Page 102 of Instigator

She giggles so hard she snorts. “Thanks, Wish. I appreciate it. What are you doing up?”

“Couldn’t sleep either.” The bed felt empty without her there. Too empty. I already have to sleep alone on our next road trip after tonight’s game. I don’t want to do it now; not when she’s here. “How much longer do you want to work?”

She hesitates, biting her lip.

“I’m not rushing you. It takes time for genius. I just want to get a pulse on where you’re at.”

“I need at least another hour. Maybe two.”

“Okay. Will it distract you if I sit here with you?”

She shakes her head, forehead furrowed. “You don’t want to sleep?”

Do I? Yes. I would much rather be in bed, sleeping beside her. But if she’s not ready to go to sleep, the least I can do is keep her company.

“Let me go grab my Kindle, and I’ll hang out with you.”

Her face softens. “Aidan…”

“I like spending time with you. Even when you’re working, I want to be with you. So if you want to stay up, I will too. You don’t have to entertain me or talk to me. Just make sure you hydrate and eat something.”

“Thank you,” she murmurs. “I don’t deserve you.”

I shake my head. “I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you.”

I’m exhausted when I finally drag myself off the ice after morning skate. Turns out, staying up for three hours in the middle of the night isn’t conducive to being well rested enough to play hockey. I have no fucking idea how I’m going to make it through the game this evening.

At least I can go home and take my pregame nap. I don’t think I’ll survive tonight without it.

Ryan and I carpooled, so we head back to our building together. Sinclair and Jenkins pull into the garage at the same time, and the four of us hit the elevator.

“I’m fucking dead, man,” Jenkins says as he jabs at the floor panel, pressing the buttons for all of us. “Practice was brutal today.”

Coach was on a tear, ripping us a new one every time someone flubbed a shot or Lewis and Henry let a puck past them. Our penalty kill is sloppy, our power play can’t finish, and don’t get him started on even-strength play.

Basically, we’re a mess. And it’s all my fault. As captain, I’m supposed to lead them. Guide them. And I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to offer encouragement.

“Tell me about it,” I mutter.

Ryan sends me a curious look. He knows I’m not usually so salty. “You good, dude?”

“Just tired. Didn’t get enough sleep.”

He huffs out a snort. “Up late with Ceci?”

“Not like you’re thinking.”

Sinclair arches an eyebrow. “You mean you and your girl didn’t get freaky? If I had someone in my bed every night, you bet your ass we’d be getting it on all the fucking time.”

Well… we did. After we got back from Colt’s, we took a shower together, and she gave me the best blowjob of my life before I went down on her for at least an hour, bringing her to the brink but refusing to let her fall apart.

When I finally let her come, she burst into tears from the strength of her release. Then I held her until she passed out, enjoying the simple comfort of sleeping beside her.

Until she slipped out of bed, leaving me cold and alone.

“She was up working half the night,” I finally say.

She doesn’t need the details of our private lives bandied about like candy gossip. I respect her privacy, just like she respects mine.