Page 106 of Dirty Pucker

Other than his close friend Sam, I’m the only person he’s ever opened up to about what he went through. It means that he trusts me. It means that he’s letting me in and showing a side of himself that he doesn’t let anyone else see.

The morning after, I woke up cuddled in his arms. He made me breakfast in bed, then fucked me so hard and so good.

My heart swells in my chest. It’s never been like this with any guy I’ve been with before. No guy has ticked all my boxes the way Del does. He’s the perfect gentleman who’s protective of me, exactly what I’ve always wanted in bed,andemotionally open.

I feel like I’ve hit the boyfriend jackpot.

Boyfriend…

The word snags in my brain. We haven’t had “the talk” yet…we haven’t put a label on whatever this is between us. We moved pretty seamlessly from flirty friends to hooking up, and the topic of what we are to each other hasn’t come up.

I’ve thought about bringing it up to him, but I don’t want to put pressure on him. He’s worried about looking after his mom, and playoffs are about to start too…I don’t want to make him talk about our status, that might stress him out more.

But honestly? I’m falling hard for Del. I want to make things official between us. I want to be his girlfriend.

Maya’s laugh pulls me back to the moment.

“You could plaster all the mud in this room on top of your skin, Ingrid. It won’t hide that look in your eyes. Or that smile,” my best friend says. “You’re smitten with Del, I can tell.”

Sophie and Dakota tease me too.

“My brother is so into you,” Dakota says, her big brown eyes bright. “It’s honestly so sweet to see. When I go to the Bashers games, I see the way he looks at you. He adores you.”

A wide grin pulls at my lips as I look away.

“It’s true. I see it too,” Sophie says.

I finally look at them, still smiling like an idiot. “Del is amazing. He’s the sweetest guy I’ve ever been with.”

“Really? Dirty Del? The meanest guy in the league? The one with the most penalty time?” Maya jokes.

I tilt my head at her, still smiling. “He’s dirty off the ice too, you know.”

Dakota makes a gagging noise and covers her ears. “I can’t take hearing you say that about my brother.”

I laugh. “Sorry. Let’s change the subject. Tell us about this guy you’ve been seeing.”

Dakota smiles. “It’s still new, but it’s fun. He’s the gym teacher at my school, but he’s also an aspiring musician. He writes and performs his own songs and posts on his social media.”

“How cool,” Maya says.

“Have you introduced him to your mom and brother yet?” Sophie asks.

Dakota shakes her head. “Not yet. You know my brother. He’ll interrogate the poor guy and give him a heart attack.”

I think about how Dakota has complained about Del being too protective of her for her whole life. I don’t doubt that it’s annoying for her to deal with, but I wonder if she realizes that his protectiveness over her stems from the way their dad mistreated them and their mom.

Maya checks the time. “We’d better rinse off,” she says. “We’re due to meet the guys for our dinner reservation at six.”

We head to the showers and wash off the mud. I grab a fluffy white towel and as I dry off, I catch my reflection in the mirror of the shower stall I’m standing in.

My wet hair falls over my bare breasts in a messy but sexy way. I look wild and wrecked but also hot.

Before I talk myself out of it, I snap a photo of my reflection in the mirror and text it to Del, grinning to myself as I imagine his reaction.

Chapter 37

Del

---