Page 39 of Stick Play

Her voice is labored and breathless when she answers, “Yes.”

Stick to it, Ash. Nothing good can come from extending this relationship.

“I’m thinking friends with benefits, exclusive for the month. Still a secret.”

Fuck.

13

Gina

As I drive down Ash’s freshly plowed street, my phone pings, and I glance at it to see that it’s from Melanie. I check the time, wishing I could pop by her place for a second. We don’t get to chat much anymore, now that she’s busy with a baby, and I miss her terribly.

I’ll message her back when I reach the café and see if she has any free time this week. Right now, I need to concentrate on the road, and try to keep my mind off last night, and how we fell asleep together and I barely made it back to my room this morning before the kids got up.

Grant was miraculously better, and for that I’m grateful. I was glad I could stay the night and give both him and Ash a measure of comfort. Not that I did much, but I think my presence helped comfort them both.

Speaking of comfort. Having sex with Ash was incredible, as always. But actually sleeping with him and waking up with him, I’m not sure I’ve ever felt such warmth and comfort in my entire life. Which is probably why I agreed to extend this friends with benefits relationship until the end of the month.

After I left his bed, he got up and made coffee and as I got ready for work, he cleared the snow from my car. I’m so used to taking care of everyone else, when someone takes care of me, it messes with my brain and my emotions.

I still can’t believe Ash and Grant are taking the kids for the day. I called Brighton to make sure she was okay with it, having explained what happened with Grant and she was perfectly fine. But she did want the deets on Ash and me. Since we’re keeping this a secret to keep things uncomplicated among our friends, I told a little white lie—even though there was nothing little in that bed last night.

Nope, the Mountain, my big lumber-snack fulfilled me in ways no other man ever has. Yeah of course I was going to agree to more, even though it’s probably not the brightest decision I’ve ever made. As long as I keep Zoe out of it, it should be all good, right?

I turn the radio up and hum as I drive, and I’m fully aware of the way my body is still tingling, craving a repeat of last night. Tonight, however, everyone will be arriving home late, and the guys start back to practice on Tuesday. I’ll keep Camryn and Tate overnight, and hopefully I’m fully staffed on Monday so I can take the day off and drive them home. I want to hear all about their trip.

This time my phone rings, and my heart does a little jump when I see it’s Ash. But then worry sets in. I just left, why is he calling? Are the kids okay? I press the button on my steering wheel and answer hands-free.

“Everything okay?” I ask, and hear laughter in the background.

“Yeah, everything is okay. Dad is playing a game with the kids and I wanted to check in with you. Actually, to be honest,” he adds, his voice lower and a little bit playful. “Everything is not okay.”

“Oh, why not?”

“Because you agreed to one month, and you’re not here for me to have my way with you.”

I laugh at that. “I know I agreed to it, but it’s going to be hard this month.”

“Babe, it’s already hard.”

He groans and I get it, he’s not talking about finding time, he’s talking about the movement between his legs. I warm all over thinking about how he felt inside me last night.

I flick on my signal and turn left. “What I mean is that you’re back to practice, games and travel.”

“Yeah.”

His voice is low, almost distant. What is he thinking about?

I’m about to ask when he tells me, “Zoe wanted lumps in her pancakes this morning. I should have left lumps in mine too.”

I laugh, despite the fact that I’m worried about Zoe and her wishing for a daddy. Damn, it hurts me to know she’s missing out and while I’m trying to be both to her, it’s impossible and she will be lacking certain things. I’m sure Grant understands what I’m going through. Although his son is proving to be one hell of a man who lacks nothing.

“What would you have wished for?”

“A longer month. Why does the All-Star Weekend have to be in February, the shortest damn month of the year?”

I take a few more turns, and Ash tells me what his plans are with the kids for the day. I left all the car seats with him, so they could leave the house. “Well, I’m sure Brighton wouldn’t mind taking Zoe one of these weekends. Are you home or away these next couple weekends?” I don’t actually know his schedule.

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