Page 32 of The Alternate Captain (Elite Hockey #3)

The team group chat is fired up. Texts flying back and forth all day, but I only check my phone after Kelly’s show once I’m back in the hotel.

Bettsy

What the hell just happened?

Twinnies, where did you go?

Danny

Jenna just called me. No fucking way @Ryan Preston.

Hutch

What the hell is going on?

Danny

*wedding bells emoji *

Bettsy

Wait. Did someone get married?

Prez

Photo

My heart skips in my chest. Married? Ryan got married? I don’t even think I can believe it until I tap on the photo and pinch the screen to zoom in. Yeah, it’s him and Jen, alright. Donned in casual dress, standing outside the registry office.

Well, shit.

Without thinking, I call Ryan and he answers after the third ring, his voice a buzz of excitement on the line.

“You got married?” I ask. “Well, congratulations are in order.”

“Yeah, bud. I mean, it was just for the paperwork stuff for the house. Last-minute cancellation. We’re going to have a formal wedding soon. But I’m sorry you weren’t there.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. I’m happy for you guys.”

An unsettling feeling swims in my stomach, but since I’m so goddamn out of tune with my feelings, I have no clue what to think.

“Look, I know you’re in a bit of a place right now, John. But I’ve got you, you know that, right?”

I’m just relieved he doesn’t ask me about why I’ve been coming and going in the early hours of the morning.

“Yeah, of course. I just needed to take a few days,” I say.

I had to. I needed the space from hockey. I think I’m coming to terms with the fact that I may be able to feel something. Because I’ve been thinking about Kelly’s words non-stop. She told me she loved me for one. And I came. Shit, I came, and we didn’t use a —

“Johnny?”

“Sorry—I got distracted then.”

“Call your sister. She’s really worried about you, bud.”

That knot sits heavy in my stomach. But I agree and hang up.

Before I call Vicky, I pull out my notebook and jot down the date and time, and pen a few words about the situation and how I’m feeling. Then I check it over before dialling Vicky’s number.

“How are you, Johnny?” she asks, her voice shaking.

“I’m okay, Vic. I’m just feeling exhausted, and I need a break,” I say.

“Where did you go after the suit fitting?”

“I just needed to get away,” I say.

And then she starts flooding me with questions, but I get a notification that there’s a call waiting and Kelly’s contact card pops up.

“Look, I’ll talk to you another time. Just trust me on this, will you? I know I’ll miss Ladies’ Night, and I’m sorry, but trust me.”

Once we hang up, I dial Kelly and she answers straight away.

“Where are you?”

“At your hotel. In the lobby,” I say.

And then I spot her hurrying towards me, cello in tow.

“Call the lift, quickly,” she says, looking behind her.

“What’s going on?” I ask, following her inside the elevator that’s stopped in front of us.

She nibbles her thumbnail as we ride up to the sixth floor, and as soon as the doors spring open, she leads me down the corridor and pulls inside room ‘606’.

“Darren is on to us,” she says as soon as the door closes behind me. “He started asking me all these questions, wondering why you’re here, and then—shit. He made out he was calling my brother and I panicked, Johnny.”

I take her cello from her, setting it in the corner, and then I walk forward and wrap my arms around her .

“Okay, so we didn’t think it through. We’ll figure it out,” I say.

She pulls back and looks right up at me. “Johnny—”

I lean down and kiss my name right from her mouth.

“What happened to that dress?” I ask, kissing her neck.

She giggles, and it sends a fucking shiver right through me.

“Johnny... I’m being serious here. I’m worried.”

“I’m sorry, I’m distracted,” I say, raising an eyebrow.

“Last night?”

“Fucking last night. Wanna see if we can do it again?”

I feel like my hunger for her has pushed all seriousness aside. And I’m fumbling out of my suit quicker than I care to admit. I want to be naked. And I want her naked. In that bed. Or on that dressing table, actually, because that looks good.

“Johnny,” she giggles, pushing at my chest.

“You realise seeing you playing today got me excited? You’re incredible. Do you know that?”

My hands find the hem of her T-shirt and I pull it over her head eagerly.

And as soon as she’s standing there, naked, right in front of me, my lips are on hers. Devouring. I’m desperate to feel her again.

Instead of going to the bed, I settle for the sofa, pulling her onto my lap and taking a nipple into my mouth. Hearing her moaning and running her hands through my hair with need is really fucking hot. I don’t even know myself.

“What are you doing to me?” I ask, pulling her mouth down to mine again.

“Johnny—yesterday we didn’t—”

“Shit,” I say. Halting in my tracks. “Do we need to?”

“No, I’m taking the pill but I just—”

“Well, fuck.”

I pull her in closer, so her pussy is right on my dick, and I adjust the position so the tip, right where my piercing is, is rubbing against her clit. I know I get the right spot when she flings her hair back and moans, pushing her perfect nipples right within reach of my tongue.

Honestly, I don’t even know how I survived before.

“Johnny, I think—”

I can’t help myself. I adjust my position again so I can slip inside her.

That tight, hot feeling completely engulfs me and takes my breath away.

I grip her hips and thrust into her, fast and hard.

I live for this. It takes me a matter of moments to come apart, to fall right over that edge as Kelly comes on top of me.

And I’m almost shaking by the time her lips find mine, completely transfixing me in whatever spell she’s put over me.

I don’t even notice that my phone is ringing. It’s vibrating in the pocket of my pants, and I let it ring a few times before the calls get more and more angry sounding. If a phone can sound angry, that is.

“You should get that,” Kelly says, kissing my jaw and shifting away from me. The coldness of her tone hits me and I look around for something to clean myself with as she tosses me a pack of tissues from the counter.

When I finally get to my phone, I cover my dick with my boxers because it feels odd to talk to someone fully naked, especially when I see my dad’s name on the screen.

I look at Kelly. “It’s my dad.”

“Oh?” she says, wrapping a robe around herself, then tossing one to me. “I hope everything is okay.”

I shove my arms into the robe, which is snugger than snug, and then I answer the next incoming call.

“Hey, son. Just checking in.”

“Checking in? You’ve called me about five times. Is everything okay?”

I take only a few seconds to realise that he’s been drinking. I can hear it in his voice.

“Just checking in, that’s all. Seeing how my superstar is doing. ”

“Superstar? You’re kidding right?” I let out a burst of a laugh that I genuinely can’t contain.

“What? Am I not allowed to miss my son?” he says, and I can hear his tone change slightly.

“Well, sure, but it’s out of character.”

“I see you’re doing well with the Challenge Cup, Johnathan.”

“Sure.”

“I mean, it’s hardly the Stanley Cup, but I guess we’ll get what we get.”

Kelly sits on the bed and ruffles her hair, her eyes not leaving mine. She mouths ‘are you okay’ and I nod, but I have no idea where this is going.

“Wow. Okay,” I say.

“But you know, Johnny—I expected you to tell me I was going to be a grandfather. I mean, after everything I’ve done for you and your sister—”

My heart hammers hard in my chest. And here comes the feeling. It creeps all the way through my body, warming my muscles.

“Excuse me?”

“I had to learn from Sarah—how do you think that made me feel?”

Kelly drops to her knees and scoots towards me, rubbing her hands on my thighs as I grit my teeth.

“Thanks for trusting her over me, I guess.”

“A man wouldn’t disown his child,” he says.

But I don’t think I want to hear anymore. That response was all I needed. I hang up and toss my phone past Kelly and onto the bed.

“Johnny?” she says, her voice soft, and I pull her onto me, needing the comfort she offers.

“That was the most bizarre conversation I’ve ever had,” I say. “I mean—fuck.”

She runs her hands through my hair as I hug her to my chest, and the rage that was building momentum through my body edges away slightly.

“Let’s go for a walk, Johnny. Let’s get dressed and go for a walk. Get some fresh air and maybe grab something to eat. Yeah?”

That is exactly what I need. And when I look right into her eyes and lean in to kiss her, I don’t think I can ever be without this girl.