Our steps echoed as we navigated the deserted hallways of Northview Arena to the entrance for the home team dressing room. I entered the security code without even looking and the red metal door unlocked with an obedient click. Leaning against it with my hip, I pushed it open and gestured for Bailey to go first.

"Wow," Bailey breathed, scanning the gigantic 3D logo in the middle of the floor, rows of glossy crimson lockers, and custom LED lighting.

The Boyd dressing rooms were completely renovated the year before I started, courtesy of a massive donation by some anonymous alumni. I was awed the first time I saw them, too. They were sleek, modern, and would put most of the dressing rooms in the NHL to shame.

"Pretty sweet, huh?" Taking her hand in mine, I led her over to my locker at the end of the room, nearest the entrance to the ice. It was going to be difficult, but I was going to try to keep this G-rated while we were in here. I wanted to actually get in some skating with her.

At least, for a little while.

After that, all bets were off.

I may have had some plans for later.

"Yeah, your dressing room is way nicer than ours." She caught herself, pretty lips folding into a frown. "Wait. Don't tell anyone I said that."

I set our skates down on the bench beside us, glancing back over at her. "When were you in the Bulldogs locker room?"

As with most things I said, the question just slipped out before I could stop myself. And it didn't sound nearly as casual as I would have hoped.

Bailey stepped closer, wrapping her arms around my neck. Instantly, my willpower disintegrated. Fuck G-rated, if I kept it PG-13 I would consider it an accomplishment.

"To do a piece for Callingwood Daily, you big caveman." Her hazel eyes glinted playfully.

"Ah." I ran my fingers down the sides of her ribcage, spanning the curve of her waist over her soft pink sweater. Even with her height, she was still a good measure shorter than me, not to mention way smaller. I loved how she felt beneath my hands—pliant and feminine.

I tilted my head and leaned closer, mouth meeting hers. Bailey let out a little sigh and parted her lips, letting me taste her. I gently took her bottom lip, sucking on it, before pushing into her sweet mouth with my tongue.

Gripping her waist, I pulled her closer, warm curves pressing up against my body. She stood up on her tiptoes as I deepened the kiss, taking, tasting, claiming. Desire surged through me, cock growing harder by the second. Then I remembered where we were and realized that if we didn't stop now, we never would make it out onto the ice.

I slowly pulled back, breaking the kiss, even though every fiber of my body was begging me not to. Bailey looked back up at me, eyes more golden than green in the light of the room.

"For the record," she said, booping me on the nose with her finger, "you're cute when you're jealous,"

"I was just curious." I shrugged, reluctantly releasing my hold on her.

Her lips tugged. "Sure, Carter."

Opening the digital lock, I hung up her bag and my grey canvas jacket, quickly throwing on a black lightweight training hoodie over my t-shirt. Bailey opted to keep her coat on over her sweater, claiming she was cold.

Why were chicks always freezing? It was 64 degrees out earlier today, which was shorts weather as far as I was concerned. But I ran at a million degrees year-round, especially when I was moving.

We slipped off our shoes, changing into our skates, lacing them up. I tossed in the rest of our stuff before securing the locker again. Probably wasn't necessary at his time of day, but force of habit at this point.

From the home bench, I opened the gate for Bailey to hop onto the ice first. She skated backward, blonde hair flying loose in the breeze.

"Come on, slowpoke." She made me a come-at-me gesture.

I stepped onto the ice with a huge grin, because she was so fucking cute.

"You're not half bad," I said.

"Oh, I've got moves you haven't even seen."

"I bet." I took a few easy strides in her direction, coasting. "Gonna show me?"

Bailey turned away from me, calling over her shoulder. "You'll have to catch me first."

I picked up speed, drawing closer to her without fully catching up. Then I let her get away from me a few times, intentionally missing grabbing hold of her by a narrow margin. Finally, I couldn't wait any longer. She made it to the corner and I picked up speed, carefully grabbing hold of her. I came to a stop, spinning us both around and pushing her into the boards.

She looked back at me, lips softly parted. "I guess you win."

I had her in my arms, so I definitely did.

"Looks like it."

I pinned her up against the plexiglass, wedging a thigh between her legs. She let out a little gasp, eyes glazing over.

"This is so much better than the other kind of boarding," I murmured, eyes falling to her full, kissable lips. "But now I'm going to get turned on every time I'm in this corner during a game."

My hand slid up her neck, holding her in place as my mouth crashed down on hers again. Kissing her was unreal, like everything else in the world just instantly vanished the moment our lips came together.

And each time I kissed her, it was like she relaxed a little bit more. Softened, somehow. Maybe it was a trust thing. Either way, it drove me crazy in the best possible way.

After a minute, we broke apart.

"Carter?" She held onto my forearms, breathless and wide-eyed. I was too, and definitely not from the skating.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to lose my balance if you keep kissing me like that."

"I got you," I said, voice husky. "I won't let you fall."

*

Skating didn't last very long.

We burst into the locker room in a frenzy of kissing and groping. I sat down on the bench and got out of my skates in ten seconds flat. Beside me, Bailey struggled with hers, not as accustomed to getting in and out of them quickly.

"Here." I picked up her legs, turning her 90 degrees and taking her feet into my lap. I quickly loosened the laces, tugging off her skates and placing them out of the way on the bench. Then I pulled off my hoodie, tossing it aside, and picked her up, pinning her against the wall beside the lockers.

Our lips collided and everything exploded. It was different than any kiss with her before, hurried and needy, hungry and wanting. Gripping the backs of her thighs, I lifted her up off the floor and thrust up against her, pressing between her legs. A whimper escaped the back of her throat. She wrapped her long legs around me as I pushed into her again, and she began to tilt her hips in rhythm with me.

Her mouth moved against mine, fingers gripping my shoulders. I was completely in the zone. So into her that it put me into some kind of trance. And so lost in her that at first, I barely heard the faint rumble of wheels rolling down the hallway. Then they got louder—and closer.

I tore apart from her lips, freezing as I listened to the approaching sound.

"What?" She asked.

"Shit," I muttered. "It's Roy."

"Who's Roy?" Bailey whispered, scanning my face nervously.

"Our custodian." I glanced over my shoulder, trying to figure out a hiding spot.

Her eyes widened. "We are so busted."

"No, don't worry. It'll be fine."

I had no real reason to think that, but I didn't want her to freak out. At least it was probably just Roy. I was 95% sure. If it was Coach Miller, we might have a problem.

"I'll deal with him," I said. "The bathrooms have stalls, you can hide in there."

Bailey nodded. "Okay."

She darted around the corner and a split second later, the door swung open. Roy walked in, pulling the janitorial cart behind him.

Thank Gretzky.

Scrambling to sit down, I leaned an elbow on my bent knee and attempted to seem casual. I tried to look as normal as possible, given the circumstances and the fact that I had a massive fucking hard on.

I waved at him. "Oh hey, Roy."

"Chase?" His brow furrowed as he looked at me, then he glanced around the rest of the locker room in confusion. "What are you doing here so late?"

"Just needed some extra ice time," I said. "Coach said I had to work on my crossovers. You know how it is. The grind never stops."

Of course I'd done this numerous times before for legitimate practice purposes and the one time I ran into someone, it wasn't even a little bit legitimate.

His eyes fell to the bench, landing on the second pair of skates. Goddammit, why didn't I hide her stuff? With no blood supply above my waist, I could barely carry on a conversation, let alone strategize.

Roy cleared his throat. "I see." He gave me a knowing look, fighting back a smile. "Well, I'll start in the offices and let you get out of here before I circle back. Have a good night, son."

"Thanks," I said. "You too."

He pulled the door open and it swung shut behind him.

"All clear," I called softly. Bailey tiptoed back into the changing area. Her face was six different shades of red.

"Oh my god," she said, covering her mouth. "Is he gone?"

"Yup. We're good. Just a close call."

I didn't want to tell her we were totally busted. But I was pretty sure Roy wouldn't tell anyone. He was a nice guy. I always gave him a hundred bucks at Christmas as a thank you for cleaning up after our gross asses. If he kept this under wraps, I would double it.

Our eyes locked and Bailey stifled a laugh, shaking her head.

"See?" She said. "I knew you were trouble."

I thought the sexual tension between us was high before I spent the night with Chase last weekend, but it was nothing compared to the atmosphere in the truck after the arena.

There was an ache between my legs that made it impossible to focus on anything else.

I kept stealing glances of him in the darkness of the vehicle, illuminated by flashes of streetlights. Strong jawline, sinewy forearms, large hands that I desperately wanted all over my body again. It was torture. And I could tell from the tension he was holding in his body and the way he gripped the steering wheel that he felt the same way.

It was only a ten-minute drive, but by the time we made it through the front door to his house, I thought we both might spontaneously combust.

Wordlessly, he led me upstairs to his room, letting me enter first. I walked over to his bed, sliding my bag off my shoulder and placing it next to the nightstand with shaky hands. Desire thrummed in my veins, dizzying me like a drug. I felt like he'd been hesitant with me so far, afraid to take things any further...but I wanted him to.

Chase shut the door behind him, closing the distance between us in a few long strides. Suddenly, he was pressing up against me from behind, a wall of solid muscle and warmth. His intoxicating scent surrounded me, which had the most contradictory effect of relaxing me and arousing me all at once.

He gathered up my hair, tucking it over one shoulder to expose the opposite side of my neck. I leaned back against his body and my eyelids fluttered shut as I tilted my head, surrendering. His lips landed on my skin just below the ear, planting a trail of open-mouthed kisses down to my collarbone. The ache in my legs continued to grow, begging for his touch.

"Those little moans you were making in the locker room earlier tonight almost did me in, James." His voice rumbled in his chest, flush against my back. Warm, slightly rough palms smoothed down the sides of my arms, leaving behind a trail of goosebumps.

"Too bad we were interrupted," I said.

He grabbed my hips and turned me to face him, grinning wolfishly. "But now we've got all night."

My breath caught as I gazed back up at him, working through the implications of what he'd just said. On one hand, that sounded great. On the other, it sounded like a lot of pressure.

Something must have changed on my face, because his expression changed, softening.

"Remember our talk?" His tone was gentle.

I felt like I was standing on a precipice, deciding whether to jump. But the truth was, I already had.

"I trust you." I nodded, sucking on my bottom lip before releasing it. "I want...you."

Chase's lips tipped up. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Midnight eyes traced my face, dropping to my mouth. Then they sank lower, skimming the rest of my body in a way that made me feel naked fully clothed.

Chase lifted his gaze back up to meet mine. My stomach fluttered as he placed a hand between my shoulder blades, easing me down onto the bed. He leaned on his elbows, hovering over me. The hard length of him pressed up against my pelvis, desire coiling between my legs.

He nuzzled my neck, inhaling deeply against my skin and exhaling with a low groan.

With Luke, it had felt like he wanted sex.

With Chase, it felt like he wanted me.

His broad hands landed on my bare skin beneath the hem of my sweater, lifting it slightly.

"Can I?" He murmured.

I nodded. "Yes."

Carefully, he tugged it off over my head, tossing it aside. He sat back on his knees, admiring my body. He bit back a grin, shaking his head.

"Baby, you're so hot and you don't even know it."

Then he pulled off his black t-shirt, throwing it on the floor. He leaned over me again, bracketing my arms with his while his smooth skin radiated heat against my bare stomach and chest. His lips met mine as my hands glided down the hard planes of muscle that clad his stomach, probing, exploring.

He rolled so that we were both on our sides, facing each other. Then he smoothed a hand down my side, landing on my hipbone. His fingers skimmed across to the center of my stomach and toyed with my waistband, waiting—a question. I reached up, pulling him closer and kissing him again.

His fingers nimbly undid the button on my jeans, unzipping them, and he broke apart from my kiss to slowly tug them off. Then he reached down, cupping between my legs over the fabric of my black lace underwear. He groaned as I grabbed him over top of his pants, rock hard and huge.

He tugged my underwear aside, sliding his fingers against my center. My hips jerked in response and I drew in a shuddering breath as pleasure rippled through my core. Warmth spread across my skin and the ache between my legs grew, the sense of want growing into a desperate need.

Ducking down, he placed a row of kisses down my chest, reaching behind my back to undo my bra with one hand. He slid it off, cupping my breasts with his hands and kissing his way back up my neck.

"Let me take care of you," he said against my skin.

"What do you mean?"

Chase pulled back, dark eyes hungry. His lips curved.

"I want to eat your pussy, James."

Heat shot through my body. My heart thudded against my ribcage and I held my breath for a beat.

"Okay."

He flashed me a wicked grin before shifting, kissing his way down my body, alternating licking and sucking. Strong hands skimmed down my ribcage, past my hips, landing on my inner thighs. Planting a kiss between my legs over my underwear, he slid his hands underneath and slowly pulled them off.

Chase gently spread my legs apart, exposing me to him. He ran his hands up and down my legs, eyes gleaming with desire.

"Fuck, baby. Your body is so beautiful. Every single inch of it."

I waited breathlessly and he turned, planting soft kisses on my inner thighs, working higher until he was almost right between my legs. He circled his arms around my outer thighs, wrapping my legs around his shoulders.

Shifting his body around, he settled between my legs and flattened his tongue against my center. My breath hitched and I jumped slightly. Reaching up, he grabbed my left hand and laced his fingers in mine.

He started gently teasing and caressing, coaxing me with his tongue until it felt too good to focus on anything else. I shifted into a state of hyperawareness of his hands, his lips, his tongue. It was like seeing color for the first time.

My body started to relax as the warm sensation within my belly grew, drowning out all of my other senses. His mouth moved against me faster, growing more purposeful. I squirmed as it became more and more intense, starting to verge on unbearable.

I gasped, legs jolting. "Ohmigod."

Chase rumbled a low, throaty laugh against me. He released my hand, snaking his free arm under my leg to so that both of his arms were wrapped around my thighs. Keeping the same pace and pressure, he worked me with his tongue in long, devastating stokes. A breathy whimper escaped from my mouth, back arching in response. It felt so good, almost too good to continue. I desperately needed release, but I never wanted it to stop.

My breath quickened, shortening into tiny shallow pants. One hand wrapped in his dark silky hair, tugging at the roots, and the other made a fist out of the covers.

His arms pinned my thighs down, keeping me open for him while my hips bucked, pelvis tilting. He pulled me down the bed, yanking me closer to him and devouring me as I came apart with a moan.

Chase kept going, working my body with his tongue until I was almost too sensitive to continue. Then he pulled away, planting a gentle kiss between my legs, followed by kisses up and down my inner thighs. My knees felt soft, legs unsteady, even though I wasn't standing.

He shifted back up to the head of the bed, leaning on one elbow. "Hey, baby."

"Hey." As I came down from the high, I became acutely aware of how naked I was, especially since Chase was still partially clothed. He'd just seen every single inch of my body. Every. Single. One.

I leaned down, scrambling to grab my tank top and underwear off the floor and sliding them on quickly. Reaching over, he grabbed my shorts and handed them to me.

"How are you doing?"