Page 16 of Breaking the Ice

“Oh, okay, got it.” I suppress a smile because it looks funny how he's weighing non-existent breasts. “You know what, I'll help you,” I say, placing a hand on his knee. Toby's gaze shifts first to my hand and then to my face. A furrow forms between his brows.

“Are you serious?” he asks in a noticeably softer tone, leaning down to me. He sounds skeptical.

“One hundred percent. You'll see, we'll find a great woman for you.” The laughter that appears on his lips warms my heart.

“That's great! Oh, but one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“Please don't tell the others that you're helping me. They'd tease me about it forever.” I put my thumb and forefinger to my lips and mime zipping my mouth shut.

“Don't worry, I'll be as silent as a tomb.”

“Good. Okay, where do we start? What should I do?” He sits up straight and rubs his hands together.

“Well, I know your type. Blonde, blue-eyed, and... What was it, a lot of wood in front of the hut?” He nods, grinning. “Well, for starters, I don't need to know anything else. Let's go dance.”

“Dance?” His voice trembles.

“Yes, why not? It'll do you good to loosen up a bit.” Toby's gaze jumps to his teammates. I understand he's embarrassed because all the others are up here watching him. Let's see if we can change that. I stand up, place my glass on the side table next to the chair where Caleb was sitting earlier, and turn to the players. Standing tall, one hand on my slightly tilted hip, I look at the men. “Alright, guys, I feel like dancing. How about it, who's joining me?” Parker, Durand, and Byers, whose date is appropriately miffed, rise immediately.

“Are you serious?!” I hear the petite brunette, here with the defender, screech. She crosses her arms over her chest, glaring up at him angrily. That's it for him. He slumps back into his seat, grumbling to himself. Poor guy, he's in for it tonight, I think. There's no need for jealousy, though. I might find Byers likable, but I don't think he's targeting me. After all, he's not hitting on me like the others. Shrugging in my thoughts, I turn my gaze to my new friend.

“Toby?” I say, extending a hand toward him.

“I'm not sure,” he hesitates, but Durand comes to my rescue.

“None of that, big guy, you're coming.” He grabs the Swiss man's arm and pulls him to his feet. I'm not sure if this is Durand's revenge for pushing him away from me earlier, or if he's trying to do me a favor. However, it works. Toby is actually persuaded to join us downstairs. This greatly lifts my already good mood, so as soon as I reach the mirrored surface, I raise my hands above my head and dance into the circle with small steps and swaying hips. When I turn around to face the others, I see them standing at the edge, watching me. At first, I don't understand what's going on with them. Then I notice the many shards of light casting onto my body from the dance floor. It looks incredibly beautiful, but it's definitely not the reason for their staring. No, it's my white dress, its fabric barely holding up against the light. Depending on how the specks of light hit me, my silhouette is visible. For a moment, I consider going back. But then I look at some of the women around me. Many of them have necklines where you can see down to their belly buttons. Others wear shorts with their buttocks hanging out, or dresses that barely cover their underwear. No, I definitely don't need to hide here. Besides, I love my body. And I'd be lying if I said that this doesn't turn me on in a certain way. So, I beckon the three of them to me with my index finger. Durand is the first to heed my call. Toby and Parker exchange an uncertain glance before they gather their courage and join us.

The DJ plays ‘Bailar’ by Deorro feat. Elvis Crespo, one of my favorite songs. Aside from Parker, who displays an outrageously good sense of rhythm, the other two stand like logs. I dance around them and encourage them to join in. At first, they hold back, only swaying their upper bodies slightly. But soon enough, I manage to sweep them along. Three songs later, the dance floor belongs to us. It's a blast with the guys. Although Parker and Durand try a few times to dance with me in a suggestive manner, I casually evade them and dance with Toby. The Swiss guy is a riot. I've never seen a man dance like him. It's hard to explain, but he reminds me of a duck. Arms bent and pressed against his chest, he sticks out his butt and sways it to the beat. It looks somehow cool and hilariously funny at the same time. Because the other two eventually get on my nerves with their attempts to dance provocatively, I grab the goalie and pull him onto the platform with me. I'm surprised that he follows me without objection. And, once we're on the platform, he rocks the house with his duck dance. He grabs one of the pole-dance poles and puts on a show that makes the people below us cheer and attracts a crowd of spectators. Some of them are filming his performance. I let loose as well, winding myself around the second pole and enjoying the evening.

At the end of the second song, I suddenly see Toby stumble next to me. From one moment to the next, he turns back into a log and stares down into the crowd. I follow his gaze and spot a blonde girl smiling up at him. With glowing cheeks, he desperately tries to find his way back to the beat. In vain. To spare him the embarrassment, I stop dancing, step to his side, and applaud him. The crowd follows my lead, turning Toby's cheeks tomato red. While the people cheer, we descend from the platform and return to Parker and Durand on the dance floor. I hold Toby back as he tries to escape and go back to the VIP area.

“Wait!” I call out to him over the music. Then I push him towards his friends, promise to be back in a moment, and search for the blonde girl. I find her with her friends at the bar across from the DJ. Without hesitation, I approach her and explain that Toby thinks she's super cool but is too shy to talk to her. The girl's name is Mandy, and she's clearly smitten with the Swiss guy. We exchange a few more words and agree that I'll stay with the guys on the dance floor while she sneaks up on him. Done deal. As soon as I'm back with the three players, the girls show up. While Mandy's friends occupy Parker and Durand, Toby's chosen one dances up to him. I grin when I see sparks flying between them. That was easier than I thought.

While everyone around me is having a good time, I savor the moment just for myself. I close my eyes, sway my body to the beat of the music. When I open them again, my heart skips a beat. Caleb stands at the edge of the dance floor, watching me. His hands are in his pockets, his gaze caresses my body. Now I feel like Toby earlier; I struggle to stay in rhythm. And then something happens that I never expected. He steps onto the dance floor and comes straight to me. A fiery thrill of excitement shoots through my chest. When Caleb stops right in front of me, I'm like a statue. He leans down to me - I can smell his spicy, rugged cologne.

“Would you give me this dance?” he asks, his words crackling in my ear. I feel his lips barely graze my earlobe, and I shiver. With a look that makes my legs go weak, Caleb straightens up again and extends his hand to me. Only now do I realize that the DJ has changed the music genre, playing a slow song. I place my fingers in his, sending a fiery impulse up my arm and making it hard for me to swallow. Caleb moves closer to me, guides my hands to the back of his neck. His proximity clouds my mind. I look up at him dazedly, wondering what's suddenly gotten into me. Maybe someone spiked my drink. The effect he has on me isn’t normal! His hands, gently trailing down my sides and resting on my hips, erase any further thoughts. At this moment, I don't care if someone spiked my drink or if I just had too much to drink. Damn it, I don't even care that Caleb has a girlfriend. Here and now, I just want to savor this indescribably hot feeling that his closeness ignites in me. I want to be close to him, touch him, have him for ME. Even if it's just for this one dance.

10

Caleb

Even if I wanted to, I can't resist the allure of this woman. Emma is captivating, pulling me in like a magnet. I watched her from the bar for over half an hour, until I couldn't take it anymore and finally approached her. Now, as I dance with her, feeling her body against mine, it only intensifies things. I have to hold myself back from letting my hands wander over her incredible figure. She manages to make me hard just by being close. Her sweet perfume infiltrates my senses like an aphrodisiac. In a daze, I sway with her to the sounds of "Call Out My Name" by The Weeknd, feeling her hips move beneath my hands. I sense the stares of the other players on us, knowing that some of them don't like what they see. But I couldn't care less. The world could end right now, and I still wouldn't let go of Emma.

Three, four, maybe even five songs later, the DJ switches back to faster music. I can't say how many there were, I'm too intoxicated by this woman. Eventually, she pulls away from me, which feels awful. I'm already thinking that she's going to brush me off like the other guys on the team and send me away, but she doesn't. Instead, she cheekily smiles up at me and dances to one of those Latino songs. She puts a few steps between us, raises her hands above her head, and moves her hips in a way that could make a saint kneel. As if her sight wasn't already jaw-dropping, the fog machine behind her starts working. I can see white mist curling up around her calves. It looks like she's standing in a surging sea. My gaze follows her hands as they sweep down her sides from her breasts to her hips. My already hard cock twitches in response. Good Lord, what would I give for this woman to be mine? One thing's for sure, if this evening lasts much longer, I'm going to need an ice pack for my balls tomorrow.

It's half past three when I step into a taxi with Emma, and she gives the driver her address. I had to promise Toby that I'd make sure she gets home safely. He wanted to take care of her himself, but that would have meant sending away the little blonde who was hanging on his arm. Durand and Parker, both of whom had indulged a bit too much, of course, offered as well, but that was out of the question for both Emma and our Swiss friend. So, it came down to me, the only one who practically hadn't touched a drop of alcohol.

“Are you cold?” I ask when I see her rubbing her arms.

“No, I'm okay,” she says. Yeah, right, I think to myself, holding back a smile. Emma is clearly more than a little tipsy. She seems a bit dazed, and her speech is slurred, something she's trying to hide. I slip out of my jacket and drape it over her shoulders.

“Thanks,” she mumbles, pulling the fabric up to her chest. “I shouldn't have let myself be talked into that second Long Island Iced Tea,” she confesses, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

I refrain from reminding her that I warned her. To be honest, I even took advantage of her state. Her rising alcohol level made her seek physical contact with me. Our last dance, damn, that was almost dry humping. Judging by Durand's and Parker's looks, they would have happily stabbed me on the spot. But I didn't care. Being so close to Emma was incredible. My cock was constantly hard, and I would have done, and still would do, anything to be able to take her home with me. I look at her, contemplatively studying her profile. This is the woman who should fall asleep next to me, not Jess. I want to wake up next to her beautiful face. Damn it, every day. I'd love to call Jessica and tell her to get out of my loft, where she's waiting for me. I lower my gaze to Emma's legs, where goosebumps are visible. An image comes alive in my mind. I see her lying naked in my bed, her tattooed legs wrapped around my lower back. My hands rest on her hips, pulling her up so I can thrust deep into her. I see her wonderful face, marked by pleasure. I hear her moan my name. Caleb, oh yes, Caleb!

“Caleb... Caleb!” Her voice snaps me out of my daydream. I lift my head from Emma's legs and look into her face. “Are you okay?” A brief blink dispels the impure thoughts.

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