Page 11 of Home for the Hockey-Days (Cedar Rapids Raccoons)
CHAPTER 11
Rowan
I shouldn’t be surprised when I wake up alone. But I am. Surprised, pissed as hell, and... My stomach sinks. Disappointed. Crushed, even. And ashamed, embarrassed, and a cacophony of other emotions I don’t want to give a name to.
While our first time was most definitely some kind of exorcism of our demons as he pounded into me like a pneumatic drill, by the fourth time he fucked me, August had softened somehow.
And I don’t mean his dick. I don’t think that thing ever softens.
I mean the fact that he wasn’t hammering at me like I was his enemy’s girl anymore. And I dared to hope... What? What did I hope? I heave out a sigh, admitting the ugly truth to myself on the exhale.
I hoped that maybe we could be something more. That maybe my crush wasn’t one-sided.
I choke through a groan. When will I ever learn? All guys are raging assholes, and they only want one thing: to wet their dicks .
That said, if August only ever wanted to use me for sex, well... I might have considered letting him. But this hot-and-cold shit won’t fly. Who the fuck up and disappears before the other person wakes up? Fucking cowards, that’s who.
My pussy aches in all the best ways, and every muscle in my body hurts from the vigorous, and lengthy , workout.
That man can certainly work his dick like a master.
A shiver snakes up my spine at the memories. I’d never have guessed by looking at him that he was such a considerate lover, but holy shit, I think he drained me of all my cum with his mouth.
August Kade is a cum vampire.
After I get dressed, I make my way down to the restaurant. As Athena waves me over to her table, I feel the searing stare of someone to my right, but I don’t gift them my attention. If August Kade wants my attention, he shouldn’t have sneaked out of my room like he was doing a dirty walk of shame.
Jerk.
I plop onto the chair facing Athena before reaching across the table and lifting her mug of coffee.
“Late night?” She quirks a brow.
I know I’m taking my life into my hands by stealing her caffeine, but she looks more amused and curious than pissed at me right now, so I’m going to take full advantage of it. The weight of the stare to my right finally draws my attention, but it’s not the beautiful eyes of August Kade staring back at me. It’s Johnny’s sister, Jade.
Well, shit.
She tries to smile and wave, but I ignore her. I don’t have time for her, or her asshole brother anymore.
She doesn’t get to make nice with me just ‘cause I’m not with Johnny anymore. What the fuck is she doing here? Is she dating one of the Raccoons? Surely the fuck not. The universe wouldn’t be that cruel to me, would it? But what other explanation could there be?
I glance to my left, briefly catching August’s eye before he turns his attention back to his breakfast. He spears at his scrambled eggs with his fork like they did him dirty.
“Ah ha.” Athena waves her toast at me. “I get it now.”
A server comes to take my breakfast order before she says anything else, but as soon as he turns his back, Athena’s on me again. “You fucked him, didn’t you?”
I don’t bother denying it. I’m not ashamed of what I did with August Kade all night, even if he is. “Apparently his key opened my door.”
She snickers. “Is that a euphemism?”
I crack a smile. “His actual key opened my hotel room door.”
She nods like this isn’t a hugely surprising thing. “That happens more than you might think.” When I say nothing, she tips her head. “Was it shit?”
I recoil. “What?”
“You both look mad as hell.”
I hate how astute she is. The restaurant is getting busier, dishes clink, and the din of conversation around the tables makes it easier to talk about it without being overheard.
“Jade’s over there.”
“I’ll allow this momentary change of subject, Row. But I need an answer on how good August Kade is with his dick.” Athena doesn’t turn to look at Jade. “I spied her when I got here. She tried to talk to me, but I told her to get fucked. You think she’s here with one of the team? She better not be here with one of my brothers, I’ll sever their dicks off with a rusty knife.”
Jade White is as renowned for dating handsome, rich men as her brother is for being an asshole. And Athena just so happens to be related to three rich, delicious eligible bachelors who fit Jade’s profile.
“It was the hottest night of my life. I came so many times I lost count. I’m pretty sure he broke my vag.” I stare down at the nearly empty mug still cradled in my hands avoiding her probing stare. “Then I woke up alone.”
“No!”
I nod as she takes another bite of toast. “You wanna fuck with both of them?”
“You mean August and Jade?”
She nods.
A spark of a thrill ignites in my stomach. I love nothing more than fucking with people, especially when they both deserve it. “Tell me.”
Less than a minute later, I’m striding toward August. He won’t meet my eyes, and that bothers me more than I care to admit.
But I won’t let him know how much I care that he’s thrown me out with last night’s used condom. Singular. Because it turns out I didn’t just like having his cum dripping out of me, I fucking loved it. And I’m on birth control.
I don’t care that he’s at a table full of hockey players, I don’t care that he left me in the early hours of the morning like what we did was icky and wrong. And I also don’t care that Jade might be watching, in fact, I hope she is.
“I didn’t see you hiding all the way over here, Snickerdoodle ,” I give August a casual, saccharine smile as I approach.
His head snaps up, a slice of bacon frozen mid-way to his open mouth. He pushes his chair back like he’s going to stand, but before he can rise, I straddle him, slide my fingers into his hair, and kiss his stunned face.
I’m not sure what I expect, but instead of shoving me off of him, his hands skim my hips, up my back, and pull me against his chest. Thank fuck for that. It could have been embarrassing if he hadn’t run with it.
Maybe there’s another reason why he got outta dodge this morning. Maybe he had somewhere to be, or... I dunno. I feel like if he needed to leave, the polite thing to do would have been to wake me up. Hell, I’d have happily given him a before-breakfast-blowie to send him on his way and everything.
He’s still kissing me, his hands tightening on my hips. His teammates don’t cheer and clap like I half expected them to, but there are whispers and murmurs all around us. Barely fighting the urge to dry hump his hardening dick, I eventually come up for air. His eyes search mine, swirling with lust and confusion.
I drag my tongue up the side of his face like I did last night, he seemed to like it. And I sure as shit love the rumbling growl it draws from his body. “Johnny’s sister is here.” I roll my hips against his, and his grip on me tightens like he’s fighting the urge to fuck me right here at breakfast. What the hell is this guy’s deal?
He wants me? He wants me not?
Either way, I wish he’d make up his fucking mind and let me know.
“You’re putting on a show so it gets back to him?” His voice is quiet, like it’s just for me. He holds me while he moves his pelvis, his rod-stiff cock pressing into the apex of my thighs.
“Is that a problem?” I don’t recognize the breathy voice that comes out of me, nor the urge to show Johnny that I’ve moved on, and to his mortal enemy no less.
He looks up at me, searching my eyes for something. “I don’t know. You look kinda pissy.”
“I didn’t appreciate waking up alone.”
His brows twitch, and I’m glad I caught him off guard. “You didn’t?”
“No, you big oaf. I fucking didn’t.” I sweep my nose against his. “I’m pissed you left.”
Something I can’t identify flickers in his eyes, and he flexes his jaw muscles. “This’ll never work between us, Rowan.”
“You don’t know that.”
“The fuck I don’t.” He scowls. “Girls like you belong with guys like Artemis and Apollo.”
It’s my turn to scowl. “The fuck? Is that so? And who made you Grand Master Cupid? I’m aware of the current political climate, August Kade, but I’m also still the boss of my own fucking body. Pray tell why I belong with them and not you.”
“I don’t have money.”
I can’t help rolling my eyes. “And?”
His nostrils flare. “I don’t even have a fucking car.”
Ouch. Okay, that makes me wince. “My bad, but what does that have to do with whether something between us is worth exploring?”
He growls at me like the answer is obvious. “We’re from opposite sides of the tracks, Rowan. It just won’t work.”
“Riiiiiiight. So you’re clairvoyant. Cool, cool. And we won’t go into the fact that you’re making sweeping assumptions about my life based on the fact I’m friends with Athena.” I brush my lips against his. “For the sake of argument, even if it doesn’t work out. It just needs to seem to work. At least for the next few minutes.”
“Why?” His breath catches as I nip at his jaw. “What do we get out of faking it?”
I shrug. I can’t explain it. I feel something for this grumpy, brooding asshole, and I’d like a chance to pursue it, but if I say that again, it might spook him even more. “Sticking it to Johnny White and some great sex?”
He falls quiet, and while it seems that most of his teammates behind me have gone back to their breakfasts, I still feel eyes on me.
“Come on, Snickerdoodle.” I flash him my most disarming grin. “You can’t tell me you don’t want me.” I rock my hips again, dragging a hiss from him. I lower my mouth to his ear. “Well, you could, but we’d both know you’re lying. At least think about it? Just a date, or two...” I know I sound pathetic, but so are his reasons for writing us off before we even have a single date.
August doesn’t say another word, he doesn’t put me down either. Instead, he cups my ass, stands up, and walks away from his breakfast. His teammates apparently suck at whispering because they’re gossiping out loud like little old ladies. One thing is resoundingly clear: August never dates. August never does PDAs. They’re all stunned that August has me in his arms right now.
Okay, two things are clear. One, the team is convinced that August is basically a monk.
And two, from the look on Jade’s face, she’s already told her brother that I’m making a scene with his nemesis.