5. Chapter Five
Chapter Five
Sebastian
I wrapped my arms around my star hockey player and Mac melted against me. He was sweaty from the battle on the ice and far from fresh, but having him in my arms to congratulate him after such a big win was worth the assault to my senses.
“Way to go, Savage,” I whispered.
He shivered and tucked in closer, pressing his lips to my ear. “I’ll show you savage .” He drew out the sounds, and I caught sight of Em rocking back and forth next to us.
The three of us were a mess, which was exactly why I had planned a surprise I couldn’t wait to tell them about.
Pressing my lips to his forehead, I reluctantly let go so Em could slide into his arms. The two of them fit together so perfectly I couldn’t stare directly at them. It was like looking straight into the sun, except instead of eye damage, it was causing a throbbing erection.
I shoved my hands in my pockets and congratulated Lightning as he walked by singing, We are the Champions , at maximum volume. At least there was plenty to distract me as Em whispered something in Mac’s ear that had him blushing.
My arms ached as I watched them kiss. If we were home, I would have both of them pressed against me, some pressure relieving the throbbing cadence my cock was pulsing.
We hadn’t mastered a group kiss outside of the house, and I was pretty sure it would look way too graphic to ever be something we did in public.
Sneaking into storage rooms was where we drew the line. In the locker room, around all these people, even a throuple hug seemed way too vulnerable.
With the way the team was celebrating, they wouldn’t notice us, but I could be patient.
Sort of.
I cleared my throat, and their eyes flicked to mine. The immediate obedience did absolutely nothing to quell my arousal. I loved every time they submitted to me. Showing that open submission in front of a locker room full of enormous hockey players turned me into mush, but I couldn’t show it.
“You need to take a shower,” I said to Mac.
He frowned and looked me up and down. “You got a problem with the way I smell?”
Em smirked and pulled away from him. “We all have a problem with the way you smell.”
He spread his arms out, looping one over each of us. Em put on a good show, plugging her nose. But neither of us could ever truly hate a second of Mac’s attention.
“I need you to take a shower,” I said sternly. “I have a surprise—”
“A surprise?” Em echoed, just as curious as the look Mac gave me.
“I booked a room for us in Long Beach.”
“What about practice?” Mac asked.
“We’ll be gone a day and a half, max. I worked out the schedule with Coach and it won’t interfere with anything.”
“What about the charity dinner?”
“We’ll make it back in time. Do the two of you want to go?” My nerves rose with each question.
Throwing together a surprise was a little out of my wheelhouse and it was already risky doing it during a week with so many other plans, but I couldn’t take it anymore. We were like ships passing in the night and I didn’t want the first year we were together to set a precedence for the rest of our lives.
Em’s eyes widened. “I want to go.”
“Me too,” Mac assured me, squeezing us tighter against him. “If you planned it, I know you thought of everything. And I trust you.”
My heart swelled at his words. Part of me still needed to know I was good enough for him. For both of them. They might have thought I was confident because I enjoyed bossing them around in the bedroom, but shit, I needed to know they wanted me.
And judging by the hunger in both their eyes as they waited for my response, I didn’t need to worry.
“Go shower off that smell—”
“The smell of victory,” Mac said, grinning.
I slipped out of his arm and smacked his ass. “Naming it doesn’t change the scent, Michael.”
Em giggled and slipped out of his other arm. “Hurry. I can’t wait to get to the beach. When are we leaving?”
“The car’s all packed and waiting for us. We’ll get there around midnight and the two of you can sleep in the back while I drive.”
“Is that why you took a nap this morning?” Em asked.
I nodded, and she leaned against me, the floral scent of her shampoo battling the aroma of the locker room.
“And here I just thought you were turning into an old man.”
“You’ll regret those words later,” I rumbled directly into her ear.
Pink flooded her cheeks, and Mac groaned.
“I’m not keeping my hands to myself in the backseat,” he taunted.
I glared at him, but he only laughed. I already figured the two of them would put on a good show for me as we raced to the coast. If they thought they were defying me, they’d put on an even better show.
“Get in the shower,” I growled at Mac.
He sauntered off, shaking his ass until he disappeared.
“Does he know how easily you play him?” Em asked.
“Do you?” I smirked, and her blush deepened.
“Yes,” she breathed, surprising me. “And I love every second.”
“I love you so much,” I murmured.
Coach Locke walked up, clipboard in hand. “Have you seen the stats on the video you just posted?”
Em pulled her phone out, and her eyes widened. “The best one yet.”
“The three of you deserve a break tonight. Go have fun.” He clapped me on the shoulder and wandered off to the next cluster of players huddled together.
Sloan waved to us from across the room and Em yelled something about him playing a great game tonight.
“Can I get the recipe for those protein bars?” Strelow asked, plopping down on the bench next to me as he dried his hair with a towel. “I only have one left and I’m savoring it.”
I laughed and pulled out my phone. “I’ll send you the recipe, but I’m going to make another batch for the next game.”
“And practice?”
“And practice,” I assured him.
“Thank God. You’re the best, Bardot.” He winked and dropped his towel as he got to his feet. “And if you’re ever looking for a fourth person—”
“Strelow! I swear to God—” Em yelled at him before I could even get my bearings.
“Kidding. Kidding.” He held one hand up, covering himself with the other.
I laughed and pulled Em closer to me, checking in to make sure she was okay.
She laughed and shook her head at him. “I never know what to do with you.”
“Get some damn clothes on,” Sloan called over. “No one wants what you’re offering, Strelow.”
The locker room erupted into laughter, and I couldn’t help joining in. I had always felt like I was on the outskirts of the team. Still part of the family, but like the cousin everyone knew and had no idea what to say to. Lately, though, it felt like they had accepted me as one of their own. Being with Mac and Em had given me insider status, and I liked it more than I ever wanted to admit.
“What’s so funny?” Mac asked, walking out of the shower with his towel hugging low on his hips, his blonde hair slicked back.
My mouth went dry, and I could only stare.
“Good thing you’re putting a ring on it,” he said, bumping against me as he grabbed his outfit from his bench. “Or I’d feel all sorts of objectified right now.” His green eyes glinted under the flattering lights that had been installed in the most modern locker room I’d ever been in.
“Wait for tonight,” I whispered in his ear. “And then tell me how objectified you feel—”
“Promise?”
“Quit wasting time. I want you in the car in ten minutes.”
I linked arms with Em and strolled out of the locker room before Mac could say another word.
“How the hell are you going to make it to the beach before you detonate?” Em asked as I opened her door.
“Cross your fingers there are no speed traps.”