Epilogue
June
Ryan sat up and dragged his hand over his face, muscles aching and cramped. It was his own fault for sleeping on the couch again last night. He needed to stop doing this.
He picked up his phone, which he had put on the coffee table sometime before he fell asleep. 9 a.m. That was really late for him. Looking out the large windows, he saw dark clouds hovering over the lake. It was going to downpour soon so probably not a good idea to go skinny dipping like he usually did in the mornings. It was also a little too late already. He liked to reserve his naked swims for early in the morning when he knew the only person crazy enough to be up that early to watch him was Lucy. Maybe he was a voyeur or something like that, but he liked to think that he was just giving his girlfriend what she wanted.
Making his girlfriend happy was the only thing he really liked right now. The season ended in another disappointing elimination, although it wasn't as close or as heartbreaking as last season. Still, it hurt and the pain was lingering again. He needed some time to let it settle before he brushed himself off for next season. That is if there was a next season. The league and the players' union were negotiating a new contract this summer and they hit a snag. Both sides were unwilling to budge right now, but Ryan hoped that would change as they got closer to the start of the season. He didn't want a lock out. No one did. But he also wanted to make sure he and his fellow players had a contract that would take care of them.
So it was stress on top of more stress, and Ryan would just have to deal with it.
He would be dealing with it much better if he had some coffee and some food — and maybe sex with Lucy. A smile started to tease the corner of his lips. He couldn't help it. His head turned back to take a look at the kitchen, quiet and peaceful now. Two nights ago, he was screwing Lucy senseless against the edge of the counter top, her moans urging him on. He liked that counter top. A lot. Just thinking about it was making him hard.
And right on cue, there was a knock at the door. He smiled and awkwardly walked over, not ashamed of the hard on pressing against the seam of his boxer briefs or the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt. He took a quick check out the peephole. It was Lucy. Her hair was pulled back, her hands full. She was delicious as always.
"Morning," he said as he opened the door.
Lucy smiled, her eyes seductively scanning his body. "Hi," she said quietly. "Coffee?"
He reached out to grab the cup in her hand from the local coffee shop that she must've gone to pick up while he was still sleeping. It tasted exactly the way he liked it.
"Donuts?"
She held out a pink box for him and he knew what was inside. A dozen fresh donuts, mostly with chocolate icing or filled with fresh cherries grown locally. A few of them would have sprinkles that he would save to share with her later — much later — when Lucy wasn't wearing so many clothes.
Lucy nodded towards his crotch with his hard on still straining against the fabric of his underwear. "What's up with that, McCloud?"
"I was thinking about sex on my kitchen counter."
She looked up, her blue eyes sparkling mischievously as a knowing smile spread across her face. "I like kitchen counter sex."
"I know you do," Ryan said in a husky morning voice.
Lucy's shoulders shivered with anticipation, which only made him want her more, and she closed her eyes.
"I have to get work done," she muttered.
"Yes, you do."
She took a deep cleansing breath and opened her eyes again, a sweet smile replacing the one that had more naughty connotations.
"Yes, I do," she repeated. "Have your breakfast and come over when you're done. It looks like it's going to rain so I'll be in the living room."
"OK."
He leaned over to kiss her, her lips soft and sweet and sticky. She tasted like chocolate.
"You ate one of my donuts, didn't you?" he murmured against her mouth.
Lucy pulled away and gave him a teasing shrug. "To be fair, they're my donuts too. I bought them."
Then she put her hands on his shoulders, pulling herself up to him and forcing another kiss on his lips. He was more than happy to oblige. But just as quickly, she was gone, turning to head back to her cottage next door.
"See you soon," she said over her shoulder. "Try and get in before the skies open up."
"Love you, Evans."
She paused, her hand hovering above the handle of the screen door to her cabin. She turned, her dark hair swirling around her face as the wind began to pick up ahead of the incoming storm.
