Page 35 of The Draft

I crinkled my nose, looking at the still-sealed pack, and huffed out a nervous laugh because it made sense. Dash hadn’t brought any other girls home since he started college, and he didn’t like people on the best of days.He wasn’t like other hockey players. He was quiet and broody. I’d seen the way he reacted to those girls at The Draft. The only one he was interested in was me. He wasn’t sleeping with girls every night, and I knew it. My brain just had a momentary freak out similar to when I saw Sienna.

“Why would Erik buy you condoms in bulk?”

“Because he’s addicted to Costco. Have you ever been in his room?” I shook my head. “Last Christmas, he brought back two six-foot nutcrackers and planned on displaying them in the common room, but see, Alex hates clowns, and a nutcracker is essentially their creepy Christmas cousin. Alex freaked out so much when he saw them, he slept on Scotty’s floor for a week.”

“Did Erik return them?”

“Nope. He has to keep them in his room year-round. They sit at the end of his bed like they’re guarding the place. I’m surprised any girls walk out in the morning, considering how freaky they are.”

I let out a breath, but my face must have looked off because he asked, “Are you sure you’re okay with doing this?”

“Yes,” I said meekly, feeling foolish for calling him out because someone more experienced wouldn’t be accidentally shaming their potential partner.

Dash didn’t let me sit on that feeling for long. He tipped my chin up so I could look him in the eye, and watched me expectantly, waiting for a better answer because he knew something was up.

“Look, I know you’ve had sex. Haven’t we all?” Did I sound believable? He didn’t balk, so I hoped so. “I’m just not a guy on the hockey team, so my roster might be a little shorter than yours, but that’s not a problem, is it? If it’s only for one night?”

Dash bent down. “First, I think you’re vastly overestimating my numbers. But either way, it doesn’t bother me, and I want you to know that I’m not going to push you into anything. You tell me, and we can stop whenever you want.”

I almost snorted at his response because, like I would ever ask him to stop.

“Then what are you waiting for? Let’s open that box and get started.” I rubbed my hands together, doing my best to rid myself of any nervous energy. “How many do you think we can get through tonight? Seven?Eight?” Again, if this was the only time I could have with Dash, then I was going to make it count.

He chuckled as he opened the box and pulled out one lone condom.

My face fell. One time? Well, that was mildly disappointing.

“Without getting too clinical over this, I’ll leave these here so we can come back for more, but let’s see how things go the first time before we commit to anything else.”

I nodded, swallowing down my nervousness. I didn’t need to be anxious because I knew Dash would take care of me even if he didn’t know this was my first time.

Putting the condom in his jeans pocket, he leaned down to give me another kiss, and as he pulled away, he smiled, taking my face in thoroughly. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to kiss you like that.”

“Probably not as long as I’ve wanted you to.”

His fingers tickled against my jeans, skirting around the back until he was holding my thighs. Then he picked me up, forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist. Kissing my collarbone, he managed to kick open the bathroom door and walk us back into his bedroom.

“Now, Madison, remember. The guys are probably asleep, and this room doesn’t have the best soundproof qualities. You’re going to have to be quiet.”

“Then you’re going to have to shut me up.”

He paused and looked at me with surprise. I would too, because did I just say that? Well, maybe I was feeling more confident than I thought.

A smirk pulled at one side of his face. “I can think of plenty of ways to do that.”

I giggled as he carried me over to his bed, deliriously happy that he accepted my deal. When he dropped me onto his sheets, I fell back, ready for whatever he wanted to do. Oh, all the possibilities were running through my head, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted him to start with. Judging by the look in his eyes, he didn’t know either.

My feet were teetering at the end of the mattress, and Dash silently dropped to his knees as he got onto the bed, prowling forward until a hand was resting on either side of my head. His deep brown eyes stared into me before he kissed me again. Long and full, as though he was conveying amessage with it.

As I ran a hand through Dash’s hair, I turned my face to give him better access to my neck. Kissing and nipping his way down to my collarbone, I was already lost in him.

But then he pulled away and looked down at me. “Can I ask you something?”

I nodded.

“Has a guy ever made you come with just his fingers?”

“Umm.”