A half-truth, but he’d go along with it. “Honestly?”
She nodded.
“I was thinking about you and Mason, about how beautifully submissive you were.” At that, her breath hitched, and she grew nice and slick around his fingertips. He dipped two fingers inside her and smiled as her eyes glazed with pleasure. “And then with Callahan—” Her hot, tight pussy squeezed his fingers. “You seemed a little scared, but there was a dark passion in your eyes.”
Her lips formed silent words before she whispered, “Max . . .”
In this perfect setting, the two of them under the moonlight, with only sleepy plants watching, they could give each other some satisfaction. But how shallow would it be? He withdrew his fingers and caught her elbow with a hand when she swayed.
“No!” She held on to him, her eyes wide. “I want you!”
“Do you now?” He cupped her breasts and grazed his thumbs in slow circles around her nipples. His gentle ministrations had her bucking her hips and moaning out loud. “Tell me who you’re thinking of, love. Just me, or more?”
* * * *
“More!” Oriana gasped as he rolled the jersey up to her throat and bent down to kiss the swell of her breasts.“Oh!”
Without a moment’s pause, he bared her breasts and began suckling the taut flesh of one, then the other. The sensation coiled around her clit, and her insides clamped down on nothingness, aching to be filled.
“Please.” She pressed against him, her hips seeking his with aimless forward thrusts. “Max, please!”
“This will be enough, darlin’.” His tongue traced the edges of her areola, coming closer and closer to her nipple. He let the moisture left behind cool while he brought his lips to hers and stole her breath with a fierce kiss. His palms covered her breasts, molding them gently, leaving her nipples untouched. “I never would have asked you to be with the men. I would have done everything in my power to be the man you needed, but you want them, don’t you?”
“Mmm.” She threw her head back as he lightly brushed his fingertips over her nipples, and every nerve in the tiny nubs greedily absorbed the sensation. Being neglected had made them hypersensitive. She almost wanted to pull away; it was almost too much, but his words had her ready to come apart. Visions of hot hands and mouths all over her made her knees lock and her core clench convulsively.
“Tell me. Tell me exactly what you want us to do to you.” He caught her nipples between his fingers and thumbs, rolling them, tugging lightly before lowering his mouth to flick each with his tongue. “Don’t come until you answer me, Oriana.”
“Ah!” Her eyes teared as she fought the urge to surrender to the building climax. “Everything! Anything! Just . . . just . . .”
His tongue fluttered over the tip of her nipple, faster and faster. He sucked the nipple, playing it carefully between his teeth, then resumed the fluttering. “Very good. You may come now, sugar.”
At another flick, pleasure burst from her breasts and flared out from her cunt. She cried out as the sensations came together and ignited from everywhere at once. Her knees gave out, and Max held her tight as she rode the violent orgasm until she was deliciously spent.
Supporting her with an arm around her waist, Max straightened her bra, then her jersey. Her skin tingled as the material touched her, and she whimpered, suddenly, desperately needy. She wanted to strip and beg him to take her again and again.
“Don’t give me that look.” He palmed her cheek and kissed her. “It’s getting cold. We’ll head back to my place and get you warmed up. See where your head’s at.”
“Where my head’s at?” She blinked at him as he draped his jacket over her shoulder. “But you said—”
“A bit of mental stimulation, Oriana.” He glanced down at her bare feet and shook his head, cursing under his breath. “Mason would kick my ass if he knew I had you out here like this.”
“But—”
He shook his head again and she groaned. No more talking. He obviously wanted her to make her decisions with a clear head.
But exactly what would clearheaded Oriana decide?
To tell the truth, she had no idea.
Chapter Six
Oriana decided she’d lost her mind. The men in her life had pushed her over the edge. Not just Paul and her father, no; Max could take some of the blame, too. Or most of the blame. Only he could make coming to his house, alone, to . . . umm . . .with five men sound . . .
Sound crazy. Slutty. A little hot considering she had her pick of some damn fine studs—Ugh. No. She’d regained her senses on the drive over. Once they reached the house, she’d made a mad dash for the first-floor bathroom—almost settling on a closet when she’d opened the wrong door.
She’d said she needed to go. She’d really just needed to hide.
Phone tucked between her shoulder and her ear, she leaned on the beige marble counter and prayed her sister would answer. Silver would know how to handle a situation like this.
“Hello?” Silver said groggily.
Oriana felt bad—for about a second. Then she recalled all the times she’d bailed her sister out of worse messes. You owe me, sis. “I need your help.”
The reaction she got after explaining her situation was odd.
“Blackmail? Oh, you naughty girl!” Silver sounded so proud. “And you made sure the security cameras caught you leaving the bathroom with the boys in nothing but a jersey?”
“Yeah. Do you think it will work?”
“It might. If you’ve got the nerve to tell Daddy you’ll have the recording sent to the media if he doesn’t back off.”
Exactly what she’d hoped.
“The only problem is Daddy might call your bluff. Or the men might tell the truth, and you don’t want it to be their word against yours. You’ll look stupid.”
“Oh.” Well, that sucks. “So what do you suggest?”
Silver groaned loudly into the phone. In response to what she’d said? Or was something else was going on in her sister’s room? “Daddy doesn’t give me my own way because of idle threats. He knows I’ll follow through; he’s had to cover up me doing so a few times. He’s all about image.”
“Silver there are five men outside this door. You can’t seriously think I could—”
“Why the hell not?” Her sister giggled, then gasped. Definitely multitasking. “Think about it. You stay with Paul and let him walk all over you, or have a fuckfest and ditch him all at once. You might have to follow through with your threats. Shouldn’t you enjoy yourself if everyone’s gonna think you’re a hussy anyway?”
“I guess . . .”
Wimp. You seriously need your little sister to make this okay for you?
Silver sighed. “Don’t do anything you don’t want to, but I think every girl should have at least one gang bang.”
A gang bang? No, nothing with Max would be as crude as that. But where would things go from here?
One step at a time.
This was a pretty big step.
A loud moan in the phone made Oriana blush. The sound of a man’s murmur, followed by another’s laugh, almost made her drop it. Her mind drew up an image of herself in bed between Max and Dominik. Or Sloan. She tried to hold the phone steady as her hand shook. Static filled her ear.
A deep voice replaced her sister’s. “Silver’s busy now. Can she call you back?”
The line went dead before she could answer.
Tapping at the door made her heart skip a beat.
“You all right in there, Oriana?” Max called.
“Couldn’t be better.” She gathered her wits, straightened the borrowed jersey, then threw the door open.
Max stood off to one side, arms crossed, and a smile on his lips that didn’t reach his eyes. At her other side, Sloan hooked his hand to the doorframe over her head.
He scratched his chin and looked her over. “You know, if you’re uncomfortable being with all of us, you and Max can use my room. I don’t share.”
Uck,
how much had he heard? She folded her arms over her head and racked her brain for a way to put him in his place. Maybe she should tell him what she’d decided.
Which is what exactly?
Dominik made a gruff sound of disgust and pushed off the black cube coffee table where he’d been munching on what looked like frozen fruit. “Don’t be a dick. She never said she wanted to be with any of us.”
“Right.” Sloan arched a brow at the other man, then shrugged. “Just want to make sure she understands she’s got options.”
How generous. She opened her mouth.
“Smooth, Sloan.” Max took Oriana’s arm and led her a bit away from the others. “Don’t listen to him. He’s just sore ‘bout being shipped to the minors.”
“Oh.” She traced the embroidered details of the Cobra emblem on her chest and mentally shelved a rude comeback. She’d almost forgotten her father and Paul were planning to destroy more than just her future. “I’m sorry—I didn’t know until—”
“Right.” Sloan met Max’s glare and returned it. “Forgive me if I’m skeptical about the innocent act, but princess here lives the sweet life because her father’s a cold, calculating son of a bitch. He probably brags about who he’ll screw over next while their cook serves supper.”
“Unless I’m with Paul, my father doesn’t waste time having supper with me.” Oriana shook off Max’s comforting touch and strode across the room to face Sloan. She jabbed a finger into his big chest, poking the cobra on his T-shirt in the eye. “And you’re one of the highest paid players in the league, so don’t you dare look down on me because my family has money. That doesn’t change who I am.” Or what I can do for you. She smiled grimly. “All I want to do is finish school and be a doctor. All you want to do is play hockey with the team you love. We’ll both get what we want if—”
“If?” The bitterness faded from Sloan’s face. He grabbed her wrist to stop her poking and jerked her against him. “Are you really gonna go through with this?”
Oriana arched her neck so she could meet his eyes. “This? I’m not sure what you mean. I’ve got all the evidence I need.”
“And suddenly everything Max wanted is okay.”
“Is that why you hate me?”
The silence of the room was so thick, every inhale like air sucked in through a stopped-up straw. One of the men cleared his throat. The springs of the sofa creaked.
“I don’t hate you. I just don’t buy the complete 180.” Sloan’s grip loosened, and his thumb stroked her knuckles. He tilted her chin up with a finger so he could look in her eyes. “And are we playing this game again? You know exactly what I mean.”
Dark green. His eyes weren’t black like she’d first thought; they were a deep, dark green. Oriana’s mouth went dry. She had to swallow a few times before she could get a word out. “I will tell my father that if he cuts me off or sends you to the minors, the security footage goes straight to the press.”
“I appreciate that.” His hand slid up to her cheek, and his thumb caressed her bottom lip. “And coming here with us will certainly help.” He gave her a soft smile. “But that doesn’t explain why you haven’t left yet.”
Oh, God. Do I have to spell it out? “I don’t want to go home. Paul will be there.”
“The offer of another room stands.”
Cool air skittered down her spine as someone moved up behind her, lifting her hair and smoothing it over one shoulder. The familiar ice and ocean scent soothed her as Max whispered, “Let me handle him.” His tongue stroked the curve of her ear, leaving moisture which warmed with his breath, but chilled as he moved away. She shivered and he rubbed her arms briefly before he put his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the armchair beside the sofa. “Make yourself comfortable.”
“You’re cutting us out of decisions that include us all again, Perron,” Dominik said from behind her as she sat. She glanced up at him when he braced his hands on the back of the chair. “We assumed you took some private time to satisfy the woman, but you haven’t, have you?”
The woman? When had she become “the woman?”
“Well, we . . .” Max ran his tongue over his teeth, head cocked as though seriously considering his next words. “Oriana had some things to think over.”
“Did she now?” Dominik caught her chin in his hand and leaned over her. “How’s that working out for you, little one?”
She had to close her eyes to block out the intensity of his regard. But she couldn’t stop the truth from passing her lips. “It’s not.”
“Shall I take a guess as to why?”
Mouth dry, she nodded.
“Your man has figured out what you need, but he’s letting you take the next step because he doesn’t want to scare you off.” He combed his fingers into her hair and tugged. “I don’t think you scare that easy, Oriana.”
The way he said her name, like he knew exactly what his voice did to her—maybe “the woman” would be better. “The woman” didn’t make her skin recall the way his hot breath had caressed her. And he didn’t think she scared that easy? Well, she was pretty damn afraid of what she’d let him do if he asked in that tone.
The edges of Dominik’s lips drew up slowly. “Well now—”
“Assuming you’re right, Mason—” Max walked around the chair until he was in her line of sight and stopped right behind Dominik “—what do you suggest?”
“Why don’t you start with giving her some space?” T.J. asked.
“Perhaps . . .” Dominik straightened and folded his arms over his chest. “Do you want some space, pet?”
Pet? She rubbed her arms as goose bumps rose. What normal woman would be okay with being called “Pet?” Or be turned on by all the implications of that word. Maybe I’m not normal. All right, then, she should tell them what she wanted. But how? She couldn’t very well just strip and say, “Take me, boys.”
Or could she?
“So what’s it going to be, Oriana?” Sloan asked.
Her palm itched to find something to throw at him. Why couldn’t the man give her a minute to think?
“We can start by . . .” Damn. She had no clue. And no matter how deeply she inhaled, she couldn’t seem to get enough air. Not a good sign. She wouldn’t have much fun if she passed out.
“Why don’t we watch a movie?” Tyler popped his head out from the first bedroom off the sitting room. “I’ve got some good ones—”
“No one’s in the mood for Disney, little man.” Max grinned at Tyler’s scowl. “I don’t suppose you have any grown-up movies?”
“Hey, I’ve got fucking porn if that’s what you want.”
“Are you even old enough to watch porn?”
Uck, men! She rolled her eyes, but the light exchange seemed to make the air a little more breathable. Smacking the arms of the chair, she stood. “A movie would be great. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Max caught her wrist. “Anything you want, love. Don’t be shy.”
He’s so not talking about the movie.
“Anything?” What would you think of a game of Yahtzee? “What exactly do you mean by anything?”
“Anything, anybody. There are five men here, Oriana.” He paused as though to let her absorb his words. “Take your pick.”
Shouldn’t you pick?
The fact that he wasn’t making the choice for her thrilled and scared her all at once. The possibilities were overwhelming.
Keep it simple. Don’t pick a man. Pick a movie.
“No chick flicks!” Sloan called out as she joined Tyler in the bedroom.
No kidding. She giggled when Tyler stuck his middle finger up in Sloan’s general direction.
“Ignore those jerks. We’ll watch whatever you want.” Tyler pushedup the gray bed skirt and pulled out a suitcase. He flipped open the lid and sat back on his heels.
The entire suitcase was crammed with DVDs. She knelt beside him and scanned the titles, all in alphabetical order.
“Wow, this is quite a co
llection. Do you cart this with you to all the games?”
“Yeah, I’d go nuts if I didn’t. On the road, I watch them on my PVP while the guys are watching sports.” He pulled a slim black video player out of the top flap of the suitcase. “My mom bought me this and my own TV/DVD combo when she heard that I’d be staying with Max and sharing a room.” He ducked his head and blushed. “She fusses over me a lot, but she’s a good woman.”
Oriana smiled. He might be all man, but he was adorable. And embarrassed. She looked at the movies and selected one.
“Slap Shot? I haven’t seen this in so long.” She paused. “But if you don’t like watching sports—”
“It’s not that. I just don’t watch anything but hockey. Slap Shot is one of my favorites.” He cocked his head. “You like it?”
“Like it? Seriously?” She cleared her throat and did her best Denis Lemieux impersonation. “‘You do that, you go to the box, you know. Two minutes, by yourself, you know, and you feel shame, you know. And then you get free.’”
Tyler burst out laughing. “Hey, that was pretty good!”
Cheeks blazing, Oriana wrinkled her nose and shrugged. “I practiced a lot when I was little. My uncle loved my impersonations.”
“You’re a really cool chick, you know that?” He reached out and smoothed a few strands of hair off her cheek. “I meant to thank you for trying to distract Sloan.”
Distract Sloan? Oh! The bouncy bunny at the forum! “It didn’t work.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He inched closer. She didn’t move. “Thank you anyway.”
“You’re welcome.” She whispered as his lips touched hers.
His kiss was tender, sweet, like her first kiss in the tree house with the boy next door—she couldn’t have been more than seven. But then Tyler pulled her against him, and the kiss changed. Silken, wet, hot, and not the least bit childish. He urged her lips apart, tasting her with teasing little dips of his tongue. Her heartbeat quickened as every spark of lust triggered that night ignited like gunpowder in her veins. His fingers grazed her belly, and her muscles twitched.
GAME MISCONDUCT (The Dartmouth Cobras) Page 9