Page 13 of Home for the Hockey-Days (Cedar Rapids Raccoons)

CHAPTER 13

Rowan

“ W e didn’t talk about what happened yesterday at the diner.” My voice is a hushed whisper. It’s the day before Christmas Eve. Despite his protests, we’re in a quiet corner of the library for a tutoring session, surrounded by musty old books. Beams of soft light filter through the small window above us, showing specks of dust lingering in the air.

At least the official reason we’re here is for a tutoring session. I mostly just wanted to spend time with him and get to know him better.

August doesn’t react or answer, a muscle feathers in his cheek as he concentrates on the math problem he’s working on. His profile is stunning, striking, and sexy as all hell. Every time I think of the crunch Johnny’s nose made at the diner, I think of the bump in August’s nose.

He’s clearly had a broken nose or two of his own in his time. “Why were you even with that asshole, Rowan?”

It’s a question I’ve been expecting since we met, but I wasn’t expecting how tortured his voice sounds when he asks it .

He looks up from his math problem and meets my eyes. “He’s literally the worst human being I’ve ever met. And my own brother is a crook.”

He’s not wrong, Johnny White is a real piece of work.

“He wasn’t like that when I met him. Actually, that’s not strictly true. It was more that he didn’t let me see that part of him right away.”

Someone shushes us from somewhere close by so I drop my voice and shift in my seat. The weight of August staring at my face is heavy.

“You thought you could fix him.” There’s no accusation in his voice, no judgment or mocking, but I fucking hate that I’m so transparent, and from the way my cheeks sizzle, I can’t outwardly hide the fact he’s right.

“Guys like him can’t be fixed, Rowan, they can’t be saved.”

My head shakes before he finishes speaking. “Everyone can be saved.” I jolt. “That’s not why I want to be friends with you, August. I don’t think you need to be saved.”

“I know.” His warm hand cups my chin, his thumb stroking my face. “People can be saved. But they have to want it. Johnny doesn’t want to be saved. He’s happy being a prick.”

Something about what he’s saying makes sense, but embarrassment scratches at my skin. I wasted too much of my life with Johnny White before I realized the bad far outweighed the good.

If someone can save him, it sure as hell isn’t me. And when I tried, I lost myself in the process.

“You know he was bullied when he was younger for being fat? Then he found hockey, got fit, and turned into an absolute asshole.”

When August stays quiet, I keep talking. “I guess hurt people hurt people.”

August grunts. “I suspect he’s always been an asshole. Losing weight just gave him the permission he needed to let it shine. Hurt people hurting people is no excuse. Go to therapy, get your shit together, work on yourself, do what you gotta do. And don’t bring others down with you just because you feel like shit.” He winces like he relates to his own words, then sighs.

“I made assumptions about you when we first met.” He rakes a hand over his jaw. “I do it with my teammates, too. Damn near every day.” He shakes his head. “Hate myself for it.”

It takes me a moment because I’m waiting for him to finish his thought, but I think that’s it. “Do you mean the de la Pe?as?”

He grunts again. Guess that means yes?

“Spoiled little rich kids.” His words drip with disdain as he said them. “But they’re good guys, you know?”

I nod. “Athena and I are friends.”

He nods. “I know.”

A huge sigh bursts out of my body. “I honestly don’t know how they aren’t assholes considering how their dad is.”

His head snaps up like this is a new piece of information for him. “Their dad?”

“He’s a horrible, awful man. You should look him up online sometime.” I wish I was exaggerating, but I’m not. “He’s a cut throat business man.” She shrugs. “Aren’t they all? But he’s really not a good guy. And Athena in particular...” I blow out a puff of air. “Her life is... restricted. Oldest child, only daughter... Some days I fear the weight of her father’s expectations might crush her. She’s the strongest person I know.”

August nods like he might know what that feels like. “I thought you were a spoiled little rich girl too.” He jerks his chin at me.

After a long pause I realize he’s not going to fill the silence.

“You suck at apologies.” I tap his foot under the table with mine.

His face twitches, so I point at his mouth. “Is that...? Oh my God. August Nathaniel Kade. Are you smiling?”

He shakes his head. “I don’t do that.”

Another shush makes us fall quiet for a few minutes, but instead of turning his attention back to his work, he just stares. At me.

I nudge his foot with mine again and mouth the word “What?” at him.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, caressing my face again, making my eyelids flutter shut for just a moment.

“For what?” I’m not letting him get away with it that easily, even if his touch is sending shivers through my whole body.

“For assuming you were a spoiled little rich girl.” His breath tickles my face, like he’s leaned in toward me. His hand touches my knee, and I instinctively part my thighs.

My breath catches as his nose skims along my jaw.

“What if I am a spoiled little rich girl?”

He walks his fingers up my inner thigh, and my body leans forward like a magnet being drawn to another. He nips the shell of my ear. “I’m still sorry for being judgmental.”

When his fingertips skim the panties under my heavy skirt, I gasp.

“Just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you’re spoiled, or that I should assume negative things about you because of your bank balance.” His fingers travel higher.

“In the library?” My voice is breathy, and my heart hammers so loudly I’m sure the shusher is going to tell us to pipe down again any second.

August nibbles at my ear, drawing a deep moan from somewhere inside me. “Depends.” His fingers graze the hem of my underwear .

“On what?” I’m trying very hard not to beg him to touch me, not to pick up his hand and shove it inside my panties. But it’s so fucking hard.

He’s so close, his warmth is consuming me. “Is it possible for you to stay quiet long enough for me to make you come?” He slides a finger under the damp fabric and glides it up my labia. I can’t take it, I need him to sink his fingers into my aching pussy.

I bite my lip, hard.

“Can you be quiet, Rowan?” While he drags his tongue up the column of my neck, he slides his finger between my soaking wet lips, barely grazing my clit.

“Fuck.” It’s a pained whisper. “Please, August.” I roll my hips. “Please.”

“Shhhhhhhh.” He nips the soft skin where my neck meets my shoulder, making me swallow a groan.

When he removes his hand, I whimper. “P-please, August. Please don’t stop.” I’ve gone from being in complete control of this tutoring session to being a whiny, needy, soaking wet mess. It’s not at all professional, but if I don’t come soon, I might explode.

In silence, he drops to his knees and pushes my legs apart.

Oh God. Is he going to... Fuck.

He slides my skirt further up my thighs before pulling my ass toward him, moving me to the edge of the seat. I can’t help but look behind him. What if someone walks past? What if I can’t stay quiet? What if...?

What if?—?

Fuck. He peels my lips apart and sinks his tongue into my pussy, and in a split second, I don’t care who walks past.

August eats my pussy in earnest, feeding off my ragged breaths. He slips two fingers inside me, curling them into my g-spot.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuckety fucking fuck.

I’m bucking my hips against his face, but it’s not enough. He’s lapping my clit with the flat of his tongue, and the more I writhe against him, the slower he goes.

He’s trying to fucking kill me.

My body tenses as I inch closer and closer toward my release. All the while, he takes his time like he’s in no rush to go anywhere, be anywhere, and like we’re not in the middle of a fucking library with his head between my legs under the table we were just studying math at.

I can’t take it.

I release the arms of the chair I had been white-knuckle gripping and spear my fingers into his hair, drawing him to me.

It’s August who blinks first and makes a noise. Apparently this guy likes it when my nails are biting into his scalp, and my pussy is suffocating the life force out of him.

He groans against my clit, sending a deep shiver through my whole body as I crest the wave. I’ve never, in my entire life, stayed quiet through an orgasm. Not once. Until now.

I bite my lip so hard a metallic taste fills my mouth. Wave after wave of pleasure crashes into me with such force I see stars. My ass is off the edge of the chair, the only thing holding up my jerking, twitching body is August Kade’s face.

My orgasm lasts forever, aftershocks rippling through every muscle in my body, and still, he stays on his knees slurping my arousal and cum like it’s his fucking life force.

I’m not sure how long it takes my body to switch back on, or my brain to reboot after the haze of bliss that hit with my release. But when I blink back into real time, August has pulled my panties off my ankles, he’s righted my skirt, and he’s sitting back in his chair next to me working.

“August? Where are my panties?” I’m breathless, my chest is heaving with shallow breaths as I struggle to fill my lungs.

He pats his pocket but doesn’t say anything.

“I think I’ve got the right answer to this one.” He slides his papers across the table to me like he didn’t just suck my soul out of my body.

“You expect me to math? Like... right now?” I cover my erratic heart with my palm as he looks me straight in the eye with a look that could ignite kindling.

“Yes, Rowan. I do.” He points at his crotch. “Sooner I get this shit done, the sooner I can fuck you senseless.”