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Maybe I did need to start listening to Tanner instead of Keith.
Chapter 12
Tanner
Road trips werea normal part of hockey. Ever since my U16 days, constantly traveling during hockey season had been my reality. That was why I didn’t have any pets—as much as I wanted a cat, I couldn’t justify it when I was gone so often. I just went home during the off season and spent as much time as I could with my parents’ pets. That would have to do until I retired.
Suffice it to say, this frenetic pace of play-practice-plane-hotel was nothing new. Hell, I’d stayed at this exact hotel every time I’d been here for an away game.
So why couldn’t I relax today?
I was supposed to be grabbing a nap before we all headed to the arena for tonight’s game, but I’d been staring at the ceiling for the past twenty minutes, wide awake and restless.
Was it time to go back to Pittsburgh yet?
Was it time to see Isaiah again?
Sighing, I closed my eyes and scrubbed a hand over my face.
My stitches had come out a few days ago. My lip had mostly healed, and now it was just a question of how much of a scar I’d end up with. The pain and itching were a distant memory; I could still feel it sometimes when I was talking, eating, or playing with my mouthguard, but it was almost back to normal.
Which meant my mouth wasn’t out of commission anymore.
Seriously, is it time to go back to Pittsburgh yet?
I closed my eyes and shifted on the bed. I had a good idea of what would put my ass to sleep right now. But I’d done a lot of that on this road trip—more than I usually did when I was traveling with the team, honestly—and all it was doing was frustrating me. I didn’t want my hand. I wanted Isaiah. His hand, his mouth, him fucking me into the mattress. Just…him.
I swore into the stillness. How bad did I have it for him that even jerking off wasn’t helping? Because all that did was remind me of how far away he was and how bad I wanted to be in the same bed with him.
Ididneed to sleep for a bit so I could play tonight, though. My teammates and fans deserved better than me being out of sorts when I was supposed to be earning that contract some people thought was excessive for a player like me. Ihadto do whatever it took to be ready for tonight.
So, I took care of myself. Quickly. Without trying to draw it out or even enjoy it. Shortest distance between Point A and Point Orgasm.
And in the end, it did make me drowsy. It helped me kind of doze off.
But it didn’t do a goddamn thing to make me less frustrated.
“Hey.”Isaiah smiled at me from my iPhone screen. “That looked like a tough game tonight.”
Lounging back on the hotel bed, I groaned. “Fuck. It so was.”
“What planet were the refs even on?” He tsked. “Because they showed that one replay like sixty times from about twelve angles, and there’sno waythat one goal was offside.”
“Ugh. Right? I’m kinda surprised they didn’t eject Coach after that. He waspissed.”
“And rightfully so.” He smirked. “I suppose fighting with the refs is frowned upon?”
I barked a laugh. “Uh, yeah. We can police ourselves and rough each other up, but picking a fight with a ref is…” I grimaced.
Isaiah’s laugh made my body warm all over. “It would be funny as hell, though.”
“For you, maybe!”
“Hey, the fans are always right.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh my God.”
He snickered and shrugged. “What? I’m just saying.”
