KENNEDY

Over the past few weeks, Tyler and I have grown closer, our relationship turning into something that feels real, or at least to me it does. But the sex…my God the sex is out of this world. Tyler takes me to places I have never been with another man. He does things to my body and my heart that I cannot even describe.

For a change, we had sex in my bedroom and on an actual bed. Most of our sexy times have been impromptu make out sessions that led to fucking on my couch, locker room showers, and even a few public places. I’m not proud of the bathroom at Luciano’s, but hey, when an orgasm calls, you need to answer it.

Tyler holds me tight against his chest, his sweat matting my hair. He’s still trying to catch his breath after fucking me into another dimension.

“That was…” He stops for a second to gather his thoughts and kisses my hair.

“Amazing,” I finish for him with a smile, staring up at him.

He returns my smile, his lips brushing against my forehead, cheek, and neck as he kisses me. “Better than amazing. I’m at a loss for words with you, Ken.”

“I could say the same about you.” Toying with the idea, I decide to make a slight confession. “You know, you are my favorite hockey player.”

“Yeah?” It’s a question, and for some reason, he looks surprised as if liking him on both a personal and professional level is so surreal. “Is that why you knew so much about me the first day we met? I had a few stalkers before. I can’t say I’ve ever liked one as much as you.” He chuckles to himself, and I hit him on the leg, slapping my hand down hard.

“I’m not a stalker, you idiot,” I say, sitting up. Folding one leg over the other, I lock eyes with him and shake my head in disapproval. “It is my job to know things about professional athletes, which means it’s also my job to know information about the captain of our local hockey team. Don’t flatter yourself, Tyler.”

He gives me a cocky but sexy-as-fuck smirk, the kind that goes right to my core and makes me want him to fuck me again. I can never get enough of Tyler. He’s sexy and fun, passionate and caring, the mental attraction more present than the physical. We connected on a different level the day he first spoke of his son and ex girlfriend. It was hard for him to open up to me, and I respected him so much more for being so real and honest, despite already knowing the truth.

“You need another story to write about me. Is that it?” He’s joking, but in all honesty, I do need another story to push my paper to the point where I can afford to pay the monthly overhead.

“No, I’m sure I’ll find something newsworthy to report. There has to be a scandalous baseball player out there with secrets of his own.”

“I don’t know how you do it, babe,” he mutters, taking my hand in his. “Do you need anything from me?”

Confused, I narrow my eyes at him. “Like what? I don’t see how you can help me with my paper.”

He shrugs, nonchalant, and leans back on his elbows, still naked and looking like perfection. “If you need money or connections, you know I have plenty of both.”

“You’re sweet, Tyler. Thanks for the offer, but I have to do this myself if that makes sense.”

He dips his head lower. “Perfect sense.”

While I could use some cash to stay afloat, I’d resort to selling off my Chanel collection before I borrowed a single cent. I have too much pride to ask my boyfriend for money. And my father would keel over if a Lockwood accepted a handout.

Even when his company was in the process of crumbling, he refused to borrow funds from colleagues and investors who could have helped him buy back his majority stake in Sentry Publications. Looking back on his decision, it was a stupid one, a mistake I bet he will always regret. I have a few months of rent payments stashed away for a raining day, my security blanket that I am hoping I will not have to touch.

“You know if you need anything all you have to do is ask.” Tyler pushes himself up from the mattress to wrap his arms around my stomach, leaning back against a stack of pillows as he cradles my head against his chest. “I could lay here just like this all day with you.” His voice is soft and sensual. “How do you feel about children?”

His words take me by surprise, but I’m too afraid to glance up at him, so I keep my eyes pointed toward the ceiling. “What do you mean? Are you asking if I want to have kids?”

“No…yes…I guess what I’m trying to ask is if you’re okay with having Blake in your life. He’s part of my life, and you’re becoming a big part of it as well, so I want to…no, I need to make sure you are okay with children.”

“Yes, of course, I am okay with Blake. I want children. Just because I don’t have any yet doesn’t mean anything, you know.”

“Good.” He runs his hands down my sides, the heat from his touch spreading like wildfire throughout my body. All I can think about is having him inside me again, the physical torture of this simple gesture causing my legs to tremble. That is, until he speaks again, his words taking me by surprise. “I was hoping you would come with me this weekend to see him.”

“To see Blake?” I have no idea what else to say because we have only been together for about six weeks and he wants me to meet his son.

This situation between his ex girlfriend and his parents is rather strange, and while I don’t understand it or what caused the ripple effect in his relationship with them, because I did not want to pry, I am somewhat curious. For a few seconds, I have a mental freak out when I realize meeting Blake also means meeting his parents, and I know how big of a step this is for Tyler.

“Yes, I want you to meet him, but if this whole situation bothers you, I understand.” His change in tone confuses me even more as if he’s afraid I am not on the same level as he is in our relationship. Whether he knows it, he already has me.

“It’s not something I expect everyone to get, which is why I don’t tell anyone about Blake.”

“I care for you, Tyler.” I smile against his skin, and he brushes the hair off my face to lean down and kisses my cheek. “And I would love to meet Blake and your parents.”

“Payton will be there. Is that an issue for you?”

I shake my head. “No, I can handle your ex girlfriend, and it’s not like she still has a crush on you. She’s moved on with a family of her own.”

“You’re the first girl to meet my parents other than Payton, and we both know how that turned out.” I can tell he’s excited but nervous.

I would be kidding myself if I didn’t admit that I am thrilled about him taking our relationship to the next level. But I am also scared. What if his parents don’t like me? What if his son doesn’t like me? Their opinions matter most to him, despite having a distant and closed off relationship with his parents and his son not even knowing he’s his flesh and blood. I feel for him, wish I could do something, anything to take away his pain.

I see the sadness behind his eyes, hear the anguish in his voice. He deserves a chance at a normal life. Maybe I can give that to him.

“Blake is important to me.” He grins as she speaks about his son though I can hear the tension in his voice as he continues. “Even though he calls Steve Dad he will always be my son. You already know that if I could go back in time and undo what I did, I would have Blake with me right now. But there are no do overs in life, and the decisions I have made are final. There’s no stoppage of play, no face-off to start over fresh. If you’re going to be part of my life, you need to be okay with the fact I have an extended family. They may not be my family in the conventional sense, but it’s the one I have.”

“Tyler, I can’t wait to meet them.” I smile so wide my jaw hurts. “It means a lot to me that you want to share this with me. I know how important your visits with Blake are to you.”

“You’re important to me, Ken.” He brushes a sweat-matted strand of hair from my face, staring at me as if he’s looking into my soul, his gaze piercing and intense. “I want to do this with you. You’re part of my line now, and I need us to be on the same page when it comes to this unconventional team.”

“I’m digging the sports references,” I say, with a chuckle, “but I am the captain of our team.”

“Nah, babe, that’s my job.”

I pull down his bottom lip with my finger. “That’s your job on the ice, but when you’re in my bedroom, I’m the captain.”

I’m still unsure about meeting his family so soon. We’ve only been together long enough for his regular season to end and the Stanley Cup playoffs to be in full swing. The NHL season hasn’t even ended yet, and we are already far more serious than I had ever imagined. I just hope Tyler is not replacing hockey with me and that I’ll be gone in the fall.

What had started as an experiment led to lust filled sessions of pure pleasure between us. But as time passes, I have no doubt that Tyler and I are right together, and taking the plunge into this uncharted territory is necessary if I want to understand him more, learn everything there is to know about the man I am crushing hard on.

“You can be whatever you want in the bedroom,” Tyler says against my lips.

He covers my mouth, kissing away any reservations I may have about the seriousness of the situation, forcing me to forget long enough to allow myself to get wrapped up in his rock hard abs and massive cock as he shoves my legs open and pushes inside me.

* * *

Every Thursday for the last ten years, I have had lunch with Sydney. Whether it was in the cafeteria at our high school or college or the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts, we never missed a date—not until I met Tyler. The longest amount of time Sydney and I have ever spent apart is two weeks, which is how long it has been since we have seen each other in person.

I still can’t believe how fast my relationship with Tyler has progressed in such a short period of time. We fit together, made for each other, and when Tyler lets his guard down with me, opens up about his past, I see a different side of him that I adore.

Sydney walks into Broad Street Beans, looking radiant and beautiful, as always. She exudes confidence in every step, her head held high, and her chest pushed out and on display for everyone to see. Her presence commands attention, and she gets plenty of it from the men who are scattered throughout the café, stopping to take notice. Brushing her long, black hair over her shoulder, her face lights up as she spots me in the back of the store at our usual table next to the window.

She raises her hand in the air, the pageant queen wave she gives me when she’s excited, and I give her one back, my smile matching hers. Her heels click along the tile floor as she crosses the room, shuffling past the crowd of coeds with such poise and grace that even I am impressed by the effect she has one everyone in the store.

When we were in high school, I always felt as though I was Sydney’s shadow. I was a lot taller than the girls in our grade until I grew into my body, awkward not even the word to describe me, and to top it all off, I had to wear braces until our junior year. Meanwhile, I had become best friends with the beauty of our high school.

“There’s my favorite bitch,” Sydney says, laughing to herself and getting a kick out of watching me squirm as people stare at me.

I hate unwanted attention after all the years of the opposite sex gawking at Sydney. It’s as if our entire life is always on display, and even more so after she had become a romance author.

My boyfriend the professional athlete and my best friend the famous smut writer, but where do I fit into the equation?

Sometimes, I wonder these things while I’m lying in bed at night except now Tyler is next to me. He monopolizes most of my free time now that his season is over. We spend so much time together that some days I wish he had somewhere to be because he’s a huge distraction when I am home and trying to write.

Sydney hooks the strap of her purse over the back of her chair and sits across from me, crossing her legs in a short skirt that reveals far too much skin.

“I was starting to wonder if Tyler was keeping you locked up in his dungeon. I thought about sending out an S.O.S. to our puck bunnies.”

I roll my eyes and snicker. “You could have stopped by my apartment if you were that worried. I was home most of the times you had called.”

“Yeah, but your man candy was there with you, and it’s been a long time since you’ve gotten some ass. I figured I’d be cunt blocking if I made a house call.”

“Sorry I haven’t been around much. I know I’ve been kinda sketchy and left you to deal with most of the blog stuff, but like you said, I needed to get some ass and Tyler has kept me more than busy.”

I smile at the thought of all the naughty things I did with Tyler. This morning I woke up with his face between my legs, and it was hands-down the best wake up call I have ever had. Who needs an alarm clock when you have Tyler Kane licking your clit until you open your eyes and scream his goddamn name?

“That’s all the monster cock you’ve been getting.” She leans on the table, her smile reaching up to her eyes. “Didn’t I tell you that you’d be hooked once you got it?”

“For years, I have had to live vicariously through you, so yeah, it’s nice to see what all the fuss is about.”

“You like big dicks, and you cannot lie.” Somehow—and I have no idea how—she says that with a straight face.

I laugh, not above giggling like a child.

“It’s okay, babe. Once you get the monster cock, you will never want to go back. It’s like the Holy Grail of all cocks. Every one after him will seem small in comparison. You’re forever ruined.”

“It’s not just about the sex, you know.”

She leans back in her chair, folding her arms over her chest and smirks. “Right. You mean to tell me Tyler Kane is Mr. Deep and Meaningful? I doubt that.”

“You don’t know him.” I feel so defensive of Tyler after knowing him on a more intimate level than sex. “He’s not what I had expected.”

“What about the day I found you crying in your car in front of my apartment? How do you explain that? That was less than two months ago. You were so hurt by him that you shocked the shit out of me when you decided to give him another chance.”

I haven’t even told Sydney what I had found out about Tyler and his family. I didn’t think it was my place to spill the beans on his secret life.

“You don’t know him the way I do, Syd.” My words are like venom, toxic and harmful as I shout at my friend in the middle of a crowded coffee shop.

Lowering my voice, I shield the side of my face with my hand to pretend no one is looking at us when in fact, they are staring us down like a hawk eyeing up its prey. “Can you stop acting like my mother and just be my friend? I like Tyler a lot. Things are getting serious with us, and I would like for you to be on board with that.”

She purses her lips, her expression stoic and doll-like. No one does a resting bitch face quite like Sydney. “I am happy for you. I want you to know that. I love you, but things didn’t start off so great with him so you can see why I am a little worried for you. I just want to protect you from getting hurt, and a guy like Tyler will hurt you. You’re not his usual type. I’m just afraid he will get tired of you and kick you to the curb, and then you’ll be on my doorstep, balling your eyes out, and I’ll have to drive to Jersey to kick his ass.”

“Why?” I clench my jaw so hard my teeth hurt. “Why can’t a guy like Tyler be into me? Because I’m not as beautiful or rich as you?”

Shocked by my childish outburst that I instantly regret, I hold out my hand, hoping Sydney will take it and accept my peace offering. “I didn’t mean that. I am so sorry. I have no idea what came over me.”

She places her hand in mine, a disappointed expression on her face. “I know you didn’t mean it, but please don’t say things like that ever again. You’re just as pretty as me and way smarter. You have tons of qualities that a guy would want in a woman. I’m just scared that Tyler is keeping the bench warm with you until his next season starts.”

The idea has run through my head on quite a few occasions, but I try not to dwell on it too long when it surfaces. As much as I keep telling myself that Tyler is different, he has his own set of personal and emotional problems and far more baggage than any man I have dated. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could decide tomorrow he doesn’t want me to meet Blake or his family and jump ship. But I try to keep an open mind about Tyler and his unusual set of circumstances because I know that even when he has his moments where he lashes out, that he means well and wants to do right by everyone.

“There’s no way to know if this will work if I don’t see it through. Right? Tyler is not a bad guy. I promise. We should all get together so you two can meet.”

“I’d like that.” She uncrosses her legs and stands. “I need a few more shots of espresso after this conversation. Do you want anything?”

I shake my head. “No. I’m good. I’ll set something up with Tyler so the two of you can meet once and for all.”

“Why don’t you make it a group date? Does he have any hockey hotties he can fix me up with? I would’t mind being a puck bunny for the night.” She says the last part with a wink.

“He has a whole team of them. I’m sure he can rustle up someone that would meet your standards.”

She tilts her head up and to the side as if thinking about her response before she locks onto me with her smoldering gaze. “What about the goalie? My God, he’s hot. What’s his name? The one with the scruffy hair and beard.”

“Carter Donovan?” I’m not at all surprised that she would like Donovan. After all, he’s six foot six, ripped with muscle and covered in tats, and one of the best goaltenders in the league. He’s the kind of guy Sydney would like.

“Yeah, that’s the guy. Get me an intro. He’s hot as puck, and I’d like to check out his stick. I bet that beard feels amazing.”

I hold back my laughter. Sydney is so open and crazy sometimes. “I’ll see what I can do. I can’t make any promises, but once he sees a picture of you, I doubt he will be able to resist the invitation.”

She blows me a kiss. “I’ll be back. Text lover boy.”

“On second thought,” I say as she turns around, about to walk away, “get me a slice of the brownie cheesecake they make here. I haven’t eaten all day, and I’m starving.”

She peeks over her shoulder and smiles at me. “You got it, babe.” Then, she disappears into the throng, leaving me with a new chore to add to my list.