The Boyfriend Zone by Jillian Quinn

Coach Bryant leans his forearms on his desk and locks eyes with me. “We’re at Boston College on Friday night. I need you focused. No playing house with my daughter the night before. You got it?”

“Sure. Got it.”

“You know about Kellan Lehane, right? Bex told you.”

I nod. “She told me everything.”

“Listen, kid, I like you. You’re a skilled player. I know you’ll go pro. But Bex is not some puck bunny you can play with until you leave for whatever team drafts you.”

“I’ve never thought of Bex that way.” My tone is defensive, sincere.

Bex has never been a sex toy to me. From the start, I saw more with her, wanted more.

He flashes a closed-mouth smile. “Good. That’s good to hear. I worry about her. After what happened with Lehane, I don’t want to see her go through it again. You’re the first guy she’s dated since the incident. He did a real number on her and made her life a living hell. If you think there’s even a chance you will break her heart, I beg you to cut ties right now. I’m not sure if she can handle more heartbreak.”

Without hesitation, I say, “I would never hurt Bex.” And I mean it.

“You say that now, but things will change for you after graduation. This is only a temporary situation for you, where for Bex, this is her life.”

I cross my arms over my chest, annoyed. “I understand your concern.”

“The fame goes to a lot of players’ heads. You don’t know it yet, but it could happen to you, too. One day you’re a nobody, just a big fish in a small pond, and the next, your face is on TV, in newspapers. You’re getting interviewed by ESPN and signing deals with Gatorade and Under Armour. That changes people.”

“It won’t change me,” I promise because I honestly don’t think going pro will make a difference. “I grew up with famous parents. I’m already adjusted to this lifestyle.”

He sinks into the leather chair, his hands folded on the desk in front of him. “I’m not trying to give you a hard time. You’re a good kid. I know you are. I’m just worried about Bex.”

“You have nothing to worry about. I would do anything to protect her.”

“Do you love her?”

“Yeah. I do. I just haven’t told her yet, but I think she knows.”

“For both of your sakes, I hope this works out.”

“Me, too,” I admit. “I never knew how empty I was until I had Bex in my life. It’s like something was missing before, and with Bex, now I feel more complete.”

“You’re playing better.”

I smile. “She’s rubbing off on me.”

His expression mirrors mine. “She has a way of doing that.”

“Yes, she does.” I place my palms on the arms of the chair and push myself up to my feet. “Mind if I hit the showers, Coach?”

He waves toward the door. “Go ahead. Make sure you get some rest for the big game. The bus leaves tomorrow morning at eight o’clock sharp.”

I nod and then get the hell out of his office as fast as possible. His lecture wasn’t as bad as I had expected. Still, it was awkward as fuck.

* * *

Later that night, Bex is in bed with me, curled up in the crook of my arm. She runs her hand down my chest, feeling her way to my already hard cock.

“Again?” Bex laughs. “You have some killer stamina, Preston.”

“I’m a hockey player. It comes naturally.”

“Yeah, but…” She fists my cock, stroking it gently in her hand. “You still get breaks between line changes. But in the bedroom—”

“I could go all night, woman. You know that.” I cover her hand with mine and help her jerk my cock. “This feels so good, baby. But I’d rather come inside you.”

She giggles, and before she can respond, I roll on to my side just enough to flip Bex onto her stomach. I spread her legs apart and pull her ass to me, giving her right cheek a playful smack that causes her to yelp.

“Preston, what are you doing?” Bex laughs. “You’re so bad.”

“Do you like that?”

She hesitates. “Yeah, I think so.”

I lean forward, pressing my lips to her skin to kiss the pink mark left behind from my hand. “All better?”

“Ahh, yeah,” she whispers. “All better.”

Now, I’m laughing at her change of heart.

Slowly, I inch inside her, breaking through her inner walls, causing her to moan. She whimpers, same as she does every time I first enter her. Once she adjusts to my size, she relaxes. She becomes putty in my hands, her body moving along with mine, our rhythm so in sync.

She turns her head to the side, staring back at me. Her cheeks are flushed. The pink from her face spreads down to her arms. I’m hot too. Heat licks my skin from the uncontainable fire burning inside me. She does this to me. A few soft moans, my name on her lips, and my cock is throbbing and begging for release. Holding her hips, I fuck her harder. She likes it this way, craves it. I tap her ass again, just to test the waters, to see if she will moan for me again. And she does. She’s into this, and I’m so fucking into her. Her pussy is so tight, so damn wet, I wish I could bury my cock inside her forever.

It feels too good when I’m with Bex. I get lost with her, so damn lost I forget to come up for air. Until she screams for me, purrs my name. She begs me to go deeper, fill her up with my cock.

“Oh… my… God… Preston.” She chokes out each word until she’s breathless and gasping for air.

I rub her clit, and with each slow, circular movement I make with my thumb, she trembles.

“Yes,” she whispers.

“Fuck, woman,” I groan. “You’re strangling my dick so hard.” Still rubbing her clit, I work harder, move faster, about to explode from the pressure. “You’re killing me. I’m about to come.”

I don’t want to, but she’s making it too damn hard.

“Me, too,” she whispers, her voice shaky.

She’s so close I can feel it, teetering on the edge with me. And she does. Her body convulses just as my cock pulses.

After we finish, I lean forward and run my hand over her back before I pull out. Coach gave me orders to follow and those include getting some rest. Something I will never get with Bex here.

I wrap my arms around Bex and lower her to the mattress, cradling her against my chest. We’re out of breath, our bodies slick with sweat. My room stinks of sex and Bex’s citrus-scented body wash.

I kiss her breast, and she stirs, cuddling up to me. “Want to get a shower with me?”

“Is that code for more sex?” she asks.

“No, not this time.” I brush a strand of hair from her forehead and plant a quick kiss on her lips. “I need a shower. For real. And we need to get some sleep. I have to get up early tomorrow. We’re driving to Boston in the morning.”

“I wish my dad would let me come with you guys.”

“No girls on the team bus,” I inform her. “It’s like no girls in the locker room.”

She raises her hand to her mouth. “Oops! Been there, done that.”

I shake my head, laughing. “You’re a real rule breaker, Bex Bryant.”

“So are you, Peter Preston Parker. What a name? Try saying that ten times fast.”

I roll my eyes. “Sometimes I seriously think about changing my name.”

“I like Peter. There’s nothing wrong with your first name.” She chuckles, sitting up. “Okay, Peter, let’s get you in the shower.” Bex holds out her hand to me, and I gladly slip my fingers between hers.

“Call me that again, and you’ll pay for it, woman.”

“Oh, yeah?” Bex throws on one of my old shirts. “What are you going to do about it, Preston?”

I step into a pair of boxers and follow behind her. “Deprive you of sex.”

Her lips part. “You wouldn’t.”

I open the bedroom for her. “Test me and find out.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “I don’t believe you. You can’t go without sex for a day.”

“Besides stamina, I have incredible willpower. You’ll be begging me for sex by the time I’m done icing you out.”

I lead her down the hallway and check to make sure the bathroom I share is clean before I drag her inside. She sits on top of the toilet lid, watching as I turn on the shower and fidget with the knobs until I have the perfect temperature.

Bex licks her lips as I remove my boxers. “I can’t believe you’re mine. This still doesn’t feel real.”

Her words take me by surprise. “Why?”

“Because I never thought you’d like a girl like me.”

I drop to my knees in front of her and place my hands on her thighs, staring into her eyes. “What kind of girl is that? Beautiful, smart, caring, athletic, sexy… I can keep going.”

She smiles and then reaches up to touch my face. “You’re so perfect. It’s like you always know the right things to say when I need it.”

“What’s wrong?”

She sighs. “I was just thinking about tomorrow’s game.”

“Are you upset because of Kellan Lehane?”

“No… I don’t know. It’s weird, don’t you think? I know it bothers you. My dad hates playing against his team because of it. You’ve been so sweet and said nothing about it, but every time you mention Boston College or Kellan, you get this insane look on your face like you’re about to Hulk Smash everything around you.”

“That’s how I feel. I want to beat the shit out of him. I want to make him pay for what he did to you. I even asked my dad to pull a few strings to get him kicked off the team. But even he can’t make that happen.”

She strokes my cheek with her fingers. “It won’t change the past, Preston. I don’t want you to do anything stupid that could jeopardize your career.”

“I won’t, baby. I promise.” I pull her down to me, kissing her so hard I’m breathless by the time our lips separate.

As much as I want to destroy Kellan, I have to keep my word. That’s what you do for someone you love.

“Now, get your sexy ass in that shower,” I command, and she squeals with delight.