Sid pulls a pair of satin panties out of my hand and his face splits into a boyish grin. "I'll take care of these," he giggles. I can't help but return his smile, and I toss a pile of my undergarments toward him. He carefully picks up each article, examining the soft fabric, then neatly folds them and places them in an ordered stack on the corner of my bed.
"I'll never get packed if it takes you that long to fold panties," I tease him.
"Free labor Kate, you shouldn't be complaining," he retorts. "I can't imagine why you would need these on your trip home," Sid smirks, holding up an especially sheer pair of panties that are cut very small. He doesn't wait for my response, instead shoving the offensive item into the back pocket of his jeans.
"Sid!" I squeal, making him giggle. I crawl across the bed toward the corner where he stands sorting clothes for me. "Hand them over," I demand, but he swiftly shakes his head and holds me at a distance.
"No way I'm sending my girl on holiday with a suitcase full of sexy lingerie," he announces.
"I guess I just won't wear any underwear," I sigh. I risk a glance in his direction and his expression has changed from playful to deadpan in nanoseconds.
"Oh you'll wear underwear," he tells me, holding my gaze with his.
"I will?" I ask with a touch of naivete.
"Yes, you will." He isn't playing around here. This is a side of him I haven't been privy to in the past. His voice is steady and very authoritative, and it's sexy as hell. "That's for me, and no one else."
I close the space between us and wrap my arms around his neck. "Of course it is, baby." He softens under my touch and pulls me to his chest.
"Please don't joke about that," he asks quietly, and a wave of guilt falls over me. What I intended as gentle teasing has clearly struck a nerve with him and I hate that I've hurt him, even if it was unintentional.
"You'll be happy to know that I have a strict policy of always wearing panties," I whisper, and his shoulders relax. He buries his face into my neck and I feel his warm breath against my skin. "Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah," he answers automatically, but I'm not convinced. I place my hands on either side of his face and smile up at him. He slowly grins back, and I lean in to kiss his lips, pouring all my affection for him against his pouting lips. When I pull back I raise my eyebrows slightly, silently posing the same question. "No," he sighs. "I'm not okay."
"What's wrong hun?" I stroke his face lightly.
"Ugh," he sighs, taking a step back and running his hands through his hair. This can't be good.
"Sid?"
"It's stupid," he says exasperatedly.
"Tell me," I coax. Sidney stills and his anxious eyes frantically search mine. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not stupid."
"He lives there, right?" It takes me a minute to decipher the question and I realize he's nervous about Benny.
"He does," I nod.
"And there's a chance you might see him, right?" his voice betrays the tough exterior he's trying to maintain.
"Unlikely, but it's possible."
"I don't like it," he finishes. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. I run my fingers through his hair and tug his face gently toward mine.
"What can I do to make this easier for you?" I ask seriously.
"Stay," he snaps, but his face expresses immediate regret. I frown at him and a sheepish smile spreads across his lips. "I don't know."
"You're just going to have to trust me, and I'm going to have to trust you."
"I don't have an ex-wife," he snarls.
"Hey!" I hiss. "That's not fair." I move to pull away from him, but his arms snake around me in apology.
"I just mean..." he starts, but I have no interest in his clarification.
"Listen," I interrupt. "I might have an ex-husband, emphasis on ex, but I've seen how women react to you. You can't tell me that if you wanted to fill your hotel room with women that it would be a problem. This isn't easy for me either." I push away from him, fully absorbing the weight of my own words as I do. "I don't know what goes on when you're on the road."
"Eat, sleep, hockey." He looks deadly serious. "I'm not like that, Kate." He's angry now, but so am I! I watch as he neatly places the shoes I've laid out into my suitcase, unable or unwilling to look at me. He's so confusing, one minute he's asking me to stay and the next minute he's helping me pack!
"I'm not going to seek him out, if that's what you think," I say as mildly as possible. The last thing I wanted to do tonight was get into an argument, over Benny of all things!
"And I don't cheat," he snaps. "Ever." Something about the conviction of his declaration comforts me. I offer him my hand and he begrudgingly accepts. I can't help but giggle at how stubborn he's being, considering this whole things started because of a veiled accusation on his part. I take his hand and kiss each of his knuckles, risking a peek at his face when I reach the last one. I raise the white flag with a smile and he reciprocates, bringing my hand to his mouth as he repeats the action across my fingertips.
"I'm very glad to hear that Sid," I confess. "Sometimes professional athletes have..."
"Reputations," he interrupts. "I get it, but that's not me." His voice has softened and I think we might just scrape through our first fight intact. I scamper back across the bed and resume folding laundry into my suitcase, very aware that he is watching me closely. "You'll call me?"
"Everyday," I promise. "Will you bring me a present?" I ask with a grin, knowing it's probably impossible for him to go shopping.
"Sure," he laughs.
"Tell me where you're going again?"
"Buffalo, then New Jersey, and then Toronto," he sounds excited, and I know he's missed being on the ice.
"And you're sure you've healed enough to play?" I sound like an overprotective nag.
"Yes, babe," he laughs. "The doctors wouldn't let me if I wasn't healed." He sprawls across the bed, setting a stack of neatly folded bras and panties into my suitcase. That reminds me!
"What are your plans for my panties?" I point to his pocket and he shakes his head.
"Your panties?" he says, playing dumb. "Not sure what you're referring to."
"You want to keep them?!" For what?
"If I did would you let me?" he asks shyly.
"Of course," I smile.
"I'll take them on my road trip. Seeing your panties next to my shorts..." he trails off momentarily. "If we can't be together at least our underwear can be." His reasoning is somehow very sweet and has me in a fit of giggles. The tips of his ears are reddening, and I know he's slightly embarrassed. Well, I can fix that.
"Give me your shorts," I demand, holding out my hand. Sid gives me an incredulous look, and I nod my head. "Come on Sidney, give me your shorts. Fair is fair." His face splits into a megawatt smile as he rolls off the bed and turns to face me. He shakes his head, obviously quite amused with me, and undoes the button to his jeans. He then slowly unzips the fly and lowers them to his ankles. He steps out of his jeans and then tucks his fingers into the waistband of his shorts, quickly shedding them and tossing them across the bed.
I catch his shorts, but my eyes never leave his. He picks up his jeans and stops to consider his options. "Let's get you packed first," he says. I nod twice, he's right. If we start that, I'll never get this done. Sid steps back into his jeans, sans underwear, and restores them to their proper place on his hips, slowly raising the zipper, but leaving them unbuttoned.
"Well that's not distracting at all," I tease. He frowns at me and folds a hoodie, carefully tucking it into my bag. When I think about it, my flight isn't that early, and all of the important things are packed. He picks up a freshly washed tank top, and inspiration strikes. "Hang on Sid," he pauses and looks at me. "I'd rather take this one instead," I tell him, unbuttoning my cardigan and shedding the camisole underneath. I stand in front of him in just my bra and skirt and hold out my hands expectantly, but he doesn't pass me the shirt. Sid grins and starts shoving my clothes into the suitcase haphazardly. Success!
"They have irons in Saskatchewan," he assures me. He picks up my suitcase and sets it on the bedroom floor. He strips his shirt off and tosses it next to my things. I shimmy out of my skirt, and toss it playfully toward him. He bats it away easily and moves toward me, a hungry look in his eye. "How am I going to go six days without you?"
"You're back Wednesday?" I whine.
"I know, but then I have Saturday and Sunday off," he whispers, dragging his lips across my collarbone.
"I'm in New York next weekend," I sigh, and feel his hands grip my arms and he pulls away from me.
"You're joking," he begs. I shake my head and his face falls in disappointment. "Kate!"
"I can't help it, my agent set it up," I defend myself. "Why don't you join me?"
"I have practice both days," he says, obviously discouraged by this news. He picks up his jeans, and for a second I think he's going to leave, so it's a relief when he pulls out his phone. "Okay, when do you leave?"
"Saturday morning," I answer automatically. He flicks through his calendar, which looks absolutely jam-packed.
"I have practice Saturday morning, early though, what time is your flight?" he asks, but I don't have the answer. I reach into my carry-on and pull out my iPad. I open my calendar and it's not much different than Sid's.
"Eleven thirty," I answer.
"I can do that, what time are you back Sunday?" he looks up, and I flip through the travel itinerary.
"Just after midnight," I say and he frowns. That sucks.
"If I can get out of the skate I will," he says automatically. "Enough of this," he tucks his phone away and grabs my iPad from my hands, packing it once again. He stands in front of me, him naked first for a change, and I reach out to grip his hips. He takes my hands and pulls me up, flush against his body and his warm skin feels exquisite against mine.
"I'm going to miss you," I confess quietly.
"We've been spoiled I think," he sighs, and I'm slightly disappointed he didn't return my declaration. Stop being petty!
"I definitely feel spoiled," I concur, and Sid smiles down at me.
"Me too," he whispers, his mouth grazing my ear, his breath hot on my skin, and my need for him spreading through my body. His lips travel down my jaw to my neck and his hands slip the straps of my bra down my arms, and I shiver slightly. "Mmmmm, I love that I can do that to you."
"I love..." I pause momentarily and take a deep breath, "that you can do that to me," I smile. Inside I flinch. I can't believe how close I came to saying that! THAT! Way too early, Kate. Way too early.
"I'm going to miss this," he confesses. Hmm, not quite, but close. "How am I going to make it through a week without this?" He kisses down my shoulder, his tongue hot on my skin. "How am I going to make it through a week without you?"
Wow. I melt on the spot, practically draping myself into his arms. I quickly shed my bra and he hooks his fingers under the fabric of my panties and drags them down my legs, his lips kissing my chest and stomach along the way. With no warning, Sid lifts me and cradles me in his arms. I squeal with delight, making him laugh and giggle along with me.
He tosses me onto the bed and crawls toward me. Tell him! And watching him, I really want to, but my head tells me not to. People don't fall in love this fast, it's just lust. Powerful, overwhelming, almost paralyzing, lust. Right?
"What's going on in there?" he grins.
"I'm just thinking about how much I like you," I confess.
"Yeah? How much?" he presses playfully, settling between my legs, dragging his hands across my chest.
"A little bit," I giggle, and he gives me an exaggerated frown. "Okay, more than a little bit."
"I'll torture it out of you," he warns me, and I flash him a skeptical look. "I'll do it," he continues, but I just shake my head. Suddenly his fingers are no longer instruments of pleasure, instead his strokes turn to tickles and I'm squealing with delight. I try to pull away from him, but Sid is too strong. He's laughing harder than I've ever heard him laugh before, holding me easily with one hand, an ear-to-ear smile covering his face. "A little bit?" he questions.
"More..." I gasp, trying desperately to recover myself.
"More?" he asks, continuing his hideous torture.
"A lot more!" I squeal and that seems to satisfy him. Before I can catch my breath his tongue is in my mouth, his body is flush against mine and his hands are between my legs.
"I..." he pants, slowing our frantic pace. He doesn't continue immediately and my heart races. Is he going to say it? "I really like you Kate, so much." He kisses the tip of my nose and presses his forehead against mine. "If I'm going to be without my girl for six days I want my fill of her tonight," he groans.
"I'm all yours Sid," and I mean it, in every way.