Page 34 of Cassie
“Sure. Hey, you should bring Cassie for breakfast.”
“Maybe I’ll do that.” Hoss paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Love you, son. Go get ’em, yeah?”
“Hell, yeah.”
***
Cassie
Movement to the side pulled her attention, and she recognized the player standing in the locker room hallway as Sam Rogers, Hoss’ son. The angle of the stadium seating meant he was a bit below her, but she ducked down. There was a slight gap in the glass and he stared at her through the space. He moved closer, projecting his voice through the opening. “Hey.”
“Hi.” Cassie didn’t know what else to say, didn’t know what he wanted with her.
“Dad likes you.” Cassie blinked. “You like him?” She nodded. “Good.” He paused and glanced at the clock in the arena, then back at her. “Be good to him.”
Cassie opened her mouth to respond, but the announcer took up the microphone at that instant, talking about sponsors and upcoming games. Sam grinned, mouthguard gripped between his teeth as he stepped back and moved to his place in the lineup. He said something, and suddenly every player’s eyes turned to her and there was a growing shout coming from the tunnel. As they filed out, the team did something they’d never done before, each player tapped the glass beside her seat with their sticks, the rapid tattoo of blows sounding like applause as they ran past her towards the ice.
***
Hoss
“I still don’t understand how you can bear it.” Cassie climbed out of the truck, staring at him through the open cab. “The other guy was pounding him.”
“Sam can go toe-to-toe with nearly anybody.” He pocketed the keys and shut the driver door. “As long as he’s not the one on the bottom when they hit the ice, I’ve learned to be okay with it. He plays hockey. Fights are part of the sport. I worry about his head, but he’s never had a confirmed concussion. At least not yet. Bruises fade, cuts heal. Brains?” For a moment, he had a scent memory of antiseptic, but it was gone within a breath. He shrugged. “Brains are fragile things.”
She came around the front of the truck and reached for his hand.
Hoss studied her face, wondering what the somber expression was for.
“I’m sorry she died.” Cassie gasped a moment after she spoke, and he relaxed his suddenly inflexible grip on her fingers, gently rubbing them between his own.
“I am, too.” Hoss heard the pain in his voice and shook his head. “You won’t ever hear me say anything different, Cassie. But that doesn’t mean what I’m feeling for you is less than what I had before. I love her, but life didn’t work out so I got to keep her. I didn’t, and she’s gone. Doesn’t mean I love her less, and it doesn’t mean I love her more.” He glanced around and tugged her hand, pulling her close. “Come on, baby. Let’s go inside.”
She leaned against him as they walked towards her front door. “You can talk to me, you know.” She had her phone out and tapped a button on her security program. He heard the lock click as he reached for the knob. “You’ve been there for me, no matter what.” They were in her foyer and he pushed the door closed, waiting to hear the lock reengage. “I know I don’t seem strong, but you don’t have to worry about hurting me, Hoss.”
He swept her into his arms, turning so her back was against the door. “Baby, you’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known.” She stared up at him, lips parted in such a sweet invitation he dipped for a quick taste, kissing her gently. “Hope’s been gone a long time. I won’t lie to you. There are times when it still hurts like it just happened. Mostly though, me and the kids have built on what she and I started, and the days are filled with joy. Having you with me tonight, that brought me another piece of joy. Did you know she and I sat in that row before?” Cassie’s head swung back and forth, her eyes wide. “Yeah. We’d just gotten back together after…well, just let me say she wasn’t wrong in holding my feet to the fire on that one. Anyway, we were at a game and Coach Spencer was pretending to be a stick boy.” He chuckled at the description because Jase would have his nuts for calling him that. “Sammy was little, but so enamored of the game already. You could see him catch fire watching the players. He used that little gap in the glass to chat with some of them. I didn’t know anything about hockey other than I liked to watch a game now and again. He was so puzzled when I couldn’t answer his questions. That boy.” He paused and rolled his eyes. “So, that row holds special memories.” He kissed her again. “New and old.”
Cassie rolled up onto her toes, chasing his mouth when he would have pulled away. Giving into her was easy, letting her take the lead felt as natural as breathing.I want whatever she’ll give me. Her hand at the nape of his neck pulled her closer, and he obliged by wrapping an arm tightly around her back. Nails scraped through his hair, and she nipped his bottom lip before pulling back with a giggle. “We have memories in my house, too.”
Lips to the edge of her jaw, he kissed his way towards her ear, pulling her lobe in with a hard suck. “We do,” he agreed, before drawing his lips down her neck in a line.
“Wanna make more?” Her voice was breathy, and he made her gasp at the end of the question when he rucked up her shirt and stroked the bare skin of her side with a hand. “Better ones?”
“Oh, I dunno.” He nosed his way across the breadth of her shoulder, pushing fabric out of the way of his mouth. “I’ve got some pretty good ones in here already.” Trailing along her collarbone with his tongue, he sought out her lips again. “You think there’re better ones in store?”
“Oh, I know there are,” she murmured against his lips.
“Where are those better memories?” Delving into her mouth, he slipped his tongue past hers, exploring deeper, pleased when she engaged. Not passive, she was ready to show him how much she wanted this, too.
“Upstairs, in my bedroom.” She moved in his arms, pressing tightly to him as she dipped her head, mouth against the base of his throat. “Just waiting for us.”
“Shall we?” He lifted her and started for the stairs, smiling when she wrapped her arms around his neck. This was rapidly becoming his favorite way to carry her, leaving her free to caress and tease as she wanted.
“Oh, we shall.” The sting of her teeth on the side of his neck caused him to curse and hold her tighter. Her giggle was bright and cut through the air like a blade, paving the way for his laughter. “Take me to bed, Hoss.”
Standing beside her bed, Hoss let her slowly slide down his front until their mouths were aligned. He tightened his hold on her again and covered her lips with his, angling his head to get closer, take the caress deeper. She moaned, and he loosened his grip, following her mouth down as she got her feet under her. He undressed her with care, easily working around her hands on his clothing as if they’d done this a thousand times. Each inch of flesh uncovered made him want more, and more, until they were both bare to the other. He wasn’t worried about what she’d think about him, over the past weeks he’d caught her admiring eyes on him often enough it wasn’t a concern. Making love to her without triggering a panic attack, that was what had him on edge.
Then, as Cassie seemed to do around him, she surprised him by taking the initiative by pushing him backwards to sit on the edge of the bed. She folded her legs elegantly underneath her bottom and lined her mouth up with his cock, gaze angled up to his face. Her hands rested on his thighs, fingers ruffling the fine hair there.
