Puck Shy (Carolina Comets)

I was right about Collin’s apartment being swanky.

We’re still in the lobby, but just from the decor and marble flooring, I can already tell whatever awaits us is going to blow my mind.

“Evening, Mr. Wright.”

“Hey, Beau. How goes it?”

“Doing well, sir. I see you have a guest this evening.” The old man bounces his brows suggestively, and I have a hard time holding back my laugh. “Quite a beauty, too.”

I’m suddenly glad we decided to change out of our costumes before grabbing food. Since Halloween was several days ago, we decided not scaring everyone would be best, especially with how recognizable Collin is.

“Are you hitting on my girl, Beau?”

He grabs his chest. “I wouldn’t dare, sir.” He throws a wink my way. “Besides, Meghan would likely hold a pillow over my head if I even thought about stepping out.”

“Oh, she definitely would.” Collin waves a hand between me and the old man. “Harper, meet Beau. He may look old, but he’s a spry fella.”

Beau sticks his chest out proudly. “That’s right I am.”

I grin, sticking my hand out. “Pleasure to meet you, Beau.”

He grabs my hand in his old, wrinkled one and brings it to his lips. “I assure you, the pleasure is all mine.”

“I’m telling you, I got Meghan on speed dial.”

“Oh, all right.” Beau sighs, dropping my hand. “I get it, I get it.”

I smile at their banter, loving their playfulness.

Something I’ve noticed about Collin is that he takes the time to get to know everyone he talks to. He learns their names and asks them questions. He doesn’t brush anyone off like they are beneath him just because he’s a famous hockey player.

It’s…sweet.

“Here.” Collin hands him an Oatmeal Creme Pie he picked up at Fair Foods. “Keep those paws off my gal and there will be more where those came from.”

Beau looks at the pie, then at me. “I’m sorry, dear, but this is my first love. My heart belongs to Miss Little Debbie. And Meghan!” he adds. “Her too.”

I laugh. “That’s all right. Collin here is about all I can handle anyway.”

Beau leans in close. “He’s quite the shithead, huh?”

“Speed dial, Beau. Speed dial.”

The old man sends me a wink, then presses the button for our elevator.

We step in, and even this space is extravagant, smooth, relaxing jazz playing over the speakers.

We don’t speak on the ride to the twentieth floor—which is surprisingly fast—and I think it’s because we’re both too keyed up over what’s to come.

When Collin slides his keycard—because a regular key is just too plain apparently—into the door, my knees begin to shake.

I have no idea why. It’s not like we haven’t done this before.

But there’s something different about tonight.

Something that feels more…real.

I don’t know if it’s because we spent the evening with his team or what, but there’s definitely been some sort of shift between us since we left the party.

It makes me uneasy in both a good and bad way.

Good because there’s a small part of me that wouldn’t mind more with Collin.

Bad because…well, I’m terrified of giving him more. More will only lead to heartbreak. I’m sure of it.

He pushes open the door and a light kicks on the moment Collin steps into the darkened doorway.

“All the lights are automatic,” he explains.

I try to rein in my shock but apparently fail as he laughs.

“I came from a three-bedroom farmhouse that was built pre-plumbing. Believe me, I was shocked too when the real estate agent showed me this place.”

I step into the hallway, and the first thing I notice is there’s nothing in it.

Not a shoe rack or a closet. There’s nothing.

“Come on,” Collin encourages, motioning with his head.

I follow behind him as he leads me farther into the apartment.

When we reach the end of the hall, everything opens up. What few walls there are have been painted a light gray, and the theme is minimalism.

The first thing I notice is the size. I swear you could fit two of my apartments just inside this space.

The craziest part is there’s a whole other level.

The second thing I notice? The windows. They’re tall, taking up most of the perimeter. I walk toward them, looking out. We’re high up, and with the clear sky tonight, it feels like we’re floating.

“I’m still me,” he reminds me, coming up behind me.

“This view…it’s breathtaking.”

“Yes, it is.”

But I can see in the reflection that he’s not looking out at the night sky at all.

He’s looking at me.

His hands come to rest on my waist, and he tugs me back against him.

“It’s too bad you took your costume off,” I say, leaning into him.

“Why’s that?”

“Because I could have made an Is that a knife you’re holding or are you just happy to see me joke.”

He chuckles, grinding his erection against my ass, burying his face in my hair. “Oh, I am very happy to see you. I can assure you of that.”

“So it seems.”

I try to turn in his arms, but he doesn’t let me.

Instead, he crowds me against the cold window, runs his hands along the length of my arms, and picks them up, resting my palms against the glass.

“Keep them there.” He drags his fingertips back over my arms and down my sides until he hits my waist again. Slowly, he inches the fabric up, bunching it in his hands. “I’m so fucking glad you brought a dress.”

I packed it to wear tomorrow, but it ended up coming in handy tonight. Right now, with Collin’s hands sliding the fabric up my body, I’m not mad about that at all.

Cool air rushes against me, my dress now completely gathered at my hips.

His fingers hook into my panties.

“Don’t you dare rip them.”

A low, rumbly laugh leaves him. “Yes, ma’am.” He dips his lips to my ear. “Oh. New kink unlocked.”

A laugh bubbles out of me, but it quickly transforms into a moan when he nips at that spot just below my ear.

“I love the way you taste.” Another bite. A lick. His fingers tighten on my hips, digging into me, almost bruising.

He drops to his knees, dragging the lace panties down my legs until I step out of them.

I have no idea what he does with them, and I don’t care. Not when his hands are on me, pulling me closer until my back is arched, my cheek still pressed against the window.

He shoves my dress back around my waist, leaving me exposed to him completely.

“Hold your dress up,” he instructs, and I listen, grasping the material in one hand. His hands roam over my bottom, a single finger tracing down the middle. “Beautiful.”

He places a gentle kiss against my lower back as he reaches around, his finger finding my clit.

I suck in a sharp breath at the contact. I’m already teetering on the edge of hanging on.

He kisses me again. Then another and another. Lower, more brazen as he continues to rub circles against my very swollen nub.

Suddenly he stands, and the sounds of him undoing his pants fill the air.

He doesn’t once take his finger off my clit, not even when he pushes the blunt head of his cock against me. He’s careful not to push into me because we’re both aware he’s not wearing a condom, but suddenly I need to feel him bare.

I push against him, an invitation.

“Please.”

I don’t have to tell him twice.

He thrusts into me like we have all the time in the world—slowly and softly, relishing the way it feels to have him be inside me with nothing between us.

Once he’s buried to the hilt, he begins to pump into me in short, slow strokes.

The roughness of his jeans brushing against my legs feels like a whole different sensation. It feels naughty to be fucking fully clothed.

“Too good.” He gathers my loose hair in his free hand, pulling it just tight enough that it stings. “Just too fucking good.”

His lips find my neck and he trails kisses all over me, still sliding slowly into me.

“I could get used to this,” he murmurs into my ear.

Me too.

So used to it that it scares me. Makes my heart ache with yearning.

But I don’t tell him that.

I can’t.

I squeeze my eyes shut tightly, blocking out the thoughts as he adds another finger to my clit, his touch growing firmer, just like his strokes.

Our breaths are coming in sharp, the window fogging up with the heat coming from our bodies.

We’re both close.

When he abandons my hair in favor of pressing his thumb against my asshole, everything that’s been building inside of me breaks and I come with a force I’ve never experienced before.

Collin pulls out, grabbing my hips and spilling himself across my lower back, like he’s claiming me.

He drops his forehead between my shoulder blades as we take in labored breaths, his fingers flexing and relaxing on my hips over and over again.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Harper,” he says quietly. “But you’re even more stunning after I’ve marked you.”

He spins me in his arms and crashes his mouth to mine.

I don’t know how long we stand there kissing, but at some point he sweeps me into his arms, carrying me into the shower…where we do it all over again.

After morning skate—because the Comets have a game tonight—Collin lures me out of his bed with the promise of donuts.

When we arrive at the hidden gem—Scout’s Sweets—my eyes nearly pop out of my head at the line. It’s at least ten deep. At noon.

The food truck is painted a bright blue, matching the box of donuts Collin brought me. There are a few tables set up outside and a small bookshelf to the left of the truck. It’s cute and inviting.

“Holy crap,” I whisper. “This is insane.”

“It is, but it’s so worth it.”

“We don’t have to wait in this line,” I tell him. “We can just go to Dee Dee’s or something.”

He cuts a sharp look my way. “Bite your tongue, woman.”

I’m about to make a snarky, inappropriate comment when a young kid comes strolling up to us.

“Hey, mister,” he says, pulling on Collin’s jacket, tipping his little head back to look at him. “You’re that hockey guy ain’tcha?”

Collin grins. “Depends. Are you a Comets fan?”

The little kid puffs his chest out. “Sure am.”

“Oh my gosh,” says a woman a few people in front of us, turning to look. When she spots the kid standing by Collin, she darts our way. Collin holds his hand up to her, letting her know it’s fine.

“Then, yeah, I’m that hockey guy.” He crouches down until he’s eye level with the little munchkin who can’t be more than five. “Collin Wright is the name. What’s yours?”

“Jefferson.”

“Jefferson, huh?”

“Yup.” He bobs his head. “But all my friends call me Jeff. Since my mama said you and I can’t be friends, I guess you gotta call me Jefferson.”

“I can’t be your friend? Why not?”

He hooks his thumbs into his belt loops and kicks at the rocks on the ground. “She said you’re too famous and you ain’t got no time for bad kids like me who don’t clean their rooms.”

Collin looks up at the sky, trying not to laugh at the poor kid. “Well, I tell you what, if you pinky-promise me that you’ll clean your room today when you get home, I’ll be your friend. Heck, I’ll be your best friend even.”

Jefferson’s eyes light up. “Really? Oh, man. Petey is gonna be so jealous you’re my best friend and not him anymore. He’s dumb anyway. He stole my gum. Can you believe that?”

“Kids, man.”

“Yeah, kids, man,” Jefferson echoes, then he hooks pinkies with Collin.

A few other people in line take notice of their exchange, and it doesn’t take long for a line for him to form too.

He stays cool about it, signing whatever they put in front of him, making polite conversation, answering their questions.

When we finally make it to the front of the line, I can tell he’s tired and in desperate need of his pre-game nap.

“Hey, Scout,” he says to the woman in the food truck with familiarity.

She gives him a shy smile. “Hey, Col. You want your usual?”

“Please, and whatever Harper here wants.”

The woman looks over at me and I expect to see jealousy in her eyes, but there’s nothing except warmth.

“Hi.” She waves. “I’m Scout. It’s great to meet you.”

“Likewise. I’ve been dying to tell you that your donuts are amazing ever since Collin brought them to my place.”

“He brought you my donuts?” Surprise laces her voice. I nod and her eyes shift over to Collin, who gives her a bored expression that I’m not buying.

“What?” He shrugs. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Uh-huh.” She punches a few buttons on the screen, muttering something I can’t quite make out. “What can I get you?”

“I’ll take two Ding-a-ling Dongs and a large iced coffee.”

“Sure. Do you want to add any syrups?”

“Do you have lavender?”

“Oh.” Scout clutches her chest. “A girl after my own heart.” She looks pointedly at Collin. “I like her.”

“Yeah, join the club,” he says, and I don’t miss the smile tugging at his lips.

“If that’s all, it’ll be eight dollars and seventy-five cents. Want it on your tab?”

Collin nods. “Please.”

“Sure thing. Give me a few minutes and I’ll bring it out.”

We head over to one of the few empty tables, and Collin slides in next to me instead of across from me.

“So you have a tab here, huh?”

“Don’t tell my nutritionist, but yeah.”

“Your secret is safe with me.”

“Keep it that way, yeah? Because I don’t want the other guys finding out about this place and ruining it for me, you know?”

I zip my lips together and throw away the key.

He presses a kiss to my temple. “And that’s why I like you.”

“Oh, is that why you like me?”

Heat flashes in his eyes. “Among other reasons.” He brushes his lips against my ear. “Ones I’ll tell you about in great detail later.”

I shiver at his promise, and he laughs.

Another group of young kids catch his attention and I wave him off, letting him know I’ll be fine on my own.

I watch him interact with each person like they’re special and have all of his undivided attention. It’s remarkable, really. I have no idea how he’s doing it.

I’m tired for him.

“He’s good with them, huh? He gets bombarded a lot when he comes, and at first, I expected him to just stop showing up, but he never did,” Scout says, setting our box of donuts and our coffees on the table. “I put some creamer and sugar packets in the box too. I wasn’t sure if you’d need them or not.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Of course.” She slides into the spot across from me. “So, how long have you and Collin been seeing each other?”

“Uh…”

She waves her hands. “No, you know what—it’s totally none of my business. I’m just nosy and like to keep up with my regulars. None of the other guys on the team have mentioned you, so I was just curious.”

“Other players come here?”

“Oh, yeah. Several of them do. And for some reason, they all seem to think they’re the only ones who know about this place. It’s hilarious to watch them try to tiptoe around one another.”

“Men are so clueless sometimes.”

She snorts like she knows what I’m talking about a little too well. “Amen to that.”

“Your question wasn’t invasive, by the way. I… Well, the timeline of things is a little complicated.”

“How so?”

I give her a brief history of how we originally met, then found each other on the app and once again at the hockey game. By the end of it, she’s shaking her head, pursing her lips in disbelief.

“I should withhold donuts from him. What a total moron.”

“Oh, completely. I was furious at first.” I glance over at him. He’s currently sitting on the ground, his legs stretched out in front of him, showing the kids something. They’re all doing exactly what he’s doing. “But…” I lift a shoulder. “Here I am.”

“I think it’s sweet you two fell in love like that. I—oh!” She sits back. “Wow. Your face just totally changed when I said that. I’m sorry. I overstepped again.”

I give her a small smile. “It’s fine.”

We haven’t really talked more about what we’re doing. There are moments when it doesn’t feel at all casual, like something else has blossomed between us and we skipped right over that.

But any time those feelings begin to creep in, I remind myself that we’re just having fun.

Collin has a career to worry about, and I’m not looking for serious. It’s the perfect scenario, really.

She opens her mouth, then slams her lips back together, rolling them in. “Eh. Who needs labels anyway? You two are adorable together no matter what.”

“Thank you.”

“I should get back. I have a bunch of things to do before closing up for the day.” She stands. “I hope you love the donuts. Feel free to tell all your friends about them.”

“Oh, I definitely will.”

She goes to walk away, then spins toward me again. “Can I say something else that might be a wee bit over the line?”

“Sure.”

“Collin doesn’t bring anyone else here. Like, literally nobody else. When his family was in town last time, he didn’t even bring them. So, take that however you want.”

That…surprises me.

And I’m also not sure what that means.

Out of all people, why me?

Scout gives me a soft smile. “Hopefully I’ll see you around, Harper.”

“You will,” I promise.

She heads back inside her truck and I graze on my breakfast, watching Collin continue to talk to person after person. I swear, they have to be calling their friends in at this point, but he’s taking it all in stride with the patience of a saint.

Like he can feel my eyes on him, he peeks over at me and winks.

That same longing feeling from last night returns.

I could get used to this, he said.

And the scariest part of all?

I could get used to it too.