“Helmets—she’s donating the helmets for next season,” Bender says as if he’s been holding that information in for too long. He shrugs out of Shep’s hold as if he’s a dirty shirt. Shep sets a glare on him I’d never want to be under, but I get the distinct impression that Bend’s antagonizing him on purpose.
If that’s what they’re into, power to their dynamic. See? I can be the supportive bestie. I’ll just … keep a close eye on them.
“And a few other things, dear. I’ve been talking to the board. Convincing them that they want to shift a little more funding to the hockey team this year.”
“Wow, that’s great. Thank you, Mrs. Chamberlain.”
“We’re the home of Ace McKinnon,” she says. “And we need to give that the weight it deserves. Once you’re a big hockey star, that’ll bring a flood of top-quality rookies. Donors are always interested in donating to the talent.”
A flush creeps up my cheeks. “Thank you, but I just like hockey a lot. I’m nobody special.”
She shakes her head. “You are. We’re honored that you came to our school. You mean a lot to us, Ace.”
Shit.Whoa.That hits differently from her. Maybe because I know she was a fan of Mom’s? With Coach, I just feel like an asset, with her, I feel like a someone. My chest lifts.
“Thank you, ma’am. And I’m honored to be honored. Genuinely.”
“I love the way you young kids talk. Did you know in my day we said—he’s a cool cat? Now it’s, bro is lit, right?”
I laugh. “Something like that, Mrs. Chamberlain, but I don’t mind if you call me a cool cat.”
“Well then, cool cats, I’m retiring for the evening. This ol’ broad is tired.” She winks, tugging her fur coat around her shoulders. “See you at the next one.”
Mid-January
We’ve been waiting. Rumor has it, Beta Sigma’s finally over their “mysterious” flooding incident. It took them a couple of months. Repairs weren’t cheap, and it sounds like they initially had trouble raising the funds. Then they did. That was sometime around the end of November, early December. It’s been over a month, and still nothing. We’ve long since gotten over our beginning-of-the-year feud with Delta Gamma, so the “in” they had is gone, and thus their reason for attacking us, but they can’t be happy. And even though we didn’t cause their water damage, I’m sure they think we did.
We have a bet going on how long it’ll take for them to finally show up with their retaliation. Though, I hope it’s never. Things have finally smoothed out, and with the study schedule Luke’s set up for me, even my grades are kickass. As he predicted,the hockey team followed suit—if I can do it, they can do it—and their grades haven’t been in jeopardy at all this semester. We party less—not zero, less—and study more. I’ve leaned into their help and have finally learned the true meaning of the word delegate.
The things Luke’s been saying penetrated my thick skull, but Mrs. Chamberlain sealed the deal.
You mean a lot to us, Ace.
Didn’t realize how badly I needed to hear it; how much I wanted this—being at Shadowridge U—to matter. Making it used to mean winning. Now it means carrying something. I want my time here to carry the love Mom had for this gameandthe university. And the love I found in it, too.
Luke and I still have office hours, but there’s no studying to speak of, unless you count how closely he studies my ass.
“Get your ass in here, McKinnon. You’re late,” he says, pushing the door shut with his meaty paw from over my head.
A smooth smile spreads on my face as I reach for his low back, pulling myself toward him like he’s a stone pillar and can’t be moved. I’m not late, not if we’re going by the time he told me to be here. I’m late according to his internal clock, the one screaming at him to find me and claim me all his. Again. Again and again and again.
Luke’s mouth devours me, and my hands climb up his sweaty torso—he’s been in the gym again. He swings one of my legs around him and I cling to his ass with my heel. My hips undulate all on their own—I swear—brushing my cock with his. “Please, Daddy. I need you. Need your cock.”
“You will not be a spoiled princess,” he mutters, but it’s more for self-preservation. I am a spoiled princess, and I fucking know it. He leads me to his desk. “Turn around.”
He yanks my pants and boxers down enough to expose my round ass, unable to resist smacking it a couple of times. Itjiggles across the top, while the hard muscle underneath stays firm.
“Hmmm, what do we have here?” he says as his fingers slide into my crease.
A plug. It’s a plug. I didn’t want to wait for him to work me open. I wanted a fast and dirty fuck.
His fingers curl under the rim, sending tingles around my ass and to my nuts. It pops free, but he doesn’t take it all the way out. He twists it, buries it again, hitting my prostate, and slowly slides it out on repeat. I slap the desk, panting. I’m already at my limit. I’ve had this thing in me since after our in-the-gym conditioning session. Big mistake. Luke thinks he wants me with the intensity of a thousand suns? You don’t know horny until you’ve had a giant plug up your ass for two hours.
“I’m gonna come if you do that, Daddy.”
“But that would be against the rules, princess.”
“Not if you give me permission.” I turn my head to waggle my brows. He slaps my ass. Yeah, okay. Saw that one coming. And—also for that little display of sass—Luke takes an extra-long time, teasing me to death.
