Page 30 of Let It Be Me
“Nice try, Blue.” I release her and turn on the shower. Turning around, I see her surveying me like I’m an undiscovered creature. She’s probably confused by the nickname I’ve given to her. But I plan to keep that name under lock and key for the time being. I put my hand under the water to feel for the temperature and when I feel it’s warm enough, I grab her hand and drag her under the spray with me.
Sarah is reluctant and stiff at first, but then she loosens up. She grabs the bar of soap and runs it under the water to suds it up. Rubbing her hands together with the soap and then running it over my body, I watch in amusement with her concentration. Her brows scrunch in concentration and her bottom lip disappears as she tucks it between her lips. I breathe raggedly through her thorough washing of my body and have to think of literally anything when she drops down to her knees to wash my legs and my cock which twitches in her hand. When she’s done, she places the soap on the shelf and maneuvers me under the spray.
Once I see all the soap has run off my body, I return the favor. Her body has curves that I love gripping onto but is tone in all of the right places. Kneeling I kiss her stomach and I make sure to pay close attention to between her legs and don’t miss her flinch.
“Sorry.” I tell her as I continue washing her. Although the caveman in me likes the thought of her a little sore. When I tap her on the ankle, she places her hands on my shoulders and hands a foot to me. I marvel in the muted pink on her toenails being a stark contrast to her vibrant personality. When I’ve finished washing her, I carefully switch our positions and move her under the water to rinse all of the soap off.
I can’t resist pecking her on the lips before I turn off the water and reach for a towel. Stepping out, I dry off my body as fast as I can, wrap it around my waist and then grab the extra towel for Sarah. I turn around and dry her off, then wrap the towel around her as well. I hold my hand out for her and she takes it, letting me help her unnecessarily out of the shower. I peck her on the cheek and leave her to get dressed.
When I walk back into her office, my clothes are scattered all over the place. Weirdly, my phone managed to stay in my pants and I open it up to a few texts from the guys asking to go to dinner. It’s around four and I could make it back in plenty of time. I’ve done everything Sarah needed me to do, so I have no need to stay. But I want to stay. Why do I want to stay?
Shrugging on my wrinkled shirt, I make my way back to her bedroom and find her in the bathroom with a white silk floral robe covering her body. I lean against the doorframe and watch as she lathers her body in lotion. I like watching her in silence. It’s as if I get the unfiltered,peaceful version of her that she chooses not to show to the rest of the world.
“Hey,” she says when her eyes flicker to me in the mirror as she finally notices my presence.
“Hi,” I return a smile at her. “I’ve gotta head out.”
I watch for any sign that she wants me to stay but I detect nothing. She’s good at remembering what we are, or what we’re not, and it seems that I need to follow suit. Or maybe she’s not good at it and has to constantly remind herself that we’re nothing but a contract.
“Okay. Well, I guess I’ll see you in a couple weeks for your first game.” Sarah tells me as she turns around to face me. She looks so delicate that it completely disarms me.
“Sure.” I say and walk forward, invading her space and backing her into her vanity counter. She looks up at me with a renewed fire in her eyes. The shades of blue in them drowns me and makes me want to never come up for air.
My mouth fuses to Sarah’s for a hard and toe-curling kiss. Her hands find my waist and she rises to her toes to deepen our kiss. And just as fast, I rip my mouth from hers, leaving her in the bathroom holding onto the vanity and breathless.
Hopping down the stairs with renewed energy, I shuck on my leather jacket, toe on my boots and snag my helmet from the chair in her foyer. I don’t hear any sounds coming from upstairs and I figure she’s still trying to figure out how to breathe. Opening the front door, I lock the small lock and head out to my bike.
That contract was right to stipulate that we not fall in love.
Because I might already be halfway there.
“What doyou mean you don’t want to go out?” Noah whines when I tell them my after dinner plans.
I went right to the restaurant from Sarah’s house. I was hopeful that the drive back to home base would help gather my thoughts. Only the farther I got from her, the more I wanted to turn around and spend more time with her.You’re fake dating, Riley. Remember that.But now all Noah talks about is going out to hopefully get laid and that’s the last thing that’s on my mind. No. The only thing on my mind is a redhead in Cincinnati with eyes so blue, I could paint them and keep discovering new shades of blue.
“What I mean is that I’m beat from my drive. Take Logan.” I tell him and take a sip of water. The truth is that while I’m tired, I’m also still wired from today. But I need more than an hour on a traffic-filled highway to take it all in.
“I don’t wanna go out,” Logan says with a mouth full of chips from next to me.
“Sorry, buddy.” I tell him and turn my attention back to a pouting Noah. “What happened to what's-her-face from last season?”
“She moved.”
“You need more than one backup.” Max says from next to him and takes a pull from his beer.
Logan shakes his head and takes a drink from his water. We’re the only two not drinking tonight. Once September rolls around I go cold turkey. Not that I have a problem or anything, but I don’t perform my best after a couple of drinks. I learned that the hard way my rookie season. While going into my second season, I know the training and practices won’t get much easier. But it’s better to stay on top of my game when I’m not dragging my ass to practice after having one too many beers. So I’m already putting myself in that focus mentality. Thinking of the game makes mewonder if I can convince Sarah to come up here for a few days to get the true hockey training experience.
I’m nudged in the side by Logan and look at him like he’s crazy. “What?”
“What’s up with you?”
“Nothing.” I tell him and shake my head. It’s definitely not like me to get hooked on someone I’m not really dating. But Sarah manages to rewire something in my brain to where all I think about is her. It’s funny how I went from aloof months ago, to wanting to impress her with everything I do.
“Nuh uh,” Noah starts. “That’s a lovesick look you’ve got on your face.”
“I don’t have a “lovesick look” on my face,” I tell them defensively which raises alarms.
“And you’re defensive.” Max notes.
