He went to the fridge and pulled out a beer.
She blinked, her insides relaxing minutely.
Nick popped the cap off the bottle and lifted it to his lips as he prowled back to her, an intense expression on his face, looking big and athletic and sexy as hell.
She blinked again, drawing back into the cushions.
“Okay.” He sat again. “What do we do about this?”
“A-about what?” Her mind was scrambled.
“About Zyana being sad. Do you think we should end things now?”
“Uh…”
“Aren’t you the one who said building relationships is important?”
“Uh…” Yes, she had.
“People come and go in our lives. Believe me, I know.” His face tightened.
Her heart ached. “I know.”
“But you can’t protect her from that. It’s part of life.”
“I guess that’s true.” She swallowed. “If things ended with us now…would you miss Zyana?”
He closed his eyes and exhaled. “Yeah.” Then he opened his eyes and focused on her with laser intensity. “I’d miss you.”
Her heart galloped and her insides quivered. “I’d miss you too.”
“So what do we do about this?”
“I guess…we just take what we have right now and enjoy it.”
He lifted his chin, thinking.
“Are you okay with that?” she whispered.
“Yeah. Are you?”
She nodded, her throat tight.
“Then come here and kiss me.”
“These make-out sessions on the couch are getting to be a regular thing.” She straddled him on her knees, and he closed his hands around her waist.
“Yeah.” He kissed her mouth. “Want you in my bed again.” He kissed her cheek. “Wanna fuck you all night long.” He kissed her jaw.
Her belly flip-flopped. Her eyes closed and her head tipped back as he kissed her throat, then tugged down the loose neckline of her T-shirt. “I want that too.”
“Tell me when you’re comfortable with it. I know…” He kissed the top curve of one breast. “I understand.”
Her heart bumped, and she curved her hands over his strong shoulders. “Thank you.”
He felt up her breasts through her shirt and bra, and she shifted her aching pussy closer to him. His hips lifted, pressing his erection against her. “Feel how much I want you.”
“Oh yeah.” She sighed as his lips slid up her throat. “I want you too. So much.”
He fisted a hand into her hair and tilted her mouth for another long, deep kiss, their tongues sliding together, in and out. His other hand slipped under her shirt, pulled down the cup of her bra, and then she rose onto her knees so her breast was right in front of his face.
He groaned, studied her, then closed his eyes and sucked her nipple into his mouth.
Sensation streamed through her to her core, making her ache even more. With her top pushed up, he sucked her nipples, then licked her breasts, cupping her flesh with his hands until she was panting and mindless with need. She rose again to work her yoga pants down over her hips along with her panties, while Nick undid his fly, shoved his jeans lower, and pulled out his cock.
She let out a whimper of delight at the sight. He was beautiful—thick and hard, perfectly shaped, traced with heavy veins.
Then he growled. “I don’t have a condom.”
“I have some upstairs…” God, she did not want to stop and go all the way up there. “But it’s okay…I think?” She peered into his eyes. “I’m on the pill.”
“I was tested not long ago,” he said, nodding. “Clean bill of health.”
“Me too.”
She bit her lip as she lowered herself over him, her body throbbing with need. The head of his cock pushed at her entrance. He held himself, guiding himself into her as she slowly let him fill her. Stretch her. Enchant her. Sensation flowed through her like warm honey, and she squeezed her muscles around him.
He groaned. “Oh fuck, when you do that…” He slid lower into the couch, resting his head against the cushions.
She moved on him, sliding up and down slowly. “Christ that feels good.” He groaned. “Bare inside you.”
He splayed his hands on her ass cheeks, helping her move, and he watched her breasts sway as she rose and fell on his shaft.
“Sweet,” he muttered, pressing his face between her breasts. “You have gorgeous tits.” He pulled a nipple into his mouth again.
She gasped and panted, bracing one hand on the back of the couch behind his head, the other on the armrest, arching her back.
He turned his head and kissed her upper arm, sliding a hand up and down her arm, making her shiver with delight. The hand still on her butt caressed her there, gave her a little spank that thrilled her and melted her, then his fingers slid into the crease between her cheeks. He brushed over the puckered entrance and dark, edgy pleasure bolted through her. She made a noise in her throat.
“Okay?” he asked quietly.
“Yes. God yes.” She loved that. She cupped his face and kissed him again as his fingers played back there, fire spreading through her body.
She moved faster, pressing her clit against him, trying to find the right spot, the right pressure that she needed. He slicked up moisture and slipped a finger inside her. Tension tightened her womb, almost painful, and she gasped as she spun into a dazzling vortex.
She fell over him, pressing her face into the couch cushions to muffle the helpless noises she made, and a groan rumbled in his chest as he thrust up into her, once, twice, a third time…holding himself there, pulsing inside her, filling her with liquid heat.
They stayed like that, breathing hard, bodies joined. “Wow,” Jodie murmured. “That was hot.”
“Mmmm.” He rubbed up and down her back. “You’re hot.”
She smiled drowsily, wanting to curl up against him and fall asleep.
He reached a hand out to grab some tissues from the box on the end table, holding them against her as he slowly pulled out. She hated that feeling of separating from him, even as she was touched by his care, mopping her up, helping her pull up her clothes.
When he was tucked back inside his jeans, he grabbed the soft throw blanket draped over the other end of the couch, lay down, and pulled her with him, fitting her ass to his groin, covering them both with the blanket. She snuggled against him, his strong arm over her front and let herself fall into post-orgasmic slumber.
* * *
—
“What? You’re not going to the fund-raiser?”
Jodie regarded him with wide eyes later that evening as he reluctantly put on his jacket to go back to his place. They’d both crashed on the couch for about an hour.
“Nah.” He shoved his arm into the jacket. “How’d you even know about it? Oh, you probably heard from Kendra.” Jodie was asking him about the event Friday night, organized by Rupper and Army. They’d been doing this for a few years, although their wives were also heavily involved now.
“Yeah.” She rose from the couch and padded toward him, tugging her shirt down. “She and Max are going. It’s to raise money for hockey programs in neighborhoods where kids can’t afford it.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“It’s for a good cause.”
“Yeah.”
“I can’t believe you’re not going.”
He sighed. “I know I should, but it’s not my kind of thing.”
“It’s bowling. It’s fun!”
“There are going to be a ton of people there, wanting to talk to us and get autographs.”
Her mouth lifted into a small smile. “I’m sure you can handle that.”
“Yeah, I’ve done it. But it’s not my favorite thing.”
She gaz
ed up at him. “I think it would be fun. Come on…let’s both go.”
How was he supposed to say no to that? “What about Zyana?”
“I think Evaline would look after her for the evening.”
He shook his head, a reluctant smile tugging his lips. “Okay. Fine. Let’s go.”
Chapter 20
They entered the bowling alley Friday night. Neon lights and disco balls lit up the dark alleys, and music blasted through speakers. Already some of the guys were there.
Nick glanced down at his shirt, pale pink with a black collar. On the back it read SPARE MY HEART with a picture of bowling pins. Hallsy, Rico, and Chaser were wearing the same shirts, as they were a team. The other guys had on equally hideous shirts—some fuchsia and lime green, another team’s red and gray with leopard-print trim.
Jodie’d fallen over laughing when she’d seen what he was wearing. “Oh my God.”
“I know, I know.”
“I wanted to wear a shirt that says I LIKE BIG BALLS, but apparently this is a family event.”
He’d laughed too. “Damn.”
He greeted his teammates and various wives and girlfriends. Jodie went to get them sodas from the bar while they got organized before the fans arrived. The team had arranged for signed hockey sticks and jerseys, which would be given away, and they all had their Sharpies ready for autographs.
Brick looked at Jodie, then turned and scowled at Nick.
Nick shook his head and walked up to him. “Come on, man. Get over it.”
“You two are a thing now?”
“Yeah.”
“So you didn’t just ask her out because I wanted to?”
“Come on. I don’t play games like that.”
Brick nodded, his mouth pursed. “Okay. I wish you well.”
Nick almost wanted to laugh. “Thanks for your blessing. It means a lot.”
“Now you’re bullshitting me.” Brick laughed and slapped his shoulder. “Fuck off.”
“We good?”
“Yeah.” Brick was already perusing the crowd, no doubt looking for the hottest woman to pick up. And nearly every woman in the place was eyeing him. “We’re good.”
The Ice Crew girls—all with big hair and shiny lips—arrived wearing the skimpy outfits they wore to clean the ice during games. A local television station was there filming, right now talking to Pacman. After the night he’d gone in net in Stoykers’s place and performed so well, Coach had given him the start the next two games. He was riding a hot streak, and everyone in the world apparently wanted to talk to him about it.
People started to arrive, kids bouncing in excitedly, followed by their parents. A local radio personality was there to emcee the event, and he took the mic to introduce the players, grouped into their teams of four. Jodie stood with Kendra and the other WAGs on the raised area behind the bowling lanes, all of them laughing at the comments the emcee made about the players.
Then the competition started.
“Hey, Duper! We can put up the kiddie bumpers if you want!” Hallsy called upon seeing Duper’s gutter ball.
“Ha-ha.” Duper rubbed his nose with his middle finger, turned away from the people watching.
Nick laughed and hefted the bowling ball he was about to throw. He’d never been much into bowling, but he managed a strike on his first throw. “Yeah!” He punched his fists into the air.
Later, he wandered over to check the scores of the guys playing in the alley next to them. “Dudes, this isn’t golf, you know. Highest score wins.”
“Funny.”
When Rupper went to throw a ball and nearly slipped and fell, Duper called to him, “Your shoes too big, Rupper? Bowling shoes not stylish enough for you?”
“Hey, it’s tough carrying this much awesome and a bowling ball,” Rupper retorted.
At one point, Lovey Dupuis, the team captain’s wife, held up her cellphone and called to her brother Duncan Armstrong, known as Army, who also played for the Aces, “Hey, Duncan! Mom called—you left your game at home!”
Everyone roared with laughter. Including Nick. He met Jodie’s eyes. She smiled at him and something in his chest shifted. Damn. He was having fun.
When the bowling was finished, the players mingled with the people who’d paid the higher ticket prices that guaranteed them to meet players and get autographs. Even though Jodie was hanging with the WAGs, he was aware of her presence as he talked and smiled and signed autographs. People were friendly, eager to talk about the playoffs, since there were only a couple of games left in the regular season, and the evening wasn’t as bad as he’d imagined it.
When his duties were done, he headed toward the bar, ready for an adult beverage now that people were leaving. Hallsy joined him there and they ordered beers, including ones for Kendra and Jodie.
“So. You and Jodie.”
“Yeah.”
“You said you probably wouldn’t see her again.”
“I was wrong.”
“You look happy, man.”
Nick gave him a crooked smile. “I am. And it scares the shit out of me.”
“What are you afraid of?”
“I don’t know.” He bowed his head. “Being happy, I guess.”
Yeah, that was it. “Happy” might not even be the best word, but he didn’t know what was. All he knew was he hadn’t felt this good…maybe ever. This contented, yet energized. This cheerful and hopeful and…shit. Being happy fucking terrified him, because he knew only too well how it felt to have that yanked away from you. The only thing that made him happy that hadn’t been taken away from him was hockey, and he still felt guilty about that because his brother deserved it more than he did.
Hallsy nudged him with his shoulder. “You deserve happiness as much as anyone.”
He wasn’t so sure of that. “We’re just having fun for now. It’s not that big a deal.”
“Uh-huh. Look. I get it. I know how it feels…remember? I was so fucking happy with Kendra, and it made me feel like shit because I thought I was betraying Ariana. You told me yourself—there are no guarantees in life. So don’t let guilt and fear hold you back from letting yourself be happy.”
Yeah, Nick was full of great advice when it came to other people’s lives. He glanced over at Jodie, talking animatedly to Kendra and Lovey, waving her hands around. He shook his head, smiling. She did love to talk. Her spirit and energy pulled at his heart.
She caught his eye and smiled. He lifted the beer he’d bought for her to show it to her, and said to Hallsy, “Come on.”
They headed over to the women.
Jodie took the beer he handed her. “Thank you! We were just talking about the game tomorrow night. Last home game of the season.”
“Regular season,” he corrected her.
“True.” She wrinkled her nose. “There probably aren’t tickets left, hmmm? I bet Zyana would love to go to a game.”
“I can get you tickets.” They were all allotted family tickets that would be released for sale to the public if not used.
“Really?” Her eyebrows rose with excitement.
“And it’s an early game,” Kendra said. “Six o’clock start, so it’s better for Zyana.”
“Oh my God, she’ll die.”
“Just make sure she knows she can’t play,” Nick joked.
“Nick bought her a little hockey set,” Jodie told Kendra. “She just loves it. She’s crazy about hockey.”
“Baby puck bunny,” Kendra said with a laugh.
“No way!” Jodie’s eyes widened. “She’s going to play hockey.” She paused. “Maybe. I might be a tad too protective to let her play hockey. I wonder if she’d settle for figure skating?”
“Or speed skating,” Kendra added. “But you wouldn’t really stop her from playing hockey if that was what she wanted, would
you?”
Jodie made a face. “Probably not. I’m trying not to make my fears and insecurities her fears and insecurities.”
What fears and insecurities did Jodie have? She seemed so confident and together.
“You could just start with skating,” Nick suggested. “Could go either way.”
“How old do you have to be to take skating lessons?” she asked. “She’ll be three in May.”
“She could do it next fall,” Nick said.
Jodie nodded. “Skating and ballet. She loves to dance.”
“That’s the perfect combination for figure skating,” Kendra said.
“Except no pairs skating,” Jodie said with a grin. “Those women are crazy letting their partners throw them up in the air.”
“I wanted to be a pairs skater at one point,” Hallsy said.
Everyone gaped at him.
“What? I was taking figure-skating lessons to improve my skating. I was a horny teenager. I liked the idea of putting my hands all over a girl. Have you seen the things those pairs skaters do?”
Kendra smacked his shoulder lightly. “Oh my God.”
Hallsy grinned.
“Hey, guys.” Rupper’s wife, Sidney, popped up beside Lovey. “Everyone’s coming over to our place. You in?”
“Not me.” Lovey rubbed her huge belly and made a face.
Kendra glanced at Hallsy. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He nodded.
Nick looked at Jodie. He’d be fine heading home…but hell, Jodie was having a good time, and it was fun hanging around with her and his buddies…She nodded, and he said to Sidney, “Yeah, we’re in too.”
“We can’t stay too late though,” Jodie said regretfully. “We still have to pick up Zyana.”
He pulled her against him, sliding his arm around her waist and kissing her temple, his heart expanding in his chest. “Okay.” She liked socializing and having fun, but he loved that her daughter was always her priority.
* * *
—
Zyana loved the game, even though she fell asleep in the last period. They’d had junk food, and Jodie gave in and bought her a little Aces hoodie, which she insisted on wearing. And why not? Nearly everyone else at the game was wearing an Aces jersey or shirt of some kind.
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