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For the ones with gentle souls and hearts made of gold. (And for the readers who love to see the sweet six-foot-two NHL player use his mouth for something other than talking… Hudson Hayes is for you)
The best part of my job is being in charge of entitled men who think they’re better than me because they have a dick.
A week of job searching has left me empty-handed and on the brink of joining OnlyFans.
“Did you set me up on a blind date? My shirt has a hole in it, Piper. That’s not how I make a good first impression. And I didn’t bring wine. Flowers. Anything
“For you, Mom,” I say to the empty room. “Always for you.” One of the overhead lights flickers, and I laugh. “Yeah. I know you’re here. You wouldn’t miss this. Sometimes I can still hear you yelling at me to get the rebound.” I pause, my shoulders heavy and my eyes wet with tears. “Fuck. I miss you, Mama.”
“What was with the penalty you got earlier? I saw you chirping that dude.” “He liked one of Emmy’s photos on Instagram last week, and it pissed me off. The hit was worth the two-minute timeout I got in the sin bin.” “You’re joking.” “Nope.” “You might be the most deranged man I’ve ever met.” “Nah. Just an idiot in love.”
He gives me a wave and flips his hat backward before walking toward us. Jesus Christ. Shit like that should be illegal for men to do in public.
“Never?” “Never. I like relationships. Meaningful conversations. Getting to know a person before I take off their clothes.
“The internet calls me Blond Bombshell, but I’m not a huge fan of that one.”
“Hudson Blond Bombshell Hayes. You know what? I take it back. That is what I’m going to call you from now on. It’s too good.”
“We need a toast.” “What are we toasting?” “To the family you’re born with, and the family you meet along the way.”
“Huddy Boy is a fucking dog,” Grant yells. “I knew he’d be a freak in the bedroom,” Ethan says, and I untangle myself from them. “I’m not a freak. I just know how to listen,” I say. “Helps a lot.”
“We need to make him watch the ‘Juno’ positions clips and figure out which ones he likes.” Grant drops to the floor and thrusts into the rug. “Have you ever tried this one, Hud?”
“She’s so good. Is she a hockey player too? Look at her spin, Luce.” She looks like a ballerina! “Who?” Piper follows my gaze. “That’s Hannah, Grant’s sister. She’s a professional figure skater.”
There are a lot of men in the world, but I’m learning there’s only one Hudson Hayes.
Not as entertaining as the book I’m reading right now. There’s accidental cannibalism in it lol. Me
“It’s not the length of time that determines your happiness. It’s the person,”
Stay here with me. Your touch soothes me. Every minute you’re around, I feel like the part of myself that’s been broken for years is healing.
“You said your favorite color was green and I—” I lift the dress at my hip, gesturing at my ensemble. “I thought it was festive.” “When I said green, I meant that exact shade. You in that outfit, really.” His cheeks are flushed, and his Adam’s apple bobs. “No other variation is ever going to do.”
“Gosh. You really are something else, Mads. A sight for sore eyes.”
“They’re drawings. Of you and her and the dogs. Of you and me at the stove while she watches us make dinner. Of you playing hockey,” Madeline explains as I flip through the pages, and my chest feels impossibly tight.
“I’m serious. You could have anyone you wanted. You’re like a pussy magnet,”
“What else have you been thinking about?” “You,” I say. “In every way I shouldn’t want you. In every way I can’t have you.”
“Fuck off,” he says, and I follow him to the kitchen. “I’m home, Sunshine. And I brought a stray.”
“You’re so selfless, all the time. Helping you with something you’re clearly passionate about isn’t a chore. It’s something I’d be glad to do.
“Next time you come to a game, don’t show up in someone else’s jersey.” His fingers trace the outline of the letters spanning across my shoulders. They dance down my spine, and my eyes flutter closed. “I’ll buy you a hundred jerseys with my name on them so you never run out.”
I don’t know what I want more: to wear his name across my back, or to learn how persuasive Hudson Hayes can be.
“You’re the brightest thing in this room. The brightest thing in every room.”
“What do you want?” I ask, terrified to hear the answer. “You,” she says, and it’s my favorite word she’s ever spoken. “I’m not kissing you unless you tell me to, Madeline. And if I do, it’s not going to be a one-time, casual thing. It’s not going to be a two-time thing. It’s going to mean something, just like it did on New Year’s,
“You can touch me however you want,” I tell her. “I’ll like anything you do to me.” Ruin me, I almost say, but I keep that to myself.
“Open your eyes, Maddie. I want you to watch when you take me for the first time.”
“I don’t care. The award has already been handed out. I present to you the honor of being the best dick of my life.”
“Look how well you take my cock. Look at how well we fit together.” It’s a perfect match.
“I really am going to have to fuck that word out of you,” he says. “Well? What are you waiting for?” I
“Because people talk about how… how shitty professional athletes are and how all they care about are sports, but then there’s people like you guys—and everyone else on the team—who are so not shitty, and I wish the world could see more of that.”
“Because y’all are mine.” I tuck a loose piece of hair behind her ear. “And I protect what’s mine.”
“You did this for Lucy?” Madeline asks. “Yes. And you.” “Why?” “Why not?”
“You know why. Don’t you?” I love you, I think. I love you, I love you, I love you.
