Mackenzie
“And welcome back to game four of the mighty Galveston Fury versus the Minnesota Menace. And what a game it’s going to be.”
“You know, the Fury really need to win this if they want in on those playoffs.”
“And the key to winning is . . ?”
“Not losing, Jim.”
—Jim Keeper & Bob Murdoch, profound sportscasters for CBO Television
Over the next six weeks, the Galveston Fury moved through the leader board, slowly making their way toward the top.
To say Jake was in form was an understatement. He was like a tornado on the ice. Focused and determined. The media was quick to jump on his story and within two games he was being hailed as The Comeback Kid.
But for all the excitement surrounding his return to the ice, Jake’s focus remained on his team and the ultimate goal: the Stanley Cup. If they won the next two games, it would put them in contention for a wild card placement into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Seasoned and more than experienced, he saw the weakness in each player and set about helping them overcome what was holding them back on the ice.
With Loki the Destroyer, it was his anger issues and lack of restraint that led to his aggressive behavior on the ice. So Jake spent some time with him off the ice, taking him to Tai Chi and yoga classes to help the volatile goalie cope with his rage and violent tendencies.
Loki had also suffered a terrible groin injury several months earlier and even though it had healed, psychologically he was being held back by fear. He’d once been known for his quick splits and quick puck blocking moves, but now Loki was more likely to freeze when a puck came flying at his crease. Until Jake took him to Pilates classes.
The change was almost immediate.
Because Jake spent a lot of time with Loki, I got to know him as well, and we formed a strange, unique friendship. He felt like a younger brother—the strange, weird brother you lock in the basement—but a brother, nonetheless.
Loki collected goalie helmets and spent a fortune on them. Every game saw a different helmet with a new character painted onto the carbon fiber shell—from Sylvester the Cat and Kermit the Frog, to the more terrifying yeti, skull, and Lucifer masks.
Casanova’s fall down was more off the ice. Puck-bunny addiction. It was a lot harder to treat and almost beyond Jake’s capabilities.
So he got Casanova right where his heart should be. His pride. He had a friend put together some of the best footage of past Stanley Cup wins and after getting Casanova drunk on his favorite scotch, he made him watch it, frame by ostentatious frame. Jake had managed to get Casanova so excited about the possibility of winning the Cup, the legendary lothario had signed an agreement to not dabble in any puck-bunny activity until after the playoffs.
Cowboy was impressed.
Hell, I was impressed. Casanova’s exploits were legendary. Even to a rookie like me.
With Hank the Tank, it was his lack of speed on the ice. Oh, he had the size and braun but it slowed him down when it counted. So, Jake got up early and helped Hank improve his speed with predawn time trials and sprints every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Next up was Jupiter. Sweet Jupiter. The British charmer was lovely. Whenever I was around the team, he always paid special attention to me. He had no idea that Jake and I were anything more than agent and player, because Jake and I had decided to keep our personal involvement a secret for the time being. So, he was flirtatious and charming, and made no secret that he was interested in me. Jake did, however, get him to give up his penchant for fine scotch during the conference campaign.
One day when I was watching a scrimmage on the ice, and Jake had already gone to the locker room to change, Jupiter decided to make a move and asked me out on a date.
I had to think quick.
“I don’t mix business and pleasure,” I said, trying to sound direct but at the same time trying to let him down gently.
“That’s good, because the way I see it, Jake is your business and I am more than willing to be your pleasure.” His smile was disarming. Playful. Lethal. “How about dinner?”
“Thanks for the offer, but—”
I was about to tell Jupiter that I had a boyfriend but Loki interrupted us, calling out to me across the ice. “Kenzie! Look!” He held up his newest helmet. “It’s a real Loki mask!”
He put the intimidating green mask on and started to do a little dance across the ice. I broke into laughter.
Jupiter winked at me and started to skate off. “Just so you know, I’m going to keep asking until you say yes.”
He was gone before I could reply.
Later when I told Jake, instead of laughing it off like I thought he would, his eyebrows drew in and he looked serious—almost sulky—as he listened to me. We were in the massive two-story home he was renting in Galveston. It was huge, with high ceilings, tall walk-through windows, and a wide wrap-around veranda.
Jake was lying on his bed, propped up against his pillows, wearing nothing but a pair of black sweats that sat low on his hips.
“You’re frowning,” I said, after telling him about Jupiter.
“My teammate is hitting on my girlfriend,” he replied, his eyes dark as he watched me walk toward him. “I know I’ve never had a girlfriend before, but I’m pretty sure me wanting to rip Jupiter’s face off right now is about normal.”
I couldn’t help but grin. I’d never seen the jealous side of Jake before and it was kind of a turn on.
I climbed on the bed but stayed at the edge.
“You know, you don’t have anything to feel jealous about,” I reassured him. “Jupiter hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“He wants to fuck my girlfriend,” Jake said frankly.
I crawled across the bed and slid my legs on either side of his abs to straddle him.
“Well, at least he wants to take me to dinner first,” I joked, but Jake barely cracked a smile and I was a little taken back by how deep his jealousy went.
He flinched as my fingers found the warm planes of his abs.
“He called me beautiful,” I teased, heat instantly pooling in the places I wanted Jake to satisfy when I shifted against the growing thickness in his sweatpants. When I splayed my fingers across his chest I felt his heartbeat speed up.
“That is because you are,” he replied, fixing me with his dark eyes. “I don’t think there is one guy on the team who hasn’t imagined you naked.”
I leaned down and brushed my lips against his. “Well, aren’t you the lucky one then because you get to see me naked whenever you want to.”
I pulled away to look at him and his hands slid up my hips to hold me in place.
“Whenever I want to?”
I cocked an eyebrow at him. “Whenever. You. Want. To.”
Slowly, I began to undo the buttons of my shirt, my eyes remaining firmly focused on my boyfriend who was now fully hard beneath me.
When I peeled off my shirt and dropped it to the floor, I saw lust flash in his eyes. I shifted against him and pleasure rippled across his face. Again, his lips parted and a small puff of air left his mouth.
“I want you to give me what only you can give me,” I breathed.
I pushed the band of his sweatpants down and took him in my hands, and he shivered beneath my touch, a small moan escaping his parted lips as my fingers curled around him. He was so big and thick and my body throbbed with the need to have him inside of me.
Rising up on my knees I adjusted my thong to one side, and then slowly—very slowly—sank down onto his thickness, drawing him in and swallowing him wholly.
Jake’s head fell and his eyes rolled back.
“Oh, baby . . .” he moaned, his jealousy seemingly forgotten.
I closed my eyes as I settled around him and a million tiny pulses of bliss fluttered through me. He filled me completely, his hardness and his size fitting me perfectly in every way, and I needed a moment because it felt so good.
Then very slowly, I began to rock against him and the pleasure was immediate. In this position, every sensitive nerve was caught up in a tidal wave of friction. No matter how I moved, no matter what direction, no matter how deep or shallow my hips moved, the sensation was cranked up to an intensity I had never experienced before.
My head fell back and his name fell from my lips as I moved against him. Oh, God.
I straightened to meet his dark gaze, and a billion stars of euphoria exploded in me as I took in his expression of uncertainty . . . of vulnerability.
“Tell me you’re mine,” he breathed deeply. “Just mine . . .”
I didn’t say anything, instead, I let my body do the talking. I clenched around him tighter, gripping him, showing him how in this moment I was his and only his.
And then I watched as he closed his eyes and his fingers pressed into my hips and his body responded to what I was doing to him. His brows drew together. He pushed his head back into his pillows and his mouth parted with a long and drawn-out moan. Running his powerful hands up my back, he pulled me down to him and shuddered, moaning my name into my shoulder as he pulsed inside of me.
Pleasure tore through me like an atomic bomb. Watching him come, hearing him breathe my name as he was consumed by ecstasy was too much and I was rocked by a climax so powerful I cried out, dragging my nails down his chest as I came.
When I pulled back to look at him, I was stalled by the look of vulnerability still on his face. I stared into his eyes and I could see the emotion there, unveiled and running deep.
I pressed my mouth to his. “I’m yours,” I whispered against his lips. “Yours and only yours.”
Jake’s voice was hoarse. “I hope so, Z. Because every part of me belongs to you.”
* * *