Chapter 8

Thanks as always for your patience. If you haven't seen it, here's a link to some pics of JT's condo in Chicago

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ct-toews-home-pg,0,6616895.photogallery

She felt like she’d had a good work out. Her muscles were stretched and aching, her body was warm and relaxed and she was tired; really, really tired. Vaguely, somewhere in the back of her mind she had the feeling that she’d slept through her alarm; that it was already later than she’d meant to sleep.

Opening one eye, she found herself staring out the floor to ceiling window at the morning light filtering through the high rises of the city.

“Oh fuck.” Her eyes were suddenly wide open and she was already tossing back the covers when her wrist was caught in a crushing grip. Edie looked down at the fingers encircling her arm and then over at the boyishly handsome face to whom those fingers belonged.

“Stay,” he mumbled, barely coherently, without even opening his eyes.

“I have sales meetings to go to,” she tried to explain, wondering if she was going to be able to peel his fingers away from her wrist, if she was going to be able to free herself from his grip and then, secondarily, if she wanted to.

“Stay,” he repeated, a little more firmly this time, opening one teddy bear velvet brown eye and fixing her with a gaze that was half challenge and half boyish grin. One dimple showed clearly though the rest of his face was hidden in the pillow. She wondered, briefly, how he hadn’t smothered himself in his sleep.

“I’m already late,” she tried to explain but his grip only tightened on her wrist.

“I want you to stay,” he growled this time and, with a tug on her arm, pulled her closer to his warm body. With a little shimmying, he fit his body to hers and then locked his arm around her waist like one of those security bars on a roller coaster snapping into place, followed by his leg draping over hers’ so that she felt a bit like she was being cuddled by an giant bear, only less hairy. Closing her eyes, she couldn’t stop herself from smiling as he pressed a gentle kiss to curve of her shoulder. It would be so easy to just stay there, in the big warm bed with the big warm hockey player, but she did have sales calls to make, a job to do, people expecting her.

“I have to go,” she whispered, only to have him press his body impossibly closer to hers’ until she felt like she might melt into the heat of his skin.

“Not yet,” he replied, his voice muffled as his lips pressed against her skin, the nape of her neck, the spot between her shoulders, making her shiver.

‘Carolyn can take care of the calls’, Edie told herself as Jonathan continued to kiss his way down her back while his hands cupped her breasts. It wasn’t like she’d never had to cover for the dirty stop-out. She felt his dick rise against the back of her thigh and she rubbed herself against him until he moaned and rolled her over onto her stomach, digging his knee between her thighs to spread them.

She gasped as he entered her, her body still tender from the in numerous assaults of the night before. Could anyone ever get used to the size of that thing, she wondered as he dragged her hips up off of the mattress and pulled her body back against his, over his, until she felt his hips pressed flush against her ass.

She was going to have bruises where his fingers were digging in her hips but that was going to be the least of her injuries. ‘He’s ruining me for any other man, she thought as she dug her fingers into one of the many pillows littered at the head of the massive king sized bed. It felt like there was no part of her that he wasn’t touching, filling or spreading. She felt the solid width of his chest pressed to her back, heard his ragged breathing in her ear, but mostly all that she could feel was him, all of him, moving slowly inside of her.

She heard herself making noises that sounded almost inhuman, noises that sounded more like they were coming from a wounded animal. She felt like she was being stretched beyond the point of pleasure, but it was the sweetest kind of agony.

‘I could wake up like this every day’, she thought to herself and then immediately tried to force the idealistic image out of her head. This was over, today. Tonight she was flying home, to Vancouver and the only time she’d ever see him would be on TV, playing against the Canucks and maybe, no, more than likely in her dreams.

“What happened?” he breathed in her ear. He’d gone still, but she could feel his heart beating against her back.

“Nothing,” she muttered, squeezing her eyes shut against the sudden sharp pain she felt in her chest.

“Bullshit. You were with me and then you weren’t,” he hissed back at her.

“It just...it just hurt for a minute.” It was a half truth at best but after a pause, as if he was mulling it over, he moved again, slowly pulling out as if he would stop altogether, before he very slowly slid his cock all the way back in until she felt his hips meet the soft flesh of her ass.

“Touch yourself,” he whispered in her ear, peeling her hand away from the end of the mattress where it tucked into the dark leather headboard and guiding it down between her legs. 

With his palm pressed against the back of her hand, he pressed her fingers up into the slick wet heat of her pussy and its’ walls tighten around his cock as she began to stroke her clit.

“That’s it,” he whispered in her ear as he slid nearly free only to bury himself to the hilt inside of her again. His own hands slid up her ribcage to her shoulders, using what remaining strength he had to pull her back with each thrust. She whimpered and pushed back against him. His breath caught in his throat. He was so close already but wanted to make this last, to postpone her leaving or even better, stop her from going. He tried bringing dark, disturbing images to mind, like Byfuglien dancing to disco in the shower or Kaner trying to do the electric slide, anything to stop himself from losing control but every time she pressed that button her body clenched ever tighter around his and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to stop the tide from crashing to the shore. “God you feel good,” he told her, pulling out just to watch his dick disappear back inside of her.

She looked amazing against the crumpled white sheets on his bed. Her hair was almost the same colour as the headboard but her skin was almost golden in the early light of the day that streamed in through the window. He ran his hand down the line of her spine to her hip and found a set of paw prints tattooed there He ran his fingertips over the dark lines that marred her skin and watched as her skin turned to gooseflesh.

That wasn’t the only imperfection his fingers found as they travelled lightly over her pale flesh. Her skin puckered into a crescent shaped pink scar on her other hip. He wanted to ask her about that, about the tattoos and about small mole on her left buttock. ‘This can’t be it’ he swore to himself as she dropped her head so that her dark hair kissed the white sheets like a waterfall hiding even her profile from him and let out a long low moan.

“Now,” she whimpered, the walls of her vagina tightening like a vice around his cock. “I’m...cumming...now!”

Jon squeezed his eyes shut and tried to breathe through the pressure he felt in his balls, holding himself absolutely still while her body sucked like a vampire at his, but it was too much. As soon as she dropped her hand away and grabbed at one of the pillows, he replaced her fingers with his own and the minute he touched her clit, her entire body bucked back against his and her pussy walls closed tight against him and he was gone.

He swore, he thought, cried out or cursed he wasn’t sure. He was blind to everything but the way she felt, the fireworks going off in his head and the near pain in his balls as every last drop he had drained into her.

It took a few minutes before he could even catch his breath and then his knees gave out from under him and he collapsed to the bed, pulling her with him. He pressed his body close against her, fitting his knees to the back of hers’ and wrapping his arms around her middle.

“You’re amazing,” he told her, nuzzling her neck.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she whispered back, reaching for the quilt and pulling it up to her shoulder. “A bit of an exhibitionist but...not bad,” she laughed laying one arm over his and sliding the other under a pillow.

“Oh the window...that,” he chuckled and pressed his lips to the back of her ear. It’s not as easy to see through as you might think from the outside. There’s some kind of...I don’t know, treatment or something. I’m not saying if you had a telescope or binoculars that it wouldn’t have been a good show,” he added, thinking about all the positions he’d had her in already and how many more he wanted to try.

“Mostly of your ass,” she pointed out, giggling when he got silent. “It’s a nice ass though,” she added letting go of his arm to reach around and slide her hand over it.

“Nice enough to make you stay?” he asked in a more serious tone and then it was her turn to grow silent.

“I have to go,” she said eventually, and though he detected a note of distress in her voice, Jon felt an answering pain deep in his chest.

“Stay for breakfast, at least?” he asked, wanting to buy himself time to think of some way to make her stay. She was silent again for so long that he felt certain the next word out of her mouth was going to be ‘no’, but instead she nodded.

“Coffee, black and then I really have to go.”

“There’s a cart downstairs, I’ll be right back,” he promised, kissing her cheek, sliding out of bed and bounding for his closet, grabbing his phone on the way by. He’d call Sharpie on his downstairs. Pat would know what to say to make her realize she had to stay.

“What are you doing?” she asked herself as she furiously rummaged through his closet looking for any more items of clothing left behind by Kane’s sisters. “Acting like you’re on fucking honeymoon,” she berated herself as she came across a simple black wrap dress that had been carefully folded over top of a tiny black lace g-string. Edie held it up and made a face. “Beggars can’t be chooser Edie,” she reminded herself and pulled it on. She looked at the wrap dress sceptically, but with little other options, she pulled it on and tied it at her waist, shaking her head at the amount of cleavage it showed. Obviously Kane’s sisters had no boobs as well. She thought about taking one of his suit jackets, but one look at how wide the shoulders were and how long the sleeves would be on her and Edie decided against it.

Grabbing her phone, she hit the speed dial for Carolyn’s number and hoped that she hadn’t left the hotel yet and could grab her something else to wear. After ten rings Edie snapped her phone shut, tugged her heels on again and went looking for the Jessica Rabbit dress she assumed they would have to return before they left the city.

Edie stood over the small desk in the corner of his room and stared down at the blank sheets of notepaper staring back at her. She felt like it was the least she could do, leave him a note, but she couldn’t think of anything to say. She picked up the pen and put it down again. What could she say? What was the proper etiquette for notes left to a one night stand?

Thanks for making sure I won’t walk properly for days? Thanks for ruining me for all other men, keep up the good work? I’d really like to do this again sometime but I don’t live here so...?

Edie shook her head and turned away from the desk. There was no point in a note or even leaving her number. It had been a one night stand and even leaving a note was making more out of it than there was or ever could be. So she liked him and he seemed to like her. It didn’t matter.

She glanced out at the view from his room of the surrounding steel and glass jungle. If she needed any other proof that he was someone and she wasn’t, she didn’t need more than this view of the city overlooking the river to prove it.

“Get moving Edes,” she admonished herself, “before you start blubbering like an idiot.”

Running her fingers through her hair, knowing that until she got a hold of a proper brush that there was no way of truly correcting what obviously looked like sex hair, she flipped open her phone and dialled four one one..

“Hi, I need a taxi,” she explained brusquely to the operator and waited to be put through. “Hi, yes, I need a taxi at...,” she looked around the desk and picked up an envelope that looked like it might be a bill, “at four fifty East Waterside Drive. Five minutes? Great, I’ll be outside.” Closing her phone, Edie took one last look at the view, breathed a heavy sigh and then walked out of his bedroom where the condition of the sheets were testament to what had been done in them and the scent of sex hung in the air. 

“I’m in love.”

“Wait, who is this? Did you steal this phone? No, wait. Is that you Kaner?” Jonathan made a face as he stepped out of the elevator and into the foyer of his building. There were other tenants leaving, in their business suits with their briefcases in their hands, looking very different from Jon in his track pants and t-shirt.   

“It’s me Sharpie, it’s Jon,” Jon grumbled into the phone as he walked out the front doors of his building and joined the line up at the coffee cart.

“It can’t be. Captain Serious doesn’t have time for girls let alone feelings.” Jon could hear the grin in Patrick’s voice and reminded himself that this was all new for him.

“I met someone last night,” he continued, trying to ignore the sarcasm in his teammate’s voice.

“Last night? Shit Tayzer, from zero to hero or what?” Jon clenched his teeth while Pat laughed at his expense. Eventually his silence spoke loudly enough that Pat cleared his throat and got serious. “Okay, so you met someone, and I’m not saying she’s not a perfectly nice person JT but this is exactly why we’ve all been telling you that you have to get out more. You don’t fall in love with some random girl you don’t know from Adam.”

“She spent the night, the entire night,” Jon pointed out, marvelling at the thrill that went through him when he thought about it. “We talked and she’s...brave and crazy and funny and...amazing,” he added breathlessly, turning pink when the older woman in front of him in the line turned around and smiled indulgently at him.

“Whoa there cowboy. All this in one night? She might be able to suck a golf ball through ten feet of hose but let’s not get carried away.” Jon shook his head. He’d hoped that now that Sharpie was tied down he’d understand and have some encouraging words for him, which is why he’d called him and not Kaner.

“I want her to stay. I just thought you might have some words of wisdom for me but if all you’re going to do is take the piss then....”

“You’re serious huh?” He heard Patrick make a derisive noise deep in his throat and waited to hear if the talented forward would continue to make fun of him or if he’d actually offer some useful advice. “And she actually wants to leave? She’s not...making calling all her friends move into your place and planning your wedding?”

“No...actually she kind of hates me,” Jon grinned to himself, thinking about how last night had begun, or at least the part right after he’d kissed her. “She’s from Vancouver. She’s a Canucks fan,” he explained and then listened while his teammate laughed.

“So she’s not one of yours and Kane’s puck bunnies?” Pat mused. “Well, good I guess.”

“Yeah, she pretty much hates us but it’s a good thing for me that she hates Kaner more,” Jon laughed himself.

“So she at least has half a brain,” Pat chuckled. “And so she’s going home to Vancouver?”

“I want her to stay,” Jon sighed, reaching into his pocket to pull out a wad of folded bills as he neared the front of the line. “I need her to stay.” For a long moment his friend was silent as Jon ordered a large black coffee, handing over a five dollar bill as the cup was filled.

“I don’t know Jon, one night...,” Pat’s voice fell away and the words left unspoken were loud in Jon’s ears.

“It could happen though right? I’m not crazy. I know how I feel,” he mumbled as he took the Styrofoam cup and walked away from the cart and back towards his building.

“I guess...yeah I guess,” Pat replied quietly. “I don’t know what to tell you except....” Jon heard his teammate sigh and then fall into silence. “Well, I guess the truth is always the best way to begin,” he added sincerely. Smiling to himself, Jon nodded. It was in his heart to do just that but hearing someone else say it out loud aided in his decision.

“Thanks Pat. I’ll catch you later at practice.”

“Make sure you do,” his teammate told him with his usual amused tone. Jon stuck his phone in his pocket and stepped into the elevator with a smile on his face. He was going to tell her how he felt and ask her to stay. It felt right and his heart swelled in his chest in reply.

As he stepped out on his floor, he almost felt like he was floating. The guys might tell him he was crazy but he knew that he wasn’t.

“Eden I was just talking to my friend and I was telling him....” Jon’s voice fell away as he walked into his room to find his bed empty. He turned in a tight circle, looking for her clothes, but they were gone, and so was her phone from his night table. “Eden,” he called, pushing open the doors to his walk in closet, but she wasn’t there either.

She was gone.