Against All Odds (Holt Hockey Book 2)

AIDAN: What’s your room number?

RYLAN: Aidan…

AIDAN: You’re right.

AIDAN: It’ll be more fun if I go around knocking on doors and wake the whole team up.

RYLAN: 520.

I climb out of bed as soon as I send the message. Run on my tiptoes to the bathroom so I can brush my teeth again, then readjust the tank top of the matching silk sleep set I’m wearing. The only upside of having my period is that my boobs are bigger and more sensitive than usual.

There’s a low knock a few seconds later.

I head for the door, quickly glancing through the peephole before unlocking it.

“Hey.” Aidan steps into my room, giving me a quick kiss before immediately pulling off his shirt. “How long have you been here?”

“About an hour. My mom and I stopped for dinner on the way.”

He glances past me, at the empty bed with the covers pulled back. “I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

Like I’m the one who should be well-rested tomorrow.

“No. You didn’t wake me up.”

He nods, then pulls off his sweatpants too, standing in my room in just a pair of black boxer briefs. My mouth goes dry as I focus on the sizable bulge tucked inside the fabric, cursing my menstrual cycle. My mom is staying in my dad’s room, two floors down. Judging by how long it took Aidan to get here, he’s not staying on this floor, which means his teammates aren’t either. We have a hotel room with a queen-sized bed to ourselves, so of course this is the day my period came.

Aidan walks over to the bed and climbs in on the opposite side. I turn off all the lights except the lamp on my side, then climb in too.

The warm weight of his arm wraps around my waist, pulling me into him so we’re spooning. He nuzzles my neck, making a throaty, contented sound deep in his throat. We’ve only slept in bed together once before, but it feels natural to have him on the mattress next to me. I could definitely get used to this.

Aidan says nothing, his breathing even and rhythmic. But I don’t think he’s asleep. I can feel the restless energy humming around him.

“Are you nervous?” I whisper.

“Yeah. But whether we win or lose tomorrow, nothing will change for me. May will still look the same, whatever the hell that turns out to be. It’s a big deal, but I’m trying not to psych myself out.”

“Your parents came?”

“As far as I know. My dad told me they were.”

For a few minutes, we’re both silent.

“You’re hard,” I finally state.

“Duh. You’re like two inches away.” He kisses my shoulder before pulling the covers back and sitting up like he’s climbing out of bed. “I’ll go take care of it. That’ll be faster than running through hockey stats.”

“I want to do it,” I tell him.

Aidan pauses. I see the heat in his eyes, but there’s also hesitation. “That’s not why I came here, Rylan. I just wanted to see you. Hold you. It wasn’t about sex.”

There’s a gooey, warm sensation in the center of my chest.

“I know. We’re not having sex. I’m on my period. But…” I reach out, tracing the waistband of his boxers with my fingertips. “I’m considering giving you a blowjob.”

He lies back, his abs clenching deliciously. Tucks his hands behind his head. “Considering, huh?”

“Uh-huh.” I slip one finger beneath the elastic, running it back and forth between his hipbones.

Aidan looks like he’s in serious pain, the tendons of his neck standing out as his jaw clenches tight. The front of his boxers are tented now.

“Anything I can do to help you make the decision?” he grits out.

I laugh, pulling my hand away and then tugging the comforter farther down.

“You can finish your review of the last one I gave you. You never made it past location last time. No musty smell or metal shelves this time, so I assume you have no complaints there?”

“I have no complaints at all.”

“I mean it,” I say, tugging down his boxers until his cock bobs free. It’s swollen and totally erect, pre-cum beaded at the fat tip. I wet my lips. “Tell me what you like.”

“Your mouth, sucking.”

“Details, Aidan. Do you like your balls touched? Or ass play? I don’t think I can deep throat you, but I can—”

“Baby, stop talking. I’m about two seconds from shooting my load just because of how you’re looking at my dick. If you keep talking, I’m going to…” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Just please, put your mouth on me.”

I want to laugh, he looks so tortured.

“Fine. But we’re discussing this another time.”

“You really think I’m going to argue with—fuck.”

He groans—loudly—when I lick him from root to tip. Then suck him deep until he’s brushing the back of my throat.

I like this angle better than kneeling. My knees are resting on the soft mattress instead of a firm floor as I lean down, moving my mouth up and down his thick shaft. My hair falls forward and Aidan immediately pulls it back, grunting my name along with a warning he’s close.

And he wasn’t kidding about coming fast. He chants my name as he fills my mouth, groaning louder every time he feels me swallow.

I sit up, trying to ignore the pulse between my thighs. He looks so sexy like this, sprawled out in bed with all his muscles on display and his dick out. Even satisfied, the size is impressive.

The arousal must be obvious on my face, because he asks, “Do you not want to have sex, or are you saying that because you think a little blood is going to freak me out?”

“It’s more than a little blood.”

“I don’t care.”

“I care. It’s…gross.”

“Okay. Your call. Wanna make out, at least?”

“Will you play with my boobs?” I ask. “They’re really sensitive and—oh.”

Aidan doesn’t need any more instruction. He’s already tugged my shirt down as far as it’ll go, capturing one nipple into the warm, wet heat of his mouth and then releasing it. Blowing on it.

I squirm, feeling him start to harden again as he does the same thing to my other boob.

I arch my back as he continues to suck and lick and nibble, running my hands through his hair and down his back. He starts to thrust, humping me through my pajamas. His dick inflates even more.

“You’re insatiable,” I moan.

“Your boobs are out,” he replies, like that’s a full explanation. I guess maybe it is.

When he texted, I was feeling bloated and achy. Now, I’m so turned on I can hardly think straight.

I come with a loud cry, hoping there’s no one staying in the room next to this one.

Aidan kisses me for a good minute before pulling away. I slip out of bed so I can clean up in the bathroom.

He’s lying on his back when I return to bed, his boxer briefs back in place.

I snuggle into his side, starting to feel drowsy.

I’m almost asleep when I hear him say my name softly.

My heavy eyelids fight to stay closed. Before I can murmur a “What?” he whispers, “I love you.”

I freeze, not that it matters since I’m already motionless. If Aidan can feel the sudden tension in my body, he ignores it, punching the pillow once and then tightening his grip on me.

I lie awake, listening to his quiet confession on a loop in my head. One I’m not sure I was supposed to hear.

Sometime during the endless echo of I love you, I fall asleep for real.

I’m in the bathroom brushing my teeth when there’s a loud knock on my door.

I spit and then tiptoe out of the bathroom, glancing at my bed. Aidan is still fast asleep, a pillow pulled over his head and the covers pooled around his waist. All I can see are his abs.

Another knock.

I pull on a sweatshirt and then rush over to the door. Glance through the peephole, and freeze.

My dad is outside.

I swear under my breath before grabbing the keycard off the television stand and opening the door the smallest crack possible as I step out into the hallway.

My dad looks alert, like he’s been up for hours, showered and dressed in a suit. He’s holding a coffee cup in one hand.

“Morning,” I greet, my voice filled with fake cheer. “Big day!”

He frowns at me, and I silently pray I don’t have a hickey on my neck or something equally incriminating. “Disastrous day, so far. The bus didn’t start this morning. And Phillips is missing.”

Fuck.

“What’s wrong with the bus?” I ask, like a coward.

“If anyone knew that, it would be running. The company is working on sending a replacement, but we’re supposed to leave for the arena in forty-five minutes. Have you seen Phillips?”

I swallow. “Uh, yes.”

“Well you—wait. Yes?” Obviously not the answer my dad was expecting. “Where the hell is he? I’ve got hotel staff and the entire team searching every floor.”

I shove my hands into the front pocket of my sweatshirt. “He’s, um, he’s in there.” I tilt my head to the left, toward the closed door I just exited from.

Shock. Uncertainty. Disbelief. Uneasiness. Awkwardness. Annoyance.

They all scroll across my dad’s face as he absorbs that answer and registers what Aidan being in my room means.

“I didn’t mean for—”

“We’ll discuss this later, Rylan. Tell Phillips to get his ass downstairs. Now.”

My dad turns and strides away without another word.