Page 23 of Right Pucking Daddy (Daddies of the League #7)

SEVENTEEN

SASHA

Aiden.

My mouth fell open as steel gray eyes met mine—the same eyes that ensnared me Saturday night did the same now. Memories of them flashed through my mind. My favorites were watching them flood with tears as I fucked his throat and his virginal ass.

Holy shit.

Realization slammed me, rocking my grip on reality the way getting knocked into the boards by a defenseman would.

I took a step forward, only to stop when his eyes widened and glanced around the crowded room.

Mine followed, and my world crumbled, crashing down around me.

And the words I’d planned to say next died in my mouth, my stomach hitting the ground.

All life and energy drained from me, leaving me shaking, weak, and listless.

Fuck !

I stood frozen for who knew how long, staring at the boy who had consumed my thoughts since the moment I caught sight of him on Saturday.

He shifted nervously, his eyes dancing over his teammates, who all sat staring at me, forks at various points between their bowls and mouths.

I swallowed and checked to see if any of them realized their fellow teammate was what had rocked their brand-spanking-new coach.

I cleared my throat, not once but twice, before reaching down to grasp the handle on Hawk’s vest. It wasn’t like the ones used for guide dogs. This one was very low-profile, made of the same webbing material that edged the vest.

I rose to full height, taking a shoulder raising breath as my eyes found his again. Hoping to throw off any suspicion my crazy ass reaction to finding him here, I said, “Finish your breakfast and get dressed. I’ll meet you guys on the ice.”

I turned and walked out of the players’ lounge. The footsteps behind me triggered the fight-or-flight response, and I had to force myself to take measured steps. How the fuck could I be so fucking stupid?

He’s a fucking student.

No wonder he ran. He had to know Sasha Storm was his new coach and for the guy who introduced himself to him as Alex to be outed as Sasha Storm, in the middle of a kink community munch no less, fuck. That had to be jarring as hell.

Will Grigor caught up to me and asked, “Coach, you dressing for practice?”

Sighing, I wanted to say ‘fuck no’ and head back to the woods where I could be alone with my thoughts and, maybe, figure out what the fuck I was going to do about the fact I slept with a student and not just any student, but one I coached.

The first was a big fat no-no for the school.

The second… that was just wrong on so many more levels.

It didn’t keep my cock from twitching in my pants when I thought about how good he felt under me, his ass gripping my dick as I made him scream my name and shoot cum all over the two of us.

“Yeah, sorry, the lights in there fucked with my eyes for some reason.”

Skepticism colored his face and furrowed his brow, but he shook it off and showed me to the coach’s locker room. The assistants were already there, dressing for practice. Another guy stood off to the side, stepping forward with his hand outstretched.

“Coach Storm. I’m Elliot Nichols. I’m the equipment manager here at The U.”

“Nice to meet you, Elliot. What have you got for me?” I asked as I shook his hand.

He ushered me out of the locker room area toward the equipment room, smiling widely. Hockey gear covered the table that took up the center space. Everything from The U-branded apparel line—skates, sticks, helmets, padding—you name it, he had it laid out like a buffet for me to pick and choose from.

Elliot launched into all the branded apparel he’d brought in for me.

Like all good equipment managers, Elliot had taken it upon himself to anticipate my needs and wants based on what he could dig up on me.

At first, I worried if he’d based it off my height and weight when I played, it would all be too big, but he said, “I took a gamble and brought in smaller sizes. I figured you would’ve slimmed down after leaving the league. ”

From the look of the stacks of clothes he went over, I’d never wear anything but. He’d even included ties, pocket squares, and socks. I wouldn’t be surprised if there weren’t underwear and sleepwear somewhere in the piles.

“Good man. Once I realized I couldn’t eat three to four thousand calories a day, I changed things up, and the beefiness disappeared.”

He laughed, his easy manner putting me at ease even though my brain felt like it was trying to locate Aiden through the massive concrete walls as if I had some oddball superpower.

“I know that feeling. It took me about two years to figure that lesson out, and then I had thirty pounds to shed.”

He took a deep breath and pulled over a helmet and some skates. “This helmet is what I picked out for you. Tell me if I’ve overstepped, but with the injury you had, I wanted to protect your head and face. A cage is good, but this is better.”

I nodded as I took the helmet off his hands and turned it over in mine. This helmet wasn’t around when I got hurt, and I couldn’t prove it, but I felt certain that if it had been, my injuries wouldn’t have been as severe as they were.

Clearing my throat and pushing those thoughts away, I said, “Not overstepping. Your job is to get the equipment we need to keep everyone we put on the ice safe. That goes for me as well, and I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. Now for twigs and skates. I searched everything I could find for what you liked in a skate and stick. Since we’re sponsored, I couldn’t get the brands you used before but…” he moved us down to the skates and sticks, and said, “I pulled everything the sponsor makes that’s similar.”

“Elliot, thank you. I appreciate all the hard work…”

“There’s one more thing I found, but I didn’t know if he’d need them…” Elliot said as he reached behind one of the piles of clothes and pulled out a set of dog booties.

I laughed because even those carried The U brand. “Where in the world did you get those?”

He blushed a bit and said, “When the Storm and his Hawk show up on campus as the newest D1 hockey coach, you call in favors.”

I lost it. My head fell back on my shoulders as my hands found my hips, and I laughed so hard I snorted.

“The Storm and his Hawk. I love it.”

As messed up as I was seeing Aiden in the player lounge after he’d run off yesterday without any warning, Elliot had reminded me how much I loved being part of a team. I knew there would be many more reminders to come, showing me all the things I missed, as well as all the things I hadn’t.

With Elliot’s help, I chose a pair of skates, then I had the trainer tape my ankles and wrists since I was so out of practice. By the time I suited up and made it to the ice, the boys were all out there doing their on-ice warm-ups. Which I was thankful for since I felt a little wobbly on my blades.

I stopped at the gate to the rink, letting the moment wash over me. The smells and sounds that wafted through the air welcomed me back. I’d skated here. Been happy here. My eyes slid shut, and I took it all in until someone, my body and Hawk recognized, stopped in front of me.

“You okay, Coach?”

That voice… soft, sensual, and caring like a well-known lover who knew all your quirks.

Hawk nudged me when I didn’t respond, and I opened my eyes. Aiden’s face greeted me. His soft, pouty mouth, free of the gloss I’d been so fascinated with the other night, beckoned me. I wanted to lean in and taste him so fucking bad.

My shoulders rose and fell as I took a deep breath. “I’m good. It’s just been a while.”

He nodded, his eyes never leaving mine, “I didn’t…”

“I didn’t think you did.”

My eyes traveled over the guys on the rink, players and coaches, and the looks they were giving us unnerved me.

“This isn’t the time or place…”

“I’ll leave you be…”

“That’s not what I meant. We need to have this conversation, but not here.”

“Okay.” He looked down at Hawk and said, “Is he coming out with you?”

“No. Not yet. I’m not sure how he’ll do on the ice or with so much going on. His job is to protect me so…”

Not getting on the ice until I stood in front of the team I’d be coaching was a mistake. An idiotic mistake .

“C’mon. It’s the first day. According to the schedule, it’s a light skate and some drills.” Aiden said, pushing off and skating away.

He was fucking fast. Faster than I had been when I played for damn sure.

I took a deep breath, placed my skate on the ice, and pushed off.

Hawk whined behind me. I turned to check on him without thinking.

As I spun around, the anxiety that I might make a fool of myself drifted away, as did the racing heart, shaking hands, and quaking knees.

My face loosened up as did all the other muscles that had been on lockdown since I got to my feet after lacing up my skates.

A small laugh bubbled up, and I moved back to my pup, sliding down to a knee on the ice. I came to a stop before Hawk, who stood half on and off the ice.

“Stay here, buddy, okay? I’ll be fine,” I said, ruffling his fur. He licked my hand, then lay down in the open gate. His chin rested on the ledge between the bench and the ice.

I skated out to center ice and waved the guys over.

I decided the best path forward was honesty.

When everyone gathered around, I said, “Sorry about earlier guys, the lights fucked with my vision. I’m not sure if you guys all know my history.

And if you do, you might not know the extent of my injuries. ”

There were some nods and head shakes, so I decided to explain.

“Hawk is my service dog. His job is to stand at my side as an early warning system since I am profoundly deaf and have limited sight on one side. The lack of hearing will make it difficult in the beginning for me to track you and pick up conversations on the ice, but it will get easier as I get used to the environment again. ”

I paused, and the guys exchanged looks. This timid shit would get old fast, so I said, “Ask whatever questions you have. Today is the only chance you’ll get a free pass.”

More traded looks. I waited them out and then the captain spoke up, “Which side and is there anything we can do to help, because to be coached by the Sasha Storm… well, I’m all in.”

“What’s your name?”

“Trey Malachek.”

“Nice to meet you, Trey, and as for what you can do to help, there’s not much you can do. I know my limitations, and if I need help, I’ll ask, but in the beginning, if you’re on the affected side calling out to me, I might not pick up your location at first.”

“So what’s it like?” I turned and looked at one of the kids decked out in goalie gear.

“What’s your name?”

“Ryan Riordan, sir.”

“What’s what like?”

He squirmed, and I let him until he looked ready to apologize.

Then I smiled, and the team roared with laughter.

“It’s like being half underwater with an ear plug in and one eye closed—all the time.

But everyone is different. For me, I get some shadows and shades of gray when I’m outside and it’s really sunny, or when the lights in a room are super bright, like they are in here.

As for the hearing, there’s nothing on that side. ”

The guys were all very quiet, as most people were when I explained my injuries. “The great thing… I never have to worry ab out dead earbuds. When one goes dead, I just switch it out for the other one.”

They all looked at each other as if unsure to laugh, so I said, “C’mon, guys. That was funny.”

That got a few laughs and chuckles, but not many. Not until Aiden said, “A morbid sense of humor? I can get in front of that.”

Our eyes met and the little shit wore the biggest fucking smirk I’d ever witnessed. If I had my way, I’d turn him over my knee and paddle his fucking ass the first fucking chance I got for reminding me of what I wanted but couldn’t have. The brat even had the audacity to wink at me.