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Matt
Matt was thrilled to be playing tonight, after being forced to sit out the previous game. The best part was that Maddy was in the stands, cheering him on. The Renegades were playing Toronto, so he figured he wouldn’t get too much ice time, but he’d be happy with whatever he got.
He had already played five minutes in the first period, and that was more than he assumed he’d get. Unfortunately, the first shift out, he was checked into the boards. His shoulder had taken the brunt of the hit, and the ache still hadn’t dissipated.
“Jasper! Go!” Coach Walker tapped Matt’s back, sending him off the bench and into the game. His shoulder burned as he got into position, waiting for the face-off. He tipped his head down towards the ice, breathing through the throbbing. Just five minutes into the second period, and pain was surging though his body. Racing up the ice after the puck, he favored most of his weight to one side, hoping to lessen the ache in his shoulder.
Chasing the puck into the corner, he turned to play it, and was checked into the boards by Toronto’s large defenseman. The brutal hit left him in such agony, he couldn’t move for a moment. Bent over, hands resting on his thighs, he gasped for air.
“Matt,” Kris called, skating over to check on his friend. “You good? Do you want the trainer?”
“No. I’m good. Thanks.” Taking a deep breath, Matt gritted his teeth and ignored the pain pulsing though him. If this was the last game he played, dammit, it was going to be a good one. No way was he going to wuss out with Maddy in the stands.
Tyler took the face-off. He passed the puck to Kris, who raced down the ice with two of Toronto’s players on his heels. Matt shoved one of them clear of Kris and tangled his stick with the other, helping to slow him down and give Kris some room to work. The second Toronto player took offense to his intrusion and shoved the butt end of his stick into Matt’s middle, sending him onto the ice.
As he picked himself up off the ground, Matt’s limbs were numb from the cold, but sweat dripped down his face. His shoulder was on fire, and now his gut throbbed as if he’d been stabbed.
Coach only kept him on the ice for a few minutes at a time for the rest of the second period, but even that proved to be too much. During the third period, Matt didn’t move much from the bench. Coach “demoted” him to the third line, and only utilized him twice.
After the game was over, the Renegades had lost 2–1. Matt was drained and hurting. The realization that his body was rebelling against him left an ache in his chest.
I have to get out of here. He tossed his equipment into his locker with such force that a few of the reporters jumped. Coach Walker entered the room and approached his stall, while the reporters swarmed Tyler and Dom.
“Matt, can I see you before you hit the showers?” Coach Walker ushered him into the office and shut the door behind them. “Matt, I know that shoulder isn’t getting any better. You’re risking your own health out there by continuing to play.”
“Coach, I’m fine. I’m taking care of it,” he said, gritting his teeth.
Coach Walker took a deep breath and shook his head. “Look, these decisions are never personal. And none of us like to make them. Matt, you are a big part of this team. I’m going to have the team docs talk to your doctor. Then we’ll meet and make a decision. Even if you’re too stubborn to take yourself off the ice, I refuse to risk your health out there. We’ll revisit this once we’ve got all the facts, but for now, you’re on IR.”
“Injured reserve? Are you fucking kidding me, Coach? Come on!” Matt stood up and slammed his fists on the desk. His knuckles stung, and his aching hip almost buckled under him.
“Look at you, Matt. You can barely stand up from the pain after sixty minutes, and I hardly even played you in the third. You’re barely using that arm, and I see you wince at the pain. I’ve already talked to Brownie about it, and this is our final decision. IR. End of discussion.”
“Keep me on the third line. I don’t have to play a lot. Coach. Please.”
I’m not ready to be a former player. If I don’t have hockey, what do I have? That wasn’t totally true. He had Maddy. But what young woman wanted a broken man?
Matt stormed out of Coach Walker’s office and hurried to the showers. He wanted to get done and dressed before anyone else, so he didn’t have to see the pity in their eyes. Once he was showered, he dressed, pulling on his slacks and a hoodie, not even caring if he got fined for not wearing a full suit. He hurried out to his truck, where Maddy was waiting for him.
“You okay?” she called to him.
“Let’s get out of here. Then I’ll decide.” Matt hopped into the driver’s seat to wait for her to get in, then realized he’d left her standing outside the truck. “Sugar, wait. Let me get that.”
Real men open the door for their ladies, no matter how pissed off at the world they are. He hurried around the truck. She already had her door open, but was just standing there, staring at him with an expectant glare.
“Maddy, the shit has hit the fan, and I don’t feel like talking about it here. C’mon, let’s get out of here before the guys come out.” He held the door open for her, and she crawled into the passenger’s seat.
He didn’t want to talk about his problem right now. But he also knew Maddy well enough to know that she wasn’t going to let this go. Surprisingly enough, she didn’t ask anything during the drive to her place, at least, not until he pulled up outside her house.
Putting the truck in park, he leaned his head back on the headrest and exhaled a long breath. “Maddy, I’m not in a good place. You don’t need to be around me when I’m like this. I should just go home.”
Matt didn’t miss the flash of concern that crossed her face. He knew she was worried about where his head was, and how he might choose to cope with his mood.
“Nonsense, Matt. You don’t have to tell me what’s bothering you, but you’re not going home to that empty house. So, I think you should either come in with me, or I’m going back to your place with you. But you don’t need to be alone.”
Matt hadn’t expected any less from Maddy. That attitude and assertiveness was what he loved about her. He still hadn’t told her what had him so pissed off, but he knew she was concerned that he was going to end up at the bottom of a bottle, and quite frankly, he was, too. “I guess we’re going inside, then.”
“Great.” Maddy hopped out of his truck with a satisfied smile on her face. “Let’s go.”
He was still angry at his situation, but it was hard to stay as pissed as he was when she grinned like that. He had forgotten what it was like to have someone who cared so much about him and his well-being. Matt shut off the engine and followed her into the house, enjoying the view ahead of him.
Once inside, Maddy turned on a few lights, tossed her jacket onto the couch, then went right to the refrigerator. Matt followed behind her. Mr. Whiskers jumped up onto the kitchen counter and meowed as if he were looking for some attention. Maddy ran her hand over his back, and then scooped some nasty looking wet food into the cat’s bowl.
Matt leaned against the counter as he seemed to do when they were in her kitchen, and Maddy peeled off her Renegades jersey. She had on a form-fitting, long-sleeve tee underneath. She stood directly in front of him as if she were waiting for him to say something.
Maddy stepped closer to him. Her voice was low, almost a loud whisper, sweet, but sexy as hell. “I know something really shitty went down tonight, I can see it in your eyes. And if you want to talk about it, I’m here. And if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay too. But I don’t like seeing you like this.”
His original plan was to go home and get shitfaced to try to forget his current dilemma. Alcohol had seemed likely the only way to accomplish that, right up until she stepped in front of him with this worried look in her eyes.
Maddy stepped directly in front of him, then reached up to run her soft hand over his jaw. A wave of emotion rushed over him, masking his anger and frustration, and filling him with love for this woman. Her other hand ran up his chest, as she moved close, softly brushing her lips against his. Maddy’s sweet tongue slowly met his, coaxing him to deepen the kiss, and he was more than willing.
Matt cradled her face in his hands as he kissed her hard. His frustration and anger turned into pure passion as soon as she kissed him.
Finally, Maddy pulled back just slightly, still close enough that her breath was hot on his face. Her mouth was red from his scruff, and Matt couldn’t help but focus on her lips as she spoke. “I think you should stay with me tonight.”
It had been a long time since someone cared about him as much as Maddy seemed to. Matt pushed a rogue strand of hair behind her ear, then softly dragged his knuckles along her cheek. When he looked into her soft gaze, all the anger and pain dissipated. “Sugar, when I’m with you, I don’t feel the aching and hurting. To dull the pain or cut the bad mood, all I need is you.”
“And I’m not going anywhere,” Maddy responded. The smirk on her face had him excited and standing at attention.
His pulse raced, and his body was ready to drag her off to the bedroom, but Matt suddenly remembered why he needed to ease his bad mood. And he hadn’t told Maddy yet. He dropped his eyes to the floor. “Maddy, shouldn’t we talk first?”
She nudged his chin up so he’d look at her. “We can save the talking for later.” She pressed her lips to his again. Her hands slid up his shoulders, her fingernails sending chills through him as she ran her hands along the back of his neck.
The gentleman in him wanted to sit down and tell her what had happened tonight. He’d had so many emotions going through his mind when he left the arena, but right now all he could concentrate on was her.
He tangled his hands in her hair, not wanting her lips to leave his. As his tongue twisted with hers, she rubbed her hips against his slacks, caressing his hard dick with every movement. Her hands ran along the back of his neck, and her fingernails tickled him, as she gently scraped his nape.
Too far gone now, he forgot all about talking, grabbed her thighs, and hiked her up onto his hips. He cautiously walked down the hall to her bedroom as he continued to kiss her luscious lips. Once in the bedroom, he dropped her to the bed. She sat back and looked at him with a crooked smile.
Matt shook his head with a chuckle. Staring at her ready for him on the bed, he was head over heels for this girl, and too far gone to turn back now. He pulled his hoodie off and crawled on top of her.
“You’re still overdressed,” Maddy commented, as she undid the button on his slacks and let down his zipper. Her hands slid into his pants, her fingers brushed against his hard dick, causing him to gasp at her touch. Seeing his reaction, she cooed, “What do you want to do to me, tough-guy?”
She was playing games and had him rock hard because of it. Matt had one goal in mind, being in her, now. “I want to make love to you, hard and slow.” But he knew slow may be easier said than done.
She stroked his dick, and when she moved to caress his balls, he grunted, trying to hold back his need for her, trying to keep himself from diving right into her. She wasn’t the type of girl who you just fucked. She deserved to be treated like a lady, and even if it killed him, that’s what he would do.
Matt groaned. “God.” He had so many pent-up emotions from earlier this evening, and right now, being close to her, becoming one with her, was all he wanted. “Maddy, I need you.”
Maddy bit at his earlobe and whispered in his ear, “I’m right here.”
That was the one thing that he couldn’t resist, when she bit his earlobe. He hastily shook his pants off his legs, kicked them to the floor, and then went to work on her. “Who’s overdressed now?” Matt quickly tore her t-shirt over her head, and pulled her jeans off, before tossing them both to the floor.
He was so ready, his dick throbbed with anticipation. Maddy helped speed things up by sitting up and unclasping her bra. Then slowly, she tantalized him, letting the straps fall from her shoulders, before revealing her breasts to him, her nipples already hard peaks.
As soon as her breasts caught his eye, he needed to be in her now. Ripping her panties away, Matt covered her body with his.
She moaned as he pressed his dick against her warm opening. He covered her mouth with his, kissing her hard. His lips moved hurriedly against hers, as he slid his hand up her soft body.
Maddy broke the kiss to reach for a condom out of the bedside table. Matt took the foil package from her and tore it open, but she took the condom and slowly rolled it onto him, making him even harder at her touch.
Putting her lips to his ear, she was breathing heavily as she nibbled on his earlobe again and called out his name in a breathy voice.
Matt slid his lips down her neck, grazing his teeth along her shoulder, nipping her as he went. He knew what he wanted. He wanted to fuck her and forget about everything else.
Maddy wrapped her legs around him, making his dick twitch against her, coaxing him on. “Please...”
Lust ran through him as she ran her nails down the middle of his back. Not being able to wait one more second, he pressed hard into her, groaning as he slid inside her hot folds.
“God, Maddy.” Taking a heavy breath, he took a moment to adjust to how good she felt. He wanted to take his time with her and experience every feeling while making love to this woman. This wasn’t a quick fuck like he’d grown so accustomed to with puck bunnies over the years. This woman was so much more than he deserved, and yet she wanted him. Looking at her beautiful body under him, skin on skin, the words just fell out of his mouth before he started to thrust into her. “Maddy, damn, I love you.”
Every time she moaned, it made him harder, and he needed to be even deeper inside her. Her legs were wrapped tight around his waist as he thrust hard, ramming into her with a rhythmic force. Her body pulsed around him, making it almost impossible to hold on.
She reacted to his hard thrusts with cries and groans. As hot as it was, he needed to make sure it wasn’t too much for her. He was getting pretty crazy.
“Sugar, tell me if it’s too much. I’d never want to hurt you.” He slid his right hand around her lower back and pulled her body tight to him, as he moved deeper into her.
Matt thrust hard and fast, holding her body firmly against his, moving as deep into her as he could be.
Once she started to shake in his arms, he couldn’t hold back anymore. Covering her mouth with his, he kissed her frantically while she climaxed. She moaned into his mouth, as he thrust a few more times before coming hard into her.