Page 149 of Hockey Halloween
“Maybe something could still happen.” I slide even closer.
He stares at me in surprise. But I feel impatient. Now that we’ve finally solved the mystery of the cast party, I’m ready to move on. And my old confidence is coming back because I was right—wehadliked each other. I’m ready to seize the future.
“Between us now? It’s impossible. When the hockey season starts up for real, I have two games every weekend. Practices, training, and classes—my schedule is packed.”
“Oh, so nobody on the hockey team has a girlfriend? I call bullshit on that.”
He chuckles. “No, I mean us specifically. You’re still back home, and I’m here. I could never do a long-distance thing. It’s too much work.”
I nod. Even though we have history, it’s not the foundationalkind you need for a relationship. As usual, Karl anticipates the future while I’m firmly in the moment.
But still…
I reach out and pull on the collar of his loose shirt, revealing even more muscled chest. Karl starts at my touch.
“Why don’t we have our lost night now?” I suggest.
“What?” His voice is hoarse, and he’s staring at my mouth.
I lean even closer. “We’re back at the cast party. But this time, there’s no Percy, no Juliet—just us. And we get our happy ending.”
“Maya, I just told you. I don’t have time for?—”
I lay a finger on his lips. “Let’s just be together now—and not worry about tomorrow.”
I’ve spent way too many nights thinking about Karl and imagining what it would be like to kiss his hard mouth. Everything about him is angular and intense: his Swedish bone structure, his hard athletic body, his determined personality, his clipped way of speaking. I’ve always wanted to soften his edges. We’ve kissed before—but that was for the play. A chaste stage kiss instead of a real kiss that’s hot and messy.
He shakes his head and still doesn’t look at me. There’s one gut-clenching moment when I wonder if the elusive Karl is going to turn me downagain, but then something in him cracks. Whatever it is inside us that stops us from doing the stupid things we really want.
“Is this a good idea?” he asks, but he already knows the answer. This is not a good idea, especially for someone like Karl who likes things straightforward and well-planned. But I can’t resist our one shot.
He reaches out a hand and pulls me up with him. We descend to the bottom of the stairs, where he pushes me up against the wall and traps me between his muscular arms.Why,Karl, have you been watching romance movies?
I blink up at him in the dim light, taking in the sharp contours of his face and his tensed expression. I curve one hand up and around his neck, pulling his mouth closer to mine.
“I’ve fantasized about this so many times,” I whisper when our faces are so close I can feel his hot breath.
“Me too.” He raises a hand to caress my cheek and pushes back a rubbery strand. “Maybe not with the snakes, though.”
I giggle. I’d almost forgotten his dry humour. He’s much more than a pretty jock. But what a pretty jock he is.
I encircle my hands around the warm skin on the back of his neck, my fingers vining through his soft hair. I pull him even closer.
“Make my dreams reality,” I whisper.
His lips curls in a slight smile. Then he tilts his head at a perfect angle so our lips just touch. Even the lightest pressure of Karl’s mouth on mine ignites something deep inside me—a familiar desire from when I’ve touched myself and imagined him. I groan, the noise trapped between our mouths. I’m the one to intensify everything, kissing him back hard and clutching his muscled shoulders.
But Karl’s into this too. He drops one hand to the small of my back where he can keep me tight to him. I feel hot and needy everywhere.
I unbutton his shirt completely, pull it apart, and run my hands over his smooth chest.
“Your body is amazing.” I trace his pecs, all warm skin and hard muscle. I feel his nipples stiffen under my palms, but Karl’s only reaction is a clenched jaw. Even as we’re making out, he stays tightly controlled.
I’m determined to break that control. I crane my neck up to kiss him again, and this time our kiss is wet and messy. When his tongue probes my mouth I suck on it hard, signalling what else I want. My hands explore his body impatiently: his broad chest, his muscled back, and his curving ass. How many times did I walk behind Karl in the hall and fantasize about biting this magnificent butt? Hockey butts should be illegal.
Meanwhile, Karl is exploring my body too. He runs a hand over my neck and across the tops of my breasts. His calloused fingertips feel rough and wonderful. I growl with pleasure.
Now he grinds his hard cock into my belly, and desire flames like liquid heat in me. I reach between us and run my hands over his erection.
