“This okay?” he asked breathlessly.

  I didn’t want his dick out of my mouth, so I made a sound that hopefully conveyed yes. It must have—he didn’t pull back, and he started moving just enough to slide back and forth on my tongue.

  “Oh, yeah,” he growled. “That’s good.”

  I reached up with my free hand to tease his balls, which prompted some whispered cursing. Getting a little braver, I experimentally slid my hand past his balls and found his hole with a fingertip. When I teased him, circling lightly, he groaned.

  “Mmm, yeah,” he murmured. “Do it. Use your fingers.”

  I did, and I loved the way he whimpered as I pushed a couple of fingers into him, and how his dick seemed to get even harder in my mouth. He rocked his hips enough to gently fuck my mouth and, I guessed, fuck himself on my hand. With my free hand on his hip, I egged him on, sliding my fingers in and out in time with him.

  “God, that’s perfect,” he breathed. “Ungh, baby, I’m… Do you want me to come like this?”

  I hummed around his cock, hoping he took it as the enthusiastic yes that it was. He must have, because he started rocking faster. He seemed to know exactly where the line was—exactly how hard and deep he could do this without choking me or even making me worry that he might choke me, and fuck, it was sexy.

  “I’m gonna come,” he panted. “You ready for me? You—oh God, Parker…”

  I teased him with my tongue and with my fingers, both to let him know I was absolutely ready and to send him higher. His cock was iron-hard between my lips, his ass clenched tight around my fingers, and both his breathing and his thrusts turned sharp and jerky as he swore and groaned.

  Then he gasped. His whole body jerked, and he pushed himself farther into my mouth in the same moment he shot cum onto my tongue. Still, even in the throes of an orgasm, he seemed to know how far was too far, and I eagerly kept him coming until he slumped over me with a ragged sigh. I thought I heard his hand hit the headboard, as if he needed something to hold himself up.

  “Fuck,” he whispered shakily as he pulled his cock from my mouth.

  I slipped my fingers free. “That was hot.”

  “Uh-huh.” He sounded dazed. Then, with a little more clarity, he asked, “You good? I wasn’t too—”

  “I’m good. It was awesome.” I gently eased him down on the bed beside me, and we tangled up in an even lazier kiss than before. “I never thought of giving head in that position, but I love it.”

  “Mmm, yeah, you were pretty enthusiastic.” He kissed me lightly. “I’ll have to remember that.”

  “Please do.”

  We both laughed softly and shared a long kiss. After a moment, we separated, got up long enough to clean ourselves off, and then settled into the middle of the bed again, Cole resting his head on my chest.

  “That was hot.” His voice was soft and sleep-slurred. “Should do this more often.”

  I didn’t know if he meant staying over or the way he’d fucked my mouth, but the answer was the same either way: “Yeah, we should.”

  He murmured something and cuddled closer to me. With his warm body pressed against mine, post-sex fatigue kicked in fast, and before long, I was drifting off with him in my arms.

  And the last thing I thought before I fell asleep was how much I wished every night could be like this.

  Chapter 24

  Cole

  I’d wondered a few times if I was getting completely stupid over Parker. This morning, I didn’t have to question it anymore.

  Oh, holy hell. I’d always loved waking up next to someone, but there was nothing in the world better than when that barely awake someone cuddled up next to me, molding himself to my back with his unshaven chin against my shoulder and his arm draped lazily over me. Not groping. Not suggestively pressing an erection against my ass. Not even really awake. Just holding me, soft breath whispering across my neck and warm skin pressed against mine.

  This was my absolute favorite way to wake up, and right now, I didn’t give a damn that he was a client, not a boyfriend. He didn’t feel like a client. I didn’t feel like an escort. It was an illusion, and I knew it, but that didn’t stop me from closing my eyes, wriggling back against him, and letting myself love this.

  As I slowly woke up in Parker’s arms, my mind cleared, and last night came into focus. Not the wild, bed-breaking sex we’d had when I’d arrived, but everything we’d done in the middle of the night. Goose bumps sprang up all over my arms and my back. How long had it been since I’d had that kind of languid, unhurried sex? It had to be with Bryce. None of my hookups since Bryce had been into that—or well, they hadn’t been into it with me—and none of my clients had either.

  But dear God, Parker was all about it.

  I couldn’t help shivering.

  “Cold?” he murmured sleepily into my hair. Before I could answer, he pulled the covers up, then wrapped his arm around me again and held me closer to him.

  No, I hadn’t been cold, but I wasn’t going to turn this down. “I’m fine.”

  He mumbled something against my neck. Then he seemed to drift off again, and I closed my eyes and smiled. Last night had been the epitome of sexy, and this morning was the epitome of sweet. Parker was the best of both worlds, and I indulged in ignoring the reason I was here and just enjoying everything I hadn’t known I was missing.

  Not supposed to get attached to clients.

  Not supposed to let things get complicated.

  This is just… He’s just…

  Fuck, why is it so good with you?

  I was too tired and comfortable to overthink it. Or really think about it at all. So I didn’t.

  At some point, I’d apparently dozed off, because Parker’s shrill alarm startled me awake.

  “Dammit,” he grumbled, and rolled away. The sudden coolness against my back woke me up more than the alarm had. He shut off the obnoxious bleating, then joined me again. “Ugh. I don’t want to get up.”

  “I know, right?” I closed my eyes and squirmed as he kissed the back of my neck. “You need to get to the airport, though.”

  He made an unhappy noise, but didn’t move. “The alarm will go off again in twenty minutes.”

  “So you don’t have to get up yet?”

  “Nope.”

  “Good.”

  He smiled against my neck, then kissed the same spot again, and we settled back in to be lazy. We were both sporting some morning wood, but neither of us tried to start anything, and I was quietly glad. It wasn’t that I could see myself turning down sex with Parker if he wanted it—if he did, I’d happily give it to him. But this was nice. Touching without expectations. Warm instead of hot. Sure, we could fuck, but why move when this was so good?

  All too soon, we didn’t have a choice—that stupid alarm went off again.

  Parker sighed irritably before he rolled away to silence his phone. In a resigned voice, he asked, “Shower?”

  Oh, it was tempting. So, so tempting.

  “If we do, we’ll just end up back here.” I sat up and stretched. “You go ahead.”

  He frowned, but his eyes were still playful. Then he nodded. “Yeah. Good idea. I don’t think I’ve got a quickie in me after last night.”

  I didn’t fight the shiver, mostly because I knew it would make him lose his breath. I was right.

  “Okay. Um.” He gestured toward the bathroom. “Shower. Back in a minute.”

  I nodded, and he left the room. As the water came on, I debated changing my mind and joining him after all, but he really did need to hit the road soon. After going as many rounds as we had last night, it would probably take a while for both of us to get off now, so… Yeah. We’d pick this up when he was back in town.

  For now, I started getting dressed.

  Parker’s shower was surprisingly quick. By the time I’d finished buttoning my shirt, the water had already turned off. On the other hand, every shower he’d taken in my presence so far had been with me, so they’d been… protracted. He came out of the bathroom, and I went in to brush my teeth and make myself look halfway presentable.

  Then we both shuffled out to the kitchen. His gear and luggage were arranged by the front door, obnoxious reminders that he had to go soon. Rude. As if we needed any reminders beyond the fact that we weren’t in bed, weren’t naked, and weren’t fucking until our bodies couldn’t take any more. My formal education had not prepared me for this level of adulting.

  “Coffee?” he asked.

  “Eh.” I gestured at my mouth. “Just brushed my teeth.”

  He made a face. “Yeah. Me too. I’ll get some at the airport.” Sliding his hands over my hips, he added, “The road rage should keep me awake until I’m there.”

  I laughed as I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Road rage? Pfft. You seem so calm and chill. I mean, when you’re not on the ice.”

  Parker chuckled. “Hey, I am perfectly calm and chill on the road. Right up until someone does something stupid and pisses me off.”

  I snorted. “So, road rage all the way?”

  “Road rage all the way.” He was still grinning as he kissed me, but the grin faded as the kiss deepened. Dammit, did we really have to leave?

  I broke the kiss and met his gaze. “It’s too bad I can’t tag along with you. I could be your… I don’t know. Your personal equipment manager or something.”

  Parker snickered. “Since you’re already getting paid to manage my personal equipment?”

  A laugh burst out of me. “Well-played, well-played.”

  He smiled, but then he sobered. “I wish I could bring you along. Don’t know how entertaining I’d be, though. After a game, about the best I’m good for is going out with the guys for a few drinks once in a while. Otherwise…” He shook his head.

  “I bet. From what I’ve seen, you guys go hard.”

  “We do. And I love it. But man, it’s draining, especially if we have a lot of games in rapid succession.” He wrinkled his nose. “In fact, I think on this trip, we have two back-to-back, and then a one-night break before the next one.”

  “Ouch.”

  “I know, right? So you’d probably be bored senseless if you stayed with me on one of these trips.”

  Not if it meant waking up like we did this morning.

  But I kept that to myself. “Well, I’ll happily entertain you after your trip. When are you back in town?”

  “Wednesday.”

  I didn’t let my disappointment show. It wasn’t a long trip—just six days—but still. Keeping my smile in place, I said, “You know where to find me.”

  “Mmhmm, I do.” Parker checked his phone and scowled. “I should go. Traffic’s going to be a bear, and the security lines were like forty miles long last time.”

  “Ugh.” I made a face, hoping he took it as a response to traffic and security and not the part where he needed to leave. “Security is such a pain.”

  “It is.” He slid his hands down over my ass. “I still have a little time, though.”

  “A little? How much is a little?”

  He shrugged, an adorable grin tugging at his lips. “A minute or two?”

  I laughed, pulling him in closer. “Pretty sure we can make that work.” Then I kissed him, and no, a minute or two wasn’t nearly enough, but I’d take what I could get between now and when he was back in town. Later, I’d spend time worrying about how this was absolutely not how I should be thinking or feeling with a client, but for the moment, I indulged and made no apologies for it.

  Parker was out of breath when he broke the kiss. “I should go.” He kept one arm around my waist, holding me close to him as he ran his fingers through my hair. “Traffic… Security…”

  “Yeah. You probably shouldn’t…” I kissed him again even though God knew we really shouldn’t do this. Not when he had to get moving. Not with traffic… Security…

  “Goddammit,” he murmured, and he held me tighter as he deepened the kiss. I couldn’t resist, and I dug my fingers into his back and kissed him harder. Parker leaned me against the kitchen island, and nothing about this kiss said goodbye. It sure as hell didn’t say anyone was leaving any time soon. And that was before I took into consideration the pair of hard-ons pressed between us.

  When his lips left mine this time, I had a flash of disappointment that this was over before he started on my neck. Guilt tried to settle in. He needed to go. We both knew it. The longer this went on, the more likely clothes were to start coming off.

  I couldn’t resist, though. I just fucking couldn’t.

  “I don’t want to go,” he whispered against my throat. “I know I have to, but…” He trailed off and kissed my neck again, and all thoughts of professionalism and responsibility went out the window. Yeah, he needed to go, but I didn’t want him to go either, and it didn’t have a damn thing to do with whether I could earn some more money this morning. To hell with the money—I just wanted us naked in bed again.

  Or even sitting on his couch, fully-clothed and talking while he looked at me with those sweet, sexy gray eyes. Whatever.

  Just stay. Please, please stay.

  We both knew he had to go, though—he couldn’t miss that flight or there’d be hell to pay. But right now, with his hand in my back pocket and the other in my hair, it was hard not to imagine that hell would be worth it for whatever we could do if he stayed here a little longer.

  Except that would hurt his career, and I wasn’t here for that.

  Calling on every ounce of responsibility I possessed—whine—I broke the kiss and touched my forehead to his. “You should go. You need to make that flight.”

  Parker sighed. “Yeah. I know. I…” He kissed me again, nearly melting my resolve, but he pulled back this time. Then he glanced past me, and he stiffened. “Oh, shit! I really have to go!”

  I looked over my shoulder, and oh shit was right—the clock on the microwave said we’d killed a good fifteen minutes, and he’d already been cutting it close. “Okay, go! Go! Let’s go!”

  We hurried to the door and shoved our feet into our shoes. He picked up his duffel bag and took the handle of the rolling suitcase, and I grabbed his carry-on. Rather than wait for the elevator, we took the stairs down, and in no time, we were sprinting out into the parking garage.

  We shoved everything into the trunk of his car. He slammed the lid, then turned to me, put a hand on my waist, and kissed me quickly. “I’ll see you soon. I’m sorry. I’ll—”

  “Go!” I gently steered him toward the driver door. “Don’t miss your flight!”

  We exchanged one last, brief look, and then he got into his car. I’d barely dropped into the driver seat of my own car before he was peeling out, tires chirping and all, and I blew out a breath. I started the engine, but I didn’t go anywhere. Not yet.

  Sitting in my car, gripping the wheel and staring out the windshield, I had to catch my breath. I was too dizzy to even think about driving for a minute or two. What in God’s name was going on? He’d been gone all of two minutes. The exhaust from his car was probably still hanging in the parking garage’s air. My lips were still tingling from that last long kiss.

  And fuck me, but I was already counting down until the Breakers were back in town.

  Chapter 25

  Parker

  The team had an agreement with the arena to leave our cars in the garage when we were on the road. We’d all park them here, then take a charter bus to the airport. Long term parking at SeaTac was allegedly secure, but some of my teammates were driving cars that may as well have had TRY AND STEAL ME written across their windshields. Nobody was leaving an Audi R8 or a Maserati in an outdoor parking lot for days at a time.

  Today, I barely made the bus. They were literally pulling out as I drove in, and the driver circled around to pick me up after I’d parked. He gave me an earful about being on-time, of course, and my team gave me hell about being a slacker. From the grin Smitty shot me, at least one person knew exactly why I’d been running late, but fortunately, he kept his damn mouth shut.

  As the bus left the arena, I checked my phone, and I had a text from Cole. Just seeing his name made my toes curl in my shoes.

  I hope I didn’t make you late. ;)

  I laughed as I wrote back, No, I made it. Barely. No regrets.

  We’ll get you out the door on time next time. Promise.

  Sure we will.

  He replied with an angel emoji, and I just chuckled.

  For the next few days, the texts were as constant as our schedules allowed. Sometimes I was on the ice. Sometimes he had other clients. Then there was the fact that we both had to sleep once in a while. But when our schedules lined up? I was glued to my phone.

  It didn’t bother me when he was with other men. I felt like it should have, but maybe since it had been part of the deal from the beginning, I just rolled with it. If anything, it was just disappointing because it would mean he was off his phone for a while, and I was quickly getting to the point I didn’t know what to do with myself if I wasn’t texting back and forth with him. Otherwise, it was his job just like ice hockey was mine, and I was more okay with that than I would’ve expected.

  In fact, it was still seriously hot. He never told me the specifics of what he did with this or that client, but if he said he was working and would be incommunicado for a while, my imagination would immediately start painting pictures of what he could be doing.

  What did it mean when I was jerking off to him with other men? No idea, but I liked it.

  And when he wasn’t working and we were texting, the messages kept getting progressively racier. I mean, sometimes it was just benign chitchat about airport security or whatever, but when we hit that flirty stride? Whoa, boy.

  Is it weird that watching you tonight made me hot? he asked after my game.

  Weird? I didn’t know about that, but it was sure making me hot. Is that right?

  Oh yeah. Watching you get all sweaty and feisty? Want.

  I snorted. Sweaty and feisty, huh?

  Yep. Before I could respond, he added, Whatever it is you are on the ice, he wrote, turn it loose in bed.