“Because,” he says, his voice even, no joking or teasing anywhere in sight. “You’ve been happy. Genuinely happy. You’ve looked smooth on the ice. And you haven’t been around a lot, which I completely understand. The only reason I’m here is because Blakely is having a girls’ night with her roommate from college.” He stands and straightens out his briefs. “Seriously, dude, just tell me. I swear I won’t say anything.”
I need to talk to someone about this. And if I’m honest, I know I can trust Halsey with this. Sighing, I stare up at the ceiling and say, “In all seriousness, I’m in love, dude. And she’s in love with me. We’ve been seeing each other for a while now and well . . .”
“It’s Coach Wood’s daughter, isn’t it?” he asks, keeping his voice low.
I look over at him and nod.
He takes a seat on the bench and whispers, “Christ.”
“Tell me about it. I’m in way over my goddamn head, and even though on paper, I made a huge mistake, I don’t feel bad, not one goddamn second because she’s . . . fuck, Halsey, she’s everything I want. She’s—”
“Are you the only two left?” Coach Wood says, popping his head in the locker room and making my entire body seize. Christ, how long has he been here? Did he hear anything?
“We are,” Halsey says, acting normal, thank God. I feel like I would squeak out a response if I was left to it.
Coach Wood looks at us, then knocks on and pats the doorjamb. “Good work getting extra reps in. See you tomorrow.” Then he takes off.
After a few seconds, I turn to Halsey and whisper, “He terrifies me.”
“He terrifies everyone,” Halsey says and puts on his sweatpants, then his sweatshirt. “What are you going to do about it?”
“No fucking clue,” I say. “But I sure as shit don’t want to talk about it here.”
“Understandable.” He slides his shoes on and picks up his phone, wallet, and keys. “Let’s have breakfast tomorrow or meet up somewhere else so we can talk about it.”
“Yeah, I’d like that. Thanks, man.”
“Hey, you helped me with Blakely. I might as well return the favor.”
I press my hand to my heart and say, “Jesus, fuck, I think that’s the first time you’ve ever admitted that.”
“And it will be the last.” He offers me a fist bump and takes off, leaving me alone in the locker room.
At least one of my friends can admit to my hard work. I knew I always liked Halsey the most.
I glance at my phone and check to see if Wylie’s responded. When there are still no messages, I groan and strip down to my briefs before heading into the shower room with the idea that this will be the quickest shower of my lifetime. Maybe I can stop by the store on the way home and pick up a cake or a cookie or a cookie cake. Either way, I’ll get something that could double as a celebration and a way to fight off the depression.
I switch on the showerhead and suffer through the water warming up so I can be fast. As I work shampoo through my hair, I consider how it could be possible that they’d fly her there but then not offer her a job. That seems insane to me. Unless they did and the terms weren’t right. If that were the case, I might have to write Patty Ford an email and tell her to change her tune.
I rinse out my hair and start soaping my body.
Then again, she wouldn’t want me to do that. I know for a fact if I stepped in and tried to help her, Wylie would be pissed, and rightfully so. She should do this on her own. It doesn’t stop me from having protective instincts, though.
I rinse my body and turn off the water then grab a towel from the shelf across from the shower stalls and dry off. Then I wrap my towel around my waist and turn toward the locker room just to come face to face with another human.
I scream bloody murder.
A pitch so high only dogs can hear as I shrivel backward, hand to heart.
“Levi, oh my God, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
My eyes adjust, and I see that it’s Wylie in a towel.
“Jesus fuck, babe.” I take a few heavy breaths, then pull her into a hug. “Fuck, you startled me.”
“I’m sorry.” She chuckles. “I said your name.”
“Did you?” I say. “Christ, I must have been in my own head.” I lift her chin and place a kiss on her lips . . . her wobbly lips.
Confused, I pull away, and that’s when I see the tears in her eyes.
Oh fuck.
I take her hand and lead her into the empty locker room and sit down on the bench. That’s where I see her clothes next to mine. Wait, she’s in a towel . . . naked. What the hell is going on?
“Wylie, what’s—”
She undoes my towel, then stands in front of me and drops hers, leaving her completely bare. I immediately go hard because how could I not? She’s the sexiest woman I’ve ever met.
She straddles my lap and grips my shoulders, her pussy rubbing against my cock. “I got the job, Levi. She wants me to work for her.”
“Wait.” I grip her waist. “Holy fuck, are you serious?”
Her eyes well up again, and she nods. “Yes. She loved the idea, and I was able to come up with a few more ideas as well. I start tomorrow.”
“Holy shit, Wylie. Fuck, I’m so happy for you.” I wrap my arms around her and give her a hug. When I pull away, she grips my cheeks and starts kissing me . . . passionately.
Her tongue is immediately in my mouth, and her hips start rocking over me.
“Whoa, slow down, hold on,” I say, pulling away. “Babe, we shouldn’t do this here.”
“No one’s in the arena,” she says. “The parking lot was empty when Sandie dropped me off. It was just your car.”
“Are you sure?” I ask.
She nods. “Let me fulfill this fantasy for you, Levi. I know you want it. And I want to celebrate.”
Well . . . when she puts it like that . . .
I grip her face and bring her mouth to mine again before lowering my palms down her body to her breasts, where I massage them in my palm, squeezing and playing with them as she rocks over my erection.
“I’m so proud of you,” I say between kisses.
“It’s because of you,” she says as she kisses down my neck. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” I say as she lifts and grips my cock. She angles it at her entrance, then sits down on me.
“Mother . . . fucker,” I breathe. “Christ, I’ve missed you.”
I help her hips rock over me while our mouths meld again.
And it’s the best feeling ever.
This right here, being inside my girl, knowing that her future is bright from her hard work. Nothing could ruin this.
Absolutely nothing.
She moans into my ear, and I roar up inside her, just about ready to lay her on the floor.
Yup, this is perfect. All of this is so fucking—
“What the fuck are you doing?” Coach Wood’s voice booms from the door of the locker room.
Everything in my body seizes as a tidal wave of dread nearly drowns me. I clench my arms around Wylie as I look over her shoulder at her steaming father.
Hands are clenched at his sides.
Eyebrows are slanted.
His neck veins look ready to pop right off his body.
And the only thing that comes to mind?
I’m absolutely fucked.
WYLIE
“What the fuck were you thinking?”my dad roars as he paces the small space of his office. “You weren’t, and that’s the problem. You weren’t thinking. You never think. You just do whatever is good for you at the moment.” He looks me in the eyes. “That’s my player, Wylie. My goddamn player, and you were fucking him in my locker room.”
I shrink into my chair. He does have a valid point about the locker room. Everything else, not so much.
“That was reckless. Careless. Stupid. And all the more reason you are clearly not mature enough to handle your own decisions.”
“Dad—”