Monster Pucked (Pucking Monsters #2)

8. Ehrokk

CHAPTER 8

EHROKK

S eeing Marco again after three days made my heart thunder. We’d been texting nonstop, but it still wasn’t the same as seeing him in person. If this is how I felt after three days, how was I going to feel after being apart from him for five? Assuming he even wanted to see me right when I got back…

He stepped out of his house and made his way down the front stairs. His movements were so fluid, like he was walking on air.

Marco opened the passenger door, smiling at the sight of me. “Hello, darling.”

“Hi,” I said shyly.

As usual, he was impeccably dressed. A deep purple velvet blazer but this time—he was wearing jeans.

“Are those jeans?” I teased.

He unbuttoned his blazer and climbed into the truck.

“You said to dress casually.”

“A velvet blazer and a dress shirt are casual?”

“To me, yes.”

I looked down at my hoodie and sweatpants. “Gods, you must think I’m a slob.”

Grabbing my hand, he placed a soft kiss on the back. “I want you to wear what you want, when you want. I don't care how you’re dressed. As long as you're mine.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I forced myself to look away. It was too much. He was too much.

I was getting attached, and that meant it would be much harder when things between us finally imploded.

“Are you ready?” I asked, slowly pulling my hand away to put the truck in drive.

“Is everything alright?”

“Everything is fine. We’re going to have a great time.”

“Exactly what is on the agenda for this evening?”

I pulled out of the driveway and started down the street toward the arena.

“It’s a surprise.”

One I hoped he wouldn't think was stupid. While Marco said vampires were bookworms rather than jocks, hockey was a very important part of my life. One I wanted to share with him.

“Fine,” he huffed.

We were quiet for a while before Marco finally broke the silence. “I was wondering. Do you have someone picking you up from the airport? I know there’s a team shuttle, but I would love to bring you home after your trip.”

The idea of him picking me up from the airport made my stomach do a slow flip. He wanted to see me right when I landed.

“I would love that,” I said, pulling into the players’ parking lot.

Marco looked out the windshield, taking in where we were. “The arena?"

“Mhm,” I said, already climbing out of the truck.

I walked around to the passenger side, opening the door for Marco like the gentleman my mom raised me to be. “I was thinking we could go ice skating. The Zamboni driver is a buddy of mine and he assured me it wouldn't be a problem.”

Marco grabbed my hand and hopped out of the truck. “Truth be told, I’m a terrible skater. I know I’m a vampire who can float so I don’t fall, but that’s not the point.”

“It just so happens I’m a great instructor. Taught the children's skating class at my local rink when I was a teenager. My first job actually.”

“The idea of you teaching a class of small children to ice skate is adorable.”

“There’s pictures of it. My mom would probably show them to you if you visited.”

I went slightly rigid because that just came out of my mouth.

Marco was totally unfazed, though. “I’d love that.”

Still holding his hand, I led him toward the arena, flashing my badge so we could get inside.

“Your mother,” he said. “You talk about her a lot. She must be an amazing woman.”

“She is. Raised me on her own and ran our family farm. It wasn’t always easy, but the first thing I did when I made it into the league was make sure she was set up for life.”

“That's a good boy. She must be proud.”

“You have no idea. She tells everyone she meets about me, whether they ask or not.”

“Well, when I meet her I want her to tell me all about you, and you better believe I'm going to ask about those photos of you as a skate instructor.”

When he meets her.

This couldn't be happening. He had to have meant it in a casual way, not in an I-want-to-meet-your-family type of way.

Things between us were still so new, and it felt like a ticking time bomb. Marco would get tired of me and meet someone else. Someone who belonged with a sophisticated man like him.

But I was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

I led him down a hall, toward the dimly lit rink.

Chris, the Zamboni driver, was really trying to set the mood.

“Here we are,” I told Marco.

His head was on a swivel, taking in the empty arena. “I’ve been here for some of Klaus and Flurry’s games, but I much prefer it like this. Nice and quiet, without any strobe lights.”

“I mean, I can hop in the booth and put on Sandstorm if you really want me to.”

He chuckled. “No, thank you.”

“What size shoes do you wear?”

“A ten and a half.”

“Oh, you have tiny feet,” I said, already calculating his skate size.

He scoffed playfully. “I don’t have tiny feet.”

“Uh huh, sure. Take a seat on the bench and I’ll grab you a pair of skates.”

“Really I can?—”

“Marco.” I cocked a brow. “I planned this date. You just relax, okay?”

He snorted, but sat on the bench, giving me a smile that made my chest feel tight. He was so damn handsome.

Tonight was going to be perfect. I was excited to be out on the ice with him. My favorite place with my favorite?—

My phone started to ring the moment I stepped inside the equipment room.

Flurry was calling.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hey buddy! How's it going?” he asked, chipper as always.

“Uh, good. I'm a little bit busy?—”

“Yes! The date with Marco. How’s everything?”

Flurry knew Marco and I were on a date?

“How did you know I was on a date with Marco?”

“He canceled our dinner appointment for tonight. Told us he had a date with you. He never cancels on us. He seemed pretty excited about it.”

“He was excited?” I couldn’t keep the hopefulness out of my voice.

“Very,” Holly yelled from the background.

“You’re on speakerphone,” Flurry quickly added.

“Hi Holly,” I said.

“Hi E,” she replied, sounding closer this time. “Flurry, why don’t you let E get back to his date, hmm?”

“I told them not to bother you,” Klaus shouted.

“Oh hush,” Flurry said. “Marco is an old vampire. He needs to find someone. I don’t want him to fuck this up.”

If anyone was going to fuck this up, it wasn’t going to be Marco.

“Alright, well I’d better get going. Marco is waiting for me.”

“Have fun,” I heard them say before I ended the call.

As if my mother wasn’t enough to deal with, now I had the three of them to worry about.

I snatched a pair of skates in Marco’s size from the equipment room and rushed back to the rink.

“Sorry about that,” I said, holding up the skates. “I had a hard time finding a pair your size,” I lied.

“That’s quite alright.”

I knelt in front of him, and he pulled his legs away.

“I can put them on myself,” Marco said, matter of factly.

“Are you sure? I don’t mind.”

Marco slipped off his shoes—a sleek pair of leather loafers—and I was shocked at what he was wearing underneath.

“Are those—are those hotdogs on your socks?” I asked, biting back my laughter.

“Yes,” he said, wiggling his toes and making the hot dogs dance. “I have a bunch of different pairs. All food related of course. It adds a little fun to my outfits.”

“I would never have expected that from a man like you.”

“I told you, there’s a lot about me you wouldn’t expect."

Marco stood, wobbling on the blades of his skates. I never expected a vampire to be so—uncoordinated.

“Allow me,” I said, holding my hand out to him.

He put his palm in mine, gripping my hand like I was his lifeline. “Thank you.”

As much as I enjoyed him dominating me, it was nice to be the one providing him comfort, taking on the role of caregiver. We were in my domain, the place where I shined. I couldn’t wait to share it with him.

I led Marco toward the swinging door that led to the rink and confidently stepped onto the ice.

Marco however, stayed planted on the rubber flooring.

“Come on,” I said, giving his hand a soft squeeze. “I've got you.”

“I know it’s silly. Even if I fall, it's not like I can get hurt.”

“It’s not silly at all. Even when you’re immortal, you’re allowed to be afraid. But I promise, you're safe out here with me. I won’t let you fall.”

He smiled ever so slightly and gingerly stepped onto the slick ice. His skates nearly shot out from under him, and I instinctively caught him in a tight hug from behind.

“See. I’ve got you,” I whispered in his ear.

He puffed out a breath, melting into me. “You do.”

“Why don’t I hold you just like this and I’ll teach you how to skate. It’ll be a lot easier to keep you upright this way.”

He buried his face in my neck, running his free hand along the side of my face. “Yes. Let’s stay like this.”

I swallowed as my cock hardened. With the way Marco pushed his ass against me, he could obviously feel it too.

This was going to be painful in the best way.

“Alright,” I said, drawing my sex-addled brain back to the moment. “Skating.”

“Yes, skating,” Marco echoed.

I held onto him for a few laps, teaching him the basics until I felt confident he could at least balance on his own.

“I’m going to let go of your waist now,” I told him.

“Right now?” he asked, panic stricken.

“Yes. Right now," I chuckled. "Don’t worry. I’ll still hold your hand.”

“I don’t think I'm ready for this.”

“You’re ready,” I said, already drifting my hand away.

Marco wobbled for a second but quickly recovered, gliding his feet in a seamless rhythm that pushed him across the ice.

“Look at you go,” I said, smiling so hard my tusks dug into my upper lip.

“I’m doing it,” he said proudly.

He was so adorable like this, with a childlike sense of wonder I’d never seen from him before. I couldn’t help but stare.

“Think you can talk while you’re doing it?” I asked.

He glanced up at me, flashing a fanged smile. “I think so. There was something I wanted to talk to you about, actually.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. As you know, we’ve been on a few dates already. We’ve been intimate. I’ve been thinking maybe we should?—”

Oh gods, this was it. He was finally coming to his senses and cutting things off between us, and?—

“Ehrokk, did you hear me?” Marco asked, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. “I asked if you’d like to make this official. If you’d like to be my boyfriend.”

“You want that? With me?”

“Darling, we have got to work on that self confidence of yours.” He took his eyes off of his skates to look at me. “I have been around for a very long time and I know what I want. I want to be with you.”

“I just have a hard time believing someone like you would be into someone like me.”

“I think you’re perfect the way you are, and I’m happy to spend the rest of forever convincing you to feel that way about yourself.” His eyes widened and he paled. “Fuck, I hope I wasn’t coming on too strongly there.”

“No,” I blurted. “Not at all. Um, did you mean what you said earlier? About wanting to meet my mom?”

“Someday, yes. I want to meet the person responsible for making you into the sweetheart you are. And I have got to see those pictures.”

I laughed.

“So you'll be my boyfriend then?” Marco asked.

I tugged him to me, pressing his chest to my belly.

“There's nothing I'd like more.”

Using his little vampire trick, Marco lifted off the ground, bringing his face up to mine. He leaned in and whispered against my lips, “That’s Daddy’s good boy.”

“Suddenly, I’m tired of skating.”

“Then let’s go back to the locker room.”