Breakaway (Pro-U #1) (18 page)

Aubrey

"I need to try and get some of this paint off my face." I stood in the bathroom, trying to scrape some of the paint off my face from the night before. We'd won the first game and gotten shit-faced at the hotel bar, which wasn't part of the plan, but with Lucas relaxed, everyone seemed to be following suit.

"Start up the shower and let me know when the water's warm. I'll help you get it off, baby," Lucas called from the bedroom where he was laid out still half asleep.

I almost lamented not getting to enjoy the big fluffy bed together the night before, but we both needed the fun more than the sex. I huffed and walked back into the room, stopping short so I could look at him.

He looked like a god laid up on the starch-white sheets. His dark skin and large muscles left my stomach contracting. He glanced over at me as a smirk tugged at the side of his perfect mouth.

"Whatchu looking at, baby?" He reached out and motioned for me to come closer.

I had on a tank top and a pair of boy shorts. Going closer wasn't in anyone's best interest.

"I'm looking at you, you handsome beast." I turned and walked back into the bathroom to check the shower. "You coming?"

"Yeah." He walked in a few minutes later and pulled off his undies before getting into the shower.

I let my eyes follow him, memorizing how incredibly sexy he was. "You want me to give you a few minutes alone in there?"

"Hell no. Get in here." He poked his head out of the shower and smiled at me. "We gotta get down to breakfast in twenty minutes or so."

"All right." I grabbed a wash-towel and pulled off my clothes before getting in from the back and moving toward him. I pressed my chest to his back and wrapped my arms around his waist. "You did great last night. I'm not sure if you heard me tell you that with all the commotion around us."

He chuckled and took my hands, sliding them down his tight stomach to his erection. "We all did good. It was fun. I forget sometimes that I actually love this sport."

"And you’re good at it." I kissed his back as I ran my nails through the thick black hair that framed his package. "Get the soap and lather us up."

"What do you think about me going to Washington for the Caps, Aubrey? I need to know your thoughts on it, baby." He slid his hands over mine and coated us both in slick soap as he worked it all over his chest and stomach.

He turned and I reached down to stroke him a few times as he touched the side of my face and moved in for a long kiss.

"I think it's a great opportunity." I kissed him again and ran my hands over his stomach to cup him again.

He moved over and picked up the towel. "Let me get this paint off of you."

We turned until I was tucked under the spray and he carefully scrubbed the paint from my face, taking time and care not to hurt me.

"A year apart would suck." He brushed the rag down my nose as he pressed his teeth into his lip and groaned. "Slow down with your hand or I'm gonna come."

"Good. Come for me." I gripped tighter and took my time with him, enjoying the deep pants that left him as his eyes grew glossy.

He pressed his back to the shower wall and groaned again. I moved forward and continued to work him as I licked and sucked down the side of his chest, making sure to graze his nipple with my teeth.

"Fuck, baby." He gripped my head and pulled me up to press his lips to mine as he came.

I drank him in, listening to the sound of his pleasure, tasting the musky need on his tongue, feeling every inch of him as he grew thicker.

"A year apart is only a year." I pressed myself to the front of him and ran my hands over his hips to grip his ass. "What's a year in the scope of forever?"

"This is true." He ran his hands up my sides and cupped my breasts. "Turn around and let me fuck you a little."

"Not now." I smiled and kissed him one more time. "Later. I don't want us to be late. Let's try and set an example at this tournament like you do at all of them. I'm not going to be labeled as the downfall of your career."

He laughed and moved up behind me as I washed my face and turned to wash my hair. His hands were everywhere, and I didn't think I was going to be able to get out of the shower without succumbing to whatever he wanted of me.

"A year feels like a really long time right now." He kissed the side of my neck and reached around me to turn the water off. "We have two games today. After we're done, let's, me and you, get away from everyone and go to dinner. I want to figure this stuff out. I need to."

"You sure? I feel like maybe we should wait until after the tournament. I don't want anything to affect you." I pressed my cheek to his chest and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Are you breaking up with me?" He kissed the top of my head softly.

"Are we going out?" I laughed and looked up at him.

"Yes. We're going out. You better not be jacking off any other guy in a shower." He lifted his eyebrow at me. "You're not really an Ice Queen are you? I thought you were just wearing the badge and faking it all these years."

"I'm as fake as they get." I laughed and moved out of the shower, grabbing a towel and leaving him to clean up from our fun.

Dinner would be good. It would give us the chance to figure at least a few things out.

*

The guys won the first game they played against the second team in our division, but everyone was showing signs of weariness. We'd been in three fights and had been warned multiple times to be careful of excessive clipping.

"You're skating on thin ice. Stop playing dirty and play smart," Coach Billows yelled at the guys and lifted his hands in the air. "Fucking fight when you want to, but don't play dirty. We're not from the slums. We do things the right way, like gentlemen. Get out there and play the game I've trained you to play. You got me?"

Everyone mumbled their response and filed into the locker room.

I handed coach a bottle of Gatorade and squeezed his shoulders. "What else can I get you? We have an hour between games today. You need a sandwich or snack?"

"No, but thank you, dear." He gave me a weary smile. "I need you to go in there and slap those idiots around. We won that last game by two points. Two points!"

"We should have smoked that team." I glanced over to the other side of the rink. "We're the automatic bid. We should crush all these teams in our division."

"Yes. Thank you." He rolled his eyes and waved his arms dramatically. "Finally. A woman who understands hockey. Are you married?"

I laughed. "No, but you're not at all my type. You still have all of your teeth."

He smirked. "All right. Let's make sure the water tank is filled in there, and I'll go check to see if anyone needs to be patched up."

"All right." I turned to go as a tall older man called for Coach Billows.

I moved into the players’ bench area and started to clean up as the two men talked loudly behind me. They'd known each other for a long time from what I could tell.

"So I was thinking maybe we would take you and Lucas to dinner tonight if you're both up for it. If not, we can wait until tomorrow after you guys win this whole fucking thing, but I figured you might want to celebrate with your team then."

"Let's go tonight. Lucas would be thrilled to get to meet you in person, Charlie. It's a rare treat that you guys send down your top dog." Coach laughed loudly and the two of them moved from pleasantries into talking about the good old days when they played hockey together.

I walked past and turned only to see if I could make out who the guy was. I didn't know him by his appearance, but the logo on his shirt made it all too clear.

Charlie was 'the Charles Donahue' - General Manager of the Washington Capitals.

*

Lucas found me after the last game with blood running down the side of his face, and sweat staining his whole uniform.

"We did it." He picked me up at the edge of the rink and spun me around. "Did you see that great play by Geoff? Fuck, that was amazing. He's never played like that."

"You all did great." I pulled a rag from my back pocket and blotted his head. "Let me see this."

"It's good, baby. Really." He moved back and hugged Jayce as he moved up. "We did it, dude. Tomorrow is the big game. We're in the Frozen Four!"

"You knew we would be, you cocky bitch." Jayce pushed at Lucas, who returned the push.

I laughed and leaned against the railing, watching the two men I loved most grow closer.

"Lucas." Coach moved past me, touching my shoulder for balance as he did.

I offered him a hand and then moved over to rest my chin on my clasped hands.

"We need to have dinner with Charlie Donahue tonight. He's here to see you." Coach laughed at Lucas, and Jayce wrapped him in a bear hug and picked the poor guy off the ground.

"Awww... I wish I could but-"

"Go. You need to go and get the details. Go. I'll have dinner with my brother or Layla. You and I will have lots of dinners," I butted in.

He skated over to me and lifted up to his toes to kiss me. "Come with me. You need to ask your questions too."

"No. This is your moment. Go have it and come snuggle me up when you get done."

His lips turned down into a cute frown. "You sure?"

"Positive. I'm so proud of you, baby." I kissed him once more. "Now, go shower and have fun at dinner."

"All right. Wait up for me. Okay?"

"Promise." I smiled and turned to find the girls waiting for me. Lucas needed to hear all the details about what the Capitals were offering. Only then could he make a good choice - the right decision.

“Aubrey. Can I talk to you for a minute?” Lizzy bounced up to stand in front of me.

A smile lifted my lips. “You bet. What’s going on? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just wanted to tell you that Lucas and I are cool. I mean, he’s a really great guy, but you two are perfect for each other. I just didn’t want you to think that I was trying to move in on him.” She shrugged and gave me a shy smile. “He’s just one of the guys, you know?”

“I do. I should have told you that we were starting to date. We’ve just been so busy, and trying to figure out if we’re together or not is a chore.” I gave her a silly look. “I trust you completely.”

“Good.” She let out a sigh and pulled me into a hug. “Lucas is great, but I can’t live without you.”

I smiled and patted her back. “I feel the same about you, Lizzy. You’ll find your Lucas one day too.”

“Man, I hope so. Does he have a brother?” She laughed and moved back.

I didn’t answer her question. It was too depressing to think about.

Lucas

My mind was spinning with the possibilities of what the future could look like as I stumbled back to the room exhausted just after midnight. I'd meant to get back to Aubrey earlier, but Coach and Charlie were too damn much fun. They had more confidence in me than I had in myself – keeping me out so damn late.

I fumbled my key at the door, and took damn near forever to get inside. My girl was curled up on her side, sleeping soundly when I walked in.

"I wish you were up." I walked toward the bed and brushed her hair back. "I want to tell you everything. I'm going to make a shit-ton of money for us, and you don't ever have to work a day in your life, if you don't want to. I'll provide everything you need. All of it."

I moved down to my knees and wrapped my arms around her, pressing my face to the sweet curve of her neck and breathing in.

"Lucas?" she whispered and rolled over toward me. "I was getting worried."

Her sleepy tone left my heart on fire for her.

"I'm right here, baby. Let me change and I'll come hold you, okay?" I kissed her a few times as she pawed at me with her eyes closed.

"I tried to wait up. I wanted to-"

"Shhhh." I touched her lips. "Stretch out and I'll be right here."

She rolled back over and made a cute noise as I got up and stripped out of my clothes. I turned off all the lights and crawled into bed behind her, wrapping myself around her warm body as tightly as I could.

"You awake?" I brushed my lips by her ear.

"Mmhmm," she mumbled.

I smiled and slid my hands over her taut flesh up to cup her breasts. My cock hardened to the point of throbbing, but she was tired, and we'd been fucking a lot lately. She needed to know that where her body left me drooling and bent over, she was so much more than the physical. She was everything I wanted in my life. I could easily see her as my wife, the mother to my kids, the warmth that I rested against each day no matter what life threw our way.

"Come with me to Washington, or tell me to stay with you in Providence. I can't be without you. I need you, Aubrey." I brushed my lips down the side of her neck. "I love you."

She mumbled something and snuggled back against me before letting out a soft snore.

I laughed and curled up tighter, forcing myself to save the conversation for when she was awake.

*

"What time is the game?" Aubrey's shoulders were drawn back with tension as she sat across from me at the breakfast table.

The other players were gathered around the buffet table, piling their plates high as we sat at a table for two so we could spend some time just the two of us.

"It's at four this afternoon." I let out a short sigh. "I know you need to get home. What time is the next flight out of here?"

"I'm going to rent a car. I need to be home by three to make sure I make it to the audition at four." She let out a sigh that hurt my heart to hear. "I don't want to go. I want to see you win the championship."

"We'll record it. I don't want you to miss your try-out."

"No. I'm not going. Fuck it." She pressed her fingers to her eyes and took a shaky breath. "I've been waiting all damn year to see this."

"Baby, listen to me... you've done a great job with this team and all these groupies that follow us everywhere. Today is about you too. You need to get this part for you. Not to prove anything to McCraven or your mom, but to remind you of the insane amount of talent you have. I've watched you dance when you thought no one was watching." I reached across the table and tugged her hand down as a few tears came with it. "You're so beautiful and free. Don't give that up for anything."

"I don't want to miss your win." She pulled her napkin out of her lap and wiped at her face angrily.

"And I don't want to miss yours, but you can watch mine tomorrow night while you're sitting in my lap naked on my couch." I lifted my eyebrow as she laughed through her tears. "Take Layla with you and get back to Providence. I want to sit at the front of the spring production and see you front and center where you belong. Don't give that up for anyone."

"Okay," she mumbled and picked up her juice as her hand shook. "How was the meeting last night? Did you agree to their terms?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Have we talked about it?"

"No. I don't think so." She looked genuinely confused. "Did we?"

"No, baby. I just meant that, of course, I didn't agree to anything or sign anything. You and I haven't talked about things yet. I got the information and we can look it over and make some decisions."

"Lucas. This is your decision. I don't-"

"Woman. I've told you for the last time that I want you in my life. We'll work through the details of this next year, but enough with trying to make me look at this like a single man. I'm not, nor do I want to be." I reached over and brushed my thumb over her lip. "Come here and make out with me a little before you leave."

"Right here, in the restaurant?" She got up and moved over to my side of the table, melting me. Even while questioning if it was the right thing to do, she did it because I asked her to. We would figure out the future. I had no worries about it anymore.

*

"This is it. We're tied and we have one minute on the fucking clock." I glanced around at my guys.

Geoff coughed and blood dripped from his lip. "I gotta sit down. I think I broke a rib in that last hit."

I moved off the ice with him and pointed to Jayce. "Coach. Let him come in."

"We need a winger, not a forward." Coach glanced around and looked back at me.

"I'll wing. Let Jayce play forward." I nodded and motioned for Jayce to join us. "Come on, Moore. It's your time to shine."

"No. It's your time to shine." Coach pulled my jersey hard and pressed his forehead to mine. "This is the last fucking play of your senior year. You can't give this up."

"Why not? I already know who I am. Jayce needs to figure it out, doesn't he?" I bumped my head against coach’s and moved back. "Jayce, you're center. Get ready for the breakaway."

"What?" Jayce's eyes grew wide. "No, man. This is it. This is the game play."

"Yeah, buddy, and it's yours." I popped him on the shoulder with my stick and moved over to play left winger as the announcer's voice blasted over the stadium.

"Now there's something you don't see every day. Senior Captain Lucas White, number twenty-three is giving up the game play to his junior protege. That's the true sign of a leader there folks. Keep that name handy in your list of up and coming guys for the NHL. This kid is going places."

I smiled over at Jayce as he called my name. "Focus. Take the win and focus."

The guy in front of me laughed, and I turned and tilted my head to the side a little. "Hey. I know you. I fucked your sister last year at this tournament. Is she here today?"

I looked up at the stands as if searching for something.

"Fuck you, asshole," he growled loudly and tackled me, losing fifteen seconds on the clock and gaining himself a trip to the penalty box.

"Let's go." The new opponent lowered himself in front of me and smiled. "Nice what you did for that kid over there."

"Someone did it for me once too. Ready to get your balls handed to you?" I winked at him as the biscuit hit the ice and we took off. I pushed my guy hard and forced him against the wall.

"Go, Moore. Go, kid!" Coach was screaming from the sidelines and the fans were going wild as I put my shoulder into my guy and turned in time to see Jayce break away.

"Come on, Jayce. Top left corner," I mumbled and pushed my guy one more time as Jayce positioned himself for the win. He lifted his stick and smacked the puck with force I'd yet to see him use. It went in and the stands went wild.

We raced toward him and wrapped him in a circle tightly as we jumped around.

"And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. For the fourth year in a row, Lucas White has led his team to a victory! Coach Billows has to be beyond proud of this kid and all the kids that played like warriors beside him. The Providence Friars are our 2016 National Champions!"

The noise around us was almost deafening. I tried to get everyone to hoist Jayce up on their shoulders, but Jayce overpowered me and muscled me up instead. They chanted my name, and I lifted my arms in the air and glanced around, missing the only person in the world I wanted to impress.

Aubrey.