Two Minutes for Hooking

Chapter 14

Tilly- Short for Tilt, a slang term for a fight in hockey

Jocelyn
James took me to a booth outside of a food truck claiming to have the best schwarma in the midwest. We both ordered the lamb schwarma and an order of baba ganoush with pita.
As we ate we talked about our families and friends. I learned that he met Ryan at hockey camp a few years before coming to the Frost.
"We hated each other. Absolutely hated each other." He recalled with a fond twinkle in his eyes. "I used to have a really bad habit of going too deep in the crease to compensate for my schools goalie and it pissed him off. He took it as an insult to his skills and one day, enough was enough. I went too deep and I guess I didn't hear him shouting at me to get out of his way, at least he claims he shouted first. Anyway, I was too deep and Ryan had had enough, the next thing I knew I was flat on my back looking up a very red faced Ryan who was spitting angry telling me to get the fuck up and calling me every name he could think of." James took another giant bite of his schuwarma.
"And then what happened?" I asked, leaning forward in my seat. "And then I got up and launched myself at him. I'd never been hooked by my own goalie before and I remember being so mad. We had to have looked like a couple of idiots. Neither of us took off our gloves or anything. The coaches pulled us off each other and decided as punishment we would have to be roommates for the duration of camp." He said, crumbling up his wrapper. "I'm pretty sure you know what happened next."
"Let me guess, you were best friends from that moment forward?"
His smile dazzled me. "Could you imagine it any other way?"
I shook my head and finished my last bite. James took our trash over to the garbage then came back and held out his hand for mine.
"Ready?"
We walked through the street fair admiring the crafts and local wares that were sale. As we walked we talked and laughed. James was so laid back and easy to talk to, he made me feel at ease and I was able to just be myself with him. Eventually we got to what I assumed was our destination, there was a field with a projection screen set up and groups of people spread out across the lawn on various chairs and blankets.
James took us to a spot under a tree and spread out his jacket on the ground before lowering himself to sit against the tree and holding out his hand to help me sit between his legs.
"Is this okay?" he breathed in my ear. I shivered at his warm breath and nodded my head. My spine went stiff and my heart began fluttering with nerves. I was too afraid to lean back, too afraid to touch him. James must have sensed my fear because moments later he reached his arms around my stomach and pulled me back against his chest.
"Come here. Relax. I wont bite." I could feel his smile and it helped me relax. I slowly eased myself back until I was flush with his hard, sculpted chest. "That's better."
James wrapped his arms around me as the movie began to play. We watched the movie mostly in silence. It was a movie I had seen before which was lucky because I couldn't tell you what it was. All I could focus on during the entire movie was the feel of his chest when he laughed and his warm breath tickling my ear.
About halfway through the film I relaxed my neck and let it rest on his shoulder, he tipped his head to lay on mine and I swear my heart leapt from my body and into the stars. The rest of the movie I spent snuggled securely into James' arms as his finger tips traced patterns along my arms. I tried to focus on the movie, I really did but I had been fantasizing about James Collings for so long and here I was, on a date with him. I don't think anything else existed in my world but James at that moment.
I felt the fingers on his right hand creep slowly up my arm until they were caressing my cheek.
I turned my head to look at him and realized our faces were millimeters apart. My skin tingled where his fingers slowly traced a path along my cheek and jaw before slipping into my hair to angle my lips to meet his. He was tentative and gentle at first. Giving me just the barest brush of his lips against mine. He pulled back the barest distance and looked into my eyes. It seemed like he was asking my permission. Rather than answer I turned my head more toward him and moved my hand to his cheek and my lips back to his. The second kiss was definitely not tentative but still gentle and sweet. His tongue gently brushed my bottom lip and I opened for him. It was slow and it was hot and just as I felt like I might combust he backed off slowly, ending the kiss with two slow and gentle pecks. We smiled at each other like idiots and I nestled my head back into his shoulder and watched the last of the move with his arms tight around me.
When the movie was over we drove back to my apartment, holding hands and sneaking kisses at every stop light. My heart was so full and light I felt like I could have flown.When we got to my apartment, James came around to my side to let me out. As I slid from the passenger side his hands came around my waist and he lowered me to the ground but didn't step back. He gently moved me to the side and closed the door before backing me against his truck.I felt his breath on my cheeks as he leaned closer. His hands gripping my waist in a gentle but possesive grip.
"You are so beautiful" he whispered as his lips closed over mine. I inhaled a sharp breath as the warmth from his lips spread down to my core and ignited a fire. He was gentle but firm and his kiss grew more and more heated as his tongue reached out to touch my bottom lip. I opened for him and saw stars, his hand moved under the fall of my hair and his thumb caressed my cheek. This kiss was nothing like our previous kisses. This one was fire. Our tongues clashing and breathing heavy. I slid my hands around his neck and arched into him. My nipples hardening in arousal. I felt the fingers at my waist venture under the hem of my sweater and stroke the flat skin of my stomach. I pulled him closer moaning at the contact of his fingers against my sensitive skin. James moved his mouth to my jaw and trailed kissed along it biting my earlobe and licking the sensitive skin behind it. I moaned and he pulled him closer, I could feel him against me, rock hard and ready. His hand at my waist moved to cup my breast through my bra. The sheer lace doing nothing to hide my aroused nipples from his searching fingers.
"Oh James" I breathed as he nibbled his way down my neck to my collar bone. I pulled his head back to mine and kissed him hard. My other hand moving between us to rub against his erection. He groaned and I swear I came. I wanted him, right here, right now. I didn't care that anyone could look outside and see us. I moved my fingers to the button of his jeans and he froze. He pulled back slowly, and awareness flooded me. He leaned his forehead against mine and gently pulled my hand away from his jeans.
"Lets save that for another day."
I was confused. I could have sworn he wanted me as much as I wanted him. "Okay." I muttered, my mind still not fully in a sane state.James smiled, his eyes crinkling in good humor.
"Don't worry beautiful Jocelyn. I want you more than anything but I'm not going to treat you like you're worth less than you are. I want to do this right. You deserve for me to do this right."
I was shocked. I had never had any man be so upfront with me about what he wanted. And the fact that he wanted me made me feel like melted butter.James kissed me gently once more and walked me to my door. "Can I see you again tomorrow?" he asked, his green eyes hopeful.
I could barely breath let alone speak, so I nodded and smiled.He tipped my chin and gave me another soft kiss.
"I'll call you in the morning and we'll make plans." He kissed me again, took my phone and saved his number before texting his phone so he would have mine. Then he said "I'll talk to you tomorrow beautiful. Sweet dreams."
And with one more lingering kiss, he turned and walked slowly back to his truck.