Chapter Seven

I awoke the next morning to the buzzing of my phone. In my rush to go to bed last night I had forgotten to take it off vibrate. It was now vibrating to no end on my dresser. I opened my eyes to the sunlight pouring in and reached over for the phone. Seven missed calls and one new text. I opened the phone and leafed through the seven calls, all of which were from Ryan. I sighed heavily and read the text next, which was from Geno. It read “bring skates to practice (:” I had planned on spending all day in bed, but it seemed that life had other plans for me. So, a bit unwillingly, I hopped out of bed and into the shower. When I got out, my phone was ringing. I looked down to see that it was Ryan and I pressed ignore before going downstairs and making breakfast. I sat in my robe reading the paper while my water boiled for tea. It was not only until I was on the forth page that I noticed it was yesterday’s paper. Going outside seemed like such a chore, but I wanted to find out what was happening in the world. I opened the door to hear some birds singing. It sounded so fake even to my ears. As I walked down the driveway I saw a little girl and her mother to my left and I saw a man with a golden retriever to my right. I grabbed the paper and headed for the house. When I stepped up onto the threshold, something caught my eye. On the railing was a single rose. I picked it up, examined it, then looked around for a note. However, I knew who it was from without it. Back inside, my phone was ringing again. This time, I answered it.

“I got your rose,” I said stiffly.

“I’m sorry,” Ryan’s voice was on the other end.

“Okay,” I said.

“Please don’t be like that,” he pleaded with me.

“Be like what? Angry that you even thought to hold above my head the fact that you have a wife? When you supposedly ‘don’t care’?” I asked bitterly.

“I didn’t, meant to. I’m sorry. I love you,” he said. I heard his words but didn’t quite believe my ears.

“You…what?” I asked shocked.

“I love you,” he repeated, more sweetly than the first. I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to this. Did I love him? Would saying it anyway be wrong? He sensed my hesitation because the next words out of his mouth were, “Don’t feel obligated to say it back to me. I just wanted you to know how I feel.”

“Oh, uh, okay,” I stammered into the phone.

“Are you coming to practice?” he asked.

“Uh-huh,” was all I managed.

“Am I forgiven?” he asked. I could hear the smile in his voice.

“Yeah, you are,” I answered.

“Thank you. I’ll see you in a bit,” he finished before he hung up. I closed my phone and stared at it for a moment before shaking off what just happened. I ran upstairs to finish dressing, grabbed my skates, and was out the door in minutes.

When I arrived at the Igloo, “my” security guard was there.

“Hey, its’ you,” he said, smiling as I entered. “I guess you really did know him.”

“See, I told you,” I said, smiling back.

“You need to get in to see Ryan?” he asked me. I didn’t feel like explaining the whole story so I just agreed and he let me enter. I made my way to the lounge area and proceeded to tie the skates myself. It actually wasn’t so hard when there wasn’t a hot guy next to me watching me tie them. I finished lacing them and stood, a little wobbly at first, then made my way out onto the ice. I assumed my usual position on the bench and waited for the guys to skate in. After around ten minutes or so, they did. They skated out one by one. Kris Letang was the first one I saw. I caught his eye and gave him a wink. He was so distracted by this that he crashed right into the net. It was the most adorable thing I’d ever seen. While the guys laughed at him, Geno helped him up, then skated over to me. At the same exact time, my cousin also skated over.

“Hey,” they both started. The boys looked at each other, then back at me.

“Um, I’ll come back,” Ryan said gruffly before skating away. I was now left with just Geno, which I was grateful for.

“Hey Geno,” I said to him before putting my hand over his. He had removed his glove before skating over, therefore, we had skin to skin contact. His hand felt warm beneath my chilly fingers. His warmth made me feel warm and before I knew it, I was smiling to myself, utterly contented. He picked up on my body language and put his other hand (now glove free as well) on my right cheek. I felt the same warmth, but now on a larger scale, radiating throughout me. It made me happy, genuinely happy. We stayed like that for a moment and I was beginning to realize how perceptive he was, even if his English wasn’t 100 percent there. I breathed deeply making no effort to move. His fingers traced gentle patterns on my face and it made me feel like a school girl. I felt giddy and silly.

“What the fuck?” I heard Ryan speak aloud as he skated past. Only then did I realize my eyes had been closed and I opened them to find Ryan brooding in a corner of the rink.

‘Jealous son of a bitch,’ I thought to myself. I tried to put myself back in that intimate moment we just shared, but I couldn’t and I was mad that we lost it. However, before I even knew what was happening, Geno leaned over to kiss me. I felt his mouth on mine and every nerve ending lit up. He kissed me deeply and my mouth moved with his. I reached out to grab anything I could and finally caught a hold of his practice jersey. I used this as a grip and pulled him, wanting him closer to me. He willingly obliged and leaned further over the barrier that separated us. With his hands on either side of my face, he kissed me harder until I was dizzied with only thoughts of him. I could feel his tongue on my bottom lip, seeking entrance and I happily allowed it. While our battle for dominance began, I moved hands up to his hair and intertwined my fingers in it. I could feel him slowing his pace and I knew that he would want to break apart soon. With one final rush, he separated himself from me, only to find that he was leaning halfway over the wall. He looked down, laughed, then righted himself. I broke my gaze away from him to take in the boys and see what their reaction was. Everyone seemed amused except Ryan, Max, Kris, and surprisingly Sid. Those four were just looking at us with blank expressions. After a moment of silence, life came back to the foursome. Ryan seemed bewildered, Max seemed pissed, Kris seemed devastated, and Sid seemed confused. Geno must have seen me looking at the boys.

“I don’t care what they think,” he started, “they the guys…just the guys.” This statement made me even more fond of him. He didn’t care about kissing me in front of his friends. He wasn’t embarrassed and that fact thrilled me. “I be back,” he said before kissing me on the forehead. He skated over to the guys and was greeted by a high five from Marc-Andre Fleury and a slap on the back by Jordan Staal. I rolled my eyes and wondered why all guys were the same. As I contemplated this thought, my mind drifted through various daydreams involving myself and Geno. All of which ended in some sultry sex scenario. I could only imagine how pleasurable having sex with him would be. He was so strong and I wondered what it would feel like if he held me. I also wondered what it would be like to be handled by those massive hands. I sighed to myself and continued to let my mind wander. About an hour later, when I was not mentally there at all, something brought me back to attention.

Chapter Six

I pulled up to the Igloo at 6:58. ‘Two minutes to spare,’ I thought to myself, ‘damn I’m good.’ I got out of the car and approached the area where the players make their entrance. I was happy that Geno was there to greet me.

“Hello,” he said, smiling at me.

“Hey,” I replied, hugging him. His cologne smelled heavenly. He led me through the doors and into the building. I followed him all the way down the hall until we reached the area that served as the player’s lounge.

“Take seat,” he said to me and I did so. I pulled the skates out of my bag and proceeded an attempt to tie them myself. He laughed at me, then leaned over to do it himself. I watched him tie my skates and he looked so cute. His dark hair was a little too long at the back, but adorably so. His hands were also a bonus. So immense. It was ridiculous. After tying mine, he leaned down to do his own. I waited patiently for him and when he was done, he rose and I rose with him. He led me out into the arena. He opened the door and stepped out onto the ice. I started to follow but he stopped me.

“You watch first okay?” he asked me.

“Okay,” I laughed and he proceeded to skate about for a few minutes. I tried to pay attention to what his feet were doing, but I couldn’t. He was just too cute. Watching him skate was enough for me. I could have watched him the whole date. However, it was my turn.

“Come on,” he said. “Now you try.” I stepped onto the ice and immediately lost my balance. However, he was quick. He reached out and grabbed my hand before I had a chance to fall. I thanked him and we proceeded. He showed me the movements with his feet and I mimicked them. Eventually, I was able to do it without holding his hand and I realized that I was skating.

“Good job!” he said, hugging me. We stayed like that for a moment, until he broke away and continued skating. I caught up to him and held his hand. We skated like that for over an hour, just talking (as simply as I could) about him, Russia, hockey, me, America, Pittsburgh and stuff like that. Only when they were basically kicking us out did we finally leave. As we stepped back off the ice, we stood for a moment at the entryway. We were both looking out over the arena. I don’t know what he was thinking, but I was thinking about the wonderful time I had. I looked down and noticed that we were still holding hands. He must have seen me look down because he quickly pulled his hand away.

“No, it’s okay,” I said to him as I reached for his hand. He smiled and gave it willingly. I turned to face him, looking up into his eyes.

“I like you,” he said to me.

“I like you too,” I answered. Then he leaned down and kissed me. It was different than when Ryan kissed me. Ryan’s was almost expectant and knowing. While Geno’s was curious and tentative. We kissed for a while before finally breaking apart. He led me back to the “lounge” and we removed our skates. After that, he walked me back out to my car.

“You want to eat?” he asked me. I saw in his face that he was hoping for a yes. I was more than willing to give him one.

“Yes!” I answered enthusiastically.

“Okay, you follow me,” he said. He got into his car and I followed him turn for turn until we reached a little restaurant on a quiet street. When we walked inside, the place was nearly empty except for one couple eating in a far corner. For the most part, we had the place to ourselves. A man came out from the kitchen and walked over to us. He began speaking fluent Russian to Geno and I figured that that must be the reason he loved this place.

“Hello,” he said to me, having finished his conversation with Geno. “I hope this table is okay.” His Russian accent wasn’t as thick as I thought it would have been.

“Oh, this is fine,” I smiled at him. He pulled my chair out for me and brought us two menus. Russian on the top and the English translations underneath.

“I’ll be back in a moment to take your drink orders,” he left us sitting alone. Dinner wasn’t as awkward as I would have first thought. We managed to understand each other surprisingly well through all three courses of the meal. When we got up to leave, I thanked the man who had been so nice to us and left the restaurant while Geno stayed behind for a moment to have a few more words with him. When he finally emerged, he grabbed my hand and led me to the parking lot.

“I had fun,” I said to him.

“I had good time too,” he replied. He kissed me again sweetly. “You mine?” I understood his meaning and decided that being his girlfriend might not be so bad.

“I’m yours,” I said kissing him again. He opened my car door for me and with one more goodnight kiss, disappeared into his own vehicle. I rested my head momentarily on the seat back, feeling quite content. Geno was so cute and he did make me happy, so we’ll see how it works. I threw the car in reverse, backed out of the lot, and was on my way home.

When I pulled up to my house, I noticed that the light from the living room was on. I suspected that Ryan, lazy as he was, forgot to turn it off. I parked the car and made my way to the door. I almost jumped three feet in the air when I saw that Ryan was sitting in my armchair.

“You’re back late,” he said nonchalantly as if I should have been expecting him.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him.

“Oh, well I was waiting to hear all about your little ‘date’,” he said with a mocking tone.

“I really don’t think that’s any of your concern,” I said throwing my Northface on the back of the couch.

“But I’m dying to know,” he pretended to plead, getting up and walking over to me. “How was my girl’s date with another man?”

“Whoa, okay one, I’m not your girl and two, like I said none of your business,” I walked into the kitchen to get a bottle of water.

“Just give me a little something,” he pleaded. I couldn’t tell if his mocking continued or if he was being serious.

“Well, we’re a couple now,” I started, “and I’m only telling you this so you’re not surprised tomorrow.” He stared at me disbelieving.

“I thought it was only a date,” he said more to himself than to me.

“Well, I really like him and he likes me,” I said, leaning against the kitchen counter.

“I see,” he said. I looked at the clock and saw that it was almost one in the morning.

“Don’t you have a wife to get home to?” I asked him.

“At least I have someone to go home to,” he retorted. The words stung and hurt me.

“Get out.” I said, staring at him. I meant it and he could tell. He made a motion as if he was going to apologize, but thought better of it and left. He closed the door gently and it angered me that he didn’t slam it. I wanted him to be mad and the fact that he wasn’t, or at least didn’t appear to be, only made me more angry at him. I cursed his name all the way up the stairs. I hated him right now. When I got to my room, it seemed like it took me a lifetime to undress, but finally I was in my shorts and Ovechkin shirt (my guilty pleasure) and off to sleep.

Chapter Five

“Bugsy tell me to come wake you,” Geno said almost apologetically. “Sorry.”

“No, that’s okay. Thank you.” I said, lifting myself into an upright position. It took a moment for my head to clear and I realized that all of the players had left the ice and now Geno was left standing over me. I stood, picked up my sweatshirt, and noticed the staggering height difference between myself and him. This was due in part to the skates. He headed towards the door and stepped out onto the ice, expecting me to follow. When I didn’t, he turned around.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Um, I need help,” I said, slightly embarrassed. He smiled and came back for me, this time, grabbing my hand.

“You don’t skate?” he asked, stepping out onto the ice with me. I wobbled and he quickly helped me regain my balance.

“Not so much,” I said as I dug my fingers tighter into his arm. When we finally reached the exit, he stopped and looked down at me.

“I teach you sometime,” he smiled.

“I’d like that,” I responded, returning his smile.

“Tonight?” he asked me. I slowly picked up on the fact that he was asking me out. I admired him for that. He barely spoke any English and here he was asking me for a date, a girl who spoke absolutely no Russian.

“Alright,” I agreed, “tonight. That’d be really nice.” His smile broadened.

“Uh, you meet here at seven,” he said. I nodded in agreement and followed him back to the locker room. Geno seemed cute and getting out of the house would be nice. Just as we approached the door, Ryan was coming out.

“See you later,” Geno said as he disappeared behind the door.

“I see he got you here in one piece,” Ryan smiled at me, taking my hand. I let him and his fingers intertwined around mind. I was mad at myself for the electric charge I felt in my hand. I was mad that I let him do that to me. It was that damn power he had over me. I couldn’t help myself. I promised myself though. I was not, I repeat, was not, going to get emotionally attached to him. I couldn’t. It wasn’t healthy. He was my cousin. And he was married. While these thoughts created a tidal wave in my head, Ryan led me to his car. Before I knew it, I was seated in the passenger seat and he was driving me home. When we arrived at my house, I got out of the car and opened the door, only noticing Ryan once I was inside.

“You’re staying?” I asked him, surprised by my own surprise.

“Um, yeah?” he said, “If that’s okay?” He looked at me and I could see worry in his eyes. He knew something wasn’t right.

“Yeah that’s fine,” I smiled, shaking things off. I would take it one step at a time.

“Are you okay?” he asked me as we walked into the living room.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I responded, taking a seat next to him on the couch. I rested my head on his shoulder, physically tired from all the thinking I had been doing about where I wanted things to be right now.

“You’re so tense,” he remarked, running a hand down my back. “I think what you really need is a massage.” I couldn’t tell if he was being sexual or not, but at that point I really didn’t care. I did need a massage and was grateful to get one. I felt him run his huge hands up and down my back, finally resting on my shoulders and going to work. I was seated next to him and began to relax under his touch. Every inch of me relaxed as he worked his magic hands, relieving the tension that had built up. I began to grow tired, but forced myself to stay awake so I could enjoy this massage. However I was immediately re-energized as I felt his mouth on my neck. Oh Ryan, couldn’t keep his hands off me. Not for a second. He kissed my neck with such great intensity that there was an actual pain, but that was overshadowed by the immense pleasure that the pain caused. Biting and sucking on my neck, I could already feel a hickey coming into place. I didn’t know if I felt like fooling around, but my mind was soon made up for me as he slipped his hand inside my waistband and began tugging at my jeans. I couldn’t take it anymore and leaned back to find his mouth. I kissed him hard, sending him the message that I wanted to continue. He then undid the buttons on my jeans and toyed around with the lace on my underwear. Soon though, his hand was inside of me and I could feel my breathing increase. I kissed him harder, which only propelled his hand. I broke away from his mouth, allowing myself to let out a moan of pleasure and in this time, his mouth moved back to my neck. Working both places at once allowed for me to orgasm faster, which is exactly what happened. I contemplated being selfish and ending things there, but one look at his face made me change my mind. So, we ended up having sex. I wondered how much of my house would be tainted by him.

Afterwards, I looked at the clock and noticed that it was a quarter to five and I still had so much to do. I got up to go upstairs.

“Where are you going?” Ryan asked as I headed for the stairs.

“Just to take a shower,” I said, taking the first stair.

“Wait,” he called after me. “Can I join you?” He looked at me longingly. Therefore, against my better judgment, I walked back out to the living room, grabbed his hand, and led him upstairs to the master bathroom. When we finally got out of the shower, it was approaching a quarter to six and I really had to get moving. So as we made our way into my bedroom, Ryan headed for the bed, while I headed for the closet.

“Come lay down with me,” he said, clad in only a green towel.

“As much as I’d love to,” I said, “I have a date in about an hour.” I heard him gasp for air behind me.

“What?!” he asked, a little too harshly for my taste.

“A date,” I repeated, “You know, we are allowed to see other people. I mean, you do have a wife.” This statement put him in his place.

“You’re right I guess,” he half-heartedly agreed.

“Glad that’s all settled,” I said, continuing to rifle through my closet. I crawled all the way to the back to search through some of the boxes that were still unpacked. I backed out, having retrieved what I was looking for. I threw the skates on the bed and got to my feet.

“Skates?” Ryan asked, picking one up.

“Yes skates,” I replied. “I happen to be going skating for this date.”

“You don’t skate,” he returned, still examining the skates.

“Exactly,” I said, “he’s going to teach me.” I lifted up the other skate and placed it onto my right foot. “Thank God they still fit.” I breathed a sigh of relief, grabbed the other one from Ryan, and put them both in a tote bag. Ryan just continued to stare as I resumed getting dressed. I put on another pair of dark jeans, a white cami, and a blue Hollister sweater. Very casual. Then I sat down in front of my vanity and proceeded to curl my hair slightly, leaving loose waves. It billowed down my back exactly the way I liked it. I did light make up and was ready to go.

“You look really nice,” Ryan said as we made our way down the stairs.

“Thanks,” I replied. While I was getting ready, Ryan dressed himself too. He was wearing his white t-shirt and jeans of earlier in the day. Once downstairs, I grabbed my white Northface and keys and stood in front of the door. “Um, you can let yourself out, I guess.” Ryan nodded and I made my way out the door. I heard him call a “Have fun” but I was too far gone for it to merit a response.

Chapter Four

After Ryan parked his car in the lot, we made our way up to the Igloo. Along the way, we passed several members of the team and eventually I was walking with Sid.

“Canadians are so much better!” I was not about to change my mind for anything.

“What?” he was utterly confused, “I’ve never heard an American speak the way you do about Canadians before.” He smiled at me and instantly my heart rate picked up.

“It’s just that they…I don’t know,” I stammered, then looked back up at him. “They’re just so great. With they’re accents and their overall cuteness.” I quickly regained my former confidence. “Don’t worry; you gained major points with me just for being Canadian.” I smiled back at him and reached out to touch his arm. He laughed as we walked along to the locker room.

“We’ll continue this later,” he said as he pushed through the door. “I have got to find out just what kind of un-patriotic girl you are!” He winked at me then disappeared. I waited outside of the locker room as Ryan approached. He was talking on his cell phone.

“I told you where I was last night,” there was an exasperated tone to his voice. “Yes….I know…I did call! Yes…of course….I’ll see you later babe. I love you.” He snapped his phone shut and came over to me.

“Sounds like someone’s worried,” I said nonchalantly as he approached.

“Yeah, she’s being a bitch. Whatever,” was his reply. He led me out into the arena. It looked so different without the thousands of fans filling it to the brim. He then opened the door and led me onto the ice.

“Uh, what are you doing?” I asked as he held his hand out for me to follow. “I can’t skate to save my life, and I don’t even have skates on.”

“I’m walking you to the bench,” he said, clearly walking me in that direction. “That way you can get an up close view of the practice.” I held onto his hand for dear life until I was firmly seated. “Be back in a second.” He leaned in to kiss me and I swiftly turned my head, allowing him to only graze my cheek. “What?”

“Nothing ,” I said as I looked up at him.

“Are you sure?” he asked me, seeming worried.

“I said its nothing and its nothing,” I answered.

“Okay babe, whatever you say. I’ll see you out here.” He tried a smile that fell flat when I only stared blankly at him. Ryan was frustrating. I never knew quite where he was. He was the same way from when we were younger. One minute he was giving his all, everything he had. Then the next, he was just there. It was something that bothered me and I’m not sure it even had much to do with the fact that he had a wife. He was with someone else and I was the thing on the side. I accepted that, but I knew it wasn’t something built to last forever. A relationship built on lies never works. It’s fun for the time being, but someone normally ends up getting hurt in the end. Even after only spending one day with him, I decided that that person was not going to be me. We would keep it fun and casual. Just like we used to. We could never date normally anyway, so this is what it would have to be and I would tell him later. Just then the boys came out of the door, ready to go.

The skated around, warming up first. I watched them intently. Even though I had been in the locker room a day earlier and was even closer to them at that time, this was still surreal. Watching my favorite team skate while sitting on their bench. I had to remember to thank Ryan for this later. Just then, Max interrupted my thoughts.

“You know cutie,” he began, “I’d love to take you out sometime.” I smiled at him and reminded myself that I’m not tied to Ryan and I could do whatever I wanted.

“I’d love to go out sometime,” I replied. He smiled broadly and leaned over to say more, but was cut off by Ryan.

“What are you doing?” he asked. I couldn’t tell if the question was directed at me or Max. Thankfully, Max decided to answer.

“I’m just asking this beauty out,” he said, looking at me, then to Ryan. “And before you interrupted, she was just agreeing.” Disbelief sprouted in Ryan’s eyes. He looked to me, but I didn’t look down or away. I challenged him. Daring him to object and risk having his teammates find out about us.

“That’s nice,” he said and skated away.

“He’s such a little bitch lately,” Max said more to himself than me. “Well, we’ll continue this conversation later.” He put his hand over mine before skating away. As he was leaving, I heard him mutter something under his breath.

I stared after Max as he skated away, wondering to myself if we could ever have a real relationship. Sure, he’d be fun to hook-up with, but who knows? As I contemplated this thought I could feel myself growing weary. The night had been long, after all. I took off my sweatshirt and balled it up, placing it on the bench. Then I proceeded to lie down on top of it. It was not the most comfortable of surfaces, but it would do. As I drifted off to sleep I thought of Ryan and if he would be hurt if I did go out with Max. I also thought about if I really did wanna go out with him. Soon though I wasn’t thinking anything as I was deep asleep. I guess I must have slept the entire practice, because I was woken up by a gentle tap on the shoulder. I brushed the hand away wanting “five more minutes” but whoever it was persisted. I opened my eyes slightly, squinting in the harsh light. My vision was still blurry so I couldn’t quite make out who it was. Well, not until he spoke of course.

Chapter Three

I woke up the next morning expecting to find that the previous night’s events had all been a vivid dream that my mind had conjured up. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find Ryan right where I left him last night, asleep next to me. I sighed as I stared up at the ceiling, replaying the night’s events in my mind. I smiled to myself as I thought of what we did, and how I thought that I would never do some of those things. That thought made me laugh a little, jarring Ryan from his sleep.

“Hey you,” I said as I looked over to him. He still had the look of sleep about him and it was a look he wore well. He was adorable for first thing in the morning.

“Good morning, babe,” he answered me, making an effort to smile through his tiredness. I got up, went over to the dresser, and pulled out a flannel shirt to put on and some shorts. I watched him smile as I walked back over to the bed. “Last night was amazing.” Those words sent shivers down my spine. I felt the exact same way.

“I know. It was unlike anything I could have ever imagined,” I replied, lying back down. He put his arm around me as I did so. We lay like that for a while before he stirred again.

“What time is it?” he asked me. I looked over at the clock.

“Eleven,” I replied.

“Ugh,” he groaned, “there’s fucking practice at two today.” He sighed dramatically and pulled the covers over his head “I don’t wanna go!” He sounded exactly as he had years ago after sleeping over my house, when my mom, his aunt, would come in my room and wake us up for school. This thought made me laugh so much that I knew there was no way I was going to be able to go back to sleep. I arose from the bed and made my way to the door.

“I’m making breakfast, get yourself decent and come downstairs.” Ryan nodded in agreement and I skipped down the stairs. The high from last night still going strong and I decided to make a big breakfast. As the water from the shower drummed over head, I prepared eggs, bacon, pancakes, and waffles. Most of which would be devoured by Ryan. Always the heavy eater. He got that from the other side of the family. No one on our side ate like he did. It was ridiculous. As I was plating the food, he came downstairs in yesterday’s outfit.

“Ah, the walk of shame,” I stated as he walked into the kitchen. He looked down at his outfit, then back at me.

“None of the guys saw what I was wearing when I left, I’ll be good,” he smiled a devious smile, “but I don’t know if I can say the same for you.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked him as I went to sit across from him at the table.

“You might wanna take a look in the mirror,” was his response. I got up and walked to the downstairs bathroom to peek in the mirror. He was absolutely right. I had a gigantic hickey on the left side of my neck. I sighed and made my way back to the table.

“Looks like today is going to be a scarf day,” I said as I picked over my food. After I was sure I was finished, I made my way upstairs to take a shower of my own. The water that came out of the spigot was like a hot liquid pleasure. Only then did I look down, and much to my dismay, found various parts of my being covered with hickeys. I heaved another sigh and got out of the shower. After dressing in dark jeans, boots, a fitted tee, and a scarf to match, I came downstairs.

“I hate you,” I said as I passed Ryan, who was sprawled on the couch watching a game. I glanced at the clock. “Uh, you might wanna get your ass in gear if you don’t wanna be late. I know the coach doesn’t stand for that.” With a great effort, he heaved himself off of the couch and grabbed his coat. “Let’s go.”

“You’re going?” he asked me, a puzzled look on his face.

“Hell yeah, do you think I’d miss an opportunity to check out all the fine pieces of ass on the Penguins?” I laughed on my way out the door.

This time it was his turn to say “I hate you”.

Chapter Two

“Your car is gorgeous!” I said as I examined the finely crafted leather seats. I was perched in the passenger seat while he was loading the trunk. The glare from the moon off of the jet black hood was blinding.

“Yeah, I know,” Ryan gloated walking up to the driver’s side. “You know me, only the best of the best.”

“Of course,” I agreed. Ryan popped the key in the ignition and the engine came to life. Soon we were backing out of the lot and turning onto the main road.

“Which way?” he asked as we stopped at a light. I directed him where to go and soon we were on our way to my house, which was a little outside of the city. While we drove, we talked about various things, mostly playing catch-up for the years we had missed. I played with the radio dials and for the most part Ryan was left driving with one hand because I held the other. After a little while, Ryan pulled into my driveway.

“Well, this is me,” I sighed, not moving from my seat, only taking off my seatbelt and turning to face him.

“Well, this is you,” he said, turning off the engine. Suddenly silence surrounded us and all I could hear was his breathing. The night enveloped us as we sat there, not speaking. Finally, he broke the silence.

“Can I come in?” he asked me.

“Don’t you have a wife to go home to?” I retorted. Even I could sense the bitter jealousy in my own voice. Ryan seemed slightly taken aback by my words.

“She never expects me, I tell her not to,” was his reply. I contemplated this for a moment.

“Alright, you can come in, I guess,” I said, a smile playing across my face. We got out of the car and I led him to my front door. After fumbling with the keys for a moment, our entrance was granted when I found the right one. I flicked on foyer light and waited for Ryan’s reaction.

“This place is amazing for a townhouse,” he delivered the compliment.

“Yeah, I know,” I replied, accepting it. I led him to the living room and told him to have a seat.

“A drink?” I asked as he was getting settled.

“Um, Coors?” he questioned, “If you have it.”

“Do you know me at all?” I laughed as I went into the kitchen and retrieved two cans. Ryan sat on the couch and I sat on the armchair. There was the silence again. It wasn’t quite awkward, almost a disbelief, as if the other wasn’t really there at all. After continuing this way for a few moments, I was the one to break the silence this time.

“Shouldn’t you call or something?” I asked him, again referring to his wife. Mrs. Ryan Malone. That thought beat me up.

“I told you she doesn’t expect me,” he said, “but if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll call.” Ryan added this only after studying my face carefully. He flipped open his cell and I watched him carefully dial the numbers.

“Hey,” he said and waited for a response. “No, I’m not coming home tonight.” Another pause. “I’m with the guys right now.” A lie. “I had a little too much to drink and Max is just gonna bring me back to his place.” Another lie. “Okay then, I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye.” He hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket. “Easy.” He turned to me and flashed me that famous smile. And that was what sealed the deal.

I made my way to the couch and sat right in his lap. I assumed my normal position, straddling him and proceeded to kiss him as I had done earlier in the locker room. Only this time, there was much more passion in it. We kissed and kissed until I thought I would pass out from lack of proper oxygen flow. Then when I couldn’t stand it anymore, I grabbed his hand and led him upstairs to my bedroom. Any other time I would have been ashamed for anyone to see my room in such disarray, but I knew that’s not what he was focusing on. He could only see me. I led him over to the bed where I quickly pulled his t-shirt over his head. His garments soon littered the floor and he was left in his boxers. He worked his way from my mouth to my neck, leaving a trail with his tongue all the way there. Soon my black halter was on the floor, followed by my skinny jeans. Now I was left in just my bra and underwear. He undid my bra next, using his skilled hands to maneuver every curve of my body. Once my bra was discarded, he made a new trail all around my breasts, sucking each one before moving on. He worked his way down further and eventually my panties were next to my bra, resting on the rug. He went down on me and it was the most wonderful experience ever. I could feel his tongue deep inside of me; the sensation was so intense that I could not help but howl in pleasure. This only drove him more and he continued, picking up his pace. Only when I finally reached orgasm did he slow down. It was my turn to pleasure him. I quickly removed his boxers, not being one to tease. I took him in my mouth, working hard to satisfy him. All I ever wanted to do was satisfy him. It worked. As I quickened my pace, I could hear him saying my name as his fingers entangled themselves in my hair. His shouts grew louder as he neared the edge. When he finally came, I finished him off and came back up seeing the fire in his eyes. He wanted more and I was ready to deliver, all night if necessary.

Chapter One

“I promise I know him!” I stared up earnestly into the guard’s face. He looked down at me, seeming to have softened some.

“Do you know how much trouble I could get in if you’re lying?” His attempt to be stern quickly faded into what almost seem like a request for me to stop begging. I firmly stood my ground.

“Would I lie to you?” I asked batting my eyes at him. I toyed with a button on his coat while staring up at him.

“Alright,” he finally sighed, “let’s go.” He led me down the hallway to the room I had been dying to reach. “Stay here.” He opened the door and walked inside. I could hear his voice on the other side of the door. “Everybody decent? We’ve got a chick outside and she’s about to come in.” I heard muffled responses of “yeah” and then his footsteps padded back out to me. “You’re all set.”

“Oh! Thank you so much!” I stood on tip toe to kiss him on the cheek. He blushed a crimson and walked away. I prepared myself to enter where I have been waiting to go for so long. After a few deep breaths I pushed the heavy door. My footsteps sounded on the damp floor and as I turned the corner I could feel the heads turn to look at me. I didn’t want my surprise to be ruined, so I quickened my pace until I was where I wanted to be. Looking down on him I counted to three slowly in my mind.

“Remember me?” I questioned. He looked up and his jaw dropped as if he’d seen a ghost.

“I don’t believe it,” he said almost above a whisper. His blue eyes full of shock just stared at me. I quickly broke the tension.

“Ryan!” I shrieked jumping into his arms as he stood up. I could tell that he was still in a state of shock because it took him a little too long to respond.

“Riley,” he breathed into my hair as he began to hug me back. I could feel his arms tighten around my waist. It was something I hadn’t felt from him since we were younger. “What are you doing here?”

“I live here now!” I was almost bursting with excitement. Seeing him only made me realize how much I actually missed him.

“Here?” he asked. His mind took a while to register the notion that we were in the same city again. “In Pittsburgh?”

“You better believe it,” I smiled looking at him. The same exact Ryan. Taller than me still, with that curly hair that you were never quite sure if it was red or brown. Those blue eyes that always conveyed his emotions so well. That smile, that goofy, adorable smile. “I just bought a townhouse outside of the city and this was my first stop. I heard the game on the radio and decided to come over and see if I could get into the locker room. You need better security, by the way.” I winked at him and I finally saw the life come back into his face.

“Oh Riley, always the persuasive girl. Ever since we were little kids.” He laughed at me and then hugged me again. “I’m glad you’re back, we have so much to catch up on.” I nodded in agreement.

“Hey Bugsy!” I heard a shout from behind me. “You gonna introduce us all to that hottie your squeezin’?”

Ryan let me go and pulled me to his side, facing the rest of the locker room.

“Alright Max,” Ryan said, “this is my cousin Riley. Riley, the guys.” By looking around the locker room, I could see that I recognized most of the faces. I had always been into hockey ever since we were younger and I followed the sport closely. Pittsburgh was my favorite team, seeing as I was from the great steel city. As I watched the boys size me up, I could tell instantly what some of them were thinking. I was always good at reading people that way. For instance, I could tell that Max Talbot was just waiting to pounce and I could tell that Kris Letang seemed shy and nervous just looking at me. Even though I knew them all, Ryan introduced me to them, one by one, saving their captain for last.

“And finally,” he said with great dramatic effect, “the one, the only, Sidney Crosby!!” He held out his hand for me to shake and I got chills just from his touch. He smiled sweetly and I made a mental note of how beautiful it was when he did so. He released my hand and Ryan quickly pulled me back to his side. “Okay boys, shows over, everyone wanna get back to what they were originally doing?” There was a brief pause where no one did anything then finally they started putting their belongings away, preparing to go home.

I sat down on the bench next to Ryan and admired him. My cousin. The professional hockey player. The superstar. The same Ryan who I’d grown up next door to. He noticed me looking at him and I could feel the heat rising to my face. I quickly looked away and in my rush, dropped my cell phone and watched it slide across the floor. I walked over to pick it up and when I bent down, I heard a low whistle behind me. Max of course.

“Enough,” I heard Ryan’s voice cut the whistle of his teammate off. His voice was stern and I heard that edge of protectiveness he always used with me. Max just stared at him as I walked back to my place on Ryan’s right. I continued fumbling with my phone anxiously as the guys left one by one. After multiple “see ya laters” it was finally just me, left alone with Ryan.

“I really did miss you,” he said as he rummaged through his bag for a t-shirt. He still had his towel draped over his shoulder and was clad in only red gym shorts and sandals.

“I missed you too,” I said, placing my hand on his arm, so as to direct his full attention to me. He put down his bag and turned to face me.
“Come here,” he said. Like always, when it comes to Ryan, I did exactly as he says. I scooted over to him and draped my legs across his lap as I felt his arms around my shoulders. “This is just like I remember it.”

“Mmm me too,” I replied, while burying my face into his neck. He smelled of cologne and shampoo. I liked it. We sat like that for a moment or two before I looked down. “So many tattoos.”

“Oh yeah,” he said, “You haven’t seen them. I went a little crazy.” He laughed a little. The typical Ryan move he always did when he was nervous. I smiled and let my hands wander across his chest and over his shoulders. I felt that all too familiar buzz of electricity. He grabbed my hands and this was the first time I noticed it. He leaned in to kiss me and I pulled away. “What?”

“We’re cousins,” I said as I began to move away. He was too quick for me and tightened his grip.

“And that’s never stopped us before,” he replied, looking at me with that face he knew I couldn’t resist.

“When were you gonna tell me?” I asked, suddenly afraid of the emotion welling up.

“I’m sorry,” he said, looking down at his left hand. “I thought you would have known by now. I mean, everyone knows.”

“Everyone except me,” I made a motion to get up and was once again stopped.

“Listen,” he said, “I don’t care about that. It doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“Well it does to me,” I answered watching as he pulled the ring off and threw it in his gym bag.

“I have you now. I’ve missed you so much and all I want is you. Only you,” he spoke the words honestly, as if he meant every single one. I had no choice but to believe him. I looked up at him as he put his hand on my face. He leaned in to kiss me and this time I didn’t resist. I let him kiss me and I felt everything I had missed for so many years. His mouth moved in unison with mine and it seemed like not a single minute had passed since we shared that first kiss so long ago. He pulled away and looked at me with eyes that seemed to ask if everything was okay. I responded by kissing him this time and with more aggression. My tongue pressed for entrance into his mouth and he denied it. This was the little game he loved to play. I waited and tried again. Still nothing. Not only until the fourth time was my effort rewarded. It was always the fourth time. I wondered if he played that game with his wife, but I quickly pushed that thought away, hoping it was just something we shared. As our tongues explored one another’s mouth, I felt his hands on my waist, pulling me onto his lap. I obliged and was soon straddling him on the bench. His hands wandered up and down my back eventually resting on my lower back. His place of choice. Same old Ryan. I reached up with my hands and found my grip at the back of his neck. He told me once that nothing turned him on more than that. In an immediate response to my touch, he held me tighter and kissed me harder. That was exactly what I was hoping for. I toyed with the curls at the back of his neck, which only drove him wilder. He held me tighter still, which was a feeling I loved. In a swift motion, he pushed me over and was on top of me. He grabbed my hands and held them above my head, another classic Ryan move. I enjoyed this as his mouth moved to my neck, allowing me to breathe the air that I crucially needed. He was working on my neck, biting down harder and harder until I couldn’t stand it anymore and released a sigh of contentment. In response to this noise, he moved back to my mouth and kissed me like it was our first time. Realizing that we didn’t want to go any further right now, he gently pulled me up and onto his lap again. I rested my head on his chest and heard his breathing louder than ever. His chest heaved up and down in conjunction with mine.

“I missed that,” he said, still breathless.

“Oh, so did I,” I replied, trying desperately to catch my breath. As we sat there for a moment, our breathing began to slow and we came down from our high. He bent over and picked up the t-shirt he had dropped and placed it over his head. After gathering his belongings, he reached down for my hand and helped me up. Walking through the parking lot, we finally reached his car. He gave me a peculiar look as I leaned against the passenger side door.

“Drive me home?” I asked with a smile.

Welcome (:

Hello all && welcome to my first blog. This is just a little story I decided to write && I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I started it a while ago && I am aware that some of the players do not play for the Penguins anymore, however, for the story, I just kept it that way. Have fun (:





**Disclaimer**
I am in no way affiliated with any of the members of the Pittsburgh Penguins or their organization. This story is purely for fun and is 100% fiction.