Page 20 of Well Played

“Come on then Sprout.”

Great. Now he is using the nickname.

I packed up and flowed him back inside, shaking my head.

Get it together Hazel. He’s a hot hockey player. Im a book nerd. We have nothing in common, even if he had been starring in my most intimate fantasies for longer than I cared to admit

Except pecan pie.That’s something we have in common, my traitorous brain played on repeat.

2

As the halftimebuzzer echoed through the arena, I stood at the edge of the ice. I could feel the sweat beginning to form beneath the thick layers of my polar bear mascot suit. The Glacier Bay Blizzards skated towards the locker room, their faces red from the exertion and stress.

My eyes were locked on one player. Seth. I knew I shouldn't do it, but the temptation was too great to resist.

I waddled onto the ice, my movements exaggerated and comical. The crowd erupted in laughter and cheers as I approached Seth, my bear butt wiggling with each step. I could see the confusion in his eyes as I circled around him, my fur-covered paws grazing his muscular arms, as I tried to ignore the jolt of heat that flooded my body each time I touched him.

I turned my back to Seth and shook my tail in his face, the soft fur brushing against his groin. The crowd went wild, their laughter filling the arena.

Seth didn't seem amused. In fact, he looked downright pissed.

I heard a “That’s it” growl come from him before he dropped his gloves on the ice.

Heck.

I took off down the ice, looking back to see he was chasing after me. Bugger. He was!

If Seth caught me, my secret identity would be revealed, and the consequences from him and my brother would be disastrous. I had to escape, and fast.

I skated off the ice as quickly as my bulky suit would allow, my breath coming in short gasps as I waddled down the tunnel towards the locker rooms. The crowd were stamping their feet and calling out tocatch the mascot. No. That can’t happen. I could hear Seth's skates behind me, the sound growing louder with each passing second.

Desperate, I scanned my surroundings for a place to hide. The storeroom door was slightly open, so, without a second thought, I ducked inside, praying that Seth hadn't seen me.

It’s not often I pray, but I was praying to any god that would listen that Seth wouldn’t find me.

But luck wasn't on my side. The door swung open, and Seth's imposing figure filled the doorway. He grabbed the polar bear (me!) by the throat, his voice low and menacing. "Enough with the games. Stop the crap, or I'll..."

The thick fur of my suit cushioned his grip, but the intensity of his gaze made my knees weak. His hands on me for the first time let lose a flood of heat through my body. I let out a moan, the sound muffled by the mascot head. Seth's grip loosened as he must have realized the person inside the suit was female. His hands left my body and was tugging at my bear head, ripping the head off in one swift motion. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness, and found myself staring into the depths of his piercing blue gaze.

"Hazel?" he asked, confused as the bear head dropped from his hand. "It's you?"

“Surprise?” I said as I smiled a little at him, anything to break his shock.

I then realised the gods must have listened to my R rated prayers earlier that day as Seth's lips lowered to mine, his hands titling my face slightly to deepen the kiss instantly.

If I knew this would happen, I would have been caught months earlier!

His hands roamed over the soft fur of my mascot suit, pulling me closer, as I wished I was dressed more appropriately and not something so bulky so I could feel him against me. My fingers tangling in his sweat-dampened hair as his body heat finally started to seep through the layers of fabric. Fabric I was now desperate to get rid of so I could feel him.

His tongue swept into my mouth, exploring, tasting, claiming, I felt a rush of sensations at the scrape of his stubble against my skin, the firm press of his muscles against my curves, the heady scent of his cologne mingling with the musk of sweat - it was all too much and not enough at the same time.

My mind struggled to process the fact that this was really happening. Seth, the man I had been secretly lusting after, was kissing me.

No not kissing.

Claiming me.

It was as if we had both been waiting for this moment, and now that it was here. I felt a little cold and bare when we finally broke apart. Seth rested his forehead against mine, his breath hot against my lips. "I had a feeling the bear was you," he murmured, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

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