Page 16

Chapter 16

MICAH

I leaned back in my chair and took out my phone. We had the night off after arriving in Chicago for our final game on this trip. Dinner with my teammates was winding down, and I wished I wasn’t going back to an empty hotel room. The road trip had been okay, with one win and one loss. Hopefully, we could grab two more points with tomorrow’s game.

Micah: Are you in bed yet?

Micah: Fuck. I missed waking up with you on top of me this morning.

Ten minutes went by. Shit. Was I laying it on too thick?

I tapped out another message.

Micah: Still working?

Finally, three dots popped up. I was so fucking gone for my hurricane.

Josie: No Tipsy tonight. Just finishing up some work for an author.

Micah: Dirty pics that you need more inspiration with?

My stomach tightened. I’d reaped more rewards than I’d anticipated every time she wanted to research different positions for her drawings. Fuck. I wished I was at home right now.

Josie: Maybe.

Micah: What are they doing tonight?

Josie: All the spicy things. I’m still trying to get the right shading of his hands on her ass as he takes her from behind.

Josie: Like how you had me on the bathroom counter the other morning so we could watch each other?

I shifted in my seat. Fucking hell, I was ready to explode, just remembering her hard nipples brushing against the cool tiles, her cheeks flushed with desire, as I slammed into her.

Micah: Are you trying to kill me?

Josie: You started this conversation.

Josie: Are you in your room?

Micah: No. I’m having dinner with the guys.

Josie: And dirty texting me? Naughty, naughty, Micahtron. Hope no one is reading over your shoulder.

I glanced around the table, but thank fuck, no one was paying attention to me. I was playing with fire, but I couldn’t resist.

Micah: We’re finishing up, and I miss you.

Micah: What are you wearing?

An image popped up, and I bit back a groan. Her shirt had slipped off of one shoulder, and she was clearly not wearing a bra. Her pebbled nipples made my mouth water. Her hair was piled up on her head, with some messy strands floating around her face, and her mouth was slightly parted.

And now I was beyond fucking hard and cursing myself for being an idiot and starting this conversation while I was having dinner with my teammates.

I took a sip of my beer as my phone buzzed with another message. I tapped out a response without reading her next message.

Micah: Fucking hell. Take off that shirt and send me another pic.

Micah: How wet are you?

Ray: Dude? WTF?

Ray: Damn. Who’s texting you right now?

I dropped my phone and let out a weird squawk.

What.

The.

Actual.

Fuck.

“What’s going on, Micah?” Tally asked, but I stared down at my phone as it vibrated again. And again.

I picked it back up.

Ray: Sorry for interrupting your sexting. Can’t wait to hear about her.

Ray: Text me tomorrow or something.

Josie: What are you wearing?

My body felt so weird right now with texts coming in from both of them. What the hell!

“Micah? You okay?” Dom asked from across the table.

I raked my hand over my face, leaving the phone on the table in front of me. Face down.

“Shit, man. You look like you’re going to puke,” Dom said.

“Get him a bucket or something,” Sin called out.

“Fuck off. I’m not going to puke.” I sucked in a breath.

“Looks like you’re going to spew to me,” Sin said.

I glared at him.

“Seriously, what’s up with you?” Tally asked.

I tapped my finger on the back of my phone, still keeping it flipped over so I couldn’t see the screen. “Uh, I just sent a message to Josie’s brother that was meant for her.”

Sin whistled. “Oof.”

“Shit. What did you say?” Dom asked.

“Fuck, man. How?” Tally asked.

I squeezed the back of my neck.

“Did you say her name?” Dom asked.

“Thank fuck, no. But I was texting Josie and Ray’s message popped up, and I didn’t realize it wasn’t Josie’s window,” I mumbled. Then took a gulp of water.

At least my dick had deflated.

“Oh, shit. Give me your phone. I want to see this.” Sin reached around Tally, but Tally swatted his hand away.

“You are not getting his phone.”

“Party pooper. At least tell us how dirty your sexting was. Also, spicy texting your girl while you’re having dinner with us. Damn, man. Didn’t know you had it in you.” Sin wiggled his brows.

“Fuck off,” I muttered.

“I guess he’s not wrong. Are you really sexting Josie right now?” Dom asked.

“Are we not entertaining enough for you?” Sin asked. “Not that I wouldn’t be sending dirty texts to Josie if she was mine.”

“Do you want me to punch you? Don’t fucking talk about her like that, asshole,” I gritted out.

“Yeah. Low blow on that, Sin. Do better,” Tally admonished his friend.

“You know I’m teasing. That woman only has eyes for you, man,” Sin said, holding up his hands.

“Shut up,” I bit out.

“Your phone is buzzing.” Dom nodded toward the device.

“I know that,” I muttered, not ready to pick it up yet, but Josie was probably wondering where I’d vanished to.

“As long as Ray didn’t figure out you were talking to his sister, then you’re fine,” Dom said.

“I feel dirty,” I groused.

“You could just tell Ray about you and Josie. I mean, what are your plans about her living in your place when he’s here?” Tally asked.

“She’s crashing at our place,” Timmy interjected from a few seats down.

Fucking hell. Was the entire table listening to this shit show? I glanced around.

Yup. The entire fucking team, give or take a few of the guys who’d already bailed for the night.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

“It’s fine. We can keep it on the DL. No one’s going to let it slip, right?” Tally asked.

They all nodded, but I already felt a bit queasy.

“Now, can you pick up your phone and respond to Josie? Sexting and then leaving her hanging is just rude,” Dom said with a wink.

Fuck. Me.

I flipped my phone back over.

Josie: I hope it’s nothing.

Josie: You looked so freaking hot on the ice last night. Did I mention that already?

Josie: Where did you go?

Josie: Hello??

That last text had just come through.

I stood up and tossed some cash on the table. “Good night, boys.” I wasn’t going to continue this conversation with all of my teammates up my ass.

“Hey. You can’t leave us hanging like that,” Sin said.

“Leave him be,” Tally said. “But fill us in tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Enjoy your sexting. Just check the name in the message box first,” Dom teased.

“Fuck off.” I knocked back the rest of my beer and then strode out of the hotel restaurant and toward the elevator, ignoring the taunts they called out to me.

I tapped on her message box. Thankfully, Ray hadn’t followed it up with any more texts.

Micah: I’m heading to my room. Sorry for disappearing.

Josie: Ooh. Done with dinner and on to the sexting. Yes, please.

I jabbed the elevator button, grateful when the door opened soon after. I stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for my floor, leaning against the wall behind me.

Josie: Should I strip now or give you a show on video?

I groaned.

Micah: Hold on. I’ll be in my room soon.

My dick was still not over the sheer panic of texting Ray. Fuck. I was a mess. And she was probably going to laugh her ass off when I told her.

I stepped off the elevator and walked down the hall to my room, swiping my keycard against the door, grateful that I didn’t have a roommate.

Part of me wanted to just text her, but I tapped out her name, needing to see her face.

“Hello there. Damn. You still have clothes on,” she murmured, her eyes dark with desire.

“So. Not to ruin the mood or anything, but I sent a dirty text to your brother,” I started.

Her mouth gaped open. “Um. What?”

My body felt tingly, and not in a good way. I felt, well, icky was the best way to describe it. Traumatized, maybe.

I audibly swallowed and pulled on my shirt collar. “So, yeah. Uh, funny story, I guess. After you sent me that hot picture, Ray texted at the same time, so his window popped up and I texted for him to send me a new picture without the shirt on.”

She giggled. “You did not. Oh my god, Micah.”

“And I might’ve also asked if you were wet.”

She burst out laughing, her head thrown back as her body shook. “Holy crap, that’s amazing.” She paused. “I mean, potentially scarring, but also amazing.”

“It’s not funny,” I grumbled. “I feel like I need to shower.”

“Well, don’t strip off-camera,” she said, still laughing.

I glared at her image on the phone. “It’s not funny. What if I had typed your name?”

“Did you?”

“No. Thank fuck.” I raked my hand through my hair.

“Okay. That’s good.”

“We could tell him,” I said. “I mean, not tonight, or he will freak the fuck out because of my texts, and I’m pretty sure he encouraged me to get back to sexting and tell him about it later.”

She scrunched her nose. “Ew. Yeah, it’s a good thing you didn’t use my name.” She sighed. “I know we should tell them, but I like our bubble. Can we keep it just between us a little longer?”

“Yeah. But don’t hate me if I’m not in the mood to talk dirty to you right now.”

She smirked. “I get it. That was scary. You should sleep on it and feel better in the morning.”

“Very funny,” I deadpanned.

“Go cleanse yourself, and you’ll feel much better tomorrow,” she teased.

“You are super annoying right now. I’m over here trying to process what just happened, and you’re laughing at me,” I said, trying to keep humor from my tone. I wasn’t that shook up, but it definitely wasn’t as amusing as she clearly felt it was.

“I’ll let you process. Get some sleep and text me tomorrow if you’ve recovered.”

“Just for that, you cannot touch yourself until I get home. And if you do and I find out, I will edge the hell out of you until you’re begging me to let you come. Have a good night, Hurricane.”

I felt slightly better as her lips parted, and her cheeks darkened right before I ended the call.

Of course, now I was hard as stone.

Fucking hell.

JOSIE

“Shoot,” I muttered, looking at the time on my phone. I’d gotten distracted finishing up some new branding for Elaine and now had less than thirty minutes to get ready for my shift at Tipsy tonight.

Today had been a constant stream of work, but I’d loved every second of it. I’d only had three dogs to walk today, and thanks to the super snowy and windy weather, the walks had been quick. Then, Wally had taken two spins around the rooftop garden before he was ready to go back to snoozing in front of his fireplace. But the weather also meant that Micah and the team hadn’t been able to get out of Chicago until about twenty minutes ago to fly home, and I’d be at the bar by the time he walked through the door.

I’d been hoping for a midafternoon nap with him before I had to leave. I’d kept my hands in PG areas after his extra hot demand the other night, even though I’d been tempted to ignore his request. I mean, how would he even know if I got myself off, anyway?

But there was something delicious about holding out. I did a little shimmy in my seat.

My phone vibrated next to me, but I knew it wouldn’t be him since he was up in the air. I glanced at my phone, groaning, when my mom’s picture popped up.

I tapped it on.

“Hi, Mom,” I said. I should’ve let it go to voicemail, but I’d avoided the last three calls, so I knew I’d better answer this one. I figured I could at least rush her off because I had to get to work.

“Hi, honey. I’m surprised you picked up.” She might have sounded sweet, but the immediate judgment was there.

“Um. I’m actually getting ready to go to work, so I can’t talk long,” I said.

“Which job this time? The bar? The same one from last week?” The condescension was grating.

“Yes, Mom. I’m still at Tipsy and loving it.”

“But for how long? You need to get a stable job. A real job, Josie.”

“Bartending is a real job, and they even gave me benefits.”

“The sass is unnecessary,” she said.

Is it?

“I just worry about your future. Ray has a great teaching career. Your father and I have wonderful, successful jobs.”

“That you hate,” I muttered.

“What?” she asked, even though I knew she heard me. Her hearing rivaled that of a bat, which, according to a very precocious eight-year-old that I’d nannied for last year, had the best hearing in the animal kingdom.

“Nothing. Mom. I have to get ready for work,” I said.

“How’s Blaine? You haven’t brought him up in a while,” she asked.

Crap. The hits just kept coming from her today.

“Uh. We broke up.”

“What? Oh, no. Where are you staying? Why are you still in Denver?” she asked.

Ugh. How hard would it have been to not tell her that? Idiot.

“I like Denver. It’s a great city, and I have jobs here that I like.”

“You can tend bar anywhere. And walk dogs, since I bet you’re still doing that? I mean, how do you even walk dogs in all that snow, anyway?”

“Mom. I really have to get going.” I stood up and headed down the hall to get changed.

“Who are you staying with? Did you get an apartment with all your lucrative jobs?”

Oof, she was extra bitchy today. Great. I stepped inside the door of Micah’s—our—bedroom. I wanted to bury my head in his pillow.

“With a friend.” I forced down my smirk.

“What friend? How well do you know them? What if they’re a criminal?”

I rolled my eyes. “Mom. It’s a friend from work, and she’s very nice and not a criminal. And I really need to get ready for my job.”

“Make sure you introduce her to Ray when he’s out there. He’ll fill us in on what he thinks. Seriously, Josie, you need to think about these things and be safe. The world is scary.”

“I know, Mom. But everything is good. I’ve made a bunch of friends out here, and I’m safe.”

“I just worry about you, you know.” I heard her sigh.

“I know that. But it’s fine, and I really have to go. We’ll talk soon, okay?” I felt slightly bad that she was worried but also annoyed that she was so judgy about my life. It was a weird place to be. I wanted to be angry at her, but I also understood some of her concerns. I mean, she was definitely over the top, but—

Ugh . I really needed to get off the phone. My mood was all wonky right now.

“Yes, we will. Be safe, Josie. And I’m glad Ray will be out to visit soon. But think about coming home. I mean, there’s nothing really in Denver that you couldn’t get here,” she said. “Love you, honey.”

“You too. Bye.” I hung up the phone and glanced around the bedroom again.

There was absolutely something here that I couldn’t get at home.

Micah.

“Stupid snowy weather,” I muttered, and then I marched into the closet to change for work at one of the many jobs I loved.

***

“IPA for you, pale ale for you, and IPA for you,” I said, dropping off a drink order later that night to three of the regulars at the bar.

“Thanks, Josie,” Harold said, tipping his IPA bottle toward me after he took his first sip. “Man, Santa’s game-winning goal was sweet last night.” He nodded toward the TV mounted behind me.

I turned to watch the highlight reel again. Simone always kept one of the TVs on sports, even if there wasn’t a game on. Tonight, the local NBA team was playing, but it was intermission, so hockey highlights were on. Leaning my back against the bar, I tried to spot Micah’s number. They were so fast, but it was like my eyes automatically looked for number twenty-five. He’d passed the puck to Tally, who had then sent it to Santa for that sweet shot Harold was referring to. I’d screamed my head off last night when they’d won.

The trip had started rough with a loss in Winnipeg, but I knew Micah was happy to come home with at least four of the six possible points. They only had eleven games left in the regular season and were in the first wild card spot right now.

“Hey, Josie, can you drop this at table four?” Simone asked, pulling my attention away from the screen. Micah wasn’t on camera anymore, and they were going back to basketball, which I didn’t care to watch.

“Sure,” I said, grabbing a plate of nachos and a burger.

I spent the next hour filling drinks and chatting with the patrons and my coworkers about the Stampede’s season, the latest pile-up of snow, and which hiking shoes were the best for winter day hikes. My mother’s complaints lingered in the back of my mind like they typically did after a conversation with her, but I shoved them aside. I was lucky to have this life. To be able to try new things and find success in what I enjoyed.

She just didn’t get it, and normally, I was okay with that.

I wiped down the bar space in front of me, then moved to the corner and grabbed the glasses that had just finished up in the dishwasher, drying them off and stacking them under the bar.

***

“Can I get a hurricane?” A voice I knew extremely well said, and my head shot up to see a grinning Micah on the other side of the bar. He leaned toward me and looked hotter than he had any business looking.

Especially because I still had hours before I was done with work.

I’d missed him so much. I was used to sleeping next to him now, and I wanted that every day. I knew that wasn’t possible during the hockey season, but dirty talking on the phone wasn’t enough, even if it was a video chat most nights. It was going to suck so bad when Ray was here. Yeah, I was excited to see my brother, but I was going to miss waking up with Micah. And going to sleep.

Not that we got much sleep when he was home.

I tamped down a shudder, but apparently, not well enough, if Micah’s smirk was anything to go by.

“You look a little twitchy, Hurricane. Something on your mind?” His voice was low, and it did things to my insides that were not appropriate in my place of employment.

Rolling back my shoulders, I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “I don’t know what you’re implying, Micahtron.”

“Come here,” he said, crooking his finger at me as heat fired through me. His eyes were dark, and I wanted to drown in them.

I leaned forward until his mouth was against my ear.

“So, if I were to slip my hand between your thighs, you wouldn’t be wet right now?” His voice was barely over a whisper, but it vibrated through my body.

It was by sheer will that my body didn’t combust right then and there, and I was grateful that no one was in the seats near us.

“Holy shit.” I gasped.

“Answer the question, Josie,” he growled low.

I sucked in a breath. “Guess you’re going to have to wait hours before you find out.” It was said with false bravado, but I could tease just as well as he could.

But holy freaking hell, I was still getting used to how filthy he was. And loving every second of it.