Breakaway, p.35
Breakaway, page 35
Last night we drove further north; we’re staying in a hotel near the Grand Canyon. That’s on the docket for today. She’s never been, and I haven’t either, and I think she wants some time to settle in before we head to Tempe to visit her mother’s grave.
When we get there, whatever she needs to say, whatever she needs to do—I’ll be there to support her. Three, nearly four years removed from what happened with Preston, and she hasn’t been back. Coach has, apparently, but Penny didn’t want to go with him, even to sit at her mother’s resting place for a while.
She snuggles closer, still asleep. I slip my arm around her waist underneath the covers. I slip my arm around her waist underneath the covers, making her open an eye.
Whoops.
She hides a yawn behind her hand. “What time is it?”
“The sun is up.”
“Of course,” she grumbles. “Did you already go for a run or something?”
“I figured I’d ask if you wanted to join.” I press our bodies together. We’re both naked from last night. As soon as we got back from dinner, she was tugging at our clothes. It’s hazy thanks to the bottle of wine we shared, but I’m pretty sure that she pushed me onto my back and climbed onto my dick. Now, my fingers trail down her spine. “Or we could exercise in a different way.”
She buries her face against my chest, so I feel, rather than see, her smile. “Interrobang?”
“Always.”
She wriggles away. “Incorrigible. I have to pee.”
While I wait for her to come back, I fist my cock, giving it a stroke that has me biting the inside of my cheek. In a moment, she’s here again, her slim fingers wrapping around mine, her newly minty breath brushing my cheek.
She winks at me. “Couldn’t wait?”
“I dreamt about you last night, Red.”
She palms her breast, smiling when I lick my lips. “Did I have clothes on?”
“No.”
She pinches her own nipple. “Was it like this?”
“We were in a field. Wildflowers and tall grass all around.”
“You’re such a romantic.”
I sit up and kiss her on the mouth, replacing her small hand with my much larger, rougher one. She moans as I run my tongue over hers. I pull back to say, “You had on a blue dress, to start, but then it was a blanket. No panties. That made me laugh. You planned it, you said, brought me out there because you wanted sunshine on your skin while we fucked. I must have gotten the panties thing from Dallas.”
She gives my cock a squeeze. “What did we do?”
I set my mouth against her ear and whisper, “I ate your cunt in the dirt, against all those flowers, while you sucked my cock.”
I smile with satisfaction as she freezes. She practically tackles me against the bed, her hands finding their way to my hair as she kisses me sloppily, our teeth grinding together. I bite her lip, and she gasps. My hands find her ass and squeeze.
“Right now,” she pants, her hips jerking forward. “Let’s do it right now.”
I run my finger down the crack of her bottom. “You think you can keep up with me?”
In answer, she turns around, shaking out that mane of red and orange and gold.
Chapter 4
Penny
Cooper eats me like a man starved.
My mouth is full of his cock, sucking messily, while he licks me from behind. Why haven’t we done this before? His hands dig into my ass to keep me steady as he dips his tongue into my hole, making me shudder. I moan around his cock, and I know he likes it because of the way he groans. I feel it as much as I hear it, vibrations running through me.
It’s one thing to have him inside me, to feel him skin-to-skin. This is a different level; it’s as close as I’ve come to feeling his pleasure with mine. During our Nashville game, he fingered my ass while he fucked my cunt, and I thought that was a lot, double penetration not from a toy but from more of him, but this is different. This blows everything else out of the water. I only wish I had his fingers in my cunt, because being empty everywhere except my mouth is torture.
Whenever we have sex, I feel close to him. Closer than I’ve ever been to another person. He unlocked a side of me that I thought I’d never be able to set free, and every time we’re together, we learn each other a little better.
He dreamt of me. The thought makes me smile.
“Christ,” he rumbles. He flicks my clit with his tongue. “You’re soaking. Always such a needy girl.”
I pull off his cock as I cup his balls and squeeze. “Only for you.”
He smacks my ass lightly. I shudder, burying my face against his thigh. His taste is on my tongue, salty and delicious. I play with the tip, then take him into my mouth once more. He seems bigger at this angle, making it impossible to focus on anything other than the way he feels.
He pushes a finger into me, and I nearly sob with relief, my core clenching around it. He keeps licking my hole as his thumb finds my clit, and it sends me over the edge; the tautness in my belly loosens as I cry out around him. He makes a noise that’s halfway to a growl and urges me off his cock.
“Want to come inside your cunt,” he murmurs as he splays me out on my knees and elbows. His body blankets mine, hand finding my clit again and playing with it until I spread my legs. “Good girl.”
I turn my head to the side, breathing against the sheets. He nudges my knees even wider and puts a hand on my back as he pushes in, inch by luxurious inch, spit and slick making it easy. When he’s in all the way, so deep at this angle I can’t do much but pant and adjust, he presses his forehead to the top of my spine. I feel his breath on my neck, the slight tremor as he tries to reel in the part of him that no doubt wants to come right this instant.
“You fit me so perfectly,” he whispers. “Fucking hell, Penny, I love you.”
I blink back sudden tears. Tempe is for crying. Not here. “I love you too.” I reach back; he takes my hand in his. “Now fuck me like you mean it.”
Chapter 5
Penny
I brush away a pine branch as I follow Cooper around the next bend in the trail.
The trees are thick here, tall ponderosa pines with sap-filled branches. About thirty seconds into this walk—which feels more like a hike—my hair got up close and personal with a sticky pinecone. It took Cooper fifteen minutes to work it out completely, and even so, I think he yanked out more hair than necessary.
I stick my tongue out, even though he’s facing forward. It was his brilliant idea to ditch the crowds at the main entry point and head for this little lookout instead. A twenty-minute walk, his phone said.
Lies.
“You know, people go missing in national parks all the time.”
“We’re fine.” He steps around an outcropping of rock. “This isn’t random, it’s a named lookout point and everything. Watch out for that. Don’t trip.”
“If we fall into the canyon together—”
“We’re not going to fall into the canyon.” He looks over his shoulder. It’s hot out; even with the shade from the pines, sweat has soaked through his shirt and his face is all red. I’m sure I don’t look much better. “Take a sip of water.”
I scowl as I unscrew the top of my water bottle. He takes a drink from his as well, peering into the forest ahead. I know that the canyon is around here somewhere, but right now, it just feels like we’re in the middle of a random forest.
We keep going, but he slows his pace, tangling his sweaty hand in mine. The trees seem to be thinning out, at least.
“It’s pretty here,” he says. “Being so high up. And all these pines.” He ducks his head as we skirt around a tree with low-hanging branches. “Maybe you should set your next book in Arizona.”
“Maybe if I write that book about the guy from the rival pack.”
“Monica is emailing you feedback when we get home, right?”
“Yeah.” My stomach clenches with anxiety. Giving the finished book—albeit an edited version, the best I could do on my own—to Monica, my friend from Book Magic, was nerve-racking, to say the least. I still haven’t decided what I’m going to do with it, whether I’ll publish it myself or try to find an agent. I’m not convinced I’ll be able to make it as an author, and that’s first on the list of things I don’t want to think about too deeply right now.
The other is what I’ll do when Cooper graduates and goes off to play in the NHL, and I’ll be stuck in Moorbridge for at least another year, finishing my degree. It’s not that I don’t think we’ll be able to handle long distance, it’s just that I don’t want to. I don’t want to talk to him on the phone and watch his games on television. I want to be by his side, wherever he is. But my dad—and probably Cooper, let’s be real—would flip if I tried to drop out or finish school online.
“I can tell you’re thinking,” he says. He guides me forward with a hand on my back around a narrow part of the trail. “Probably overthinking. What about?”
I turn, brushing a kiss to his lips. Even though we’re both sweaty, he wraps his arm around my waist and tugs me closer. “About how I don’t want to stay alone in Moorbridge after you graduate.”
“That’s a year from now, gummy bear.”
“I know.” I kiss him again quickly. “Still sucks to think about.”
“It won’t be forever. And you’ll have Mia.” He holds a branch up so I can walk underneath it. “Do you think they’ve killed each other yet?”
The question startles me into laughter. I squint at the sun. I missed this air, the cacti and succulents and pines, the strength of the sunlight. It’s hard to think of New York while we’re here. When I suggested this trip, I’d hoped that part of it would be healing. That exploring the country with Cooper would lead somewhere. It’s definitely been nice, but I’m still anxious about so many things. Tempe looms ahead, and I have no idea what to do when we visit my mother’s grave.
“I think we would have heard by now if there was a double murder.”
Cooper shakes his head. “I can’t believe Mia hasn’t said anything to you.”
“It’s not like Seb told you anything.”
“True.” He kicks a rock, sending it skittering ahead of us. “Maybe they went back to fucking. Or whatever the hell they were doing together.”
Mia is working at a lab on campus this summer, and apparently her housing fell through—something about a flood ruining her favorite pair of boots—because a couple days after we got on the road, she texted to say she was staying at the house with Sebastian. Izzy is doing an internship for a wedding planner in New York, but Sebastian’s baseball season is still going on, so he’s been in Moorbridge, taking care of Tangy. With Mia, apparently. I shake my head. I called her to ask how that happened, but she just gave me some vague bullshit about working out a deal with him.
Alone. In Moorbridge. With Sebastian.
Maybe they are fucking again. She wanted nothing to do with him after we discovered them together right before we left for the Frozen Four, but who knows. Sebastian does have a certain kind of quiet, appealing energy. He’s not at all like the kinds of people I’ve seen Mia hook up with, but maybe that’s a good thing.
“If they actually dated, that could be nice.”
Cooper snorts. “I know the kinds of girls Seb dates, and they’re nothing like Mia di Angelo.”
“Oh, come on. She can be nice when she wants to be.”
He wraps his arm around me. “Not nice like you.”
“Maybe just as naughty, though. Seb could use that.”
He makes a face and says, “Super not interested in thinking about my brother and the word ‘naughty’ in the same sentence.”
I open my mouth to reply—but the view makes the words die in my throat.
We’re at the edge of the little pine forest, and ahead, the canyon spreads out across the landscape. It’s so large, reds and browns and grays crowding in on one another, that it feels like it goes on forever. The cerulean sky practically sparkles overhead, dotted with fluffy clouds. In the distance, far below, I catch a glimpse of the Colorado River. It looks like a ribbon, the water running in shades of blue.
“Wow,” Cooper breathes.
“I take back what I said,” I say faintly.
There doesn’t seem to be anyone here except a lone hiker, camera in hand. We walk forward slowly. Ahead, at the edge of the lookout, there’s a big, flat rock, perfect for sitting on. I lead the way to the rock, swiveling my head around as I take in the details. Cooper was right about heading for a less-known location. I could stay here for hours, and thanks to the quiet, I won’t feel guilty if we do exactly that. I shade my eyes and watch as a hawk streaks across the sky.
“Beautiful,” I say softly.
“Yeah,” Cooper says, his voice equally quiet. I glance over.
He’s not looking at the view.
Chapter 6
Cooper
I wipe my forearm across my temples as I take a sip of water. Even though the walk to this spot took longer than expected—thanks, phone—every bit of this view is worth it. Penny just sat down on a rock, and judging by her reaction, we’ll be here for a while.
Being in nature like this, the canyon all around us, raw and real, quiets my mind. Whatever’s going on with Sebastian and Mia, Penny’s worries about after graduation—it all fades before the sight of her, staring at the view.
“Beautiful,” she murmurs.
I swallow the sudden lump in my throat. “Yeah.”
It’s not the canyon I’m looking at. It is beautiful, absolutely, full of history and unbridled wilderness, but I can’t tear my gaze away from her.
She fits in here. I kept thinking it on the walk, and now, set against a deep blue sky and a stunning, terrifying amount of natural beauty, it’s more obvious than ever. Some of the stone is the shade of her hair, shining in the sun just as brightly. She might have found a home on the ice, same as me, but she was born to be somewhere like this. Somewhere that shows her off like an uncut gem.
“You’re staring at me,” she teases.
I settle next to her on the rock. “Can’t help it.”
“You can look at me whenever, you know. Pretty sure you do that when I sleep sometimes.”
“Guess I learned something from Edward Cullen.”
She gives me a little shove. “Weirdo.”
“It’s gorgeous here, yeah.” I wrap my arm around her and squeeze. “But it just makes me notice you more. Over and over, Red.”
If she’s blushing, I can’t quite tell, because her face is still flushed from our walk. She cups my jaw, her thumb running back and forth across my beard. “Ridiculous.”
“Honest.” I turn and kiss her palm. “Are you really worried? Because I’m not worried.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know. Not about us breaking up, exactly. Or something going wrong. But maybe . . . maybe by the time we’re together again, something will have changed.”
“So much might change between this year and the next.”
“But at least we’ll be together during it.”
I study her. The thought of her worrying about us, when she’s the only part of my life I’m completely sure about, doesn’t sit right with me. “Do you want to get married?”
She blinks. “What?”
“Or we could get engaged.”
“Cooper . . .”
“I’m serious,” I say softly. “Whatever would help you realize we’re it for each other.”
She takes my hand, playing with my fingers. “Maybe not yet.”
I kiss her. “That’s fine. It’s a big commitment.”
“And it’s a commitment I want to make with you, eventually.” Her fingernails dig into my palm, leaving little half-moon imprints. “I do like the idea of doing something. Something special, just for us, until we’re ready.”
“Think about it. Whatever you want to do, I’m down for.”
She shakes her head slightly. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She scoots closer, resting her head on my shoulder. “Can we stay awhile?”
“Always.”
After a few minutes spent taking in the view, a hiker with a camera walks over. He holds it up, a slight smile on his face.
“I used to come here with my wife,” he says. “You two remind me of us. Want me to take your picture?”
Chapter 7
Cooper
We spend a couple more days at the Grand Canyon.
During the day, we hike. Real hikes, too, down into the canyon itself, starting so early in the morning the sun has barely cleared the trees. At night, we explore each other instead. I know every inch of her, every freckle, every spot that makes her gasp, but it feels a little different each time. We fall asleep wrapped up in each other, then wake to the sound of the alarm. Unlike the games that led us here, this is real lovemaking, soul-to-soul.
While we hike, we talk. It’s like being here has loosened something in Penny, and the words can’t come out fast enough. We chat about her childhood and mine. The upcoming school year. Our friends and family.
The future.
She hasn’t told me what she wants us to do to signify that promise yet, but we talk about it all the same. What cities I might play in. The hopes she has for her career. Our wedding; whether we’ll elope or have a party. The child we’d like to have one day.
“I dreamt about it,” she says as she pants alongside me, heading back uphill from Bright Angel Bridge. “A boy. I think I’d like to have a boy.”
“Did he have your hair?”
“Yes.”
I grin. “Then I approve.”
“We’ll show him how to skate,” she says. She gives my fingers a quick squeeze. “He might not love it like we do, but we can try.”
“Maybe he’ll be a figure skater.”
“Or a hockey player,” she counters.
I stop, balancing against a rock, and take a sip of water. I offer the bottle to Penny, who takes a sip too. “Or neither. Which would be fine. Even if he wants to play football, I guess I’ll find a way to deal with it.”
