Collide: A Hockey Romance

KIAN’S HOWL PIERCES my ears as he flips off Eli in a celebratory dance.

When he strolled in a few minutes ago, he snatched the controller out of my hand and started playing the game. I didn’t put up much of a fight when he took it because there’s only one thing on my mind tonight. Rather, one girl.

Don’t go.

I won’t pretend that those two words didn’t slide to the tip of my tongue when I heard about her date. Luckily for me, Kian had already told me about her plans.

Now, It’s impossible to pull my mind off her date, especially when the animated hockey player on screen is Lukas Preston. Talk about kicking a man when he’s down.

The doorbell rings loud enough to be heard over Kian’s shouting and my depressing thoughts.

“It’s the pizza guy.” Eli makes a move to get up.

“I got it.” I’m up before he can leave me with a hyper Kian. The bell goes off again as I pull the door open.

A soaked Summer stands on the porch.

“You were right, she says, resting her hands on her hips, chest heaving. I’m speechless, staring at her drenched figure. “My date tried to kiss me.”

The heat that radiates off my body feels charged with violence. Apparently, my little speech to her didn’t dampen my jealousy.

She rolls her eyes. “Calm down, nothing happened.”

When I swallow my throat feels stripped raw. “Why not?”

“Because I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Because every time he complimented me or touched me, I wished it was you. Because when we were in his car and he leaned in, I told him there’s someone else, and I ran straight here.”

The revelation grips my heart. “You ran here in the rain?”

She nods, droplets falling from her eyelashes onto her cheeks, making her look like a wet dream. I take a step closer to her because I’m pretty sure I’ll combust if I don’t touch her right now. I slowly brush away the water droplets on her cheeks.

“Are you done pretending, Summer?”

“You tell me.” She takes hold of my shoulders, and our lips collide with a burst of fireworks.

I waste no time lifting her up, allowing her to wrap her legs around my waist. Pressing her against the door frame, I devour her mouth in a reverent kiss, the sound of rain and the whipping wind becoming a faint background noise to the sweet sounds that fill my mouth. She tastes like mine. She always has.

She reciprocates my desperation, clutching me tightly when my hand sinks into her hair, angling her perfectly against my mouth.

“Aid—Oh—that is definitely not the pizza guy.” Dylan’s voice fills the entryway.

“Finally,” Kian mutters.

Summer pulls away and looks over my shoulder to glare. “Your cock blocking worked, assholes.”

I turn to the two idiots grinning from ear to ear. “What did they do?”

“You don’t know?” Her eyes are round with surprise. “They crashed my date.”

Dylan grins. “You were moping around like a lovesick puppy.”

“And since you weren’t going to do anything about it, we took it upon ourselves. You’re welcome.” Kian says proudly.

I shake my head. I realize these reckless and loyal friends of mine, have my back like no other.

“Lovesick puppy, huh?” Summer teases, planting an affectionate kiss on my cheek.

The doorbell rings, and Kian shoots past us, reappearing with the pizza boxes. “You staying, Sunny? We got plenty of food.”

“I should probably get home.” She gestures to her soaked clothes, shivering ever so slightly.

“Fuck, you’re probably freezing. Come on, I’ll get you a change of clothes.” I take her hand and lead her to the stairs.

“You two better be quick, or I’m eating your food,” Kian says.

“There’s no way they’ll be quick,” answers Sebastian passing us in the hall to head to the kitchen.

“I’ll take their share,” says Cole, making his first appearance of the day.

Upstairs, in the quiet of my bathroom, Summer stands behind me as I set the shower temperature.

“I think I can work a shower, Aiden.”

“Let me feel useful.”

“Be useful over here,” she says, peeling off her wet top.

I crouch in front of her, unzipping her skirt. “You wore this for him?” I ask, tugging it. The insecurity in my voice is embarrassing.

“You’re the one taking it off, Crawford. I wouldn’t be complaining.”

A chuckle escapes me as I kiss her stomach. She’s right. The last thing I should do is complain when she’s half-naked.

“I’ll leave some clothes on the bed.” My hands linger on her soft skin, and I have a hard time pulling away. Though, I don’t get far because she pulls me right back. I search the brown eyes that stare up at me so innocently.

“Will you shower with me, Aiden?”

“You sure?” I’m trying not to look like a puppy offered a treat. She just confessed how she feels, which is a lot for her, and I don’t want her to feel suffocated.

“Are you choosing now to be a gentleman?” She takes a step back and unhooks her bra, dropping it to the bathroom floor, then pulls down her panties and tosses them at me. “I’m yours, Aiden. Treat me like it.”

She’s mine. And she’s perfect. “You are,” I say, my throat thick.

“So, it’s only right that you get the Summer Preston girlfriend experience.”

I’m rock-hard. “Girlfriend? Is that the word we’re using?”

“Mm. I figured you’d like it.” She eyes my pants with a demure smile. My hands itch to touch her, so I pull her towards me.

“And what would that make me?”

Her hands glide up my biceps, causing a tremor to run through me. “My boyfriend. My hot, sexy, kind boyfriend.”

A fire ignites somewhere foreign. “You don’t need flattery to get into these pants, baby.”

Summer’s hands snake around my shoulders to the nape of my neck. “Then why aren’t they off yet?”

I make quick work of shedding my clothes, carrying her straight underneath the shower head. Her squeals fill the bathroom, and this time I don’t tell her to keep it down. I want to hear every sound, every word, and every laugh.