The Playmaker

by Cathryn Fox

  “No,” she says, and pulls my mouth back. We exchange heated kisses, then I go back on my heels to undress her. She sits up and lifts her arms for me, and I tug her T-shirt off over her head and release her bra.

  I nudge her until she falls back on my pillow, her curls splaying. I grip her shorts, and she lifts her hips so I can shimmy them down her legs.

  “You are the most beautiful woman in the world, Nina.”

  She swallows. “You don’t have to say that.”

  “I’m telling you the truth, and if you’re wondering, no, I’ve never said that to anyone before.”

  “Cole,” she whispers, and reaches for me. I fall over her, put a finger inside her to find her so hot and wet and ready for me, it shuts down my brain. She widens her legs. “I need you.”

  I power into her with one fast thrust, and as I sink into her softness, need doesn’t even begin to describe what I’m feeling for her.

  13

  Nina

  When I wake and find Cole sleeping soundly beside me, the world around me spins, my emotions on a complete roller coaster ride as I take him in—think about the gentle, protective way he touched me between the sheets. My heart aches with longing as I put my finger on my kiss-swollen lips. In this bed last night, well, what we did felt a lot like lovemaking to a girl who signed on to hate fuck Cocky Cole Cannon—The Playmaker

  Although calling him that no longer seems right.

  I ease from beneath the covers, about to dash to the bathroom to get myself together, when Cole says, “Where do you think you’re going?”

  My stomach flutters at the playfulness in his voice. “I thought you were asleep.”

  “Get over here.” He turns and drags me to him for a good-morning kiss, and I snuggle in beside him, not in a hurry to go anywhere, despite the fact that we both slept in. But we were up all hours of the night…making love. At least I think we were.

  “We need to get moving.” I point to the late hour on the clock. “You have your appointment.”

  “I know,” he says.

  As I note the strange hitch in his voice, I go up on my elbow to see him. “Are you worried?”

  “Yeah. Hockey.” He scrubs his hand through his hair. “Kind of my life, right? If I can’t play…”

  I put my hand on his face, and give a silent prayer that he gets back on the ice sooner rather than later. “He’s going to give you the all clear. I know it.”

  His smile is forced as he drops a kiss onto my forehead, one that travels all the way to my wobbly heart.

  “Playoffs are coming up fast,” he says, holding my forehead to his mouth. “The team will be back home practicing before I know it. I need to practice with them to get ready. First game of seven will be here in Seattle, on our home ice.” He inches back to see me. “Cason will be home soon. I bet you’re happy about that.”

  “I am. I miss him a lot.”

  “He misses you, too.” When I go silent, a strange look comes over him. “He cares about you a lot, Nina.”

  I kick the sheets off. I don’t want to talk about Cason. The distance between us—physical and emotional—makes me sad. I’m not so sure I believed Cole when he said Cason wanted to take me places when we were kids. Then again, we grew up with distant parents, and maybe he just didn’t know how to display affection. Still, he could reach out to me every now and then. I want to be a family, the way Cole and Tabby and their dad are a family.

  “We need to move or you’re going to be late for your appointment. I’ll shower first.”

  “I’ll join you.”

  “No,” I say, and place my hand on his chest so he can’t get up. “If you climb in there with me—”

  “You don’t want my cock in you again?”

  A fine shiver of want goes through me. “You know I do.”

  “Then what’s the problem?

  “Your appointment. You just told me how important hockey is to you.”

  He opens his mouth like he wants to say something, then frowns and closes it. Silence ensues for a second, and then he says, “Okay, go. I’ll just stay here with my hard-on and wait for my turn.”

  He pulls the blankets off and exposes himself to me.

  I chuckle. “You are so bad.” He takes his cock into his hand. “Cole,” I warn. He laughs as he strokes himself. “We had sex three times last night, how can you be—”

  “I can’t get enough of you, sweet Nina,” he says, and I take in his expression, see no humor behind his words. “If I get the all clear, I’m tying you to this bed tonight.”

  Don’t read more into it, girl.

  He winks at me. “You want that, don’t you?”

  I want a lot of things.

  “Yeah, I want.”

  Fire burns in his eyes as I dart to the bathroom. I have a fast shower, and when I finish, I find Cole in the bathroom waiting his turn. He drops a soft kiss onto my mouth, and I go back into the bedroom to dress quickly. Not wanting to disturb Tabby or Jack as they try to sleep in and adjust, I quietly make my way to the kitchen to scramble us some eggs.

  A noise at the door catches my attention, and I walk to it to find the mail being slid through a slot. I pick it up and carry it to the kitchen. I toss it onto the table, but one bill jumps out at me. Cole has had medical bills, sure, but this one is from Renal Care. Why the hell would Cole be getting a bill from Renal Care?

  My pulse leaps as understanding dawns. Could this be why his father hasn’t been around much? He has kidney failure? And Cole pays the bills for him?

  My throat tightens. There really is more to this man than he lets on.

  I hurry to the fridge and pull out the eggs. Cole and Tabby must be so worried about him, and with Cole unable to drive, and his dad not well, they’ve not been able to see each other.

  Since they’ve kept his illness a secret, I’m not about to say a word. It does give me an idea, though. They’ve both been so nice to me, I want to do something nice for them in return.

  As my plan takes shape, one I’m anxious to put into action, I grab my phone and shoot Jess a text. I’m going to need a few hours away from Cole if I’m going to make this work.

  “Hey,” Cole says when he enters the kitchen. I turn to see him, and my heart stills. How is it possible that he gets better looking every day? That I seem to fall for him a little more with each passing minute?

  “Mail came,” I say.

  “Thanks.”

  I make toast and scramble eggs as he goes through it. I put our plates on the table. “I’m going to hang out with Jess this afternoon. It’s been ages since I’ve seen her.”

  He drops the bills and picks up a fork. “You’re still going to go to the rink, right?”

  “Yeah, she’ll meet me there. I also want to give you and your sister some time together.”

  He leans toward me conspiratorially. “I’m not supposed to say anything, but I know I can trust you.”

  “What?” I ask, a little thrill going through me that he wants to share a secret.

  “Jack is going to ask her to marry him. He asked me for permission last night.”

  I squeal, then cover my mouth quickly. “That is so exciting, Cole!” I think back to last night, to when Jack said he wanted to meet Tabby’s father. I can only guess he wants to ask him for her hand, too. The gesture is so sweet, and that makes me more determined than ever to make my plan work.

  We finish our breakfast, and traffic is light as we drive through the city and make our way to the clinic. I give Cole a reassuring kiss before he enters, then I make myself comfortable in the waiting room. I flip through a magazine and think about tonight, how I want to surprise Cole and Tabby.

  When the door to the doctor’s office finally opens, I jump up. The smile on Cole’s face fills me with equal measures of happiness and unease. I’m thrilled the appointment went well, but I do not want to get back on the ice.

  Then again, with Cole by my side, maybe it won’t be so bad. I do wonder, though, why he made this par
t of the deal. Does he really need me to spot him? Doubtful. What is really driving this need?

  I’m about to open my mouth to ask how it went when he picks me up and spins me around. I squeal, and he plants a warm kiss on my mouth, one that trickles all the way to my heart and curls around it, cocooning me in warmth.

  He sets me down and grabs his phone. “I need to text Cason and Tabby to let them know.”

  “What about your dad?” I ask.

  “Of course,” he says, and my already too tight chest squeezes harder, making it difficult to breathe. I love the closeness he has with his family and my brother. If something good or bad happened to me, the first and last person I’d call is Jess. He shoots off texts as we walk back to the car. I dig the keys from my purse and hold them up.

  “I bet you want to drive.”

  “No, go ahead. I’ve been getting used to you chauffeuring me around.” He runs his hand along the top of his car. “There’s not too many people who can handle this girl,” he says. “You can use it for as long as you like.”

  Ridiculously pleased with his compliment, I slide into the driver’s side, and he climbs in next to me, a new energy about him.

  “Tabby and Jack are going to meet us at the rink. She’s bringing my skates. Do you want to stop at your place and grab yours?”

  I shake my head. “No, I’ll just rent a pair.”

  Cole watches me carefully, and I back the car out of the tight spot. “What did you do with your skates?”

  “Nothing, they’re at Mom’s, and I don’t really feel like driving across town to get them.”

  He nods and sinks back into his seat, his fingers beating restlessly on his door, his antsy energy needing an escape. His phone pings, and he turns it over. “Cason’s on his way home. He should be here by tomorrow night. I think he’s going to stay at the house for a few days.”

  “That will be nice,” I say. Unlike Cole, Cason never bought a house. When back home, he just stays with Mom and Dad. It isn’t like they interfere in his life. They’re never around anyway.

  “Yeah,” he says, but I hear something uneasy in his voice.

  I swallow against the thickness in my throat, because that agitation can only mean one thing. Cason is moving in for a few days, which means it’s time for me to move out. He’s better now, and my lessons—sex and hockey—are over.

  Do I want it to be? No. Do I have a choice? Maybe…

  “Cole,” I say.

  “Yeah?”

  “I know we agreed that we’d end things when you got better and back on the ice, but I was thinking…should we extend these lessons until after the playoffs?”

  He scrubs his face, his brow furrowed. “Cason—” he begins but I cut him off.

  “I’ll move out while he’s here. Give you two the time and space to catch up. We can reconvene after he leaves. Unless of course you don’t think I’d benefit from seeing the season through until the end.”

  His smile is slow, sexy as hell, and there is a fire in his eyes as he looks me over, like he has a lot of dirty things going through his mind. “I see the benefit.”

  He jacks the tunes as I drive to the rink. I park, and after we make our way inside, I go to get a pair of rental skates. I finish signing them out, and I turn to find Cole on his phone again. He seems a bit agitated, more restless than usual.

  What’s going through is mind? I’m not sure, but he’s definitely lost in thought. He has to be worried about getting back into the game, being ready for the playoffs after being out for so long.

  I hold the skates in my hand and glance out at the ice, at the kids and adults laughing and playing. I can’t for one second believe I’m going out there again, that Cole made this part of the deal. I run my finger along the blade, my heart beating a little faster in my chest.

  “You okay?” Cole asks, and my head jerks up, surprised to find him standing over me.

  “It’s been awhile.”

  “I’ll be with you.”

  I force a smile. “Do you really need me with you out there?”

  He looks at me long and hard, and I shift under his scrutiny. It’s like the man can see into my soul, knows every insecurity lurking there.

  “Yes,” he says quietly.

  “What if I…”

  “Fall?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ll catch you.”

  A lump lodges in my throat. We might have grown up hating each other, but in my heart, I know Cole would never let anything happen to me.

  “Okay.” I sit on the bench and kick off my shoes, and he turns to wave Tabby and Jack over as they enter.

  Tabby runs up to her brother and they hug.

  “I’m so happy you got the all clear,” she says, then glances at me. “I’m sure it’s all because Nina has been taking such good care of you.”

  I smile at Tabby. I can’t believe Jack is asking her to marry him. Cole is getting a brother-in-law, and dammit if Tabby wouldn’t make the best sister-in-law to me.

  Oh, Jesus.

  Jack and Tabby go rent their skates as Cole and I lace up. “All set?” he asks.

  I nod and climb to my feet. He holds my hand as we step onto the ice and panic moves through me.

  “You’ve got this, Nina,” he says. He skates backward and wiggles his finger, the way one would with a beginner.

  “I’m not a child,” I say, and plant a hand on my hip.

  “Oh, I know that,” he says. “Not anymore.” His gaze is suggestive as it rolls over me.

  I push off and skate toward him and he spins to skate with me. We do a couple rounds and then pick up speed. The cool air moves over me, and my hair catches in the breeze as we race around the rink. Cole slows, and his smile is wide.

  “Told you, you’ve got this.”

  “Just like riding a bike,” I say to him, exhilarated. I’d forgotten how good it felt to skate, the freedom and enjoyment. “So do you. I don’t think you needed me here at all.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Pretty BallerNina.”

  “Cole—”

  “Hey, I always meant it as a compliment.” He skates backward again, and I go after him. “You just took it the wrong way.”

  “I’m not so sure about that.” I skate past him, and he comes after me. He slides his arms around my stomach and his mouth is near my ear when he says. “It was a compliment, and I did need you here with me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re the one who needed to get back on the ice, Nina. Not me.”

  I freeze in his arms, and he holds me tighter. “Cole,” I say, my voice a bit broken as I break from his hold and turn. “What are you talking about?”

  Green eyes full of tenderness meet mine. “You haven’t stepped foot in a rink since the accident. It kills me to know you’ve hung up your skates.” He spreads his arms wide. “You always loved it out here, there was this freedom on your face and in your eyes when you skated.”

  “How—”

  “I know you don’t do it professionally anymore, but to give it up altogether, because you’re afraid—”

  “I’m not afraid,” I say quickly, defensively, even though he’s right. I just don’t want anyone to see that in me, although Cole has seen more in me than anyone; seems to know more about me than even I ever knew.

  “Nina,” he says, and pulls me back in. “It’s okay. You don’t have to hide anything with me. What you went through was hard. I know you’re strong and independent. We all do.”

  “What do you mean, ‘we all do’?”

  He opens his mouth, closes it again, and then finally says, “I know how devastated you were. I wanted you back on this ice for you, not for me.”

  An invisible band squeezes around my heart. Oh, God, I am falling so hard for this man. I fight back the tears pounding behind my eyes. “It…shattered me. My dreams. For a long time, I was…lost, alone.”

  He hugs me tight and drops a soft kiss onto my forehead. “I know.”

  “How
?”

  “I just… Because I…”

  I sniff and lift my head, and my heart swells when I meet his concerned eyes. I am in so much trouble here. “Cole?”

  “It killed Cason, too, that he couldn’t be here for you.”

  I look down, and he puts his finger under my chin to lift it. A smile touches his mouth. “You have no idea, do you?”

  “About what?”

  “About how much your brother really cares about you.”

  I tug my chin away. “Cole…”

  A sound catches in his throat. “Over the years, he’d given out dozens of black eyes, Nina. If a guy so much as looked at you, he was done for.” Cole laughs at that, but I go still, partly because I’m touched at what I’m hearing, and partly because I’m angry.

  “Why would he do that?”

  “Because you’re his little sister, and big brothers are protective of their little sisters. Just ask Tabby.”

  Just then, Tabby and Jack skate by, and Cole’s eyes fill with love.

  “He shouldn’t have done that. I can take care of myself.”

  “I know. We all know. But Cason was better with his fists than his words.” He shrugs. “We all show how we care in different ways, right?”

  The rink swirls around me. “I thought…all these years…”

  “What?”

  “Guys didn’t like me. I just sort of blended into the background.”

  He lets out a laugh. “Yeah, right. Believe me, guys noticed you. A lot of guys noticed you, but they were too damn chicken shit to stand up to Cason. That guy’s crazy, you know.”

  I stand there dumbfounded. “I can’t believe this.”

  “Believe it. You are the prettiest girl I’ve ever set eyes on, Nina. There wasn’t a guy on our high school team that didn’t want to date you. Cason frightened them off.”

  “I guess none of them thought I was worth the fight.”

  He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “They were idiots. You’re worth the fight.”

  I lift my head, take in the intense green eyes gazing at me. Cason hadn’t scared Cole off. He’s here with me now, unafraid of a beatdown from his very best friend, telling me I’m worth the fight. My heart races faster, pounds against my chest. Is it possible that there can be more between us?