One-Timer (Carolina Comets), page 17
“Uh-huh. Sure. Right. Nothing at all.”
“What’s going on with you and Emilia? Is that nothing too?” I shoot back, and he snaps his mouth closed, looking a whole lot less cocky. I smirk. “That’s what I thought.”
“Nothing is going on with me and”—he swallows thickly—“her.”
I scoff. “You can’t even say her name.”
“I can too.”
“Prove it.”
He tips his chin up. “No. I don’t need to prove shit to you.”
“Weird. I don’t need to prove shit to you either.”
I shove past him, retreating into the kitchen for something, anything to get me away from him and his curious stare.
I open the fridge and look around, but I have no idea what I’m looking for. The baby shower was catered, and there’s nothing in here I could possibly take out there that’s going to make any sense.
“Are you hiding?”
In so many ways.
I turn around to find Hollis standing just inside the kitchen, her hand resting on her very pregnant belly.
The sunlight is poking in behind her, radiating around her like the beacon of light in a dark stormy night that she is. She’s gorgeous, and the urge to kiss her and touch her overpowers me.
I cross the open kitchen, grabbing her hand and dragging her down the hallway to my bedroom. I don’t stop until we’re inside and I have her back pressed against the door.
She gasps and blinks up at me with surprise when I press my erection into her.
“I’m not hiding. We’re hiding.”
“We are?”
“Yes, and I can’t believe you just dragged me in here to ravish me, you little minx.”
She grins. “Oh, I did?”
“Yes, you did.” I run my nose along her cheek. “And then you instructed me to push this entirely too sexy dress up and get on my knees so I can see your pretty cunt.”
She lets out a soft moan, and I haven’t even done anything to her yet.
“Lowell…we have guests.”
“So? They can wait. Besides, I’ll be quick.” I wink.
I sink to my knees, grab the hem of her dress, and lift. She has to adjust herself when the dress gets to her belly, and she sighs in frustration.
“Ugh. I’m so…”
I stop, looking up at her with a sharp stare. “I know you weren’t just about to say something disparaging about your body, Hollis.”
She shakes her head. “N-No.”
“Are you lying to me?”
“Depends. Will I get punished if I am?”
I start to push to my feet, and she quickly shoves me back down.
“Fine! Yes, I was going to say something about my…situation. You happy?”
“No.”
I hook my fingers into her panties, then drag them down her legs. I grab one leg and haul it over my shoulder, loving the way she shivers when the cool air hits her exposed pussy.
“One compliment, one lick.”
“Huh?”
I look up at her. “You say one compliment about yourself, and this beautiful pink cunt of yours gets one lick.”
“O-One lick? It’ll take more than that.”
“Then keep talking.”
“I…I don’t have anything to say. I—”
I go to push to my feet again, and she lets out a little squeak.
“I’m beautiful!” she shouts out, and I grin at the urgency in her voice.
I swipe my tongue over her, and she sighs. I pull away, and she whimpers.
“Keep going,” I encourage.
“I…I’m…I’m gorgeous.”
Another swipe.
“I’m adorable.”
Another taste.
“I’m cute.”
Another lick.
“I’m sexy.”
Another stroke.
“I’m yours.”
Mine.
I suck her clit into my mouth, and she cries out, her fingers tangling in my hair, playing with the strands as I get lost in the taste of her. I suck and kiss and eat, fucking her with my fingers and tongue, and I don’t let up until her legs are shaking and I’m practically holding her up.
“Please, Cameron. Please.”
I rub that spot inside of her I know she likes and suck on her clit until she explodes, her body going stiff for a moment before coming down from her high. I sit back, admiring my work as she leans against the door, her legs still shaky and her breaths even shakier.
We don’t talk as I slip her panties back up her legs and right her dress before wiping my face and leading us back out to the party. In fact, we don’t utter a word all day until we lie down that night and slip between my sheets, where we use our bodies to speak all the words we could never say.
20
HOLLIS & LOWELL
Lowell: Gordie?
Hollis: Umm…no.
Lowell: Howe?
Hollis: How what?
Lowell: No. Like Gordie Howe.
Hollis: Goldie Hawn???
Lowell: What? NO!
Lowell: GORDIE HOWE
Hollis: Never heard of her.
Lowell: I…
Lowell: I thought your hockey knowledge was much more up to par than this.
Lowell: I have failed you.
Lowell: In fact, I’m retiring right now. I cannot, in good conscience, have a baby with a woman who doesn’t know who Gordie Howe is.
Hollis: You’ll get over it.
Lowell: Sorry. I can’t come to the phone right now. I’m dead.
Hollis: And dramatic. Don’t forget dramatic.
Hollis: Um…sir?
Lowell: Okay, first, I didn’t realize that would be hot.
Hollis: It’s not happening, so move on.
Lowell: *grumbles* Fine. Moving on.
Lowell: How may I help you, ma’am?
Hollis: Did you have a pizza delivered to my apartment? Specifically a heart-shaped one?
Lowell: Oh. That.
Lowell: Yeah, it was me.
Hollis: Why????
Lowell: Because it’s Valentine’s Day.
Lowell: Our baby might not be here yet, but I wanted to make sure Momma was taken care of.
Hollis: That’s…really sweet. Like really, really sweet.
Hollis: I kind of want to kiss you right now.
Lowell: I’d let you.
Hollis: I’m sure you would.
Lowell: I wish we weren’t on the road AGAIN.
Lowell: Fuck, I hate road games.
Lowell: Especially because I’m always stuck on the bus next to Miller and he never wants to shut the hell up.
Hollis: Miller shuts up?
Lowell: No. Literally never.
Lowell: Right now, he’s telling me the same story he started telling me ON THE PLANE.
Lowell: That was HOURS ago.
Lowell: And it’s not even a good story. I guessed the ending two minutes into it.
Hollis: Tell him to pipe down.
Lowell: I have. I do.
Lowell: Next time, I’m bringing duct tape.
Hollis: He’ll probably just lick it off.
Lowell: Probably.
Lowell: How’s work going? Getting ahead like you wanted to?
Hollis: Yes, though I think I’m going to call it a night. I’m tired. Baby is sucking up all my energy today.
Lowell: Go rest, then. Take your pizza to bed and spoon with it and pretend it’s me.
Hollis: That’s not weird at all.
Lowell: Hey, I know some people who take their pizza very seriously and wouldn’t bat an eye.
Hollis: I am really scared to know if you’re “some people.”
Lowell: Guess you’ll never know.
Hollis: See you tomorrow?
Lowell: Yes.
Lowell: Oh, and happy Valentine’s Day.
Lowell: I’ll give you your present tomorrow. *tongue emoji*
Lowell: Elsa?
Hollis: She’s a total badass, but no.
Hollis: What about Georgia?
Lowell: Like the state?
Hollis: Yes.
Lowell: Hmm…I don’t hate it.
Hollis: This would be a lot easier if I knew what we were having…
Lowell: It would be, except you don’t want to know, remember?
Lowell: In fact, you promised me bodily harm if I tried to tell you.
Hollis: So you’re saying you’re scared of me?
Lowell: HA! Not a chance.
Lowell: But also…yes.
Lowell: Then again, if you punched me, it wouldn’t be the first time.
Hollis: LOWELL!
Hollis: I swear, if you keep bringing that up…
Lowell: It was traumatic!
Hollis: It was not! If anything, it probably turned you on.
Hollis: Lowell?
Hollis: Oh god.
Hollis: It did, didn’t it??
Hollis: LOWELL!
Hollis: Oh, wait. I just realized you’re probably playing hockey right now.
Hollis: GO TEAM! TOUCHDOWN!
Hollis: I think the doctor missed flirting with you today.
Lowell: I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.
Hollis: Me too.
Lowell: How’d it go?
Hollis: Everything is looking good. Baby is healthy.
Lowell: And Momma?
Hollis: She’s healthy too. Just hungry.
Lowell: What do you want? I’ll send you food.
Hollis: You don’t have to send me food every time I’m hungry. I’m a big girl. I can feed myself.
Hollis: Besides, I have another appointment to get to.
Lowell: Another one?
Lowell: I don’t see anything on my Google calendar.
Hollis: It’s for an apartment viewing.
Lowell: Oh.
Lowell: Is that what you want? A bigger apartment?
Hollis: More like I NEED a bigger one.
Hollis: Hell, YOU barely fit in this one.
Hollis: Besides, it’ll be nice to be closer to you and the rink and everything. Makes it easier on everyone for when the baby comes.
Lowell: Because you’ll be there, and I’ll be here.
Hollis: Exactly.
Lowell: That is what you want, right?
Hollis: Are you coming over tonight?
Lowell: Probably not. Early morning at the rink. Rain check?
Hollis: Sure.
Lowell: Night.
21
HOLLIS
“Oh shit,” I groan, sitting up on the couch where I fell asleep watching Lowell’s hockey game.
I rub a hand across my forehead, a dull throb beginning. I feel like I’ve been run over, but I assume that’s because I didn’t sleep well last night alone in my bed. I spent way too much time thinking and tossing and turning and not enough time sleeping.
I place a hand on my belly, trying to soothe the slight cramps I’m having, my stomach clearly not agreeing at all with the burrito I had for lunch. I check the score on the game and see that the Comets are losing with just seven to go in the third, and if they lose, Lowell is going to be in a mood when he comes over.
If he comes over.
He hasn’t for the last few nights, which is not like him at all. In fact, I can’t remember the last time we didn’t spend the night together when he’s had a home game. Not having him in my bed feels wrong, like so wrong it makes my stomach hurt. Or maybe that’s the burrito.
The worst part is, I don’t know whether it’s something I did wrong or if he’s feeling wrong about something we’re doing, but neither option sits right with me.
My stomach cramps again, and I wince at the pain.
“Sorry about that, baby. Momma promises not to get burritos from that food truck ever again.”
I wonder if it was the burrito though, because I didn’t feel all that great yesterday either.
“How about this? If Momma isn’t feeling better in the morning, she’ll call the doctor, okay?”
The baby kicks as if they agree, and I grin.
The first time I felt a flutter, I cried. Lowell was sleeping next to me, and I cried so hard I woke him up with my sobs. Then we stayed up until two AM just feeling our baby move.
The movements are a lot more than just a flutter now, and I’m almost positive these little moments between us are what I’m going to miss most about being pregnant.
I keep my hand on my belly and turn my attention back to the game. The time starts to move fast on the clock, and the Comets are still down a goal. There are only three minutes left now, and they pull their goalie.
I know this can always be a huge gamble to take. They can either make up the point they’re missing, or they’re giving the other team a chance to score an empty-netter and seal the deal.
Unfortunately, favor is not with them tonight, because not even ten seconds into the man advantage, the other team sends the puck flying down the ice and right into the empty net. The camera operator zooms in on Lowell’s face on the bench, and he looks completely defeated and disappointed. I know how bad they need these points tonight, but the chances are looking slim right now.
Another bad cramp hits me, and I’m almost starting to wonder if this is more than I think it is.
I push off the couch to head into the bathroom, and the moment I do, I know this is more than I think it is. The room feels all wobbly and wonky and off, and I feel like I might pass out. I collapse back onto the couch, trying to catch my breath. My head begins to throb, and I feel like there are a thousand little elephants dancing inside of it.
Something is wrong.
I reach for my phone and begin to call Lowell, then remember he’s in the middle of a game. He can’t answer or do anything about it.
Instead, I dial Harper.
She answers almost immediately.
“Please tell me you are watching this game. This is miserable. They need these points so badly. Collin is going to be so upset when he gets home. I—”
“Harper,” I cut her off sharply.
“What’s wrong?” she says, and I can already hear the panic setting into her voice. It’s the same panic that’s setting into me too. “Is something wrong? Is everything okay?”
“I need you to take me to the hospital.”
I hear Lowell before I see him.
“Where the fuck is she?” he growls, and I feel bad for whichever nurse he’s snarling at right now. “Where is Hollis?”
Not even five seconds later, he comes barreling into the tiny room I’m in.
His eyes are wide as he takes me in all hooked up to the machines, his lips set with worry as he rushes toward me. He just stands there and stares and stares and stares some more. His eyes are glassy and panicked, and his breaths are coming in sharp.
Then everything snaps back to reality for him, and he crosses the room, taking my face in his hands.
“Is the baby okay?”
He runs his hands over my cheeks and through my hair, looking me over for any signs of damage. There are none; it’s all internal.
I love that the first thing out of his mouth is about the baby.
“The baby is fine,” I promise him. “Just a little scare.”
He sags against me in relief, pressing a hard kiss to my forehead. “What happened? Harper didn’t tell me anything, just said I needed to get here. I came straight after the game.”
“Harper can be so dramatic.”
“Dramatic?” He nods toward all the stuff I’m hooked up to. “Then what’s all this?”
“Monitors for me and the baby. I also had to pee in a cup, which is very hard when you’re this pregnant. And they checked my cervix, which was almost more painful than the reason I came in.”
“And that was for?”
“I felt a little lightheaded and had a bad headache, some cramps.”
“Cramps? Like Braxton Hicks?”
“You know what Braxton Hicks are?”
“What?” He shrugs. “I read.”
I grin. “It wasn’t Braxton Hicks. These were different. Just…uncomfortable. I was a little dehydrated.”
He pulls back and tips his head. “Dehydrated? Like you’re not drinking enough water?”
“I thought I was. I’ve been peeing enough that it feels like I am.”
His brows are drawn tightly together as he steps away from me, and it’s a good thing because I do not like the look he’s giving me right now. “Hollis, you pee all the time, even when you shouldn’t be peeing. You have a baby pressing down on your bladder. That doesn’t mean you’re drinking enough.”
“I-I’m sorry. I thought…”
He shakes his head. “It’s not just you, Hollis. This is about my baby too.”
I whip my head back at his words, surprised. I have no idea where his sudden hostility and frustration is coming from, but I know I don’t deserve it. The baby is okay, and that’s all that matters.
