Ice Dreams

Disclaimer: Characters in this story are my creation, as is the city of Bannen,(as far as I know, Canada doesn’t have a city named Bannen in it), and the hockey team is fictional as well. California doesn’t have a team named the Demon Dogs, that is my creation. The characters in this story are not based on any specific person, so any similarities are purely coincidental. I do not own any rights to the Stanley Cup, and I don’t make any money off my stories.

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I tried to keep the hockey facts as truthful as possible, so please excuse any slip-ups. While this is a story based on a sports team, it’s not my intention to focus completely on it, but instead on the romantic story. I also don’t bash hockey players in real life, as I’ve met a few and they are lovely people. It just works in my story for now. I was inspired from the recent playoff games, when this plot bunny jumped into my head. Please enjoy.

Warnings: angst, lemon, oral, death, fluff, language, m/f

**Asterisks indicate thoughts

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Chapter Nine


For all that she had complained about hating hot, sunny days, Denise enjoyed it today. Graham had persuaded her to come out with him, to leave all thoughts at what they had talked about at the door. They had gone for lunch, then to a movie, and before they knew it, it was dinner time.

Graham took her to one of his favourite restaurants. He was a big steak eater himself, whereas Denise preferred chicken and a baked potato, with cheese and sour cream. They talked like the end of the world was coming, as if they couldn’t get enough of one another. Denise listened avidly to Graham’s stories of starting in the NHL, and of even earlier, how he fell in love with hockey and what his family had to say about it. She found out that Graham was close with his family, who lived in Vancouver. He had doting parents, and a younger sister, still in high school.She was an aspiring doctor.He joked that his sister must have wanted to become a doctor because of how he always injured himself playing hockey as a teenager.

He also listened attentively to Denise’s life story. She largely neglected stories about her family, so he guessed that there was bad blood there. When she was prepared to tell him about her parents, he would be there to listen. He was shocked to hear that she was a famous fashion designer, and he had actually bought some clothes from her men’s wear selection without even knowing she was the same person. She didn’t talk about Hilary a lot, instead focusing on some of the smaller details of her life that Graham found interesting. She skipped the part about her past lover too – he already knew that story.

Denise found herself laughing a lot throughout the evening, and feeling absolutely charmed by Graham’s twinkling, mischievous blue eyes, and masculine face. He caused pleasant shivers to run down her back every time he smiled at her.

It occurred to her that if she didn’t try and slow down what was going on between them, she would be sleeping with him sooner than she could have imagined. While that thought terrified her, it also set her on fire. Graham was more attractive than she could have ever hoped for in a man, with his chiseled features and a strong, masculine vibe. She didn’t doubt that he was strong in body too, occasionally she caught a glimpse of muscle, and she was intrigued at what she would find with his clothes off. She tried conjuring images up in her head, of Graham and a six pack, muscles ripping underneath sun-darkened skin.

Denise had to watch out that her thoughts didn’t stray that way too much, or else she wouldn’t be able to last through the night.

Graham was having his own inner battle. Denise was lovely, with a fiery temper that she had yet to fully show him. He knew it was there, and the thought of discovering all there was about her excited him. Her dark, slightly wavy hair framed her face and hung down her back. He yearned to run his fingers through her locks, as he kissed that sweet mouth of hers repeatedly. Her eyes were magnificent, blue in the sun, the colour of a dark ocean in the light of the restaurant. There was so much mystery in her gaze, and sometimes she would give him a sweet look, and it would just undo him. He also thought about her supple curves, what she would feel like, pressed against him naked, what she would say and the faces she would make when he made love to her.

He had to watch out that he didn’t dwell on those thoughts too much, as his pants were starting to grow a little tight, and he didn’t want to scare her away so fast. He would make his desire known in time. For now, he would enjoy her company, and all that she was willing to share with him.

As the evening drew to a close, Graham dropped her off at her home. Denise invited him in for a moment, and they shared a drink. Their conversation continued, discussing their likes and dislikes, sports, drawing….

Denise set her drink on the coffee table, watching Graham tell an animated story of one exciting hockey game that broke out into a team brawl. He thought it was funny, gesturing wildly with his hands. She smiled. She might be doing something a little risky, but she had been craving him the whole night. Everything he did made her tingle. Deciding to take a chance, to push away any anxiety she had over her past, over men, she moved closer to Graham on the sofa.

He hadn’t noticed, still telling his story. Taking a breath, and taking the plunge, (mentally) Denise ran her fingertips over his lips. That silenced him effectively. She leaned down, their faces meeting. Graham was an eager kisser, the control slipping from him. Usually, he was the one that initiated the kissing, and Denise wanted to put a stop to that.

She deepened the kiss, sliding her tongue across his lips. He knew that to mean that she wanted in, and happily obliged. He wrapped his arms around her hips as she leaned into his chest, one hand on his cheek, and one hand on his shoulder.

Their tongues dueled, then fell into a rhythm, wet muscles stroking one another. Denise pulled back to suck on Graham’s bottom lip, before covering his lips with her own again. He groaned as she dominated his mouth, her hands moving up to tangle in his hair.

Denise was hot. Every fibre of her being yearned for Graham to take her. Her breasts were heavy, and her womanhood was wet and ready for the taking. She wanted him badly. She pressed her body flush against his, pulling away from his lips to kiss along his jaw. He was breathing heavily, and a part of her was excited that she was causing this reaction from him.

She began to reach down for his belt buckle, but his hands stopped her. She looked at him, confused. He smiled warmly at her.

“It’s not that I don’t want it, I do. This isn’t the night though. I want to take you when I know that I can be around for awhile.” Graham said. Denise remembered an earlier conversation that evening, where Graham was telling her about having to go play a few ‘away games’, where he would be out of the city for awhile. He would be leaving within the next few days. Denise reached her hands up and cupped both of his cheeks, kissing him deeply yet again.

“Well then, I guess that you’d better get back fast then.” Denise spoke, voice low and sultry. Graham moaned. She felt as if another woman had possessed her body, a woman who was sexy and seductive. She realized that that was the woman she had been – before she had started a relationship with Jonathon. She had been repressed.

A short while later, Graham had left, the both of them sharing another long kiss at the door before his parting. When he had left, Denise pondered the realization she had. Did she not realize in that entire relationship that he was slowly changing her into a different woman? Now she felt like a fool. Tonight, with Graham, she felt that woman, the one she had been before, start to show her face again. And she liked it.

She wondered if she fully embraced it, if that would help her get over her ex and form a stronger, passionate relationship with Graham. She loved sex, and she used to let that be known with her man. With Jonathon, he liked her more reserved. The sexual animal in her had been pushed down. Everything about her old self had been pushed away. She was going to change that.



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The next morning, Graham and Denise met briefly before he left for the airport. Sharing words and several, deep kisses, he parted with the memories still on his lips. When he pulled out of the driveway, Denise shut the door and went up to her room.

She opened her closet, looking at the various items of clothing she had. She was easily influenced by Jonathon, including her wardrobe and her work. While her clothing designs were a hit with many customers, they were far more reserved than what she would have done pre-Jon.

Taking many articles out of her closet, she threw them on the bed, intent on giving them away. She didn’t wear a lot of her own works, but the ones she did she suddenly grew a distaste for. Perhaps Graham was the inspiration she needed to improve her line of clothing. She would have to see.

Going to the basement, Denise knew she had a box somewhere, filled with her old wardrobe. Memories she wasn’t ready to part with just yet. After a good 40 minutes of searching, she came across the large box, a grin plastered on her face. This was what she was looking for – her identity.

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Hilary lay on her bed, and picked up the phone out of boredom. Denise could always amuse her when she felt like this. Dialing Denise’s number, she held the phone up to her ear.

She hadn’t heard from her friend in a few days, so she just assumed Denise was busy with working for the Bannen Warriors, or designing new clothes. She had no idea that Denise was currently in the early stages of romance with one of Hilary’s favourite players.

She was jealous enough that Denise had got the job, and was able to see and talk to the hockey team whenever she wanted. Hilary felt that the job should have been hers, that Denise was hardly deserving. After all, Denise really didn’t know a thing about hockey, she would be lost without Hilary.

After a few rings, Denise picked up the phone. Hilary tried to sound cheery.

“Hey Denise, it’s Hilary! What are you up to today?”

“I’m just unpacking a few things, getting myself organized.”

Hilary didn’t exactly know what that meant, but she let it slide anyway.

“Do you want to get together today? I’m really bored.” Hilary said.

“I’m really busy, so I don’t think I can go anywhere. Why don’t we get together later?” Denise sounded distracted. Hilary frowned.

“Fine. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

Hilary hung up the phone. Denise never blew her off. Denise had the most boring, uneventful life of someone she’d ever met. She knew Denise was a fashion designer, but she wasn’t actively working right now, so most of the time she was just sitting around at home, twiddling her thumbs.

Denise didn’t know the meaning of fun, Hilary thought. Denise didn’t go to bars, she didn’t meet guys, and she certainly didn’t have a sex life, not one to boast about like Hilary did. Hilary had already had two guys just that week, she was sure Denise maybe had two guys in her lifetime.

She accredited that her good looks made guys go for her more. Denise was a good looking girl, but Hilary couldn’t see what was so special about her. The guys went for Hilary because she was better looking, and Denise wasn’t as fortunate. She was sure that’s what it was. Smiling, she put down her phone. If Denise didn’t want to hang out with her, that was fine. She would go find a pleasurable way to pass her time. All she had to do was hit up one of the bars.


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Neil sat on the plane, headphones in his ears. His mind was elsewhere. As much as he wanted to tell Graham what was going on in his life right now, he wasn’t sure he could just yet.

He had met Amanda a little more than a month ago, and he was crazy about her. She was a really nice woman, petite, with long blonde hair and big brown eyes. He adored her. She was beautiful, and he was sure that he had met an angel. She was just as crazy about him, and whenever he was with her, he thought he was on cloud nine.

If he told Graham that, his friend would probably laugh at him and say that he really was turning into a softie. He wasn’t sure if his affection for Mandy would be understood by his best friend.

Neil supposed that the only way he would find out was by telling his friend, but he wasn’t ready to make himself that vulnerable just yet. Maybe he would tell Graham sometime on the trip, when he had wound down a little. He needed to think of the right thing to say.






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A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Keep 'em coming, and I sure will keep writing! Things are getting exciting now... :D


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