25. Tyler

Hunter Graves on his knees was a beautiful sight. Fuck, the man was sexy as sin. My heart skipped a beat seeing his eyes sparkle again, but I didn't want to read too much into it. He hadn't fooled me with that fake ass bravado, he was too happy. He wasn't my grumpy Mr. Boston, the man who shot me glares that could kill and pushed me to my limits more than anyone ever had. My Boston.

I wasn't going to read into that either.

It was our last away game before the winter holidays, and I was itching for a break—to see my family. Just like Hunter, I needed to forget. I needed just a little bit of space from all the worries that had built up in my head. Hunter Graves was doing an amazing job at helping me forget. His initial hunger to have me bare-chested and at his mercy slowed as he worshiped every inch of skin on my lower abdomen, his lips and tongue alternating as they traced the planes of my body. He worked lower, nipping along the V that guided him to the part of me that ached to be touched.

"Fuck, Hunt…. Hurry up and suck me already."

I felt him smile against my skin. He worked his hands over me slowly, the torturous drag of his skin against mine leaving embers in its wake—making me impossibly hard.

"You're going to make me come before we even get to the fucking."

He hummed in response. "I know you have a great recovery time, Aus. There's nothing hotter than watching you get hard while I'm inside you."

My breath hitched in my throat. It was enough of an answer for him to continue. He moved his hands around to my knees, pushing up toward my groin and eliciting an obscene noise from my lips. "Hunter."

My Jens were pulled to my ankles and he mouthed along the outside of my cock, dampening my underwear with his saliva. He gripped the waistband in his teeth, pulling the fabric down in one swift move. His warm breath fanned against my rigid length. I watched, entranced, as his gaze was locked on me and only me. My underwear hit the floor and his hand cupped my balls, rolling and massaging them to the beat of "Forever"by Labrinth.

"Hunter…" I groaned the last half of his name as his tongue finally landed where I wanted it. I speared my fingers through his hair, latching onto a thick fistful. My hips jerked into his mouth, a silent plea for him to keep going.

I lost myself in his golden eyes as he looked at me through thick lashes. His mouth worshiped my cock, his tongue tracing the line of the thick vein that ran on the underside. He worked his way to and from the head, dipping his tongue into the slit and playing with the foreskin. It was sloppy, it was dirty—and I was drowning in it. He pressed two fingers to my lips and I eagerly sucked them in, mimicking his pace on my dick. He moaned around me, vibrating my skin. My balls drew higher.

"Not yet, baby." The hand that wasn't in my mouth tightened around the base of my cock, staving off my orgasm. "Not when I have so much more to give you."

I bit his fingers in protest, his low chuckle did nothing to my impending explosion. Hunter pulled his fingers out and dropped my erection, moving both hands to my ass.

"Fuck, this ass torments me to no end." Hunter stood, both hands gripping my ass in a claiming hold. He ducked his head down, claiming my mouth in a hot, heavy kiss. Teeth clashed and tongues collided before he parted with a slow slide of his tongue. I whimpered, fucking whimpered at his mercy. Before I could take back what I wanted, he spun me around, using my jeans around my ankles to his advantage. I was bent over the bed, completely exposed to him. Somehow, having my pants at my ankles only added to my arousal. Being at his disposal sent a thrill up my spine. He flattened a palm between my shoulders, pressing me into the mattress. His teeth grazed my neck, his tongue priming his favorite spot before he bit down. Then his fingers, slick from my own saliva, began to tease along my taint.

"Oh, god."

"Mm, I have been wanting to take this ass." His hips lurched forward; his arousal evident against my ass. The mixture of his hard length between my cheeks and his soft breath on my neck had me wanting to beg, plead, cry for more. I needed this just as much as he did.

"Please," I begged. "Just one more time."

"I will make sure it's something you remember baby," he purred.

And oh, did he ever.

Hunter worked his way down my back, kissing each knot in my spine until he sank to his knees behind me. He mouthed down my crack, warmth filling me as his tongue met my eager hole, working me over in unison with his fingers. He hummed as I spit out an incoherent string of profanities. He was loving this as much as I was. Damn… he was loving me.

"Hunt I'm about to—fuck!-" I couldn't take it anymore. Hunter stood; I heard packets ripping. The pause in time as he covered his cock in a condom and lube was torturous, enough for me to thank him when he slammed home. That one hard thrust sending me crashing over the edge without a parachute. He gripped my hips hard, bruising them; claiming them as I strangled his cock.

"Gods, Ty, baby…"

He slowed his pace, gently milking every bit of my orgasm out of me. But as he promised, the constant hit of his thick dick against my prostate had me thickening again almost immediately. I whined when he pulled out, "No, come back! I'm still hard."

Hunter chuckled, kissing my shoulder and guiding me to turn over. His heated gaze left me speechless. He discarded my pants and my underwear and tossed them aside. Then his large body blanketed mine as we positioned ourselves in the middle of the bed.

"I want to watch you fall apart this time, baby."

My breath caught in my lungs.The song playing softly from my phone only heightened the tension— "I See You" by MISSIO. He positioned my legs around his waist, then slowly slid into me. His thrust were calculated this time, slow and measured as he seemed determined to last as long as he could. The lyrics pooled over us. My hands combed through his hair, my hips met his beat for beat. Our lips danced together until we both hit climax once more, our orgasms fading with the music. We breathed heavily over each other's lips, each of us brushing sweaty strands of hair away from the other's face.

We didn't say anything, afraid that words would take away what we just shared. Instead, we made our way to the shower, silently but intimately washing away the evidence.

We walked out of the bathroom as close as we possibly could. We both paused and looked at the two double beds in the room, then to each other. We didn't have to speak to know that the same question lingered in both our minds.

Hunter made the decision, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the bed we just… fucked in? No, it was so much more than that.

We curled up in the bed and Hunter pulled me to his chest. I couldn't help but feel safe—safer than I had in a long time. I closed my eyes and settled into his arms, into the feeling of being safe.

Only for them to fly open at the sound of Jamie's unmistakable ringtone. The digital clock flashed midnight. My blood ran cold. Hunter pulled back at the feeling of my body going rigid.

"Need to get that?"

In place of an answer, I jolted out of bed, grabbing my phone and answering the call as I ran into the bathroom.

"Jamie?"

"It's Mum," he sobbed, his words barely recognizable.

"Jamie, take a breath. What's going on?"

"She-she had a stroke, Ty. I saw it – an-and—" Jamie was choking on his sobs, and tears began streaming down my cheeks.

"Who are you with right now?"

"Holden's on his way. Auntie went in the ambulance with her. I couldn't- I couldn't go. I don't want to see her die, Tyler,"

I swiped my hand over my face, ignoring the wetness that came with it.

"I'm coming home, okay?"

"I'm sorry. Ty, I—I need you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I have to talk to coach and book flights and everything but I'll be there as soon as I can. I'll call soon, please text me with updates, okay?"

"Okay, Ty?"

"Yeah, James?"

"I'm scared."

I braced my head against the door frame. "Me too."

"Love you."

"Love you too, James. See you soon."

I disconnected the call, bracing myself against the bathroom door. Every part of me wanted to fall apart, but I knew I needed to collect myself to be strong enough to get home. I needed to derail the train running rampant in my mind if I was going to handle the situation.

I flinched when a pair of strong hands squeezed my shoulders. "Baby, what's happened?"

"I need to go home."

His hands then moved to my waist, as if he was trying to prevent me from leaving. "What? No, you can't."

"I have to. Mum's just had a stroke and my brother's all alone."

I choked on my words as Hunter spun me around, cupping my cheeks in his hands. I could barely make him out through the haze of tears. "Fuck, okay. We'll go to Coach. What about your dad?"

It felt like my heart split in two. "Died two years ago in a fire."

Hunter's face broke, and he pulled me into him. As he held me tightly, he didn't realize he was giving me that little bit of strength that I needed. He let go of me and wandered into our room, surprising me by packing for me before taking my hand again.

"Will you be back?"

I closed my eyes against the sudden, overwhelming rush of emotions. I couldn't answer this question. Thankfully, I didn't have to—my silence said it all. His lips met mine. "If you need anything, baby, just call."

I nodded, feeling his forehead against mine. He kissed my temple, my cheek, my chin.

"Do you want me to come with you to see Coach?"

I shook my head—I wouldn't be able to let him go.

"Okay, baby. I'll organize the Uber and your flights, you go talk to Coach. I… hope you come back."

I nodded and pulled him in for one more passionate kiss, one that was heated, demanding. Because I wasn't sure if I'd ever kiss him again.

I stood in front of Coach's hotel door, my legs shaking in an attempt to quell the emotions that threatened to burst out of me.

"Come on, come on, come on…" I let out a deep breath.

A bleary-eyed Coach pulled the door open, then those eyes widened as they took in my tear-filled eyes and my over-packed duffel.

"Tyler… what the-"

"I'm sorry, Coach," I interrupted. "I don't have much time; my Uber is on the way—"

"Uber? What the fuck, Riley?"

"Sir, my mum has cancer. My dad died two years ago and I just got a call from my brother that she's had a stroke and been rushed to hospital. I'm all he's got and—"

"Go. I'll take care of everything here. Keep me updated. But for now, be there for your brother. And I hope your mom is okay."

I nodded, biting my lip as the tears continued to pour down my cheeks. Coach did the one thing I didn't expect; he took me in his arms and squeezed me tight. "You have talent, kid. I hope you can come back."

I pulled back, speechless, and answered him with a simple nod before making my way to the awaiting car. My phone buzzed just as I opened the door.

Boston:Flight confirmation is in your email. I hope your mom is okay. And I hope this isn't goodbye.

Amidst the swirling thoughts about what awaited me back home, I couldn't help but feel that I was losing something else entirely.