Page 84 of Power Forward

“Now, the pants.” His voice comes out like gravel. “Take it all off, Jax. Let me see you.”

Keeping my eyes locked on him, I push my pants down, kicking them off once they reach my ankles. I tug off my socks next, then hook my thumbs into the waistband of my boxers. My hard cock slaps against my abs when I pull them down, and the hitch in Hayden’s breath has me grinning wickedly.

I climb into the bed next to him, hand splaying on his stomach as I lean over to capture his mouth in a slow but heated kiss. He tastes like toothpaste and something so distinctly him, and I moan when he slides his tongue into my mouth.

His fingers circle and flick over my nipple, and my cock is an iron bar against his warm thigh.

“Lie on your side,” I murmur.

With one final kiss, he rolls over so his back is to me, bending his outer leg at the knee. I take one of the pillows from behind me and place it under his knee, and the position exposes his hole perfectly. Retrieving the lube, I cover his mouth with mine as I begin to work him open with my fingers.

I’m dripping with precome by the time I roll on the condom and shift so my chest is pressed up against his back and wrap my arms around him. He angles his head, allowing me access to his mouth. I slowly thrust inside, swallowing down his moan.

Our kisses are tender and unhurried. My thrusts areslow and deep. He reaches back with one arm to hold the back of my head, keeping me close.

“I love you, Jax,” he whispers between pleasured groans.

“Love you always, Cas.”

And this is how I want to spend the rest of my nights, wrapped up in him.

“Daddy!” Isabela shouts as she runs down the hallway. She throws her bag on the floor, then collides with my legs. I reach down to scoop her up, blowing a big raspberry on her neck. She erupts into giggles, trying to push me away.

“Hey, Dad. Where’s Hayden?” Ryan asks.

“He’s upstairs, bud. He’ll be down shortly.” I put Isabela down on her feet again. “Why don’t you take your bags upstairs, then I’ll make us some pancakes.”

Their eyes go wide. “We get pancakes?”

“Yeah, but only if you take your bags upstairs.”

The promise of pancakes is always a winner. They collect their bags from the hardwood floor and run up the stairs.

Mom lingers on the other side of the kitchen island, watching me with a look in her eyes that I haven’t seen in a while.

“You okay?” I ask.

“Yeah, I’m fine, sweetie. I’m just happy to see you happy again.”

“Double the happy in that sentence,” I chuckle.

She picks up the dish towel and swats me with it. “Imean it. This warrants the double happy. It’s been hard seeing you struggle. Okay, maybe ‘struggle’ is the wrong word because you’re doing a fantastic job with those kids and your career, but it’s been at the expense of you losing a bit of you, and that’s been hard to see.”

I swallow thickly. She’s not wrong there. I lost myself along the way, trying to be the best version of me as dad and the best on the ice. And since Hayden’s slid back into my life, I’m starting to breathe a little easier.

“I love him, Mom.”

She nods knowingly. “I know. And you know what? Those two didn’t stop talking about him all night. They were asking me questions I didn’t know the answers to, but I learned he’s six foot two and he’s thirty-nine years old. He was born in Maine but grew up in Nova Scotia and played for Boston for twelve years and was known as one of the most amazing power forwards of his generation.”

“Wow, you did your research,” I smirk, and her eyes sparkle.

“I did, but I don’t want to learn about him from Google. I want to learn about him fromhim. You better bring him at Christmas, Jackson, or I’ll be loading your plate with sprouts.”

“Gigi!” Ryan calls, saving me from replying when he skids into the kitchen. “Do you have the gift we got for Hayden?”

I’m unable to hide the surprise on my face, but it’s Hayden who echoes my thoughts. He’s being dragged into the room by Isabela.

“You got me a gift?” he asks.

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