Page 53 of Crossing the Top Line

No one argues with the call, the room still silent until Coach and Dennis leave with the three prospects. I look around, the edges of my vision blurry. Eli and Spencer start to get undressed, but I’m still sitting in stunned silence. It…happened. Eli and I made it. Made it to the main roster.

“I’d offer to buy y’all a drink, but we’ll have to wait until we get back from Ottawa,” Dallas says, jolting me out of my shock.

Eli laughs, half turning to face him. “I’m gonna hold you to that, Tex,” he quips.

There’s some laughter, and suddenly the tension is gone. Despite the loss, there’s an air of celebration because this is it. Barring injuries or last-minute trades at the deadline next year, this is the group of guys I’m going to be playing with for the next six months, and maybe more if we play our cards right. And that means we get to stay in New Orleans, and with…

I leave the locker room as soon as I politely can, grinning as a few vets slap me on the back and officially welcome me to the team. But right now, I’ve got another goal in mind.

I find Tori near the catering tables, leaning against a wall. The deep green color of her dress brings out the gold in her hair, her long legs and stunning ass enhanced by the three-inch stilettos. She looks up when I’m a few paces away, eyes widening at my brisk approach.

“What’s going on? Is someone hurt?”

I don’t answer, taking her wrist in a gentle but firm grip and pulling her away from the crowd. We don’t have to go far before I find what I’m looking for, and I lead Tori behind me into the shadow of an open supply closet. Kicking the door closed with one foot, I bring Tori to my chest.

“Oliver, what the hell—"

I don’t let her finish before I slant my lips over hers. She doesn’t respond at first, either from shock or confusion, but I hardly notice. Her skin smells like salt and sunshine and gentle magnolias, and I let my eyes slide closed as I hold her tight. And when she relents, and I get that first sugar-sweet taste of her tongue against mine, my knees nearly go out from under me. Our kiss is brief, both of us pulling away at the same time, panting slightly.

“What…what was that about?” she whispers breathily, hands coming to rest on my biceps.

“We’re staying. Coach made his cuts, and me and Eli…we’re not going back to Shreveport,” I explain, my amazement returning as I say the words out loud for the first time.

I can’t see Tori through the darkness, but I know she’s smiling as she stretches up and kisses me again. I support her weight, keeping her on her tiptoes when she tries to back away. She moans into my mouth, yielding when I run my tongue along her plump lower lip. Melting in my arms, she doesn’t try to fight this as I’d feared. When I pull away again, my eyes have adjusted a little, and I can see the outline of Tori’s face, the slightly dazed smile pulling up her lips.

“Take me home tonight,” I whisper, my voice catching in my throat with emotion.

She straightens, and this time I let her step away. My hands drop to her waist, and then fall to my sides as she backs into a metal shelving unit.

“I can’t, Oli. We’re…if someone finds out…”

I take a step forward, finding her hand in the dark and bringing it to my lips. Her words fade with a sigh, frustration dripping from the sound. She’s not refusing outright, though that’s a bit of a cold comfort. Players and staff aren’t forbidden from being involved romantically, and my instincts are sending up signals that there’s something else going on. But I have learned enough about her in these few short weeks to know when to push, and this isn’t the time.

“Another rain check, then?” I ask, glad that my words don’t reflect the disappointment curling like a choking vine around my heart.

She doesn’t answer, just squeezing my hand before brushing past me out of the closet. The light of the hallway blinds me before the door slides shut, plunging me into darkness again.

Later, when we’re on the way home, the cab of my SUV is full to bursting with heavy silence. I know Eli picks up on my sullen mood, because he doesn’t say anything despite having plenty of reason to celebrate.

Once we’re back at the house, Spencer disappears into his room, only grunting a goodnight. He puts all of this energy into his game, and we’re lucky if he doesn’t fall asleep in the car on the ride home from the arena. He’ll probably be asleep before his head hits his pillow. Eli hesitates outside the door to the guest room we’re pretending is his, but I shake my head. Guilt pulls at my insides; I haven’t been as giving with my attention as I could be lately, but it wouldn’t be fair to him if I allowed him into our bed when my head and heart are miles away. For a flash, I think he’s going to defy me, but he just gives me a soft smile before stepping into his room alone.

Once I’m in the primary suite, I head for the attached bathroom, closing a locking the door. I lean my head against the cool wood, trying to take deep, centering breaths. But traces of Tori’s scent still linger on my skin, and it makes my heart ache. I strip out of my undershirt and underwear, adjusting the temperature to as close to boiling as I can before stepping under the spray. Steam billows around me, and I close my eyes, licking my lips to indulge in the last taste of sweet tea on my lips.

My cock jumps nearly to full hardness as I let my mind sink into the memories of a few hours ago. How she felt in my arms, the dig of her nails into my skin, the little sounds she made as I kissed her. It’s easy to let my imagination take over, to play out what might have happened in that dark supply closet, had I let my instincts take over.

Hand drifting to my cock, I pump slowly as I picture how she would have looked if I’d moved forward, pressing her against the shelving unit, my arms and body cutting off any avenue of escape. I would cover her mouth with mine, swallowing any sound as I grab the back of one of her thighs, wrapping her leg around my hip. I can almost feel the dig of her heel into my ass as I imagine pushing her panties aside to sink my fingers into her slit.

I lean forward heavily, one hand pressed against the shower wall, the other working my cock faster and faster. I wouldn’t have had time to make her come with my mouth, though I can hardly wait to see how sweet her slick tastes. When I finally get the chance, I’ll have her spread out and at my tongue’s mercy, like I’d promised her yesterday. Another night, I would make her beg for my cock, but tonight, I don’t think I would have had the patience for that game.

With my knot swelling in my hand, I picture how I would have undone my pants, pushing them down just enough to free my cock before sliding it into her. Her little moans and sighs from my kiss would be nothing to the sounds I would force from her throat as I fuck her slow and deep, taking a few moments to truly savor the feel of her around me without any sort of barrier. God, it’s been so long since I fucked an omega without a condom, and the idea of fucking Tori until she’s drunk on pleasure and dripping with my cum is too much.

My spine tingles, my balls draw up into my pelvis and I have to slap a hand over my mouth to muffle the moaning gasp I let out as my cock pulses. I spray my cum against the wall, shaking with the force of my orgasm. My hand slows, drawing out the waves until my pulse throbs across my skin, from my scalp to my toes.

I’m still for a long time, even after the last waves of my orgasm recede. My mind is quiet for the first time in a while, and I bask in it. But as my mind starts to move again, I can only think of one thing:

The next time we’re alone, I won’t be leaving things at a kiss again.

Myassbarelytouchesthe leather seat of Oliver’s SUV before his stern voice issues from the driver’s seat.

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