The Puck Drop by Jaqueline Snowe

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Michael

Cinnamon bagels and coffee could most likely fix anything. If the world leaders sat down with these warm pastries and a fresh brew of hazelnut roast, I think they’d all be in better moods. I wasn’t sure how I went so long without enjoying carbs, but baby, I missed them.

I carried the pastry box and a large to-go box of coffee as I walked toward Naomi’s place. Not only did I owe her an apology, but I had this driving urge to see her today. To make sure she was feeling okay, to see if she needed a friend before seeing her dad tonight. Or maybe to see if she wanted help with the data profiles for the project.

I could lie to myself and to her, but the truth settled deep down that I liked being around her. She made me feel less alone. Now, I just had to get her to answer the door.  There were no sounds on the other side after I knocked, and it was after ten. She would probably be up already.

Frowning, I took one more shot at knocking before coming to the realization that she was allowed to not be home.

Michael: Hey, I’m leaving some ‘I’m sorry’ breakfast gifts outside your door.

Naomi: Gifts? Breakfast? Sorry?

Michael: Yes, those are words. Good job, LOL. Are you home?

Naomi: In ten seconds.

What? I scanned the building and didn’t see anyone walking up or even a car approaching. Soft footsteps came from the other side of the door, and with a small click of metal, the front door slid open. Naomi squinted up at me, and it took all my effort to not drag my gaze down her body.

She wore shorts and a tight navy t-shirt with a math formula on it and looked like she’d just woken up.

“Shit, were you sleeping?”

“No. I hadn’t gotten out of bed yet, but I was awake. Show me these treats, please. I can smell them, and my mouth is watering. It’s sad, really.”  She ushered me in, and just-woke-up-Naomi was cute. Her face had soft sleep lines on it, and her hair was in two braids, but they were messy and had strands going every direction.

She didn’t wear a speck of make-up and . Once she lifted the lid of the box, she licked her lips. “Oh god, I want to be alone with them.”

I snorted. “Should I leave?”

“Would you? I want to do obscene things with them.”

Obscene things. My mind flashed to all the thoughts I’d had about her lately. How I wanted to lick every part of her body, tease her perky tits with my mouth. I wanted to hear her moan over and over. All the things I wanted to do to her despite the fact we’d agreed to remain friends. Sure, Michael, friends. Okay, bro.

I cleared my throat. “I really came here to apologize to you.”

“Oh.” Her lips parted, and she looked up at me through her lashes. A small line appeared between her eyebrows. I wanted to touch it, to smooth it down. Which would be weird.

I didn’t often think about caressing women’s faces. “You said something last night that I needed to hear about my past, and I snapped at you. That wasn’t cool at all, and I’m sorry for reacting that way. You didn’t deserve it.”

She chewed on the side of her mouth and held my gaze, her large brown eyes so damn expressive. I could study her movements for a year and still not know all of them. My spine prickled with worry as the silence went on, but I didn’t break it.

I said my piece, so now it was her turn. She could accept my apology or not, and I’d have to deal with it. I just didn’t want to leave yet.

“Thanks. Do you always bring pastries to people you’ve wronged?” She reached in and took a large bite of the cinnamon sweetness. She crossed her eyes and let out a long moan.

A sexy moan.

I swallowed hard as she chewed and got some of the cinnamon on her face right above her lip. My body tightened, and it was like we were back at the party, her lips inches away from mine. I wanted to taste her again. Suck her tongue. Kiss her until she forgot all about data. Focus. She asked me a question. I should answer it. “Ah, no. I don’t bring them for everyone.”

“Just me then.”

“Yes, just you.”

Her eyes warmed, and my heart did an odd thing where it seemed to skip a beat or two. Just you make me want to touch your face, kiss you, say to hell with all the reasons why kissing the coach’s daughter is wrong.  I said none of the thoughts going through my mind though and offered what hopefully was a smile.

She blinked and pushed the lid open more. “Did you already have one on the way, or do you want to come in and enjoy them with me?”

“What if my answer is yes to both questions?” I teased, the weight that appeared on my shoulders since last night vanishing just like that. She laughed and walked toward the kitchen counter where there were two barstools. I dropped my gaze to her legs and noticed how her shorts barely covered her ass. Her skin looked smooth, and those goddamn shorts left nothing to the imagination. I wanted to grip her ass and hoist her onto the counter. Fuck.

I slammed my teeth together and worked my jaw muscles, as if that would help the growing attraction to Naomi. 

Attraction wasn’t foreign to me. At all. I’d been intrigued and drawn to lots of women. Being a hockey player meant easy access. But, and only recently, I’d discovered that random hook-ups didn’t help the ache in my chest.

Nothing really did but being around Naomi. Which was more than lust. I just wasn’t sure what yet. She stood on her tiptoes, showcasing her calf muscles, and grabbed two mugs and the box of coffee from me before moving toward the living room. The kitchen felt safer, for me at least. But she didn’t look back.

She curled up onto her couch and tucked her feet under her butt before patting the cushion next to her. “Come on. I’m watching Law and Order.”

She didn’t wait before handing me a cinnamon treat and pushing play. I fought a smile because despite the attraction and confusing thoughts I had around her, she had moments that reminded me of my sister. Like now. Focused on food and TV. God, Ryann would get a kick out of her.

Wait. Would Ryann ever meet her? Probably not. Unless…

Unless what? I scolded myself and took a bite of the buttery carb goodness. My taste buds exploded with the flavors, and I leaned back onto the couch. Something like guhn escaped my lips, and Naomi snorted.

“It’s so good, I can’t help it.”

“Mouth orgasms are real,” she said, taking another bite and crossing her eyes. “If you could apologize to me with these more often, I wouldn’t say no.”

My brain was stuck on the word orgasm coming from her mouth and refused to move away from it. I bet she’d blush, and her large brown eyes would be filled with passion. She’d moan and her hair would go everywhere once I ran my fingers through it. She’d be loud too. Not holding anything back.

I’d want to get her off with just my mouth at first. See how wild I could make her before sliding into her. Fuck. Not again.

My dick swelled at the picture in my mind. It didn’t help when Naomi shifted in her seat, making her legs rub against mine. Her legs were so fucking soft, and the sweets combined with her citrus scent...this was a terrible idea coming over here. I trailed my gaze from her head, down her neck, and to her legs again. Even in her large shirt, hints of her curves teased me.

Dude. I literally asked to be friends. FRIENDS.

She’s Coach’s daughter.

“I love this show, and it’s been on forever. Decades. It’s so cool to have that legacy, don’t you think?” She glanced over at me, and her eyes widened.

I couldn’t imagine how I looked. I’d been told I was intense on the ice, ready to do what it took to win. My blood pumped the same as it did during a game, and she sucked in a breath.

“I can’t stop thinking about kissing you,” I said, going with honesty. It tended to be the best option even if it made shit awkward. “Again,” I said, my voice going lower.

Naomi’s chest heaved, and she bit down on her bottom lip as spots of red covered her neck. Her gaze dropped to my mouth for one second, then another, and I tensed, ready for whatever she threw my way.  She could tell me to piss off, and I’d listen.

“It’s crossed my mind a few times too.”

“Yeah?” Hope exploded in my chest. I scooted an inch closer to her. “What are you thinking about, exactly?”

“Michael,” she said in her husky voice that made me breathe faster. The air was tense, and every sound seemed amplified. The dialogue on the TV, the way she panted, the click of her throat as she swallowed.

“I want to kiss you.” She leaned forward and pulled her knees up to her chest. “So badly. God, being around you makes me forget everything else.”

“I can relate to that.” I rubbed my free hand on the thigh of my jeans and focused on the TV. “Even though it’s a bad idea.”

“The worst.”

“Okay, so we both think kissing each other is a bad idea yet we can’t stop thinking about it?” I asked, almost on the verge of laughing. “We’re a pair, aren’t we?”

She laughed, deep and warm, and I wanted to keep that sound. Her joy helped fill the emptiness in my chest. She leaned against the back of the couch and took a sip of the coffee as she eyed me over the mug.  Her face changed with her thoughts. It was adorable and confusing to see her eyebrows move, her nose scrunch, and her gaze shift toward the hallway and back to me a few times. “I have a solution, sorta.”

“I’m listening.” If it involved pulling her onto my lap, then I was in. I was so in.

She blushed and wet her bottom lip twice before she lowered her voice to a whisper. “Friends with benefits.”

Oh god. I wanted that so badly. But that seemed more my style, not hers. I had to make sure. “Naomi,” I said, my voice coming out desperate and grave. “Wait, hold on. What are you suggesting exactly? Spell it out for me.”

“Look, we can never date. That would never happen,” she said. She made her eyes go wide, and I didn’t appreciate her confidence in that word.

“Never?” I repeated, but it didn’t come out like a question. She nodded and took my response like I agreed with her.

“For obvious reasons. Plus, we see each other all the time, and the season is long. It’d suck to have to be near you and all that, but friends with benefits.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “We have chemistry, but our friendship is important to me.”

“It’s important to me too.” I scratched my chest right over my heart. “But...I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about you naked a million times.”

She giggled and covered her hand with her mouth. “This is so bizarre. Talking about it like this. Right now. My skin is on fire, and I kinda want to just jump out the window.”

“Despite being shy about my past, I’m a communicator. It’s how I deal—dealt with my parents’ death. Even if a conversation is hard, it’s better to have an open one than assume anything. Like, I might assume this would be weird for you, but instead of thinking it, I’m asking.” I moved my hand to her neck and teased her earlobe.

Goosebumps broke out across her body before she huffed out a breath.

“Shit, that felt… mm. Wait., are you insinuating I’m inexperienced?”

I smiled and brought my thumb to her full bottom lip. Her eyes got wider, and I tried to control my breathing. “No. Not at all. I’m assuming this would be weird because you made your stance on rowdy hockey players pretty clear. That’s what I mean, Fletcher.”

“Back to last name, hm?” she said, but her cheeks were flushed and her chest heaved. I teased her neck all the way down to her chest.

“I find it suits you when you’re a pain in the ass,” I teased, throwing in a wink at the end. She laughed, like I intended, and she made a raspberry sound with her lips.

“I suppose it’ll be weird, but I’m willing to try.”

“And we keep it all private, right?” I asked, this one piece important to me. Friends with benefits was a clear agreement. We would be friends, attend games together, and hook-up in private. We wouldn’t date. Feelings would be kept safe. Her dad would never find out the truth. I could still have a future in hockey, and she wouldn’t get upset about it. It was the best-case scenario I could’ve asked for.

Plus, sleeping with her once wasn’t going to be enough. Not even close. I was damn certain on that.

Her eyes shuttered for one half of a second before she nodded. “Of course. No one finds out about us.”

“And if one of us is done, we say it. Deal?” I said, still not believing that this conversation was happening. It felt like we needed a contract or something to make it final. Her tits strained against her shirt as she breathed deeper, and I oh-so-slowly ran my hand over one of her pebbled nipples.

She bucked off the couch. “Deal. Definitely deal.”

I grinned so hard my face hurt, and then I pulled her onto my lap. Her thighs landed on either side of mine, and I rubbed my hands up her sides, under her large shirt so I could feel her skin. She trembled on top of me, and my cock swelled in my jeans. She must’ve felt it because she ground against me, making me release a loud groan.

She ran her hands over my shoulders and pecs as her breathing quickened, and I finally gripped her ass and kneaded my fingers into it.

“Mm,” she said, closing her eyes and moaning.

I was done with this. I needed her mouth on mine, right fucking now. “Kiss me, Naomi. I’m losing my mind.”

She let out a cute giggle before lowering her mouth toward mine and finally kissing me. It seemed important to let her initiate it, but now? I wanted to fucking devour her. I bit her bottom lip and pulled, watching her eyes go wide as I sucked her lip into my mouth.

“Michael,” she panted, her fingers running through my hair.

“You drive me wild, Naomi,” I said, using my hands to pull her as tight as possible against me. She was perfectly petite in my arms and fit against me like she was made for me. I dragged a finger down her spine as I kissed from her mouth to her neck. My dick was hard as a fucking rock as I bit her earlobe. She tasted like salt and sweetness, and I nipped her neck, making her groan.

“Does this feel good?”

“God, yes.”

She ground her ass on my lap, rubbing against my erection, and I stilled. Fuck. It’d been months, enough that the mere heat of her body on mine would do me in. I almost growled at the two dimples at the base of her back. I wanted to lick those dimples. I kneaded them with my fingers as I bit her collarbone over her shirt. She might be sitting on me, but I was in charge here.

I tilted her head back, yanked her tighter against me, and captured her mouth with mine again. This kiss was urgent, fast, messy. Her teeth hit mine as she pushed me back onto the couch harder. She tasted like cinnamon and coffee.

She moved her hands toward my hair and gripped my shirt hard as she kissed me deeper, like she couldn’t get enough of me too. It was addicting. Sweet, smart, sexy Naomi let out a moan and grunt as I flipped us over so her back was on the couch. I broke the kiss only for a second to make sure she was okay, and she stared up at me with hungry eyes.

“I want to fucking lick you,” she said, her face wild with passion. “Everywhere.”

Jesus. I crawled on top of her and kissed down her neck, her collarbone, and lifted the edge of her baggy shirt up to kiss her chest. I easily flicked my tongue against her pebbled nipple, and she bucked beneath me.

“Unnh, Michael,” she moaned, pushing her chest out more.

“You like when I do this?’ I flicked her nipple again, then sucked down on it until my mouth made a popping sound. She squirmed, and I repeated the action with her other breast. I took my time, tasting her salty skin and teasing her perfect pink nipples. Her tits were perfect. She was perfect.

“Again,” she begged, the desperation in her voice matching my own. If she wanted more time on her tits, then I’d be a gentleman and give her what she craved. My dick throbbed so hard it hurt, and I was seconds away from losing control. I needed to be inside her.  

I swirled around the tip and blew air on it, then bit down just enough to have her yelp in pleasure. “That day in the bathroom,” I said, moving to do the same thing on the other one. “Your shirt was soaking wet, and your perky nipples strained against the fabric.”

“I remember.”

I sucked, and she moaned, letting out a needy little whine.

“I’ve been fantasizing about doing this since then.”

She shivered. Once her nipples were wet and warm from my mouth, I moved down her body and lifted her shirt so I could kiss her stomach. So soft, curvy, and sexy.

Something thudded from somewhere in the apartment, but my goal was on getting Naomi off. I needed to know what she sounded like.

“Shit. Shit!” Naomi pushed me from her and smoothed her shirt down, her face getting redder than a tomato.

“Uh, what?” I asked, dazed and very fucking confused. My dick throbbed against my jeans. My mouth had been on her skin point two five seconds ago.

“We can’t do this here. You should go.”

“Leave?” I couldn’t possibly get up and walk out the door.

“Yes, Michael.” She frowned at the hallway that went further into the unit. “Leave now. I’ll call you. Uh, thanks for the coffee. And the food. And the kiss.”

She jutted her chin toward the door. This was a first. Being dismissed when I swore she was into it. My dick throbbed, and my entire body tensed with regret. I didn’t want to leave, but Naomi pleaded with her soft eyes and worried expression. I knew this pushed her outside of her comfort zone. Friends with benefits.

Wait. The sound. Someone else was home. My lust-fueled brain took a second to catch up with reality. That’s why she shoved me away. We would’ve gotten caught.

I groaned as I wiped a hand down my face, lost for words because what did I say? That I didn’t want to go? Because I didn’t. I understood why I had to but fuck, I needed her bad. Horny, hurt, and embarrassed, I didn’t look at her again before making sure I had my keys and my phone.

It was risky enough thinking about doing anything with the coach’s daughter, and we almost got caught.

I walked out without a word.