by Doyle, Dawn
I rolled my eyes like the teenager he’d said I was. I dropped down into the seat next to the door, and hung my head. “I’m fine, coach, I just need to focus. I got some shit I need to deal with, but I’m all good.” I lifted my eyes to his and saw his expression. Cocked eyebrow, pursed mouth, and his massive arms crossed over his broad chest.
“Do you think I’m dumb?” he asked. “I’ve got eyes and ears, dickhead. Get your shit together, or you’ll spend the third period on your ass.”
I stood quickly, my hands balling at my sides. “You can’t bench me,” I snapped, jabbing my finger toward the closed door. “The guys are counting on me to play.”
Coach got in my space, his massive frame overshadowing mine, and I wasn’t a small guy in height or width. “Listen, Dass,” he drew out. “You and your buddies were supposed to be benched for this game already, so the way I see it, having your behinds back behind those boards is nothing.” He rubbed his chin as his jaw tensed. “The stunt you pulled with the Cats saw to that, and if Trent hadn’t been told to drop his complaint, I’d be holding my decision to have you off the ice.” I didn’t know Trent had been ordered to drop it, and I wasn’t about to ask about it. Coach backed up a step and regarded me as though there was something he couldn’t quite figure out. “Don’t make me regret changing my mind.”
I took a deep breath and slowly released it. “I won’t, coach.”
“Everything okay?” Cash asked when I approached him. I repeated the conversation as I sat and checked my laces and adjusted my body armor. “And your head?”
I dipped my chin. “I fucked up, Cash, just like you knew I would. What the fuck am I going to do?”
He shrugged, then gestured to my assigned locker. “I don’t know, man, but your phone’s been blowing up since you went to talk to coach.” He slapped his hand down on my shoulder. “It could be important.”
My eyes flicked to the blue clock above the door, the old plastic face standing out on the flaky red paint of the border. I grabbed my fresh water, and my phone from my locker.
The second I tapped the screen, ‘Cupcake’ was listed a couple of times.
I opened the messages, and read them, making sure nobody was looking over my shoulder.
‘I’m sorry I freaked out.’
My stomach flip-flopped and heat rose inside my chest. I swallowed hard as I read another message.
‘Can you forgive me?’
‘I can’t stop thinking about how you went out of your way to help me, and I overreacted.’
I clicked on the other notification, and saw the red dot over my voicemail icon.
“Two minutes, guys!” Coach bellowed. “Get your shit together so you can get your asses back out there and win this! I’m not fucking kidding.”
I pressed down and listened to the message.
“Hi, Maddoc,” Kaia said, her soft voice in my ear fucking hitting me like a sledgehammer to the chest. I practically fell to the bench. “I know I texted you, but I wanted to tell you. I’m sorry, baby. All you did was help. You weren’t trying to control me, or fight my battles—I get that now. As soon as I saw that journal, I felt humiliated all over again. It’s not your fault, but mine.” She blew out a long breath, but as the sound vibrated in my ear, visions of her sighing after she’d come filled my head, making my cock flinch. I shifted where I sat, and cleared my throat as her voice sounded again. “Anyway, I thought I’d call you to let you know I’m watching and cheering for you. Give them hell out there, donut, and I hope to see you when you get back.”
I stared down at the blank screen as my pulse ignited, adrenaline firing up in my veins, and my head becoming so fucking clear I saw the end result before I’d even stood up.
“So, from the shit eating grin on your face, I’m guessing this is good?” Cash asked, cautiously approaching me.
I stood and put away my phone, then clapped my best friend on the back. “Cash, my man at arms, everything is fucking perfect.” I slapped over the A on his shirt, then put on my helmet and shoved my hands into my gloves. “Let’s go and clip the Eagles’ wings.”
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Jonah yelled.
“Mad-dog’s in the house!” Bobby cheered.
“Go fucking get ‘em, man,” Cash said, slamming his helmet against mine. “We’re gonna fucking annihilate them.”
I grinned, and turned away from my team, heading back to the rink with my guys behind me.
It was time to end this shit, and get back to my girl.
Kaia
My chest was about to explode while I anxiously waited for the team to arrive. The game had ended with the Wranglers winning, with Maddoc scoring the final goal. I’d watched him come back on the ice for the third period, his smile returned and his eyes dancing with mischief—the usual fuckery commencing that I now loved so much about him. I pressed my hand to my stomach, the swirling behind my palm increasing with every second that passed. It was as though he was dancing around the Eagles’ players, playing with them, toying with the confidence they’d built up in the two periods that saw them in the lead. Then, he smashed it to pieces and enjoyed watching it crumble around them as the Wranglers took back their game within minutes. He was born to play, born to lead, leaving no doubt that the sport was in his blood. And I’d used that against him, against us, for so long.
Not any more.
My heart ached and the bridge of my nose stung as I remembered that night in Channing’s party, the closet, the way he’d held me, cupped my face as he kissed me… It was like he knew me, like he’d been waiting for the moment to press his mouth against mine. I’d waited for him, too—I knew that now. I’d tell him as much, as soon as I got to see his face again.
“They’ll be back any minute now,” Daria assured me as we waited in my car. “Cash told me they were all on the bus, all accounted for, and can’t wait to get home to celebrate.” She gently nudged me in my side. “And by celebrate, you know what we’ll be doing.” She winked, and stuck her tongue between her teeth. “All. Night. Long.”
I forced a laugh, but it sounded dry, even to me. “Yeah, they won’t be much longer,” I said, my voice tight as I choked the words out over the lump in my throat. “I can’t wait.”
I just wanted Maddoc to get back to see if I hadn’t screwed up. His face when I’d freaked the hell out, the pain I’d caused him when I’d walked away flooded my mind all over again, punishing me for taking out my issues on him when he’d done nothing but look out for me.
Because he’d wanted to, because he’d wanted me, and I’d wanted him in return—for so long.
I checked my phone for what seemed like the thousandth time in the half-hour we’d been sitting there. Maddoc hadn’t sent me another message or a voicemail, and I wondered if there’d been any signal in the arena they were playing. Surely he would’ve gotten them when he got out, but the more time that had gone by without any response, the heavier the rock in my gut became.
Daria reached around my shoulder and pulled me toward her. “Come on, Kai, everything’s going to be fine,” she assured me, her tone soft. She wiped the tear I hadn’t realized had begun rolling down my face. “Maddoc is nuts about you, you know that.” She stared at the side of my face until I turned to her. “I bet when he gets off that bus, he scoops you up in his arms and gives you a big, fat kiss.” She smiled widely.
Before I could reply, the enormous black bus pulled into the campus parking lot, the shiny paint reflecting the light from the lamps illuminating the area, making my stomach flip upside down and my pulse to race. The students that had gathered on the lot began cheering, waving black and red Wranglers flags and pointing foam fingers up, welcoming them back from their winning the last game of the season. The hoots and hollers assaulted my ears as soon as I opened my car door, the chants and screams of ‘winners,’ and ‘you did it, guys!’ and the occasional, ‘call me!’
Daria and I made our way over to the bus when the players began to get off, greeting us as th
ey did. We got a series of high-fives, and nods of acknowledgement, until Cash appeared.
Daria squealed and threw her arms around his neck as his entire face lit up when he saw her. “Hey, baby!” she coo’d, and kissed him hard.
I looked over Cash’s shoulder, waiting for Maddoc to appear, the time ticking by so damn slow that I thought he’d never get off. With every second that passed, my ribs were assaulted from the inside, my heart threatening to beat out of my chest.
The door closed, and I opened my mouth to protest, but Cash stood in front of me with his arm still around Daria. “Uh, Kai, he’s not on there.”
I stared at him through my blurred vision, my lip beginning to tremble as he glanced to Daria then back to me. “What do you mean?” I asked quietly. “You told Daria everybody was on there.”
Daria nudged Cash. “Baby, where’s Maddoc?”
Cash ran his hand over his short hair, his apologetic smile punching me in the stomach. “Uh, he got off before we got here,” he explained, rubbing the back of his neck. I lifted my hand to cover my mouth. “He, uh, needed to do something.”
The guys came around the bus with their bags, and handed Cash’s to him. “Hey, Kaia,” Jonah said as Bobby walked up behind him, the rest of the team filing to their cars and trucks. “What are you doing here?” My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, drowning on air as my breath caught. He thumbed toward the exit. “Maddoc got off at your place.”
I whipped my head to Cash, who simply shrugged. “He said it was important, removed the spare key from my fob, and demanded to be let off or jump while the bus was moving.”
“God, that’s so Maddoc,” Daria scoffed.
It was. That was my man doing what he knew best—causing mayhem wherever he went.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked, shooing me back from where I stood glued to the spot. “Go!”
I nodded like a bobblehead and took off toward my car. “See you tomorrow!” I called back as I ran, my loose hair tangling in the wind.
“Drive safe!” she replied, her laughter carrying over to me.
I looked up from the street when I parked up and saw that the lights weren’t on in the apartment. When I reached the top of the stairs to our floor, I could hear quiet music coming from inside. I fumbled with my keys, dropping them twice before I could get them in the lock, my hands trembling so hard I could barely control them.
“Maddoc?” I called out when I finally got the door open. My favorite album was playing in the background, the voices of my best-loved boy band singing in harmony. “Are you here?”
I put my keys down and kicked off my tennis flats as I searched through the darkness. I reached for the switch, but stopped when I heard his voice.
“Leave the lights off, cupcake,” he said, his voice so low and demanding that my skin prickled.
I could hear my heartbeat in my ears over the sounds of Incomplete, the thuds pounding inside my chest picking up speed, and faster still when Maddoc’s silhouette moved across the room. Lights flickered straight ahead, flames dancing from the lit candles as Maddoc moved from one to the other until the dining table glowed, illuminating the entire living room in a romantic, waving glow.
I stared, watching him as he arranged the flames, the fire lighting up his perfect face, and showcasing his team’s jersey over his dark jeans.
God, he filled them out so damn well, and the more I looked, the more intense the ache between my thighs became.
Maddoc stared at me, his face devoid of all expression. The slightest curl in the corner of his lip appeared, and he opened his arms, and just as impossible as always, his eyes twinkled.
We moved at the same time, his strides clearing the distance quicker than I could.
He banded his arms around me as I reached up for him. His hand cradled my head, his fingers twisting in my hair and his other hand slipped around my waist, pulling me flush to his hard body at the same time his mouth crashed to mine, our lips working over each other desperately like we hadn’t seen each other in months. His tongue slid into my mouth and I welcomed it, meeting it with my own, sucking and tasting, and gripping the back of his hair to hold him to me.
“I missed you, babe,” he said between kisses, his teeth nipping my bottom lip then soothing it as he drew it into his mouth.
“I missed you, too.”
His hands worked over my body, running up to cup my breasts over my batwing top. He gripped the bottom and I raised my arms, the navy fabric discarded, revealing my black bra, the lacy one I knew he liked. His jersey went next, and I wasted no time in getting reacquainted with his magnificent torso, feeling every dip and curve of his impressive physique.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he said between kisses.
I sucked his lips and released it with a pop as I worked the belt from his jeans. “I’m sorry, too,” I panted, popping his button and tugging down his zipper. “I thought about it, and I would’ve done the same.”
In no time, my bra was off, my heavy breasts cupped in Maddoc’s hands. He massaged the soft skin, working over my tight nipples, and then dipped low, taking one in his hot mouth. My head fell back at the sensation, my mouth dropping open as I gasped when he gently bit down on the hard bud.
“But I’m not sorry for protecting what’s mine,” he murmured against the heated skin, his lips working over to the next one, then swiping over my tip. “Nobody fucks with my girl.”
His possessiveness sent an unexpected thrill through me, my own rearing up, telling me to take back what’s mine and not let go. “You’re mine, too.”
“No doubt.” Then he kissed me again, deeply, passionately, his tongue sweeping into my mouth as he held me close, our skin pressed together, his hand fisting in my hair.
“Maddoc,” I whimpered into his mouth as my core fired up, my clit pulsing with need.
He reached down, smoothing over my ass, and he gripped tight before lowering still. In one swift movement, I was off my feet, my thighs wrapping around him on instinct. He buried his face into the crook of my neck, nipping and suckling. He spoke against my flesh, the vibrations running right down to between my legs, and I squeezed tighter, “I want you so fucking bad.” He licked over my collar bone as he turned us toward the couch.
“Then show me,” I replied, and whimpered as he pulled my hips toward him, the large bulge in his jeans rubbing over the black material of my leggings.
My back hit the soft surface, and while Maddoc kissed me, his hand slid between my legs. I moaned loudly as his fingers swept over my nub, circling it, teasing, driving me so damn crazy my hips rocked all on their own.
He stopped, hovering over me, his gaze intense as he looked down. He watched every move he made, every part of me he touched, his fingertips gliding over my scorching body. He dragged them gently up over my breasts, circling my hardened peaks, dipping just enough to taste for the briefest moment. “Damn, you’re so fucking sexy.”
“Maddoc,” I moaned, my walls contracting and releasing, needing him inside me, to ease the pain, to release the tsunami that was held back by the tiniest of threads but never breaking. I lifted my hands to my chest, grabbing my mounds, and loved how Maddoc’s eyes flared with blazing heat.
He swallowed hard, and gripped the waistband of my leggings. He sped up, his movements frantic as he stripped me naked, the rest of my garments tossed to the side. My legs were parted, and before I had a chance to think, I sucked in a sharp breath as his tongue lapped at my center, his strokes hard and fast, then his lips closed around my clit, making my back arch.
I squealed, my high-pitched moan loud as he delved between my legs. I reached down and gripped his hair, his groans and growls of pleasure increasing my own, the tension wound too damn tight for me to hold in.
“Maddoc,” I warned, squeezing my breast and tightening my fingers in his hair. “Oh, God, babe.”
He sucked harder than before, his tongue flicking over me, his fingers sliding inside and curling to hit the spot inside
me that made me see stars, and that’s when I did. I let go, falling apart as my entire body spasmed, incoherent curses falling from my mouth as I came hard, my legs shaking so bad he used his hands to hold them down.
I panted, my breaths hard and fast, and Maddoc lifted, moving himself over me. Then, he was inside me, his dick stretching my still contracting walls, the pressure building up impossibly fast.
His hips hit mine over and over as he rammed into me, his cock filling me completely, stretching me, pounding again and again, the sounds of skin slapping skin, heavy breathing, and moans of pleasure drowning out the beats of Shape of My Heart.
“Fuck,” he choked as tiny beads of sweat broke out over his brow.
I dug my nails into his back, my other hand in his hair as he kissed my neck, my second climax on the cusp of exploding, the pressure too much, my moans turning into cries that I couldn’t control. “Oh, fuck, yes!”
He thrust forward, pushing every inch inside me until he could go no further, then ground his hips against me, circling, crushing my clit so hard my entire body shook with the electrifying sensations shooting through me. He rested his forehead against mine, still curling his torso, just like his erotic display on the bar, our eyes locking.
“Kaia,” he whispered, his voice tight, his movements slowing to a steady rhythm. We breathed each other’s air, our lips brushing. He covered my mouth, kissing me softly, his tongue sliding inside just once before he pulled back. “I love you.”
“Wha…?” I gushed, the air leaving my lungs in one quick whoosh.
He smiled, then kissed me again. “I love you.”
Tears pricked at my widened eyes, my chest tightening, stealing the breath from me. “I love you, too,” I croaked out.
Maddoc glided in and out of me, root to tip with every stroke as though claiming me from the inside. “I know,” he replied as he thrust hard and fast, making me gasp.
“Y-you do?” I managed.
He grinned, his cocky smile infectious. “I heard more than I said, cupcake. Every fucking word.”
