The Love Campaign (Romantic Revelations Series Book 1)

by Laura Marquez Diamond

  She fell to her knees and pulled his athletic pants down, releasing the velvety rod that slapped back against his hard abdominals. “Does this feel good?” she asked, wrapping her palm around the shaft while her thumb swirled pre-cum over his crown. A sound of need escaped his lips and his hips thrust out involuntarily.

  She let a tickling laugh linger over his hot dick. And then Jaya capped the tip with her wet mouth and swirled her tongue. She lowered her mouth with each thrust, sucking to the rhythm of his moving hips. When he let out an animal sound at the feel of the back of her throat, she gripped harder with her lips and then relaxed, allowing for a slight graze of her teeth. The sounds he was making made her smile. She relished his helplessness, hands against the wall as if he was scared to grab her hair too roughly. The wet sounds of sucking and licking filled the room.

  Jaya opened her eyes to watch his penis’s veiny stiffness move along her lips, the thickness that obscenely and beautifully slid in and out, stabbed her throat and filled her mouth. She relished his girth as she pumped with one hand and grabbed his muscular thigh with another hand, stabilizing herself as her head moved. His noises became erratic. The thigh under her hand felt like it was vibrating.

  “Jaya,” his strained voice reached her ears. “You have to stop, sweetheart. I can’t fucking hold it.” She supposed she could have stopped. She could have let him tamp down his explosion long enough to regain control.

  But she didn’t want to stop. Instead, she took him deep, deep, deep in her throat and looked up. The fire in his eyes and the flare of his nostrils intensified when her eyes lifted. His facial reaction confirmed what his throbbing shaft anticipated. He was going to blow. Knowing she did this to him made her high on power, wet with desire. It took two quick pumps before the sheer force of his orgasm nearly lifted him off his feet.

  A salty surge hit the back of her throat. She swallowed and pumped and moaned through his climax until his throbbing tension gave way to exhausted panting.

  Jaya felt herself getting lifted by strong arms. Sebastian carried her to the bed as if she weighed nothing, gently placing her in the middle. The taste of his orgasm still in her tongue, he kissed her hard. He slid his hands over her body. He worshiped her breasts so thoroughly, Jaya’s core clenched in response.

  Sebastian’s hand moved up to a shoulder and kneaded a knot lodged deep in her muscle. “Oh yeah,” she moaned, the sensation leaving her sighing with her eyes closed. “That feels amazing.”

  Sebastian chuckled. “Your back’s so knotted. Turn around. Let me work on your shoulders.”

  Jaya’s eyes popped open. “Are you going to give me a back rub?” she asked excitedly.

  “Yup,” he said. He gave each nipple a little suck, making a popping sound as his lips pulled away. He pretended to talk to her chest. “You two be patient. I need to give the rest of this woman some attention. But I’ll see you later.”

  With a guffaw, Jaya exclaimed, “You’re having a conversation with my tits?”

  “Just being polite, Jaya. I don’t want them to feel neglected.” His eyes were twinkling.

  “You are so…what’s the word I’m looking for?” she said.

  At the same time that she said “Weird,” Sebastian said “Considerate.” They both laughed.

  She complied, turning over so she lay on her stomach and felt Sebastian’s powerful thighs straddle her buttocks. He kept his body weight off her, but his hands. Oh my god, his hands, Jaya waxed poetic as Sebastian rubbed and kneaded and massaged the kinks on her shoulders, down her back, and…

  “Right. There,” she declared in a rather muffled voice because her face was pressed on the pillow. She was only drooling a little. Who could blame her when she was getting the massage of a lifetime?

  His hands roamed lower, finding the stiff muscles of her outer thighs and rubbing them so proficiently, she didn’t think any masseuse had ever come this close to finding every single knot in her neck, back, and, well, buttocks.

  She moaned and nodded as the pressure sent waves of relaxation all over her body. Her muscles realigned and unwound. Her limbs went limp.

  “Your skin is satin, Jaya. And you sound so fucking sexy, you know that?” Sebastian said. She didn’t have to see him to know his features carried that expression of lust so palpable in his hoarse voice.

  “I can sound any way you like if you keep that up,” she flirted while shaking her butt for a bouncy wiggle.

  With a soft chuckle and a final sweep of his hands over her back, Jaya felt the velvet rigidity of his cock against her backside. “You better believe I can keep it up,” he teased into her ear.

  The truth about Sebastian, Jaya realized through another round of lovemaking, is that he most certainly could.

  CHAPTER 14

  Having been groomed for Boston Bruins fandom for much of his youth, the palm trees and ocean breezes of Florida were hardly the backdrop to Sebastian’s hockey dreams. However, any reservations about the compatibility of tropical locales and ice hockey went out the window the second he pulled up to the state-of-the-art structure that housed the Florida Sharks. It was a stunning arena.

  Manicured landscaping and elaborate walkways donned the exterior. The main entrance opened to the scene of the Florida Sharks logo splayed everywhere from sparkling floor tiles and along the intermittent hallways that gave glimpses of the ice rink beyond. Enormous televisions hanged everywhere and flashed player photos and stats. Intricate staircases and arena high escalators gave a sense of the scale of the building. Massive glass panels encased the entire front part of the arena, allowing the hot Florida sun to flood the air-conditioned lobby.

  Sebastian almost choked on his excitement when he was welcomed by Sharks staff, but he kept his cool. They chatted enthusiastically while leading him to a conference room to meet management prior to a full tour. He had played in the NHL before, being called up to Buffalo a few times since starting his professional hockey career with the farm team. But this felt different. According to his agent, management fought to get him. Going above and beyond to make the trade happen. And it showed.

  He recognized the burly figures of two men with hands extended to shake his.

  “Welcome to Florida, Sebastian.” Irving Bowes, Sharks general manager, said brightly.

  “Glad to have you, son,” Owen Sorenson, head coach, followed up.

  Sebastian thanked them and engaged in shop talk with gusto. He was introduced to a few other staff and coaches but had a special pat on the back from Theo Crossley, the offensive coordinator for the Sharks. Sebastian knew of Theo as a recent retiree from the league, having spent the last eight years of his career dominating as a Carolina centerman. The guy still had the physique of a professional in his peak. Throughout his career, Theo Crossley was a beast of a fighter and one of the most versatile centermen of the league. Sebastian tried hard not to fangirl on his hero.

  “A power forward was the last piece of the puzzle for us. That’s you, young man,” Head Coach Sorenson declared.

  “Thanks, Coach. I can’t wait to show you what I’ve got.”

  “We’ve been watching you in Cincinnati. Some of the game tapes from last year’s post-season were inspired. Once they moved you from winger to center, everything changed,” Theo Crossley added.

  “I had great coaching there. They taught me to be flexible. A better forward all around,” Sebastian agreed.

  Irving Bowes was nodding his head. He added, thoughtfully, “I like that flexibility. Your face-off stats are crucial but it’s good to have you as a winger if needed. There will be some powerplay opportunities, you better believe it.”

  Theo Crossley added, “You know we’re looking for grit in our offense. You’ve never looked better than you did these last few months.”

  “It’s a privilege to be here,” Sebastian said to the group. “I can’t wait.”

  They went on for a while, talking about how the team was preparing for the post-season. And then Coach Sorenson stood up and gestured
his hand outward for everyone to turn towards the door. Noah Rawlings stood there, arms crossed over a wide chest and mouth set in a smirk.

  “There you are,” the coach said. “Sebastian Beaumont, meet Sharks captain Noah Rawlings.”

  Sebastian stood up and took Noah’s strong grip into his own. He managed to smile, although a measure of confusion might have lingered on his face.

  “I know it’s unusual, but Noah had time to come in before practice. He volunteered to take you through some of the key parts of our facilities,” Coach Sorensen offered as an explanation.

  “Wow,” Sebastian managed to say, truly shocked. It wasn’t at all customary for players to do the tour. It was especially weird that the star defenseman didn’t have something better to do on practice day.

  “You guys about done?” Noah asked the room. Everyone nodded reverently as if it was an order rather than a question. “Then let’s go, rookie. This is gonna be fun.”

  The two walked out the door, followed by some of the equipment managers and trainers. They seemed invisible to Noah, who spoke only to Sebastian.

  “How are you settling in?”

  “Great. Came in this morning and got dropped at the condo.”

  “One of the perks of an owner being a real estate developer,” Noah commented, “is that you don’t get stuck in a hotel. You get the one-bedroom to yourself?”

  “Yeah,” Sebastian said. “The team’s been pretty established, so it looks like everyone’s got their long-term contracts in place.”

  “We’re a tight team.”

  Sebastian didn’t have anything to add so he just followed, keeping his reactions to himself. His first impression of Noah was that the guy was friendly, though not exactly warm. Something about the way he tilted his chin up as if he was looking down at Sebastian, even though they were the same height, grated on the nerves. But he tempered his irritation. No point getting on the wrong side of the captain before he even had a chance to prove himself on the ice.

  “This is the training facility,” Noah declared when they entered a large gym, filled with high-tech equipment and a long row of cardio machines facing out towards the floor to ceiling wall of glass. Sebastian was impressed by the view and the technology. “Wanna take it from here, Hugo?”

  One of the guys trailing them stepped forward and pointed Sebastian towards a corner of the gym. Hugo talked about equipment, physical therapy, massages, and other conditioning techniques. Sebastian sort of followed along and nodded his head to show interest, but part of his attention was drawn to Noah, who had his arms wrapped around a woman in athletic gear. Her face had a pretty profile and she was attractive, with long black hair and a fit body.

  “That’s Kelly Graven, one of our physical therapists,” Hugo said though not looking at the couple.

  “They’re dating then?” Sebastian asked.

  “Off and on, I think,” Hugo said. “So over here, you’ve got the ice baths that lead towards…”

  Sebastian noticed that Hugo changed the subject quickly. When they were at the stretching area alone, Sebastian broached the subject again. “Is it typical? For players to date trainers?”

  “No, it’s mostly discouraged,” Hugo answered, his face turning red. “But, you know. Well, it’s Noah.”

  “Huh,” Sebastian said in acknowledgment. “They make a nice couple,” he concluded. None of his business, although flaunting a relationship in an organization explicitly prohibiting it seemed a bit arrogant. But what did he know about athlete privileges with the Florida Sharks? He had received a lot of attention as a big fish in the small pond of Cincinnati, but Sebastian had a lot to learn about the NHL. This petty stuff about who was dating whom didn’t concern him.

  “Beaumont!” he heard Noah bellow. “Let’s suit up before the guys get here. Show me what you’ve got, rookie!”

  Sebastian’s hockey bag was already in the locker room, having been delivered in the car that dropped him off. He followed Noah to get changed and decided to ignore the thinly veiled challenge in the captain’s tone.

  He was meeting the whole team for practice in just under two hours. But if the team captain wanted to suit up, he wasn’t going to argue. If anything, skating would burn off his nerves. All of a sudden, Sebastian was overwhelmed by the need to be fast and fierce on the ice.

  The cold air and perfect sheet of ice felt fantastic. Sebastian worked off the kinks of a luxurious night with Jaya and a tense flight to Florida. He smiled at the thought of Jaya, her hair wild and body languid that morning. She insisted on driving him to the airport instead of ordering a ride. He couldn’t wait to tell her about this…this sense of exhilaration. Like he was skating for the first time but with all of his hard work and experience paying off. It was a heady feeling.

  Bang. Bang. Bang. Pucks hit the back board as Noah sent slap shots from center ice.

  “Let’s do this, rookie!” Noah called out and skated in smooth circles, going backward and pivoting expertly around the net.

  Noah Rawlings wanted to play, and fuck if Sebastian wasn’t immediately injected with adrenaline. He picked up a stray puck and moved forward, finding his legs and squaring off against Noah’s large frame. Sebastian kept things loose, making an easy move to dodge Noah’s stick. But instead of the poke check he expected Noah to use as an obstacle, Noah retracted his stick and put his shoulder out towards Sebastian’s forward motion. The hit on the centerman’s chest wasn’t designed to knock him off his feet, but it was still unexpectedly jarring.

  He looked at Noah’s unreadable face when the defenseman taunted him. “You good, rookie? Didn’t hurt you or anything now, did I?”

  “All good, captain. Just learning the rules of your game is all,” Sebastian said good-naturedly.

  They skated around and faced off again. This time, Sebastian unleashed the puck to the sideboards before entering the offensive zone. With Noah skating backward, Sebastian had the advantage of speed, therefore getting to the puck first. Thinking to move it deeper into the zone, Sebastian made contact with the puck when Noah’s weight unleashed a full body check against the board. Instinctively, Sebastian braced himself by lifting his shoulder and forearm, catching Noah’s chest. They hissed at the contact. When they both found their stride, with Sebastian carrying the puck, Noah gave him an extra shove and lifted his stick to Sebastian’s neck, the knuckle of his glove hitting the centerman’s chin roughly. Surprised by the aggressiveness, Sebastian lost the puck.

  Noah controlled the puck and cleared it, his smirk permanently etched on hard features. “You gotta do better than that, rookie. You’re in the big leagues now.”

  He didn’t talk back, but Sebastian found another gear. If his captain wanted to play this kind of game, he could do it all day long. He grabbed a puck from center ice and picked up speed, weaving side to side to destabilize the defenseman.

  It helped that Sebastian’s best friend, Travis Bear, was a defenseman who helped hone his juking skills through the years. Some moves you weren’t allowed to do during a game. They were considered too tricky, too risky, too showy. But one-on-one, Sebastian spent most of his life doing trick shots against a defenseman as large as the guy in front of him.

  Weaving closer, he could see what Noah was going to do. The defenseman had his stick out and shoulder down, looking to flatten him while shoving the puck away. It was easy enough to dodge a hit he knew was coming but nearly impossible to do it and still keep the puck. Except.

  During the summers of his youth, Sebastian played lacrosse to stay fit. Lacrosse players carried the ball. For years, Sebastian loved practicing carrying the puck at the edge of his blade the way a lacrosse player would cradle the ball. Of course, he would never do something so frivolous during a real game. But today, it was a different kind of game.

  Within two feet of the barreling player, Sebastian lifted the puck lightly and felt, rather than saw, the flat of it land on the edge of his blade. Carrying the puck on his blade instead of handling it on the ice, Sebastia
n confused his opponent. Then, Sebastian slammed his brakes and quickly spun around, effectively moving past Noah. The puck stayed on his blade long enough to get away from the defenseman’s stick and body.

  Once he got behind Noah, Sebastian unleashed a shot that delivered the puck to the back of the net. Loud cheers erupted from the bench. He hadn’t even noticed that a group of players congregated before practice officially started. They were watching the scrimmage.

  “That’s what I’m talking about, rookie!” Noah screamed from the ice.

  Sebastian registered relief that his captain wasn’t holding a grudge and that the team saw something about him they enjoyed. Not a bad start. He skated to Noah and fist bumped him. Noah laughed casually before smiling. Though that smile didn’t reach his eyes. Not even close.

  ***

  “Where are you right now?” he asked, seeing the view behind her. They were on a video call later that afternoon as he looked through food delivery pamphlets left in the condo.

  “It was unusually warm today, I wanted to take a long way home. Do you like the sunset?”

  “Sweetheart, you’re the only sun I see.”

  “Whatever,” Jaya said dismissively, though she smiled like she was keeping a secret. He loved that smile.

  “I feel pretty lucky I’m not huddled in a city hotel. I guess one of the good things about Florida is it has no shortage of condos.”

  “The place looks great, Sebastian,” Jaya commented as he directed his camera for a panoramic sweep of the kitchen, the living room, and the door towards the bedroom. “I’m happy for you. You ready for tomorrow?”

  “Yeah. I can’t wait. Playing Tampa Bay, so the rivalry should make it exciting.”

  “You’re going to be amazing.”

  “Hmm, is that you cheering for me? Like a good girlfriend?”

  “I always cheered for you. Even when I wasn’t your girlfriend. Or when I was your pretend girlfriend, or…whatever. Even I can’t keep up with us,” she laughed, her voice full of warmth. The sound almost made up for the tight feeling in his chest.