Page 20

SILAS

W hat started as me working out my sexual frustration in the gym turned into an unexpected confession to Damien about the fact I was crushing on him.

Except for hockey, I didn’t like playing games, and I always used the blunt approach when it came to the men I was attracted to.

It saved a lot of time and there were no complications.

If there was mutual interest, and we hooked up, we both walked away satisfied.

Only, lately there was only one man I was hung up on.

And fuck the fact that he was my coach.

I wanted Damien, and like always, I was ruthless when it came to the things that mattered to me.

And Damien mattered. Earlier, when I brushed my hands against his, I knew that he felt the spark too.

I wanted to reach for him, to pull him onto my lap and stroke him off.

Fuck, I wanted to watch him come all over me and watch us come together.

I didn’t have a thing for sexual fantasies about the gym until now.

Did I always walk around in here with no shirt on?

No. Was I going to show off in front of him? Hell, yes.

I knew in my gut, the only thing I trusted in, that he and I would be explosive together.

Under his tightly wound exterior beat the heart of a passionate player.

And it was clear from everything I’d learned about him that he wanted to explore his sexuality.

And me? I was happy to reverse our roles and do the teaching.

“Damien?”

He paced beside me, hands on his hips. “I think I should leave.”

“Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me I’m the only one feeling this and I’ll go.”

“I don’t know what to… I mean, you—” Damien shook his head. “You and I should… fuck.”

“Exactly, you and I should fuck,” I teased and stood up to face him. “But we can start with a kiss.”

Damien’s eyes locked on my mouth and there was no stopping the way my pulse kicked up, all the blood in my body rushing south as my shorts grew tighter. And God, he smelled better than good, like sweat and sunshine, and I wanted to lean down and taste every inch of him.

“Don’t deny what’s going on here,” I added, stepping closer. I didn’t miss the flare of heat in his dark blue gaze. “Give me a chance.”

“Silas, this isn’t the time or place,” he whispered.

I licked my lips. “So, name one.”

“This is crazy. If anyone found out?—”

“They’re not going to,” I insisted. “What happens between us is our business.”

“Christ, you’re relentless.”

I shook my head and pointed to the Ruthless tattoo on my abs. Close enough.

“I know what I want, and I go after it.”

Damien twisted the towel in his hands.

“Text me later,” Damien finally replied. “We can meet up and… talk about this.”

It wasn’t a date, but I’d take it.

“You’re not going to ghost me, are you?” I teased, swiping a hand down my face and then my chest, watching the way his eyes tracked my hand.

“I wouldn’t do that.”

No, he wouldn’t. I was starting to think that I knew Damien more than any man I’d ever met. There was a warning in my brain that told me to put a stop to this, that he and I would turn out to be more than I could handle. But life was boring without taking risks.

I was about to say something flirty in response when I heard a door slam. We weren’t alone in the gym anymore.

“I need to finish my workout,” I stated reluctantly.

Damien nodded. “I’ll leave you to it.”

He walked past me, his arm brushing mine. The indelible spark that passed between us was not a fluke.

Before he could take off for good, I reached for his bicep, his skin hot and slick. I didn’t want to let go and what was even more satisfying was that Damien didn’t pull away.

“Don’t forget your stuff,” I reminded him, motioning to his water bottle and the set of keys lying on the floor.

“Oh, yeah,” he replied, sounding breathless. “Thanks.”

I dropped my hand slowly, fighting every urge I had to pull him closer.

Then he was gone, leaving me staring at my stunned reflection in the mirrored wall.

What are you doing? Fucking around with your coach could screw up your life exponentially. And his.

I couldn’t help myself.

I want him. I’m going to be the one to break his icy control.

Instead of ruminating about Damien and reckless choices, I got back to my workout.

Ten minutes turned to twenty, then thirty.

I was drenched in sweat by the time I was done with my full circuit, tired but feeling calmer than when I first walked in here and spotted Damien.

I thought nothing could compare to him in a tailored suit but seeing him in shorts and a tank top rivaled for top spot in my spank bank.

The only thing better would be getting him naked in my bed.

Probably a hotel out of town if we wanted to be careful.

I hit the shower, but I ignored my hard-on. Unlike our locker at the rink, where we had a communal shower room, the ones here were stalls. I had privacy and time to rub one out, but I wanted to wait. Damien was worth it.

Once I was cleaned up, I headed for my truck and was on the road to Burlington.

Verdant wasn’t busy, but most Tuesdays rarely were, so I spent most of my time confirming upcoming appointments and taking care of the monthly bookkeeping. Until Darby rolled into work.

“What are you up to later?” he asked, stepping into my personal space and giving me a flirty grin.

What we’d had was fun, but I wasn’t interested in a repeat. Not anymore.

“I’ve got plans.”

I’m going to kiss my coach … fuck, the very idea had me so horny I had to hide my hips behind the counter.

“Are you seeing someone?” Darby added.

“Define ‘seeing.’” I chuckled. “It’s brand new. I don’t know what it is yet.”

Ain’t that the truth.

“Who is he?”

“I can’t say. He’s not out.”

“Ugh, please don’t tell me you have feelings for a DL guy,” Darby warned.

I didn’t know how to describe what was happening between me and Damien.

We hadn’t done anything yet, and I was already consumed with thoughts about him.

I’d never felt such a pull towards a guy before, like if we didn’t touch soon, I’d go out of my freaking mind.

Bad enough I’d wanked off to fantasies of him last night until I came all over my sheets.

Seeing him in the light of day only made the wanting worse.

“Doubtful,” I replied.

Sex I could handle, feelings for a guy… I had no clue.

“Well, if you change your mind,” Darby continued, “and you need a distraction, let me know.”

I glanced at him. “We’re better off as friends, don’t you think?”

Darby gave me another long look and finally stepped back.

“That works, too,” he replied. “For what it’s worth, I hope this guy treats you right.”

“Like I said, I have zero expectations.”

“If that’s true, why don’t you want to hook up with me anymore?”

“I don’t… I don’t know.”

How could I explain it? I wanted Damien. No one else.

Darby gaped at me. “Shit, you really like this guy.”

I swallowed hard and nodded.

“I guess I do.”

Darby tapped the counter. “Like I said, I hope things work out. Relationships are hard. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

Honestly, I had no clue either.

The familiar buzz of the front door opening had me looking up. I greeted a returning customer and handed them off to Darby.

Then I pulled out my phone and texted the source of my distraction.

Silas: What did you do?

I smiled when my phone pinged a second later.

Damien: Me? Don’t you mean what did you do?

Silas: You teased me with that gym outfit, Coach. I thought nothing could top the game day suit, but I changed my mind. You should wear shorts year-round.

Damien: I’d prefer not to freeze my balls off in the winter LOL. And look who’s talking. Do you always wander around the gym half naked?

Silas: I’m proud of this body and I work hard for it. But no, only in front of you. As soon as I spotted you, the shirt came off. Did you like it? Tell me.

Damien: Yes, I did. More than liked. And you’re bossy. Normally that’s my role.

Silas: We’re not talking about hockey, baby.

Damien: Fuck. We’re skating on very thin ice. Pun intended.

Silas: We’re both skilled players.

Damien: I don’t know about me.

Silas: Never mind a phone call, how about meeting someplace nearby when my shift is done?

Damien: Did you want to drop by my place? My house is a short drive from campus. We need privacy to talk.

The office phone rang. I needed to get back to work.

Silas: Send me the address. I’ll be there around nine.

I pocketed my phone and got on with my shift. But I was flustered, unable to focus on any one task at a time.

Thank fuck I wasn’t the one handling the needles around here.

Six hours later, I logged off, locked up, and got in my truck. I tapped on my direction app and entered Damien’s address.

What do you know?

It turned out he lived only a few blocks from my house.

The sun had set earlier, but the sky remained vivid with shades of orange and violet, a dramatic contrast to the lush green mountains. God, I loved the long June days in Vermont. I just wished I had more time to actually enjoy them...

I pushed aside my longing, and headed for the highway. The roads were empty, but unlike my usual drive home, I was filled with nervous anticipation.

Damien’s place turned out to be a rustic log cabin, nestled at the end of the street and surrounded by a huge piece of property and lots of trees. A familiar black SUV sat in the driveway. I pulled up next to it and parked.

Stepping out and glancing around, I was relieved to see that his neighbors were a long distance away.

My nerves were running high but the closer I got to Damien, the more confident I felt in my decision.

I walked up the gravel driveway to the front door, and before I even had a chance to knock, the door swung open.

Damien greeted me with his usual intense expression, wearing a plain white T-shirt, faded jeans that were snug in all the right places, and my personal favorite, bare feet.

His outfit said relaxed, but his rigid posture told me otherwise.

“I thought maybe you’d changed your mind.”

I shook my head. “No way.”

“Are you coming?” he asked, his cheeks turning pink. “I mean, are you coming inside. Inside my house. Not coming as in… Jesus.”

Watching my normally unflappable coach blush and stumble was completely irresistible.

“I knew what you meant.” I chuckled as I watched him let out a breath, his shoulders dropping slightly. “But it’s good to know where your mind’s at.”

“Trouble.”

“Nah, Silas is fine.”

He motioned for me to enter the house.

“Wow, nice digs,” I commented.

Most people would probably find the space dark, with natural wood walls and a stone fireplace, but I loved it.

The house had an open floor plan, not big at all, but the living room had floor-to-ceiling patio doors that led to an outdoor deck and a view of the sparkling lake beyond.

The Vermont countryside didn’t get any better than this.

“I think you’re the only person who agrees with me,” Damien replied. “Everyone who’s ever visited tell me it’s too small and I should paint the wood walls.”

“No paint.”

“Right? I like the natural color. And I know it’s not huge, but it’s cozy. Massive homes aren’t for me; they have too much echo.”

“I agree. Jo and I share our family home, a three-bedroom bungalow, and it’s big enough. If I lived on my own, though, I’d probably get a smaller place and spend the money on a cottage instead.”

“Smart. Do you want something to drink?” Damien offered.

“Not right now. Maybe later?”

Damien nodded and glanced outside. “You want to sit out on the deck?”

“Love to,” I replied. “Can I take my shoes off?”

“Go for it.”

I slipped off my running shoes and my aching feet met cool hardwood.

Damien turned and headed for the patio doors. My gaze followed the long lines of his body; from the broad shoulders to that fine ass, and finally, the thick thighs that I was dying to see without the denim. I wanted to wrap them around my waist, or even better, my head.

Maybe I should’ve taken him up on his offer for a drink, because damn, I was fucking thirsty, and it was all for him.

Being in Damien’s home was… different. I never did this with my hookups.

Usually, I preferred a bar bathroom or an alleyway.

I couldn’t bring someone home, and I didn’t want to.

Not in my personal space. Oddly enough, that was too, well, personal.

And I never stuck around long enough for them to invite me to theirs, so it didn’t matter.

I should be freaking out, but I wasn’t. Not with Damien.

What did it mean? I had an inkling, a trickle of awareness that there was no going back after this. But still, I didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing.

Except what felt right.

I stepped out of the house and onto the deck, which ran the whole length of the house. There was a barbeque at one end, along with two red Adirondak chairs and a firepit at the other. There was no wind tonight and the surface of the lake was like a gilded mirror, almost too perfect to be real.

Damien leaned on the railing, and I slid up beside him, our shoulders brushing, sparks of electricity racing over my skin.

“Incredible view,” I commented, staring out at the lake.

“I’m quite taken with it,” Damien replied.

Only, he wasn’t staring at the lake, but at me.

“Fuck, I can’t believe I said that out loud,” he whispered.

I reached down and rested a reassuring hand on his hip. Wanting—no, needing—to touch him. Any part of him. All that desperation I felt earlier came rushing back, adrenaline coursing through my body. My jeans were too tight, my cock hard and aching.

“Is this okay?” I asked.

I recognized the fight in his gaze. He was holding on tight to his control. Feverishly, I wanted to be the one to break it.

“I should say no,” he started, and my stomach dropped out. “I should definitely say no… but I won’t. I can’t.”

Suddenly, I was the one who was nervous.

“Damien.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

“You saying my name like that gets me every fucking time,” he admitted.

When he opened his eyes again, there was desire in those vivid blues, and all that heat was aimed at me.

He slid his hand to my waist, and I did the same, pulling him in tight, letting him feel how much I wanted him.

And when his hard cock brushed against mine, despite the layers of denim between us, it took every ounce of my control to go slow.

Then, I didn’t need to.

Damien moved first.