Page 51 of Mind Pucked

I hold my breath for a moment as he plunges inside. I want him, I want all of him. I reach around him as he lowers his head to my neck, brushing it with his lips as he pushes deeper, thrusting within me, further than before.

I exhale in delight as he moves, flexing his strong arms as he raises up a little to look down at me. I graze my nails along the skin of his back as he pulls almost all the way out, and then enters again…teasingly slow.

“Oh hell, that feels good,” I say as he pulls nearly all the way out again.

This time he thrusts forward, hard and firm and I cry out in delight. He gathers my hands in one of his large ones and pulls my arms above my head, holding me there.

I’m completely at his mercy.

He moves with such ease that our bodies feel like one. I dig my heels into his back as I wrap myself tighter around him.

“Amelia, you feel so fucking good around me,” he says. At those words I explode again, and moments later he does the same.

Panting, he pulls out and lies down beside me. We laugh and breathe as the shots finally kick all the way in. I feel sleep pulling at me, but here, looking at him in this way, I want nothing more than to just talk.

“Did you always want to play hockey?” I ask him.

“Always,” he breathes. “Ever since I saw some boys playing on a chunk of ice when I was only five. I had to know what that game was, and from that moment on, I learned nothing as well as I learned hockey. My parents were just happy I was so invested in something.”

“And it looks like you’ve made good friends,” I say, more as an observation.

“Many of those guys I met when we were younger, and I met my wife the same way,” he admits, but I can tell he wishes he hadn’t said anything like that. “I’m so sorry, Amelia, I shouldn’t have mentioned her like that here with you.”

“No,” I say, finding myself touching his face softly. “Don’t be sorry. She’s a part of your life. She always will be. You can look at your daughter and see her face looking back at you. I don’t mind you mentioning her at all.” I offer him a smile, hoping he believes me. “You should talk about her, it might help…” I pause. “I mean, if you want. I know sometimes it’s better to talk than to keep it all in.”

“She was amazing. I loved her so much. She was a better person than I could ever be. The day she…” He pauses and looks at me as if fighting tears. “The day of the wreck, when I found out she died…I had been so upset that day that she and one of our players weren’t at the game. I was mad at her.”

I fight the gut-twisting feeling at the mention of that player. Preston.

“I’m sure that day left you with so many questions,” I say, hoping it’s the right thing to say.

“Yeah, one more than anything.” He sits up in the bed, pulling his knees to his chest as if he’s deep in thought.

“What’s that?” I ask, sitting up too, putting my arm around him.

“Nothing,” he says darkly.

I know I have to tread lightly here, but I need answers. Now is as good a time as any for this conversation, especially with the influence of the shots and the fact that he’s actually talking right now.

“I heard a rumor…” I say quietly as I rub circles on his back.

“What’s that?” he snaps, suddenly looking me in the eyes sternly.

“I can’t recall where I heard it, but I heard that she wasn’t alone in the accident, is that true?” I ask, hoping I don’t scare him away.

“Yeah,” is all he says, and I don’t know if I should push or not.

“I see,” is all I say, thinking I probably shouldn’t pry much more than that unless he’s willing.

“That player I mentioned,” he snaps with heat in his tone. “They found his fucking wallet in her car,his blood, but they never found his body.” There’s so much anger behind his words.

I fight the need to recoil. I don’t know what to say to him, but something tells me…he knows more than he’s saying. He’s involved with my brother’s death.

I know it.

I wait until Jackson falls asleep, and I slip out of bed, finding my clothes strewn about. I put them on as best I can in the dark and make my way out the door, being sure not to slam it on the way out.

I left a note hoping it will work to cover my tracks, but at this point I think I have all the information I need.

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