Page 99 of Crossed Sticks

Nick grinned and held up his beer again. “Hear, hear. To Luca. If Harpy loves him, I do too. And to Harpy. I’m so glad you’re happy at last.”

With that out of the way, everyone relaxed. We all sipped our beers, and then Harp looked around the table. “I love Luca, and I trust him. Thanks for being the best friends I’ve ever had, and for accepting my man.”

Sako rolled his eyes. “I’d say he’s too hot for you, Harpy, but that means I’d have to say aWarrior’sboyfriend is hot. That, I could never do.”

“The fuck?” Blake, Sako’s husband, elbowed him. “You’d better not be thinkinganyother guy’s hot, no matter who he is.”

“Not so fast, Blake,” Tyler said. “I always used to notice the wayyoulooked at Harpy.”

I snorted and glared at Blake. “Keep your eyes to yourself, Conti. You don’t want to get into it with a lacrosse player. You guys onlythinkyou can fight.”

Everyone chortled, and when the noise died down, Nick was still grinning. “Let’s everyone stick with the guy he’s with. We don’t want any inter-sport fights breaking out.”

Harp took my hand and leaned over for a kiss. The guys knocked on the table to show their approval, and it felt good to know his friends had our backs.

40/

harper

The early morninglight was soft and gray. I stretched, feeling the familiar ache in my muscles from last night’s game. Luca’s rhythmic breaths and soft snores tempted me to snuggle a bit longer, but the urgent call of my bladder forced me to get up. Moving carefully, I eased out of bed and padded to the bathroom. The heated tile floor felt good on my bare feet, and while I stood in front of the toilet, I glanced out the window. The lake was veiled in fog, the vivid trees on the shore a reminder that fall was still in full swing.

When I returned to the room, I sat on the edge of the bed, watching Luca sleep. I couldn’t resist tracing the line of his jaw with my fingers. As I lingered on the thick stubble, warmth wound its way around my heart. Sometimes, I could hardly believe how lucky I was to have found him. We loved each other deeply, and we had a beautiful life ahead.

He stirred, mumbling as his eyes fluttered open. When our gazes met, a slow, lazy smile spread across his face. “Morning, babe,” he mumbled.

His voice, still rough with sleep, dispelled the chill in the air. “Morning,” I said, leaning down for a kiss. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer. Coach had canceledmorning skate, so the world didn’t exist outside our cocoon. For now, it was just us, the warmth of our bodies, and the promise of a day together.

“Why’d you get up?”

“I thought I’d make breakfast. Are you hungry?”

“Mm. Hungry for you. Come back to bed.”

I peeled back the comforter and crawled in beside him. When he slid over to make room, I climbed on top. We were both naked, and when our hardening cocks aligned, the friction made me purr. In one smooth motion, he broke the kiss and rolled us, so he was on top. Our lips met, and I wrapped my arms around him, lightly digging my nails into his back.

“Fuck yes,” he mumbled through the kiss. “Love it.”

Pulling back from my lips, he buried his face in my throat. I hummed while he licked and nibbled the tender skin. A sharper bite made me grunt, and I twisted underneath him—teetering on the edge between pleasure and pain—when he started sucking. A wicked thrill ran through me at the thought of going to practice tomorrow; the mark would still be fresh, and all the guys would know who claimed me.

He let go of my throat, shifting slightly to the side so he could place a hand on my chest. As he kneaded the muscle there, I dug into his back again, harder this time. He winced when I raked my nails across his skin.

“Fuck, babe.” Pinching one of my nipples between his fingers, he twisted hard, and we both cursed as I clawed his back. He rolled on top again, capturing my lower lip with his teeth and tugging gently before kissing me again.

Needing friction, I wriggled around and tried to grind against him. But since he was pressing me into the mattress, trying to move my hips was useless. I was pinned in place, and instead of frottage, I had only the weight of his thick cock on top of mine. He was throbbing, and the pulsations against my dick made meharder. I gave a muffled cry and pushed, trying to put enough space between us for even one good thrust against him, but he didn’t budge.

“Want something, baby?”

His teasing tone let me know I wouldn’t be getting what I needed right then, but I tried anyway. “Rub your dick against me.”

“Hm.” The low rise and fall of that one elongated syllable made me whine, and he chuckled softly. “I’ll give you my cock soon.”

“Not fucking soon enough.”

He rolled off me, playing with a nipple before spreading his hands to squeeze my pecs.

“You’ve got sweet tits, baby, and your nipples are perky this morning.” He leaned in and licked one of the offended nubs, making it even perkier. Raising his head, he offered me a crooked grin. “Want to play, hockey stud? Might help you work off any tension you’ve still got left over from the game.”

Excitement shot through me. Usually, I’d have acted like I didn’t want it, but it was time to change things up. “Only if you promise to make it ouch.”

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