15. Dj

CHAPTER 15

DJ

I grin widely as I add more weight to the bar, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Eva, the Blizzards' head athletic trainer.

"Damn DJ, what's gotten into you today? This energy is off the charts."

I wink at her cheekily. "What can I say, I woke up on the right side of the bed...and the left side...and in the middle. Multiple times, if you catch my drift."

Eva rolls her eyes but can't hide her amused smirk. "Yeah, yeah, we get it, you get laid. No need to rub it in for us mere mortals."

I let out a bark of laughter as I settle under the bar, a satisfying strain in my muscles as I start my reps. The endorphins are flowing and I'm riding a natural high, my body buzzing with adrenaline.

With a playful glance, I grunt between reps, "Hey now, don't shame me for living my best life! Don't be jealous, be inspired!"

This earns me a swat from Eva with a rolled-up towel. "Alright hotshot, focus on your lifts before that ego makes you drop the bar on that pretty face."

I stick my tongue out at her but oblige, channeling my pent-up energy into each rep. My muscles burn as I push myself harder than usual but I barely feel them protest.

I'm so keyed up, I could bench-press a fucking Zamboni right now.

Maybe it's the thrill of anticipation thrumming through my veins, knowing I'll be seeing a certain backup goalie at practice soon. The memory of our hot encounter last night is burned into the back of my eyelids.

I can't wait to get my hands on him again. My mouth.

I want to throw him down and crawl on top of him and?—

"Uh, DJ? You still with us, bud?"

Eva's sarcastic voice snaps me out of my horny daydreaming. Fuck, I'm at full mast in my compression shorts.

Hoping she doesn't notice my raging hard-on, I hastily re-rack the weight and hop up, flashing him a megawatt smile. "Yep, all done! What's next, boss?"

Shaking her head in bewilderment, Eva sighs. "I think we better call it, man. Any more and you'll pull something. Go grab something to eat and save some of that for practice, yeah?"

"Sir, yes sir!" I give her a cheeky salute and prance off toward the locker room, my heart racing with excitement rather than exertion.

Practice can't come soon enough. I wonder if I'll have Tyler coming soon too...

I'm still grinning like an idiot as I glide onto the ice for practice, my adrenaline only having ratcheted up. My body is electric, like I just chugged ten espressos and chased them with a Red Bull.

But it's not just the caffeine high, and it's not just seeing Tyler—the whole team is on fire lately, our passes tape-to-tape, our shots so money they should have their faces printed on bills.

It's clear that Sydney's work with the team is really having an effect.

Sydney.

She's been dodging me since that night in Tampa, true to her word about keeping it a onetime thing. I really thought she'd want a repeat—god knows I did—but I have to respect her for keeping her word.

And anyway, I've had my hands more than busy in the meantime…

Mikey rips a one-timer past the d and the boys whoop and holler, tapping his shin pads as he cruises by the bench. I join in, relieved that things finally are back to normal after all that shit went down in Canada.

Well, almost normal.

I catch Tyler's eye from across the ice and— hot damn . The way he's looking at me, like he wants to melt the ice and pin me against the boards... Let's just say it's not just the physical exertion making me sweat right now.

I stare back at him, wondering what it is about him that's got me so tied in knots. I've always been the king of casual. Hit it and quit it, a different body in my bed every weekend.

Feelings are messy, relationships are work, and I don't play with that.

But with Tyler... God, there's just something about him. Those soulful eyes, that shy smile, the bulging muscles that strain against his pads… I want him. Not just his body, but like, all of him. Heart, mind, soul, the whole shebang.

It's thrilling and terrifying and confusing as hell.

"Hey DJ, stop staring at Ty's ass and get in the drill!" Jason chirps, jolting me out of my surprisingly wholesome daydreams.

I flip him the bird. "You're just jealous I'm not staring at yours, Jace!"

"In your dreams, bud!" Jason cackles.

But as we run passing drills, I can't help sneaking more glances at Tyler in the crease. I need to get my hands on him again, and soon.

After a brief water break, we resume practice. Tyler skates back onto the ice and of course, my eyes can't help but follow the lines of his muscular body as he takes his place in the goal crease. I find myself drifting closer, looking for any excuse to get near him again.

Finally the team is busy shooting offensive drills and I take advantage of the moment, skating right up beside him.

"Keep your glove hand higher," I murmur, leaning in close. My fingers graze his hip, lingering just a moment too long.

Tyler shivers slightly and I catch the hitch in his breath.

"Like this?" he asks, voice husky.

"Almost. Let me show you." I wrap my hand around his wrist, manually making the adjustment, and he leans into me, trying to get closer.

I smirk. He's so responsive, it's intoxicating. The feeling is heady, as if he's completely under my spell.

Or is it the other way around?

We switch up the drills but I contrive to be near Tyler every chance I get.

"Your five-hole is open, Ty," I say with a wicked grin as I slide another puck between his legs. "Wanna stay after practice for some one-on-one training?"

Tyler flushes so red I can see it through his goalie mask.

"You offering private lessons now, DJ?" His voice is light but there's an undercurrent of heat.

God, the things I want to teach him ... I lick my lips, filthy lesson plans flooding my mind.

"For you? I'll make an exception."

I'm high on the shy glances Tyler sneaks my way when he thinks I'm not looking, the pink that lingers across his cheeks.

Coach Daniels skates over to a cluster of defensemen at the other end of the rink, his face displeased.

"Marquez, keep your stick on the ice and shoulders square. King, tighten up that gap. You're giving the forwards too much space to make a play."

I glide up behind Tyler while the rest of the men on the ice focus on Coach's notes. Now's my chance . I lean in close, my lips grazing the pink shell of his ear.

"Hey you. Come over tonight," I murmur, my voice low and inviting. "I've got...plans for you."

Tyler starts slightly and whips his head around to look at me, eyes wide with surprise. His tongue darts out to wet his plump lips, and he nods, almost imperceptibly.

Fuck yes .

A thrill of anticipation rips through me and I have to stop myself from checking him against the boards and ravishing him right here on the ice, team and coaches be damned.

My mind races with thoughts of all the delicious, wicked things I'm going to do to him later—strip off that tight Under Armour, get my hands and mouth all over those chiseled muscles, make him moan and tremble under my touch until he's begging for more...

Fuck, I can hardly wait to get him naked and into my bed. Finally.

Distracted by thoughts of the promising evening ahead, I'm skating into formation for our final scrimmage of the day when pain explodes through my knee.

Shit. Not now .

I grit my teeth and try to straighten and skate on, doing my best to ignore the throbbing, demanding ache that's radiating from the old injury. Power through it, DJ .

But each stride sends another jolt of agony shooting up my leg. I stumble and nearly face-plant onto the ice. My heart begins to race, my mind already spiraling.

This is bad. Really bad. I can't risk blowing out my knee again, not when the team needs me.

Not when Mom needs me to keep earning that NHL paycheck.

"Coach!" I call out, masking my grimace with a tight smile and waving my cell phone in the air. "Gotta bail early. Family emergency."

Coach raises an eyebrow but, engrossed in a discussion with Slade, waves me off. I gingerly move off the ice, each stride sending a fresh wave of pain through my knee.

Fuck. Fuck! This can't be happening. Not now, when it looks like we actually have a chance to make it back to the playoffs this year, against all odds.

As I head into the tunnel to the locker room, I catch Ty's eye across the ice. He shoots me a questioning look laced with concern.

I flash him a grin and mouth: "Still on for tonight."

Ty nods, his lips curving into a smile that sends heat rushing through me. Knee be damned, I'm not about to cancel my plans with him. I've waited too long for this.