What If I Knew You (Anaheim Stars Hockey #3)

24. Bodhi

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

BODHI

Me

Tonight’s the night! I finally get to come home to you!

Corrigan

Will your balls be donned in glitter?

Me

LOL hell no! That shit was itchy as hell.

Corrigan

But oooh so enjoyable! I hope Griffin is proud of himself.

Me

Are you kidding? He hasn’t let us live it down that he has the best balls on the whole fucking team.

Corrigan

Well for what it’s worth, I thought your balls were stellar. And although they may not lick themselves, I would be happy to lick them anytime.

Me

I might just have to take you up on that.

Corrigan

I hope you do.

Me

Can I ask you a favor?

Corrigan

Of course!

Me

It’s kind of a big one…and I’d understand if you say no.

Corrigan

Bodhi if it’s important to you, it’s important to me. What can I do for you?

Me

Will you sleep at my place tonight?

Corrigan

Umm…I don’t have a key…

Me

I’ll have one waiting for you at security when you get there. They already have your name and I’ve already told them you get free passage to my place any time you want even if I’m not there.

Corrigan

You know I would never just invade your space when you’re not there, right?

Me

I understand, but tonight I really want you to do this. For me. I’m not above begging.

Corrigan

Is there a reason?

Me

Yes. I haven’t seen you or touched you or smelled you in over two weeks and it’s killing me. We won’t be getting in until after tonight’s game so when I do get in, I want to be able to walk into my bedroom and find you curled up in my bed. I want to be able to wrap my arms around you and pull you into my chest and hold you against me while we sleep. I just…I want you in my space tonight.

Corrigan

Well, when you put it that way… You know I have to work Christmas Eve…

Me

That’s okay. I’ll drive you in if you’d like. I’ll even stop and get you that holiday latte you like so much. I promise I’ll try my best not to wake you. I just want to know my girl will be in my bed when I get home.

Corrigan

Your girl will happily sleep in your bed tonight. Can I tell you something?

Me

Of course.

Corrigan

I kind of like it when you call me your girl, Bodhi.

Me

I like that I get to call you my girl. I won’t ever take that for granted.

Corrigan

Good luck tonight. I’ll be watching.

Me

Thanks babe. I’ll see you soon.

“ M ove aside, gentlemen, the world’s best balls are coming through!”

Most of us groan and throw Griffin the bird as he struts through the locker room in nothing but a pair of pajama pants with Christmas balls all over them.

“I know, I know,” he says with a bow. “You can stare at my balls all you want. I’ll even do a little”—he thrusts his hips a few times for general effect—“schwing a ding dong action just for you to get the full effect.”

“Trust me,” Bear says straight-faced, “we get enough of your balls on a daily basis.”

He wags his brows as only Griffin can. “Yeah but only the naughty girls get to play with these balls.”

“Alright asshat. Catch.” Oliver tosses Griffin a jock strap. “Go sack up and then let’s prepare to kick some ass tonight so we can get home. I’m ready to be home so I can fuck my wife in my own bed.”

“Hey at least your wife has been able to accompany you on this away stretch,” I whine. “This has been the longest two weeks of my life.”

Ledger laughs. “Says the guy who wasn’t having any sex at all up until a few months ago.”

“That’s right Ledge. I drank the Kool-Aid and I like the fucking Kool-Aid…” I yank on Ledger’s t-shirt and pull him close to me so our faces are mere inches apart. “And I neeeeeed the fucking Kool-Aid.”

“Sorry man,” Ledger says, holding up his hands. “I can’t help you there.”

“You know what you should have done, Bodhi?” Harrison asks, pulling on his uniform.

“What?”

“You should’ve sprinkled your balls with blue glitter and titled it I’ll Have a Blue Christmas Without You .” He laughs. “Hashtag blue balls.”

“Fuck!” I laugh. “You’re right. I might have won had I done that.”

“Nooope!” Griffin drops his pants and pulls on his jock strap right there in the middle of the damn locker room for all of us to witness. “Nobody has better balls than me, I’m afraid. Sorry, Pickle Pants.”

“You know what? It’s fine, Ollenberg. You can have the best balls, because pickles are big and round, juicy and delicious. So, I’m happy to have the pickle in my pants while you carry around those tiny crystal rocks in your sack.”

“Roche!” Coach calls through the locker room.

“Yeah, Coach?” My butt puckers and all heads turn toward me when he calls my name. For a moment I fear the absolute worst.

Did she tell her dad about us?

What did she say exactly?

Does he hate me now?

What’s he going to do?

Can he kick me off the team?

What’s my agent going to say if I get kicked off?

What are the guys going to say?

What am I going to tell Corrigan?

Will he tell me I can’t see her again?

Will I abide by his rule?

I can’t stay away from her.

I’m in love with her.

Whoa…

I really just had that thought…

I’m in love with Corrigan.

Fuck, what if her dad ruins everything?

What can I say to him to make this right?

“YOU, Bodhi Roche, were on fucking fire tonight!” Coach Hicks beams at me and offers me a double high five followed by a proud parent pat on the back. “You’ve come a long way, kid. Finally turning your talents into something that benefits your entire team.”

Oooh thank Christ.

I really thought I was a dead man for a minute there.

My shoulders fall in relief as do the shoulders of everyone else in the room collectively.

Coach is right though. Old me would have kept the puck in my possession multiple times tonight and tried to score for myself. And most likely I would’ve failed. But instead, I saw the opportunities when they arose and was able to pass the puck to my teammates who were in a better position to score and they did.

Just call me Captain Assist.

“Thank you, Coach. That means a lot.”

He pats me on the back one more time and then points at me as he walks backward out of the room. “MVP, son. You were tonight’s MVP.”

The guys stare at me while I watch Coach leave the room and when he does, I practically fall to the bench and hold my head in my hand.

“Dude,” Ledger murmurs next to me. “You totally looked like you knew you were walking to your death.”

“I totally thought that’s what was about to happen.”

“Same.” Griffin nods. “When that man shouts my asshole puckers tighter than a snare drum.”

“So, I take your sudden fear to mean he still doesn’t know about you and his daughter?” Harrison asks.

I shake my head. “We decided to wait to tell him when we’re good and ready.”

Oliver takes a seat on the bench in front of his changing cubby. “And you think he won’t take the news well when you deliver it?”

“She’s not so sure, yet. He’s always had this rule with her about not fraternizing with the players and she’s always respected that. So, I agreed that we didn’t have to tell him right away. I want her to be as comfortable and happy about it as possible. I’m not going to push her.”

“Good. That’s good.”

“Yeah I guess, but it also sucks because I want to be with her. Like, publicly. I want to show her off and make her feel like a beloved queen when we’re out. I don’t want to have to sneak around or hide our relationship just because one man might not be happy about it.”

“Yeah.” Harrison frowns. “But that one man is her world. He’s her everything. Especially after her mom passed away.”

“I’m in love with her, you guys.” I lift my head, glancing around the group to see their shocked expressions at my confession.

“Whoa.” Ledger says, his brows raised. “I guess I didn’t realize you guys were that serious.”

“Yeah it’s serious. At least it is for me. And I think it is for her but we haven’t exactly talked about it. That night she told me she was asked out on a date by another man almost wrecked me. I hated every minute of wondering if she was going to say yes. Or if she even wanted to. I knew then that she was someone special to me.”

August claps my shoulder. “Look at our Pickle Pants all grown up with real man feelings.”

The guys chuckle and I toss my sweat-soaked shirt at August. “Fuck you, Blackstone.”

“Look, everything you do is a choice, right? So, you can choose not to tell Coach about you guys and continue the charade for a little while longer or choose to simply sit down like mature adults and tell him how you feel.”

“Do you think I should tell him face to face? Like in his office when we get back?”

A collective “No” is said around the room as everyone shakes their heads.

“It’ll be way too late to spring something like that on him tonight,” August tells me. “Go home to your girl. Enjoy your night and then in the coming days maybe talk to Corrigan and see how she feels.”

Get home to my girl.

That sounds like an excellent plan.

It’s a little after midnight when I finally walk through my door. I toe off my shoes and step through my living room, inhaling a deep breath. Already I can smell that Corrigan has been in this room. The lingering scent of her perfume tickles my senses and leaves me feeling excitedly content. I want to run down the hall and whisk her into my arms, but I know it’s late given she has to work tomorrow so instead I smile knowing she’s here with me and move through my nightly routine before joining her in my bedroom.

The room is dark except for a sliver of moonlight shimmering through the window. It’s just enough to highlight her shape snuggled beneath the covers. Padding over to the side of the bed, I unbutton my dress shirt and pull my arms from the sleeves before draping it over the chair in the corner of the room. Then I unbuckle my belt and slip out of my pants as quietly as possible. I tear off my socks and then pull back the covers slipping in right behind Corrigan, her body facing away from me. She moves ever so slightly when I fold my arm over her torso and pull her against my chest. I slip my other hand around her body so I can hold her in my arms and that’s when I discover?—

Hooooly shit...

She’s naked.

It may be late and it’s been a long ass day, but feeling her body against mine makes me instantly hard.

How the hell am I supposed to fall asleep like this?

She never sleeps naked.

She did this on purpose.

Lowering my mouth to her neck, I kiss her smooth skin and then inhale a deep breath, reveling in the beachy scent of her shampoo that I’ve come to love as uniquely Corrigan.

“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” I whisper before kissing her neck a second time. I trail my fingers lightly across her abdomen just underneath her breast with my right hand, and with my left I reach around to cup her other breast in my palm.

Motherfucker her body feels amazing in my hands.

Soft and warm.

Mine to touch.

Mine to pleasure.

Mine to love.

“Mine,” I whisper.

I intend to fall asleep just like this, my hands cocooning her breasts, my dick as hard as stone, until her soft and sleepy voice answers, “Yours.”

I lift my head slightly from my pillow. “You’re awake?”

She giggles ever so softly. “Well, it’s kind of hard to sleep when a man has his hands wrapped around my tits.”

Her reasoning makes me smile, unapologetic as it may be. “I couldn’t help myself, Corr. They feel so fucking good in my hands. And I needed to hold you. I swear to God I can fall asleep like this and my dick will settle down eventually. He just missed you as much as I did.”

Like she’s the angel of my dreams, she lazily drapes her right leg over my hip, leaning back against me. “Well, I missed you both and I need you inside me. Slow and lazy so I can feel every part of you sliding against every nerve inside of me.”

I take the spreading of her legs as an open invitation for my fingers to explore and swipe a couple through her soaking slit.

“Christ, baby, you feel amazing.”

She moans softly, wiggling her ass tighter against me and I waste no time positioning my cock at her entrance. Both of her breasts in my hands once again, I push inside her, groaning at the tight, warm, and deliciously wet sensation before leisurely pulling out so I can repeat the movement again.

“This isn’t going to take long, Babe. I’ve got two weeks of pent-up sexual frustration inside me. Your sweet cunt is no match for my fist, I’m afraid.”

“Then use me, Bodhi. Fill me. Make me overflow. Drown my body in your cum.”

“If I do this, you know I may very well be dripping down your legs for days.”

Okay I realize I’m no super sex God but shit…two weeks of not feeling the inside of Corrigan Hicks is two weeks too long.

“Give it your best shot, Mr. Roche. It’ll be the greatest Christmas gift I’ve ever received.”

“God, I missed you so fucking much.”

“I missed you too.”

Come they told me, pa rump pa pum pum…