I looked him over. He was only half-dressed for the game, his chest bare and glistening with sweat. He drew some looks from the other people in the stadium, a few of them whispering his name.
The security guard stepped up and leaned close. “Mr. Masterson...”
Hal glanced at the man, then looked around at the fans ogling him. He took my hand and said, “Come with me.”
He led me through the door and down a hall that lead to the locker rooms. He pulled me into a room to one side, filled with equipment for physical therapy.
As soon as we were in there, he kissed me.
He didn't stop at just a kiss. His arms reached around me, caressing my generous curves. I held myself stiff for a moment, then melted into his embrace. I'd wanted this, even when I'd tried to deny it. I still felt like I was a mess, that I would screw up any chance we might have at a real relationship. But I was aching for his touch.
“Hal,” I said, pulling back reluctantly. I touched my forehead against his as he held me. “We need to talk.”
“I know,” he said. “But you're here. That's a good thing. Right?”
I looked into his eyes. He seemed so carefree and eager. I hated to break the news to him.
Better to get it over with quick. Like a band-aid.
I kissed him again, then stepped back, taking his hands in mine. “Hal,” I said. I took a deep breath. “I'm pregnant.”
“Really?” he asked. His eyes widened.
I nodded. I held my breath, bracing myself for his reaction.
“That's wonderful!” he said.
I let out my breath and stared at him in shock. “Really?”
“Of course it is!” He laughed, squeezing my hands. “Wow. Damn. Pregnant?” He grinned, fidgeting where he stood. “Damn. I'm going to be a father!”
I watched him carefully, wondering if the news wasn't really sinking in. “Hal, this is serious. What are we going to do? A baby is a lot of responsibility.”
“Everything is going to be fine,” he promised me. “I'll take care of you and the baby. You know I can provide for it. Our kid is going to have a great life.”
“But...”
“But what?” he asked. He frowned in concern. “What's wrong, Jane? Look, I know you haven't been returning my calls, but...”
I sighed and stepped back into his arms. “I'm sorry about that. I was...I was just scared.”
“It's okay,” he said, stroking my back. “Everything's going to be fine. We'll make this work.”
Then he was kissing me again, and this time I let go of all of my fears. There was still a lot to think about, a lot to plan for, but he'd taken the news far better than I could have hoped for. If he had been my ex, the news of a baby on the way would have sent him running for the hills. But Hal was actually excited!
We didn't have much time before Hal had to start his game, but we seized the moment. Hal lifted me up onto one of the tables they used for medical exams, caressing my body with his athletic hands. I kissed him hungrily, feeling a rush at the forbidden idea of fooling around right here in the stadium. My body grew warm as I ran my hands across Hal's muscular chest. Then my fingers strayed down to his uniform pants, tugging at the laces.
Hal dropped his pants, still wearing his cleats and his knee pads. I tugged at my own belt in a rush, afraid now of getting caught, but unwilling to stop what we'd started. Hal kissed my neck and nuzzled my soft skin while he helped me get my pants off. Then he took me right there on the exam table with eager, frantic thrusts of passion. I buried my face into his neck to stifle my moans, certain that someone would catch us, but not caring if they did.
“Come on, baby,” I whispered in his ear. “I need you. You're going to be a father. We're going to be a family.”
He grunted in exertion and pleasure as I guided him to his climax. Pleasure swept over me, filling me with a forbidden rush of energy. I clung to him, my nails digging into his shoulders, panting and out of breath. He held me close, trembling, and I could feel that smile of pure contentment on his face.
We heard voices from the hall and quickly got dressed. We were mostly cleaned up when the door opened and one of the coaches found us. “Masterson!” he shouted. “What the hell are you doing? We've got a game to play!”
“Yes, sir,” he said. “On my way.”
He turned and gave me another quick kiss, then hurried off to prep for the game. I was led to a VIP box where I could watch the game. Hal was in true form this time, showing none of the distraction that had spoiled his last few games. He was a warrior on the field, full of energy, showing all of his fans why they loved him. The crowd cheered, and I even cheered along with them. I didn't really care which team won or lost. But I was caught up in the moment.
I cheered for the father of my child, and I knew that we were going to have a great life together. I knew I still had a lot of baggage to get over from my past, but for the first time in a long time, I could look to the future with hope about what was to come.
****THE END****
SECOND CHANCE
PART 1
CHAPTER ONE
The ocean breeze was strong as Mallory Linden walked out of her editing class and looked around the skies to see clouds gathering above. She sighed and tugged the teal hat that covered her thick honey colored hair down a bit before she took a step forward and gripped her messenger bag closer to her body. The Spring season could be so touch and go here on the Monterey peninsula and she winced as another breeze tore through the air and she found herself losing her balance as she yelped loudly. “Shit!” She was waiting to hit the ground when she realized that someone was holding onto her tightly before she looked up with wide blue eyes. “Oh my…thank you so much. Let me get my balance here.” Mallory knew that she wasn’t a light girl and it didn’t bother her at all, though she didn’t need a guy holding onto her for too long.
What a guy he was. Despite him being dressed in thick workout pants, Mallory could see how muscular his legs were along with the worried look in his eyes that were the color of a deep green forest. His arms were tense and strong and he helped her up even as she struggled. “Are you alright?” There was an accent to his soft voice as she stared at him and nodded slowly. “That could have been a bad fall. I’m glad that I was here.”
“I…yeah. Me too.” She blushed furiously and stood up to see that he was a good six inches taller than her five foot seven frame, at least. “Thank you.” She gave him a nervous look and licked her full lips. “Do you go here?”
“Yeah, I’m a senior here and I’m helping a friend coach the rugby team. My major is sports medicine though I’d rather play than assist other guys.” He gave her a charming crooked smile and watched as she lifted her head and took a deep breath. “I’m Declan Meadows. Most of my friends here call me Deck.” He chuckled and shook his head. “That’s the polite name for me. I’ll spare you of the others.”
“I’m Mallory. Mallory Linden. I’m a sophomore. You don’t play? You only coach?” She asked him curiously as he seemed to narrow his eyes.
“I do but the assistant coach has a personal emergency. I’m just coaching until they figure out what to do, though I’ll step in if we’re down a man or two.” He shook his head. “I do love it here but even if I didn’t make it in America, there’s always home to play in.”
“Home? Your accent…is it English?” Mallory asked him as the trees blew violently around them. She looked up and frowned as he glanced around. “I’m sorry. If you have to go or anything, I don’t want to hold you up.”
“It’s not that at all. A bit chilly out is all. Do you have any classes coming up?” He seemed to study her face closely as she shook her head. “Something to drink then?”
“I’ll buy since you saved my life today.” Mallory smiled he shook his head and cracked another smile.
“It’s nothing at all, lass. My car is over here if that suits you.” Declan told her as he gestured forward to the huge parking lot with one large hand. They headed over as she pressed her lips together. “Yes, I am from England. I was born there but my Dad is originally from Ireland. I think my accent is a mix myself.” She raised an eyebrow when he unlocked the door of an immaculate black sports car that Mallory didn’t know the name of, though she knew enough to know that it was very expensive. Declan opened the door for her after hitting something on his key chain and she slid in as she took another look at him.
Clearly, he was a rich kid but he said he was a student. Family money maybe that belonged to a guy that still wanted to do something, that had a skill. Either way, it made her beat up SUV look like a complete piece of shit.
“What is your major, Mallory?” The way her name sounded with his slight accent gave her the shivers and she looked over at him as he pulled out of the parking lot. De clan was the picture of confident as he leaned back in his seat and drove, with his dark hair in waves around his shoulders as she watched him pull it out of the bun that it had been in. So few men could pull that off to begin with but she couldn’t decide if she liked it better up or down.
“Film. I’m studying all of the aspects of it to see where I want to end up.” She responded after a moment and a look from him, followed by a nod.
“I would think you’d want to be in the movies, not behind the camera.” He delivered the compliment with a careless ease that almost made her believe him as her thighs heated up along with her face and neck.
“I think I’m more of the behind the scenes kind of girl. I just love when an idea forms in my head. The movie starts playing out almost too fast for me to jot down.” Mallory admitted, feeling the fire inside of her that sparked up whenever she talked about her passion in life.
“I feel that way when I play too. It’s like a high that you can’t get enough of, isn’t it?” De clan mused out loud as she nodded before glancing at her at a stoplight. “I was thinking of a pub for some fish and chips. Does that sound good?”
“Perfect.” Mallory responded, mesmerized by the way his cheekbones sloped down his face to his full lips. He was a big guy and muscular to boot but his face was gorgeous and he was making her move away from the business type that she’d seemed to date since school started. They drove into the better part of Carmel and he parked effortlessly on the curb and smiled at her before he opened his door and walked around.
“It’s a perfect time for a late lunch.” De clan told her as he pulled her door open and leaned in to help her out.
“I agree.” She was captivated by the way that he looked at her as she took his hand to get out of the low vehicle. Heat slid up her arm as they made contact and forced her eyes to his as she took a slow breath.
Declan was everything that Mallory should stay away from but she found herself stepping closer to him as he closed the door behind her.
CHAPTER TWO
They were seated immediately once he walked up to the hostess stand, set apart from the rest of the tables in a cozy corner by a fireplace. He joked back and forth with the waitress as she took Mallory’s order of coffee and his tea, apparently being a regular. Mallory didn’t miss the look the pretty brunette gave her when Declan wasn’t looking but she let it pass as she leaned back against the chair. This wasn’t a date and it was nothing to even worry about yet. The look her gave her as he leaned closer suggested otherwise and she dragged her tongue across her lip as he watched her closely. “How long have you played rugby?” Her voice was soft as she tried to keep it from shaking.
“Since I was a boy. I’ve always loved sports but rugby was it for me as far as any type of future. I’m a center and I love the fast pace of the game.” She could see herself in his face when he talked about it, the passion making his eyed shimmer as he seemed to lose himself in the thought. “I came two years ago to come to school here since my best mate Rory ended up moving here with his family years ago. I’d already lived here for a few years and played but he talked me into joining him and I got to be good friends with coach, so I’m helping out.” The faraway look crossed his eyes again as Declan sipped the water in front of him. “He lost his family recently…a break in at their home. I don’t even know of he’ll be back anytime soon.”
“The Pebble Beach one a couple of weeks back? I heard about that but I had no clue that it was part of our staff. That’s so sad.” Mallory told him as he nodded, remembering reading that a woman and her five-year-old twins were murdered in the incident.
“A man loses that and he’ll never be the same. That’s everything. Not that I was ever close with either of my parents. They worked in the family investment company back home and liked the money more than they liked being a family. I lived with my grandparents most of the time, though he was head of the company.” De clan told her as she frowned, taking back any bitter thoughts that she might have had earlier about him. All of the pretty cars in the world couldn’t replace a family, though Mallory lived with her best friend’s parents while they were both going to school. Hers had died when she was thirteen and after being moved around to uninterested family members, Mallory ended up with Rayna’s parents. They loved her and took care of her as good as they did their own kids.
“I live with my best friend and her family. I lost my own parents years ago and they offered while I went to school. The other family members didn’t want a kid around.”
“I’m sorry about that, Mallory.” Declan pushed his hair back with one hand with a tense look on his face.
“Do you live with anybody here?” She asked him, wanting to hear that he had someone there so she wouldn’t be any further tempted to lose herself in his world.
“No. I have a small place near the beach but I live there alone. Rory has a girlfriend who he lives with so I decided to just stay on my own.” Declan replied as she felt her willpower breaking apart within her body.
The girl brought their food to the table, barely looking at Mallory as she placed a platter of fish and chips on front of her that De clan had insisted that she order. She leaned down to place his just in front of him, practically shoving her big breasts in his face. Mallory sipped her coffee as she observed the way he leaned back away from her and cleared his throat as he glanced at her with a dark look in his eyes. “Thanks, Brittany. That’ll do it.” His tone was polite but cold as the waitress stepped back and stared at him for a moment before glancing at Mallory with a dismissive look before she stomped away from the table. “Fucking hell. I’m sorry about that. I made a mistake with her when I first met her and she won’t let it go. I’ve never brought a girl in here before and I didn’t think she’d lay it on so thick.” De clan looked down at the plate for a moment before he took a bottle from the table to shake over the fish before he added some fresh lemon juice.
“Did you say that you’ve never brought a girl here?”
“Not on a date or just to eat. I tend to just hang out with the team or on my own. Girls are…casual to me.” He said the words with a frown as he took a fry and bit into it. “I know how that sounds but it’s always been about sports for me, Mallory. Women were just a bonus of sorts.”
“Why me?” She asked him as he stared into her eyes through long lashes searchingly for a long moment.
“When I saw you stumble and caught you in my arms, I knew that I never wanted to let go.” Declan tried to explain as she picked at her fish with her fork awkwardly. “You smelled good and you felt good. It just kind of hit me so suddenly and then I realized that you might feel the same way. I’ve seen girls get nervous around me…chatty. I’ve seen that a lot but it was appealing with you. I can’t explain it. I just had to spend some more time with you.” He shook his head and took a sip of his tea. “I’m making you nervous.”
“I have never had a guy like you interested in me before. That’s all.” She forced a bite of the crunchy fish between her lips and chewed it slowly as she sighed happily. “This is so good. I have never even seen this place.” How could she, living on a tight budget with her very part time freelancing that she did for a little extra money?
“I’ll show you all of my places. I’ll prove to you how interested I am in you.” Declan told her, leaning over his plate to lock his gaze with her eyes.
She looked down at the table as she started to eat, nervous but too hungry to ignore this plate of food in front of her. Apart from some of the dinners that Mary cooked, this was some of the best food that she’d ever had.
He took her back to school after they’d lingered over the meal, seeming to understand that she wasn’t ready to go back to his house quite yet. There was a part of her that wanted him more than she’d wanted anything but her heart told her to wait and see what this settled into.
The kiss that he gave her before she left his car almost made her waver from her decision, just a brush at first before he was melting her from the inside with the way that he claimed her. Declan knew that he had her in his grips and the kiss just sealed the deal as he pulled away to her breathing heavily.
CHAPTER THREE
Mallory drifted to her faded blue Sportage as he waited to make sure she got inside safely with his number in her phone and a text that he’d sent to give himself her number. She started the engine as she leaned her head against the steering wheel for a moment to draw air into her chest in deep breaths, attempting to break the spell that he’d put on her.
Declan still sat beside her and she lifted her face to glance over shyly. Mallory waved as she backed out to head to Rayna’s house on the outskirts of Monterey. Her father did well in the insurance business while her mother ran an art gallery but they weren’t too close to the beach at all. She looked in the rear view mirror at a light as she wondered what his house looked like and if she could see the water from his bedroom.
Jesus, the idea of being in his bedroom made her press her thighs together. Mallory pulled forward with a start as the light turned green and made her way through the streets until she was turning into the long driveway and parking behind Rayna’s red Tercel. She got out and trudged up the steps to the front door before she opened it to smell lasagna with a frown. Normally she loved this for dinner but she was both full and a bit sick from being so nervous. “Hey Mal!” Mary called out from the kitchen cheerfully as Mallory smiled. “Hungry? Ray’s just taking a shower before she eats.”
Mallory hung up her keys and walked across the sunken living room to peek in at the pretty blonde. “I ate out today, actually.”
“As in lunch with a friend or something heavier than that?” Mary asked her as she chopped vegetables for a fresh salad on the plastic tray carefully.
“I’m not sure.” Mallory replied slowly as she looked at the happy woman with envy. Mary had met Adam just after she entered college and it had been love at first sight. “It might become a thing. I just don’t know yet.”
Mary looked up at her before tucking a curl behind her ear. “I have seen you date a few guys here and I have never seen you so…unsure. I also haven’t seen you ecstatic but there’s something here. Isn’t there?”
“I kind of want to jump him immediately.” Mallory confessed as her insecurity set in for a moment. “He’s gorgeous. He’s a rugby player and he’s English. I couldn’t keep him if I wanted to.”
“Couldn’t hurt to have a little fun with this mystery man.” Mary teased her as they heard footsteps.
“What mystery man?” Rayna asked curiously as she walked into the kitchen brushing her straight hair that was the same pale color as her mother’s. They even had the same hazel eyes and were both beautiful to Mallory.
“I met a guy at school today. Rugby player.” Mallory told her as she watched her best friend’s face for a reaction.
“Which one?” Rayna pressed, her eyes intent on Mallory’s face.
“Declan Meadows.” Rayna let her mouth drop open as Mallory raised her eyebrows at her.
“What?” Mary jumped in with something about him taking her out to eat and Rayna looked between them in disbelief.
“You had lunch with him? Did you end up at his house?” Rayna asked her as Mallory flushed a deep pink.
“No, I didn’t. We just ate and talked. Is that unheard of or something?” Mallory asked her and Rayna seemed to consider the question.
“Practically. He’s more of a love them and leave them kind of guy. I’ve never heard of meals being included in the deal.” Rayna speculated as her mother shook her head.
“Just you hush. Mal is a great girl and he’d do good to take her out. She’s a catch.” Mary reprimanded Rayna as the girls looked at each other.
“Of course she is. Mal’s beautiful but I don’t want to see her get hurt.” Rayna defended herself as a chime filled the air. Mallory reached into her bag for her phone to read the screen as Rayna moved beside her to read over her shoulder. “Holy hell. It’s Deck.”
“How well do you know him, Ray?” Mallory asked as she gave her friend a sharp look.
“I am not into the sports guys. You know this. While I’ll give you that he’s easy on the eyes and that voice is utterly divine, he’s not my type.” Rayna shot back quickly as Mallory sighed and opened the message.
I meant what I told you earlier, Mallory. I’d like to have dinner with you, the kind where I pick you up and we dress up and have a date. Will you?
“How did you meet him? This is amazing.” Rayna sputtered as Mallory looked at her again.
“Yes, it is and it’s also between us.” Mallory warned her before she told him she’d love to go out with him, to which he asked for a date the following night. “It’s stupid really. I was leaving edit and the wind was crazy and I guess I lost my footing. I’m waiting to hit the ground at the very least when I realized that someone was holding onto me. I moved since I’m not exactly light and we started talking. Well, make that I started stammering and he responded with enough to get me to eat with him. Then he was all sweet and intense at the end and said he wanted to go out.” She gave both women a curious look. “That’s good, right?”
“Of course it is. Maybe he’s just settling down some is all. Isn’t she perfect for that?” Mary interjected as Rayna rolled her eyes playfully. “Your father had his crazy times before we got serious, you know. He’s the best right?”
“He really is.” Rayna was very close to her father and her mother and she adored them together. “Give it a shot, Mal. Just be careful and don’t let him rip your heart out. I won’t allow that.” Mallory had been through enough in Rayna’s opinion.
“And I would?” Mallory had ended her last relationship pretty bluntly when she heard some gossip and clarified it with the guy. She was done from the moment that he began to stumble all over his explanation.
“True.” Rayna admitted with a smile as she shoved her brush into the pocket of her thick robe. “I cannot wait to see the looks on the faces of those empty girls that always drool at the players when they see him with you. It’s going to be epic.”
“I think we have to have a date first for things to go there.” Mallory said wearily as she slipped her hat off and yawned. “I am going to study for my test tomorrow and get some work done. Then it’s crash time.” She made a pot of green tea and added generous amounts of honey and lemon to the big cup before she went up to her room and dropped her messenger bag on her king sized bed.
It was already difficult enough to focus on her stuff without his texts but they came through anyway. They were fun and flirty and made her feel fantastic. She ended up dropping everything just to start a conversation about school, basic life and where they were going the following night. Mallory ended up getting ready for bed later than planned and ended up nearly sleeping in.
She pulled on some thick black tights and wore her favorite pencil skirt over that, covered with roses in a black and purple tone. Along with that, she added a thick black fitted sweater and long boots to keep her feet dry in case it rained later along with a heavier coat. She threw on some make up quickly as she hoped she’d have time to get ready later for their real date. Mallory hopped into her car and headed to the campus to get her four classes out of the way, unable to not look for him as she made her way around between classes. Sadly, she didn’t see him until she was done for the day as he ran across campus calling her name when she walked out to her car. “Mallory…hold up!”
She was smiling when she turned to look at him, dressed for rugby with his hair flying behind him as he scurried among the students on the grass. “You’re very subtle, you know.” She told him softly when he reached her and grinned as he rocked back and forth on his feet.
“I just had to tell you how gorgeous you look in that skirt today and that I was hoping you were wearing it for me later.” His words were soft enough for only Mallory to hear as she felt her skin heat up rapidly.
“I was planning to.” She admitted as he leaned closer to her and locked gazes with her. “I’m glad that you approve.” She felt something shift in the air and suddenly he was moving closer to kiss her softly as she gasped. When he pulled away slowly, her eyes shot around to see that they were being stared at by nearly everyone as she pressed her lips together. “Wow. They’re all looking at us.”
“So what? Let them.” De clan told her as she raised her gaze to meet his hooded eyes. “I don’t care.”
“I just thought that since we hadn’t even really been on a date that I wouldn’t have to worry about that yet.” Her voice was awkward and stilted as she spoke, her eyes watching as his face fell.
“What was yesterday then?”
“That was me going to have drinks with you which turned into food that I was supposed to pay for in return for your kindness. Though you didn’t let me do that,” Mallory reminded him as she worked hard not to drool at him standing taller and looking at her like he owned her. “I didn’t think it was a date.”
“It was but it’s not like the one we’re going on tonight. Last night was just practice and me wooing you.” He teased her as she laughed out loud. “Did that work, Mallory?”
“Irrevocably. I mean…I said yes to dinner, right?” She stammered as he chuckled softly. She texted him her address before they both left the campus for the day and went home to get ready further. Mallory only had a couple of hours and she knew that Rayna would want in on the preparation.
CHAPTER FOUR
Rayna got home about half an hour after Mallory and ran right up to her room to throw the door open. “Holy shit. He. Kissed. You. At. School.”
Mallory was holding up a shirt that she promptly dropped with a gasp. “You scared the…out of me. Yes. He did. How did you know?”
“I think everyone knew but I heard it from Amber. She’s devastated because he was going to choose her when he was ready to date.” Rayna told her with a smirk. “I can’t believe it! Did you pee yourself?”
“Almost. It came out of nowhere and they were all looking at us. I don’t like that. You know I like to fade in the background.” Mallory groaned as Rayna shook her head slowly.
“That’s simply not going to happen with you being with him. I think I saw broken hearts all over the place today.” Rayna looked her over. “I love that skirt on you. It’s all clingy and it makes you look like a pin up girl. Aha wait a minute…that explains the kiss. He saw you and lost his mind. Makes sense.” Rayna smiled as Mallory laughed and leaned over to pick up her shirt to hold it up to herself. “I think that purple shirt that we got a couple weeks ago would look great. Just enough cleavage and it’s kind of tight. That with some heels and he’ll be on his knees for you.”
“Are you sure?” Mallory asked with doubt in her voice as she looked down her body. She was a size eighteen and not so tall but the curves were in the right places if it was a good day. “Think he’ll like it?”
“Do I need to remind you what he did today on campus? Silly girl.” Rayna told her as she walked up to the closet and gently slid hangers over. “Here it is. Perfect. Want me to do make up?”
“Yes. You’re so much better than I am at that.” Rayna was a regular viewer of all of the make-up artists on you tube so she could keep up with the latest trends. The girls left the shirt hanging and went into the big bathroom that they shared. Mallory took a seat and Rayna studied her carefully.
“Your skin is so gorgeous. I am so jealous.” Rayna smiled as she met Mallory’s eyes and started gathering supplies. She brushed just a light coat of liquid to powder foundation over her pale skin to set it before she started on her eyes. Before too long, they were sexy and smoky and popping out of Mallory’s face as she smiled. “You look beautiful. Here…add one more coat of mascara. Just a gloss for tonight since he won’t be able to keep his lips off of you.” She winked as Mallory laughed and did as she was told, holding still for a moment as the mascara dried.
“Do you think he really likes me?” Mallory asked Rayna as they went into her room to get dressed.
“He’s shown all of the signs and made a hell of a lot more effort than anyone has ever seen him do before. Actions say so much. It’s so romantic.” She flushed as she reached into the closet for the deep purple shirt and bit her lip. “I already threatened to cut his dick off if her hurt you anyway, so…”
“Oh, well then. That makes everything perfect.” Mallory told her sarcastically as she stared at Rayna. “Ray!!”
“He’s pretty cute close up. He really took the threat seriously, I think.” Rayna told her as Mallory resisted resting her freshly made up face in her hands. “Hey, I had to! You’re my sister and I take care of family. He took it well, so don’t worry. He’s polite…more so than I expected.”
Mallory slipped the shirt on over her black lace bra that she’s worn to the bathroom with a robe over it. The V ended just where her cleavage began and Rayna whistled as Mallory looked at herself closely. They added a long amethyst necklace that hung just above the shirt and heels that brought Mallory a bit closer to his height. Mallory grabbed a black cardigan before she closed her closet to slip over her outfit as they heard the doorbell. “I think I’m going to throw up.” Mallory grumbled as they walked downstairs to get it as Mary stood waiting in the kitchen. “I really want to see him.” She whispered excitedly as Mallory smiled nervously.
“Might as well. Ray already threatened his manhood today.” Mary stared at her daughter for a fleeting second before she walked over to the door and opened it with a flourish. De clan asked for Mallory and she greeted him graciously before she let him inside with an impressed glance at Mallory.
“Hello, ladies.” He greeted them as he stepped inside, his eyes dragging over Mallory slowly as she fidgeted anxiously. “You look beautiful, Mallory.” He was dressed in some good black pants and a white button up shirt with a tie that matched his eyes perfectly and looking incredibly handsome.
“Thank you. You look amazing too.” She told him, feeling Rayna gently pushing her forward with her hand on Mallory’s back.
“Good to see you again, Rayna.” He nodded at her with a shake of his head as she laughed and told him the same. They said their goodbyes and he walked her out to a black SUV by her hand as she licked the slick gloss on her lips.
“Are you one of those guys that has a garage full of cars?” Mallory asked him as she turned to look at him with a smile on her face.
“No. Just this one and my other baby. This one is good for some of the bad weather.” Declan explained as he hit the button on his keys to unlock the doors. He let go of her hand slowly to open it as she watched him move in the dim light of the street lamp. He helped her inside as he ran his hand up her calf slowly and watched her shiver with a dark gaze. He leaned forward as she raised her face towards him in anticipation of the kiss that she hoped was coming. “I’ve never seen someone look as good as you do tonight.” He told her in a soft voice before he brushed her lips with his gently. Declan stepped away stiffly as he ran his hands down his legs and sighed before he closed the door and walked around to his side.
He drove them into Monterey and parked at one of the nicer seafood places on the water after checking that she was alright with his choice. Again, they were seated quickly and graciously and had waters within a moment of being brought to their table. “Do you have some celebrity status that I don’t know about?”
“The business is well-known here since my grandfather brought it to the states about forty years ago. Meadows and Lane Investments. You’ll see them around.” De clan explained as she nodded. “I came to live with them ten years ago and learned the ropes though they urged me to pursue sport. I just want to have a backup plan because he’s getting older now. No siblings to take over since my parents brilliantly stopped at one so they wouldn’t have more kids to neglect.” He closed his eyes and clenched his fists over the smooth wood of the table. “I’m sorry. This isn’t the time or place for my self- pity.” He looked up and took in Mallory’s face slowly as she smiled slowly. “I get into the best places all over the area. I’ve never had much of a reason to use that before but I plan to now.”
“You’ve never taken a girl anywhere on a date around here?” Mallory asked him as she watched him shrug.
“You’ve heard some things. No, I never have. Nobody has made me want to spoil them the way I do you.” De clan told her as he reached across the table and stroked her hand. “Your friend gave me quite the warning today over my rushed lunch. She’s something.”
“I am so sorry about that. She’s protective of me to a fault sometimes.” Mallory apologized as he smiled dimly for a moment.
“As am I. I like that she’d guard you so fiercely and respect her greatly for that.” De clan told her as a deep frown crossed his face. “You don’t have a lot of people in your life that you’re close to, do you?”
“I…I have Ray and her family. They’re my family and I have a few friends, but no…I’m not the girl that has twenty close friends and always goes out. This is a pretty big night for me, to be honest.” She blushed and shook her head. “I mean in just going out as much if not more than being with you here. I don’t know why you want me but I’m glad that you do.”
“Do you want me as well?” Declan asked her before the waiter approached to take a drink order. He ordered a white wine and then met her gaze with a hooded one of his own.
“I’m scared but I do. I don’t take this lightly, De clan. I am not just a one- night girl.” Mallory told him in a whisper as he smiled at her.
“You could never be just that to me. Something is changing for me, Mallory. I don’t think like that now.” De clan told her as she leaned forward and he cleared his throat. “Give us just a moment? We haven’t made it to the menus yet.” Mallory realized that he was talking to a waiter as she blinked slowly and glanced down. She picked up the light brochure and flipped it open as she tried to focus on the choices rather than the lust racing through her body as she trembled.
She selected salmon and De clan the special before he glanced around to make sure that they were alone again. “I don’t want you to fear any of your feelings with this, with us. I am all in myself so we can be scared together.”
She told him more about losing her parents in the plane accident and how she was shifted around to family members that didn’t want to deal with teenager, which left her alone a lot and moving to different places. Mallory had grown up a shy girl after that since she’d lost everything that she’d ever known and was adjusting to the fact that she’d lived with Rayna since she was eighteen. Four years in one place felt like forever after what she’d been through. She blamed the weight gain on some of that since food was a comfort for her but also on the fact that she’d always been curvy. Mallory wasn’t meant to be small and petite like Rayna was. She learned every day to be comfortable with herself and to put some of the cruel things that she had been told over the years behind her.
They were eating as they talked and he shook his head with an angry look on his face. “Nobody should have ever criticized you, Mallory. You’re a beautiful girl and I will spend every day telling you so.”
“I won’t have to tell you that, will I? I think it’s been said since you were born.” He looked like a model tonight with his hair gathered back in a loose ponytail and his cheeks defined in the candlelight from the table. His eyes studied her closely and he licked his bottom lip slowly as she watched him carefully.
“Not the way that you say it, no. Your eyes tell me much more than the words ever could and I know that you mean all of it.” De clan told her as she widened her eyes and shook in her seat. “I hope you see the same in my face.”
“I see so much in your face.” She admitted as she turned pink and slowly ate a bite of her fish. “I haven’t had a lot of relationships and no man has ever made me feel like you have in such a short time. It terrifies me a little.”
“You deserve it so much more than you’ll ever understand.” He told her sadly as she met his eyes.
They talked about his grandparents who lived in a big house on Pebble Beach, near to where the break in of the coach had occurred. De clan had insisted that they update their alarm system immediately right after he’d been told the terrible news, thankful that they had agreed. They adored their only grandson and made sure that he was taken care of as he pursued his dreams. “So many people see the cars and think that I’m just this rich kid that has a smart family. I do have that but I’ve been through the wringer to get here where I am now. I know the inside of the company and I respect it. I might take it over when I need to and put other things aside as far as sports or school…but not my relationship. I have not had any of those here but I value them too much to disregard them that way.” He pushed his plate away and drained the last of his only glass of wine slowly. She’d had the rest and Mallory was feeling pretty giddy as she reached across the table to take his hand. “Would you like to go somewhere now that we’ve finished?”
Mallory looked down at the table as he stroked her skin gently with his thumb while they waited for the check. He dropped a card into the thick folder and looked into her face as they waited.
He signed off on what must have been a very expensive dinner with the wine and tip before he stood and held out his hand. Mallory took it as he helped her out of her chair with a giggle as she pressed against him with a small stumble. She slid her arms around his neck and looked into his eyes before she pulled him down to her for a slow kiss. “I like the Mallory that does that kind of thing.” He told her as he kissed her again slowly to part her lips with his and trace her mouth with his tongue. “Don’t be scared of anything.”
They walked out to the car and he looked around carefully as she watched him. “Declan?”
“This happening so close to what occurred with coach makes me feel so many things. I want to guard you closely and never let anybody hurt you because I never want to feel what he is right now. I want to always have you with me so I know that you’re safe. I’ve never felt like this.”
He ushered her into the car before getting in on his side and starting the engine, insistent that they be warm and safe. “I can’t be with anybody all of the time, right? I went through a phase after my parents died where I clung to anyone that I was staying with. I was so scared and insecure and it just drove me out of that house faster than it was already happening. I still feel that way…sometimes. I just step back and tell the people I care about that I love them and try to be happy with that.” She told him as he backed out of the parking space. “You should too.” She reached her hand across the car and rested it on his thigh. “I’d like to see your house.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“Are you sure?” Declan asked her in a soft voice as he watched her nod.
“I am so sure.” Mallory promised him as he pulled out of the lot and turned right. He drove into the good part of town as she stared forward and felt the high off of the electricity in the car. It was overwhelming and she breathed in the air as she smiled widely. “I want you so much.”
“I want you all over my house…my bed, my table, my couch. This will only go as far as you want it to, Mallory.” Declan spoke in a serious voice as she smiled at him. “No matter how tonight ends; I am all in with you. I don’t have any expectations of you at all.”
She stroked him gently as he drove and memorized the feel of his muscles tensing. He pulled down a wide street and then another small one and into a long wide driveway in front of what looked like a big storybook cottage. “This is so cute.” Mallory told him as she looked over at him.
“Grandma bought it for me from her friend. She loves it.” Declan admitted as he leaned over to kiss her while he pushed the garage door button. He glanced up enough to pull in and claimed her lips hungrily as the heavy door closed behind them. She tilted her head hard to let him deepen it and dragged her tongue across his as they both moaned.
Declan held her face in his as they kissed again and again, some long and some careless. He pulled away and stared her in the eyes as he took a deep breath. “Let’s go inside. I need more room with you.”
He pulled her inside to a sunken living room with dark leather couches spread over the hardwood floor with a big stone fireplace on the wall opposite the television set. “Living room.” He kissed her hard as he pulled her close. “Kitchen over there. Three bedrooms with two on the first floor and the master upstairs with a loft that I use as an office.”
“It’s gorgeous.” Mallory told him as she tugged him closer to her and kissed him with her open hungry mouth as he gripped her hips. “I love it.” She felt herself pulled forward and yelped as she was pulled down over him on the couch, against all of his hard muscles and heat. Mallory kissed him harder as they molded together, feeling him press against her needy core as she rocked slowly and held on tight. He felt big and she closed her eyes as they began to move together, tongues and lips matching the rhythm of their bodies as they thrust together slowly.
She knew that her skirt was rising but didn’t care as he slipped his hands down to cup her thighs with another deep kiss. De clan gripped her tightly as he moaned into her mouth and she held onto him tighter. “Deck. Oh, that feels so good.” The angle was perfect as she moved against him, so heated that she was ready to explode. He held her tighter and thrust up and against her as she felt something start to unravel inside of her. She lost herself in the orgasm as she gasped against his lips in a kiss. Mallory felt like coming out of her own skin and she shook in his embrace as she tried to catch up with her body.
He slipped her cardigan off and dropped it to the floor as she let her arms fall down weakly as he held her steady. Mallory felt him kiss her lips again before he brushed them over her jaw softly. She found the strength to hold onto him again as she pulled his mouth against her. De clan slid his hand down to the hem of her shirt and push it up slowly as he pressed his lips to the bare skin of her chest.
Mallory shoved it over her head and it joined her sweater as he pushed her back against the soft leather of the seat. He pressed his lips to the lace of her bra as his hands slid over her stomach and just underneath her breasts.
She tore at his tie and shirt before he pulled off her skirt and tights with her permission. His muscular chest was hot as he pressed against her in another kiss while she tried to slide her hand between their bodies. Mallory stared down as he unhooked her bra and took one of her deep pink nipples into his mouth with a hard suck as her hand cupped his hard cock through his pants. He choked as he pulled away for a moment before looking at her. “I am so ready to come for you, Mallory. Watching you…it was everything to me.”
He cupped a breast in one hand as he slipped the pants open for her to grasp him. De clan sucked on her other nipple for a moment before he kissed down her stomach and spread her thighs apart. “You smell so good.” He slipped the lace to the side as he leaned down to press his lips to her as she arched her back against him. “You’re so wet with cum for me.” His tongue darted over her folds and flicked her clit and she cried out and gripped his head. His hair was long since loose now and she buried her fingers in it as he continued to lick and suck on her at a frenzied pace.
Mallory came again just as hard as before, surprised with how long it lasted as he coaxed her through it with his mouth. She dropped her head back as he slipped her panties down her weak legs and moved to sit back against the cushions with a deep breath. Mallory struggled to lift her head to see the glistening on his lips from all of his work before she dropped it again. “I’ve never felt that way with anyone before. You’re so good.”
Mallory forced herself to move up before she slowly crawled over Declan to kiss him hard as she ate her taste off of his lips. He had been bare under his pants and she felt him pressing against her as she murmured to him through her kisses. “I want to do everything to you…with you. I want you so badly.” Mallory told him as she leaned down to kiss his neck and bite at him.
She ended up going down on him as she drifted down his body. Mallory felt him all the way in the back of her throat, something that was new to her but so good that she never wanted to stop. He held onto her head as he thrust up against her with soft moans and cries before he told her that he was going to come in a soft whisper. Mallory drank him in as he released with slow thrusts, drunk with desire over the man under her as she breathed in the smell of his come and his sweat.
She vaguely remembered him lifting her and taking her upstairs as he kissed her hard before he pushed her back onto a bed. He ran his hands through his hair as he looked down at her in the glow of his soft amber light and reached into the drawer for a condom. He didn’t ask if she needed that but it was what he always did with women. “I want to be inside of you. Can I, Mallory?”
She scooted back on the soft comforter as she took in his perfect muscular form with hungry eyes. “Please. I need you, Deck.”
He slipped the condom on with shaking hands as she stared at him, finally moving between her legs as he kissed her neck and down to her nipples again as she begged him to make love to her. Declan slowly slid inside of her as she moaned and wrapped her legs around him tightly while she got used to his thickness. When he was buried all the way inside of her, Declan pulled back and slipped back in again as she rocked against him. He told her how good she felt as they moved together and she whispered back to him as they kissed desperately through their joined releases. She pulled him close as he dropped on top of her heavily, his breath ragged as she stroked his hair.
“I’m yours, Mallory.” Declan told her softly as she took a breath and smiled.
“I am all yours. I’ve never felt better.” Mallory told him as she felt his lips against hers.
They spent the night in his bed as they alternated between dozing and coming back together in new ways to feel each other. Mallory knew that her family here didn’t care as long as they knew that she was safe and who she was with so she threw herself into the night with him and allowed herself to fall for him slowly and quietly.
They were a couple by the next morning and while it was sudden, it was heady and wonderful. There was no lack of jealousy and comments from women around the campus but she was too crazy about him to care. Mallory met his friends and his team, comfortable at the games as she watched him coach the guys that were his age with an intensity that often paid off later in bed. He turned her on with his confidence and his ease in life.
She also saw a soft side when she would see him with the coach that he was replacing as he spoke closely with him as concern flooded his face. She knew that he held back somewhat with her, but Declan was insistent that she always spend the night with him and always be near him whenever they were together. He was very quick to claim her in any situation and sometimes she thought he acted a bit too intense.
“Are you insecure with me?” Mallory asked him one night in bed as she was tangled with his naked limbs after rough lovemaking. “You know that I’m yours.”
“I also know that you’re beautiful and that others see that.” De clan argued with her as she stared at him with a hard gaze.
“I am in love with you, Deck. Nobody else could compare to this.” Mallory told him before she gasped. They were only two months into this and she hadn’t meant to release that yet. “Too soon?”
“I love you too. I am in love with you.” De clan told her as he pushed her back to kiss her hard while she pulled him closer. “Baby, you’re my everything.”
CHAPTER SIX
Declan met her family and spent Sundays there for dinner several times over the next few months. They all loved him and Mallory could see that Rayna really believed in them with every visit. Mary was over the moon with Declan and while she embarrassed him sometimes, it was very sweet.
She also met his grandparents and was immediately part of the family and just as in love with them within a couple of dinners.
Spring turned into Fall and he started to play rugby again, something that she could not get enough of as she watched him in action. The other coach seemed to be adjusting back to regular life and Declan breathed a sigh of relief as the games turned into victories and a positive feeling among the team members.
They planned their holidays around their families, joined at the hip at this point. They went to dinner on the first night of the break and celebrated by falling into bed right when they arrived back at his house. Mallory was on top of him as he reached into the drawer and came up empty. “Damn it. I’m out. Want me to go to the store? I need to fuck you.”
“No, I want you too badly. It’s just the once and I started pills a little bit ago. We’ll be fine.” Mallory assured him as she slipped over him and looked down to where they were joined. “God, nothing between us feels good.”
“Slick, hot, wet. You feel fucking incredible.” Declan told her as he thrust with her and stroked her nipple with his thumb. “Baby, harder. Ride my cock.” She did, her head thrown back as she took him hard and fast on the center of the mattress. He came first with a loud cry, releasing into her as she tightened around his cock and moaned his name. “I am so glad that we found each other. I love you.”
“I love you.” She smiled at him, so comfortable with who they were that he felt like he needed her again. He turned her onto her back as she grinned wickedly and spread her thighs apart for him to thrust inside of her hard and fast. They were both wet with come and their bodies slapped together almost violently as she reached around to pull him deeper. “Deck. Coming. So hard.” She cried out as she bucked wildly against him and closed her eyes tightly.
He knew that she was close and he thrust hard to join her as they came again neck to neck.
The night before Christmas Eve was the night that changed their lives. Coach Clint couldn’t handle the pain of the holidays without his family and shot himself in his father’s garage. Declan got the call and she had to hang up as he stared forward blankly. “Baby?”
“He’s gone. Clint ended things. He couldn’t take it.” Declan started to sob as she jumped into his arms on the couch to hold him close. Clint had been something like a father figure to Declan since he had such a lack of one in his life. “I can’t ever lose you, Mallory. I love you too much to ever be without you.”
“You won’t. I love you. I’m here.” Mallory promised him as tears slid down her cheeks to join his as they kissed softly. She was brought back to losing her parents all over again and they held each other as they cried before they gently made love again.
Condoms had never been purchased again since she was on birth control now. They couldn’t stand not feeling each other.
The holidays faded with the grief that he was feeling and that she was supporting him through. Mallory knew that she was feeling off but she blamed it on the stress and lack of peace in their lives. By the end of January, she was exhausted and struggling through early classes at school.
It killed her to see Declan coaching in Clint’s place for an undetermined amount of time now. The team was devastated and Coach Pete as well and they’d all gathered together at the service in a huddled group all in pain. She’d sat with Rayna and her parents as well as Declan’s grandparents as she watched him fall apart before her.
He was struggling but true to his players as she fed him the strength that he needed. She was informally living in the house now, something that had happened around the time of the suicide. He never wanted her to leave or be away from him. She didn’t want to be away from him either.
A week into February, Rayna was over and she looked closely at Mallory. “You don’t look so hot. It is still bad around here?”
“He’s better. He’s functioning and everything but I’m so damn tired all of the time.” Mallory replied as she tugged her messy hair into a ponytail. She stared at Rayna eating chocolate ice cream out of a pint sized container and slowly her mouth fell open. “Oh my god.”
“What?” Rayna murmured around her spoon as she glanced at her friend on the couch curiously.
“You’re on your period. You always eat ice cream on your period.” Mallory told her as Rayna shrugged. “Rayna, I’m not on mine.” They’d been like clockwork living together for so long and Mallory started to cry.
Rayna calmed her down and went to buy a few tests so they could flip out over something genuine if need be. There was still a damn good chance that it could be stress and just horrible timing all around. Mallory paced around the living room with a blanket wrapped around her shaking shoulders as she cried helplessly all alone. Declan was at a team meeting as they tried to figure out where to go from here and he wouldn’t be home for a while. She looked up as Rayna came back in carrying a bag from the local store and dropped to the floor.
“Bathroom. Come on. Don’t you freak out unless there’s a reason.” Mallory stood and followed her friend down the hall and into the guest bathroom slowly as Rayna lined up her choices on the counter. She also placed a giant chocolate bar there and Mallory laughed as she started to cry again. She was alone when she tested as Rayna waited on the couch for her with the candy and she took a deep breath as she walked down the hallway.
“Few minutes.” They broke open the candy bar as they waited together and stared forward.
The test was as positive as it could possibly be and Rayna collected Mallory into her arms as her friend cried and lamented that this was a horrible time and that she couldn’t do this to Declan now.
“Maybe it’s the best time. Maybe it’ll give him hope and love and he’ll want all of this despite what happened. You guys aren’t coach and that won’t happen to you.” Rayna told her as Mallory sniffled heavily. They both heard the garage door open and she stared at her friend. “I guess you’ll find out soon.”
“What’s going on?” Declan asked, his face lined with pain and worry as he stared at the girls. “Did something happen?” His hair was longer now and messy and he looked like he needed sleep.
“Stay or go?” Rayna whispered to Mallory as she held her.
“I think I can do this. I love you.” Mallory told her softly, holding tightly to Rayna for one more hug before she stood to leave. “Deck, I have something to tell you.”
“Okay.” He sat down beside her with a glance at the half-eaten candy bar before he pulled her against him.
“That night that we made love without anything the first time…do you remember it?” He nodded as he remembered it out loud before giving her a soft kiss. “We made a baby. I just tested and it’s positive. I don’t know if it’s the worst time humanly possible or if you even want this right now but it’s happening.”
“Pregnant? We’re going to have a baby?” He asked in shock as she nodded with a fresh round of tears on her cheeks.
“I love you and I love this baby so much. I don’t want to be scared.” All of the men had been protective of their families since everything had happened but the only person that had kids was the other coach. “It can’t happen to us.”
“No, it can’t.” Declan told her as he turned his face to kiss her hard. He pulled her close and held her tight as he kissed her over and over through their shared tears. “I love you. Will you marry me, Mal?”
“I will.” They kissed again before they moved together to celebrate the life inside of her and the hope for their future. They knew that it would be better than everything that they had been through.
****turn over to read part 2****
PART 2
CHAPTER 1
Declan blinked as a voice asked him for some money before he handed a bill to the cashier. She looked closely at him before she counted out his change and he could see the question in her eyes as much as the useless attraction. He thanked her in a monotone voice as he took the coffee and left the cafeteria. Doctors and nurses rushed the halls of the local hospital as he went to the elevator and pressed the button. Nothing registered except the thoughts racing through his mind.
Six months.
That was how long ago Mal had changed his life by telling him that she was pregnant. It had been fast for both of them, so fast. He was the player and Mal the girl that had never seen herself as someone in a relationship such as theirs. What the fuck happened to all of that?
He stepped into the elevator as it dinged loudly and pressed the button to go to labor and delivery. He pictured her face, bruised and soft in sleep just like he’d left her. Declan sighed and closed his eyes as he forced his hand not to crush the hot coffee that was probably the only thing that was keeping him alert at this point. He just wanted to crawl into her bed and hold her until he made all of this go away. He got off and went down the hallway to be let into the one section of the hospital that was supposed to be happy and full of hope.
He pushed the door of the room open to see Mary and Rayna sitting in the chairs beside Mallory as they whispered softly to each other. Rayna looked up with red eyes and stood when she saw him. “I’m so sorry, Deck.”
He shrugged as they took turns hugging him before he took the seat to her left without even asking. Declan needed to see the door and needed to know everything that was happening around them. “He just ran the light. Didn’t even stop and she didn’t see him coming,” he mumbled almost incoherently before taking a long sip of the coffee. Mallory had been in his SUV driving home from school when she ‘d been hit and pushed into a pole. Emergency crews had been on the scene quickly and taken her here, but the baby had not survived. Their daughter Lindsay was dead and he felt tears roll down his cheeks. Mallory had a broken arm and some other injuries that she’d survive but the impact had just been too much for their baby. “I should have been driving her. Things might have been different.” He normally did, but there had been a late practice and he’d tossed her the keys to the car before kissing her lips and her stomach goodbye.
“Don’t, Deck. Don’t go back like that.” Mary urged him as she wiped her own tears away. “This isn’t your fault. It isn’t Mal’s fault. It just is.” She wept as she spoke, dropping into the other chair as she took Mal’s hand gently.
They had all been in the room when she delivered their stillborn baby hours ago. Mallory was hysterical and it had taken Mary’s voice and Deck’s hand holding hers tight to get her through the ordeal. Her screams still filled his ears as he felt the room spin and Declan shook his head slowly to try and stop it. Both of the women started to cry again and he rested his head in his hands slowly to try to shut it out. He wished that he’d been sedated like Mallory. She needed to rest and heal and he’d agreed to it along with Mary. It was the best idea and she wasn’t living this hell right now.
Not yet anyway.
“Deck?” He heard his gram at the door and looked up as she stared sadly at him. “Oh, baby. I’m sorry.” She came to where he was and hugged him tightly as he cried brokenly in her arms. “He’ll be in. He’s parking the car outside.” She sat down in the chair that Rayna brought over and cupped his face in her hands gently to look at him. “How is Mallory?”
“She’s hurt but she’ll be okay. They want to keep her here for about a week and just have an eye on her.” He looked at his gram and took a deep breath. “She’ll never get past this. She was so worried when we first found out about…the baby that we wouldn’t make it. She thought we weren’t enough. Mal had just started to relax because she was doing so well with the pregnancy and we were going to finally move in together. Now that’s all gone.” He pulled his gram close and cried again. “It’s all gone.”
His grandfather joined them which was when Mary and Rayna left the room to give them some privacy. “How are you holding up?” His grandfather shifted his gaze from Mallory to his grandson as he took in his appearance with a frown.
“I don’t know. It’s still so fresh and I can’t believe it.” Declan replied dimly as he blinked slowly. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and clicked on the pictures that he’d shot of the baby before they took her lifeless body away. The parents had been offered more time and they’d denied it though it might be something that they regret later. “Here she is.”
His gram burst into fresh tears as she looked at the images of the baby wrapped in a blanket and being held by her grieving parents. “I see a lot of you in her face, Deck. I’m so sorry. She’s beautiful.”
“I think she looked a lot like Mal.” His voice was cold as he spoke and the older couple looked at each other slowly. “That’s all we have of her and the urn when we get her…” He shook his head. “That’s all I will have to remind me of the life that I wanted so much.”
“You and Mallory still have each other. Don’t ever forget that.” Gram told him as he looked blankly at her. “You two can make it through this…you love each other so much.”
He didn’t know anything as he looked at his sleeping fiancée, her diamond ring on her left hand the only reminder of what they once shared. It was even dull in the light of the hospital room, which was glaring and artificial.
Declan had to balance his time the rest of the week between the hospital and school. Everyone was understanding of his circumstances and willing to give him some time off, teachers and the team both, but he needed to stay busy. He needed to distract.
Every time he was in that room looking at the shell of the girl that had been so passionate, Declan only felt guilt and sadness. She was sleeping a lot due to the heavy sedatives they had given her, so he was spared of conversation with Mallory which was both a relief and a curse. Nobody would understand their loss quite like Mallory, which was causing him to hold a lot of feelings in. Had he been talking to her, Declan would face reality.
CHAPTER 2
The week came to an end and they lightened up the medication to see how Mallory was doing. Declan was waiting with Rayna and her family in the waiting room so they could focus on Mallory and he couldn’t keep himself from pacing back and forth. He had talked to the doctor about some of the rules for the following few weeks, such as no sex or intimacy while her body went through the natural process following a birth. Declan couldn’t call it a birth in his mind and he tried constantly to get the images out of his head at night when he was trying to sleep. There were other things but he was more than willing to care for her while she got better. He thought about the card at home with the therapist’s name for her to call to get through the devastating pain she would be facing and frowned.
Declan didn’t know what to do as he kept glancing towards the hallway that the doctor would be coming from to tell them how she was. He looked back at Rayna and her family, who looked as devastated as he felt right now. They would be a huge part of her recovery, especially Mary. She was like a mom to Mallory and ready to do anything needed to help her. Declan caught her gaze and forced a weak smile at the woman who loved Mallory as much as he did. He needed to thank her for everything once he could find the words.
The doctor came down the hallway an hour later and they gathered around her as she looked around the group with a sympathetic gaze. “She’s awake and quite emotional about the situation at the moment. She’d healing well and I think she’ll be able to go home in the next few days to relax there. Her injuries are impressive considering the accident and there will be no serious long- term effect from any of them apart from a few aches and pains.” She took a deep breath. “I would recommend a chiropractor once she’s up to it, which isn’t typical of a doctor. I would just rather see her get that taken care of in another way than taking pills for pain. Declan knows some of the other basics as well, but I’d like to see her in the care of someone while she gets through this hard time.”
“Can we see her?” Declan asked as she frowned thoughtfully.
“I think that she needs a bit of time to herself. I’m so sorry. I know that it’s been a long week for all of you but Mallory is distraught right now. I am going to send someone in from psych to talk to her about it but perhaps you should all return tomorrow.” Her brown eyes were very apologetic as Declan turned on his heel to leave the hospital. He hurried through the heavy glass doors as they opened and blinked in the bright sun violently.
How could it be like this outside when his life was falling apart? He ripped his messy hair down from the band that held it back and strode to his car with shaking hands.
Declan drove to the one place that he knew he could escape this. Once he’d parked the car, Declan walked into the dim light of his former favorite bar with a sigh of relief in the darkness. This is what he craved. “Hey, stranger,” Keagan called from behind the bar with his familiar warm smile as Declan looked over. “Where have you been?”
“I don’t know.” Decline replied as Keagan took a closer look at him. “The usual, Keg. I need some liquor in my system fast.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Keagan asked in his light Scottish accent as he grabbed a heavy glass and poured his best whiskey into it easily. He leaned forward and looked at his friend with serious green eyes as Declan looked back at him.
He downed the whiskey in one long sip and slammed it back onto the bar as Keagan stepped back. “More.”
Declan was dizzy when he felt someone sit beside him and he blinked slowly as he felt his pain seem to disappear within his body. “Deck. It’s been a while.” He knew the voice but his memory was blank.
“Merry, leave him be. He’s got something heavy on his mind.” That was Keagan. Declan leaned forward and rested his head in his hands as he took a deep breath. “I called Rory to come and get him. There’s no way Deck is getting into a car this drunk.”
“I could take him.” Her light voice spoke up again and he tried to place it.
“Fuck that. You’ve been drinking yourself. I’m calling you a cab and he’s leaving with Rory.” Keagan shot back as Declan slipped forward to rest his body against the wood. “Shit. What the hell happened to you, Deck?”
He came to in a car and looked around slowly as Rory was pulling up to his house. “Welcome back.” His friend said dryly as he met Declan’s gaze. “Your ass is going to bed. I don’t know if you were trying to drink yourself to death or not, but the tab is covered.”
“Thanks, I guess.” Declan told him as Rory got out and helped him into the house. It was still very much his with small touches of Mallory here and there and Declan stumbled to the kitchen for a bottle of water. The sight of the ultrasound picture from their first visit stopped him in his tracks and he let out a sob. “Fuck.” He tore it off of the fridge and threw it on the ground as Rory came up to grab him. “She’s fucking gone.”
“I’m sorry, Deck. I know what happened today and I am so sorry that this happened.” Rory told him in a broken voice as he took his best friend to his room. He was in close contact with Rayna’s family about what was going on since Declan had shut himself off so much. “You’ll see her soon, it’ll all be okay and you’ll find your way back together.”
“How? We’ve lost everything.” Declan replied angrily as he threw himself onto the bed. One inhale and all that he smelled was Mallory’s sweet body spray and her coconut mint shampoo. Declan gripped the pillow tightly as he smelled it again and tried to fight the memory of them from the last time she was here. She’d finally agreed to start really packing and move in as well as to setting up Lindsay’s room.
That was the day before the accident. Mallory had been so uncertain of their future following the news of the pregnancy and a part of him would give anything to go back to that day. He’d do everything different from the beginning to prevent that accident from happening. “Just give it time,” Rory suggested as Declan curled his body up on the bed and remained silent. “Get some sleep, buddy. I’ll be on the couch.”
Declan woke up with the sun shining into the windows and rolled onto his back to look around. He could still smell her in the room but Mallory wasn’t here. He felt his stomach clench and placed a hand on his forehead as pain throbbed behind his eyes. These was the sure signs of a hangover but he hadn’t drunk that much in a few months.
Where was Mallory? Shouldn’t she be yelling at him right now? She hated it when he drank too much.
Declan stumbled out of bed to get some water and aspirin before he made the smoothie that always helped his hangovers. He walked slowly as he took slow breaths and glanced into the living room to see Rory sleeping on it with a blanket pulled over his body. What the fuck? Declan kept going into the kitchen and grabbed the water before his eyes moved to the floor to see something crumbled up and sitting in the middle of the floor. He grabbed it before he got the bottle of Advil and opened it to down a few pills with a large gulp of the refreshing water.
Declan unfolded the paper to see the ultrasound as fresh pain filled his heart. Mallory…she might see him today. He grabbed the counter as the room spun around him and took several hoarse breaths. “Calm down, Deck,” Rory told him softly as he stood beside his best friend.
“I forgot for just a while. I was coming out to find Mal and…” Declan’s voice trailed off slowly.
“You’ll forget a lot when you drink as much as you did last night.” Rory had a serious tone to his voice as Declan slowly glanced at him. “Cut this shit. You need be strong for your girl, Deck. You have a lot going for you beyond all of that. Don’t fuck it all off.”
“I don’t know how not to do that.” He admitted as he opened the water and sipped it. “I feel like shit.”
“Get some water down and take a shower. We’ll attempt food after that and you can try to go see her.” Rory suggested as Declan nodded.
Declan managed to get a cup of coffee down and took a long hot shower as he tried to force his stress out of his body. The water ran down his skin as he soaped up and cursed the memories and emotions that were taking over his cock. Declan missed Mallory so much in every way possible but at the moment, he played back one of their many times in the shower.
Once they’d eased into a relationship and after she found out she was pregnant, the hormones had kicked in hard and she had been willing to have him all of the time. The shower was a favorite for Mallory and he groaned as he reached down to stroke himself sadly. It was nothing like what he wanted and Declan only felt disappointment when he came all over the shower wall with tears in his eyes. He rinsed the conditioner out of his hair and turned off the water slowly before he stepped out into the bright room.
Declan brushed out his hair and pulled it back before he wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped into the bedroom. He threw open some windows before he slipped into some worn jeans and a long- sleeved Henley and stared into the mirror. The circles under his eyes were prominent and Declan shook his head slowly before he grabbed some Converse from the closet.
Rory was dressed in new clothes as Declan stared at him and he told him that he’d run home quickly but he was going to go to the hospital with him if Declan wanted him to. He did, so they walked out to the driveway where Declan looked curiously at his car parked to the right of Rory’s. “I had Kurt drive it here and he got a ride back to his place. I didn’t know if I’d be free today but classes were canceled so here I am.”
“Thanks, man. I need someone and I don’t want to hassle Gram and Grandpa. She’s dealing with enough already.” Declan shook his head slowly. His grandma was heartbroken over the loss of her great-granddaughter and he was trying to keep her out of it as much as possible.
“I’ll bet.” They pulled out of the driveway and onto the main road where Declan started to worry. What was he supposed to say to her? He loved her more than anything in the world but had never had to con fort someone through something like this. Declan felt clueless and for a moment, he hated his parents for never truly dealing with issues that came up when he was still with them. He’d always just pushed things aside and moved forward but right now he was locked into a place of heartbreak and pain. This was all so new to him and he pressed his hands to his temples as he sighed slowly.
Rory parked in the lot and looked at his friend for a long moment. “Ready for this?”
“I don’t know.” Declan answered honestly as he stared forward at the tree in front of them. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Just be there for her. It’ll fall into place.” Rory assured him as they got out of the car reluctantly.
CHAPTER 3
The guys saw Rayna sitting in the waiting room alone as they walked in and Declan frowned as she glanced at him with wide eyes. “Have you seen her?” His voice was abrupt and she nodded as she teared up.
“She’s talking to Mom,” Rayna said as he stood a few feet in front of her and glanced down that hallway furtively. “Sit down, Deck. I need to talk to you.”
He moved to the chair a couple spots away from her as Rory sat down across from them. “What?” Dread filled his heart as he waited to hear what she had to say and Declan pressed his lips together.
“Well, clearly she’s really upset. This is all hitting her very hard.” Rayna started as she worried her hands together in a knot. “She…she wants to come to my house when she’s released from the hospital, Deck.” He stared forward as the fact that she’d never truly moved in settled uncomfortably in his stomach.
“She doesn’t want me anymore?” Rayna wiped a tear away at his words and her mouth opened and closed.
“I don’t think it’s that. She doesn’t want to burden you since you have school and the team…my mom is home all day. She can take care of her for a while.” Rayna made excuses as Declan stared forward with narrowed eyes and felt his heart drop. “She’ll come to her senses but she’s devastated right now.”
“Can I see her? Does she want to see me?” Declan asked as he felt Rayna’s eyes on him.
“Of course. She’ll be done with Mom soon and you can go right in.” Rayna replied as he pressed his feet into the ground firmly. Rory moved beside him but Declan was only focused on the fact that she wasn’t coming home to him. It resonated in his brain as his head started to pound and he closed his eyes tightly. “Don’t worry. She just takes things really hard. She’ll be fine.”
“I don’t think she’s faced this before. I am not all that reassured.” Declan told her as he started to massage his temples hard as if to increase the pain.
“Deck. You’re here.” Mary said as he blinked and looked at her. “Are you okay? You look tired.”
“I’m fine. Just a bit restless.” Declan shot a look at Rory to tell him to shut up as his best friend looked back at him in disbelief. The last thing Mallory’s family needed to know was that he was drinking himself into a coma. “How is she?”
“Sore. Heartbroken.” Mary glanced at Rayna to see her give a small nod. “Oh. So you know?”
“Yes, I know that she’s not planning on coming to my house.” Declan replied bitterly as Rory winced. “Should I go to see her or does she want to skip over that as well?”
“Deck. Stop this.” Rory shot out as decline gave him a weary look.
“Declan, she’s a mom that just lost her baby. She’s really upset and just needs some time.” Mary assured him as she stepped forward slowly.
“I’m a dad that lost my baby too. Oddly enough, I’m pretty upset too and I thought we’d work through it together.” Declan said as he stared boldly into her pale face. “I didn’t think she’d run from this.”
“I’m sorry. It’s what she learned after her parents passed due to her family.” Mary admitted as she sat down and swiped her thumb across her cheek to catch a tear. “I tried to convince her but she’s just…not all here.”
“I am going in just to look at her and hold her hand. I need to see her and then I’ll leave.” Declan decided out loud as he stood and walked away from the group. The walls seemed to close in on him as he continued down the hallway to her room blindly. There were people passing him but Declan didn’t stop until he was pressing his hand against the door softly. He rapped softly on the door and heard her soft voice saying to come in before he pushed it open. “Mal.”
She was frail and pale in the bed as she rested against the pillows gently. “Deck.” A tear slid down her cheek and she looked towards the window sadly. “I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” He asked her weakly as he sat down beside her and stared closely into her face.
“I lost her.” Her voice was so small and he reached out and took her hand as it remained limp in his grip. “I was supposed to protect her.”
“You did nothing wrong. He did.” Declan felt tears in his eyes again as he saw the remaining wreckage from the accident spread out in front of him. “He’s the one that hit you. He’s the one that took everything.” He clutched her hand as he rested his head against the pink blanket. “I could’ve been driving. That way I would be here and the two of you would be okay.” He felt her hand shake and took a deep breath. “Do you remember everything from when you got here?”
“Now I do. It took me a minute once I figured out why I was here.” She started to cry. Declan raised his head and moved closer to her to stroke her tangled hair. “She was beautiful, wasn’t she?”
“She looked so much like you.” He whispered brokenly as they cried together for a moment before he pressed his lips to hers softly. “Please come home with me. I need you, baby.”
“I just need some time. You’re so busy and Mary just works part time from the house. It’ll be easier.” She tried to reason with him as he breathed her in for a moment.
“Is that the only reason?” Declan pressed as he heard her let out a sob. “I love you. What happened doesn’t change that.”
“I’m lost right now. I just need…I don’t know what I need.” Mallory admitted as he pulled away slowly. His eyes never left hers, watery and red, but she looked out of the window again.
“Are we over?” Declan asked her as she pressed her dry lips together.
“I am just stuck. I don’t know.” Mallory found a new way to say it and he stood and walked towards the door as the pain filled him and started to break him down.
“Don’t let this simmer. See the doctor they recommended and find a way back to me.” Declan told her before he headed into the hallway and looked left and right. He just wanted to leave but Rory had brought him here. He decided to go back to the waiting room and all three looked up at him curiously when he stood near Rory. “I’m ready.”
“Deck? Did you talk to her?” Mary asked him as she stood up to prevent him from leaving. She grabbed his arm and stared at him until he met her gaze with his red eyes. “She needs you, honey. She just doesn’t know it yet. I’ll keep her safe and you come and see her.”
“We’ll see.” Rayna sank back into her chair as she cried and he shook his head at her when he was finished hugging her mom. “You threatened me for her, Ray. Don’t let her sink.”
“No way. She’ll be back.” Rayna’ s voice was shaking and Declan pressed his lips together before he glanced at Rory.
“Let’s go.” They walked to the car and Rory drove to their favorite diner in an unspoken agreement. Declan had been in a hurry to get to the hospital and they’d skipped any food before leaving the house.
Rory waited until they were seated at a table with coffee before he looked closely at his friend. “What happened in there?”
“She says that she needs time.” Declan responded as he shrugged. “She’s just void and she didn’t respond to me at all. Mallory isn’t here right now.”
“Mary had a good point, Deck.” Rory started to say before Declan stared at him.
“Again, we both lost our child. I want to get through it together but that’s not going to happen right now.” Declan said sadly before he sipped his coffee.
“Did she end it with you?” Rory asked and Declan frowned.
“Not in so many words. She’s just gone right now.” Declan explained as Rory shook his head. “I’ll wait for her. I have nothing else that I could do right now.”
“You guys had it all. She’ll be back.” Declan shrugged and glanced up as their waitress brought their food to the table. The guys ate and moved on to other topics such as rugby and school but Declan was clearly still focused on Mallory as he tried to move forward.
Rory dropped Declan off to get his car and they went to the gym to work out. Hangover or not, Declan had to work out his feelings right now or else he felt like he was going to break in half. He worked hard on his arms and legs for over an hour and thought about the game since he was now playing again as opposed to coaching. They’d replaced their lost coach with a man that had the experience and the skills to do the job but it hurt all of them to see a new face there. Declan took over again as a strong lead player though right now he sipped his water and wondered if he could even do this.
He dreamed of coach every night after the baby died, mixing the tragedies together in one horrifying sequence that woke him up in a cold sweat.
CHAPTER 4
Declan glanced over the field as he trampled with his team to start the game the weekend after everything had happened. He’d been practicing hard and on the outside, he looked like he was in top shape and ready. He faked enthusiasm for everyone all of the time and was into the sport again. On the inside, he was broken and alone but he used that in the game and played rougher than he ever had before. Coach Mike and Coach Ken pushed him as they watched him closely since Mike knew what he was going through. He hated to see something else happening like this but Declan had assured him that he was fine to play. He told him that he needed to. They went with that and Declan tried to accept Ken as best he could through the pain of what had happened to the former man in his shoes and the emotions that he struggled with.
The team kept their victories going and Declan tried to keep his mind on school as the weeks passed. He’d tried to talk to Mallory a few times since she’d left the hospital but it was always awkward and hard. She wasn’t ready to move on but Mallory wouldn’t let her grief set in with him yet. She was trying to be strong and he begged at the end of the last conversation to just feel something about this. They ended up in an argument and Declan had thrown his phone across the room before he took off to the bar for a few drinks.
He didn’t see Mallory at school and the rumor was that she was taking a break for a while. Though her injuries weren’t nearly as serious as they could have been, Mallory had some healing to still do inside and out. He spoke with Rayna when he saw her and also kept in touch with Mary to know what was going on.
Mallory was healing as she should be physically after a couple of months, but he had been told that she wasn’t sleeping well at night and still traumatized from the stillbirth. Mary was doing her best to get Mallory to see someone to talk to but was meeting a lot of resistance along the way. It sounded like she just slept through the day, though restlessly and claimed that she was recovering when Mary tried to force her up to do anything. The pained look on Rayna’s face whenever they ran into each other at school ripped him apart and Declan found himself needing to escape the pain that he wasn’t allowing himself to give into. He knew that his grandparents were there to support him but he’d never showed weakness to them before and he wouldn’t now.
The bar became a regular routine for him when he wasn’t studying or playing and Declan found solace in the alcohol. He had been a regular there before and it was easy to slip back into the old routine with those friends. They were separate from school and even Mallory since she hadn’t really been there a lot. Bars weren’t her scene and Declan had traded it for restaurants and dates happily as he settled into the relationship.
Now he was alone and the whiskey was flowing as the music played loudly over the speakers. Declan laughed as he bent over to shoot a pool ball into the corner pocket, careful not to fall on the ground. “Fuck, I’m wasted.” Nights were long and lonely and he filled the time there so he wouldn’t think too much about things. Merry moved beside him as he shot and missed and he stumbled against her. “Sorry.”
“It’s nice to see you back around.” He looked into her pretty face and squinted his eyes to see her better, but she’d never be Mallory. Even still, they’d had a good enough little fling well before he’d met Mallory and his mind started to wander slowly as he took in her deep blue eyes and long brown hair.
“I don’t want to be home.” That was all he ever said about things and everyone had learned to not ask or talk about the rumors that had been all over the bar. He watched as she covered the rough skin of his hand with her own pale soft one and looked down.
“I am so sorry for what happened.” She seemed sincere as far as her low voice but the way she was caressing his arm made him pull away uncomfortably. He hadn’t slept with anyone since Mallory but his body was craving sex much more than his heart. Jacking off alone wasn’t satisfying him and he only ended up feeling a lot lonelier at the end of the day.
“Thanks.” Declan told her shortly as he turned to walk towards the bar. He knew Merry’s body well and she could make him feel good, if only for a night. She’d fuck and leave without a problem since he couldn’t stand the idea of someone sleeping in what he considered Mallory’s spot in his bed. He was so torn as he checked his phone and ordered another drink. There was just a text from Rory to see what he was up to and he slipped it back into the pocket of his worn jeans. Declan knew that his friend was worried about him but he was fine.
At least on the outside, he was fine. He missed Mallory more than he ever thought was possible apart from the feelings he’d had for his parents when they’d been so distant with him. That had ripped him apart as a child and Declan had vowed to never let anyone in again after that, until Mallory. She had gotten to every part of him and his body physically ached for her as his heart broke all over again.
He headed home alone that night after he’d summoned a cab with his phone despite Merry’s heavy eyes across the bar. Keagan had given up telling her to leave Declan alone since it had been a few months and he was a grown man. He’d do what he wanted to do but Keagan had seen their fallout and it was rough. Meredith could get jealous and bitchy once she had a man in her grips. Declan unlocked his door and walked inside to just look around the empty rooms as he missed Mallory’s laughter and her warmth in the house. It was so empty now and he just grabbed some water from the kitchen and headed right to his room to go to bed for a few hours. Declan stripped before he slipped under the messy covers and loosened his growing hair from the band.
There was a faint scent of her still in the room and he rolled to that side to inhale deeply as he pushed away the voice telling him to wash the damn sheets. He didn’t want to. It was all that he had of her in his life and Declan wrapped his arms around Mallory’s old pillow and started to cry. God, he missed her.
The next day was rough and Rory eyed him as he took a seat in their shared English class. “Late night?”
“Yeah, I had a few drinks at the bar.” Declan replied while he grabbed the coffee cup he’d brought with him. He took a long sip and appreciated the liquid heat down his throat. Coffee had become a necessity more than ever now along with a new energy drink that he’d found that was lower calorie and full of healthy vitamins. “How about you?”
“I was studying with Deb,” Rory replied as Declan frowned slowly at the tone in his voice. “Are you ready for the test today?”
“Yeah, mostly. It should be easy enough.” Declan shot a look at his best friend with a small smile. “School and rugby are two things that I am serious about.” That was it now. He just kept up with Mallory through updates from Mary and Rayna and lived with that, relieved that she was finally seeing a therapist and dealing with her grief.
He was noticing how the girls were looking at him more and more at school and his willpower was fading. He’d been on his own for several months now with no contact and Declan was used to regular sex before he’d gotten in a relationship. There were no signs of Mallory coming back so would it be so wrong? Maybe she was doing the same though the idea of her with another man after all that they had shared killed him. No. She was just getting better for herself and they’d be together again soon.
Until then, he knew that he was getting weaker.
Declan decided to hang out with Rory and Deb one weekend and they met at the restaurant where he’d taken Mallory on their first date. Brittany took them to the table and offered him a seductive look when she realized that he was alone and it only reminded him of Mallory. He made it through the meal since this was Deb’s favorite place and it happened to be close to the bar they were going to afterward. There was a band playing and Declan thought that might be a nice change of pace from whiskey filled nights at his own personal haunt. He ordered a beer with dinner and leaned back as he forced the memories of Mallory out of his mind as they ordered appetizers.
The conversation was upbeat over dinner since Rory’s girlfriend was such a happy girl. She brightened any room. Declan knew that she was insanely worried about him but he always made sure to assure her that he was doing fine. He just needed time.
Rory noticed Brittany lingering around the table at the end of the meal as she chatted with them and Declan felt his eyes on him as she stared at him with heavy eyes. They both realized that she knew their plans for the night and Declan finished his beer before he stood up to leave. He told Brittany goodbye and his eyes slipped down her body as she turned with the money as pain flooded him.
“Are you moving on?” Rory asked him in a low voice as they followed Deb through the noisy restaurant.
“I don’t know. It’s been four months, Rory. I need to do…something.” That was forever to a guy like Declan and Rory whistled as he shook his head.
“You’ve held out and done the right thing. I can see that.” Rory agreed as the guys shared a look. “It’s not replacing her, Deck. Nothing ever will.” His eyes moved to his own girlfriend as he spoke and De clan felt envy spike through his heart. He’d had that at one time with so much promise.
The bar was filling up when they walked in and Declan took a look around as they went to get some drinks. There was a good mix of men and women and some of the girls were pretty hot. He’d heard enough gushing about his hair lately to know that it attracted women all of the time and he slid his hands through it tonight painfully as he tried to keep his hands from shaking. He could do this.
They drank a few beers before the band came on and Declan slipped in a few shots of his favorite whiskey to numb his pain when he could. He wasn’t driving home since Deb was their driver and wanted the guys to have some fun. She was happily sipping a soda as she talked to a few friends around the bar while Rory and Declan looked on with wide grins. The crowd screamed as the popular local band took the stage and Declan sipped a fresh beer as he took in the heavy beat of the drums and the guitar that kicked in after. He was feeling no pain and he moved a little with the crowd around him while Rory joined Deb and wrapped his arms around her.
He didn’t pay too much attention to the bodies pressed against him at first but soon a familiar scent was flooding his nostrils as Declan blinked. “Hey, stranger.” Brittany was beside him with her hair loose around her shoulders and a sleek camisole covering what Declan knew were pert little breasts.
“Hi.” She was sipping a drink as she glanced from the band to him and he felt heat flood his groin at the look she was giving him. “I heard you were going to be here. I was meeting friends anyway, so…here we are.” She smiled and he moved his hand down to adjust himself.
They stayed near each other through the second set and drank some more and he didn’t resist her kiss at the end of the night in his state of mind. Brittany had pulled him to a dark corner just as the set was ending and made her move and he allowed her tongue to slide inside of his mouth as he pulled her closer. It wasn’t the taste that he craved so badly but Brittany knew what he liked and she used those skills to draw him in.
She was slipping her hands all over his body as they kissed hard and fast and Declan slid his hands down to cup her curvy ass as emotions flooded him heavily. Lust overruled all them as his body pulsed and Declan moaned as Brittany gripped his hair and sucked on his lower lip. “Your place.” He rasped as he looked around for a door. She lived within walking distance and he knew that he could be inside of her within twenty minutes if they hurried.
“Yes,” Brittany moaned as she kissed him one more time before she pulled him to the door. Declan clutched her hand as they left but he did manage to catch Rory’s frown before they left the bar. It was too unsettling to think about and he dragged her down the road towards her apartment as she struggled to keep up. “In a hurry?” Her voice was seductive and he pinched his nose for a long second before he answered.
“I need to fuck you.” His voice sounded raw and he swallowed dryly as he heard her giggle. They made their way down the street and reached her door as he slammed her against it and kissed her hard. Brittany wrapped her arms around him and returned his aggression with a deep thrust of her tongue. Somehow, De clan managed to get hold of her keys and open the door before they fell inside the living room. He didn’t need to look around as he’d seen it before. He was familiar with this place but not sure about the way that he flipped her onto her back to push her shirt off. She was bare as usual and Brittany tossed the shirt to the couch as he kicked her door closed.
Declan covered her with his body as he kissed her lips and neck. His hands wandered all over, cupping here and squeezing there as Brittany urged him on. He moved down to suck her nipple deep into his mouth as she cried out loudly and pulled on his hair. Her hands were tugging at the button of his jeans and Brittany managed to slip her hand down to cup his hard cock with her hand as he jerked with a groan.
He looked down to see her short skirt pushed up past her thighs and spread them harder as he thrust into her grip. De clan ran his hands up her thighs before he stroked her with one firm move of his hand. Brittany moaned and jerked against him as he found her slick entrance with his fingers and thrust deeply. She rocked against him as she gripped him harder and he waited until she was crying out his name before he withdrew his hand. Declan managed to strip clumsily as she stood to guide him to her bedroom and he followed her blindly as he felt his need rising even higher. “Do you have a condom?” He hadn’t even thought about carrying them for a while and ice flooded his veins as he remembered why in his drunken haze.
“We’re all set,” Brittany assured him as he pushed open her bedroom door and watched her walk over to the mattress. She crawled over to her nightstand as he stared at her in the light from the hallway and stepped forward as she tossed something his way. Declan grabbed the packet and ripped it open as he moved onto the bed and slid it over himself. He didn’t know how he wanted her but he just needed to be inside of her and forget his pain.
“Stay on your knees.” Declan told Brittany as he spread her legs and positioned himself behind her. He drove into her with one hard thrust and his ears rang as she wrapped tightly around him, unable to hear her screaming his name as he took her harder and harder. Nothing seemed enough and suddenly he was coming inside of the condom and she was shaking before him as she released for the second time. “Fuck.” Declan groaned as he shot forward with his orgasm before his body collapsed to the side.
“You’ve never been like that. It felt so good, Deck.” Brittany murmured as he pinched his eyes closed tightly. He was too drunk and the voice wasn’t the one that he needed as he ran his hands through his hair.
CHAPTER 5
They dozed off after the sex and he woke up with a jolt as he felt skin against his. “Mal?” Declan whispered as he looked around the room. It wasn’t his house and it wasn’t her scent. He sat up slowly as he saw the dark hair against the pink sheets and frowned. Brittany. She looked spent and he could feel that he’d gone at her pretty hard. He stood up weakly as he glanced down to see the condom half on him and pulled it off as he walked quietly to the bathroom.
Declan didn’t want to wake her up. He needed time to process all of this. He tied off the latex and dropped it into the trash like he had in the old days before Mallory with a pained look in his eyes. Deep down, he knew that he had done nothing wrong but he felt torn inside. He made his way to the living room so he could make sense of his clothes and pull them back on. Declan looked around slowly before he made sure he had everything and left the apartment alone. He locked the door from the inside and made sure that it was secure before he walked down to the street and pulled up his Uber app for a ride home.
Declan slept for a few hours before he went to practice tired and a bit hungover. Rory met him on the field and looked his best friend over closely. “So how was it?”
“I banged her so hard and it scratched the itch, but it wasn’t Mallory. I don’t know.” Declan spoke low, not proud of what he did and willing to brag about it. He never was that type but rumors go around and he felt like some guys looked up to him in some odd way. He glanced around to see if anyone had heard as he pulled his hair back with a sigh.
“What if she wants a repeat performance?” Rory asked as Declan frowned.
“I can’t wait forever…can I? Maybe it will help me move on once I adjust again. I didn’t want to be single like this, Rory.” Declan told him as his best friend nodded. They heard the coach call out to start and headed over with the team.
Declan went home and took a nap before he just settled in to watch TV for the night. He wasn’t in the best of moods and when his phone chimed with a text, he glanced over to see Brittany’s name. Declan sighed. She’d stopped calling when they ended before but now he had really piqued her interest all over again. Would it be so wrong to see her again? He would always want Mallory and miss her but he couldn’t force her to be back with him. He decided to text Brittany back and see what happened with it.
There was a game the next day and Declan felt really amped up from the emotions running through his body. He took full advantage of his size and position to tackle as much as he could and Rory shot him a look when they took a break together. “Settle down. What’s with you?” Rory asked as Declan took a swig of water and watched the game continue.
“I talked to Britt last night. We’re going out tonight.” Declan told him as Rory raised his eyebrows. “I can’t wait forever so I am going to date around a bit. Nothing serious for a really long time, though.”
He glanced up into the seats to see the pretty brunette watching the game as she waved at him. Declan smiled back at her before he ducked into the locker room to shower and change to head back home. They were going to dinner in a few hours and he figured that he’d put some effort in.
The guys parted at their cars as Declan took a quick look around to see if Brittany was waiting for him anywhere. She must have gone home to spend what he figured was a few hours getting ready based on what he knew about her, as well as how good she looked at work. Declan said goodbye to the guys after they talked to some fans. He got into his car and drove home slowly to park in the driveway. He hadn’t replaced the SUV and the check was sitting in the bank until he was ready to face things. Declan got out and walked up to his door lost in thought as he started to unlock his door. Someone cleared their throat and he jumped as he glanced over to the left to see someone sitting in the chairs that surrounded his fire pit. “Deck?” Her voice broke through his thoughts as he dropped his bag to the ground and stepped forward.
“Mallory?” Her hair was longer and in loose curls as he peered through the shadows to see her face. “What are you doing here?”
“I…I needed some time. Everything hit me so hard and I felt like I lost our baby and I felt so guilty. I couldn’t face that.” He moved to sit down in front of her and stared into her beautiful face. “I didn’t want to be reminded of what happened and I didn’t want to be a burden to you.”
“A burden? You are my fiancée and you were having my baby.” Declan said in a broken voice as he moved his hands forward to touch her face. He stroked her cheek and felt the dampness on her skin as he blinked. “I wanted nothing more than to take care of you. I’ve been so fucking lost without you.”
“I was lost without you. I wanted to be with Mary and Rayna and just find myself again. It’s a habit since they’ve been there for a while now and I couldn’t imagine that you would still want me. I knew they’d push me into getting help and wouldn’t let me slip away…somewhere deep down. You know how scared I was about us and after the accident and losing Lindsay, I thought we’d lost everything that we had.” Tears were sliding down her cheeks in rapid succession now and he scooted closer to pull her into his arms. “I went to therapy. I talked to this great woman about all of these feelings and I cried so much. I got so much out dating way back to my parents and all of that. It was so painful but it felt good to just let it go.” She slipped her arms around his neck and her hand found the band that was holding his hair up as she tugged it down. “You feel so good. I missed your arms, your lips. I missed all of you.”
“Are you here to…be with me again?” Any thoughts about his date faded from his mind as he pulled away to look at her in the light of the front porch as it turned on automatically. “Mallory?”
“I need you. I don’t know where we’re going to start or even finish but I need you so much.” Mallory told him tearfully as she leaned closer. “I want to try again.”
“Yes. I do as well.” Declan saw the night with Brittany flash through his mind as he moved closer to her and the guilt washed over him in waves. “I love you, Mal.”
Their lips met eagerly and he parted her lips as he enjoyed the sweet taste of her mouth. “Oh, Deck. I missed you.” Mallory murmured between kisses and she moved closer to him and gripped his body. “I love you so much.”
He pulled her over him securely as she wrapped her body around his eagerly and Declan asked silently why this was happening now. He would have never gone home with Brittany and the date passed through his mind as he told himself to be decent enough to cancel it. “I want you so bad…can you be with me?” Declan asked as she took a deep breath and stared at him. “I know that you were supposed to take a break. I don’t have to but I have thought about you constantly.”
“It’s fine physically. I am still scared that I’m not good enough for you…that I failed you. I know that’s wrong but I can’t hide from that anymore.” Mallory replied as she pressed her forehead against his. “Yes. I want it all.”
They kissed for several moments before they made their way towards the door. Declan unlocked it and brought all of his things in as she watched with a nervous smile inside the living room. Declan closed the door and moved over to kiss her again hard as she moaned. “I need to tell you something before we do this. I have to handle something.” Declan pulled away and then kissed her again before he slipped his phone from his pocket. “I actually had a date tonight but I didn’t want it. I was forcing myself to move on and I can’t be an asshole and just stand her up.”
“A date.” Mallory paled and he dialed Brittany’s number slowly as he watched the pain cross her face. She answered in a cheerful voice and he took a deep breath before he told her that he had to cancel tonight. Declan was honest enough to tell her that there was no chance of anything happening again between them and he hung up as he stared at Mallory. “Who was that?”
“The waitress from the restaurant that night.” Declan told her as she thought for a moment and frowned. “It was nothing other than my trying to forget you. I know that I never could but I had been waiting for months and it was looking so hopeless. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You slept with her?” Mallory asked as he moved forward to kiss her gently.
“Very recently but it wasn’t anything close to what we have. I was just lonely and drunk, to be honest.” Declan told her as tears filled her eyes. “I love you. I am here with you and there’s nowhere that I’d rather be. Please forgive me…I felt terrible afterward.”
“I pushed you away, Deck. I am hurt by that but it’s on me. I can forget about it soon.” Mallory told him as a smile crossed his face. They kissed as they slipped into each other’s arms and towards the bedroom in a silent agreement. They fell onto the bed and moved around each other and over each other as they slowly stripped off their clothes. Declan discovered that she still wore her ring with the hope that they could continue on their path and he made love to her wearing only the diamond as he professed his love to her.
They got to know each other again over the next few months. They cried over the loss of their baby and what their life was to become. Sometimes she screamed at him for sleeping with someone else when her insecurities hit her hard. Other times he lashed out at her for pushing him away to begin with.
They moved on into a stronger relationship than before and three months later Declan asked her to become his wife all over again over dinner.
EPILOGUE
One year later, Mallory stood with her father in her heart as well as Rayna’s in blood amid looked down the aisle to see Declan waiting for her. They were at a beach that they’d both come to love over the last few months and just a few family and friends were gathered together to watch them finally start their life together. The time back together had been hard and even painful at moments but they loved each other deeply and knew that they couldn’t live without each other.
They hadn’t announced it to anyone yet but they were also expecting again. She was just three months along and the couple was quietly rejoicing about it before they told anyone. Besides, they wanted today to be about the wedding.
She smiled happily as the music started and watched Rayna walk down the sand before her, over the pale pink petals that were sprinkled over the soft surface. They’d been through hell but now she was going to have everything with De clan again. She stepped forward and met his eyes as she walked, steady and easily.
The End
THE SECRET BABY DADDY
CHAPTER 1
Colton sent a text before he set his phone on the table and glanced across the bar as one beside his started vibrating and lighting up. Trey was busy talking in a group of guys and girls with the minority being male and Colton frowned as he looked back down at the phone.
Trey had a hot girlfriend, even if she was a bit on the heavier side. Colton had no real problem with that, and his list of conquests included all shapes and sizes. Colton had noticed more and more that the goalie of their successful hockey team didn’t seem to boast about his relationship too much, particularly lately. Not that he ever had, come to think of it. Amy was more of a bookworm than a sports fan as far as Colton could tell from when he’d seen her around the school. She had the hot librarian glasses to complete her look that seemed to be mainly conservative, apart from her bright green eyes and mocha skin to compliment them. From what he’d heard, she was studying literature and was something of a writer. Colton didn’t know her, and he saw that the phone screen had gone dark again when he looked down.
He sipped his beer and shook his head as he wondered why the hell he even cared. Colton was the main defender of the team, big and brawny with a reputation that preceded him to every game. He knew that he had the looks to go with his title around school with chestnut hair that was just wavy enough never to stay straight and intense blue eyes that had seduced many a student in his time. He was graduating in just another year and had scouts set up to come from all over to see him play. Colton was born and raised here in Colorado, and he’d like to stay here, though he wasn’t stupid enough to turn down any other opportunities. He planned on helping his mom and step dad out no matter where he played since Jack had been hurt at work when he got rammed into a trailer by a couple of huge bulls at work. Colton’s mom, Helen, just worked at a scrapbooking shop and being that she was coming up on forty-five, Colton didn’t want her getting a second job or even a harder job. She deserved that since she had put away every penny from his father’s life insurance policy for her son after the heart attack fifteen years ago. Helen had worked the job at the store as well as sewing custom dresses from her living room while Colton slept to support them and keep a house in a mediocre neighborhood where they would both be safe.
The guys came back over with a few girls tagging along, and Colton stood so he could take a piss before ordering another beer. They had killed tonight at their game and had the following day off. That was cause for celebration among a group of young college guys that got up early most every day to practice. The group slid into the corner table-the largest in the room-and the drinks and laughter were flowing as Colton took his last swig. He saw something light up on the table again and reached around to feel his empty pocket. “Yo Brent! Hand me my phone?”
A pretty Blonde was the one to hand him the newest Galaxy with an inviting smile as he took it from her. Shit, she looked familiar. Had he already fucked her? He thanked her as he grabbed it and shoved it into his pocket as he noticed Trey’s phone going again as well as his teammate swiping the screen to ignore it as the redhead beside him scooted closer to him.
Well, shit. Colton knew that his father had cheated on his mother once before he died since he overheard them fighting about it. He hated him deep inside but respected his mom’s choice to let him stay. Colton would never do that in a legit relationship and he kind of resented men that did. Colton was honest when he told his flings that it was all they were ever going to be. He didn’t do love and forever, at least not yet. He was riding the wave of being a great hockey player and enjoying the perks right now.
Some of the other guys on the team should do the same.
Colton set his beer down on the edge of the table before turning to head to the bathroom. He pushed the door open and looked around to see how crowded it was. As he took his place near the urinal and loosened his slacks enough to release his cock from their confines, he felt his phone vibrate.
It was Jasmine. He had met her at a frat party a few months ago, and they hooked up regularly and were talking about it tonight. They both knew that it was casual and would never be more so it was perfect. She was also one of the hottest girls that he’d ever seen with her dark brown eyes and Blonde hair along with that perfect body, all tits and ass with an open nature in the bedroom.
Colton finished and washed his hands in the sink as he thanked the guys that were congratulating him on the win. When he left the bathroom, all he could see was the girl from the table that had handed him his phone staring right at him. She smiled as he approached her with a curious grin on his face. “What’s your name?”
“Kenna,” she replied as he looked over her body with a thoughtful gaze. She was pretty with a girl next door look; blue eyes, strawberry blonde hair, and a tight yoga body. Was she willing to be a little adventurous tonight?
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kenna. I was going to head out and visit a friend for a while. Would you like to come along? I think that you’d get on well with Jasmine,” he suggestively nudged her as her eyes widened for a fleeting moment.
“Sure.” Hook, line and sinker. They all wanted a story about him. Colton smiled and nodded before he leaned his face down to kiss her for good measure. Her moan told him everything that he needed to know. On the way to catch a ride with umber, Colton sent Jasmine a text telling her that he was bringing a friend.
Colton hadn’t missed Trey leaving at the same time with the redhead.
CHAPTER 2
Colton woke up in a mess of arms and legs the following morning with a grin. He gently dangled himself from the girls and used the bathroom as he glanced into the trash can to see the tied off condoms that he’d tossed throughout the night. Pregnancy was something he was avoiding with absolution. Colton was too fucking young, and he had a future ahead of him. He grabbed a tissue and took the collection from the trash with his cloth covered hand to get it out of the house and into another garbage can. Women were crazy, in particular, the easy ones that slept with him any chance they could get.
He was lucky that Jasmine’s parents paid for her apartment just off campus. That had a lot to do with her repeat status. He could have an apartment, but Coach felt that the team living amongst the students was somehow inspiring to them. At least most of the guys had a single to themselves, including Colton.
He dressed and gathered all of his things before he looked in on the still sleeping girls. They seemed to like each other a lot last night, and he was jerking as much as he was fucking one of them with their obvious attraction to one another. He grinned as the memories played through his mind. He might have another regular. He left the apartment and secured the door before pulling it closed with a soft tug. Colton didn’t like morning goodbyes.
He got a ride to his dorm since he’d ridden with another player and unlocked the door before resting against the soft seats. He had wanted his big bed and some quiet before he went to work out later. Colton was inside of the building, and he grabbed water from one of the machines before he saw her. Amy was holding a cup of coffee with her loose curls piled on her head in what girls termed as a messy bun while she walked down the hallway. Colton knew that she lived in here but never thought much about it before now. His eyes roved over her cotton clad legs with their thick thighs and juicy ass hungrily as he realized that he was ogling a teammate’s girl. That was against some unspoken code, but fuck was she worth it for this moment. She turned right and continued walking out of sight as he took his water from the machine and turned it in his hands as he walked to his room at the end of the hall she’d initially been in.
The school had to be stupid to put them up in coed dorms.
Colton napped for the rest of the morning in his dark room with his phone shut down for some peace. It was dead this morning after he’d gotten his ride, so it needed charging. Once he felt relatively rested, Colton found a few guys that were looking to head to the gym and he showered in his bathroom. Another perk.
Colton headed out of the front door and made his way to the team gym. He walked up to the system one of the guys had set up for them and plugged his phone into the dock to play some Alice in Chains over the speakers. The guys cheered, and Colton dropped his bag and looked around with a grin. He worked his torso, legs and arms methodically as he listened to the brotherhood of the team fill the room. Colton would miss this. Every player wanted to be a pro, but he didn’t think that the NHL could feel quite like this.
They all grabbed some lunch after the intensive workout at a pub around the corner. Colton noticed Trey and Amy sitting at a table in the corner, and he let his eyes take in the way her hair was falling around her shoulders as well as the angry way her full lips set in a scowl. Trey seemed to be doing most of the talking along with a lot of hand gestures, which was never a good sign. Colton moved his eyes back to Amy as she turned her face to meet his gaze with a challenge in her eyes-her gorgeous eyes.
Well, shit. Colton turned and faced the guys quickly as he felt the reprimanding in her mind burn his skin. They ordered and talked about practice the next day as a few other guys joined them, including Trey after finishing whatever was happening at that table. “How did that go?” Randy asked Trey as he shrugged and sipped the water that the pretty waitress set down before him. His dark skin seemed to attract all of the girls and Colton marveled that he was still going after that mess at the table.
“She’s hot-headed, but I can set her straight pretty easily.” Trey casually responded while Colton didn’t see that as being the case. The look that she gave him was a silencing one, and he wasn’t even at the table.
“Why don’t you just cut her lose? Enjoy the single life for our last couple of years here?” Another defenseman, James, asked Trey. “You don’t even know where you’ll be living in three years, man. Cut the ties.”
Trey waved his hand as Colton watched him with contempt in his eyes. “I’ve been with Amy forever. It’s fine.”
They guys ate and talked before they took off, and Colton headed back to his dorm. He had some studying to do and figured that a good night’s rest wouldn’t hurt anything before an early practice the following morning. Some of the guys were going out that night like fools, but Colton settled on his bed in sweats to try to memorize information for his upcoming history test. He glanced up when he heard a bump outside and glanced at his clock to see that it was just after nine. Not completely unreasonable for the time but Colton hopped up to see if everything was alright.
Opening the door, Colton poked his head out and noticed Amy walking slowly with a bag in her hands towards her room. “Are you okay?” He called out before she turned to look back at him. Even with her cat eye glasses, Colton could see that she was more than likely drunk.
“I forgot where my room was. I’m good. I just need to get my wine back there.” Amy called as Colton raised an eyebrow. She turned and started to stumble back down the hall, and he ducked into his room for his keys before he ran after her.
“At least let me help, Amy.” He softly said as he reached her. She looked up at him sideways, and he forced out a casual sounding laugh. She smelled amazing; a scent of sweet flowers and freshly cut grass. Her hair was half up and half down, but the messy look suited her, and he gently inhaled again. “I play on the team.”
“I know,” Amy replied before she hiccuped loudly. She giggled and covered her mouth, and he watched her with awe. She was beautiful when she let her walls down. “Defense. I’ve watched you play before. You’re good, probably one of the best out there.” She gave him a lingering glance. “Pretty hot too. I’ve heard all about you, Colton Hayes.”
Colton took her bag and weighed it to verify that she had a couple of bottles in there. Were they all for tonight? “What have you heard?”
“I have heard all of the girls talk about your huge cock. You’ve slept with a lot of them.” Amy said in a loud whisper as a couple passed them with a long surprised look. “So has Trey.”
“What did you say?” Colton asked her as she reached her hand into her purse to get something out at a door. Amy unlocked it and pushed her way inside as he followed reluctantly with a quick look around the hallway.
“I don’t know why I let him do that. He was my first everything, and we’ve been dating for six years.” Amy babbled as Colton looked around the dim, empty room. It smelled like her, and he closed his eyes and breathed in as he tried to focus on her words. “I should just end it, but then I stay. I stay and let myself get deeper into this hole I’m in.”
There were two beds in the room, and Colton looked at her as she sat down on one of them. She let the light sweatshirt boasting his team slide off, and Colton noticed that she only wore a light tank top underneath it with her loose knee length skirt. “DO you have a roommate?” Colton asked her as he leaned against the wall and tried not to stare at her dark nipples through the light fabric.
“She graduated. I am on my own for now since the replacement didn’t show up.” Amy murmured as she ripped the band out of her hair and tossed it down with the jacket. “You know about him, don’t you?” Amy gave him the full force of her stare and Colton swallowed as he met her darkening green eyes surrounded with curls. He felt himself shiver as he looked down to see goosebumps on his bare chest. She was so fucking sexy, and she probably didn’t even know it. Colton told himself not to take advantage of this situation, and he pressed his body against the wall when he just wanted to go to her.
“I don’t condone anyone’s behavior on the team, Amy. I didn’t think you even knew who I was.” Colton told her, taken back to the night that he heard his parents fighting in the kitchen. Colton blinked and met her eyes. “I just live by my rules. I hate what some of them do, but I have to worry about myself.”
“Your rules? Sleep with any willing girl…is that your rule?” Amy asked him as she scooted back to the wall and stared at the bag in his hand. “Can you open another bottle for me? There’s a thing somewhere over there.” She waved her hand towards a desk, and he frowned as he looked over there.
“What were you doing walking like this alone?” Colton demanded as she raised an eyebrow at him. “Anything could have happened to you.”
“It was just the corner store.” Amy stubbornly defended herself as she stood and made her way towards him. “Give me my wine. I want more of it, and you’re going to share with me.” She snatched the bag from him and turned to walk to the desk and start to struggle with them. Colton was just moving towards her when she turned around triumphantly with an open bottle and smiled beautifully at him. “I can’t be that wasted if I can open one of these, right?”
Amy walked towards him taking a long drink from the bottle as he let his eyes drift down her body. Her tits were generous and the nipples big and pebbled against her shirt. She wasn’t small by any means, but her curves were sexy and solid, and he watched as the skirt clung to her for a fleeting moment. “Here.” She bumped into him and pressed the wine to his bare chest as her eyes darkened.
Colton took the bottle and drank a long sip of whatever the fuck this wine was as he tilts led it back. He never drank this, but he needed something as he felt her heat against him and the way his body was reacting. He was getting hard, and he tried to tell himself how wrong that was as he tried to push away from her and lower the bottle. “Amy.” He breathed as he looked down into her eyes. She was around five foot eight, but Colton was six foot two, and he parted his lips as he stared at her. “What are you doing?”
CHAPTER 3
“I have only been with him, you know,” Amy told me as she ran a hand over his skin slowly. “He was the love of my life back then. I don’t know why I still keep him in my life since it started fading a year ago.” She licked her full lips, and Colton felt his cock ready for her as he tried to get away from her. Colton didn’t fuck girls that were drunk and emotionally upset like this. That was a rule with him even as he realized that he had met some in bars. They were down as much as Colton was with what happened but that wasn’t comforting him here with Amy. “I don’t even know if anyone else wants to be with me because of who Trey is. His friends hide his lies, but they won’t come near me…except for you.” She searched my face, and he felt her slip her hand to the waistband of his pants and start to move them down. “I have been watching you for a while. I can see it in your eyes; Colton…you think I am just drunk and reaching out or something. That’s not it.”
“What?” He asked her as her fingers brushed against him and her eyes widened. “Fuck me.” She smiled weakly, and Colton saw her take a deep breath. “I can’t do this with you.”
“Because of him?” Her hand wrapped around me and started to stroke softly as I threw my head back against the wall. “Or because of me?” There was some pain in her voice, and Colton started to rock against her hand as he looked back down at her.
“What about you?” His voice was haggard, and he knew that he was going to burst soon.
“I don’t look like those other girls that hang around you guys at the bar. Not a bit like them.” Amy said as he bit his lip and stared at her. “I could never do this sober, and I didn’t even drink to do it tonight. You just came out into the hallway. I was just going to wallow in here alone and try to figure out my life. Then you were right there.”
Colton was ready to go, and Amy made a quick movement down to her knees as she slid his pants down. Her sexy mouth was wrapped around his cock as he slipped his hands into her hair and shot his come deep inside of her throat without even asking. He didn’t have to this time because she was right there and willing.
She was another man’s girl, whether or not that man was an asshole or not.
“You are more beautiful than any of them. You are the most…captivating woman that I have ever seen.” Colton stepped away from her before he pulled his pants up and closed his eyes. “You belong to someone else…a teammate. I can’t do this.” Colton walked a few steps and then leaned down to take another long sip of wine. He needed it just to walk away from her.
Colton ran a hand through his hair as he made his way back to his room and breathed a sigh of relief when he found his key in the pocket. Colton unlocked it and fell inside before he secured everything and fell onto his bed. That had been one of the hottest moments of his life and he had walked away. His cock wanted nothing more than to fuck her every way possible in that room but Colton knew that would be wrong. He stretched out and recognized the feeling that needed a release, and he reached for his phone.
He looked as tired as the other guys the following morning on the ice. So much for a good night’s sleep. Colton had gone over to Jasmine’s place after telling her to leave the party and tried to fuck the way Amy’s mouth had felt around him out of his memory, many times as a matter of fact. That girl from before had even been there but today Colton played without making any eye contact with Trey and just staying quiet. He knew that Trey was with another girl last night, but nothing made it alright that Colton was messing around with his girlfriend. The coach had them working on shots and passes for that night’s game, and Colton worked hard to master all of it as he tried to push the memories from the night before out of his mind.
Colton even worked out for an hour after practice to further punish himself and then went to his room for some down time. He napped for a couple of hours before he hit the shower and dressed to head to the game. Several girls looked his way as he locked the door to his room but Colton only saw Amy as she stared at him for a long moment before looking away. He scowled and walked out to the parking lot to find a few of the players talking out there and joined in before they all headed over for the warm up.
The game was an intense one between another nearby college and Colton was forced to go heavy on the defense as the players tried to get the puck past Trey. Despite anything that happened off the ice, they were a team first and foremost, and Colton winced as he sent a player into the boards at the wrong time. He cursed when he watched the other team score a goal from his place in the penalty box and felt like he’d failed all of them.
He celebrated with the others when he scored the goal that brought them up a point.
Hockey was Colton’s life as well as his future. He had never thought of anyone else being a part of it before and assumed that it would just fall into place. After seeing his mother hurt by his father, Colton admitted that he almost didn’t want a relationship.
The team and coaches went to dinner at a nice steakhouse in Denver and ended up meeting up with the professional team there as they were having dinner. It was inspiring to talk to some of the guys that had made it as well as the coaches that he might be under someday. The guys couldn’t stop talking about it when they were to a dive bar for some beers just to discuss it. None of them were thinking about the puck bunnies that night or at least they weren’t mentioning it. They all spoke strictly about the sport, and that was when Colton feel the closest to these guys. Clearly, he had the reputation of a player, and everyone knew it, but that isn’t what lit the fire inside of him. It was hockey.
He ended up home late and a little buzzed as he made his way to his dorm in the nice slacks and button up shirt that coach preferred they wear after games. Tonight, it had made sense seeing the Avalanche dressed up after their win. The guys were nothing but professional to the fans, but they let it go a little as they talked closely with Colton and his teammates. Colton walked to his room and noticed a stack of papers on the desk that served as their help center during the day and grabbed one randomly before he unlocked his dorm and went inside. Colton dropped the document down on the bed as he showered under the hottest water that he could stand and dressed in workout shorts.
He knew that there was something of a school newspaper, but Colton had never read it before. It might be worth it just to see what’s in there about the team. He grabbed a cold water from the form fridge that he had in the room and sat down to enjoy the high from the night and read some of the articles. Colton flipped through the social section and then happened upon a story about a festival that was coming up near the school and his eyes read the name of the journalist.
Amy Baker.
He tried to think of what her last name was but reading through it; Colton was impressed with the flow and writing style. It was a bit more descriptive than some articles but not so much so that he couldn’t read it. It was very well written and he sensed that this Amy loved music and felt a lot from it. It was how he felt about hockey.
Speaking of which, he found that page and read a stellar article about the year the team was having. That made him happy, and he settled back into his pillows as his eyelids started to get heavy and his body aches made it too much for him to move. Colton closed his eyes after he made sure that his alarm was set for his early Calculus class the next morning.
Colton left his room in a hurry with enough time to get a coffee at the small outside cafe that was in the middle of the courtyard. He paid the girl and told her to keep the change from the five as he rushed through the paths and into his building. He made it just in time for class and found his seat in the back as he let out a sigh of relief.
The day dragged as he went from class to class and finally he could grab a bite to eat. Colton headed to the door of the corner cafe to get a sandwich and looked around for some of the guys that he usually found in here. Randy waved from the corner table, and Colton brought his food over there as soon as he got it. “How are you feeling today?”
“A little sore. Those guys were brutal yesterday,” Colton replied as he took a swig of water from the bottle. “I took some pain pills this morning, and I don’t often do that.”
“I hear that. We should work out later today and stretch out a bit.” Not like they didn’t. Colton nodded as he saw Amy walk into the building with a focused look on her face. Her hair was twisted up on her head and wrapped in a bandanna that matched the jeans that she wore with a loose purple shirt that flowed around her waist.
“Great article, Amy!” Colton heard someone say as they walked up to her and tapped on her shoulder. The girl tapped on her shoulder and Amy clearly jumped before she turned around with wide eyes. “Are you going to Green this year? It sounds fantastic.” The two girls went to get some food and found a table across the room from Colton and he turned his attention to his sandwich as Randy said something about a shared class.
Colton looked over a couple of times to see her looking towards him, and she scowled and looked away each time they locked gazes. It was frustrating him, and they had barely done anything in the whole spectrum of life, but she was another player’s girl. That meant a lot to Colton even if the boyfriend was such a jackass.
He still wanted her so badly. Colton finished his late lunch and headed out with Randy to their next class and the last one of the day before they went to the gym. Colton took a long look at Amy on the way out as he thought to himself how beautiful she was and stepped outside into the sun. He thought back to the dream that he had the night before about her, one that involved much more than just a hand job and being in her mouth for a few moments. He had had her on her knees on his bed and was buried inside of her as she moaned his name and rocked wildly against him. He could still feel her ass against him and Colton remembered how he’d jerked himself off first thing this morning in memory of the images. Colton told himself to surrender the fantasy and stick to the available girls since it would only be in his dreams the way things stood right now.
Colton went to the dorms after the gym, stretched out and feeling a lot better. He needed a shower, but he could do that in his room in privacy. The sitting area was crowded as he strolled by and he casually waved in response to the people that called his name. He unlocked his door and entered as he dropped his backpack to the floor and started stripping off the clothes he’d worked out in. Colton was just ready to step into the shower when there was a knock at the door. “What?” Colton called as he stared at the bathroom door longingly. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist and opened his door as he tucked it the fabric into the waist to hold it on.
“What was that today?” Amy asked him as her eyes flashed and he tilted his head.
CHAPTER 4
“Get inside,” Colton told her, knowing that even though Trey didn’t live in this building rumors got around. “What are you talking about?” He asked her after he closed the door and they were alone in the room.
“You walked out on me that night, and then you look at me that way?” Amy demanded as she stepped up to him. She was still in the same outfit and smelled amazing as always. “Mixed signals much?”
“Unless you’re suddenly single, nothing can happen with us.” Colton reminded her wearily as he ran a hand through his hair. “As much as I wish it could.” His voice was low for that, but she still widened her eyes.
“Really?” Amy asked him as she dropped her bag and stepped up to him.
“I have to take a shower and study, Amy.” Colton was losing all of his willpower as he looked towards his bathroom again and sighed. She needed to leave before he went against all of his beliefs and needs. “You have Trey. Go to him.”
“I’m hanging by a thread with him, Colton. I have never wanted anyone like I did you that night. I have never even had anybody but Trey.” Amy told him with emotion in her eyes and face as she stared up at him. “I want something different and he’s sleeping with countless other girls.”
“So am I.” Colton reminded her as pain creased her forehead.
“I’m aware. I have a class with a girl named Kenna.” Amy said as his stomach turned. Well, shit. “Add me to your list…just this once. I haven’t been able to sleep since you left.” Amy stepped closer, and he turned to face her as his need shifted. “I want you, Colton. I have since you started on the team and I went to that first game.”
“I have never seen you at a game,” Colton told her, and she smiled and shrugged. “We all thought that you weren’t into it.”
“I am. I just get the cheaper seats and hide out. I am not into sitting with the girlfriends and puck bunnies in the front.” Amy told him with a look of disgust on her face that made him chuckle. “They’re all bitches.”
“I’ll give you that,” Colton told her as he let his shoulders roll back and took her in. “I just worked out, and I need a shower. Hence, this getup.” Colton gestured to the towel. “ Wait for me and we’ll sort this out.”
“I can do that,” Amy said as she turned to lock the door and watched him frown. “What?”
“People saw you come in here.” Colten awkwardly pointed out as she nibbled on her full lip. “Jesus, Amy.” Colton lost all willpower, and he pulled her towards him and cupped her face with one hand to kiss her hungrily. She slipped her arms around his neck and crushed his body to hers as her lips parted and they let their tongues dance together all too easily. He checked the lock and pulled her back towards the bathroom as she started to giggle.
“I think me leaving dripping would cause some commotion.” He noticed the soft drawl in her voice as she flushed. “Rinse off. I’ll be waiting.”
“Yeah.” Colton headed into the bathroom and cracked the door as he turned on the hot water. The fan system was shitty, and he liked to air the small basic bathroom out a bit. “Close it if the steam bugs you.”
“I doubt that it will with that view,” she called out as he heard his TV come on.
“What the fuck am I doing?” Colton asked himself as he dropped the towel and stepped into the water. It belted against his skin as he washed his hair and relaxed the muscles in his body, all while staring at himself, ready to go. He couldn’t be any harder. “Wrong place, wrong time.” He finished his shower and rinsed off completely before he grabbed a fresh towel and dried off. Colton only had some workout shorts in the bathroom, folded on the toilet, and he pulled them on. Amy was on the bed with her legs curled under her as she watched something on television and he opened the door slowly to take a look at her. He felt oddly comfortable apart from the fact that she had Trey as a boyfriend, and this was all wrong. Colton could still taste her, and he wanted more as he pushed the door open completely.
“All done?” She asked quietly, and he nodded. If they remained quiet, people out in the hall would only hear the television and he walked over to the bed. “Why do you have the paper in here?” Amy held it up, and he smiled at her.
“I was looking to read about the team and grabbed one the other night. You write for it?” Colton asked her as she nodded. “The music festival?”
“Did you read my article?” Amy asked in surprise, and he nodded as he climbed onto the bed.
“It was well-written. I’d heard that you were a writer.” Colton told her before he kissed her and slipped his hands beside her thighs. Her mouth was sweet with the taste of fruity gum, and her lips were soft as they molded against his. She opened her mouth as they deepened the kiss together and he moved his head to drive his tongue into her mouth. It was getting heated as his phone chimed on the night stand and they parted to take a few deep breaths. “Let me see if this is important.” He checked the screen to see an invite to join the guys at a bar and Colton smiled as he told James he was going to study before he tossed the phone to the floor. “They’re all going out.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips before he pulled away. “How come you’re never there with him?” Colton didn’t want to say Trey’s name since it made what he was doing all too real.
“I did at first. I was so eager to fit in then and be a part of his world, but I learned that I wasn’t like the other girls. I am here to study and get a degree, not party every night of the week. He feels like shit most of the time and you boys are lucky that you’re on the team and get to squeak by the way that you do.” Amy chided him as Colton shook his head. “Oh come on. I have heard all about you, and I saw you at the bar then. Girls all over you and it seems that nothing has changed.”
“I still study.” Colton stood up for himself as he kissed her again and they slowly moved so she was on her back and his body was pressing against hers as they moaned and breathed deeply together. Things started to move faster as he lifted her shirt and tossed it to the floor before she unhooked her pale pink bra to free herself as he stared down at her. “Gorgeous.” He kissed her swollen lips again and moved his mouth down to her neck to kiss down the softly scented skin as she whimpered softly. “I couldn’t stop staring at you in that shirt the night in your room,” Colton admitted in a whisper as he thumbed her nipples with his hands gently. He lowered his mouth to suck one between his lips as she arched her back and slid her legs between his. Amy wrapped one around his thigh and pulled him closer as he groaned into her mouth.
They stopped before they had sex but Colton was so ready to. He chose to slip his hand down her unbuttoned pants instead and finger her to a rough orgasm that rocked her whole body before he pulled out his fingers to taste her sweet honey. She was tight, and he could bury himself so far inside of her when he finally took her. “That was amazing.” Amy breathed as she relaxed against his pillows and took a deep breath.
“I agree,” Colton replied as something filled him that he had never felt. He glanced at the clock and her eyes followed.
“Oh, shit. It’s after one,” Amy said as she widened her eyes. “I have class at seven.”
“You should get some sleep then,” Colton softly murmured before he kissed her lightly. “Want me to walk you?”
“So sweet but probably a bad idea at this time of night.” Amy reluctantly told him as she stared into his eyes. They both got up clumsily and kissed for a few moments before she walked towards the door.
“I think we should keep this here,” Colton told her as she gave him a wide-eyed gaze before she reached it.
“There’s an us?”
“I know I am acting stupid, but I need more of you, Amy,” Colton told her as she lifted her lips to his for another kiss. He shoved a piece of paper into her hand that he’d scrawled his number on and told her to put it in his phone as a girlfriend. They could use that to figure out when they could get together she peeked out of the hole in the door to make sure the coast was clear before she hurried to her room.
Colton realized that his bed still smelled like her when he went to lay down again, and he closed his eyes. It was a good thing that he and Trey weren’t so close that his goalie was ever in this room. He had to know her scent well, and Colton took a deep breath as he felt sleep taking over.
In the morning, he rose early and went to get some coffee from the machine with a spring in his step. Colton shook his head as he headed back to his room to get ready for some late morning classes while he drank it. He hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep but what there had been was rich with dreams of Amy coming over and over in his mind as he just let the dream play in a loop in his mind. His phone was chiming when he came back, and he noticed a new number with a text message that told him good morning with a kiss. He saved Amy as Bree in his phone and erased the message before deleting it. He changed into some worn jeans and a bright green t-shirt with some Chucks to head over to his Comp class.
Colton was majoring in Communication just in case Hockey fell through but he felt pretty confident about that future. He couldn’t wait to talk to Amy more and learn about her major, her thoughts and her dreams. Colton stopped walking and glanced around to make sure that nobody was going to bump into him before he started moving again. Her thoughts and dreams? What the fuck was he thinking? Colton had never asked any girl about any of these things, and that included Jasmine. She was a repeat and they never really talked.
He drifted through his classes and grabbed a slice of pizza from the little place in the middle of campus and some soda since he was starting to feel tired. They had late practices almost every night of the week, so he needed some energy. Colton also knew that he should start eating a bit better. When he found a table in some shade, Colton noticed Amy sitting by herself at a table several feet away under a tree as she typed on a little computer. She looked focused as well as beautiful in a long flowing green skirt that would match her eyes with a dark brown t-shirt. Her hair hung in a thick braided over her shoulder, and he smiled as he watched her behind his sunglasses before someone tapped him on his shoulder. Colton turned around to see Kenna and Jasmine standing there smiling down at him as his heart sank. Amy was just across the way, but when he stole a glance at her, it looked like Trey had joined her. “Hey, ladies,” Colton said as he forced his gaze back to them and the scowl that was forming on his face away. “How are you?”
“Great,” Jasmine replied with a smile. They exchanged a long look and Colton raised an eyebrow as he watched them. “We were wondering if you wanted to come by tonight for some dinner and maybe drinks.”
“Coach is on us this week. I think we’ll be practicing every week just to keep up the wins,” Colton told them as Kenna frowned at him. “It’s hockey and studying for me for a while.”
“That’s too bad. We’ve had a good time together.”
“Sure. Maybe one of these weekends?” Colton asked as he glanced over to see Trey kissing Amy as he leaned across the table. Fuck. “I heard something is going on Saturday?”
“Phil is having something at his house,” Jasmine confirmed as Colton nodded and told them he might see them. They walked away talking softly, and he glanced over to see that Amy had left her spot. Was she with Trey? He finished his lunch and tossed most of it into the trash before he went to his next class and then straight to practice.
They worked hard into the night. All of the guys went home tired, and Colton was almost certain that Trey was going back to the apartment that he shared with friends judging from the look on his face. Colton rushed back to the dorm and checked his phone as he walked into his dorm to see a message waiting for him.
It was from Amy telling him to text her if he came home before eleven. Colton glanced at the phone to see that it was ten fifteen, and he sent one back asking her if she was free. It had bothered him seeing her with Trey at lunch, but he knew that was unreasonable. He needed to take what time he could get. He just needed her close to him. Colton was pleased when she said she’d come over for a little while, and he waited for her to get there before he hopped into the shower just like the first time. The sight of her in a blue dress on the bed after he cleaned up was too much to take, and he moved to eagerly kiss her as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
CHAPTER 5
The days and nights started to blend as both Colton and Amy survived on little sleep and barely made it through their long days. They fell asleep more frequently in his bed after heated make-out sessions that burned into more within just a few nights. He knew that every night was one longer than he should be doing this but he couldn’t stop now.
The night that he stripped her and buried his face between her legs to make her come a few times with his tongue and lips was when he stopped seeing other girls. Her taste was too intoxicating, and he didn’t want anybody else, which seemed to suit her because he sensed her discontent with his past. He didn’t know how much she saw Trey. He just knew that they hadn’t officially ended.
Colton felt a bit disgruntled when his friends and the girls didn’t seem to understand why he’d slowed down He had been a player for so long, and he couldn’t admit to sleeping with Amy, so he made up some story about a girl a few towns away. Colton told everyone that it might turn into something, and he was waiting to see before he jumped into anything else.
Trey seemed like he was just doing the usual with the parties and girls when they weren’t practicing or playing. The night that Amy and Colton couldn’t hold back was the same night he realized that he didn’t have any condoms in the room and rested naked against her as he took deep breaths. “Damn it. I don’t normally have any here, and I guess I forgot to get some.” He rested his forehead against hers as he let her heat wash over his body.
“How’s that? I’d think you would always have them ready.” Amy took a jab at him as he winced and pushed back away from her. Colton rested against the wall and ran his hands through his hair with a sigh.
“I don’t do anything in here. This is my space…my privacy. I need that somewhere.” Colton finally told her in a weary voice as he closed his eyes. He was so fucking tired but he wanted her so bad, and he felt the blood rush right to his hard cock.
“You’ve never had a girl here?” Amy asked him in surprise, and he shook his head. “Why me?”
“You’re different.” It slipped out before he could stop the words and Colton raised his head to look at her. “I always use them. Always. I’m clean.” Colton swallowed before speaking again. “Are you?”
“I am on the pill, but I make Trey…I make him wear something. He doesn’t know that I am.” That confirmed that she was still sleeping with him, and Colton felt a painful wave of jealousy rush through his body. He felt her move against him as he sighed and turned his face towards her for a long kiss. “I want you inside of me. I want you bare.” Amy whispered as she pulled him over her and wrapped her legs around him. She was more flexible than most thought, and he stared down at her with dark eyes.
Colton watched as he sank inside of her with a drawn out groan. She was so tight around him; wet and warm. Nothing had ever felt like this, and he pulled out only to drive himself back in again, and they started to move as the bed squeaked and she slid her nails down his back. “Need to slow down.”
“I need to be inside of you,” Colton told her as he pulled back and looked around the room. He dropped his messy comforter on the carpeted floor, and they moved down there where he proceeded to take her with deep thrusts at her whispered urging. It was quieter, and they rocked back and forth against each other before he recognized the look on her face.
“Colton…I’m so close…fuck me harder.” He covered her lips with his and kissed her as he thrust with a muted groan and felt himself explode at the same time that Amy did. That was a first with any girl, and Carlton pressed his face against hers as he breathed through it and memorized the feeling of their bodies so connected.
Amy kissed him softly as she relaxed against the blanket and pulled him close. “I hope that meant at least a little for you what it did for me. I have never felt anything like that before.”
“More than you know, baby. I haven’t had sex for a month…I waited for you.” Colton told her as he slid his hands over her sides slowly.
“A month?” Amy confirmed as he nodded and kissed her.
“I knew the night I tasted you that I didn’t want anyone else,” Colton admitted as she pulled him against her and started breathing harder.
“Colton…I didn’t know. I don’t know what to say.” Amy broke as she spoke and he heard the tears in her voice. “I care about you so much, but I have been with Trey for so long. I just can’t cut it off yet.”
“I know. I knew that going into this.” Colton assured her as he slipped out of her and kissed her neck. “It’s fine, Amy.”
They both fell into a fitful sleep back on the bed, not willing to part but also not talking about the odd place they were in at the moment. She left in the morning before anyone would be up as usual after he’d taken her on her knees on the floor hard enough to have to hold his hand over her mouth when she came.
Colton returned to his empty bed after she was gone and closed his eyes as he felt the night catch up to him. He was in hell and burning fast. The trouble was, he was enjoying the heat of the flame too much.
He woke up hours later and sat straight up in bed to see sunlight shining through the small window of his dorm. “Damn it. Shit.” Colton cursed as he ran ah and through his hair and looked at his clock. He was going to miss every class that day if he didn’t get up but Colton wasn’t feeling it. He just stayed in his room and showered for practice later that afternoon.
All of the guys seemed as out of it as he felt as Colton looked around the locker room and he was grateful for the Saturday off before the game. Clearly, there was a lot more wearing Colton out, but these intense practices weren’t helping matters. He took the ice with the other guys as he bitterly reflected that this is life was like in a relationship when you played a sport like he did, apart from the fact that nobody else knew about it.
The guys worked together and managed to finish at nine o clock. They each headed back to their rooms instead of grabbing dinner together, and Colton noticed Trey on his phone on the sidewalk with a frown on his face as he walked towards a sandwich shop while stifling a yawn. “She’s acting weird, man. I don’t know what’s up her ass.” Trey said to one of his friends as he sent another text.
“Perhaps it’s the fact that you’ve been dipping it all over the school,” Lance teased him as he rolled his eyes.
Colton let the frustration boil in his veins as he ordered a pastrami sandwich and asked for it to go. He went back to his room and locked the door as he munched and watched television. There had been no text from Amy and Colton just decided to let it go tonight.
He found himself back in his bed with her the following night before she claimed she had to meet a friend for coffee in a little while. When asked about her plans, Amy stared at Colton with weary eyes. “I am still attending school, Colton. I need to talk about some class stuff. Jesus, I don’t bitch about you guys having practice every damn night.”
He sensed that they both tried to fight their attraction but ended up together in his room several times a week over the next month. The team won every game, and Coach was thrilled along with the school. Colton knew that scouts were coming in a few months from the NHL to see who they might want for their teams, and he felt a nervous energy that almost compared to the feeling he got when he was with Amy, only hockey had a more concrete future.
After a couple of months, Trey announced to his friends that Amy had broken it off with him over dinner one night after a game. Colton almost jumped out of his seat to go to her as he wiggled in place and took a bite of the sandwich on the plate in front of him. It was vague, and she had told him something about his future being so overwhelming and uncertain. Colton had a hard time staying at the table, but he left as soon as he could and headed back to the dorms. He sent her a text, but she just replied that she was tired and just wanted to sleep.
When he saw her the following day on campus, she did look fatigued, and her face was so serious. He tried to get her attention, but she only looked at him quickly before she dropped her eyes to the path in front of her. Colton miserably focused as Trey tried to stop her and she just turned to look at him with her back to Colton. All of the good moments behind closed doors blended into one as he watched the girl that he wanted, the only girl. Colton still hadn’t seen any of the others, and while uncomfortable, they seemed to move on with other guys on campus.