Page 32 of Project: FU (Longwood U #3)

TAVIS

I blow the whistle, and practice stops. “What the hell was that, Smithers?” I ask, laughing. “You’re not supposed to jump over the puck.”

Amadeo Smithers huffs as he pushes his helmet back. “My reflexes are on the fritz, Coach.”

“Seriously, what happened?” Raymond asks as he leans over the half wall. “You have a mile of pads on, so it’s not fear of impact, is it?”

“No, Coach,” Smithers says, shaking his head. “I really don’t know why I jumped. It was reflex, but I’m not sure what I was responding to. Sorry.”

Raymond frowns. He meets my eyes, and I shrug one shoulder.

“Reset. Let’s start again.”

I turn when I hear a bang against the boards behind me. Mo is standing against the glass. “Did you see him jump over the puck, Coach?” she asks with a severe look of disappointment on her face.

Man, this little girl is everything. I grin. “Yes, I did. You’re late, MoMo.”

She sighs. “Eli’s cheering was long because some people are too busy worrying about their nails and holding everyone up.”

I have a feeling she’s referring to Kelsey. She’s been on her last chance on that team for a year now. It won’t surprise me if she gets herself kicked off.

“Go get dressed,” I tell her. “Hurry up. These boys only hustle when you’re here.”

Mo grins and turns. She grabs Eli’s hand and drags him along the boards until she reaches the chained-off path. I turn back as Edin leaves the formation after making a goal attempt. He watches his daughter move down the chute before meeting my eyes with a grin.

Turning back to his team and making a wide arc to get back into his spot, he says, “You boys better be on your toes now. Mo’s going to throw down some smack once she sees how sloppy we’re being.”

“You always get special treatment,” Trenton Bobetski says and shoves Edin.

“You think I do, but I have to go home with her, and my chastisement carries on until bedtime,” Edin says.

Edin is one of my favorite people. I have such a soft spot for him. After finding him on the ice a few years ago as he skated with no one, I slowly learned his story, and I did something most people wouldn’t do. I offered him a place on the team.

His skills were rusty, but his dedication and determination were great.

Then I learned he’s a single dad and hockey was interfering with his daughter’s daycare.

They were threatening to kick her out. So I had him bring her along, and let me just say that when Edin graduates this year and Mo is no longer on the bench yelling at them, there’s going to be a huge hole in this arena.

I think even Edin was surprised by how well she understands hockey. He explained that they’d watched hockey together when she was younger, but he didn’t know that she actually paid attention and learned the sport she was watching. He was just as amazed as the rest of us.

I’ve since gotten her own jersey made, given her a clipboard and a whistle. She has her own skates, and that girl is ready to throw down.

You want to see twenty young men trip over themselves to make someone proud and not be yelled at? Put a sassy, strong, intelligent little girl in front of them and watch how well they fall into line.

I think they’re scared of her. I also think she has each and every one of them wrapped around her finger. She could play us all like marionettes. And we’d let her too.

Raymond moves closer to me with an amused smile. “Her vibe is already on the ice. They’re moving at least fifty percent faster.”

I chuckle.

The chute door opens, and Mo steps onto the ice.

Her skating has improved a hundredfold in the last year.

It’s almost as if she’s been on skates her entire life.

“What was that, Roland? I know you’re stronger than that.

Push the puck! The six-year-old on my cheer squad has more drive than that,” she shouts as she comes closer.

She’s fucking adorable in her full-faced helmet. Mo remains along the edge of the rink as she moves toward me. “Coach, they’re lazy. Did you give them the day off yesterday when I had practice, too?”

“I did. I’m sorry. I thought they needed some rest.”

Mo sighs. “Oh, come on. What was that?” she complains, waving her hand toward Silas Day, who’s now sprawled on his back like a starfish on the ice. “It’s like the first day of cheer when we get a bunch of uncoordinated new kids.”

Raymond chuckles.

I glance back to find Eli on the bench with a smirk. Eli is Edin’s boyfriend and one of Mo’s very favorite people in the whole world. Not going to lie. Eli has breathed life into Edin, second only to how hockey has brought him back to life again.

It’s only now that I see how he smiles and moves full steam ahead that I realize how dark a place he’d been stuck in when I found him on the ice.

Thinking back on it always gives me chills.

That man was hanging on by a thread. That thread’s name is Morgan.

I’m convinced she’s the only reason he kept pushing since she came into this world.

“I only take up a corner of that net, Smithers, and I can stop a puck better than that,” Mo yells.

“I’m off my game, Coach,” Smithers calls back.

“Get on it or the bench!” Mo responds.

I’m not the only one who flinches. The girl has no give. I’ve seen her bench her father, something I think left her giddy for days.

“Yes, Coach,” Smithers says.

I’ll give it to him. Smithers gets his shit together for the second half of practice. So much so that Mo pats his leg and tells him, “You really benefit from tough love, huh?”

I’ve never seen a man’s cheeks turn quite so pink when a little girl makes a comment.

“He’s a total submissive,” Roland coughs.

The team snickers. Mo’s used to comments not meaning anything to her. She ignores them for the most part.

We talk about the upcoming game tomorrow before I dismiss them. Mo looks at me with her hands on her hips. Uh-oh. Am I going to get a scolding too?

“Yes?” I ask.

“What do we have to do to get my dad in the NHL? School is almost over and then he graduates.”

Ah. I sigh. “Unfortunately, that’s not up to me. It’s up to the NHL teams.”

“You have connections. Give me some numbers and I’ll make some calls.”

She’s been hanging around adults far too much. The most frightening thing is, I think she’d have teams fighting over Edin if she had a chance to talk to them.

I move toward her and take her hands. “Sometimes, we can’t protect the people we love the most. We need to let them do things on their own. Edin’s skill speaks loudly and if the right person is in the crowd, they’ll see. You have to put some trust in your father, kid.”

She hates my answer. It’s written all over her face.

“You believe your dad is a good player, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you mean that because he’s your dad or because you think he is?”

Mo thinks about it. “I think he’s a really good player. He’s in your top five, at least.”

“I think so too,” I confide. “Sports agents and reps from NHL teams are in the audience pretty frequently. Edin needs to always give it his all, and if the right person sees him, he’ll have a chance.”

“I don’t like that.”

“I know. The people who deserve a break the most don’t always get it.

But you know what Edin has that no one else on this team has?

” I ask. Mo shakes her head. “He has you rooting in his corner, and I promise, that’s the best thing in the world for him.

You and Eli always being here cheering for him keeps your dad pushing harder than anyone I’ve ever coached. You should be proud of him.”

She blinks her eyes a few times. “I am,” she says. “My daddy is amazing. I just want the world to see that, too.”

Raymond joins us. He crouches down and says, “I have a secret. Want to hear?” Mo nods.

“Sometimes, when I want something really, really badly, every single day, I imagine myself with that thing. A new job. A new friend. My car passing inspection. To hear from my sister. I think about it as if it’s real.

As if this thing that I really, really want with all my heart is real.

And you know what? A lot of times, it becomes real. ”

Her eyes widen. “Really?”

“Yes. Not always, but sometimes. It’s called manifesting. You manifest the future you want. But you need to be broadly specific.”

Mo frowns. “I’m nine, Raymond. What does that mean?”

I laugh.

“Sorry. I mean… When I was hoping for a new job, my thoughts were on what that job felt like. It was an assistant coaching position I wanted. It was in a well-respected college. The environment is positive, warm, colorful, and supportive. I feel respected in this new job. My colleagues are kind, friendly, and welcoming to my new job. I wasn’t so specific as to say, ‘ I want to be the new assistant coach at Longwood U and make x dollars a year and coach under this person and be responsible for the next great hockey player. ’ That’s too specific and didn’t give enough wiggle room for the universe to work in my favor. Does that make more sense?”

Mo nods thoughtfully. “Yes. I need to wish for an agent to want my dad, and fight for him to be on a team. A good team, but not a specific team.”

“Good. Work on broadening that. You need to see him in that position as if you’re remembering him there, not just wanting it. How does he feel? How do you feel? How does he look on the ice?”

Mo grins. “Thanks, Coach.”

She flashes me a big grin and skates off to meet Eli at the chute. Raymond gets to his feet and meets my eyes. He shrugs. “To each their own.”

I raise my hands. “I’m not judging. I could have used some manifesting in my life for years.”

He smirks. Clapping my arm, he gathers his things and follows Mo out.

I have half a mind to skate around for a bit, but then I remember Nolan is home. At our home. The one we share together when he’s not at DIK house, but where I hope he’ll be more and more frequently.

That thought is promising enough that I’m out the door before most of the team, even though they’ve been off the ice for almost twenty minutes.

This time of night, traffic has cleared up. I’m home in exactly eighteen minutes. The elevator is the slowest part of my trip, which is only a reflection of my impatience, and not the speed of the elevator.

I let myself in and take a breath. Nolan is at the kitchen table, his back to the door. Since he doesn’t hear me come in, I think he has his earbuds in. The house is filled with spices, which means he’s been cooking.

My heart dances around in my chest, and I take a moment to memorize this feeling. I want this feeling every single day. Excitement to see my partner. I want to look forward to the next moment we can be together.

I shut the door, kicking off my shoes as I cross the space. I also hope this hot hunger in my gut never leaves me. Being this constantly turned on for someone is a kind of magic. I’m not simply a horny man. I want one person. Just one. Only one person satisfies this ache inside me.

I stand over Nolan and grip under his chin. He jumps, but smiles as I turn his head up so I can kiss him. Our mouths are upside down on each other, which gives kissing a new, interesting feeling. He pulls his earbuds out and then reaches his hands up to tangle tightly in my hair.

“How do you feel about being fucked on our dining room table?” I murmur.

Nolan grins. “I thought you’d never ask. I guess leaving a condom and lube in plain sight in the middle of the table as if they’re a centerpiece puts that vibe into the air, huh?”

“You existing in my world puts that vibe into the air.” I pull him up and then bend him over the side of the table. Nolan laughs as I shove his pants down. I’m left with his bare ass, sexy pink cheeks framed by the bands of his jockstrap.

“So damn sexy, frat boy.”

I slide my fingers down his crack and touch his hole. How long has he been waiting here for me, stuffed full of lube? My fingers slide in easily.

“Wrap up and dive in,” Nolan demands. “I’m not feeling very patient.”

“Didn’t have your morning orgasm today,” I say with a grin.

“You’re neglectful,” he mutters.

I grin as I roll the condom on and squirt a generous amount of lube over myself. I trust that he’s prepped to his satisfaction as I lean my body over his and line my dick up. My free hand grips under his neck again to pull his head back.

He grunts and then gasps as I push inside his body. I love the way he twitches as I enter him. His skin heats as high-pitched whines are punched from his throat.

“This what you want, Nolan?” I growl into his ear. “Want me to own your body like this?”

“Yes,” he squeaks. He jerks in my hold, and I slow down for a minute. “Fuck, you tear me open, Tavis.”

It’s not a complaint. There’s awe in his voice. I grin as I begin pumping slowly inside him. “Who gets to touch you?”

Another high grunt. “You,” he gasps.

“Anyone else have permission?”

He tries to shake his head. “Only you. Fuck me, Coach. Remind me that I’m yours.”

I grip him tightly under me and possess every inch of Nolan’s body. He never stops demanding more. Keep going. Don’t stop. Make me yours.

My teeth sink into his skin over and over as I try to control my thrusts. I don’t fuck him nearly as hard as I did in my office that one time. I think those fucks are only for certain occasions. This right here is our ideal; his body in my complete control as I take care of both our needs.

I could get drunk off his sounds, high off his orgasms, die in his arms.