Gametime: A Moo U Hockey Romance by Jami Davenport (classic novels to read .txt) 📕

Patrick’s aftershave, and I was ready a half hour early. I used the time to walk a few blocks to a small gift store that sold cut flowers. I picked out a bouquet in oranges and golds, which the salesperson dubbed a fall arrangement, paid too much for it, and hurried back home.

Patrick wasn’t around, for which I was grateful. In fact, I had no idea where he’d disappeared to. The days where we kept each other apprised of our location were long gone.

Naomi was fifteen minutes late, leaving me to pace and fret she might stand me up. Finally, her car pulled in the parking spot outside. I grabbed the flowers, shrugged into my coat, and took the stairs two at a time. I had the passenger door open before she had a chance to get out.

Talk about eager. LOL.

“Hi.” I grinned at her, leaned over the console, and gave her what ended up being a deep kiss.

“Hi, yourself,” she said when we finished, her face flushed and her voice breathless. Her gaze strayed to the flowers crushed between us.

“Oh, uh, these are for you.” I held them out to her, noting a few blooms were broken or squashed.

“They’re beautiful,” she gushed as if I’d given her a spectacular floral arrangement instead of a bunch of wilting cut flowers. Naomi didn’t seem to mind. She rewarded me with another kiss. And another. And…we weren’t leaving this parking lot if we kept this up. I reluctantly withdrew and ran a finger gently down her cheek, taking in her loveliness. Tonight she was mine. All mine.

“I guess I should’ve brought something to put them in,” I said lamely.

“I have something.” She took the lid off her water bottle, placed it in the cupholder, and squeezed the flowers inside. She beamed at me, and I grinned so widely my jaw hurt.

“Where are we going for dinner? I want that good steak.”

“You’ll get it. I promise.”

I sat back happily and enjoyed the ride. She parked in front of a rustic restaurant called the Lumberjack. I’d heard of the place but had never been able to afford it on my college-kid finances.

“Are you sure? This place is spendy.”

“Paxton Graham, are you uncomfortable with me paying the tab?”

“A little. I guess that’s really backward thinking. Someday, I’ll have money and—” I stopped. It was too soon to be making those kinds of plans with her, even if I’d been making them in my thoughts almost since we’d met.

“It is, but no worries, Daddy’s paying for it. It’s going on his card.”

“That does make me feel better. When I’m playing professional hockey, money won’t be a concern.”

She kissed my cheek. “I don’t care about money, just you, but I am starved. Let’s eat.”

Now she was talking. I leapt out of the car and raced to the other side to open the door for her.

“Aren’t you the gentleman?”

“Sometimes, when I think of it. Just don’t expect such service all the time.”

“I won’t.” She laughed, warming me to my very soul despite a cold wind whipping around us. We hurried into the building done in wood and natural tones, continuing the rustic theme on the outside. I liked the place. I was comfortable here, way more than I’d have been in restaurant decorated in blacks and whites with stark tables. The Lumberjack’s seating consisted of solid-wood booths with high backs, giving the occupants a good amount of privacy.

I waited for Naomi to sit down and slid in next to her. We cuddled together like a couple in love. I wasn’t willing to go that far yet, at least not on Naomi’s part, but things were going pretty damn well between us if I did say so myself.

We ordered drinks, a shrimp appetizer, and dinner. Spending her dad’s money, I asked for a huge steak, while Naomi had surf and turf. Once the garlic shrimp appetizer and margaritas were delivered to our table, we settled in. I plucked one of the plump shrimp from the plate and held it up to her mouth. She opened those luscious lips and sucked the shrimp into her mouth, chewing slowly. Once she swallowed, she licked the garlic sauce off my fingers. Watching her eat that shrimp made me hard and horny, but I had to be patient, and my patience would be rewarded later.

First, I was going to enjoy that steak.

Naomi would be dessert.

The steak was orgasmic, but Naomi was more so. I wolfed down my meal, and she wasn’t far behind. The whole erotic thing with the shrimp, which we ended up feeding each other, almost sent me over the edge. I used every method of self-control in my tool kit to make it through dinner.

When the waiter asked if we wanted dessert, I blurted out, “Yeah, but not here.”

He furrowed his brow in a quizzical manner, and Naomi jumped to clarify, “We’ll take our bill now. Thank you.”

She slanted a glance in my direction full of heat and promise, so hot I didn’t know why I wasn’t melting into this bench. Then the little wench did something wicked. She placed her hand on my thigh and slid it up to my crotch and rubbed my erection in a circular motion. I sucked a breath through my gritted teeth.

“I hope you replenished your condom supply,” she said with a sassy grin.

“Fuck yeah.” I grabbed her hand and held it away from my crotch. As much as I loved her particular brand of torture, my ability to control my lust was walking a thin line right now.

She smirked and leaned in to run her tongue up my neck. “Can’t take the heat?”

“Oh, I can take it, just not here.”

“I’m not wearing any underwear.”

The waiter came back, all business, before I had a chance to respond. Naomi signed the tab and left a tip. I didn’t wait any longer. I rose to my feet, helped her into her coat, and hustled her out of there.

“You’re going to pay for that little move inside,”