroom.
“Shit, Mercer,” Coach’s voice comes through. “Sorry. Enjoy,” he chuckles.
Both Lilly and I whip our head towards him as he turns to leave.
“Shh.” I try to pull Lilly against me and hide her with my body but there’s no hiding from the mirror behind her.
At the last moment, Coach’s eyes do a double take, landing on Lilly’s reflection.
“What the fuck.” All color drains from his face.
Well, fuck.
Neither of us moves, but I feel Lilly’s shallow, panicked breaths against my chest.
“Mercer, who is that,” Coach asks through the music spilling from the hallway.
I slowly slip my hand out of Lilly’s panties. Despite the fucked situation we’re in, my dick still twitches at the sight.
Lilly’s eyes widen just as her father speaks again.
“Who the fuck-“
“Dad, it’s me,” Lilly cuts him off, placing her hands on my chest with a nod.
I slowly take a single step back, my hands instantly fixing her dress when she closes her legs.
I knew this moment was an absolute inevitability. It would’ve been nice to break the news over a quiet drink, to show the man the respect he deserves, instead of him catching with his daughter in Dom’s bathroom.
But it’s done now.
“Get the fuck off her!” Coach roars, his face turning red.
He lunges forward, his hands slamming into my back to haul me off. I let myself be pushed back half a step, stepping between him and the vanity, my body naturally forming a wall in front of Lilly.
“Coach-“ I start but he instantly shoves past my shoulder, grabbing Lilly by the arm and pulling her behind him, his eyes wildly scanning her face, her swollen lips, and her disheveled dress.
“Did he hurt you?” Coach’s voice cracks with a nauseating mix of rage and panic. “What did he do to you, Lilly?”
“Dad, no!” Lilly shakes her head.
He turns his terrifying glare back on me, his fists clenching so hard they shake. “What the fuck did you do to her?”
A heavy, suffocating disappointment slams into my chest, colder and sharper than any hit I’ve ever taken on the ice.
My eyes narrow as I look down at the man who built me, the man who trusted me with his team, seeing the absolute disgust and fear in his eyes.
“Is that really what you think of me, Coach?” I ask, my voice dropping.
“Dad, stop! Nobody is hurting me!” Lilly’s voice snaps with desperate conviction. She yanks her arm free from her father’s grip. “Zed isn’t hurting me.”
I take a step towards Lilly. “Sir, I’d never-“
“Keep your fucking distance, Mercer!” Coach snaps, pulling Lilly back.
His eyes are locked onto me, trying to burn holes through my skull. He’s looking at me like I’m a piece of dirt that somehow dragged itself into his spotless life and smeared filth all over his daughter. Watching my own Coach look at me like I’m a fucking monster, rage flares up in my chest.
I swallow the dark poison down with a hard flex of my jaw, burying the urge deep.
“Well,” I drawl, “I guess the cat’s out of the bag.”
“You son of a bitch!”