Breaking Away

by Toni Aleo

  Leaning back in her seat, she threw a handful of popcorn in her mouth as they watched the boys warm up. Phillip skated with ease, doing wide circles around the goal, his hair moving in the wind he was causing, and Reese was finding it hard to remember how to chew popcorn. He was just too damn sexy. Heart stopping even, all decked out in his Assassins’ gear. He looked bigger, stronger, all padded up and on his skates. Reese found herself only watching him. Man, he was a sight to watch.

  “God, he is sexy,” Claire said before sucking in a breath.

  “Yeah, he is,” Reese agreed but then stopped and looked over at her. “Whoa, who are you talking about?”

  Claire shot her a grin. “Number 59, Patrick Franklin.”

  Reese found him quickly and couldn’t help but agree with Claire’s assessment. The boy was pretty, but he was a boy. Young and fresh with dark features and even darker eyes. “Yeah, he is cute.”

  “I know, I almost slept with him a while back, but Phillip walked in on us and ruined my whole night.”

  Reese paused mid-chew and glanced over at him. “How old is he?”

  “Nineteen. I lied and said I was nineteen too, not my finest move. I was hell bent on ruining Phillip’s life back then. I still find him sexy, but I wouldn’t mess with him anymore. Hell, I don’t even mess with Brian except maybe a kiss here and there. I guess I grew out of all that junk.”

  Reese reached out and squeezed Claire’s hand. “I’m proud of who you are growing into, Claire. I don’t know if I’ve told you that lately.”

  Claire smiled as she shrugged shyly. “No, but thanks. I’m proud of who I am too.”

  “Good,” Reese said with a nod. When she looked up, the guys were gone. “Hey, where did they go?”

  “They are done warming up. Now we wait for the game to start,” Claire said, sipping her coke.

  “Well, let’s hope for a win.”

  “Oh, they’ll win. Then they’ll go into the playoffs with a great record and they’ll bring the cup home to Nashville again. Auntie Elli said after everything she’s been through with this team since she took over, they better deliver.”

  Reese laughed. “Sounds like something she’d say.”

  Claire smiled as they both sat back and snacked on the junk food they had gotten. The crowd was loud, and Reese was surprised since the game hadn’t even started yet. The usual chant of, ‘Let’s go Assassins, clap, clap, clap clap clap,’ was being sung by the over eighteen thousand fans. The whole arena was purple except for the speckle of blue since they were playing the St. Louis Blues. With the way the fans were acting without the guys being out, Reese could only imagine what it was going to be like once they hit the ice again.

  When Blue took the ice, the crowd booed and Claire was right along with them, screaming that they sucked and they needed to go back home. It was quite comical watching her scream and stab her foam Assassins’ sword in the air towards them while Reese sat quietly with her foam sword tucked under her arm. She’d pull it out at the right time, despite the fact that she wasn’t sure when that was. When “Born to Rise” by Redlight Kings started blasting through the arena, the crowd lost it.

  Reese sat wide-eyed as she watched everyone go nuts, swinging swords, pom poms, purple towels, and screaming their hearts out. This was honestly the loudest crowd Reese had ever seen. People were pounding on the glass, the chant getting louder as the jumbotron went from a premade video of the guys’ greatest plays to video coverage of the guys standing in the hall that led to the ice. That caused the noise level to go up a notch. Since everyone else was standing, Reese decided she would, too. The guys started making their way out on the ice, skating under two large hockey sticks that two tall, ninja-looking guys held. When Phillip hit the ice, his name vibrating through the loud speaker, Reese smiled at the joyful look on his face. He was eating this up. He always said that the crowd fueled him, and it was exciting to see him so pumped up.

  Reese was surprised that the crowd went silent during the National Anthem but as soon as it was over, they went right back to being loud and proud, chanting for their team. Coach Baxter had to scream just so the guys heard him and when Phillip skated to the middle, ready for the puck to drop, Reese scooted to the edge of her seat, excited for the game to start. She loved hockey. She loved the high pace of it, and how at any second the players could drop their gloves and duke it out. There was something about two huge guys beating the snot out of each other that made Reese all giggly inside. It was hot, but it also worried her that someone could mess up Phillip’s gorgeous face or his new teeth, so she decided that she hoped there would be no fights with him involved.

  But with only six minutes into the game and with the way the two teams were playing, it was obvious someone was going to fight. Both teams were being choppy, the Assassins wanting to come up with the win, and the Blues wanted to make sure that they didn’t get their new record. Reese wanted to scream for them to all play nice and hell, let the Assassins win, but she knew it would do no good and also make her look a little crazy. She watched the players skate back and forth, both taking their fair share of shots at the goal, but both coming up with goose eggs in the first period. During the intermission, she and Claire walked around and got more food before making it back to their seats for the second period.

  Like the first, the boys were skating hard, looking for a goal. When a call for hooking happened on Phillip, she looked at Claire for some kind of answer because she sure didn’t understand what was going on. Thankfully, Claire knew the call and was quick to explain that the other player had used his stick to stop Phillip from forward progress with the puck, which meant that the Assassins were on the power play.

  Reese watched as the Blue and Assassins fought for the puck when it was dropped. It was then passed back to Shea, who passed it to Jakob, who then passed it up to Lucas, but he didn’t have a shot so he passed it back to Shea. He moved around effortlessly, his eyes watching every player, but when he tried to pass it to Patrick, a Blue got it and shot it back towards Tate, where he stopped it for Jakob. Jakob then skated around the goal as Phillip, Erik, and Karson hit the ice. He skated up some and then beamed it. When it hit Phillip’s stick, Reese shot up and watched as Phillip moved past the defensemen and shot it right into the goal with ease.

  Claire shot up beside her, and they both screamed loudly along with the rest of the crowd as Phillip threw his arms in the air, his teammates wrapping him up in a tight hug. The horn for a goal went off three more time as the crowd chanted for Phillip. She had seen Phillip score many times on TV, but it was different seeing it live. It did something to her heart, and pride was seeping through her pores. With a wide grin on her face, Reese picked up her foam sword and decided that this was the time to swing the hell out of the damn thing.

  Because her... wait no, the guy that she was having sex with had scored!

  They won with Phillip’s goal being the only goal that was scored.

  Reese was sure that the Assassins’ fans were going to tear Nashville apart that night, and she kind of wished that she was with them. Instead, she was at her favorite sushi place with Phillip beside her and Claire sitting across from them, all three of them with wide grins as Phillip retold his goal.

  “It was beautiful. I deked to one side, slid my foot and wrist shot the hell out of that puck. I knew it went in before the goalie did. It was beautiful, probably my favorite goal.”

  “It was a great goal,” Reese agreed. “I swung my sword and screamed.”

  Phillip gave her a wide smile as Claire giggled. She then leaned on her elbows, her eyes glittering as she looked over at him. “Did you take the puck?”

  He shot her a wide grin. “You know it.”

  “Awesome,” she said as she sat back, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

  Reese looked over at Phillip and leaned into him. He wrapped an arm around her and then kissed her softly on her cheek. “I like this jersey, looks hot on you.”

  “It’s small.”

>   “No, it’s perfect, makes your tits look great,” he said in a whisper.

  But Claire heard him and said, “Told you.”

  Reese laughed as she pushed him again, taking a long pull of her beer before he gathered her back up in his arms. “I’m glad you two were there.”

  Reese smiled as Claire said, “It was probably the best game I’ve been to. The crowd was crazy!”

  “We have the best fans,” Phillip declared. “And you just wait till playoffs. It’s gonna be insane.”

  “I can’t wait,” Claire said, bouncing in her seat. “Make sure you have my seats for those games.”

  “I will, maybe Reese will want to occupy the other one?”

  Reese smiled. “I’d love to.”

  “Good,” he said, hugging her tighter before placing a kiss on her temple. After ordering, the three of them talked about whatever came up and Reese couldn’t stop smiling. It was a great night and she knew that once they dropped Claire off and went back to her apartment, it was going to be an even better night. She watched with a grin on her face as Claire and Phillip got into a heated discussion about the Hunger Games, and who would win between the two of them. Reese’s money was on Claire, that girl was ruthless, but when she was asked who would win, she said, “I’m not a part of this. I’m minding my own business, drinking my beer.”

  Phillip mock glared at her before poking her in the side and saying, “I would win, and we all know it.”

  “You’re full of it. I’d be the one that thinks of all the cool ways to kill everyone and have some strong guy do it all. Heck, I’ll get you to do it and then kill you in the end.”

  Phillip could only blink as Reese shook her head. “You’d kill me?”

  Claire nodded. “Yeah, I want to win. I’m a winner, Phillip and I know you’d kill me.”

  “I would not!” Phillip said, smacking his hand on the table but, before he could go on, Reese placed her hand on his.

  “Wow, this is crazy, let’s move on. So Claire is doing a new solo in the recital, aren’t you?”

  Claire laughed as Phillip continued to glare. He then smiled, reached across the table, and pinched her nose. “That’s wonderful, I can’t wait to see it, but just to let you know, you couldn’t kill me.”

  “Oh for God sakes, Phillip!” Reese yelled. Thankfully, the food came, all talks of Hunger Games stopped, and they moved on to the recital, which was the night after the first playoff game. Reese was really excited for it because it wasn’t about winning, it was about having fun, and the girls really shined on those nights for their parents. She was excited too because Phillip was going to be home and could come.

  “I have a question for you.”

  Reese paused from picking up a sushi piece and looked over at him. “Yeah?”

  “We have this party thing that Elli is having for us before the playoffs start. Can you come with me?”

  She smiled as she said, “Sure, when is it?”

  “Thursday.”

  “Yeah, no problem.”

  “Okay awesome, because I don’t want to take my niece. She’d kill me in the Hunger Games, you know?”

  She rolled her eyes as they started back up on why Claire would kill him and how he would kill her before she could even think to kill him, and Reese decided that these two were crazy. But then she decided that she liked their crazy. A lot, and that she’d rather be around them and all their crazy than be anywhere else.

  Phillip pulled the sleeves of his suit to his wrist as he stepped out of the limo that he had rented for the night. The driver tipped his hat to him, handing him the big bouquet of red roses, before he started for Reese’s door. Phillip was nervous, and he was pretty sure it was because Reese might think this was a date and that could be because it was a date. He could remember their conversation like it was yesterday, when he told her that she’d know when they were on a date. There would be flowers, a driver, and his hands would never leave her sweet body. Popping another button at the neck of his white shirt, Phillip made his way up the steps but, before he could get to the door, it opened and there stood his date.

  His heart.

  Reese was stunning. Mouthwatering. Mind blowing. If he were to look in the dictionary under most gorgeous girl in the world, Reese’s picture would be there. Corny? Yes, yes, it was but he didn’t care. She was beautiful and left him speechless. Standing tall in silver heels, she wore a short, black sparkling dress that she had covered with a long, black coat. He couldn’t wait to see the back because he knew Reese, and he knew that her gorgeous tree tattoo was probably on display. Her hair was down in loose curls, her makeup dark, making her eyes look dangerous and mischievous. Looking up and down her gorgeous body, Phillip found himself fighting for his next breath as he held out the roses for her.

  “Oh my goodness, Phillip, they are gorgeous.”

  “Not as gorgeous as you,” he said. He knew it was cheesy but, to his delight, she grinned up at him as she took the flowers.

  “Well, thank you, you are looking mighty smoking tonight,” she said, flipping up the lapel of his sports coat. She turned, and he followed her inside. He could only watch as she laid the flowers on her desk before getting a vase and filling it with water in the bathroom. Placing the flowers in the water, she made sure they were good before turning to him and saying, “You really didn’t have to.”

  “I wanted to.”

  She smiled shyly at him and took a step closer, battering her long eyelashes sweetly at him as she said, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said, snaking his arms around her waist inside her jacket. When his hand came to her bare back, he groaned inwardly. “Where is the back of your dress?” he teased with a sneaky smile.

  “Oh, it didn’t come with one,” she answered with a wink.

  He brought her in closer, pressing his lips to her glossed-up ones before kissing her long and hard, his body tingling under her touch. Pulling away slowly, he looked deep in her eyes and again the words were there. Her eyes were hooded, her lips parted as she searched his eyes too. In a way, he thought he saw the words in her eyes but that couldn’t be. Or could it?

  “We should probably go because we might end up not leaving and making a bee line for the bedroom,” she joked.

  “Oh baby, if I wanted to, I’d take you on this desk,” he growled, bringing her closer and smashing his lips to hers. Her leg hooked around his as she moved her tongue with his, devouring his mouth and causing his heart to beat out of control. She drove him crazy, utterly crazy, but he couldn’t imagine it any other way. Tearing his mouth from hers, he kissed her nose before lacing his fingers with hers. “You ready?”

  She took in a deep breath. “So no taking me against the desk?”

  He smiled. “No, the driver is waiting for us.”

  “Driver?” she asked as he pulled her out the door, locking it behind them.

  “Yeah.”

  “Why couldn’t you drive?”

  “Cause I want my hands on you all night long,” he whispered in her ear as the driver opened the door for them.

  She looked up at him, eyeing him before saying, “I’ve heard this before.”

  He laughed. “Maybe.”

  She eyed him more before he said, “Get in the limo.”

  “Pushy, pushy,” she teased before sliding into the seat.

  Once he was seated beside her, he said, “You’ve never complained before.”

  She closed her eyes as she snuggled in close to him. He wrapped an arm around her, kissing her temple. When the car took off, she whispered, “This is nice.”

  “It is,” he whispered, sliding his hand inside her jacket and stroking her back slowly.

  They rode in silence for a few moments before Reese said, “I’ve never been in a limo before.”

  “Really?” he asked surprised.

  “Nope.”

  “Not even for prom?”

  “No, I road in my date’s pickup truck and then had sex in the back. It was fa
ntastic.”

  Phillip laughed. “Sounds like it.”

  She looked up at him, her eyes dark as she whispered, “I’m kind of turned on by this limo right now.”

  A slow grin spread over his face as he reached for the button that would shield them from the driver’s eyes. Nothing was said as they both watched it go up and, once it was there, Reese tore her jacket off and straddled Phillip’s lap. His hands ran up her thighs as she worked his mouth, rubbing her warm center against his growing erection. Squeezing her back, he deepened the kiss, his tongue moving with her in a dance that had his cock straining against the zipper of his pants. Tangling his fingers in her hair, he kissed down her chin, before taking a bit of the sweet flesh of her neck, causing her to cry out softly. Pulling down the straps of her dress, the front went along, revealing two sweet breasts, her rosy nipples begging him for attention. He always obliged when it came to Reese’s body.

  Taking one nipple in his mouth, he swirled his tongue around it before biting softly while his other hand mimicked his mouth, squeezing her peak, making her cry out in the most delicious way. His body was rock hard and he was trembling everywhere as he kissed between her breasts, running his tongue back up the hollow of her neck and taking her mouth with his. His hands fell to her thighs, squeezing them as she took control of the kiss, moving her sweet pussy against him, looking for her release and fuck, he wanted to give it to her. Needing to touch her, he slid his hands between her thighs and tore his mouth away when he found that she was wearing no underwear.

  “Ms. Allen, where are your underwear?”

  Her breathing was erratic, her eyes wide as she gave him a sneaky grin, cupping his face with her hands. Her face was flushed and, fuck, she was beautiful. “I went without, hoping it would turn you on.”