by Meghan Quinn
“Perfect,” I say to myself, excited to making breakfast for someone else.
“Smells good,” a sleepy voice says from behind me.
Spinning around, I find Adalyn leaning against the counter, palm pressed to one of her eyes, hair a beautiful disaster, those long, toned legs completely bare. Not even the slightest bit bashful, she walks toward me in nothing but her thong and T-shirt and circles her arms around my waist, pressing her face against my chest.
Surprised, it takes me a second to realize I should hug her back, but when I do, she snuggles in even closer.
“Thanks for not making me drive home last night. I’m not sure I would have made it. I’m kind of a heavy sleeper.”
Yeah, I gathered that from the way she was practically stroking my cock without batting an eyelash.
“It wasn’t a problem at all. I liked it.”
“Yeah?” She looks up at me, her chin to my chest, a bright smile on her face. Studying me, there is a little pinch in her brow when she asks, “Did we kiss last night?”
“No.” I chuckle. “We didn’t.”
“Hmm, I must have had some dreams about you last night. It felt like we . . . you know . . . fooled around.”
I cough, choking on my saliva, remembering the way she innocently explored me in her sleep.
“Uh . . .” I pull on the back of my neck, my flexed bicep pulling her attention. “We didn’t fool around, but I woke up this morning to, uh . . . to you feeling me up.”
Her mouth drops open, and she presses her hand to her chest in shock. “How dare you accuse me of such a thing. I would never do that.”
Shit.
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” I try to recover. “It’s just, your hand was kind of wandering.”
“You’re ridiculous. I would never.” She steps away and folds her arms over her chest, anger clouding those chocolate-stained eyes of hers.
Not wanting her to be mad, I try to backpedal. “I mean, I’m not mad about it, but you asked and I thought I’d let you know, it was . . . fuck, it turned me on.” Shit, don’t say that. “I mean, it was nice, your fingers were gentle . . . errr, I mean they were . . .” Fucking hell.
Christ, man. Keep digging the grave.
I glance at Adalyn to gauge how mad she really is when I see her giggling to herself, her shoulders shaking, her hand over her mouth. “Why are you laughing?”
“Watching you squirm. It’s cute. Of course I remember touching you. I like to do a quick test drive before I actually buy the car, if you know what I mean.”
“Sooo, you were awake the entire time when you were running your fingers over my nipples . . . over the tip of my cock.”
She nods, a giant smile on her face.
“You’re fucking kidding me.”
She shakes her head. “And hearing you come in the shower, that was seriously hot. But don’t worry, I passed out again shortly after that.”
What.
The.
Hell.
The sound of my fingernails scraping over my short scruff fills the silence between us.
Walking past me, her bare ass swaying back and forth catches my attention. “So that means you felt me gripping your ass this morning.”
She’s looking through the cupboards when she says, “Mm-hmm.” Looking over her shoulder, she says, “You have quite an impressive grip on you, young man. It left me intrigued, looking for more.”
Perplexed, I drag my hand down my face.
“Aha.” She takes a mug from a shelf and goes to the coffee maker where she starts making a pot of coffee. “Don’t look so distraught. This is a good thing.”
With her back toward me, she scoops coffee grounds into a filter, followed by filling up the coffee maker with water.
This is a good thing?
No, a good thing would have been NOT pretending she was asleep and letting her hands do some more wandering, some seriously dangerous wandering.
Instead, I had to take care of business, and it wasn’t nearly as satisfying as the real thing.
Growling under my breath, I walk up behind her and place my hands on her hips, my thumbs tucking under the hem of her shirt.
She gasps and arches her back against my chest. Leaning forward, I murmur into her ear, my lips pressed against the side of her head. “Do you realize how much you drove me crazy with your hands?”
My thumbs move upward over her ribs until I reach her bra.
“Do you realize how impossibly hard you made me with just the light graze of your fingers?”
I pull her closer, her ass hitting my hardening cock.
She gasps, her head falling to my shoulder.
“Do you realize how difficult it was to remove myself from that bed, to remove your warm body away from mine to be the gentleman?”
Without warning, I spin her in my arms, easily pick her up, and place her on the counter. Spreading her legs, I step into her personal space and glide my hands up her silky thighs until they reach her hips where I slip my thumbs under the fabric of her miniscule thong.
Her eyes become heady, her chest rising and falling at a rapid pace.
“Do you realize how incredibly hard I came in the shower, thinking about your touch?” I drop the tone of my voice to a low rumble. “Thinking about the feel of your sweet ass in my palm, or the way you looked last night, under the dim lights of the deck?”
Eyes closed, leaning into my touch, her mouth parted, a light flush stains her cheeks.
“And then you walk out here, wearing nothing but a shirt and thong, tempting me, teasing me.” I move my thumbs down, closer to the juncture of her thighs. She hisses through her teeth, her eyes widening, connecting with mine. “Do you think that’s fair, Adalyn?”
Shaking her head no, she licks her lips and whispers, “No.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think so either.” I lean in closer, our bodies so damn close, her legs wrapping around me, her core pressing against my cock. She fits so perfectly. The tips of my fingers bury into her round ass, marking her.
Running her hands up my bare chest, she links them together behind my neck, pulling herself closer. She wants to kiss me. She’s wetting her lips and her gaze is intense.
Soft and warm. I crave her. I want this. I want to kiss her.
“What do you want?” I ask her, pressing my forehead against hers.
She doesn’t skip a beat. “Your lips on mine.” Threading her fingers through the soft strands of my hair, she pulls, our lips seconds from touching when I slip out of her grasp and turn away.
“Wh-what are you doing?” she asks, sounding shaken.
Smiling, I turn back around, both hands behind my head, my shorts riding low on my waist, a very clear bulge pushing against the fabric. Her eyes roam my entire body from my toes to my lips.
“Giving you a little taste of your own medicine.”
Her eyes sharpen as she grips the edge of the counter and propels herself forward toward me. Laughing, I back up until the backs of my legs hit the couch, and I tumble backward.
Taking advantage of the situation, she runs toward me and hops onto my lap, her legs straddling my hips. Placing both her hands on my chest, she leans down.
“Lesson learned. Don’t tease Hayden.”
I raise my eyebrows in shock. “Really? It was that easy?”
She chuckles and says, “As some misogynistic men like to think, I’m not some ‘stubborn female.’ I can find fault in my wrongdoings.”
“Damn.” I chuckle and grip her hips as she grinds down on me, positioning herself closer to me, her hair forming a curtain of silky brown strands around her face. “So what now?”
“You tell me. Are you going to continue to hold out on me?”
I twist my lips to the side, holding back my smile. “Sort of.”
“Sort of?” Exasperated, she lets out a long sigh. “Are you trying to torture me?”
“No, just looking for the right moment.”
Eyeing me suspiciously, she ask
s, “Are you a closet romantic?”
“Possibly.”
Slowly nodding her head in understanding, she says, “I can respect that.” And as quick as she jumped on top of me, she hops off and holds out her hand to help me to my feet. “If you’re waiting for the right moment to kiss me, I’ll wait with you.”
“You’re going to wait?”
“I’m going to wait for you.” Who is this girl? How did I get so lucky? For the second time today, she wraps her arms around my waist and hugs me tightly. And for the second time today, my heart stutters in my chest, my body melts into her, and I take one more step to becoming addicted to her sweet embrace. And this is also when I realize I’m so fucked.
Chapter Eight
ADALYN
“You’re making it hard for me to think of other men,” I say, putting my fork down and staring over our empty dishes at Hayden.
“Do you want to think about other men?” He leans forward, hands gripping the table.
“Not in the slightest.” I play with my fork on my plate, and look at Hayden through my eyelashes. “Can I be honest with you?”
“Always.” He relaxes into his chair, crossing his arms over his broad, expansive chest. There is a light patch of hair covering his thick pecs, trimmed short so you barely notice it’s there. It’s masculine, very appealing, incredibly sexy. His hair is ruffled from his peaceful slumber, and he’s been sporting a lazy smile ever since I appeared in the kitchen.
There is an easygoing, fun-loving air about him I find intoxicating. By now, I would have thrown caution to the wind and kissed the man, but with Hayden, it feels different. It feels okay to wait.
“Can I ask you a question first?”
“Sure.” He looks to the side and quickly says, “Maybe we can sit on the couch though?”
“I’d like that.” Standing, he takes my hand and guides me to the couch where he sits and pulls me down across his lap so my legs drape over his, and my back is against the arm of the couch. Gripping my knee, he soothes his thumb over the bone, back and forth.
“What’s your question?”
His touch is so gentle. It makes me feel cherished—worshipped—such a foreign feeling.
Fiddling with the end of my shirt, feeling a little weird without pants on, I ask, “Have you ever been in love?”
“In love?” He blows out a heavy sigh and rests his head on the back of the couch. “Nah, I don’t think so, not the kind of love that builds a foundation for the rest of your life. I feel like I’ve had puppy love, you know back in high school when you think you love someone, it’s new and exciting. But real love?” He shakes his head. “No. What about you?”
I press my lips together and shake my head as well. “No, I’ve never been in love, or a relationship for that matter.”
“You haven’t had a boyfriend before?”
“Nope.” I twist my hands in my lap as my forehead creases with concern. “I know it’s super early in whatever this is between us, but I thought I would let you know . . . I’ve never done this before, spent more time with a guy than one night.”
Realization hits him and when I think he’s about to grow angry, he surprises me and takes my hand in his, bringing it to his lips. “So you’ve never been on a date?”
“No, I’ve been on dates before, but second and third dates? Not so much, nor have I talked to a guy like I’ve talked to you.”
“Does that scare you?”
I nod and lean my head against his shoulder as he wraps his arm around me, pulling me in close. “You’re a professional hockey player, Hayden. You live in Philadelphia; you’re only here for a short amount of time; it feels ridiculous to even think about starting a relationship with you, let alone my first one, and who knows if you really want a relationship with me, I’m just . . . ugh, I’m getting ahead of myself.” I take a deep breath and say, “I guess I want to feel you out before I dive any deeper into this thing between us, because I’m already starting to feel things for you, and I’d like to nip it in the bud if you’re not feeling the same thing.” God, I sound like a rambling idiot. “No pressure or anything. It’s not an ultimatum, sorry if it sounded like one. Ugh, can you tell I’m not good at—”
“Stop.” Hayden pinches my chin with his thumb and index finger, bringing my eyes level with his. That smile, those eyes, his rumpled hair . . . it eases the tension building in my chest.
“Adalyn, I wouldn’t have made dinner and breakfast for you, or tracked you down through multiple hospitals if I wasn’t interested in you, if I didn’t feel the same thing you’re feeling. Believe me, I understand our lives are different, and when hockey season starts again, it’s going to be hard, but I’m not worried about that right now. What I want to focus on is getting to know you.”
“But what happens when you do have to go? Is it worth starting something?”
“To me it is.” He twists his fingers through my messy hair. “I want more of you. I’m not ready to say goodbye, are you?”
I take a second, weighing my options. This is all new to me, getting to know someone on a deeper level, not jumping into the physical right away, feeling like I’m swept up into another world. The big question is, do I want to dip my toes into the unknown with someone who’s bound to leave no matter what? Do I want to put myself out there with the huge possibility of getting hurt in the end?
“What’s wrong?” he asks, cupping my cheek. “Why do you have that worried look on your face?”
Knowing he will appreciate my honesty, I say, “I don’t want to get hurt, Hayden.”
He lets out a long breath and pulls me in closer, resting my cheek on his chest. He kisses the top of my head and strokes my shoulder with his thumb. “I would like to promise I’m not going to hurt you, but I can’t make that promise, because I don’t know what the future holds, but what I can promise is to try. To put in the effort. To make you laugh. To make you happy. To continually make that beautiful smile appear on your lips. That’s what I can do, and hopefully, everything else will fit into place if it’s meant to be.”
“So just like that, you’re going to jump in, feet first?”
He nods against my head. “Yeah, I’m jumping in. Care to join me?”
Biting on my bottom lip, I squeeze my eyes shut, my nerves twisting and turning in my stomach. Fuck, I don’t want to get hurt. Shit. Shit. Shit. I don’t want to get hurt. Not by him. Not by one of the sweetest guys I’ve ever met. Because I know. I know he’d never intentionally hurt me, which gives him a lot of power, yet it doesn’t make me powerless. He’s such a good man. Kind. Giving. But I don’t think I can survive being hurt by him.
Then again, I don’t think I can survive saying goodbye right now, either.
Shyly, I look up at him and say, “If I jump in, will you catch me?”
Playfully, a grin spreads across his lips, lighting up his entire face. “Don’t worry, I’ll catch you, Adalyn.”
Leaning against the door of my car, I play with the belt loops of Hayden’s jeans. After cleaning up breakfast, we joked and teased each other for a bit before he changed and offered me a set of shorts to wear home.
“What are you doing for the rest of the day?”
Gripping my hips, his large hands pressing me gently against my car, he says, “I have some errands to run, and then I promised Racer I’d help him out with something tonight.”
I can feel my disappointment take over me, my smile melting away. I was hoping I’d be able to hang out with Hayden tonight.
“Yeah? Sounds like fun,” I say, faking my excitement for him. Stupid Racer, what could he possibly want help with and why can’t he ask Tucker or Aaron?
Chuckling and rubbing his thumbs over my hipbone, he says, “Tell me how you really feel.”
Tilting my head to the side, I level with him. “You really want to know?”
“I really do.”
I give his belt loops a few tugs before answering, loving how with each tug he leans in closer. “I was kind of hopin
g we could hang out tonight, since it’s my night off.”
“Is that right?” His smile is contagious but also cocky.
“You don’t have to look so pleased with yourself.”
“It’s just nice to know where your head’s at. I like a girl who is open and honest about her feelings, none of this having to read your mind bullshit.”
“Oh, you’re not a mind reader?” I tease him, poking his rock-hard stomach. And of course, he doesn’t flinch. God, the man has fantastic muscles. It was so hard to hold back groans of pleasure earlier when my hands were wandering. I wanted to spend hours there, touching, memorizing. Man, did I want to dip below his waistband.
“No.” He’s silent for a breath before cupping my cheek and stroking his thumb over my skin. I let out a heavy breath as he squeezes in closer, his body flush against mine, towering over me, those dark eyes of his turning more sinister. “Want me to cancel with Racer?”
There is no humor in his question, no empty ask, and from the look in his eyes, his stone-like features, he’s serious.
Sighing, I shake my head no. “Don’t cancel on Racer. I’m sure he called because it was important.”
“I don’t like this sad face on you though. Maybe I can hurry things along with Racer, catch a late dessert with you tonight?”
“I can make chocolate cake.”
A brilliant smile spreads across his lips. “You’d make me chocolate cake?”
“From a box, don’t get too excited.”
“It’s still cute and thoughtful.” Moving his other hand to my neck, he presses his thumb against my hammering pulse, his fingers tangling with my wild hair. Talking low, he asks, “Does that mean I’m coming to your place tonight?”
Wetting my lips, I try to keep my breathing even despite how erratic it feels, despite the close proximity of this man, despite how crazy in lust he makes me feel. “Yes, it does.”
“Should I bring an overnight bag with me?”
“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”
He licks his lips, and his eyes search mine. His mouth so close, his body so warm, and I take a moment to savor this moment. The tension between us palpable, the lust seeping into a pool of need between us. Our touches, anything but innocent, the desire in our eyes about to explode.