Breakaway (Beyond the Play #2)

by Grace Reilly

“What’s going on?” she demands—at the exact second my bright blue dildo hits her in the face. You know when you see something horrible happen in real time, and it feels like slow-motion? Yeah. That’s my dildo hitting Mia like a freakin’ puck to the face guard. It smacks her cheek, the fake balls bouncing, before landing on the floor with a wet smack.

“Igor,” I say in between wheezes. “He went flying.” “And now I’m traumatized for life.”

“You should probably go back into the shower.” “You’re lucky I don’t kill you right here.” She smirks, but then her expression softens. “You couldn’t do it? Still?” “No. And now I can’t stop thinking about . . . him. Ugh.”

“Sorry, but I don’t get involved with brothers. Or athletes, usually. You were a fun exception, Sebastian.” She brushes past me and gives Seb a kiss on the cheek. “See you around, Callahan boys.” She disappears into Seb’s room. He shrugs, giving me an apologetic look. “Sorry. I tried my best.”

“I don’t need you to find hookups for me.” “That wasn’t it,” he says. “I thought you might actually get along.” “After you fucked her? Gee, thanks.” I go to the sink and splash water on my face. “I wasn’t in the mood for your sloppy seconds, anyway.”

“There you are.” I look up at the sound of the voice—and find myself staring at a girl my age. Scratch that. A beautiful girl my age.

This is bad. Terrible. I’m about to be around kids. I can’t be thinking about how much I want to peel off her sweater to see what her tits look like.

“Honestly, I just need to get laid. It’s been months and I’m wound too tight.” She raises an eyebrow. “Don’t you hockey players have an entourage of puck bunnies following you around?” I shrug. “I don’t hook up with the same girl twice.” “Why not?” “Do you always have so many questions about other people’s sex lives?”

“Hook up with me.”

“Sounds like you need it.” His mouth twists. “I don’t need a pity fuck.” “It’s been way too long for me too.” Several years long, but I don’t mention that last part. “I noticed you looking at me.” “And I noticed you noticing me.”

He probably thinks I’m a total vixen who does this all the time. The truth couldn’t be further from that, but what’s the harm in pretending? He just said that he never gets with the same girl twice. He’d never talk about it because I’m his coach’s daughter. This is as safe as a hookup can get.

“I want you to go down on me.” He grins crookedly, brushing my hair behind my ear. “You want me on my knees?” “I’ve heard you’re generous.”

“Are you going to be a good girl and give yourself to me?” A strangled whimper escapes my mouth. “Because I can tell,” he continues. “You need it bad. I need it bad too, sweetheart. My cock is fucking aching just looking at your gorgeous pussy. But I work best when I know my girl trusts me to take care of her.”

“I wouldn’t forget you.” “Oh, spare me,” she snaps. She slaps the phone into my palm. “I’m not planning on telling my father, in case you’re worried about that.” I glance down at my phone as her words hit me. Penny Ryder, it says. Ryder. As in . . . “Oh, fucking hell,”

“Callahan,” she says. “I’m sorry, I just assumed that you knew. I thought you were pretending.” “Why would I pretend about that?” “I don’t know! I knew who you were, I just thought . . .” “He’s going to fucking murder me.” She rolls her eyes. “He’s not going to find out. And I wanted it just as much as you.” I yank open the door. “I need to go.” “Wait—” “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I don’t like being used,”

“I wasn’t trying to use you,” she says. “I thought I was helping. I needed it, and you did too. You said so.” “I’m trying to make captain.” I can’t help it, I take a step closer, although my hand is still curled around the doorframe. “If your daddy dearest finds out, I’m screwed. I’m already stuck doing this stupid volunteer thing with you. He’ll bury me so far down the roster I’ll never make the NHL.” “He wouldn’t do that,” she says. “And it’s not like I want him to know either. So quit looking at me like I forced you into something.”

“You do have a weakness for redheads.” “She has the freckles and everything.” “Whatever, Gilbert Blythe.”

Cooper Callahan. With not one, but two girls. It shouldn’t surprise me. He told me himself that he only hooks up with girls once—to him, we’re Kleenex. He makes it worth your while, but the price of admission is the acknowledgment that it won’t be anything more than a fleeting moment. Seeing him with two brand-new puck bunnies shouldn’t hurt.

He staggers back, cursing up a storm. I snort with genuine laughter at the sight of him covered in vomit. The girl is fluttering around him, apologizing in a high, distressed voice.

“No, he was . . .” I sigh, unable to fake any interest. “Fine, yes, he was a bit of an ass. But whatever, I just wanted to blow him.” He blinks. “We’re going to unpack that later.” “We?” “Yeah, come on, I need you. Help me get my sister out of here.”

“Sure, okay.” “Unless you want to go track down that weasel.” “You’re terrible,” I say, even as I take Izzy’s arm. “You don’t even know him.” “And you do?”

“I have questions, Red,” he declares. “And as soon as I don’t smell like tequila and my sister’s stomach acid, you’re answering.” “Is this your idea of flirting?” Izzy mumbles to her brother as we head out of the room, her friend on our heels. “You’re terrible at it.” “We’re not flirting,” I say with a scowl. “Cooper doesn’t know how to flirt.” “Neither do you,” he shoots back.

“Not another word, Red.” “I didn’t even say anything!” He turns his back as he presses the phone against his ear. Izzy giggles, poking me in the stomach. “He likes you.”

“Oh, good,” he says. “You found her.” “Only cost me my favorite T-shirt,” Cooper says. “Let’s go, I’m getting a fucking headache.” “Doesn’t care about clothes, my ass,” Izzy mutters to me as we head out into the night. I bite my lip to keep from laughing again.

Sebastian turns on the radio to cut through the semi-awkward silence, and when “King of My Heart” by Taylor Swift comes on, Izzy hollers along. I sing along too, catching the look in Cooper’s eyes through the windshield. He’s still scowling, but really, he’s fighting a smile.

“She doesn’t live in the dorms?” “Nope,” Cooper says. “We all live here.” I step into the entryway. “That’s cute.” “It would have been better with James,” Izzy says with a pout. “I miss him.”

“He lives in Philadelphia, right?” “With his fiancée,” Izzy says with a sigh as she flops down on the couch. “We haven’t seen them since the summer. He abandoned us to go play football.” Sebastian ruffles her hair as he walks past, heading into the kitchen. “You can call him whenever.” Izzy brightens at that. “Coop, where’s my phone?” Cooper shakes his head. “Not now, he’ll have my ass for letting you go wild at a senior party.”

Izzy rolls her eyes. “You didn’t let me do anything. Besides, I won’t tell him.” “Iz, I love you, but secrets aren’t your strong suit.” He sighs, looking down at his shirt again. “Come on, let’s get changed. You should have some water and go to bed, so you’re good to go for your game tomorrow. I’ll drive you home in a minute, Penny.”

If I tried to explain The List to him, on top of being mortifying, he wouldn’t understand. It wouldn’t be growth to him; it’d be regression. Yet despite knowing that, I know something else, too: I’m about to ask Cooper to do it again.

“I’ve spent most of my college career unpacking.” Her pretty lips curve into a smile. “I’d rather unpack than analyze, especially when there’s math involved. I’m studying biology.” “You sound thrilled.” “I know, right?” she says dryly. “I can hardly contain my excitement.” “I know we don’t really know each other,” I say abruptly. “But what are you doing, hooking up with random guys?”

“Why do you care? Ours was a one-time deal, as I remember. And he wasn’t random.” “What’s his name?” “Alfred.” “Alfred what?” “Alfred Something.” She glares at me, a defiant look in her eyes. “Not that it’s your business who I hook up with.” “You called him an ass, Red.” She laughs shortly. “I’m sure the trail of girls you’ve left behind would throw around worse about you.”

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t do what you want to do, and I’d never call a girl that. I’m just worried, okay? I don’t know, you seem pretty inexperienced. I don’t want you to get hurt.” Her cheeks are flushed dark red. “Fuck you, Callahan.”

I stare down at it. It’s a list, clearly, simply labeled The List, but instead of a list of normal fucking things like groceries or movies or hockey stats, I see words like spanking and public sex and anal. For some reason, regular old vaginal sex is last on the list. The first item, Oral Sex (Receiving), is crossed off.

“It’s what I’m doing. You asked, so I’m showing you.” “What is this, a sex bucket list or something?” She tries to snatch the notebook, but I hold it over her head. She jumps for it, so I step back, taking another peek at the list. I nearly choke when I see Orgasm Denial and Double Penetration. “This is kinky, Red.” She huffs. “It’s not like I’m dying.” “Then what is it? Have you even done any of this? Besides the first, of course.”

“I thought you might understand, but never mind.” Her genuinely hurt tone gives me pause. “Understand what?” She drags her teeth over her bottom lip. “You were right. I don’t have a lot of experience, but I’m trying to change that. These are all things I’ve wanted to do for years now.”

“Why don’t you get a boyfriend to do them with?” She’s shaking her head before I even get the whole question out. “This isn’t about getting a boyfriend. This is about me. It’s about being in control of my own life.” She looks up at me, that fierce light in her eyes, like she’s daring me to laugh in her face. “And I’m not planning on doing all this with anyone I’d ever consider dating.”

“So you’re giving yourself a crash course in sex? You know, most people are content with regular old boning. Maybe a few fun positions thrown in.”

“All of that stuff is fun,” I admit. “You have good taste.” “I knew it,” she says, and her eyes are gleaming like she’s just gotten me to admit a secret. “You’re not most people.” “True.”

If we’re talking kinks, then fine, I’ll be honest. She saw a taste of it when we hooked up in the closet, after all. I like sex, so I’m not always all that particular, but nothing gets my dick harder than seeing a girl trust me with her pleasure, even if it’s only for a night. Praising her, rewarding her, pushing her until she goes somewhere she’s never gone before—Penny doesn’t know this, but I’ve introduced a fair number of girls to anal—is when I’m in my element the most.

“You know,” she says, “for a second, I forgot how arrogant you are.” “Not arrogant. Just confident.”

“Callahan.” “What?” Now she smiles, and it’s distracting and suspicious all at once. “You played well at your game, right?” “Yeah,” I say. “Why?” “And you said that you just needed a hookup to relax. Which it clearly helped you do.” “Is that how correlations work?” “Shut up, you know where I’m going with this.” She runs her fingers through the ends of her hair, her head still cocked to the side. She takes a step forward, the ghost of a smile on her face. “Take me through The List. I’ll get what I want, and it’ll help your game. Playing like that, you’ll be captain in no time.”

“Your father—” I start. “Doesn’t decide who I sleep with,” she interrupts. “He won’t find out. Trust me, it’s not like I want him to know about this either.” “Except he will, and he’ll forgive you because you’re his daughter, but me? I’ll be lucky if I stay on the team.” “He wouldn’t do that.” “Don’t underestimate what a pissed-off father will do.” She huffs out an annoyed breath. “Look, I’m not going to beg.” “As tempting as it would be to see you on your knees,” I

“you already know I don’t do repeats.”

“Don’t do it like this, Penny. Find a nice guy to take you out.” She gives me a light shove. “Thanks for the unsolicited advice, but if it’s not you, I’m sure I’ll find better matches than Alfred.” Then she shuts the door in my face.

Is it masochism if you offer sex to a guy and he turns you down, but then the next time you get yourself off, you think about him?

“You watch football, Red?” “Not really. My dad and I are diehard Lightning fans, though.” He makes a face. “Not the Coyotes? I thought you were from Arizona.” “Dad worked on the Lightning staff before focusing on college coaching.” “Or maybe you just like those back-to-back Stanley Cups.”

“Maybe it’s that I like the players. Pat Maroon has a spectacular beard.” Cooper’s mouth drops open. “And I don’t?” I just smile, pretending to ponder it deeply as I tap my nail against my chin. “Let’s see. Do you root for the Islanders or Rangers? You’re from Long Island, it can’t be the Sabres.” “Choose wisely, Red. Our next hookup depends upon it.” “Oh yeah?”

“What are you going to do?” “Think about that list of yours,” he murmurs into my ear. I shiver at the feel of his warm breath on my skin. “Keep teasing and I’ll have to punish you. I can think of two things that would be suitable for slander.” Sebastian clears his throat. “I’m right fucking here.”

“Sorry, Sebby. We’re engaging in some serious sex coaching here.” “Because that’s such a smart idea,” Sebastian says dryly. “Don’t worry, she already promised not to fall in love with me.” I roll my eyes as I hit his shoulder. “As if.” “Can’t imagine it, anyway.” Sebastian grabs another beer from the fridge. “Have fun, kids. Use protection.”

As he leaves, Cooper calls, “Be glad I’m like this instead of a raging bitch! I’ve been cured!” “Did he call you that?” “Pretty much.” He leans back in his chair, draping his arm over the back. “So, what’ll it be?” “Islanders,” I say. “Isn’t Mat Barzal so dreamy?”