Need Your Number: Tampa Thunder Series
Need Your Number: Chapter 8

Fiona wants to talk after the game. I don’t know what she has to give me but I’m excited. I’m trying to keep my head focused on the game. It’s important neither Luke nor I let Justin get to us. We can’t afford to be put in the penalty box. Skating past Fi and her friends, I drop her an Airhead and shoot her a wink. She looks gorgeous in her Penguins shirt and tight leggings. All I want is to claim her as mine in front of this entire arena but we aren’t there yet.

I catch her eye right as her douchebag ex skates by and I can see him raising his jersey sleeve to her.

Luke skates up to me. “I’m going to kill him, I swear to God. Can’t he just leave her alone?”

I knock his helmet lightly. “Just try to keep your cool, man. I know he’s the world’s biggest asshole.” We continue warmups and then line up for the national anthem.

As we are skating to line up, I overhear, “Look at her! She is so hung up on me, she didn’t even put on her own brother’s jersey and he plays for the team she works for. I got her bitch ass wrapped around my little finger.”

I stop by Luke and Stuntz. “Listen, this isn’t the best game to do this, but I just overheard Justin talking mad shit about Fi, and I can’t let it go. I’m going to lay him out over and over every chance I get. I’m sorry, I know we need the win.”

Luke grabs my helmet. “I don’t know what’s going on with you two, but don’t hurt her, dude. Let’s talk after the game.”

Stuntz taps us both on the helmet. “Do what you need to do, but don’t cost us the game.” As he skates off he says, “Make him pay. Fiona doesn’t deserve his harassment!”

It’s fucking on! The first period flies by with Luke cross-checking Justin and cussing him out right at the end. Luke is just swinging punch after punch on Justin. We barely pulled them apart but Justin just smiled. Maybe I shouldn’t have told Luke exactly what he said right as the whistle blew, but he kept asking. Justin goes out of his way to skate past Fiona at the end of the first period doing the jersey lift again.

“Fuck this – I will be right back,” I tell Stuntz and skate to Fiona. Justin is still close enough to see us. I bang on the boards and yell for her to meet me at the press door by the locker room.

I hear her friends yell, “GO, GIRL!”

Thankfully they seem to be on my side. I quickly skate to the door as Luke catches my eye and nods. I know that’s his way of approving of me going to Fi, and letting me know we will talk later.

I stop at my bag in the locker room, then head to the press room.

“Hey, Zane, what’s wrong?” I hear Fiona almost out of breath.

I shove my jersey at her. “Listen I want you, I always have. I just told your brother I want to be with you. I NEED you in my number, but I won’t force you. Take this and decide if you want me or not. I’m about to kill Justin out there! All I can think of is he hurt my sunshine. I got to go; I know you want to talk after the game, so I will see you then.’ With that I run back to the rink doors.

As the second period begins, dumbass tempts me again. “Looks like whatever secret meeting you guys had scared her off. She doesn’t want you man, she’s always been mine.”

I grind my mouthpiece so hard I’m afraid it’s going to break. I look subtly to the side; he’s right, she’s not there. Did I scare her off? Fuck I didn’t want to do that but my emotions got the best of me. I shake my head, trying to focus. I need to beat this fucker, then I will deal with Fiona.

So far it’s a shutout, even with Luke getting put in the penalty box again for slamming Justin into the boards. We have two goals so far. I’m happy with that, as long as we keep them from scoring. The energy in the arena is on another level tonight! I focus on not looking over to where Fiona was sitting. I can’t afford to lose focus. With thirty seconds left we score again, with an assist from yours truly.

As the buzzer goes off, I hear banging on the boards behind me.

I turn around and it’s like a dream. There’s my sunshine, standing on her seat with my jersey on and my number painted on each cheek. I skate over, taking my glove off and putting my hand on the glass.

She reaches up and I barely hear her say, “You are worth every risk; I couldn’t imagine myself in another number! Now go kick some ass!”

With that, I skate to my team and Luke taps me on the back. “I’m happy for you man, you will be good for her. Now let’s go shut this game out!”

As we skate back out for the third period, Justin’s teammate yells, “J, isn’t that your bitch in the stands now wearing #27 and has his number on her cheek?”

Justin looks over. “What the fuck, that little whore! No worries – once I see her in person, I will fuck her face down until that number rubs off.”

With that, my gloves are off and I’m slamming him into the boards. I nod up to her then say “I gotta say, my number looks real good on her, don’t you think?” Suddenly Luke is there too. He heard what Justin said just like I did. Stuntz and Marshall finally pull me off and I get a five-minute major penalty, but it’s worth the look on Justin’s stupid ass face.

“Stay away from my girl, you stupid fuck,” I say as I skate to the penalty box, making eye contact with Fi and nodding to let her know I’m okay.

I come out with eight minutes left in the final period. We score two more goals, one being another assist from me. We are on fire tonight – the crowd, the rivalry, everyone hating Justin… it is just the perfect recipe for a shutout! We beat our rivals in a shutout; we have never beat GU in a game where they didn’t even score once! The crowd is going crazy! I search the crowd for my sunshine. She’s on her seat waving and points towards her office. Probably letting me know she’s going to upload any content she got tonight while we shower and have our talk with Coach.

About an hour later I text Fi, letting her know to just meet me at the rink doors where the team comes in. When I step out I didn’t expect to see Douchebag Magee trying to talk to her. I linger back though, knowing she can hold her own. I don’t want to take the power from her. I read somewhere that victims of emotional abuse need their next partner to not take their power from them.

I can hear him raising his voice but she is calm and direct with him. I’m about to step in when she turns around and sees me. I wasn’t sure if I should kiss her with Justin being there. I didn’t want our first kiss to be uncomfortable. But before I can decide what to do, she runs and launches herself at me. With her legs around my waist, she looks at me with those perfect kissable lips and I forget who’s around.

The kiss feels like it lasts forever yet it’s not long enough. The sparks are flying while I kiss her like she was giving me the oxygen I needed to stay alive. Her lips are soft and she lets out the smallest moan when I lightly bite her lip. When we finally break our kiss, she buries her head into my shoulder, and I carry her to my car. I set her down, opening the door for her to get inside. As we drive off I see Justin standing in the same spot, angry. I was so distracted I didn’t even look for him as I walked to the car.

“So, what did you want to give me tonight?” I ask Fi. I hold my hand on her thigh as we drive.

She smiles shyly. “Well, I was going to meet you wearing the team shirt with your name on it, then kiss you – but I think this worked out better.”

I give her thigh a small squeeze. “So, sunshine, where are we headed?”

Without making eye contact she just says, “Your place?”

My breath catches in my throat as I try and not get turned on more than I already am, seeing her in my jersey.

It’s her first time at my apartment. It’s nothing special, but it’s clean and decorated, thanks to Penny. We go inside and sit on the couch. I pull her into my lap so she’s straddling me. “Sunshine, what changed your mind? Was it seeing Justin? I won’t be mad, I just want to know where your head’s at.”

I give her a small smile.

“No, Z, I texted you to meet before the game even started, remember?”

I take a second and remember that’s right because I got the text before we did our walk-in photos.

“I decided to take a chance on us when I realized you know me better than most people in my life. You knew I would be panicking about Justin and the game. You knew just what to say to talk me away from an emotional breakdown. You let me have my moment with Justin. You gave me the chance to be strong without you. That’s why I chose you because I would want to walk side by side through life together, supporting each other in the grand moments, and picking each other up in the lowest moments. I want you, Z. Not because of anyone else; because of who you are.”

I am so overwhelmed with her answer, I just stare. She giggles and leans in. “Now’s the part where you kiss me and make me forget I was ever anyone else’s.”

My heart skips a beat as I lift us both off the couch and carry us to my room. I kick the door closed, pinning her to the wall while she’s wrapped around me. I start kissing her neck. She moans, grinding herself against me.

“I have been dreaming about this, Z.”

I keep her pinned while I move to the other side of her neck, trailing kisses down.

“Oh yeah, sunshine? Did you touch yourself while you thought of me? That morning we surfed. Did you touch yourself to thoughts of us?”

I pull back, looking into her green eyes.

“Yes. I touched myself in the hotel that morning and many times in my room. Thoughts of you invaded my mind and I had to take care of myself. I would ask if you think of me when you jerk off, but I heard you in the shower, so I know you do,” she says with a seductive smile as she grinds against me.

I toss her on the bed and take off my shirt. “Be a good girl Fi and take off my jersey. I want to fuck you in it, but right now I want the full view of your banging body.”

As she makes quick work of the jersey and bra, and I am in the middle of unbuttoning my pants, I see her perfect tits. I have gotten off to thoughts of these erect nipples and palm-sized tits more times than I care to mention. Fiona clears her throat and I focus back on stripping down. In just my boxers I lean down and start kissing her neck again, while I take one of her tits in my hand, rolling her nipple between my fingers. She moans and I can feel myself getting even harder, which I didn’t know was possible.