Player Substitution (Puck Battle Series, #0.5)

by Kristen Echo

  Chuck closed his eyes and lines creased his forehead. “No, babe. I don’t want that. We learned from our last experience, that we belong together. There is no one else for me. You’re it, Miranda. We don’t need other people... Fuck!” Chuck pulled at his hair. “It’s not enough that none of our friends are talking to me. I’ve been called asshole more times than I care to admit, but I don’t give a flying fuck about any of that. Your opinion, what you want, is the only thing that matters. But don’t ask that of me again.”

  Pieces of her heart shattered to hear his pain. Chuck wasn’t a bad man. He was the best, until recently.

  Miranda needed no one else, but maybe deep-down Chuck wanted something else, something more. The couple from the club had been young and attractive like them, and they were well versed in open relationships. Judy and Bill were receptive, and it didn’t take long before they found a private room and things got heated.

  Lips, tongues and hands were everywhere. Clothes disposed of in a matter of seconds. The four of them went at each other like wild beasts desperate for meat. Miranda followed Judy’s lead, and the two stroked Bill and Chuck until they were hard. Bill directed them and Miranda sucked his cock while Chuck feasted upon the other woman’s pussy.

  It didn’t feel wrong because they were together, but she didn’t enjoy that penis as much as she enjoyed Chuck’s. She was in awe of Chuck; how masculine and virile he looked. Judy came quickly and Chuck climbed on top of her. His eyes were on Miranda as he rolled on a condom and entered the girl. She couldn’t take her eyes off them, and she watched his butt flex as he thrust into Judy. Bill came in large spurts which Miranda swallowed. He told her to lie down next to Judy on the bed and he settled himself between her legs. His tongue and fingers felt good, but they weren’t Chucks. Judy kissed her lips and played with her nipple as Bill sucked on her clit. It wasn’t enough. When Chuck leaned over and sucked on her other nipple, she realized what she’d been missing. She came due to sensation overload. Chucks full lips and the feel of his tongue against her tip catapulted her release. Chuck found his climax shortly after and the four of them collapsed on the bed together.

  Once the couple left, Chuck said he never wanted to do that again. He told her the only woman he ever wanted to be with was her, and if she needed another man, he’d accept it. She didn’t. Miranda told Chuck the experience was a onetime deal, and it made their relationship stronger. They no longer wondered if there were greener pastures because what they shared was the best. At least she thought it was.

  “You opened this can of worms, Chuck. I plan on attending your hockey game tomorrow night, and I’m not sure I’ll leave alone.”

  He shut his eyes tight and took a deep breath. “I don’t think I can let you leave with another man. Seeing you with that other guy all those years ago nearly broke me. Every time he touched you I wanted to kill, but you looked so happy, smiling and telling me to do what he said. Fuck, babe, anything else but sharing you.”

  “I see red too when I think of you and someone else, but it’s time for drastic measures. If you want no one else, then you can watch me. An eye for an eye.” The element of surprise was gone, but him knowing she was on the prowl tomorrow would serve just as well.

  Miranda walked him to the door and kissed his cheek before sending him home to his mother. She had no intention of sleeping with anyone else, but he needed to suffer and come to his senses. If she forgave him, she didn’t want to be in this situation again in another few years.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  It was a long and grueling day of nothingness. Miranda stayed home from work and thought of Chuck. All. Day. Long.

  She sat by the fireplace, staring at the empty stockings for hours. The presents she had purchased remained in their bags tucked away in her hiding place. The prospect of returning them made her angry. Their Christmas tree twinkled and sparkled with multi-colored lights and shiny balls. The star on the top mocked her depressed state.

  She was ready long before game time. Chuck offered to pick her up so they could travel together. He wanted time to talk, to change her mind, but that would not happen. He needed to think she was looking for a new partner. She hoped this would make him dig deep and figure out the reason he strayed in the first place.

  Miranda arrived at the community indoor ice rink with time to spare. A few of the other wives were sitting in the stands and discussing something Miranda couldn’t hear. She assumed her marriage was likely the topic being discussed.

  Her steps were hesitant, but she inched towards her group of friends. Women she had known almost her entire life and had been avoiding for days.

  “Another missing teenager. That’s insane. There have been so many lately,” one woman said.

  “I saw it on the news, and police say she ran away. Those poor parents and so close to Christmas.” The conversation stopped when they spotted her. “Oh, Miranda, come sit. You must be devastated,” one of the hockey wives, Cindy, said with a twinkle in her eye.

  Looks of sympathy floated her way from the other women. She so wasn’t in the mood to talk about her marital issues. Least of all with Cindy. They went to high school together, and Cindy always had a crush on Chuck. She didn’t hide her appreciation for his looks and often joked about stealing him. Miranda did not consider her a friend, but they ran in the same circles, so she tolerated her.

  “Poor thing, leave her alone. I never figured Chuck as the type to do that to you. Barry, yes, but not your husband,” Rita whispered the last part.

  Rita was one of Miranda’s best friends. Her husband Barry was a notorious womanizer. Why she stuck around was anyone’s guess. But love makes sane people do stupid things, Miranda realized.

  “Hi ladies. I will say this once and then the conversation about my marriage is over.”

  “Like her marriage,” Cindy snickered, tossing her platinum blonde curls over her shoulder.

  Miranda rolled her eyes and continued. “Chuck informed me he made a bad decision after the game the other night. I will not give any details and I’m not interested in talking about any of it. Not my attendance at the NHL game, or about the status of my relationship. I’m here to watch the game and have fun. Can we please leave the sympathy at the door?”

  Everyone said yes, of course, except Cindy. She should have known the busy bee wouldn’t leave it alone until Miranda lost it. Something she was precariously close to doing.

  “Guess Hulk finally realized there’s other fish in the sea. Why there’s quality catches right here,” Cindy said, toying with her fake pearls.

  His green eyes and attitude earned Chuck the Hulk nickname in high school, but she had heard no one call him that in years. It frosted her turkey to hear it and her hackles went up. “Look here you...” A not nice word came to mind, but Miranda took a deep breath before sinking to a lower level.

  Luckily, Rita had her back. “Take a walk with me,” she said, tugging on her coat sleeve.

  The two left the stands and walked towards the entrance. Miranda shot Cindy a death glare, but the temptress smiled back. At least her husband hadn’t cheated with Cindy. He didn’t know who it was, but he said it wasn’t any of their friends.

  The guys were still coming in. Neil, one of Chuck’s best friends was lip locked with a brunette she didn’t recognize. She was short and skinny from what Miranda could see.

  “Sweetie, if Chuck cheated after the game, it was with that hussy over there.” Rita pointed towards the door.

  Miranda looked back at the woman who was all but climbing Neil. Their tongues were so far down each other’s throats she was surprised they weren’t choking. “I’d wager that’s Neil’s new girlfriend. I remember he mentioned dating a new girl a few weeks back. So, it can’t be her.” She wasn’t prepared to face the truth, but it very well could be anyone.

  “I was at the bar after the game. That girl, Brawnwinn, showed up and a while later Chuck left with her and Neil. Maybe poor Neil doesn’t know.” Rita wrenched on Miranda’s arm to pull h
er away. “We should head back.”

  She couldn’t move. Her legs remained glued to the threadbare carpet. The new couple swapped spit for another minute before breaking apart. Neil went to the change rooms, smacking the brunette’s ass before leaving. The young woman sauntered towards Rita with a devilish grin.

  Miranda’s stomach dropped to the floor. The girl was stunning and twenty-one at most. Not only did Chuck cheat, but he picked someone impossible to compete against. They were opposite in almost every way. Light versus dark hair, thin versus curves, young versus older, too different to make sense of his decision.

  “Hey Rita, it’s nice to see you again.” The girl oozed charm and Miranda understood her appeal. Pretty and perky.

  Her friend waved and shuffled her feet. “Um... Yeah, I have to go.” Rita made her escape, heading back towards the ice and leaving Miranda alone with the girl who crumbled her illusions of a perfect marriage.

  The young girl had no idea Miranda was the wife of the man she may have slept with a few nights ago. “I don’t think we’ve met, I’m Brawnwinn. I’m dating Neil. Are you a girlfriend or wife? Seems like the only women here are attached to a player.” Her full plump lips curled into a smile, causing Miranda to shiver.

  Fist clenched, her teeth mashed together, making it impossible to respond. The young woman regarded her and popped a bubble with her gum, snapping Miranda from her trance.

  “Wife. I... I’m married.” Her words stumbled out as an idea formed. Chuck wasn’t willing to provide any answers, but this woman could. “Have you been to one of Neil’s games before?”

  Information was the key to unlock the future. This young girl looked friendly and if Miranda played her cards right, maybe she could learn what happened the other night. The best way to get the information was to be herself; the friendly and polite girl everyone loved.

  She had to do this. No matter how painful. Miranda straightened her posture and smiled. There was a small chance Rita was wrong. She sent a silent prayer, wishing for that.

  “Yeah, I came to the last one, but had to leave half way and meet up again later. That was the first time my boyfriend asked me to come watch. Was a very fun night,” Brawnwinn said with a wink.

  Miranda wanted to jump in front of a bus, coveting for a quick death. This was too painful. Instead, she swallowed her pride. “The guys know how to party after their games; that’s for sure. Sometimes it can get a tad risky. Did you end up doing anything extra fun?”

  “Gosh, yes. Neil knows I like my sex on the kinkier side. He said one of his friends was a swinger, so he told me if I came to cheer him on, he’d reward me with a threesome.”

  Double crap-apples... this was way worse than she thought.

  The only reason Neil would think they were swingers was if Chuck told him about their experiment. She thought that was their little secret, but she was wrong. Half the town thought Chuck had cheated on her, but the rumors weren’t based on facts. He must have neglected to mention the onetime scenario to his friend. “They can be fun. Did you enjoy yourself?” Her throat was dry, and the words came out hoarse.

  “I didn’t think it would happen when we were all talking at the bar. But Neil’s friend, Chuck, pretty sure that’s his name; well he got super wasted, so the party was on.”

  The bubble burst wide open. From the moment Chuck told her what happened, she didn’t believe it. Denial had been holding her together these past few days. She couldn’t deny it any longer. Miranda held it together long enough to ask another question. “So, what happened if you don’t mind my asking?”

  “Oh, I don’t mind. I love sex talk. We were all smashed, but Chucky stumbled, so we helped him to the room we rented at the motel. Neil watched as I undressed him. The guy is stacked and solid in every way, let me tell you.” Brawnwinn giggled and Miranda was on the verge of tears.

  “We all got naked, but the guy wasn’t getting hard. I started sucking him off while Neil took me from behind. That was fun, but he couldn’t stay hard. Not Neil, my man is a machine, his friend Chucky. Too bad cause that dick was nice and thick, but no erection meant no threesome. Would have been a blast to mount that pole. Guess he was too drunk. Probably why he kept repeatedly saying sorry and calling me Mirandy, or something like that. Whatever, I let it slide cause he’s seriously hot. Wasn’t much of a threesome since he passed out, but still fun having him in the bed while we got busy.”

  “Then what happened?” Miranda was visibly shaking.

  Brawnwinn noticed. “Girl, you should have worn another jacket or something. Here, why don’t you take my scarf?” She removed the long pink woolen scarf and wrapped it around Miranda’s exposed neck.

  “Thanks.” The word was barely audible because Miranda lost her breath.

  “Anytime. The story kind of ends there. After a few orgasms, we fell asleep. In the morning Neil went to grab coffee and a few minutes after he left, the guy woke up naked next to me. I thought, hot damn, we can pick up where we left off, but he wouldn’t even look at me. He swore a lot and took off. Guess all the condoms on the ground freaked him out... who knows. I told Neil we should try with him again, but not so much liquor next time.” She giggled.

  Miranda breathed what felt like the first breath in ages. Her lungs expanded joyfully. Chuck didn’t cheat on her. Brawnwinn’s story made all the puzzle pieces click into place.

  Chuck had been on medication that night, and it must have mixed poorly with the booze. He never meant to hurt her, and aside from this girl seeing her husband naked, the worst hadn’t happened. He never willingly sought the arms of another woman and he wasn’t purposely avoiding her questions. When Chuck said he didn’t remember, he wasn’t lying.

  A tidal wave of relief washed over her. She slapped her forehead. The hockey game, the sign, the date with Kyle. All of it designed to hurt a man that did nothing but love her. He stayed true to his vows. Now the question would be, could he forgive her for not trusting in his love?

  “Great story and wonderful to meet you, Brawnwinn.” Miranda unwrapped the scarf and handed it back to the girl. “I’ve decided not to stay. I’m heading home.”

  “Oh, okay. I never caught your name.”

  “My name’s Miranda Radcliff. I’m Chuck’s wife,” she said with a smile and a wink before dashing towards the men’s change room. She needed to find her husband, and she didn’t want to spend another second without him.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The door swung open and the locker room was filled with men, lacing their skates and taping their sticks. They were fully dressed in their gear, helmets and all as Miranda searched for her husband. She found him in the corner, in what appeared to be a heated conversation with his best friend, Neil.

  Miranda approached the two men, but they didn’t notice her. Chuck’s voice was low and agitated. “You’re joking, right? A threesome with you and your new old lady... What the fuck are you thinking, man?”

  “Don’t get mad buddy. I know you and Miranda are into kinky shit. I get it if you’re not into including friends,” Neil said which earned him an exasperated sigh from Chuck.

  “Where have you been the last week? Under a fucking rock. I’m in hot water, and my life is falling apart. Would it make you happy if I lost Miranda forever? Cause only an asshole would ask me something so stupid.” Chuck looked at Neil as if they hadn’t known each other all their lives.

  She didn’t allow Neil time to respond. “Hi.” She shuffled her feet, trying to find the right words. “I... Um, can we talk?”

  Miranda had charged into the change room without thinking how odd it looked for her to be in there, or what she would say once she found Chuck. Her pulse raced at the sight of him and sweat beaded on her brow.

  His focus turned to her. “Of course, we can talk. What’s up?” He towered over her, looking like a powerhouse on blades.

  Miranda scanned the room, and all eyes were on them. “Not here. Will you meet me at home?” She wanted to reach out and touch him, but held herself
back, not trusting herself yet.

  His forehead scrunched into deep lines as he listened. “Is everything okay?”

  The question should have been expected. Less than an hour ago, she’d told him to stay away from their house and to give her space. The about-face wasn’t lost on her, but so much had changed since they last spoke.

  “Everything will be fine, but this can’t wait.” The urgency growing in her belly was like a volcano ready to erupt. She needed her marriage to be back on solid ground and the sooner the better.

  Chuck’s brow rose as he reached out, his hand landing on her arm. His heat penetrated her coat with minimal effort, making her yearn for more. One hand wasn’t enough. “The game’s about to start. Can’t this wait until after?”

  This time it was her eyebrow raised, and she planted her hands on her hips. “Hockey or me; take your pick, Mr. Radcliff.”

  He laughed and the cavernous baritone enveloped her like a hug. She missed that sound more than she realized. “Lead the way my love.” He extended his hand, and they smiled. She loved everything about this man.

  “You might want to take your skates off first, Casanova,” Neil said with a chuckle and her grin disappeared.

  She’d have to deal with the best friend at some point, but not tonight.

  His part in her misery would not easily be forgotten. Why he would even think Chuck would be interested in a threesome confounded her. She glared at her longtime friend, trying to gage the reason for his sudden hatred for her. His lopsided grin, good looks and welcoming blue eyes didn’t portray malevolence. He was a ladies’ man, and that’s when it dawned on her.

  Neil loved the single life; a new girl every month. For years, he asked how they could be happy in a monogamous relationship as if love and commitment were the plague. His constant nattering was part of the reason she wanted to try something different all those years ago. Now she understood why he stopped asking; he thought the secret to their success was an open relationship.