Je t'aime, tu sais?

"Well, congratulations man," he laughed from beside her.
Jamie sighed, rolling onto her stomach and stretching her arms up and under the pillows where she buried her face. She enjoyed the lazy pull in her shoulders and tried to remember if she were naked or not. Patrice ran his knuckles alongside her spine, gently bumping his bones with hers as if answering her question on cue. After, he flipped his hand around and smoothed the skin above the back of her ribs, absentmindedly.
"Yeah, yeah; put her on," he said.
Jamie pulled her elbows up under her chest and turned her head toward her beau's warm body. She didn't open her eyes yet, knowing he was on the phone and merely wanting to be snuggled.
He accepted her love, slipping his arm around the top of her head on the pillows and spreading his warm hand across her shoulder blades.
"Gretta, my love," Patrice purred next to her. "Welcome to the humble yet hard-headed Bergeron-Cleary family," he chuckled. "I knew you'd persevere!"
Jamie turned onto Patrice as he lay in bed, his head propped up on her black wooden headboard. She slipped one of her legs between his and lay her knee on the gap between his torso and his hip, a place she has recently found fits her perfectly.
He wrapped his strong arm around her shoulders and pulled her upper body closer to his chest. She kissed his pale, soft skin and ran her hand up his stomach and ribs, applying just a tiny bit of pressure to help stretch her arm and to help get his blood circulating. He squeezed her shoulders to do the same.
Patrice congratulated Gretta on her recent engagement to Guill swiftly in French, chuckling and reliving the moment as she detailed to him how his brother had proposed.
Jamie continued to cuddle him, her hands tracing the smooth skin of his belly and rounding his hips. His hand slipped up the back of her neck and he pressed the pads of his fingers delicately into her skin and then knotted his hand in her hair, bringing his head down to nuzzle her a good morning kiss.
"Mm hm," Patrice contributed as Gretta continued to speak excitedly. His breath gushed down the side of Jamie's face, giving her goose pimples.
She shivered and giggled, removing her head from underneath his chin and rubbing her cheek onto his chest, planting a kiss on his peck. She rubbed her hands over them, noticing how they seemed swollen and more pronounced than usual. She gave one a gentle squeeze, looking up at him.
"Ahh," he whispered, grabbing her hand and looking down at her with bemusement and a hint of a smile.
"Have you been working out?" She asked, furrowing her brow. "They're huge!" She whispered up to him.
"Go away!" He laughed in a whisper, holding the phone away from his cheek.
"Aw, you don't mean that," Jamie said devilishly, running her fingers to his other peck and skimming them down his stomach as she watched his eyes fall closed and his lips twist into a smile. She fingered his taught belly button and he grabbed her hand again, giving her a look that said he was shocked with her behavior. He couldn't hold it for long though, before he cracked a wide grin and muffled a laugh with a cough as she gave him a playful sneer.
Although she was being a tease, Jamie was definitely having some fun with torturing him while he was on the phone; she could feel him stiffen underneath her thigh, more so than what was normal in the course of a natural masculine morning.
"Ok, well..." he said into the phone, rolling onto his side to face Jamie and tangling his naked legs with hers. Jamie removed her hands from his body and slid one underneath his chin to support his head and the other she propped up on his shoulder, bent at the elbow. She ran her fingers repeatedly through his hair and alongside his jaw as he closed his eyes, listening and smiling. Jamie pulled herself up along him and pressed her lips to his forehead, not entirely kissing him but not moving away, either.
She loved the smell of him. Masculine and the tiniest bit salty from the sweat that had creeped from him after being glued to her side all night.
Patrice wedged his iPhone between his ear and the pillow and used both arms to bring Jamie to him. They wrapped around her lean back and pulled her chest to him, his nose fitting perfectly in the crook of her neck.
He bid Gretta a final congratulation and told her he'd call Guill again a little later; he had to get his day started.
He gave Jamie a wink.
He and his soon-to-be sister-in-law exchanged well wishes and when he was finished Jamie slid her hand between his chiseled face and the pillow and took the phone from him. She clicked it closed and lifted her lean arm above her head, tilting it behind her and exposing her entire chest to him.
"Here: how do you like it?" Patrice chuckled, running his hands across her breasts and giving one a squeeze.
She cooed, stretching further, closing her eyes and leaning her head back, showing off her neck which he passionately smoothed his other hand over.
"Done with this?" She asked, shaking his phone high over her head.
"So done," he confirmed, pushing his lips onto her neck and delicately rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.
"Good," she giggled, dropping the phone onto the comforter behind her and holding her stretch for just a few more seconds. Patrice took the opportunity to kiss her chest and suck at her breast.
She moaned and brought her arms down, wiggling under the covers as he wrapped his arms around her shoulder blades and brought her close to him.
They lip locked and Jamie's hands traveled Patrice's tender chest and his knotted in her kinky hair, their hips bumping and their stomaches pressing together when they both exhaled at the same time. Jamie eliminated the space between them when she slid her arms around his neck and flattened her body against his.
Their intimacy wasn't heated even though they both felt that familiar tingle in their loins. Instead, their kiss was deep and slow with lots of lazy moaning and a few giggles for positive reinforcement.
Patrice eased her onto her back as he heavily rolled to her side, using his knee to spread her legs as his hand continued to fondle her chest.
Leaving her nipples to his tongue, his hand wondered down her slim belly and rounded her hips sensually. She lifted her hips as he traced his fingers from one side to the other, teasing her back. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his head.
She smoothed his hair as he continued to lap her chest, sucking, nipping, and tonguing whenever he got a response from her. He had her legs spread but was only enjoying running his hands along her inner thigh, feeling the angel softness of her skin.
She felt the shape of his head and his ears and gave his hair a tightening grip when he traced between her legs. She gave a soft moan and let her head sink back into the pillows, exposing her neck. He took a brief moment to lift his lips from her chest and kiss up along her neck as his fingers continued to toy with her. He ran his pointer finger along her slit but never entered her, making her wait patiently and letting their romance build.
"Mm, Patrice," she cooed, her hands smoothing down the back of his head and neck, grabbing onto his strong shoulders.
Jamie was in love with their sensual sex; after having so much rough and playful sex yesterday, it was barely all she could do to contain herself when she thought of gently being rocked to orgasm in his heavy embrace and the gentle push of his warmth into her and his sigh that always followed his own release.
He was such a gentleman. Even in bed.
"Love me," she instructed, bringing her arms back around his head, cupping his cheeks and lifting his face to meet hers.
He filled her mouth with his tongue with such zeal he forgot to continue to move his fingers between her legs. Now, his arms weren't long enough to push into her while he was kissing her, so he spread her middle and gently circled her most delicate fold.
She moaned into his mouth and he felt her lift her hips.
She moaned again, breaking their kiss this time to do so. "Love me, Amour," she sighed, closing her eyes in anticipation and pleasure.
He kissed her deeply again, his chest beginning to pant as it pressed onto her breasts.
"I will," he promised her, sliding his hand down her side and pushing her thigh up.

"Do you have any fantasies?" He asked her from where he was located on her body. His chest rested on her hips, his torso lay between her spread legs, and his arms were wrapped around the small of her back. His face was turned sideways and pressed to her stomach, rising and falling with her breathing.
From above, she looked down her naked chest at him and watched him blink, lazily looking across the bedroom. She ran her fingers through his strong hair again, marveling at the thick of his skull and what little body their was to his scalp. His head was so hard.
"Like, sexual fantasies?" She asked.
"Yeah," he nodded, flexing his calves and snuggling into her more. His cheek was pulled up as he moved his head on her stomach. She smiled, tracing it.
"Well, I mean, I wouldn't ever turn whatever it was you just did to me down..." she laughed.
Patrice lifted his chin and kissed her stomach. He found her belly button and tongued it as she giggled, squirming beneath him.
He took his tongue back and kissed it again, gently, and smoothed his palm over her diaphragm.
"But, do you?" He asked, looking up at her, innocently.
"I dunno, hun," Jamie laughed, blushing.
"What? Don't be embarrassed," Patrice said, smiling too.
Her laughter was contagious.
After all the sexual coaxing she had put him through to open up more about his sexuality, he couldn't believe she was embarrassed about admitting fantasies.
Hell, even he had them.
Well, the only ones he remembered were once he had recently developed with Jamie, late at night, alone in a hotel room, sleeping on a bus, or standing in the bathtub shower at the Hilton. Although... thinking back on it, he did really like that figure skater Anne-Marie when he was in Grade 8 and she was in Grade 10. He knew he had fantasized about her as a boy, but he couldn't even remember what about since he knew his young self would've been appalled at the thought of french kissing a girl, even though it was all the rage amongst his friends. He thought he must've just liked her teal dress and how it flew up, exposing her leotard and skin colored tights when she skated before his Bantam team. He remembered watching her through the cage of his helmet.
He carefully climbed around Jamie's limbs and lay down next to her, turned on his side.
"You've been working out," she said, turning to face him, her new, light blue sheets tucked under her arms. "You must be."
He gently held onto her bicep, letting her hands wander his chest. "I'm never not working out," he reasoned, jokingly.
"No but like, lifting; you're bigger."
"You think?" He asked, looking down his nose at his chest.
"Definitely; have you been lifting more?" She asked, delicately pressing into the flesh on his chest.
He frowned, grimacing a little, still examining himself, watching her tiny fingers grace his skin.
"I guess," he shrugged.
He wasn't an idiot. He had been working out.
Hard.
He knew ESPN marketers were lurking around every corner, seeking out new athletes for the annual Body Issue. He hadn't decided whether or not he'd let them know he was interested, but, should he decide it might be something Jamie would like, he wanted to be ready.
He was never the kind of guy to like to expose himself, and he knew he'd probably be too chicken to do it, but, something burned deep in his chest when she was around him. She gave him a sense of pride he hadn't had before about something he had never been proud of; himself.
He was proud of his accomplishments and all, he knew he worked hard, but, he had never been proud about his actual self. His being; inside and out.
He didn't want to commit yet, and he certainly wouldn't ask to be in the Body Issue. But... he didn't know.
Either way, it never hurt to be more strong...
He probably wouldn't do it. Actually.
Well, maybe.
No, probably not...
But just in case, y'know... he reasoned with himself.
"But hey, you don't get a freebie on my question for complimenting me!" He said, gently shaking Jamie's arm to redirect both of their attention. He let go of her bicep and traced her cheek, watching her bite her lip.
"God, you're so beautiful," he whispered, more to himself than to her. And then before she knew it he was closing the gap between them, his shoulder wrapped over the top of hers and his lips pressed to her mouth and his nose pushed into her cheek.
She enjoyed the kiss while she prepared for her rebuttal.
"So beautiful," he mumbled on her lips as they parted.
She savored the moment.
Then sprung.
"I don't THINK so, Mr. Bergeron!" She laughed onto his face, pointing a finger in his tender peck.
"Oof," he laughed, grabbing her finger, giggling and trying to kiss her again to quiet her.
"You can't fool me, you punk!"
"Hang on, hang on, hang on a second," he chuckled, rubbing the palm of his hand onto his chest.
"You aren't getting out of this one either!" Jamie laughed, rolling over onto him as his legs tangled in the blankets.
"I'm not trying to!" He surrendered, lifting his hands in innocence. "I'll tell you all you want about my fantasies!"
"Are they about me?" She asked, straddling his stomach and crossing her arms, pretending to be cross herself.
"Duh," he laughed, reaching up and trying to get her to wrap her arms back around him. She couldn't hold her smile and he pulled his upper half up to wrap his arms around her and bring her back down into the bed.
He rolled them so they were back on their sides and pulled the comforter up her bare shoulder. She smiled at him as he tucked the blanket under her chin.
"I have this fantasy... but it's kind of gross..." He admitted, blushing.
"Uh oh," she laughed. She made a face that showed she wasn't really sure she wanted to hear the answer.
"Not explicit gross, come on," Patrice chided her, laughing. "I'm not a monster, sheesh."
"No you're not, mon amour," Jamie giggled, reaching up to stroke his cheek.
"Sometimes I have to remind myself that the things I do to you make you feel good because I feel like such a brute," he confided, looking down as he lay his head back on the pillows.
"The things you do to me make me feel more than good, Love," Jamie reminded him, bumping noses with him. "In fact, you could be a little rougher every once and a while," she winked.
He pulled his lips into a crooked grin.
"But tell me about this fantasy," she said, making sure his exposed shoulders were under the covers too.
After she had adjusted his, he reached back out and adjusted hers, tucking the pale blue blanket under her chin again.
"Well..." he laughed, flushing. "I've always wanted to--and this is probably really predictable--but, I've been kinda dreaming about taking you right after I get off the ice."
"But what about all your gear?"
"We'd rip it off," he smiled.
He watched her chew her lip, looking through the tops of her eyes, thinking.
"Think about it, I'd still have cold air in my lungs, the ripping of velcro, throwing all of the pads everywhere, I'd be sweaty--although that's probably not the best thing for you. You could throw me around too, before I got all my pads off too, and it wouldn't hurt," he grinned.
"True, true," she thought aloud, absentmindedly playing with the hair on the back of his neck. He needed a trim.
"But, the part I get stuck at is--"
"Your skates," Jamie answered.
"...Oh, yeah..." he frowned. Jamie watched his face fall.
"Patrice!" She cooed, cupping his cheeks. She had rained on his little parade and now her heart had broken into a million little pieces watching his dream crash down.
"I didn't even think about the skates... because if I don't get those off there's very little hope for me sliding my pants down; and if I take my hockey pants down but not off, I can't really spread my legs..."
"I could sit on you, in your stall," she suggested, smiling seductively and tracing his jaw line.
He smiled back.
"Yeah, that's how I pictured it," he confirmed. "I still need to be able to spread somewhat though, for the guys," he said, shooting a look down his body.
"The guys?" Jamie laughed.
"What? You know..." Patrice blushed.
"Oh my god," she laughed, shaking her head. "What were you going to say the problem was? Before I brought up skates?"
"Oh, I was more worried about how I'd get my spandex and cup off," he said, getting back to thinking.
She watched as the tip of his tongue poked out and wet his lips.
"I think getting a boner in a cup would kill..." he sighed, thinking aloud.
There was a beat of silence.
Jamie burst into laughter.

Thorty looked at his broken teammate sitting adjacent to him, alone on a big, white couch.
Soups had had his head in his hands since he sat down.
Shawn wasn't sure if he was crying or not, but he was amazed at how comfortable he was with the entire situation, regardless.
For a second it made him feel bad for his own fiancee, Erin, with whom sometimes he quarreled but often found himself embarrassed when she would force them to sit and talk about their feelings.
He had stopped over to check on his teammate after having lunch with Pie and Danielle, the other Merlot Liner's fiancee. Both had concluded they hadn't heard from him since they had arrived, and Soupy was usually the one to keep them all connected via text so Thorty took it upon himself to investigate.
When he arrived at his friend's place, he had to ring the bell four times before he answered. When he did, Thorty almost had wished he hadn't.
He was fragile looking, really. That was the only word Thorty could think to use.
He figured he'd been puking his guts out like the nervous wreck that he was but instead he found a robot Soupy. A friend he hardly even recognized.
He and Soupy had become fast friends a couple years back. Their chemistry on the ice they mostly attributed to their chemistry off the ice. Same with Piesy. Hell, even their respective wives and girlfriends were friends... that is, until Soupy's burned bridges and got out of town.
"C'mon bud," Thorty said, assertively. "Let's throw a rager and reclaim this place as your own."
Soups didn't move.
He was in grey underarmour sweat pants and a white, long sleeved thermal shirt. His feet were bare and pale and skinny, and Thorty could count the ribs under his thick shirt.
He just didn't look well.
"We'll get you rip-roaring drunk, we'll shove some food down in ya, and you'll have a great time and pass the fuck out and forget all about it. I'll do all the organizing and the cleaning up, ok?"
He wondered if he'd slept since they returned from their roadie.
Thorty saw his back expand as he took a deep breath and mumbled through his hands, looking at the carpeted floor.
"What?" He asked his friend to speak up.
"I'll just throw up," Soups repeated, aggravated.
"Soups! Kid... ya puke all the time. If you puke with a few beers in ya it'll flow like lava and you can sleep in drunken bliss after, alright?"
He was met with silence and a sniff.
After what felt like minutes but could really only be seconds, Thorty stood from his arm chair and sat heavily next to his friend.
He wrapped an arm around him, feeling him shaking, holding back his tears.
"She didn't love ya, man," he whispered to him. "She didn't love you."
His friend heaved a silent sob, but quickly recovered, biting his lip underneath his long, lean fingers.
"And I'm not gonna feel bad for ya..." Thorty said, rubbing his shoulder, holding him against his side. "Because I know you didn't love her either."
Soups shook his head in his hands, crying openly now, even though he wouldn't let Thorty see him.
"Now let's pick ourselves up here, man." Thorty clapped him on the back.
"I'm gonna make you a spinach and something shake, you're going to come kick boxing with me, relieve a little tension, and then you're going to come home, gorge on some plain pasta, shower, and get ready. We're going to throw a raging party here tonight, and you're going to forget Meghan ever lived here, alright?"
Soupy continued to cry but also slowly began to nod.
"And if it doesn't work, we'll sell the place and get you a fuckin' sweet bachelor pad in Back Bay. I heard Bergy's lookin' to sell." Thorty rubbed his buddy's back. "Bergy's place is the tits, too. Right on top of that steak house. Steak fries and gin and tonics for days..." Thorty imagined aloud, sighing happily.
In the crying mess that Soupy's hands held, Thorty could hear him snort a laugh and felt all the power in the world begin to stew in between his best friend's shoulders.
Soups was a sure man, and one of the sure things in his life and just walked out on him.
But if anyone could battle back, Thorty was sure it would be this man.