I fall into a seat next to Tyler. He’s coming from the junior league. The guy has a wicked slap shot.
“Nice goal today,” I say.
“Thanks. You had a couple of good ones yourself.”
“’ Preciate you saying so, but that last one was ugly as hell.”
“Ugly still counts,” he says. “I haven’t seen you at the hotel. Did you already rent a place?”
“Yeah, I’m at The Legends.”
“You like it? I still haven’t found a place. I’m waiting to make sure I’m not heading to Iowa instead.”
“No chance, man. And, yeah, it’s great. Come by sometime before you head out and see for yourself.”
Before we get off the bus at the library, Blythe gives us instructions. “Split up, talk to the kids, read to them if you want, play puppets, just don’t stand in the corner. I promise you, the more you try to hide, the more they will seek you out. They smell weakness.” She laughs. “Have fun. Dakota and I will be around if anyone has questions, and Lindsey is with us for pictures, so smile pretty.”
Morris smiles wide beside her, his front tooth missing, and the bus laughs.
The kids are a trip. Some of them rush us, and others eye us warily. I don’t blame the ones in the latter group. We’re a bunch of big dudes who don’t know jack about kids or how to interact with them. Thankfully, some of the older guys came. Jack is great. He crouches down in front of one adorable little girl with pigtails, and four more kids crowd around.
Leo’s got two kids fighting for a seat in his lap as he reads a book on space.
Blythe was right. The guys that try to hang back end up with kids seeking them out and shoving books in front of them. Some of the littlest children are with their parents. One woman has a tiny little thing strapped to her chest and a kid tugging her along toward Declan. The defenseman surprises me, kneeling and holding out a fist.
Kids don’t scare me. I mean, I’m a big fucking kid myself, but I haven’t had to carry a conversation with one recently. Tyler and I end up standing together. Neither of us makes a move, and Blythe encourages us, waving us toward some kids near the toy section.
“After you,” I tell him, not really thinking he’ll take the bait. Ty is a quieter guy. Besides the bus ride, he hasn’t said much during our off-ice time, but he strikes up a conversation with two kids about dragons like he’s an expert on the topic.
I stand behind him, listening to him debate if girl or boy dragons are stronger, like he’s done deep thinking on the topic. He looks over his shoulder and hands me a pink dragon puppet. He slips the blue one on his hand.
“I don’t know. Let’s find out.” He mock attacks me, biting my puppet on the neck.
It’s short lived, but the kids laugh.
I catch Dakota’s eye across the room. She smiles and lifts her phone like she’s taking a picture of me. I wink, which makes her eyes widen and she glances around, looking for Elyse most likely. I already know where the boss lady is. I’m not stupid. I don’t want to get Dakota caught any more than she wants to be caught.
She must come to the same conclusion I did—Elyse is too busy to notice us—because she glances back and gives me a haughty, sexy stare with pursed lips before turning on her heel and resuming her job.
I make the rounds, smiling tentatively at kids and saying hello to all the parents and staff, but every time I glance at Dakota, she looks up from what she’s doing, and we share a heated stare that makes adrenaline and lust pump through my veins.
Leo’s finishing a book as I near him. The kids he was reading to have lost interest and are jumping the carpet tiles. I take a seat next to him on a bright blue bean bag.
“Oh, fudge,” I say. “I didn’t think this through. Not sure I’m gonna be able to get up.”
“Why do you think I’m still down here?” He laughs.
I look through the books on the floor in front of him. Space, US history, math, and finance. “Well, aren’t you a barrel of fun?” I lift the one on finance that’s as thick as a textbook.
“That one is mine.” He snatches it from me. “I was hoping I could disappear and study for a test I have tonight. I’m trying to finish up my degree.”
I nod. Leo came to the Wildcats after his sophomore year of college, like me.
“That’s cool, man.”
He shrugs it off, so I don’t press. “Go.” I tilt my head to the study room across the library. “I’ll cover for you.”
“Thanks, Rook.”
All the kids are occupied for the moment, so I sit back and watch the chaos around the library. This is pretty cool.
I extract myself from the bean bag chair and circle around until I’m back with Tyler. He’s still working those puppets hard. He tosses me one, and we slip back into action, acting out scenes from the books.
Dakota steps up next to me with her phone. She smiles as she aims it at me and takes a picture.
“Miss me?” I whisper, using the puppet as a decoy.
“I’m taking some behind-the-scenes pictures for the social media pages.”
“Mhmm.”
“I am,” she insists and takes another.
“Then maybe you should take pictures of more than just me.”
She rolls her eyes but doesn’t try to deny it. “You’re good with kids.”
“Yeah, I guess. They’re pretty cool.”
“I can see you with a minivan full of them someday.”
“Me? A parent?” I shake my head. “I’m more the fun uncle. What about you?”
“Do I want kids?” she asks.
I nod.
“Definitely. Not a whole minivan full, but a couple.”
“You’ve got the death glare for it. No kid is sneaking out on your watch.”
Tyler finishes the book, and the kids grab the puppets and entertain themselves. I step closer to Dakota. We’re quiet, watching the kids around us.
“Seems like a lot of work.” The mom with the baby and kid pulling her around looks exhausted.
Dakota leans down to say hello to the kid, and the mom gives her a thankful smile. “Do you like dogs?” She points to the book in his hand. It has a pug on the front.
The kid nods enthusiastically.
“You know who else does?” She turns to me. “Johnny Maverick. He’s a big dog fan. Do you want him to read this to you?”
My palms sweat as his chubby little hand holds up the book.
She snaps another picture as I sit on the floor beside him. “Don’t underestimate yourself, Johnny Maverick.”
From the library, we’re bused back to the arena. Tonight instead of getting to go home and rest, we’ve got scheduled team bonding time.
I catch Dakota as we’re getting off the bus.
“Hey. I’m going to be late tonight. Can you let Charli out for me?”
“Yeah. I’ll take her on a short run with me. I missed my run the last few mornings.” She smirks and blushes.
“Sorry, not sorry.” I say, remembering exactly how we spent that time. “Later, roomie.”
One of the media rooms has been set up with video games and food. All the older guys that are in town stop by, but the coaches and staff are absent to give us time to talk and get to know one another without them.
I fill a plate full of grub and sit between Declan and Tyler.
“Boys,” I say in greeting.
“What’s up, Mav?” Dec says. “Knee holding up?”
“Yeah. It’s a little sore after that slam into the wall earlier today.” I give him a pointed stare.
He grins. “I had to make sure you could stay in one piece with a little check.”
“Little?” He’s one of the biggest guys in the league. I thought it was nice of him to stop by until I realized he was giving us a taste of what it’ll be like playing against defenders like him.
Ty laughs. “It’s been a fun week. I’m sad to see it coming to an end.”
“The real fun will begin in September,” I tell him and hold
up my fist for a bump.
27
Dakota
“Okay. Start at the beginning,” Reagan says.
Ginny crowds in next to her. “Don’t leave anything out.”
They’re sitting on Reagan’s bed, and I feel a twinge of melancholy. I am loving my time in Minnesota, but I miss them.
“I’m leaving a few things out,” I warn as my friends wait for details about Maverick and me.
Sienna joins our Zoom with a smile. “Sorry. I’m helping teach a figure skating class, and one of the kid’s parents showed up fifteen minutes late.”
“Poor kid.”
“Poor me. What did I miss? Tell me everything.”
“You haven’t missed anything. She’s holding out on us,” Reagan says.
I huff a laugh. “I just didn’t want to have to repeat myself.”
“Well, we’re all here now,” Ginny says. “Spill.”
“There really isn’t that much to spill.”
Reagan groans. “You’re lucky you’re so far away. I want to shake you.”
“I could drive down and force it out of her,” Sienna offers.
“Nobody needs to force anything out of me,” I say. “We kissed and messed around a little.”
It’s the worst description ever for the amazing, hot, fun week of daily orgasms at the hands and mouth of Maverick. Threesome connoisseur wasn’t on my dating must-haves list, but holy crap, maybe it should be because all that attention focused on me? It’s mind blowing. My mind? Totally blown.
Ginny squeals. “Oh my god, I love it. Do the guys know? Heath hasn’t said anything.”
“I don’t think so,” Sienna says.
“No.” Reagan shakes her head.
“Huh. I’m surprised that he didn’t text them the second it happened to gloat.”
“When has Maverick ever gloated about hookups?” Ginny shakes her head. “Not his style.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Can we keep this between us? I don’t want him to think that’s what I’m doing either.”
“So are you dating, or was this a one, or several times, thing?” Sienna asks.
“For the summer, I guess, or until we get sick of one another. The second may happen first.” Though as I say it, I don’t believe it. At least not on my account. Johnny is unpredictable and silly and just… fun.
“Then what?” Reagan asks.
“I’ll come back to Valley, and he’ll stay in Minnesota.” I shrug.
They don’t look happy with my answer.
“We’ll still be friends.”
“I did not see this coming,” Ginny says. “But I love it. You two are all sexy banter. I bet the sex is amazing.”
They look to me for an answer with hopeful, eager faces.
“We haven’t had sex. Just lots of other stuff.”
“Stuff like…” Reagan’s head bobs, indicating she wants more details.
“Let’s just say he’s very good with his hands.”
Johnny doesn’t get home until late Friday night, and I have to be at the arena early Saturday morning with the other interns for the last day of camp. I’m on floater duty and don’t cross paths with him until it’s all over. I’m helping break down tables and putting away displays and extra chairs.
I smell him before I see him. The Hailstone scent I told him I like is all he wears now. Maybe he’s really into doing his due diligence for the endorsement, or maybe he just likes teasing me.
“I have an emergency,” he whispers next to my ear.
“What’s wrong?” I straighten, and he takes my hand and hauls me through a doorway into a closet that smells like dirty feet and cleaner.
His mouth descends onto mine, and his big hands frame my face.
“You said there was an emergency,” I speak the words into his mouth, trying not to break the kiss more than I have to.
“There is.” He takes my hand in his and rubs it over his crotch. “I woke up like this and can’t seem to do anything about it.”
“That sounds like a personal problem. Maybe you should see a doctor.”
He pulls my bottom lip between his teeth. “The problem is my hand is no longer doing it for me. I need yours.”
“Such sweet talk,” I say sarcastically.
“You want sweet words?” he asks, holding my face and looking into my eyes.
I don’t know what I want, but my body likes everything he’s doing right now.
I drag my palm down his length through his athletic pants.
“Mmmm. Sweetheart.” He groans. “Baby. Ah, fuck. How does that feel so good through two layers?” He presses a soft kiss to my lips. “Baby doll. Bae.”
“That’s enough sweet talk,” I say.
“I was just getting into it,” he says. “Trying to find an endearment I like.”
“What happened to slam piece?”
“You know you aren’t just my slam piece.”
“No?” I slide my hand under the band of his boxers and touch his dick. He hisses through his teeth.
“You can be whatever you want. Just don’t stop touching me. Won’t take long.”
“Charming.”
“Don’t pretend like you don’t love that I’m hard for you all day.” His hand slides under my skirt, and he teases me through my panties. “You’re so wet. Have you been this wet all day?” He shoves them to the side and wastes no time dipping his fingers inside of me.
I shut him up by covering his mouth with mine. Every word out of his gorgeous lips makes my head spin. We frantically rub and jerk as our mouths slant, and we suck and lick and play. I have been turned on all day missing him, but I missed being with him too, and that’s a lot scarier thing to realize. I hope we’re not screwing everything up by screwing each other up.
The following week is much calmer at the arena. I’m with Reese today working the ticket office.
We make calls to past season ticket holders to see if they’re interested in renewing. We send emails to businesses interested in booking suites or sponsoring games. Sponsors get signage around the ice and special callouts during the game.
It’s way more involved than I thought, but I do not love being on the phone. So many people hang up or put us off. After four hours, I’ve only secured one deal.
“She didn’t even let me get through the first sentence,” I whine after another hang up.
“Come on,” Reese says. “Maybe people will be friendlier after lunch.”
In the hallway, we see Blythe talking to Wildcat President and CEO, Mr. Albert.
She smiles and opens her stance. “Brad, these are two of my interns, Dakota Lawrence and Reese Beck.”
“Pleasure to meet you.” Reese extends his hand first, and after they shake, I offer mine as well.
“I hear you’ve got the making of a great equipment manager,” Mr. Albert says to Reese and then to me, “And you’re the one that got the great behind-the-scenes content from the library outing last week, right?”
“Oh, uh. I got a few.” Mostly of Johnny. He was right. Even though I was convinced I got an even number of photos of all the guys, half the photos I took had Maverick in them somehow.
“She has a great eye for what’s trending on social media. The library has already asked us to come back.”
I didn’t know that, but it makes me happy it went over so well.
“Glad to hear it. The Stars have twice the following we have on social media. I’d like to change that this year. Maybe you can help.”
“I’d love to. I’m only here for a few more weeks.”
“You’ve both done a great job this summer,” Blythe adds.
“Keep it up.” Mr. Albert says. “And I hope the two of you will consider coming back to help us out once you’ve graduated.”
Reese and I walk away, neither speaking until we’re outside.
We turn to each other, smiling, and scream, “Ahhh!”
Sunday night Maverick and I are watching The Office. We’ve already made it halfway
through season two, and it’s become our nightly thing, followed by multiple orgasms. It’s a good way to spend an evening, I have to say.
“What are you doing Wednesday night?” he asks. He lays with his head at the opposite end of the couch, Charli on his chest, and his feet are in my lap.
“At this rate? Watching season four.”
“How about coming with me to a ball game?” He sits up. “I was invited to throw the first pitch at the Twins game.”
“Seriously?” My lips pull up into a big smile.
“Yeah. It’s a trip, right? Blythe cornered me and added so many events to my calendar. She’s a hard woman to say no to.”
“That’s really cool.”
“So, you’ll come with me?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea for us to be seen out together.”
“Everyone knows we’re friends. Besides, Jack is going too.”
“Is he bringing a date?”
“No. He laughed when Blythe told us we got a plus-one.” He slides his hands around my waist. “Come on. It’ll be fun to hang out with you like a real date.”
“If I come, it cannot be like a date,” I say. “Just two friends hanging out at a baseball game.” I bat at his hands. “I’m not shaving my legs or wearing deodorant.”
“Do you really think that would scare me off?”
We both laugh. I know it wouldn’t, and I won’t go through with it anyway.
“One more date I need you to pencil in.”
“Johnny,” I protest.
“I ran this one by Blythe, but I asked if I could be the one to tell you.”
Well, now I’m intrigued.
“There’s a black-tie thing next weekend hosted by the Wildcats Foundation. I asked Blythe if you could come since you helped with the endorsement, and she agreed. She said you could grab some good behind-the-scenes images and content. That woman is going to be sad to see you go.” He nips at my collarbone. “Me too.”
“Black tie, huh? So you’ll be in a suit.”
He flashes me a sexy smirk. “That’s right, and you in a sexy dress. Maybe the black one.”
“I don’t think that dress is black tie. It stops about two inches above my vagina.”
Wild Love (Campus Nights Book 4) Page 17
