Page 25 of Riding Pine
“You know,” Lukas turns his head to meet my gaze, and I reach out to wipe a smear of cum from his scruff. “We’ve been alone together four times, and three of them ended with us naked.”
Laughing, I stretch my hands over my head, arching my back. Lukas’s gaze shifts down my body, but only for a moment before returning to my face. “We have good chemistry,” he adds, running a hand up my bare chest.
“We do. It’s wild. I’ve always had a larger-than-normal appetite for sex. I won’t lie about that, but you’re something else.”
Lukas’ hand stops on my chest, and he leans forward, flicking his tongue over my nipple. He draws a single finger through the smear of cum on my chest. “We don’t even know each other’s last names, but I know how you like me to handle you rough and that you like to wear skimpy underwear.”
“Hmm…that’s correct. And you like it when I’m bendy and freaky.”
“Would you want to know more than that?”
Lukas smiles in a shy way that totally makes my guts twist.
“I guess it depends on what you mean by more.”
“I’d like to date you, Ben. Get to know you with clothes on.” His stomach growls. “Maybe even take you for the dinner that we never had.”
“I’ve never really dated anyone before.” Which is true. No prom dates or plus ones. No Sunday brunches with all the coupled-up friends. I have flings. Sex, much like what we’ve been doing, but less hot. It lasts a week and then fades. I’ve never been completely content with that, but I’ve also never found someone to take a chance with.
“Ever?” he whispers.
“Not really, no.”
Lukas scrambles to a sitting position and offers a hand to pull me up. We both sit cross-legged, still reeking of sex, and this giant of a man takes my hand in his.
“Ben, would you like to have a late dinner with me tonight?”
I’ve watched my share of romantic movies, and I’ve had a crush on more than one leading man. I’ve never had this feeling, though. An excited anticipation. Fluttering of all the moths in the night against my porch light.
This is new and scary, but holy shit, I don’t want it to end.
“Uh…I’d love to eat. With you.”
Just when I thought the man couldn’t be more attractive, he beams a smile so bright it outshines the sun.
“Let’s get cleaned up, and then we’ll find a place.”
eight
Lukas
I’ve never been in serious relationships while playing hockey because, in the early years, the easy picking fruit was everywhere.
Women formed the majority of the puck bunnies, but it was a nice surprise to find the men being more forward at bars. The options were endless, as they say, and I had a very exploratory first few years. I didn’t want to have to worry about a partner waiting for me back home. I wanted to explore my sexualityas much as possible without that hanging over me. Travelling to different cities and having nights to fill worked for me.
Until it didn’t.
The time left with my playing career nears its end, and the stream of faces and forgotten names isn’t as desirable as it once was. No one could be more shocked than I when I realized I now wanted some stability in life.
Ben meets the physical checkbox, and our chemistry is explosive. I hope we can find common ground with our clothes on and see if this takes us anywhere.
We decided on a pizza place near the campus of the local university since it’s open late, and after we order, Ben leans back in the booth and looks around the restaurant.
“I took exactly one semester at this university.” He laughs as he points to a poster on the far wall. “That poster hasn’t changed in ten years.”
“You went here? What did you take?”
“Oh. Business management. Then I got offered a contract I couldn’t turn down.” His lips purse, and he sighs. “According to my father, I was an idiot for leaving school.”
