Listen to My Heart

I sighed impatiently as I leaned against the brick wall of Mariucci Arena, my breath billowing in front of me like a thick, white cloud. I was chilled to the bone through my winter coat as I waited with Kara for the team bus to roll in after an away game in Anchorage, Alaska. The boys were coming from the airport, and I could barely wait to snuggle up to Tony. I had missed him more than usual, but that may have been because he had been gone since Tuesday in order to get accustom to the West Coast time zone enough to play in it.
 
A shiver traveled up my spine from deep within my body, and made me twist in discomfort at the chills rolling through my veins. I held myself tighter and practically jumped for joy when the bus rolled over the hill a little ways down the street from the arena. Kara and I stood up straight as excitement bubbled in my chest. I could barely breathe from the way the feeling took over my chest.
 
“Thank Jesus!” Kara rejoiced, huddling closer to me as the doors of the bus opened. Don Lucia was the first to step off, a large smile on his face.
 
“Brianna.” He greeted before walking towards the door leading into Mariucci.
 
The assistant coaches followed Don before members of the team began to exit. The windows were too dark to see inside the bus, so I had no idea when Tony would emerge. The captains and several upperclassmen were next before both Joey and Tony climbed down the stairs. They were both chatting animatedly as they reached us. Joey pulled Kara tight to him while I threw myself into Tony’s arms, allowing him to pick me up and twirl me around.
 
“Why don’t you do that for me?” Kara asked with a wrinkle in her brow.
 
“Because we’re not as obnoxious as them, and they’re still in the honeymoon stage; they're fragile.”
 
“So?”
 
“So, I don’t need to do that to you.”
 
“God, you’re boring.” Kara snapped.
 
I rolled my eyes at the bickering couple and smiled down at my best friend and boyfriend. He was grinning up at me, looking on top of the world. I didn’t waste anytime as I pressed my lips to his. His hands held me up by the backs of my thighs, so I grasped the sides of his head with my cold hands. His tongue slid against my lip, and I eagerly welcomed it, deepening the kiss, and not caring that his teammates were hooting and hollering as they walked by.
 
“Looch! Can I get some of that sugar?” David Fischer bellowed with laughter as he walked by, but he successfully ruined our kiss as I began to laugh.
 
“This sugar is too sweet for you, fish daddy.” Tony responded as I slid down him until my feet were resting on the ground again.
 
“Did you miss me?” Tony asked once David had walked away. I tried not to be so pathetic when I answered, but Tony’s gentle smile told me I failed. “I missed you too, cupcake.”
 
“Ick. Do not call me that.” Tony laughed at my scrunched up face before dipping to give me a kiss.
 
“But that’s how sweet you are.” He kept up the teasing as we began to walk towards the hockey house. I rolled my eyes at him as he took my hand in his.
 
“Are you hungry?” I wondered.
 
“Yes ma’am.” He insisted as we turned onto Como Avenue.
 
“I’ll make you some grilled cheese.” I grinned up at him. He chuckled loudly, wrapping an arm around me and dipping me to lay another kiss on my lips. “How romantic!” I pretended to swoon, resting the back of my hand on my head for effect.
 
“No, you offering to make grilled cheese is much more romantic.” Tony insisted with a twisted grin.
 
“Only if you’re a good boy.” I laughed, spanking his butt when he walked in front of me. He shook his buns at me as I giggled before grabbing his shoulders and hopping onto his back.
 
“Ton?” I murmured after a few moments of content silence.
 
“Hm?” He asked as he gripped my thighs tighter.

"I love you." He turned his head so he was looking over his shoulders at me.

"I love you too." He kissed my nose awkwardly before continuing towards the hockey house.

I rested my chin against his shoulder, kissing his neck softly, and running my fingers through the hair above his ear. My other hand slid under the several layers on his chest to rest against bare skin. Tony shivered at the feel of my cool hands, but didn't attempt to separate the contact. I closed my eyes and buried my face into his neck as protection from the nippy wind. He smelled like soap and cologne- a combination that made me want to bite him. Instead, I opened my lips and nibbled gently on his skin. This time, Tony shivered from a completely different source.

"If you don't stop, I'm going to drop you." Tony told me through gritted teeth. I could see goosebumps protruding from his skin. I could feel the power surging through my body and to the tips of my fingers. I felt powerful, but I also felt sexy.

"You don't like it?" I whispered into his ear knowing my breath was dancing against his wet skin.

"No. The problem is that I love it, and I'm about to have another problem." A shiver full of sexual tension spiraled down my spine.

Luckily for Tony, we reached the hockey house a few moments later. I hopped off his back and kicked off my Nike's, watching as my boyfriend awkwardly tugged at his pants. I stepped towards him, and grabbed his attention, wrapping my arms around his neck and tugging his lips to mine. We both sighed in ecstasy as he tunneled his fingers in the hair at the base of my skull, supporting my neck as I felt like I could melt into a hot puddle.

This kiss was so much hotter and rougher than anything else we had experienced. There was only a tint of sweetness in his mouth, but he tasted like sex in every other way. Tony wrapped an arm around my back and held my hips close to his. My cheeks flushed and a white, hot heat pooled between my legs as he ground his hips slightly into mine.

"Get it, Looch!" David shouted as he sauntered past us after letting the door bang loudly shut. I yelped and gripped Tony's shoulders tight in surprise.

"Fucking asshole." Tony groaned loudly.

I closed my eyes and stepped away from Tony with a sheepish look. He was chewing on his lip in obvious disappointment. I gave him a small smile at his obvious bulge full of frustration.
 
“How about that grilled cheese?” I asked him.
 
“That would be great.” He sighed with a reserved smile. He grabbed my hand and began to pull me upstairs.
 
“Soon.” I assured him with a kiss.
 
“If my balls don’t fall off by then.” He mumbled. I rolled my eyes at him and grabbed a from the drawer across the kitchen.
 
“I can fix that for you.” Tony frowned deeply at me, not finding that funny in the least.
 
“No, thanks. I want kids.”
 
“Well, I’ll spare them because you would be a great dad.” I smiled, ruffling his hair as I walked past him and to the stove.
 
“Will you have babies with me?” He wondered casually; chin resting against my shoulder, hands spread across my stomach, after he brought me the ingredients for his sandwich.
 
“I’ll have your babies.” I chuckled letting him kiss my temple gently.
 
“My mother will be thrilled to know that.” Tony chuckled, swaying us slightly.
 
“Aw, Grandma Looch!” I exclaimed with a giggle.
 
“Let’s not get ahead of things here. I’m going to marry you first.” He insisted.
 
“What if I don’t say yes?” I challenged. “What if I just want you for your chromosomes?” I giggled spinning and pulling myself up so our lips were a centimeter apart.
 
“You can’t have them.” He stuck his tongue out, almost swiping it against my lips.
 
“Really?” I asked, running a finger along the front of his sweatpants.
 
“Jesus Christ, Brianna.” He wheezed.
 
“I think I’ll be able to get them out of you, but lucky for you, I wouldn’t mind being stuck with you for the rest of my life.”
 
Tony didn’t say anything as his green eyes searched mine. There was a different tension in the air that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. It was like we were seeing our future in each others eyes. When the moment passed, Tony placed a very soft and sweet kiss against my lips, our eyes closed in appreciation.
 
“I think the bread is burning.” I whispered, turning in his grasp and ending the look into our future.
 
The problem wasn’t that it was awkward; it was that I wanted all of that more than I should.
***

I carefully swept the white, tiled floor of the seating area in the small Starbucks lounge that was located just across the hall from the campus bookstore. I hummed along to the radio as it acted as soft background music for Kari and I to finish cleaning before we were officially allowed to leave. It was seven o'clock on a Wednesday night, and I was desperate to get off my feet and snuggle into my boyfriend. Tony was all ready to wind down after school and practice, all he was waiting on was for me to get off work.

I quickly swept the several dust, sand, and salt particles from the shoes of our customers from the day, wrinkling my nose that the floor could really get that dirty. I scooped them into the dust pan and dumped it in the garbage before tying the bag up tightly. I looked to the door as Kari opened it for her boyfriend, Mark, to step in.

"Tony's just coming up the sidewalk." He told me, holding the door for my boyfriend as he stepped through the door.

"Keep your shoes on that mat." Kari insisted with a pointed look. "We're almost done."

"Yes darling." Brian murmured before he launched into Tony about the team. Brian was an avid hockey fan, and since Kari and I worked together every Wednesday night, the boys talked hockey while we finished our work.

I walked around and surveyed the floor satisfied with how it looked before I went behind the counter and made sure everything was clean. The bakery items were all ready for tomorrow morning along with the cups and straws that would need to be pulled out rapidly. All the syrups were filled and ready to be pumped into cups the next morning. I yawned as I walked into the back room, tugging off my apron and hanging it up before gathering my things. I smelled like coffee and all I really wanted was to take a shower.

"Did you drive?" I asked Tony with a slight shiver as I stood on my tip toes to give him a soft kiss.

"Yes I did." He murmured, rubbing his hands up and down my arms to generate some heat. "I figured it was a little chilly and you wouldn't want to walk that far with the windchill."

"You figured right." I smiled gratefully up at him as he tucked me under his arm. "Kar, do you have the door?" I called to her.

"Yeah. Have a good night!" She yelled as she walked behind the counter. I waved goodbye to her and Brian before Tony and I walked into the cold, February night.

"How was work?" Tony asked softly as we walked towards the ramp behind Coffman Union.

"It was fine. No one really came in besides kids who needed to warm up. But other than that we had five customers the last five minutes. It was weird actually." I wrinkled my nose. "But I was able to help quiz Kari for her French final."

"Do you even know French?" He asked with a slight laugh.

"No... so maybe I wasn't helping per say, but at least I showed her how not to pronounce the French verbs." I giggled, tucking my head into his side for a moment. We entered the ramp, and when I saw Tony's silver Volvo, I ran towards it, my teeth jittering in my mouth. Tony was nice enough to unlock the door for me so I could duck into the still warm car.

"I'm sick of winter, baby." I whined as Tony started the car and then backed out of his parking space. When we were on the road and heading towards the hockey house, Tony laced our fingers together on the center console.

"I would say me too, but when winter ends, so does hockey, and that's a hard thing to want to end." Tony sighed tiredly, something that described the Gophers season to a T. They were not the team they were supposed to be, and it was draining on the coach's kid more than he would ever admit.

"Well, I love hockey, but I hate the cold. However, this is better than that humid cold that sinks into your bones from out East." I shuddered at the mere thought of the harsh winter breeze that billowed around the Boston College campus.

"Do you ever miss it out there?" He wondered, flicking his blinker on and turning right onto Como Avenue.

"No. I didn't love it like I thought I would." I shrugged. "Plus the company here isn't bad at all." I grinned at him as he smiled cockily. "I'm so glad I get to be with Kara again." Tony's smiled dropped and he rolled his eyes at me.

"You love me," Tony insisted.

"Occasionally." I shrugged.

We pulled up the the hockey house a few moments later, and I begrudgingly stepped back out into the cold, Minnesota weather. Tony hurried along to open the door quickly for me, allowing me to step into the warm entry way. I knew immediately that something was different. I listened intently for the TV, laughter, or music to be playing- the sounds that always blanketed the air of the hockey house. There was no sound besides the rubbing of fabric from mine and Tony's jackets.

"It's so quiet." I whispered to him in consideration of the silence that didn't seem to want to be disturbed.

"Yeah." Tony murmured, a hand on the small of my back as he gently pushed me towards the stairs.

"Why?" I wondered, looking back at him.

"Because I kicked them out." He chuckled, still guiding me up the stairs. "Now, why don't you go take a shower because I know you're sick of smelling like coffee, and I'll make some dinner for us. The guys won't be back anytime soon, and we, my darling, have the place to ourselves." He murmured, kissing my lips sweetly.

"You kicked all your roommates out for me?" I asked him, fluttering my lashes.

"Yes because I want you to relax with me." He dug his fingers into my shoulders, massaging the tight muscles as he steered me towards the stairs leading up to the bedrooms and bathroom.

I headed upstairs a moment later, slipping into the bathroom and stripping down as the water warmed up for me. When I slid under the water, my muscles immediately relaxed and I moaned in appreciating of the way the water beat at the stress. My muscles ached from the run I had earlier in the day, and the never ending studying I seemed to be doing.

I scrubbed myself clean with Tony’s body wash. I didn’t care about the manly smell, mostly because I loved it, but also because the smell of coffee that clung to me was so strong I felt sick. I stayed in the shower until the water began to cool and the bathroom windows were steaming up. I toweled myself off before daring to walk out of the bathroom. I tiptoed into Tony’s room, not really surprised that he was in there, rummaging around in his drawers.
 
“Sorry, I’m just looking for...” Tony trailed off, his hand stuffed in the top drawer of the dresser as his gaze slid from the tips of my toes to the roots of my wet hair. His eyes hovered at the top of the towel, the thin material wrapped and easily willing to fall down my body. I bit my lip because his gaze was making heat swarm to all the right places. I crossed my legs anxiously as he cleared his throat and looked away. “I’m sorry.”
 
“It’s fine...” I trailed off at the end as he walked over to me. His large hands placed themselves on my hips as he leaned down without even speaking, placing his lips on mine. The sparks that flew could have blown the roof off the house as fireworks exploded inside my head. I couldn’t breathe as he pulled me onto my tip toes, our bodies molded together. His hands rested respectfully on the small of my back, but as the kiss turned hotter, they slid down to cup my backside in his large hands. I thrust my chest against Tony’s, my hands resting beneath his shirt on his bare hips.

“I have water boiling downstairs.” Tony murmured to me as we paused for a breath. Our chests were heaving in anticipation as we tried to pull air into our desperate lungs. I licked my lips, and his pupils immediately dilated until his eyes were almost black.
 
“Do not move.” He forced out before he walked hastily out of the room. I ran to the mirror, immediately ruffling my hair up so it looked less slick back and much more touchable. I looked at my swollen lips, smiling slightly. I felt incredibly sexy, and usually that wasn’t the case. For once I didn’t feel boring and lacking any sex appeal. Tony’s feet pounded against the stairs.
 
“What about dinner?” I asked him, turning and gasping when he charged towards me. His arms wrapped around me, and in one motion he had me in his arms and on the bed.
 
“I’m having you for dinner, darling.” He insisted, kissing down from my lips along my jaw line and to the weak spot behind my ear. I moaned immediately, the feel of his lips against the sensitive skin making my arms and legs break out with goose bumps. A pounding heat beat between my legs as the tension built. This was what I had been waiting for, and although I had been able to hold out for this long, the thought of going another minute felt like death.
 
“Off.” I insisted, tugging at his shirt. I pushed the material up his abs, my knuckles rubbing up the thick muscles. I resisted the urge to bit my lip nervously as his hands reached for the piece of towel tucked against my breast. The towel fell away so that I was completely naked, but I held Tony to me when he tried to pull away to look. He could feel the insecurity nagging at me, and he pulled away harder, his hand cupping my neck gently. I wrinkled my nose at him as his eyes dipped.
 
“Perfect.” He insisted and he began to kiss down my neck to my chest.
 
“No. You’re not naked enough.” I tugged his chin up until he was looking into my eyes. I could see the breath escape his lungs in a quick exhale. I was finally able to push his shirt completely off his body and then I tugged his hips to mine with his belt loops. I licked my lips suggestively and a deep groan escaped from between his lips. I pulled the leather out of the buckle until it was loosely around his waist. The button on his jeans was next and when I slid the zipper down, I could feel Tony quivering beneath my fingers.
 
“Brianna,” He hissed as I reached into his pants, allowing myself to become confident as Tony practically meowed under the feel of my soft hands. “Are you sure- yes you are.” He hissed out as I wrapped my hand around his length. He immediately began to rock his hips into my hand and I giggled gently at him, kissing the underside of his jaw as his eyes slid shut in pure ecstasy. When his eyes snapped back open, he looked down at me with the hottest expression I had seen in my life. It snapped the breath from my lungs, and it made Tony’s hands slide from my hips, across my rib cage and to my nipples. He rolled them into tight buds. A hot fire slid across my skin and took over my chest. He leaned his head down and took one of them into his mouth, sliding his wet tongue against the puckered skin.
 
“Ton.” I moaned, pressing his face deeper into my cleavage.

Tony sucked harder in response, and I thought I would lose control before we had even started. The room was filled with my moans of approval. One of his hands slid down and cupped between my legs, moving in a slow circles against my button. I stroked his length quicker, and he pushed his hips into my hand. We were both almost to the brink, and I pushed at Tony to stop him.
 
We shifted to push his jeans off his legs. Both his jeans and boxers hit the floor and he reached for the bedside table. I grabbed the foiled package from him, and ripped it open with my teeth because my palms were so sweaty. Tony rolled so he was on the bottom, and he watched with dewy eyes as I slid the rubber down his shaft.
 
“Come here.” He murmured, pulling my naked body up his. He kissed my lips gently and ran his fingers through my damp hair. “I love you.”
 
“I love you too.” I whispered against his lips. The kiss was all tongue and nibbling teeth as he held my hips in his large hands. I felt his length against my wet lips, causing my breath to hitch. I swallowed and pulled away to look into his eyes.
 
He slowly slid in as I sucked in a breath, stretching to try to accommodate him. A stitch of pain caused me to wince as he slid farther in. Tony was bigger than anyone I had been with, not to mention it had been over a year. My eyes slid shut in comfort as I stretched around him for a tight fit. Tony’s lips worked my neck and his arms squeezed my hips gently. I rocked slowly on him, and his eyes screwed shut as a loud moan slipped from his lips.
 
“Holy shit.” Tony groaned as I began to move up and down in a slow rhythm. He began to meet my thrusts and we were both rocking in quick movements within seconds of beginning.
 
“Mmm,” I moaned. My tongue slid out of my mouth to caress my top lip as I leaned my head back. My breasts pulled up tighter as I braced my hands on his thighs.
 
“Jesus Christ.” Tony cursed as he watched me move my hips. “You fuck like a porn star.” I laughed and he wheezed, and then I moaned loudly at the feeling of intense pleasure growing.
 
“What every girl wants to hear.” I leaned down and kissed his lips. The kiss didn’t last long as Tony picked up the tempo. My muscled began to quiver when Tony slid a hand down to rub against my clit. “T-Ton.” I moaned loudly.
 
“Come on, baby.” He cooed to me, a smile evident in his voice.
 
As if his words were the trigger, I came tumbling and trembling in Tony’s arms. I couldn’t even scream as my muscles gripped him tightly. Tony’s thrusts got jerky before he came too, muttering a few swear words before he thrust one last time. I braced my hands on his chest and looked down at him. I’m sure my hair was wild and curly, but when Tony opened his eyes, one of his hands gripped my neck gently.
 
“You’re gorgeous." He mused. I smiled lovingly at him and leaned down to kiss him. Tony slid out of me slowly, gently rolling me off of him as he walked to the bathroom. I hooted at his bare butt, laughing when he shook it at me. He returned a minute later and climbed into bed net to me.
 
“I’m a cuddler.” He told me with a series of sweet kisses.
 
“I can see that.” I slid my fingers through his hair and tugged gently. “My hair is going to be horrible when it is fully dry.”
 
“I like it.” He smiled.
 
“The afterglow is talking.” I rolled my eyes at him,
 
“No, the love is.” He insisted, tucking me into his chest. He slid one of his legs between mine and I groaned.
 
“I’m not ready yet.” I breathed out.
 
“I know, but when you are, I am.” I laughed quietly at him.
 
“You’re not hungry anymore?”
 
“Not for food, but if you are, I’ll go get the water boiling again.”
 
“I just want to lay here with you.” I answered honestly. I snuggled tightly into his chest. His arms tightened around me and he dropped a kiss against the top of my head.
 
“I love you so much, Brianna, and not a day goes by that I don’t.” I smiled, gently rubbing his chest.
 
“I love you too, Tony.”
 
And at that moment, I couldn’t think of a time where I felt more loved, or a time I had ever loved Tony this much.