Page 69 of The Playmaker

“Playoffs are coming up fast,” he says, holding my forehead to his mouth. “The team will be back home practicing before I know it. I need to practice with them to get ready. First game of seven will be here in Seattle, on our home ice.” He inches back to see me. “Cason will be home soon. I bet you’re happy about that.”

“I am. I miss him a lot.”

“He misses you, too.” When I go silent, a strange look comes over him. “He cares about you a lot, Nina.”

I kick the sheets off. I don’t want to talk about Cason. The distance between us—physical and emotional—makes me sad. I’m not so sure I believed Cole when he said Cason wanted to take me places when we were kids. Then again, we grew up with distant parents, and maybe he just didn’t know how to display affection. Still, he could reach out to me every now and then. I want to be a family, the way Cole and Tabby and their dad are a family.

“We need to move or you’re going to be late for your appointment. I’ll shower first.”

“I’ll join you.”

“No,” I say, and place my hand on his chest so he can’t get up. “If you climb in there with me—”

“You don’t want my cock in you again?”

A fine shiver of want goes through me. “You know I do.”

“Then what’s the problem?

“Your appointment. You just told me how important hockey is to you.”

He opens his mouth like he wants to say something, then frowns and closes it. Silence ensues for a second, and then he says, “Okay, go. I’ll just stay here with my hard-on and wait for my turn.”

He pulls the blankets off and exposes himself to me.

I chuckle. “You are so bad.” He takes his cock into his hand. “Cole,” I warn. He laughs as he strokes himself. “We had sex three times last night, how can you be—”

“I can’t get enough of you, sweet Nina,” he says, and I take in his expression, see no humor behind his words. “If I get the all clear, I’m tying you to this bed tonight.”

Don’t read more into it, girl.

He winks at me. “You want that, don’t you?”

I want a lot of things.

“Yeah, I want.”

Fire burns in his eyes as I dart to the bathroom. I have a fast shower, and when I finish, I find Cole in the bathroom waiting his turn. He drops a soft kiss onto my mouth, and I go back into the bedroom to dress quickly. Not wanting to disturb Tabby or Jack as they try to sleep in and adjust, I quietly make my way to the kitchen to scramble us some eggs.

A noise at the door catches my attention, and I walk to it to find the mail being slid through a slot. I pick it up and carry it to the kitchen. I toss it onto the table, but one bill jumps out at me. Cole has had medical bills, sure, but this one is from Renal Care. Why the hell would Cole be getting a bill from Renal Care?

My pulse leaps as understanding dawns. Could this be why his father hasn’t been around much? He has kidney failure? And Cole pays the bills for him?

My throat tightens. There really is more to this man than he lets on.

I hurry to the fridge and pull out the eggs. Cole and Tabby must be so worried about him, and with Cole unable to drive, and his dad not well, they’ve not been able to see each other.

Since they’ve kept his illness a secret, I’m not about to say a word. It does give me an idea, though. They’ve both been so nice to me, I want to do something nice for them in return.

As my plan takes shape, one I’m anxious to put into action, I grab my phone and shoot Jess a text. I’m going to need a few hours away from Cole if I’m going to make this work.

“Hey,” Cole says when he enters the kitchen. I turn to see him, and my heart stills. How is it possible that he gets better looking every day? That I seem to fall for him a little more with each passing minute?

“Mail came,” I say.

“Thanks.”

I make toast and scramble eggs as he goes through it. I put our plates on the table. “I’m going to hang out with Jess this afternoon. It’s been ages since I’ve seen her.”

---