Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Cam

"Finish it? " she asks, head dropping back, eyes half-mast.

"Hmm?" I rip her sodden tank over her head, send it flying across the room.

The rug beneath my feet is soaked, and I shift her so I can direct the stream of water into the sink—well, on her clit and then into the sink.

"I'll finish—" I slip a finger into that tight cunt, and she gasps before she finishes, "Th-the war?"

Ah.

"No, cupcake," I say gruffly, stripping her pants off her ankles and tossing them in the direction of her tank. "You'll finish on my fingers"—I slip another inside, already feeling the walls of her pussy clenching around me—"and then on my tongue"—I suckle at her breasts, revel in her moans—"and then on my cock."

A sharp inhale, that cunt convulsing as her orgasm rolls through her.

I fuck her with my fingers, in and out, in and out, prolonging her pleasure with the stream of water, waiting until she's limp and sated before I turn off the faucet, drop the nozzle in the sink and then lift her from the counter.

Onto the wet rug, the soaked material making her eyes flash wide.

I take advantage of that and shove her thighs wide, dropping to my knees and diving for her pussy.

Sweet and tart, slick pleasure on my tongue and tight fingers in my hair. Her hips buck and she grinds against me, seeking out what I'm determined to give her. She's beautiful in her need, determined in her movements, gorgeous as she climbs that peak.

Up. Up. Up. Over ?—

"Cam!" she cries.

A gush of liquid on my tongue, her fingers tightening in my hair, a moan that's so loud, I'd worry it might wake the neighbors if I gave a fuck.

I don't.

Because I'm reaching for my wallet, for a condom.

Rolling it down, barely able to take a breath and make sure she's with me before I thrust home and rut into her like an animal.

"Now," she orders, gripping my hips, her nails biting into my ass.

I notch my cock at her entrance and thrust to the hilt, loving the clamp of her pussy, how she wraps her legs around me as I fuck her hard and fast.

It's hard to gain purchase with so much water on the floor, but I'm determined, and so is she…

And it wouldn't matter if the world was collapsing around us?—

I'm making her come again.

Because my own orgasm is right there.

Because I'm not falling without her.

Because I need to feel her clamping around my cock.

Because—

"Cam!" she cries.

I feel it then—the beginnings of her coming apart—and I let go, fucking her hard and fast and across the slick floor, both of us racing for completion, knowing that it's right there.

And then it explodes around me, her slick cunt gripping my cock, sparks shooting behind my eyes, pleasure a wave of flames through my body, incinerating me, leaving me a pile of ashes.

Until she picks them up and transforms me into something else.

Something better.

Something more .

"I love you," I whisper.

Her body goes still and hope ricochets through my insides.

"Cam," she murmurs, wrapping her arms around me, holding me tight. "You're so precious to me."

Disappointment wars with hope—not the words I wanted, but she's also keeping me close.

Not at a distance.

Not behind ice.

Warm arms around me and a soft body beneath me.

That's enough.

For now, it's more than enough.

Especially when I hear the pitter-patter of little feet and?—

"Meow!"

Apparently, Cookie is done being locked up in the bathroom.

The next day, after running far too many loads of towels through the wash, I head to the weight room at the practice facility.

I could go to the gym, but Hudson's working out here this morning and it's always nice to have someone to make sure you don't drop the barbell on your head.

Plus, talking makes the awfulness of the squats my trainer's assigned pass all that much faster.

Huddy's inside, headphones around his neck, big body threatening to split the tight tee he's sporting. He nods once, his usual taciturn acknowledgement, but at least he gives me a commiserating look when we glance over our respective exercise plans.

Shared pain is productive pain.

But the couple of groans and scowls are the only delay we allow ourselves before getting down to business.

"What's this I hear about a girl and a sex cave?" he asks long minutes later, using his quota of words for the day to be nosy as he swipes a towel over his face, his breath coming in rapid gusts.

I groan inwardly.

Gossiping old crones.

Rome and King and now Huddy.

"No sex cave."

"But yes to a girl?"

I sigh, but then I accept the inevitable. Hiding will only make the gossip worse and he's been around King, Rome, and me enough to have heard enough. Might as well get it out there and get it over with. "Not a girl," I say. "A sexy, smart woman?—"

"You're not talking for you , right?" Pat sneers as he strolls into the room.

I roll my eyes, but it's Huddy who steps to my side and glares at Pat.

"What?" Pat asks. "You got a problem, big boy?"

Huddy just narrows his eyes…and picks up an obscenely large dumbbell, starts curling it.

I can't be the only one who's imagining that's Pat's dismembered head, right?

His ego is big enough that it would be a workout and a half just to heft it.

Rolling my eyes, I ignore Pat and hurry through the last couple of exercises. I'm having a great day. I'm not going to let this asshole ruin it.

But when I hitch my chin in Huddy's direction, silently telling him I'll catch up with him later, and then head for the showers, I realize that a different asshole's going to ruin it instead.

Coach is standing in the hall.

Scowling at me.

"Jackson," he snaps. "My office."

I hesitate for a moment. It's the fucking off-season. I don't owe this man my time. I don't have to listen to his bullshit.

I feel that so strongly, I almost turn to go.

But then he snaps out my name again and my feet start moving and I…

Walk into his office.

And spend thirty minutes listening to a soliloquy on how terrible I am.

At everything from hockey to life.

When he finally dismisses me, the words are buzzing around my brain and my emotions are shoved deep, deep down, and I just want to shower and go home.

Want to see Athena and Cookie and forget that while I've fixed one part of my life, the other huge piece is in disarray.

"Shut the door!" Coach snaps.

I pull the metal panel closed, start walking, but almost immediately skid to a stop when I see Jean-Michel is propping up the opposite wall. His frown has my stomach knotting, even though his tone is completely neutral. "You good?" he asks after a long moment.

I slap a smile on my face, start walking. "I'm great," I lie as I move past him.

"Cam."

" Really great," I tell him. "I'm on my way to meet up with Athena and the kitten you conned her into adopting."

None of that is strictly a lie.

But it's not strictly the truth either.

Still, it has him pausing in the hall for a long moment before he nods at me. "Then I won't keep you, but I'll talk to you later, yeah?"

"Of course," I lie before I'm hustling down the corridor, pushing out into the sunshine that's dappling the pavement of the parking lot, hurrying to my car, and getting the fuck out of there.

Which means I never do get my shower.

But I never do get everything, do I?