Neutral Zone (Carolina Comets)

“Can I just say that the fact that we’re all here is the best thing ever? I love afternoon games because it gives us a better chance at getting everyone here.”

I glance over at Harper, who is grinning down the aisle at us.

She, Ryan, Hollis, Emilia, Scout, Stevie, and I are all sitting together. Even little Freddie and Macie are here, each sitting next to their mom. Hollis’ new baby is at home with her grandma since she’s too tiny for the rink just yet.

This isn’t my first Comets game and I know it won’t be my last, but it’s my first time getting to sit with all the wives and girlfriends of the core group. It’s so nice to be included in this, and tears are jumping to my eyes. I never, ever thought my crush on Fitz would land me here, sitting with all these badass women.

I blink them away, hoping nobody sees.

“It’s about time we got all of our schedules to work out,” Ryan says. “Between your booming prop business, my demanding YouTube schedule, Hollis being a kick-ass mom of two, Emilia keeping our idiots in line, Scout running her truck and her author career, Stevie being an overall badass, and Rosie doing her thing…”

“It’s a wonder we ever hang out at all,” Hollis finishes for her, bouncing her adorable daughter who is wearing the cutest headphones ever on her knee.

“I for one still can’t believe we pulled Scout away from her laptop,” Stevie says pointedly to her sister.

“Hey! I’m on a deadline!”

“You’re always on a deadline.”

Scout shrugs her comment off.

“I’m just glad Rosie and Fitz finally pulled their heads out of their asses and decided to get together.” Stevie giggles at her own words.

“Hey!” I protest. “I’m sitting right here.”

“I know, and I meant what I said.”

“Um, Mom, you can’t say ass, remember?”

“You’re right, Macie. I meant I’m glad Rosie and Fitz decided to pull their heads out of their jackasses.”

“Again, right here,” I say.

She ignores me, and so does everyone else, but truthfully, I’m not mad about her words. I’m glad we’re together too.

When Fitz finally got home from his road trip, the first thing he did was show up at my apartment. I questioned him as to how he got my address, but then I realized I didn’t care and threw myself into his arms. He carried me right to the couch, dropped to his knees, and showed me just how much he missed me by eating me to orgasm twice before finally letting me ride his cock until he came inside of me.

We spent the rest of the night in my bed and have spent the last three weeks alternating between his place and mine. During his away games, we spend our nights on video chat. I used my plug again, and once he let me be the one to watch as he jacked himself to release. It was so hot and made me really understand his desire to just sit back and observe.

Of course, when we got off the video, I used my rabbit toy to get off…twice.

It’s not all about the sex, though. I’ve spent more time talking to Fitz in the last three weeks than I have in the last year I’ve known him, and I learned his obsession with strawberries extends past donuts. Honestly, it’s a little scary how much he loves them, but that’s his problem, not mine.

He told me about his childhood and his parents and how supportive his mom is of his hockey career. I caught him on the phone with her one morning, and seeing him blush every time she called him “Baby Boy” was the cutest thing ever.

I’m so damn happy with him that I couldn’t stop smiling even if I tried. I’m not usually a grumpy person by nature, but this happiness feels like something so much more.

He feels like something so much more.

He makes me feel seen and desired, and he’s so damn supportive of everything I do that sometimes I have to stop and stare at him, wondering what I did to deserve it all. Then I remember…I don’t have to do anything to deserve it. I do deserve it, full stop.

It’s such a weird feeling, and now that I’ve experienced it…I never want to let it go.

“Stop it,” Stevie hisses, jabbing me with her elbow.

“Oof!” I grab my boob. “What was that for?”

“You’re grinning like an idiot and it’s scaring people. Especially that kid.” She nods toward a little boy who is peering up at us, his eyes wide with fear.

I wave at him, and he hides behind his mother, who then turns around and shoots us a glare. The moment she turns back around, Stevie and I giggle like schoolgirls.

“This is so much fun,” she says, and I nod. “By the way, I can’t thank you enough for volunteering to let Macie come over after the game. She will not stop going on and on about wanting a pet, and I know Fitz has a cat. I tried to get Ryan to agree since she and Rhodes have pets, but…”

“Rhodes is…well, Rhodes?”

She laughs. “Yes. And Harper and Collin have so much creepy stuff around their house that I don’t want her to get scared.”

“That’s fair.” Harper runs her business out of her house. Pair her horror prop business with her obsession with all things horror, and it’s safe to say their house is not kid friendly. “It’s no problem at all. We’re looking forward to it. Fitz even went out and bought snacks for the playdate.”

“But not sugary snacks, right?”

“No, of course not.”

It’s a lie, a complete and total lie. In fact, I’m pretty sure sugar is all he bought.

She nods, seemingly satisfied with my answer, then shoots to her feet when the guys hit the ice for the last period.

I was surprised during the warmups when they all took turns skating over here. I was even more surprised when Fitz did the same. He skated right up and bumped his stick against the glass, then pointed at me, sending me a full smile, missing tooth and all.

I melted right there.

They’re up three goals at the beginning of the period but refuse to take their foot off the gas, and by the end of the game, they add another three to the score sheet without giving anything else up. I don’t think a single soul leaves the building as they announce the three stars of the game: Greer for his saves, Fitz for his assists, and Miller for all the goals he racked up.

“A natural freakin’ hat trick? My man is the best! I need to change my panties.”

“Scout!” Stevie glares at her younger sister, then slides her eyes toward her daughter, who is very much paying attention to what’s being said.

“Pantyhose,” Scout says in an attempt to cover her blunder. “I need to change my pantyhose.”

Macie wrinkles her nose. “Why are you wearing pantyhose with jeans, Aunt Scout? Mom only makes me wear those with dresses on Easter or Christmas.”

Scout mumbles something to her niece, then begins shuffling out of the aisle as the rest of the arena clears out. I stifle a laugh, following behind them closely.

Flashing our badges to the security team, we make our way through the back hallways to the parking garage where we’re meeting the guys. One by one, they all come out of the arena, every player wearing a smile, still flying high from their incredible win.

“Jackass!” Macie yells, running from her mother’s side and into Greer’s arms. “You did so good! I mean, it would have been cool to get a shutout, but only letting in one goal is amazing.”

He squeezes his girlfriend’s daughter tightly. “Thanks, kid. I can always count on you to tell me my weak points.”

“You’re welcome,” Macie says, not picking up on his sarcasm at all.

“Hey, Rosie,” Greer says, lifting his hat and running his hand through his hair before placing the cap back where it belongs. “We appreciate you letting Macie hang out for a bit.”

I wave him off. “No biggie, really. We’re excited.”

He leans into me and whispers, “Between you and me, if she starts driving you nuts and you put Miracle on, she’ll be out within the first thirty minutes. She loves the movie, but she’s seen it too many times. It’s basically cinematic Benadryl at this point.”

I nod, smirking at him. “Thanks for the tip.”

“Fitz!” Macie yells, promptly abandoning us. She races up to him and bumps her fist against the one he’s holding out. “Does Carl like mac and cheese? I can make her some.”

“Um…” Fitz’s eyes shoot to Stevie, who is shaking her head, then he looks back at Macie. “You know what? She doesn’t, but I love mac and cheese.”

“Really? I mean, it’s not mac and cheese night, but I can whip some up for us if you’re hungry.”

He pats his stomach, the one I know for a fact is practically an eight-pack, and grins at her. “Oh, man. I am starving. I’d love that.”

“Yes!” She bounces up and down on her heels, then skips to Fitz’s truck.

I have a feeling we’re in for a long night. Who knew a kid would have this much energy at this time of night?

“Hey, where’s your mom’s kiss, kid?”

Macie sighs dramatically but goes to her mother, wrapping her arms around her and squeezing her tightly. Stevie kisses the top of her head, then Greer steps up, accepting the hug Macie gives him. It’s still so strange to see grumpy Greer in a dad role, but it suits him so much more than I ever expected.

“Be good for Rosie and Fitz, all right?” She nods. “And if you need anything at all or want to come home early, just call, okay? We’ll come to get you like that.” He snaps on the last word, just to emphasize it.

Macie giggles. “I will.”

She gives him another hug, then heads back to the truck. When I look back at Stevie and Greer, both are staring after her like their whole heart is walking away.

We say our goodbyes, and they pile into Greer’s fancy sports car, then peel out of the garage.

“Who wants a strawberry smoothie?” Fitz asks.

“Oooh! Me, me, me!” Macie says, opening her door. “But can I get mango instead?”

He gives me a look that says Can you believe this kid? “I’m not sure why you’d pass up strawberries, but sure.”

I shrug, then climb in behind her.

Yeah, this is totally going to be a long night.

“Eight…nine…ten…eleven…twelve! Holy smokes!” Macie claps her hands together. “You can fit twelve sour worms in your gap? That’s better than the four straws and the six Twizzlers.”

Fitz grins proudly like he’s just as excited about this as she is. He uses his tongue to pull them out, then chews them all at once and swallows. “Pretty awesome, right?”

“Best. Day. Ever.”

They high-five, and I can’t seem to wipe the smile off my face watching them. I’m pretty sure after this evening, Macie is going to tell everyone else to get lost and proclaim Fitz as her best friend, and honestly, I don’t blame her. He’s pretty amazing.

When we got back to Fitz’s place, he patiently introduced her to Carl, who took a few minutes to warm up to the hyper kid, then quickly became attached to her. In fact, the cat is currently curled up inside Fitz’s hoodie, which Macie is currently wearing. Another odd little thing I learned about the brown and white cat—she loves to sit inside hoods.

After introductions, Macie did make us some mac and cheese. She complained there were no hot dogs or baked beans to put in it but was happy with the results after Fitz let her crush up Cheetos and crumble them over the top.

It was surprisingly good.

Afterward, I whipped up a quick batch of peanut butter caramel cookies.

“Fu—”

“Fitz,” I warn him.

He widens his eyes, mid-bite. “Frick,” he amends. “These are amazing. When you open your own bakery, you have to put these on the menu!”

“You’re going to open your own bakery?” Macie’s eyes are wide too. “Can I come hang out there? Don’t tell Aunt Scout I said this, but sometimes the donut truck gets boring, and sometimes I just want cookies instead of donuts.”

“Of course you can come hang out with me,” I tell her. “But it probably won’t be for a while. You’ll be a teenager and way too cool for me.”

“I’m too cool now, but I still like you.”

Fitz lifts his hand for a high five, and Macie smacks her palm against his.

I grab my chest. “Ow. That one hurt.”

“You still love us.” The kid shrugs, then looks at Fitz. “What about Raisinets? How many of those will fit in your gap?”

His eyes widen, and he looks at me with panic in his expression.

“How about we put a movie in?” I suggest.

“Yes!” the kid shouts loudly. “Do you have any hockey movies?”

“Hello, hockey player here.” He rolls his eyes. “Of course I do. Come on.”

We get Miracle loaded up and gather enough pillows and blankets for about ten people, then snuggle up on the couch.

Turns out, Greer was right. We’re not even thirty minutes into the movie, and Macie is passed out. And she’s snoring—like a full-grown-man kind of snoring. It’s cute until it’s not anymore.

Luckily, we don’t have to listen to it for long. Stevie and Greer show up at eight like we planned.

“Thanks again, man,” Greer says to Fitz, lifting Macie into his arms. She doesn’t even stir when he jostles her around. She’s definitely out for the night, and I don’t blame her. It was a big day for her between the game and hanging out with Carl. “We really needed those few hours alone.”

“Any time you guys need a break, just let us know,” Fitz tells him.

My heart stutters at his words.

Us. Let us know.

I love how easily it rolled off his tongue, like it was always meant to be there.

“We will. Good night.” He looks at me, then back at Fitz before leaning in and not-so-quietly saying, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

I roll my eyes at him, and Fitz slams the door in his face. I hear Greer laugh on the other side.

“I was not aware that sound could come out of a child,” Fitz says, shaking his head as he goes to the couch and begins cleaning up the mess of blankets we’ve made. “None of my nieces snore like that. It’s new territory.”

“Do you get to see them often?” I grab one of the extra blankets and put it inside the basket near the couch. For a guy, his place is surprisingly organized and well-decorated. I briefly wonder if his mother came and helped him. That would be a total Fitz thing.

He shrugs. “A few times a year. Not as much as I’d like, obviously. They live in Arizona, so I always make sure to get them tickets to games whenever we play there. Last season, I scored two goals with them in the crowd, and since we had a day off the next day, I got to go to their show-and-tell. It was awesome.”

His whole face is lit up talking about them, and it’s a side of him I haven’t really gotten to see yet. I love it.

“Do you want kids?” The second I realize what I’ve just asked, I stop dead in my tracks, spinning to face him. “Oh my god, forget I asked that. It was totally out of line. I mean, we’ve only been dating for a month. That’s like a one-year-mark kind of question. I have no business asking you questions like that. I mean, I’m nob—”

Fitz covers my mouth with his hand, his hazel eyes narrowed on me. “I swear, if you say something ridiculous like you’re nobody, I will be forced to take you back to my room and spank your ass.”

“But, like, in a sexy way, right? A sexy spanking?”

“Do you really think you’d deserve a sexy spanking after that?”

“Yes.”

His eyes spark with lust, a smirk pulling one side of his mouth up. “You’re…”

“Amazing? I know.”

He laughs. “Something, Ro. You’re something.” Another smirk. “To answer your question, yes, I do want kids. But not for another few years.”

I’m suddenly hit with so many images all at once. The one that sticks out the most is of me, Fitz, and a little girl with blonde hair and hazel eyes smiling up at us as we stand at the kitchen counter all wearing matching aprons and making cookies. Fitz boops the tip of her nose, leaving behind a speck of flour. She giggles, and it’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.

“What are you thinking about?” he asks.

“Us,” I answer honestly. “Future us.”

“Yeah?” I nod. “I like the sound of that.”

Before I know what’s happening, he grabs my hand, hauling me down the hall toward his room.

Only we don’t make it. He presses me against the wall halfway there, then covers my mouth with his own. His tongue pushes past my lips, sliding against mine. He tastes like my peanut butter cookies, and I love it more than when he tastes like strawberry donuts. Those aren’t mine, not really. But this? It’s all me.

He grinds his hips against me, and I can feel his hardening cock against my leg, which tells me…

“We should really move this to the bedroom.” I grab his hand and drag him the rest of the way.

The second he closes the door, I pounce. This time, it’s me pressing him against the door and covering his mouth. He groans as our tongues tangle together, and he’s so damn lost in the kiss I don’t think he even realizes I have his belt buckle in my hand and I’m undoing it, or that I drag his zipper down. In fact, I don’t think he realizes what’s happening until I wrench my lips from his and fall to my knees.

“Oh, fuck…” He stares down at me with glassy eyes. “You look beautiful like that.”

“Do I?” I tug his jeans down his legs, dragging his boxer briefs along with them. “Your cock is so perfect,” I tell him when it springs free. “I’ve been thinking about sucking it all day.”

A low growl rumbles out of his chest, and I love it so damn much my pussy throbs just from the sound alone. I lean forward and run my tongue along his shaft, from base to tip.

“Christ,” he mutters, staring down at me. I know because I haven’t taken my eyes off his the entire time.

I lick him again, then again, like he’s a lollipop and I’m dying to know how many licks it takes to get him to explode.

“You’re a terrible tease.” He reaches for me, and I shake my head.

“Hands on the door, Fitz.”

His eyes spark, and with one nod, he listens, flattening his palms against it, earning himself another lick for following directions. He lets out a low groan, and I smile against his cock.

“You’re killing me,” he says, but I know that’s not true. He loves being teased like this as much as I love teasing him. The anticipation…the buildup…it’s important to him.

I continue to run my tongue along his shaft, occasionally sucking the head of his cock into my mouth and applying enough pressure to drive him crazy. The longer I lick at him, the more I get impatient. I have no doubt in my mind that were I to reach my hand between my legs, I would find I’m soaking wet.

“Ro…” he whines, driving his hips toward me.

He needs more, and fuck it because so do I. This time when I run my tongue along him, I don’t pull back. Instead, I cover his cock with my mouth and pull him straight to the back of my throat.

“Fuckingshitohgod.” It comes out as one word, and I smile when I hear his head hit the door.

I deep-throat him until I can’t breathe, then pull back. I suck in a few breaths of air and then swallow him again. His hands are literally shaking against the door, and I know he wants to reach out and touch, so I grab his hand and bring it to my head.

“Finally,” he grunts, tipping my head toward him. He holds my eyes with his own. “I’m going to fuck your mouth so hard, baby.”

I nod, begging him to do his worst, and he does. He ruts into me, using my mouth and using me. He drives into me over and over, and I love every second of it.

“I want to come on your tits,” he tells me, pulling out. “On the bed.”

I shove up to my feet and rip my shirt off over my head, so glad I wore a front-clasp bra as I tug that off too. I lie back on my elbows as he stands over me, stroking himself. He never once takes his eyes off me as he grips his cock tighter and faster, fucking his fist as I wait for my reward.

The muscles in his neck jump as his entire body tenses, and just two strokes later, he coats my tits in his cum. I love every fucking second of it. I love when he marks me like this. It makes me feel like…well, his.

When he squeezes out the last of his orgasm, I reach down and run my finger through the mess he’s made, then lick it off because I know it drives him wild, and honestly, it drives me wild too. His eyes light with a fire I’ve never seen before, and before I know what’s happening, he yanks my leggings down along with my underwear, runs his fingers through the remnants of him, and then pushes them inside my already drenched pussy.

“Holy…” I whisper.

But he’s not done. Of course he’s not.

He drops to his knees, shoves my legs open wide, and presses his mouth to my clit while he continues to fuck me with his fingers. He gives my cunt two more strokes before sliding them out of me and down to the hole only I’ve played with so far.

I’m up on my elbows watching him, so I don’t miss when he peers up at me, asking for permission.

“Do it,” I tell him. “Stretch my ass with your fingers.”

He growls against me, then slowly begins slipping his digit inside of me. It feels different than the plug but just as good. He works one finger in, then another, and quickly, I’m riding his hand, aching for more.

“You look fucking gorgeous with my fingers in your ass, Ro. I can’t wait until it’s my cock buried inside of you.”

“I can’t…either,” I manage to get out, completely lost in this sensation, loving how full I feel with him inside me like this, already anticipating what it’s going to feel like when it’s his cock.

He sucks my clit back into his mouth as he works his fingers in and out of my ass, and my orgasm hits me out of nowhere.

“Ivan!” I cry out his name as shudders make my entire body shake. I’ve never felt an orgasm like this before, and that’s saying something because I’ve had quite a few of them since Fitz and I started seeing one another.

Is this normal? Will it always be like this? Better and better each time?

When the last of my trembling subsides, he slowly pulls his fingers from my ass, then gives my pussy one last kiss before crawling his way up my body. He peppers me with kisses, covering my body with his own.

“How the hell did I get so lucky?” he whispers against my lips.

I don’t tell him I’ve been asking myself the same thing.

Because this thing with Fitz? It’s real…and I never want it to change.