OLLIE
Ollie: I had a hell of a time covering up all your bite marks this morning.
Silas: Am I supposed to feel bad about that?
Ollie: A little sympathy would be nice.
Silas: Not sorry. Let everyone know who you belong to when they ask about them.
Ollie: I’m going to start nibbling your dick, so your teammates know who *you* belong to.
Silas: I welcome it. Nibble away.
Ollie: Don’t threaten me with a good time.
Silas: Pretty sure that would be a good time for me.
Ollie: Have I told you how much I love your dick?
Silas: Not nearly enough.
Ollie: I think about it constantly.
Silas: Once again, don’t make me hard in front of my guys.
Ollie: Can’t you control yourself?
Silas: Can’t *you* control *yourself*?
Ollie: No. Get used to it.
Silas: At least you’re honest.
Ollie: Will you come to my place after the game tonight? I have plans.
Silas: I’ll be wherever you want me to be.
Ollie: Good answer. Good luck tonight.
Silas: Thanks, baby.
* * *
“Your smile is contagious,” Ross says as he comes up to my booth in the student union, where I’m munching on a salad. “And you did a shit job covering your hickeys.”
“I was just telling Silas how I had a hell of a time covering them up.” I save the article I’m working on and turn my attention to Ross, who sits across from me. “How are you?”
“Good.” He smiles. “Saw Ian last night.”
“Did you?”
Ross nods. “He took me out to this really nice steak restaurant. We spent the whole night chatting about nothing and everything, and when it came time to say goodbye, he asked if I wanted to go back to his place.”
“Please tell me you said yes.”
“Of course I did.” He leans forward and whispers, “Hockey bodies are unlike anything I’ve ever touched.”
“Tell me about it,” I say, thinking about Silas and his naked self.
“Broad chests, tiny waists, muscles everywhere.” Ross sighs. “I honestly feel inferior when I’m around him. I feel like I have to try harder.”
“Stop it,” I say. “You have an amazing body, and if Ian didn’t think so, he wouldn’t be inviting you back to his place.”
“True.” The corners of his mouth pull up. “He is such a dom, Ollie. He owns every part of the bedroom.”
“That’s so hot.”
“Is Silas the same way?”
“He is,” I say, thinking about our night together. “He likes to control every aspect of what we do. He tells me what to do but also asks what I need. He’s considerate and thoughtful. He prefers to pleasure me, and I prefer to pleasure him, so sometimes it feels like we’re fighting over who gets to make the other come.”
“I could see that in him. I can also see that in the bite marks all over your neck.”
I p**ss my hand to my neck. “Things got a little out of hand last night.”
“Everyone on campus can see that.”
“Do you have any bite marks?” I ask.
“No, but Ian loved smacking my ass last night, so that’s a touch sore.”
I reach across the table and take Ross’s hand in mine. “Oh my God, Silas did that to me. I’ve never been spanked before, and I swear to you, I almost came when he did it the first time.”
“Really? I had to get used to it, but once I did, I really enjoyed how he slapped it and then soothed his hand over where he smacked me.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “How did we get so lucky? Doesn’t it feel weird that everything is falling into place for us?”
“It does. I feel like something is brewing that can’t be good.”
“Or you can think about it like we’ve earned this in life,” I say, trying to find the positive in all of this. “Just because things are going right, doesn’t mean they’re going to go wrong.”
“I know, but my dating life has been tragic at best,” Ross says. “And yours has too. Yonny was anything but a good boyfriend. He was terrible, and then you randomly k**s some guy in a bar, and he happens to be the sex god you’ve always dreamed of? Doesn’t that feel like too good to be true?”
“A bit,” I say, thinking about it. “But I think Silas and I were supposed to meet each other. Was it a risk just randomly k**sing him so I could prove Candace wrong and shove it in her face? Of course. But it feels like we were meant to meet that night. He helped me feel confident and beautiful again, while I helped him find value in himself after being cheat—uh . . .” I glance away. f**k. “I mean, after he and his ex broke up.”
Ross pauses and studies me. “What were you going to say?” I roll my l*ps together, mentally cursing myself. “Were you going to say Silas was cheated on?”
Panic ecl*pses me. “No, he, uh . . . they just broke up. That’s it. I wasn’t going to say cheated.” As if my panic is believable. God, how could I have said that out loud? So casually? I swore to him I would never say anything, and here I am, almost dropping the bomb. What the hell is wrong with me?
Absolute betrayal. Tears fill my eyes as my throat grows tight.
Ross notices my panic and reaches across the table to take my hand. “I won’t say anything, I swear on my life, Ollie.”
I nod, believing him, but still hating myself. “Okay . . .”
He squeezes my hand. “I promise.”
“Thank you,” I reply solemnly.
“Hey.” He squeezes my hand again. “It’s going to be okay. You two were meant to find each other. I know it.” I nod as a tear sl*ps down my cheek. “Don’t be upset.”
I swipe my cheek. “I swore I wouldn’t say anything.” I take a deep breath and pick up a napkin to blot my eyes. “God, I’m an idiot.”
“It’s okay, Ollie. Hey, how about we talk about something else? How’s the article?”
Yeah, let’s talk about anything other than the betrayal that caused Silas to close off his heart.
“Good,” I answer, shaking the panic from my voice. “I’m almost done. I have a few finishing touches, but I really hope Roberts likes it. I dove into the daily life of a hockey player, what they deal with, their commitments, and I even touched upon the Agitators organization. How they protect their players at all costs, and how the players are held to higher standards. But it’s why they’re champions. I really hope it’s what Roberts is looking for.”
“I’m not sure it’s what he’ll be looking for exactly, but I also believe it will be captivating and he’ll let it slide.”
“I hope so,” I say. “I really worked hard on it.”
“Did you let Silas read it?”
“Yes, he read it this morning and approved. Then he went down on me.”
Ross chuckles. “That man loves p**sy, doesn’t he?”
I laugh and nod, feeling a touch better. I know I can count on Ross. I’m glad it was him I sl*pped up to and not someone else. “He does. And I love that he loves it so much.”
“I bet you do.” Ross wiggles his brows.
* * *
I step into the quaint coffee shop and look around. Exposed beams run along the ceiling while a variety of plants open up the space, making it feel like a jungle. Hence the name Jungle Café. I’ve never been here, but from the pine wood floors to the delicious aroma and the adorable booths that extend at least seven feet high and connect bulbed lights from one end to the other, there’s no doubt I’ll be bringing Ross here to get some work done.
From the corner of my eye, I catch someone waving, so I turn and find Winnie with two large cups in front of her.
I weave through the tables and sit in the seat across from her. “Oh my God, it’s adorable in here.”
“I know. It’s my favorite place to do my work.” She hands me one cup. “Caramel latte, just for you.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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