All Hands on Deck

“He drew his tongue across her lower lip. She tasted of honey and whiskey, sweet spice. He felt her pulse pounding beneath his fingertips, her breath scalding his skin. He wanted that hot breath on his arousal, which was already hard and aching for her. He wanted her to touch her lips to it like she touched them to his mouth. She wanted this - no maidenly vapors, no shrinking away from him. Beth Ackerley knew what it was to be with a man, and she liked it. His body throbbed with possibilities. ‘We should stop,’ she whispered.”

“Ok, you’ve been reading to me for like twenty minutes, are they finally gonna fuck?”

“Sidney Crosby, this isn’t some trashy porno, this is a ROMANCE novel and romance novels are made of anticipation and the slow burn.”

“Ok, but when are they gonna fuck?”

Tessa giggled into the phone and flipped through the book in her hands. “My dear, I’m only on page twenty-four of three hundred and twenty. I’m willing to bet they don’t bang for at least another hundred pages, maybe more.”

Miles away, Sidney lay in a hotel bed and groaned. “Can’t you just skip to the good part?”

“That is no fun at all.”

“Baby, I gotta tell you, the slow burn just doesn’t do it for me. Please find me the fucking and read that.”

Tessa sighed and paged through the book, willing to spoil the best part just to make that fool of a man happy. “Alright, here we go. Beth squeezed her eyes shut as he thrust again. The thickness of him pushed so deep inside her she thought it would tear her apart. And it felt good. ‘Ian,’ she groaned. ‘I am wicked. I’m a wicked, sinful woman, and I don’t want you to ever stop.’ Ian didn’t answer. He moved slowly inside her, thick and hard. Deeper, faster. Please, she thought. She rocked her hips up as he came down. He held himself up on one hand while he fisted her hair in his other.”

“Now you’re talking.”

“That did it for you, huh? Your dick hard?”

“Yeah, keep going.”

“He tickled the ends of her hair along her breasts, and her oversensitive nipples rose and tightened. He leaned down and licked one areola, teasing the point into his mouth. She watched his teeth play, his tongue swirl over the nipple, the pink skin rising into his mouth. He closed his eyes as though he were savouring some rich dish, his lashes soft points against his cheeks.”

Sidney heard the shift in her tone and interrupted again. “Tess.”

“Hmm?”

He smiled, knowing she was annoyed he made her stop. “Is that working for you?”

Her breath was slightly elevated, her heart palpitating against her chest gently. “Yes, not as much without a backstory as to how they got there, but let me finish. Beth ached where they joined. The friction burned on her petals too long untouched, fire that made her want to open her legs wide. She did, sliding her feet on the covers, letting her hips arch upward.”

She paused to turn the page, but Sidney spoke before she could continue. “Lady Contessa…do your petals ache for me?”

A snorting laugh burst from Tessa. “Yes, my lord, very much.”

“These books are pretty cheesy, you have to admit.”

“I’ll admit that, but also pretty sexy, right?”

“Those words in your voice is what’s sexy.”

She practically purred with pride and snuggled more deeply into bed. It was midnight, six days had passed since she had left, Sidney was on the road, and she was loving how easily it was to entertain him over the phone. Their first week apart had started rough, what with him getting delusions of infidelity and all, but by now they had fallen into a routine that felt comfortable and purely good. Their calls usually began the same, how was your day, good game last night, and then the dirty talk would start. This was the first time Sidney had ever asked her to read him something from one the many romance novels that resided in her room and she had to admit that saying the words out loud had an even more dramatic effect on her bodily reactions.

Sidney continued. “You think about me when you read those things?”

“Always, baby. No matter how the leading man is described, I always picture you.”

“Read to me some more.”

Tess threw the book to the side. “I’d rather hear your voice, Sid.”

“Mmm, what do you want to hear? About how if I close my eyes I can still taste you, still feel how you tremble against my mouth when you come?”

“Yeah, that. You know what I’ve been thinking about? Sucking your dick at the arena on Saturday. Right after the game when you’re all sweaty and still breathing heavy. Prying open your hockey pants and digging through all those layers until I find your cock.”

Sidney couldn’t resist his sassiness as he responded, “You mean right after we embarrass the Flyers in their house?”

“Keep dreaming, Captain. And are you sure you wanna argue about this right now?”

“No, I don’t. What are you doing over there?”

Her fingertips dragged along her chest and then down her stomach. “Just thinking about making myself tremble to the sound of your voice. You?”

“Stroking my dick, wishing you were here to do it for me.”

Tessa laughed to cover up the moan she wanted to let out, nestled under the covers, and slipped her hand inside her panties. When her middle finger found her clit, she let out a gasp. “Sid…will you Facetime me? I wanna see your hand on your dick. So fucking beautiful.”

“Tomorrow. Just imagine it. The skin is stretched and dark, hard, so fucking hard it hurts, Tess. I can just about see your lips closing around the tip.”

Her answer was breathy and strained. “Oh, God. Yes. Your skin…always tastes so good.”

“Tess…I wanna taste you again so bad. More than I wanna fuck you even. I wanna bury my face between your thighs until I can’t fucking breath.”

Tessa rubbed her clit a little faster at the thought of that. She paused to reach down lower, sinking two fingers in her pussy to feel her wetness and then spreading it along her slit. Reading him cheesy romance and hearing the need in his voice had her on the edge of orgasm already. “I want that, too. But I also really want you to fuck me. Four more days.”

“Four days. Are you close?”

“Yeah, you?”

She could hear it in his voice, his breathing. Alone in his hotel, Sidney’s wide palm rubbed his cock at a steady pace. His eyes were closed and he let her voice wash over him, letting him imagine that was in the room, sinking to her knees to lick at his shaft. “Almost. Is Ryan gonna be home on Saturday?”

“I told her you were coming over. She’s going out, staying with my mom that night.”

The thought of having Tessa alone for an entire night spurred him on even more. He wanted her on every available surface, in any position. Jesus, he just wanted her around him again. He pulled at his cock as he listened to her pant in his hear. He wanted that hot air on his skin again, on his neck and chest as she rode him. So, he told her exactly what he planned to do when he got to Philadelphia on Saturday.

“Yeah…yeah, Sid. I’m gonna come. Just…mmm, fuck.”

She trembled under her fingers and she heard him groan loudly through the phone. The sad thing is, she wasn’t sated, barely relieved to have come at all. It was never the same as having him there doing it for her. She was never as satisfied as he could make her feel. She let out a sigh that bordered on frustrated.

Sidney knew; he always did. “Four days, baby. I’ll make it up to you. Fuck you enough for all the days we’ve been apart.”

“I know you will. Go to sleep.”

“Call me tomorrow.”

“Always. ‘Night.”

Tessa’s phone clattered onto the nightstand and she thought about going to sleep herself. However, the Flyers were on the road just as the Pens were, so she didn’t have to work again for a few days. She got up, padded down the hall, and knocked on Ryan’s bedroom door, opening it without waiting for a response.

Her friend was sitting up in bed, reading some memoir of a gymnast when Tessa belly flopped on the bed, hugging Ryan’s skinny legs.

Ryan put her book down and petted Tessa’s head. “You stink of phone sex, you little slut.”

Tessa’s smile revealed her true feelings as she pleaded for sympathy. “Don’t be mean to me, I’m so sad.”

“If by sad you mean uncontrollably horny, then yeah, I believe you.”

“Ugh! It’s just…”

“You miss a big fat cock fucking you until you’re sore?”

Leave it to Ryan to get right to the point. Tessa agreed. “Bluntly put, but yes, I do. It’s harder than I thought it would be. I figured as long as we were both getting off it wouldn’t be so bad. But…”

“I know, babe. You’ll see him soon. Did the crazy idiot have anymore fantasies about you and Giroux?”

“Not that’s he’s told me, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he did and kept it from me.” Ryan’s look was deeply judgmental and Tessa defended him. “I know he’s doing his best and that’s all I can for. He’s trying.”

“He’s insane.”

“Aren’t we all, Ry?”

“Touche. I just find it funny that it’s Giroux he fixates on. Doesn’t he know by now that you like big men and that Raffl is way more your type?”

Tessa groaned and buried her face into the bed for a moment. “Please, please, PLEASE, never ever mention that in front of him! You do not need to feed into his paranoia.”

“I would never sell you out. But seriously -”

“Don’t mention Raffl again or how big and thick his body is. My vaginia hurts enough as it is. God! I did not realize how much sex I need to survive until I moved away from my dealer. I’m like a junkie crackhead, it’s all I can think about!”

“You need to get your lazy fucking ass out of the house for a while, go some place where you’re not surrounded by half naked hockey players. Why don’t you come to my class tomorrow?”

“What am I going to do at a college dance class?”

“Not that one, too many college boys to make your loins ache. Come to my class for five year olds in the evening. We can have dinner downtown, you can think about something besides the dick you’re not getting from Crosby.”

It still felt weird to hear her say his name; to hear anyone she knew say his name in relation to her. But it also felt nice. And even more than that, Sidney had been okay with her telling Ryan. She had realized after the fact that maybe he didn’t want anyone, not even her closest friend to know, but he seemed almost relieved for some reason. He had told her about Letang thinking they were over and she was grateful for that. She had trusted Kris, they both did, but Ryan was different, she was like her sister, their bond and trust was stronger than anything on earth. And Sidney knew it was important that Tessa had someone to talk to honestly about their relationship.

Plus, Ryan was great at distracting her from her problems, always had been and these new Sidney problems were no exception. “Alright, I’ll come to your class. But I’m not wearing a leotard.”

The next night, the girls had dinner, cheesesteaks at a cafe that looked so run down it scared away all the tourists, but that Philly natives knew was the best joint in town. Stuffed full of meat, cheese, and bread, they went to the community center where Ryan volunteered. In tights and a tank top, Tessa sat on the sidelines just watching for a while.

The kids were terrible, awkward and stumbling around, but they were having a great time, which is really all that mattered. Ryan had them do a little of everything, salsa, ballet moves, but mostly she just put on upbeat, curse-free music, and let them go wild.

One little boy caught Tessa’s attention and refused to let go of it. He had dark, curly hair that was stuck to his sweaty forehead and his face bore a look of intense concentration the entire time. He listened so intently to what Ryan was saying that he almost had a look of reverent worship in his eyes. He watched her every move carefully and tried to imitate her as best he could. When he messed up, he seemed to scold himself as he tried again, even harder than before. Whereas the other kids were just there to have fun, this kid seemed to think he had to get things just right in order to be successful.

Tessa didn’t mean to stare, but the dark hair perfectionist just reminded her so much of another one she knew. And that made her smile.

She pulled out her phone and sent Sidney a text. “You ever fuck any girls in Philly? Besides me.”

His response came not long after. “Maybe…”

She low-key snapped a picture of the kid and caught him right when he was scrunching his eyebrows together, deep in concentration. “I spotted your love child in Ryan’s dance class tonight.”

Her phone started to ring and she picked up to hear his voice. “What’s the mother look like?”

“Are you shitting me?”

“I’m joking. That kid does look like me, though.” He paused and then asked again, “Actually, seriously, what’s the mother look like?”

Tessa giggled and tried to see if she could tell which parent was watching the mini-Sidney, but no one stood out. “I can’t tell. I’ll let you know if she makes herself known. What are you up to?”

“At dinner with boys.”

“Awe, you didn’t have to interrupt that for me, I was just being silly.”

“You don’t bother me, baby. I like to know you’re thinking of me. What are you doing at that class anyway?” Tessa felt ridiculous telling him she was trying to distract herself from sexual cravings, but she did it anyway, looking around to make sure no one was close enough to hear, knowing he would understand. He started laughing and the sound made her smile so damn hard. “That’s my girl. I know how you feel. Geno and Letang are so excited I’m hanging out with them all the time, but I think they’re going to get sick of me pretty quick. I have so much more time on my hands now that a certain beautiful woman in my life sold out and moved away.”

“Ha! Sold out, huh? That’s a new insult.”

“You like it? I’ve got to find new ways to harass you about this as time goes on.”

She had no doubt the man had seriously been thinking of new ways to jokingly make fun of her and she couldn’t wait to see what he came up with. “Alright you flightless bird, go eat your dinner. Is Geno going to chew it up and spit it into your mouth?”

“Oooo, that was low. I’m gonna get you back for that one.”

“Bring it.” She hung up before he could even try and she went back to watching the mini-Crosby do his thing.

For some reason, it gave her an odd sort of comfort. The little perfectionist made her feel close the one who, like her, was finding ways to distract himself from what could be a lonely situation. It was an adjustment, going from spending all your free time with someone to not having them there to fill your hours and days. They both just had to get used to it and find ways to occupy their time apart.

And of course, as usual, Ryan had been right. Once Tessa was out of the house and distracting her mind, she felt less sexually ravenous, less ansy, more human. She stood up and found her friend.

“Alright. Since I’m here, let me help. What can I do?”

Ryan looked like she wanted to make a snarky remark, but was trying to find a way to do it without swearing in front of the little ones. “You wanna bring the professionals some water?” Tessa gave her a sassy look and Ryan relented. “Fine. Kids! Listen up. This is my friend Contessa and she’s gonna show you some new dance moves!”

Tessa said quietly to Ryan, “Ok, but what am I showing them?”

Ryan shrugged and walked away to find another group of kids to teach. “Make something up.”

Left alone with a gaggle of five year olds now looking up at her, waiting, Tessa’s mind was racing. “Well…how about…let’s act like penguins!”

To the parents’ and Ryan’s amusement, Tessa soon had the kids doing what could be considered interpretive dance in the vein of penguins. Lots of waddling with wide arms, flapping arms, but not leaving the ground, and carrying around pretend eggs on their feet. As for the grand finale, she had them huddle up in a tight circle of bodies the way penguins do to keep warm wiggling their little penguin butts, and making everyone laugh.

When they went through the whole routine, Tessa found herself overcome with uncontrollable giggles while watching them and made a video of the kids on her phone. Naturally, she sent it to Sidney.

When he got home from dinner, Sidney watched the video on his phone. The kids were great and he was definitely amused, but the thing he really noticed, was Tessa’s laugh from behind the camera. It filled him with a sense of satisfaction and joy to know that she was happy in Philadelphia. She laughed with him on the phone, of course, but he liked knowing that she also did so when they weren’t talking.

He watched the video a few more times before he went to bed and then he sent her a text, “3 days.”

Notes

By the way, the book Tessa was reading him is “The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie” by Jennifer Ashley and it is one of my all time favorite romance novels. I highly recommend it and the whole series it’s a part of. A fun and sexy thing to do is read romance novels and replace the leading man with your favorite hockey player. Let me tell you, regency era Crosby is HOT!

Also, shout out to the person who change their vote to a 10, so the rating for this is all evened up now!!<3