Page 80 of On A Manhunt: Complete Series

LINDY

I spent all day Saturday writing. I even put on my noise canceling headphones to block out the world.

While Dex’s neighbors didn’t have any tall trees, I wasn’t taking any chances with any kind of distraction.

I hadn’t gotten as far as I wanted in my story this week, and I needed to get through as much as I could.

Since Dex now knew what I was up to, I’d been waiting for him to somehow read my draft.

But other than him mentioning it once in bed, he hadn’t pushed.

With Dex away, I got into the zone and wrote, although my muse was with me and telling me all the naughty things to add.

I didn’t even go to the grocery store with my list, just ate leftover pizza from the other night.

On Sunday, Lucy joined me in a writing sprint on the video chat after she dropped off her daughter at a birthday party.

“Top of the hour. Share,” she said, her face in a little window in the bottom corner of my laptop. We wrote in thirty-minute intervals, then took a break.

I sat back, rubbed my eyes. “Chapter fourteen,” I told her. “I’m getting a snack.”

Climbing from the chair, I stretched and went to the counter and grabbed a banana from the bunch in a bowl.

“Holy shit, Lind. That’s… wow. So good. I’m loving this story. And it’s hot as hell.”

I dropped into the seat. Her praise meant so much because our author-friend rule had always been to be brutally honest. There were so many chapters and scenes we’d tweaked or cut entirely because of each other’s advice.

“Thanks,” I said, peeling the banana. “It’s been quick to write. I’ll definitely be able to finish for the editor in time and I don’t have to panic about the pre-order.”

“You’ve definitely gotten the words in since last week, but I can’t believe all that’s happened. I mean, right after we talked that tree fell on your house!”

While we hadn’t video chatted or written together since last Saturday, we emailed and I told her about the house.

“Yeah, God. It’s crazy. Mav–that’s Bridget’s boyfriend–has pretty much taken over getting everything fixed.”

“He seems like a really great guy. But I don’t want to hear about him. I want to hear about his brother. I told you he was your muse. The guy who put that smile on your face and inspiration to write the sexiest sex scene in the West.” She fanned herself and laughed.

“He’s… inspirational,” I said, choosing my words carefully.

“Tell me his dick’s bigger than that banana.”

I glanced at the just peeled fruit, waved it in front of the camera.

“It is.”

“And you’ve gotten your face that close to it.”

I grinned. “I have.”

“Then get off the computer and go get that big banana.”

“That big banana is in Finland.” I took a bite of the one in my hand. Definitely smaller in my mouth than Dex’s.

That thought made me feel happy, excited and aroused all at once. I was having a fling with a fun, hot man. I knew what his dick felt like in my mouth. And that made me hot. And lonely.

“For an exhibition hockey game,” I added, because clearly Lucy didn’t follow hockey any more than I did. I glanced at the clock on my screen. “Which is tonight. Or soon since they’re ahead nine hours.” Yeah, I checked the time difference.

“Oh. Then get off the phone and go watch your man in action.”

“He’s my fling, not my man,” I clarified, making sure she knew it couldn’t get serious. I was making sure I knew it wasn’t getting serious. Although I was sitting in his house, my bathroom products mixed in with his. Our laundry was piled together in the hamper.

“Riiiiiiight.”

A knock on the door had me looking up. Bridget and Mallory came in, arms loaded down with reusable grocery bags.

Mallory, as usual, was dressed in cute shorts with a striped shirt.

Her hair was half up-half down and she had on makeup.

Bridget was in cut-off jean shorts, a white tank top, and her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun.

I went shopping more with Mallory when the girls were young than Bridget.

“We brought snacks for the hockey game,” Bridget announced.

“Gotta watch Sexy Dexy in action,” Mallory added.

God, that nickname was awful. But he was sexy.

I glanced at Lucy on the screen. “Mallory and Bridget are here to do that. Gotta go.”

Lucy waved at me, and I slammed the lid shut on my laptop. I popped the last piece of banana in my mouth as they put the bags on the kitchen counter.

“Chips and salsa. Hummus. Spicy barbecue chips,” Mallory listed as she pulled things out.

“Guac?” I asked.

Bridget pulled two avocados from her bag. “Happening.”

“I’ve never watched a game knowing a player before. This is so exciting,” Mallory said.

“Where are the guys?” I asked, pulling flavored seltzers from the fridge. Mav wasn’t usually far from Bridget these days.

In the week I’d been living with Dex–no, living in Dex’s house–I learned he was a partial health nut. Of course he exercised. He didn’t need to be on a pro hockey team for me to know that. I only had to get him naked and touch every inch of that hard, muscled body.

He didn’t like gratuitous sugar–his words–in things like soda and his idea of a snack was fruit.

So I’d compromise on that and have guac and seltzer with my spicy chips. Avocado was a fruit.

“Went for a hike,” Mallory said. “They’ve seen Dex play before.”

“Have you talked to him since he left?” Bridget asked.

I shook my head. “Just a few texts but not back and forth. He said they’re on a crazy schedule.”

“Did you watch his interview?” Bridget asked.

“No. Why?”

“He didn’t tell you about it?” She glanced at Mallory, just like when they were little and had a shared secret.

“Out with it.” I curled my fingers in a gimme gesture.

Mallory pulled out her phone and did some swiping. “Here.” She thrust it at me.

It was a sports website and I clicked on the video.

A sportscaster was asking Dex a question.

He was in his Silvermines uniform, helmet on his head, hockey stick in hand.

He was sweaty and flushed. From playing hockey, not sex with me.

Although I’d seen that sweaty and flushed look before when he was naked.

You must be feeling pretty lucky your girlfriend–the one we’ve all seen you with in Montana of all places–doesn’t mind you’re an enforcer off the ice.

I sucked in a breath and flicked my gaze at the girls.

Her, lucky? Hell, I’m the lucky one. It’s better than the draft, being a first-round pick by someone as perfect as she is.

Ohmygod. Oh. My. God.

“You sure it’s a fling?” Bridget whispered when I handed the phone back to Mallory.

I didn’t answer, just went over his words again and again as I grabbed some of the snacks and settled on the couch. I busied myself by pulling up the game on a satellite sports channel while the girls finished making the guac and set the spread on the coffee table.

The game started after a bunch of fancy pregame stuff including national anthems.

“God, he’s hot,” Mallory said at least seventeen times through the first and second periods.

In my mind, I said it every time Dex was on the ice.

I didn’t know skating was sexy, but the way he moved was effortless.

Like at the kids’ practices, but with intensity.

He shoved a guy into the boards, then he got taken out, but popped right back up.

Even watching him guzzle from a water bottle on the bench was hot.

He was in his element playing hockey. Especially when he scored the third time which was something called a hat trick, per the announcer.

“Please tell me you offered him some kind of sex motivation to score three goals,” Mallory urged, staring at the TV and watching Dex skate down the boards and getting gloved high fives from his teammates for the latest goal.

“What?” I asked on a laugh.

“Does he get a BJ for every goal?” Mallory asked. “For the hat trick, does he get anal?”

Bridget was taking a sip of her drink and spit it all over Mallory.

“I don’t want to know about Lindy and anal, okay?” Bridget said, glancing at her BFF.

“Please, you totally gave up that hole for Mav.”

I stared at Mallory wide eyed. While I knew Bridget wasn’t a virgin, it was hard for me to separate the little girl I raised with the woman who might be having anal sex.

“You need to get laid instead of thinking about Lindy’s sex life,” Bridget told her.

Mallory nodded. “I do. I sooooo do. I’m waiting for Theo, obviously. If he can perform surgery on a brain or spleen or something, imagine what those hands can do with a g-spot.”

Bridget looked at me. I looked at Bridget. We laughed. And laughed.

“What? I’m not wrong,” Mallory added.

I didn’t think she was. But Theo seemed to be a tough nut to crack, but if anyone could do it, it’d be her.

When I was wiping my eyes with a napkin, Mallory piped up again. “Just because he’s away doesn’t mean you can’t do sexy times. I bet you haven’t had phone sex. Or video chat sex.”

“She’s been in his bed, so why does she need to phone it in?” Bridget asked, taking another sip of her drink.

“He’s in Finland.” Mallory turned to face me. “I’m not getting any, Lindy. It’s clear since I’m all up in your sex life. So please, please have video chat sex with that man later. He’s earned it.”

She was right. The idea was hot. And would be amazing in my book. I wasn’t telling either of them I was game. I shrugged, playing it cool.

“I’m so impressed with you, Lindy Beckett,” Mallory gushed.

“Why?” I scooped some guac onto a chip.

“Bagging a professional hockey player. He’s gorgeous. Nice. Talented. And he’s soooo into you. Plus, he has a magical dick,” Mallory added.

“I didn’t say that Aspen did,” I clarified while crunching on the chip. “But it’s true.”

He sooooo did.