Page 16 of Conner

Conner – I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Frankie – Right. Well, I’m excited to see you tonight. Try and find the back of the net this time.

That night during warm-up he looked over to the seats and saw Frankie and Kate sitting together.

“Those two look like trouble.” Turning he saw Wes beside him bouncing the puck on the end of his stick.

“You have no idea. They were roommates in college. All I know is I better fucking score tonight or I’ll never live it down.”

After warmups Conner was center ice. He took a deep breath as he skated in for the face-off. This was it. This was the game. He was going to put all this nonsense behind him. His sister and Frankie were here, they knew his game almost as well as the players on the ice. If he ever needed to shake what had been happening it was tonight. He got in position for the face-off and won the battle. Within moments Cash had the puck and skated into their zone. He pulled the defensemen, leaving Wes open. Wes took the puck to his side and looked like he was about to shoot but sent the puck straight to Conner. Conner didn’t even think, he took his shot. The puck whizzed top shelf over the goalie’s left shoulder.

It was back. His shot felt just like it always had. In the first five seconds of the game, he was on the board for the first time in months. Wes and Cash were the first ones to skate over to him hug him and tap his helmet in celebration. He was ready for this game now. He turned to Frankie who grinned at him.

After his game, which had gone great, he was heading home. He had a big house he had bought when he signed his second contract with the Magic. As he walked into his house, he couldn't help but notice for the first time it felt empty.

Thirty was right around the corner. His older brother had been married for years with three kids. His sister was in a relationship with his teammate, who also happened to be one of his closest friends. And there he was in a big, empty house. He went and flopped on his couch, kicked his feet up on the coffee table, and grabbed his video game controller. His life had never felt empty before, but right now it did.

Something inside of him wished Sasha was here. Even though he was pissed at her for posting the video, he wanted her curled up on the couch next to him, his arms around her, her luscious soft body pressing into his. And fuck it all if he wasn't hard right now. He shouldn’t jack off to the woman who could hardly stand him, also one he worked with. But as if it moved on its own, his hand slipped down the waistband of his sweatpants and his fist was wrapped around his cock. He needed to unwind after the game, and this was as good a way as any.

9

Sasha

Sasha had managed to steer clear of Conner for the past couple days, but she needed to get him to film a few more videos for her. They would be quick. She just needed to schedule a few minutes before practice one day. She had emailed him, but once again received nothing but silence. And she hadn't seen him to schedule anything, but to be fair she wasn't exactly looking for him, quite the opposite in fact.

She was loading the plane. Luckily Conner happened to be walking by her. "Conner, just the man I was looking for," she said as she stood to talk to him.

“Oh yeah, why's that?” he asked, and damn it if he wasn't the most handsome man she had ever been around.He's a jerk, Sasha, She told herself.Don't be pulled in by that strong jawline and those deceptively kind eyes.Although those eyes didn’t look as kind as they normally did. She didn’t have time to think about it, she needed to get these scheduled.

“I was hoping to make some more captain tips videos,” she said.

“I actually have a bone to pick with you,” he said with furrowed brows.

She gave him a careful look.

“I’m here to play hockey. I don’t want to make those thirst trap videos,” he said louder than she liked. Her eyes darted around, this was a small plane, and her boss was on it along with other members of the PR team of which she was the newest member.

“I only post videos like that with Cash because we have discussed it and he doesn't mind. I haven't posted anything like that about you,” she whispered to him harshly.

“Sasha, I saw the video.”

She got out of her seat and pulled him to the area between the staff and the players area. She didn't want everyone hearing this. “What are you talking about?”

Just then Wes and Ethan squeezed past them, and Wes shot her a smile, she tried to smile back but kept her attention firmly on Conner.

“That video with the suit cam, it has so many views. Someone even brought it up to me at a bar, I had three girls hit on me that night. Have you read those comments? Some of them are intense.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“The suit cam. You posted a video of me making…a face.”

Oh, she knew what he was talking about. She had asked him to smile at the camera once, but when he did that face at the suit cam, it had surprised her, but it was great, and it was blowing up.

“I thought you made that face on purpose.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

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