Page 135 of Desperate Pucker
For a long moment, we just look at each other. His lips twitch with a smile. So do mine.
Ryker just fucked me against a wall in a storage room, yet it was one of the sweetest, most tender moments of my life.
I stare at him in complete awe. How can the guy who’s the filthiest fun I’ve ever had sexually also make me swoon AND give me literal butterflies? How can he make me feel cherished and doted on and cared for while also fulfilling my dirtiest fantasies?
My stomach bottoms out just thinking about it.
Because he’s the most amazing man you’ve ever met, and if you’re not careful, you’re going to fall hard for him.
I wait for the doubt and fear to creep in, that same doubt and fear that’s plagued me ever since I ended things with my ex, that’s made me too skittish to ever want to be with another guy again.
But it never comes. Instead, I feel warmth. And totally, completely content.
I tell myself that it’s just the post-sex bliss I’m feeling. But deep down, I’m not quite sure if that’s all it really is.
I push that thought aside for later and look up at Ryker.
He smiles at me. “Ready to go back out there?”
“So ready.”
Chapter 47
Ryker
When I finish running through the figure-eight drill, I slow down and take a breath.
I turn around and see Maddy studying me with a thoughtful expression.
“Nice work,” she says. “You can tell how strong your ankles have gotten with how smoothly you were able to transition between your inside edge and outside edge. And you had excellent knee bend during that whole exercise. Really impressive.”
I wink at her as I chug water from my bottle. “I owe it all to you, coach.”
I don’t miss that teasing glint in her eyes.
It’s been a week since I fucked Maddy against that storage room wall during Casino Night, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.
Except “fuck” is too harsh a word for what we did. Yeah, it was filthy and sexy and fun. I was bossy and said some pretty dirty things to her. But it felt like so much more than just fucking, at least for me.
I think about the way my heart raced in my chest when we were together. How it was hard for me to breathe when I lookedat her. How desperate I felt to have her close to me, to taste her skin and lips, to make sure I was giving her all the pleasure I possibly could.
How, in that moment, she felt like mine.
How, when I went off on her dad and older siblings, she felt like mine.
This thing between us is supposed to be just fucking. But it’s not for me. For me, it’s so much more now.
I care about Maddy more than just a hookup buddy. More than just a friend.
I look at her as she gathers her long, fiery red hair in a ponytail. My heartbeat kicks up.
I want to tell her how I feel, but I can’t. She said she’s not ready for anything serious, and if I tell her I want to be more than friends with her, she’ll probably freak out.
I tuck away my feelings and refocus on finishing up our skating session.
We haven’t been able to see each other outside of our skating sessions this past week. I’ve been busy with training, physical therapy, and resting as much as possible, and Maddy’s been having one-on-one sessions with the guys on the team. As much as I wish I could spend time with her, it’s probably a good thing we haven’t had much alone time lately. I’d probably end up spilling my feelings for her and making things weird.
Once we’re done, we head off the ice and sit on a bench to take off our skates.
