Dirty Pucker (Denver Bashers #2)

36. Ingrid

Chapter 36

Ingrid

“ O h my god. I look like Swamp Thing,” Maya says. She bursts out laughing as she looks at her reflection in the mirrored wall of the spa treatment room we’re in.

I cover my mouth with a mud-caked hand as I try to contain my laughter.

I look at her and shrug. “Maya babes, we all look like Swamp Thing.” I pat more mud onto my shoulder.

Dakota, Sophie, Maya, and I are in a massive spa grotto with a mud pool at the high-end resort we’re staying at in Cabo San Lucas. It’s a bye week for the Bashers, so all of us along with Xander, Theo, Blomdahl, Sam, and Del traveled here to unwind and blow off some steam for a few days.

Del was hesitant to leave his mom, but she wouldn’t hear of him giving up his vacation to watch over her. She promised to stay at his place while he’s gone, which made him feel better about leaving.

I close my eyes and breathe. All the muscles in my neck and shoulders relax. The lighting is dim to mimic the atmosphere of a cave, but there are modern touches throughout, like the full- length mirrors placed around the space and the soft mood music filtering through the speaker system.

“My skin feels better already,” Sophie says as she swipes more mud onto her fair skin.

“This so relaxing,” Dakota says. She’s lying along the edge of the mud pool, propped on her elbows, head back, eyes closed.

The four of us are dressed in swimsuits, caking ourselves in mud.

“Do you think the mud is good for hair too?” Maya asks.

“Yeah. It’s mineral enriched mud. Go crazy.”

Maya smiles at me and swipes a palmful of mud through her long, dark brown hair.

“This is gonna be hell to wash out, isn’t it?” she says.

“Yeah, but it’ll be worth it,” I say. “Your hair will be so shiny and soft.”

We’re quiet for a couple of minutes as we indulge in the mud bath.

“Can you believe the guys opted to go deep-sea fishing instead of joining us?” Dakota says.

We all laugh.

“I can absolutely believe it,” Maya says. “I try to get Theo to do spa stuff with me. I tried to get him to do a sheet mask with me a few months ago and he complained the whole time. And the one time I scheduled a couple’s massage for us, he hated it. He said the only kind of massage he likes are the athletic massages he gets from the team trainers.”

“I’m sure if you offered to give him a massage yourself, he would have enjoyed it.” Dakota winks at Maya as she pulls her long brown hair into a ponytail.

Maya chuckles. “You’re probably right.”

“I wonder how long they’ll last out there on the water,” Dakota says. “I overheard the concierge say that the waves might be a little rough.”

Sophie winces. “I hope they don’t get seasick.”

“I’m glad we’re here relaxing instead of puking our guts out on a boat,” Maya jokes.

“It was so nice of Del to treat us to the spa,” Sophie says to Dakota.

“Yeah, it was. He’s pretty great. Sometimes,” Dakota says.

Del and his mom finally told Dakota about the break-in a few days after it happened. She was upset and hurt that they didn’t call her the night it happened, but she seems fine about it now. I think she’s just happy her mom is okay.

Sophie gently elbows her best friend, chuckling softly. “Come on. Your brother has a good heart. I know he annoys you with how overprotective he can be over you, but he’s been a lot better ever since he started playing for the Bashers, don’t you think?”

Dakota nods, adjusting the tie on her bikini top. “I guess you’re right.” She looks at me. The corner of her mouth hooks up in a knowing smile. “He’s been in a pretty good mood ever since he’s been hanging out with you, Ingrid. Maybe it’s all those TikToks and Instagram posts you’re helping him with,” she teases.

I bite back a smile as I swipe mud onto my face in an attempt to hide the blush I’m certain is painting my cheeks.

It’s only been a couple of weeks since Del and I first hooked up in Las Vegas, but it’s been the most amazing two weeks of my life.

Not only is he rocking my world in the bedroom, but we’ve gotten close emotionally too.

I think back to the night of the break-in, when I went with him to check on his mom…how he opened up to me about the guilt he still struggles with after witnessing his dad abuse his mom when he was a kid…

Seeing him struggling to keep it together as he talked about it wrecked me. My heart broke for him, knowing that he still felt shame for something that wasn’t his fault.

The rawness of that moment hit me hard. I could see just how difficult it was for Del to tell me that. And as heartbreaking as it was to witness that painful moment, I also felt special.

Other than his close friend Sam, I’m the only person he’s ever opened up to about what he went through. It means that he trusts me. It means that he’s letting me in and showing a side of himself that he doesn’t let anyone else see.

The morning after, I woke up cuddled in his arms. He made me breakfast in bed, then fucked me so hard and so good.

My heart swells in my chest. It’s never been like this with any guy I’ve been with before. No guy has ticked all my boxes the way Del does. He’s the perfect gentleman who’s protective of me, exactly what I’ve always wanted in bed, and emotionally open.

I feel like I’ve hit the boyfriend jackpot.

Boyfriend…

The word snags in my brain. We haven’t had “the talk” yet…we haven’t put a label on whatever this is between us. We moved pretty seamlessly from flirty friends to hooking up, and the topic of what we are to each other hasn’t come up.

I’ve thought about bringing it up to him, but I don’t want to put pressure on him. He’s worried about looking after his mom, and playoffs are about to start too…I don’t want to make him talk about our status, that might stress him out more.

But honestly? I’m falling hard for Del. I want to make things official between us. I want to be his girlfriend.

Maya’s laugh pulls me back to the moment.

“You could plaster all the mud in this room on top of your skin, Ingrid. It won’t hide that look in your eyes. Or that smile,” my best friend says. “You’re smitten with Del, I can tell.”

Sophie and Dakota tease me too.

“My brother is so into you,” Dakota says, her big brown eyes bright. “It’s honestly so sweet to see. When I go to the Bashers games, I see the way he looks at you. He adores you.”

A wide grin pulls at my lips as I look away.

“It’s true. I see it too,” Sophie says.

I finally look at them, still smiling like an idiot. “Del is amazing. He’s the sweetest guy I’ve ever been with.”

“Really? Dirty Del? The meanest guy in the league? The one with the most penalty time?” Maya jokes.

I tilt my head at her, still smiling. “He’s dirty off the ice too, you know.”

Dakota makes a gagging noise and covers her ears. “I can’t take hearing you say that about my brother.”

I laugh. “Sorry. Let’s change the subject. Tell us about this guy you’ve been seeing.”

Dakota smiles. “It’s still new, but it’s fun. He’s the gym teacher at my school, but he’s also an aspiring musician. He writes and performs his own songs and posts on his social media.”

“How cool,” Maya says.

“Have you introduced him to your mom and brother yet?” Sophie asks.

Dakota shakes her head. “Not yet. You know my brother. He’ll interrogate the poor guy and give him a heart attack.”

I think about how Dakota has complained about Del being too protective of her for her whole life. I don’t doubt that it’s annoying for her to deal with, but I wonder if she realizes that his protectiveness over her stems from the way their dad mistreated them and their mom.

Maya checks the time. “We’d better rinse off,” she says. “We’re due to meet the guys for our dinner reservation at six.”

We head to the showers and wash off the mud. I grab a fluffy white towel and as I dry off, I catch my reflection in the mirror of the shower stall I’m standing in.

My wet hair falls over my bare breasts in a messy but sexy way. I look wild and wrecked but also hot.

Before I talk myself out of it, I snap a photo of my reflection in the mirror and text it to Del, grinning to myself as I imagine his reaction.