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Chapter Nineteen

RIVER

While my mother is shopping the Black Friday deals with Savanna, I sit in my agent’s conference room, bored out of my mind. Four teams present their pitches.

I just want to play pro hockey.

Nate is beside me, his presence alone calming my anxiety. Dad occupies the chair next to my agent, Mickey Conway, leaning over to whisper in his ear.

Mickey nods and looks at me.

To my surprise, Spencer asked to attend the meetings. He’s on my dad’s left, scribbling notes on a legal pad. Spencer is more successful than everyone in this room combined. He’s skilled in business and a lawyer like my agent.

After the final pitch, the team representatives exit the room. All four of them wait on the other side of the door for my decision.

My heart thumps rapidly in my chest. Everything I sacrificed to be here has now come to fruition.

“Ready, kid?” Mickey asks.

I clear my throat and nod.

Mickey slides four contracts across the table. Nate intercepts them and flips through the pages. This is good practice for his career. Mickey doesn’t know it, but I want Nate to represent me after he graduates and completes the certification process.

“They’re pretty standard,” Mickey tells me. “Two-year contracts because of your age.”

I almost laugh because twenty-two is not old. But in hockey years, I’m already behind. I could have played at eighteen but chose to stay with Nate. And I’m glad I chose him.

“Each team is offering the top salary for a rookie,” Mickey says. “Plus a ten percent signing bonus and an A-level performance bonus with a max of one mill. Two teams added B-level bonuses worth up to two and a half mill.”

I glance at Nate. “Do I choose the money or the team?”

He rolls his broad shoulders against the highback leather chair. “It’s up to you.”

“I grew up wanting to play for the Rangers,” I say. “I’m a hometown guy. But…”

“The Islanders are paying more,” Spencer interjects. “Personally, I would go with them. And you would still be in New York.”

“Agreed,” Mickey says. “But the choice is yours, kid. You also got a nice offer from the Kings. Depends if you want to relocate to the West Coast.”

The thought of moving makes my stomach turn.

I love the East Coast.

It’s my home.

I glance across the table at my dad. “For the sake of our relationship, I think it would be a mistake to play for the Rangers.”

He sits back in the chair, hands clasped, and nods. “Whatever you decide, I will support it.”

I have spent my life trying to measure up to him, to prove that I am worthy of his love. As much as it pains me to reject his team’s offer, I must go with my gut.

With another team, I can create a new legacy that is not tainted by his. Besides, I couldn’t handle his coaching style. He would be harder on me than the other players just to prove he wasn’t showing me special treatment.

I grab the contracts, pick the one I know deep in my soul is the right choice, and sign the document. Mickey looks at it, rises from the chair, and opens the door.

“Walt, get in here,” he shouts.

A balding man dressed in a black suit enters the room, a grin tugging at his mouth. He walks over to my side of the table, and I rise from the chair to match his height. Tears prick my eyes, but I won’t let them spill. Later, I might have a happy cry, but not now.

He stretches out his hand and shakes mine. “Welcome to the Islanders, River.”

* * *

To celebrate the day, Nate booked us a suite at The Plaza with a view of Central Park. Apparently, he’d planned this because our bags were already in my trunk before I woke up this morning.

After we eat and check in, Nate drags me to the bedroom. He stares at the bed like he’s thinking about all the dirty shit we are going to do on it. His eyes light up. A wicked grin crosses his face.

He bends down, hooks his arms around my thighs, and tosses me over his shoulder. I’m almost the same height and weight. But Nate is built strong, muscles bulging from everywhere.

Impatient and horny, he throws me onto the mattress. “I need to be inside you. Fuck, it’s been killing me.”

Kneeling between my legs, he strips off his shirt. As usual, Nate is aggressive and takes the lead. And I let him. He’s so damn bossy in the bedroom. I’m not a beta in any other aspect of my life, but I secretly love it when my boyfriend tells me what to do.

I sit up and flip the button of his jeans, which are on the floor in seconds. Nate peels off his boxer briefs and quickly undresses me. One second, I’m clothed, and the next, my shirt, pants, and boxers are scattered across the room.

Nate rolls off me and grabs the lube from my suitcase. “Get on your knees,” he says as he inches toward me, dabbing the gel on his finger.

I get on all fours, and he moves behind me, rubbing his palm over his bare ass. “So perfect. My handprint will look good right here.”

He circles his hand on my left cheek and spanks me. I moan at the sudden sensation, the pain going straight to my hard cock.

Nate reaches around to jerk my shaft and puts a finger in my ass. “My boyfriend has such a pretty hole.”

He pulls out and drizzles the gel into my crack, smearing it with two fingers before plunging them in me.

“Look at you, nice and wet for me,” Nate growls, working me at the exact rhythm that he finger-fucks my ass.

Pressing my cheek to the mattress, I moan, “Oh god. Right there.”

He hits my prostate, over and over, until I’m ready to burst. My dick is like steel in his hand.

“Fuck me,” I bite out, sick of waiting, loose and dripping with lube. “I can’t take it anymore. Stop edging me.”

After he removes his fingers, he slides inside me without much protest. I’m used to handling all of him.

From the start, he was everything I ever wanted. Everything I craved. I savor every second, knowing I’m the luckiest man in the world. Nate slides his long, fat dick in and out of me and, each time, slams back into me. A sound like a growl falls from my mouth as I buck my hips.

I want more.

I always do.

Nate bends forward, his lips ghosting my earlobe. “You can’t get enough of me fucking this tight ass.”

“Fuck, yes,” I mumble, drunk on pleasure, overwhelmed by all the sensations spreading through my body.

I clench around him, and he groans in my ear.

“Mmm, I love it when you squeeze my cock.” He grips my ass, holding me tight to create more friction. “Fuck, Riv… You’re so…”

Before he can finish his thought, he spills inside me, and that sets me over the edge. He grips my shoulder, holding me up as my release coats the bedsheet.

With us joined, I feel his arms shake until the force of his orgasm subsides. We fall onto the mattress, legs locked and breathing harder.

“I have never liked sex this much,” Nate confesses. “Not until you. You make everything better, Riv.”

Needing to feel our skin pressed together, I climb on top of him, clinging like a koala. Whenever women did this to Nate, he freaked out. He never cared for intimacy. But with me, his walls come crumbling down. I’m the only one who gets this side of Nate.

He strokes his fingers through my sweaty hair and smiles. “I’m going to miss you when we’re apart. I hate that you’re leaving school. But I’m proud of you. I’m so happy for you. You deserve this. The Islanders are lucky to have you.”

“Will you be okay without me?”

He purses his lips. “I think so.”

“I’ll be right across the bay.” I press a kiss to his mouth. “And we’ll talk all the time. We’ll see each other whenever I can. Promise.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll have our teammates to keep me company and copious amounts of our homemade porn.” Nate reaches for his phone on the nightstand and points it at me. “I need more spank bank material.”

“Yeah,” I agree, unable to contain my smile. “It’s time to start a new collection.”