Garrett (Cold Fury Hockey 2)

My hands inch around the back of his neck so they can plunge into the softness of his hair. I give him a sweet smile. "I promise you...I really feel good today. No nausea at all, and seriously...I am actually really hungry for food, so I think the sickness is gone."

"Are you tired?"

"No."

"Weak?"

"No."

"Horny?"

"Definitely," I say with a grin.

"Good. Me too," he says, and then leans down to kiss me again. It's a slow, leisurely kiss...very deep, with tongues and moans. He presses his erection into the juncture between my legs, causing pleasure to fire hot through me.

"I'll be gentle with you," he says after raising his lips from mine.

"Don't you dare," I warn him as I thrust my hips up and rub against him. He groans, but makes no further move.

"It's sweet and gentle or you don't get it at all," he says confidently.

And, yeah...my heart flops over like a puppy asking for a belly rub. Garrett is sex on a stick, and he's shown me how ferocious his appetite can be for some hard and slightly rough sex. But now it's important to him to show me his gentle side, and I'm betting he didn't even realize he had that within himself.

"I think sweet and gentle sounds lovely," I tell him, just before pulling his face down again for another kiss.

Chapter 15

Garrett

Alex opens the door almost immediately after I hit the doorbell. Just like the last time...a wide grin on his face in welcome. I'm actually expected this time, and I assume this is a peace-offering dinner that Sutton is extending to me.

"Where's Olivia?" Alex asks in confusion.

"She ended up getting a call from her oncologist to come in and discuss the results of all the tests. He worked her in to his schedule really late this afternoon. She'll drive straight here."

"Gotcha," he says, and steps back to let me pass. I look around the house with interest. Alex has settled right into a comfortable life with Sutton in her little house. It's still very much her style, but there are now touches of Alex spread throughout. Framed photos of Alex and Sutton, even Alex and his dad, grace the mantel and end tables. There's now a big leather recliner in one corner that usually has Alex's ass parked in it when we watch sports over here.

"I'm manning the grill," Alex says as he heads back toward the kitchen, which leads out onto their deck. I follow behind him, a little wary about seeing Sutton. We haven't spoken since the day I'd seen her in Olivia's apartment after her second chemo visit.

Alex has stayed strangely quiet about it and never mentioned a word about Sutton today at practice or our workout, only to say that they wanted me and Olivia to come over to dinner so we could all hang out together. I didn't think that was such a bad idea, although I'd rather have Olivia all to myself. But I figured if I was going into the dating thing with her, then I needed to actually do things with her outside of the bedroom. Because otherwise, that's just two people fucking each other, and our relationship has definitely transcended that.

I wish the weekend at the beach could have lasted longer, but we reluctantly made it back home early last evening. Olivia had to be back at work on Monday and I had an early morning practice with the team. The last two and a half days, Olivia and I spent wrapped up in each other, physically and metaphorically. I've never talked to a single human being more than I've talked to her.

And yesterday morning...when I made love to her so very sweet and gently as I promised, I almost got swept away in some weird emotion that clogged my throat and compressed down on my chest. I wanted to be careful with her, because despite how good she said she felt, she was still recovering from her treatments. I figured it might be a little difficult to hold back my baser instincts. The few times Olivia and I have fucked, I've all but lost control with her, so insane is my lust when I get inside her.

Yet oddly...I found that the slow pace I set and the quieter moans were just as much of a turn-on as going rough and fast. I could feel everything just a little more clearly...the slide of flesh against flesh, the heat of her mouth on me, the way that she pants when she's close to coming. All things I really hadn't paid much attention to, but realized yesterday are a very sensual way to experience sex.

"Hey, Alex," Sutton says softly as she stands behind the kitchen counter, cutting up vegetables. My body stiffens when I hear her voice, and I hear Alex mutter something like, "I'll just be outside so you two can talk."

"Hey," I tell her, and try to look anywhere but at her. When my gaze finally lands back her way, her eyes are full of contrition.

"I am so very sorry," Sutton says.

I can't stand that she actually sounds like she's in pain, so I hastily say, "It's okay. I'm good."

"No, it's not okay. You're right...I judged you and judged you badly. I didn't give you the benefit of the doubt. And what kills me about it is that I did the same thing to Alex when we first met, but I quickly realized he was more than what he projected on the outside. I should have known you would be the same way."

The remaining vestiges of anger seep out of me and I give her a genuine smile. "It's fine, Sutton. I get it, and when it boils down, it all worked out great for me."

She lets out a relieved gust of air and her lips tilt upward. "Oh, thank God. I was prepared to do more groveling if needed."

Sutton comes out from behind the counter and walks toward me with outstretched arms. I bend down and we hug it out, and when she pulls back, she murmurs, "You said it worked out great for you, but I'm thinking it worked out great for Olivia too."

"It's still early," I tell her as I sit down on at the kitchen table. "I could still fuck this up royally."

"Fuck what up?" I hear Olivia's voice as she strides into the kitchen. "I let myself in, by the way."

Immediately my heart feels lighter and my dick wants to come out and play with her. Man, she gets me worked up on all fronts.

I reach out and snag her hand, pulling her toward me. I bring her right down onto my lap so I can nuzzle her neck. "I was telling Sutton I could still fuck up this relationship with you. I'm so new at this whole dating/commitment/monogamy thing, I'm bound to screw up."

Olivia wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me. "Well, let's not set yourself up for failure. It's really very simple...treat me like a queen, and you can never go wrong."

"That I can do," I tell her, and kiss her back.

"Oh, my God...I think I'm going to be sick," Alex says as he walks back into the kitchen, clacking together a pair of grill tongs. "I'm not used to Garrett being so fucking mushy. Gives me the willies."

"Fuck off," I growl, and then kiss Olivia again.

"I think it's sweet," Sutton says.

Alex reaches into a cupboard and pulls out a platter. "Steaks are ready, so let's eat."

Olivia hops off my lap, much to my dismay, and says, "What can I do to help?"

After much bustling while Olivia and Sutton set the table and put out all the side dishes, Alex and I get the steaks off the grill. Well, he actually retrieves the meat, but I have supervisory duties.

After we all pop a few beers to go with our meal, we finally sit down to eat.

"This is so weird," Sutton says. "Garrett sitting here with a date."

"I've been on double dates with you two before," I mutter as I cut into my steak.

"Yeah...but never with someone that you actually like," Alex teases.

"True enough," I agree, and then I turn to Olivia. "But I'd like to hear what your doctor told you this afternoon, if you're up for sharing with us."

Olivia's face gets tight with unease, but she gives me a courageous smile, patting her lips with her napkin before setting it back on her lap. "Of course, I'll share."

I reach out and take her hand in mine, rubbing the back with my thumb. She gives me a little squeeze and lets out a faltering breath. "Yeah...so, it's definitely stage four. It's in my bone marrow...the biopsy confirmed that. There's nothing different to do, as Dr. Yoffman so

rt of expected that, given my symptoms, and started me on the appropriate treatment."