Page 27 of Tempest

“Dude’s taking the heavy-handed approach,” Blom says, laughing.

“Sometimes that’s all you can do,” Cillian says. He’d probably know. From what I know of his situation with Isla, she, too, was reluctant to give him the time of day. But he shared more than a sordid past with her—they also shared a child.

That’s something I need to be careful of, too. I don’t want to complicate anything for Tori and her mentor.

“You want my help, buddy? I’d be more than happy to go to her house and put in a good word for you.”

“You can stay the fuck away from her, Letty.”

“Hey, man, just offering help,” he says, holding his hands out in innocence. All while wearing the biggest shit-eating grin I’ve ever seen.

“No, man. I’ll go. All the ladies love goalies,” Blom chimes in.

“Lies,” several of the guys say in unison.

“She didn’t kick you out when you showed up with food?” Zander asks, bringing us back to the topic at hand. I should have known better than to bring this up with all the chuckleheads, but honestly, I don’t really have anyone else to go to. I could call Caroline, but I’ve purposely been trying to keep boundaries there.

I still think of her as my best friend, but if we’re going to move on, we can’t be the first person either of us run to. That won’t work for future relationships.

“No, but I think I just caught her when she was hungry.”

“Doesn’t matter, she let you stay,” Cillian says. “That’s something. If she hated you, she’d have at least made you leave.”

“Or called the cops on you. That’s what I’d have done if it was me,” Blom adds with a wink.

“Ah, thanks, buddy. Love you, too.”

“I could give you the same advice these meatheads gave me when Isla was consuming me. Grand fucking gestures.”

“Is that what worked with Isla?”

“Nah, that’s not really her thing. I chipped away at her by constantly putting myself in her way and making sure she could see I wasn’t the same dumbfuck she’d dumped all those years before,” Cillian says. “If you broke her heart, she’s scared you’ll do it again.”

We played a great game. The fans will be more excited for the rest of the season because of it. It felt great to be back on the ice in competition.

So why am I at home alone, acting like a sad sack of shit?

Because I sent two tickets for the game to Odette’s house, only for her to give them to her friends, Vanessa and George. They told Tori that Odette was on a date and didn’t want the tickets to go to waste.

A date.

A motherfucking date.

With another guy.

I showered at the arena, but I strip down again anyway, stepping into the steam and letting the hot water work at the internal tension. She’s fucking with me. Not intentionally, but she is all the same.

It’s not different than when we were young, and I’d steal looks at her every chance I got. There were so many days when I thought I should be with her instead of Caroline. High school pressure and expectations from our families got in the way. Everyone saw us as the “it couple” and we went with it. But it was Odette I fantasized about.

My mind plays back that night at her house, her standing at her sink in that flowy short dress. I tried not to be obvious in my ogling then, but now, I can appreciate her long legs. Toned with just a hint of sun-kissed glow. She was barefoot, toes painted a shade that matched her dress. Her hair pulled up in some intricate knot.

If things had been different, I’d have tangled my fingers in it and pulled it loose to flow down her back. Then I’d have slowly pulled her dress up and panties down with a soft touch that would drive her crazy, to keep her on the edge between titillating and tickling.

She’d have leaned in with her ass, bowing her back as she gripped the sink and widened her legs to give me the access I’d need to bury my face in her cunt and lay out every apology there.

I’d have made her come the first time like that. The same way I made her come for the first time when we were younger.

Fuck, I remember everything about her then. I remember more about her than I do most parts of my own life. How she tasted, how she sighed in pleasure, and groaned in release. How I always left her trembling and out of breath. So bold and unashamed with sex, even then.

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