Snorting internally, I reach into my wallet to pull out some cash for when she comes back by. I don't bother answering Niko because I know he's just busting my chops.
He dislodges the girl from his lap, and she walks off toward the bar. Leaning in toward me, he whispers. "Wait a minute? Are you gay or something? Is that why you haven't been fucking around with women anymore?"
I quirk an eyebrow at Niko and give him a smirk. "Not gay, dude."
"Then seriously... what's the deal? You hardly ever go out anymore, and when you do, you spend most of your time on that phone of yours."
He's talking about my obsessive checking of my emails and texts, waiting for Cady to respond to my latest and greatest. Our chatter back and forth is almost constant now, and while we don't talk on the phone as much as we email and text, it's still amazing conversation all of the time.
"I haven't been going out a lot because I've been trying to cut down on my drinking. I'm in the best shape of my life, playing the best hockey of my career. I don't want to fuck it up."
"Fine," Niko says as his eyes dart around the little bar that we frequent when we're back in Phoenix. It's always been a place that we could come to and easily score a quick fuck if that's what we wanted. "But it still doesn't explain why the few times we do go out, you leave all alone. You thinking of becoming a priest or something?"
"No, dude," I say with exasperation, my fingers itching to pull my phone out and send a quick text to Cady. "Just not interested right now."
"You're not interested in pussy?" Niko asks skeptically.
"No," I say, and then correct myself. "Yes. I mean, I'm interested in pussy, just not the type here."
"Then let's go somewhere where there is your type," he says as he stands up from the table. He's swaying slightly so I know he's on the verge of a rip-roaring drunk fest.
For a split second, I consider what he's saying. I told him I'm not interested in anything here because I'm only interested in one girl that lives across the Atlantic Ocean. But as I look around the darkened bar, with the jukebox blaring some country song I don't recognize, I realize there are several gorgeous women here that look like they'd be great fucks.
B.C.--that's Before Cady--I wouldn't have left this bar without one of them on my arm. Hell, sometimes I would have just taken them in the back alley and fucked them up against the wall.
A.C.--that's After Cady--I haven't fucked a single woman, and my balls have turned the color of a Smurf.
Not sure why I'm imposing this bit of celibacy on myself because Cady and I don't have anything more than a friendship. She would not expect me to abstain, and fuck... she's still seeing that douchebag Colin, the architect. While she doesn't share a ton of details with me, she's let it slip a time or two when they've gone out to dinner or for drinks. It fucking burns me up and makes me want to go screw my way through North America, but I haven't yet.
And that's only because my gut instinct tells me that she hasn't been intimate with him. I have no proof of that, but I don't think Cady likes him in that way. Hell, I'm not sure she likes him at all, or otherwise she'd tell me more about him, right?
I mean... she doesn't hesitate to tell me when her period cramps are dragging her down, so why wouldn't she share details of this dude with me?
"Come on, Zane... let's fucking party tonight and get laid," Niko says with a cheesy grin on his face. "I bet that girl over there with the long, blonde hair and super huge tits would give you a blow job in the men's bathroom."
My eyes cut over to the woman he's talking about. She stares candidly back at me, even going so far as to let her eyes graze down my body while she licks her lips. Yup... she'd blow me no doubt and for the first time since A.C., I actually consider it. It's not like I'd be doing anything wrong.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and my hand dives in to grab it out. I just received a text message and although it could be from any number of people, my hope is that it's from Cady.
Bingo!
Just got in from the worst date in the history of the world. I am swearing off men!
I can't help the smile that pulls my lips upward, and I stand from the table. "I'm going to head out," I tell Niko as I start to walk by him, but then I hesitate. Eyeing him up and down, I ask, "You're taking a cab, right?"
"Seriously dude? You're leaving?" he asks in astonishment.
"Yup. Got something I need to do," I tell him, and then add on a warning. "Don't drive. You've had too much to drink."
Niko grimaces, but then gives me a sloppy salute. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out his keys and tosses them to me. "I'll get a cab. You take my car home, and I'll get it off you tomorrow."
Slapping him playfully on the shoulder, I accept the keys gratefully. I've only had two beers and I'm fine to drive, so this works out well. "Later, man."
As I step out into the parking lot, I hit Cady's name in my favorites list. After I hear the clicking sounds that initiate an international call, her phone rings twice before she answers.
"So tell me about this worst date in the history of the world," I say as I walk toward Niko's car.
Cady gives a dramatic sigh and I can almost envision her flopping down on her couch, maybe tucking a pillow up against her stomach while she chats with me. "I broke it off with Colin, and let's just say he didn't take it well."
My heart soars with joy over this revelation, and I try to keep my voice neutral as I unlock the driver door. "Why? What happened?"
Cady's silent for a moment, and I imagine her twirling a finger in her hair. It kills me that I can't see her right now, so I could know exactly what little habits she has. I know a lot about her, but not nearly enough.
"According to him, I broke his heart. He's apparently devastated," she says drily. I don't hear an ounce of sympathy in her voice that she may have just decimated this man.
That makes me feel good, in some respects, but in others, it makes me feel a little bad, because maybe Cady was a lot closer to this guy than I originally thought. Which means... maybe she had been intimate with him.
I carefully construct my next question. My voice is quiet when I say, "I hadn't realized you two had gotten so close."
Then I brace myself for her answer, my hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
"See, that's just it," she says with exasperation. "We weren't close at all. We'd gone out maybe a handful of times, the conversation was always awkward, and he would never do more than give me a kiss on my cheek."
Then she adds on angrily, "So how in the hell could I have broken his heart? It's so dramatic, right?"
All the muscles in my body relax in unison, and I let out a relieved chuckle. "Yeah... sounds a bit dramatic to me."
But in reality, if this guy felt even one ounce of the way I feel for Cady, I could understand why this would have hurt him a bit.
"So, you're swearing off men, huh?" I ask as I turn the car on and slip it into drive.
"Definitely," she says with confidence. "They're too much trouble."
Laughing, I pull out of the parking lot and start the short drive to my house, which is only a few blocks away. It's only mid-afternoon here in Phoenix, and I'm regretting having spent a part of my day off holed up in some bar.
"So, do you ever have that problem with the women you date?" Cady asks hesitantly. "You know... they feel more for you than you feel for them?"
I ponder her question for a moment, but the answer is easy. "I don't exactly date, so that's never really been a problem."
I hear Cady faintly suck in her breath as she understands what I'm saying. "Oh," she says with... is that sadness in her voice? "I guess a guy like you doesn't have to worry about that, huh?"
I navigate through my neighborhood, one hand casually on the steering wheel, the other holding the phone and Cady's insecurities up against my ear.
"A guy like me?" I ask in a teasing tone.
"Yeah, you know... a player. Mr. One-Night Stand."
Ouch... okay, hard to ar
gue against that since that's how we met.
"I'll admit... I've always sort of thought monogamy was a little overrated."
I pull in my driveway, shut the car off, and listen to Cady's soft breathing on the other line. She doesn't say a word, and I can actually feel her brain on overdrive trying to comprehend what I just said. She remains silent though, and my conscience gets the better of me.
"But... Cady," I reassure her in a low voice, "I haven't been with another woman since our night together."
"Really?" she asks, and is that... happiness I hear in her voice? Definitely awe, but maybe a little bit of happiness.
"Really," I affirm. "Haven't wanted to."
"So what does that mean?" she asks hesitantly.
"Fuck if I know," I tell her as I open my car door. "But what I really want to know is... what are you wearing right now?"
Chapter 9
Cady
Opening my eyes, I reach my arms above my head and stretch my body long, arching my back slightly. I punctuate it with a huge yawn and then rub at my eyes. A quick glance at my alarm clock shows I've slept in a bit late, but no worries. I don't have any classes today and no other obligations, but there is something I'm feeling compelled to do at this very moment.
Sitting up, I fluff my pillows behind my back and then reach over to grab my laptop off my nightstand. I wait impatiently for it to boot up, feeling the whir and grind of the processors against my legs where it rests.
When my email is pulled up, I immediately start a new thread with Zane. Because as of this morning, things are different between us.
To: Zane Kavanaugh
From: Cady Dunne
Subject: Good Morning
Date: November 13, 2014
I just woke up and even though I know you're still sleeping, because it's only 4AM there, I just wanted to let you know that I think you may have ruined me. I know you're a morning person, and that you'll probably be getting up in a few hours. I also know you have a home game today, and I plan on watching it at The Hibernian. Thus, you are busy and I don't expect a response back, so just take this email for what it is... simply a way to say... Damn... that was fun. Can we do it again sometime?
Don't feel compelled to answer back right away. As I said, I know you're busy today and your head should be in the game, not thinking about the things we did last night.
I, on the other hand, think I shall just lay here in bed (I'm still naked, you know?) and think about all the things you said to me last night, the way you made me feel, and the things you made me do.
Yes, those are my plans for today.
Yours,
Cady
I read quickly back over my email, blushing at my forward nature, and feeling my blood warm up from remembering what Zane and I did last night. Hitting send, I put my laptop down beside me on the bed and burrow back under the covers.
Yes, I'm still naked, because I had stripped down to nothing last night. I did that because Zane demanded I do that, and how could I say "no" to that rough-timbered voice and husky tone?
Zane threw me off-kilter for a moment when he had asked me what I was wearing. I was lying back on my couch and cast my eyes downward, taking in the black leggings and long, cream-colored sweater along with my purple Doc Marten's.
Definitely not sexy but I told him exactly what I was wearing. He replied, "Get naked and get in bed. I'll call you back in five minutes."
Then he hung up on me.
I stared at my phone for a few moments, frozen in place. He wanted me to get naked? Then he hung up on me?
Shaking my head in confusion, but completely hypnotized by his commanding words and sexy voice, I walked back to my bedroom and stripped down. I climbed under my covers and felt completely awkward because I never sleep naked. Not unless I spend an unbelievably exhausting sex-filled night with a gorgeous hockey player who gave me so many orgasms that I didn't have the strength to pull on my pajamas.
True to his word, Zane called back at the five-minute mark.
"Hello?" I said stupidly, even though I knew it was him.
"Are you naked?" he growled into the phone.
"Yes," I whispered, feeling my body start to heat up, beginning in that area right between my legs.
"So am I," he murmured, and my phone chimed with an incoming text. "Put your phone on speaker and then look at what I just sent you."
Swallowing hard, I did as he asked and had no doubt he heard my startled gasp when I pulled up the photo he texted me.
It was of Zane... gloriously naked and sprawled on his bed. It was a selfie and I couldn't see everything, but he took it by holding the phone out to the side and I could see his hard chest, cut abs, and the slope of his ass as it rested on his mattress. A bit of his thigh, and yes... right there in the bottom left corner of the screen, his hugely erect cock sticking straight up with his other hand wrapped around it. His face was turned toward the camera and his eyes were dark and heavy, lasered into me as I stared at the photo.
The warmth between my legs went nuclear, and my empty hand strayed down my stomach.
"Send me a picture," Zane said.
"No," I said, my hand stopping midway. "I can't."
"You can," he asserts.
"I won't."
"You will."
I didn't say anything... just stared at the sinful beauty of Zane Kavanaugh, aching to be there with him.
"Please," he whispered, his voice thick with desire.
There was no way I could resist his need, so I kicked off the covers, pulled up my camera app, and positioned the camera. I arched my back a little to push my breasts out and sucked in my stomach but, just before I snapped the picture, Zane said, "Make sure your face is in it."
My heart stuttered... this man... he wanted to see my face. I knew he wanted to see my naked body, but it was important for him to see my face. I almost swooned at the thought.
I readjusted the camera angle, and before I could chicken out, snapped the photo, hoping my expression wasn't too dorky.
Quickly texting the photo, I laid back on the bed and just gazed at his picture a bit more. Zane was quiet. Then he sucked in a harsh breath and murmured, "Fucking beautiful."
I smiled... my soul feeling warmed by the reverence in his voice as he looked at my photo.
"Okay, here's what we're going to do, baby," Zane said, and I pushed myself up a little higher on my pillows in anticipation. "We're going to come together, but we're going to do this slowly. I want you to do exactly what I tell you to do, and in case you're wondering, I'm going to be telling you to touch your body. I'm also going to tell you how to do it... exactly as I'll be envisioning it while I look at this sexy-as-fuck photo of you. Okay?"
My legs kicked at the remaining covers over me, baring my body to the cool air.
"Can I tell you what to do to your body?" I asked, my voice coming out raspy because my throat went dry the minute he said we were going to come together.
"Not this time, baby," he said, and I could imagine the gentle smile on his face. "I just want you to lay back, enjoy, and do what I tell you. Trust me... it's going to get me off too, but this is my show right now."
"Okay," I said in complete capitulation.
I put the phone down on the pillow near my head so I could hear him, freeing up both my hands. Because something told me... I'd need both my hands.
Then Zane started talking... his voice low, soft... sexy as hell. He gave me excruciating detail as to what he wanted me to do to my body, demanding every so often that I tell him what I was feeling. His words were filthy, causing my breath to come out in sharp little bursts and my hips to undulate off the bed. He could hear my reactions and every once in a while, he'd let his own groan slip out, so I knew that he was getting close as well.
And just as he said... our sexual synchronization was perfect and we came blissfully together. He gave a hoarse shout and cursed while I moaned long and low, my toes literally curling because the pleasure was so intense.
Both of us panted softly for a while, coming down off the climactic high.
"Did that feel good, Cady?"
My hand reached for the phone and I turned the speakerphone off, bringing it to my ear. "Amazing. You?"
"That was the hardest I ever came by my own hand before. Didn't think that was even possible."
I giggled and tucked one hand behind my head. "I've never done anything like that before. It was so awkward at first, but then I just got lost in your voice and everything became so intense."
"Next time, you'll get to lead."
"Let's get that puppy scheduled," I said with a laugh.
He chuckled into the phone, and then his voice dipped again... so fucking hot. "Next time, we should do that on Skype."
"No way," I exclaimed, my face burning over the thought of him watching me on video.
"Yes," he asserted.
"I can't."
"You can."
"I won't."
"Oh, you definitely will," he said ominously, and I knew damn well that I would.
Both of us were silent again, and the reality started to sink into me. I just had amazing phone sex, and yet... that was all I'd ever have with Zane. A wave of blue-tinged dejection washed over me, and tears even started misting my eyes.
"So, when are you coming to visit?" Zane says out of the blue. "Thanksgiving weekend would be great because we've got a home game the day after Thanksgiving that you could come to. I'd love for you to watch me play live."
"Visit?" I asked, not in surprise at the idea, because we had talked about it before via email. But rather more like a light bulb sort of went on and chased away my depression. "Yeah... I think I could swing that. Let me check the cost of flights, and as you suggested, I could fly out on Thursday... maybe even Wednesday if I cut my classes."
Zane laughed. "I'm such a bad influence on my girl."
Smiling, I twirled a finger in my hair. "Is that what I am? Your girl?"
"Yeah, Cady... that's what you are. From the moment I first fucked you."
Chapter 10
Zane
November 27, 2014
My nerves are buzzing as I stand in the airport lobby, watching the flow of people that come down an escalator from the upper level. I know Cady's flight landed fifteen minutes ago, and I know she's only bringing a carry-on, so I surmise that she'll be coming down that escalator probably any moment now.