“Mommy, I want to tell all the kids at school I spent all summer with the team! Zach has nothing else to do anyway!”
Ready to leave if that would make things easier on Becky, Zach was a little surprised when Becky simply nodded and went to join the other mothers at the picnic tables. He’d caught up with the guys while the kids played, then found himself drawn into conversation with the precocious five-year-old girl when someone brought up bad calls by refs that past season. Casey had been raised on the game and knew more than most die-hard fans. As they were leaving the park, Casey had held his and her mother’s hands, excitedly chatting up a storm about the coming season, and the draft picks the team had picked up, and her birthday.
“You’re coming, right, Zach?” Casey gave him a wide-eyed look, so adorable with that pleading puppy dog expression that he was ready to promise he’d be there even though he wasn’t sure what she was talking about, she’d changed the subject so often. She cleared that up quickly. “Uncle Dean said he might be able to have the team there on my birthday, but you have to be there!”
“Poupée, your birthday’s during training camp.” Becky sounded flustered, as though she was torn between giving her daughter what she wanted for her birthday and trying hard to make sure the little girl didn’t end up disappointed if she couldn’t. “You know the men will be very busy.”
“But you and Zach talk all the time! Please make him come!”
Becky couldn’t seem to find the right words, so Zach did his best. He squeezed Casey’s hand gently and winked at her. “I’ll do my best. The whole team will.”
The grateful look Becky gave him was bittersweet. There was no mistaking what it meant. She was happy that he’d made himself no different from the other players.
Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he forced himself to acknowledge that, as far as Casey was concerned, he was no different. Which he fully understood. It would take months before Becky would be okay with letting Casey know about their relationship. Part of him wished they didn’t have to wait, but he wasn’t in a rush. He would be there for mother and daughter when they needed him. No more, no less.
“All right, guys. About ready?” Tim called out, looking over the group of players standing by the water. Most of the Ice Girl contenders were already onboard, but the players hung out until the last minute, saying goodbye to friends and family who’d come to see them off. The only Ice Girl he could still see mingling was Akira. She stood with Jami, Ramos, and Carter, cheeks flushed as she made a valiant effort not to laugh at the way Jami let the boy have it. Hand on her hips, Jami faced Carter, bringing up one hand once in a while to poke him in the chest before scowling at the boat.
She obviously thought he was going to get in some kind of trouble.
Zach’s lip twitched as Jami cut her lecture short, kissed Carter, then stepped aside so Ramos could move in. Ramos curved his hand around the back of the boy’s neck. Their foreheads touched for a moment, and Ramos said something that had a blush staining Carter’s cheeks. Carter hooked his arm around Sebastian’s shoulders, feigning a hug while pressing a hard kiss to Ramos’ throat. Then he laughed, saluted, and headed up the ramp.
Akira hugged Jami tight, then followed, shouting back, “I’ll keep an eye on him for you!”
A little hand tugged at Zach’s sleeve. He crouched down as Casey gave him that wide-eyed look that made it almost impossible to tell her no. Gusts of warm, ocean air ruffled the child’s golden brown curls. “What is it, angel face?”
“You don’t really have to go, do you? Grandma wanted you to come over for supper!”
“And I will come over. But right now, your mommy missed you so much she wants you all to herself.”
Becky gave him a grateful smile and bent down beside him. “That’s right, poupée. And you remember Auntie Silver said this cruise was very important. Mr. Pearce has to do this for the team.”
“All right.” Casey let out a heavy sigh. “But you have to come over as soon as you get back. Hockey players are hungry all the time. You’re my hero, and we have to feed you.”
Biting back a laugh, Zach nodded solemnly. The Bower women certainly wanted to make sure he didn’t starve. “I’m looking forward to it.”
He straightened as the last of the men filed up the ramp, holding out his arm to pull Becky in for a hug. Her breath caught as his lips hovered over hers. Heat filled her eyes. He’d spent as much time as possible loving her body and satisfying her in every way possible, but they were still so new to one another, it never seemed to be enough. After only one day apart he longed to take her somewhere where they could be alone. To explore all the parts of her he still hadn’t touched or tasted.
How bad would it be after a week?
Before he could kiss her, she turned her head, biting her lip when he drew back and stared at her. She hugged him tight and whispered in his ear. “I’m sorry, it’s just . . . I don’t want her to see us being too friendly. It might confuse her.”
Nodding, he let her pull away from him. He knew that, but he hadn’t even considered what the little girl might think of a man kissing her mother in front of her. And he should have. If he was going to fit into Becky’s life, he had to be prepared to let her set the pace.
“Oh good, I didn’t miss the boat!” Scott jogged up to them, dropping his suitcase at his feet and bracing his hands on his knees, rasping in air as though he’d run all the way here from his new condo. “Fucking Stephan decided, last minute, that I needed more new clothes.”
Becky laughed. “You’re going on a cruise! What do you need besides swim trunks?”
“Or a Speedo.” Scott winked at her.
Jesus. Zach’s gaze skimmed over Scott’s tall, lean body. One he knew very well. The man looked pretty respectable—maybe a little too respectable—in crisp blue jeans and a white, V-neck T-shirt. But the thought of him in a Speedo was unsettling.
“Umm, eww.” Becky wrinkled her nose. “Even you won’t look good in a Speedo.”
Scott smirked. “Tell me that after you see the pics. I’ve got the ass for it.”
Cheeks a nice hot pink, Becky glanced over at Casey, who’d gone back to the big fiddle and had struck up a conversation with Tim’s wife, Madeline. Even though her daughter was out of hearing, Becky kept her voice low. “I believe it. And I like the fact that you’ll be taking pictures with at least something covering you.”
“Hey, you’ve got to admit, the nude shots were very artistic,” Scott said.
“You’re talented, Scott. You don’t need to whore yourself for the cameras.”
“Does it bother you?”
“Why would it?” Becky’s eyes narrowed as Sahara called out to Scott from the bow of the ship. She didn’t seem to care that he purposefully ignored the other woman. Interesting. “You better go.” She sniffed. “And have fun.”
Cocking his head, glancing over at Zach, Scott moved closer to her. He whispered something in her ear and kissed her cheek. “Don’t miss me too much.”
She scoffed, backing away. “I won’t miss you at all. At least you won’t be making my job harder while you’re out there. Not with Tim keeping an eye on you.”
Scott inclined his head. “There’s that. And my lotion—got another bottle. Reminds me of you.”
Lotion? Zach eyed Becky as she covered her bright red cheeks with her hands. Lips parted, she shook her head and spun on her heels, not even looking at him before scooping Casey up and heading to the parking lot.
He gave Scott a dark look as he strode past him on the way to the ramp. The man had no fucking respect. And he’d obviously shared something with Becky that Zach knew nothing about. Hell, they’d be apart for a week, and Scott’s last words had pretty much guaranteed that she’d be thinking about him.
Get over it. You knew there was something between them. She’s earned your trust.
And she’d made it clear she wasn’t interested in Scott. Not in any way that counted.
He’d never considered
himself a jealous man, but part of him wondered if he wasn’t missing something. Becky was so determined to go about their relationship the right way. She’d questioned his feelings for Scott several times. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was denying her own.
Not that it mattered. Scott had to back off. Zach refused to let her feel pressured by the other man.
With all the camera crews on the boat, Zach knew better than to confront Scott out in the open, but as soon as the cameras were locked on the bikini-clad Ice Girls, he followed Scott to his room, waving Tim away when the man tried to approach him.
The door clicked shut behind him. Scott looked up from where he’d been unpacking his overstuffed suitcase. His brow furrowed as though he’d tried to read Zach’s expression, but couldn’t. “You’re not gonna punch me, are you?”
Zach shook his head, tucking his thumbs into the pockets of his jeans. “No. Most other men probably would, but I don’t feel threatened by you.”
Scott snorted as he straightened, cramming the last of his T-shirts into the dresser drawers. “You’re so full of shit. The only thing I don’t know is if you’re more scared of how much she wants me, or how much you do.”
“We’ve had this conversation.”
“Have we?”
“Yes.” Zach wasn’t sure what he wanted to do more. Shake some sense into Scott or slam their lips together and kiss him until that cocky smile disappeared. Not that it would do him much good. Scott had a one-track mind, and Zach wasn’t in the mood to try to get through to him. If that’s even possible. Best to keep things very simple. “You know Becky and I are involved.”
Scott laced his fingers behind his neck, brow raised. “Yeah, I do. Just making it clear I’m available.”
Zach let out a rough laugh. Nothing with Scott was “clear.” Becky didn’t need this kind of shit messing with her head. “Leave her alone, Scott. She’s trying to settle into her life here, and you’re doing nothing but complicating things.”
“Well, she’s not here, is she?” Scott inched his body against Zach’s, challenge in his steady gaze. “But you are. Did Tim get a chance to tell you?” A small dimple showed in Scott’s cheek as he grinned. “We’re sharing a room.”
Zach’s jaw ticked as he did his best not to react to that little piece of info. He waited until Scott ducked out of the room, then walked up to the large window to stare out at the ocean. Scott wasn’t going to let this go, and Zach wasn’t quite sure why. Did he consider getting under Zach’s skin a challenge? Did he want Becky because she wouldn’t throw herself at him?
Whatever the reason, Zach had to make sure Scott understood that this had to stop. If he could go through the next week without touching the man, ignoring every advance . . . he grunted, gritting his teeth against the steady throb of his balls. Yeah, you’ll show him, Pearce.
Okay, so the man turned him on. Him and almost any other man or woman with a pulse. No big deal. He didn’t have to act on it.
“—if there was a man . . . a man I felt could give you even half of what I can—who wouldn’t ruin what we have . . .”
Zach cursed as he recalled Becky’s words, right after they’d made love for the first time. She’d been so certain he’d need more. So determined to accept it if he did.
But I don’t.
Becky needed stability. Needed a man who would stand by her no matter what. He knew he could be that man. Scott couldn’t. Yeah, he was tempting. He was the fucking apple in Eden to them both, and if Zach let it happen, both he and Becky could enjoy what little Scott had to offer. But then what? Becky was already unsure about how her relationship with Zach would work. She’d take his lead if he trusted Scott enough to bring him into what they were building, but what kind of Dom would he be to take that kind of risk?
This wasn’t about him being Becky’s Dom, though. Her reactions toward Scott weren’t something he could control. And negating his own feelings wasn’t making the situation any better.
Sitting on the bed, he pulled out his phone, flipping it in his hand several times before dialing. Hearing Becky’s laughter before she said “Hello?” brought a smile to his lips. Whatever happened, he knew they had each other. There was no reason for all this uncertainty. All they had to do was talk it over.
“Hello, little doe.” He scooted backward to rest against the headboard. “Does Casey still like her room or will we need to paint it a different color?”
“Don’t be silly! She loves it—I’m glad we finished in time.” She paused and he could hear her shifting about, then the light pad of her footsteps as she went into another room. “Listen, I’m sorry I left like that. I hope you weren’t upset?”
“Not at all. I did wonder—”
“About the lotion, right?” She spoke quickly, her tone laced with guilt. “It was nothing, really. Scott was hitting on me once, telling me he had ‘needs’ so he could perform on the ice. I gave him a small bottom of lotion and told him to take care of it. Then I . . . I guess I sort of gave him mixed signals. My brother ordered me to stay away from him.”
Zach bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. That couldn’t have gone over well. “What did you do?”
“I kissed Scott. It was more to make a point than anything, but . . .”
“I understand. There’s something about him that’s hard to resist.” Zach sighed. “We should be having this conversation in person, but since that’s not possible—”
“Are you finally going to admit you want him?”
“I don’t think I ever said I didn’t ‘want’ him. I don’t need him when I have you. But I want to be completely honest. I have wondered what the three of us could have if he’s serious about all the changes he’s making. I’ve seen the way you look at him.”
“He’s with Sahara.”
“I’m pretty sure he’s with her just to improve his image.”
“You didn’t see the way he kissed her.” She cleared her throat. “But . . . if you think you could have something with him, I won’t stand in the way. If we’re being honest, I have to admit, before I saw him with Sahara, I was wondering what it could be like too. You guys would be hot together.”
“We were. But that’s not the point.” Zach rubbed his hand over his face, not sure she really understood what he was trying to say. “You aren’t in the way, love. I need a real relationship, and that’s what we have. I don’t ever want you to feel the way I did when I saw Scott with other men. And women.”
“I don’t ever want you to feel that way again. That’s why I asked Scott to back off.” She drew in a sharp inhale. “But it all comes back to him changing. If he has, go for it.”
“Not this week. Not until we both have a chance to see if it will last.”
“I trust you. I know you wouldn’t do anything if I wasn’t okay with it. I repeat—” she let out a light laugh, but it sounded strained “—I am.”
This wasn’t going at all like he’d intended. He shook his head. “That isn’t why I called. Nothing will happen. I wanted to clarify things between us. When I found out I was sharing a room with Scott, I—”
“You’re sharing a room?” She let out another tight laugh. “And you want me to believe nothing will happen?”
He went still. “I thought you trusted me?”
“I do. But it kinda pisses me off to know you’ll be holding him at arm’s length when I’ve told you again and again that I don’t mind.”
So she said. But her tone told him otherwise. She thought she was giving him what he wanted. He sat up, speaking slowly so he wouldn’t be misunderstood again. “I am not a man who enjoys a cheap fuck. That’s all Scott can give me right now. I will tell you the same thing you’ve told me. When—if—you decide to explore things with Scott, I will accept it. But be careful. I won’t be happy if he hurts you.”
“He’s not with me, Zach. He’s with you. I won’t be happy if he hurts you either, but I think you need to give him a chance.”
They spoke for a bit lo
nger, the subject shifting away from Scott, becoming more relaxed as she brought up Silver and how excited Casey had been to see the baby. She mentioned the calendar the team would sell for charity with pictures from the cruise and made him promise to pose for one with Scott.
“Since you’re not here, I need some kind of mental image to help me take care of myself at night.”
He knocked his head back against the headboard, the image of her pleasuring herself while thinking of him with Scott making his balls tight and his dick hard. “The two of you are going to drive me insane!”
“Easy solution. Stop fighting us.” Her voice was deep and husky, resonating down his spine in a way that made him shudder. “Just promise you’ll call me and give me all the dirty details.”
“If anything happens, Becky, you’ll be there to see it.”
“If that’s true, I’ll be a little disappointed. With all the changes Scott’s making, I don’t want to see him losing his touch. He’ll find a way to break through that rigid control you’re so proud of.”
“Considering my control is one of the things you like most about me, I sincerely doubt that will happen.”
“We’ll see,” she said brightly. Then her tone changed, rough with longing. “I’ll miss you.”
“Already?” His lips turned up in a sheepish grin. “I thought I was the only one.”
“You do know we’re becoming one of those sappy couples no one can stand to be around? I don’t think anyone expected that from you.”
“I don’t care what anyone thinks.” He took a deep breath. “I’m falling in love with you, Becky. You’re everything a man could ever want in a woman. I need you to know I’ll never do anything to ruin this.”
“That . . . wow. I’m glad you said that. Because it scares me how fast I’m falling for you. This was the only thing holding me back—knowing there was part of yourself you were keeping from me.” She paused again. “He won’t come between us unless we pretend he’s not there. We fit in each other’s lives. And maybe he can too.”
“Maybe.” Zach still wasn’t sure. But it was good that they’d discussed the possibilities. “There’s only one way to find out. I’ll give him the opportunity to prove himself.”
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