by Toni Aleo
Her mouth twisted a little. “You’re driven.”
He was. “But I can also be an ass. And I was being an ass that day. The team was in Cleveland, and Rob lives in some tiny town in the middle of nowhere Ohio. He grew up there. Moved back with his parents after the accident. Married his childhood sweetheart.”
Leah’s smile brightened. “Sounds sweet.”
“Yeah, but that’s not how I saw it. I figured his life was over, you know? No more hockey. What the hell else is there in life?”
Her brows arched.
“Yeah, I know.” He huffed out a laugh. “There’s a whole world out there that doesn’t revolve around hockey. But then, at that moment, it kinda felt like my world had collapsed in on itself.”
He paused before continuing, shaking his head at the memory.
“So when he asked me how life was, I spewed all this shit. Christ, I was an ass. I whined about how few games I was getting to play, how the coaches had no faith in me, how I was never going to make it to the NHL. And one of the nicest guys I have ever known stood there and listened to me bitch for twenty minutes. When I finally shut up about myself and asked him how he was doing, he told me the doctors had told him any sort of exercise where he could potentially hit his head was a no-go but that was okay because he loved to swim and golf so now he had an excuse to do both.”
“Sounds like he’s got the right outlook on life.”
“Yeah. And it showed me what an ass I was.”
Leah shook her head. “You’re not an ass, Kyle.”
He didn’t bother to respond to that. “After Rob left, I took a hard look at myself. I didn’t like what I saw.”
“Kyle—”
“So I decided to make some changes. I decided there were things I wanted that had nothing to do with hockey. And that I needed to make changes for that to happen.”
One of those things was a relationship with her. He wanted her in his life and if that meant learning to love decorating Christmas trees then, damn it, he’d decorate the shit out of Christmas trees.
The look in her eyes told him she knew exactly what he was thinking. He forced himself to breathe normally when his natural instinct was to hold his breath waiting for her response.
After several long seconds, she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled on it then shifted her gaze to the pizza box.
“We should probably eat before it gets cold.”
He stifled a sigh. He’d known it was going to take more than her favorite pizza and a sob story to get back in her good graces. But he’d had to give it a shot.
So tonight, he’d—
Leah cupped his cheeks in her hands and sealed her mouth over his.
Okay, she might’ve just blown every caution light out of the sky but, damn it, a girl could only take so much.
Leah had listened to Kyle bare his soul and felt her heart crack open just a little farther with every word.
She’d considered not answering the door when he’d knocked. It’d been a long day at the studio, creating schedules and catching up with paperwork and covering classes. Charlotte had left earlier in the day to visit her in-laws for the holidays.
She was still learning the ropes from Charlotte, trying to decide whether she wanted to become a partner. She had five years of financial reports in her bag she’d planned to look over tonight. And she had to make up her mind about the small business course at Reading Area Community College starting in January.
If she was going to become part owner of a small business, she figured she needed to at least know the basics of what she was doing. That had never been her plan, owning a business, but plans changed all the time and you needed to learn to roll with them or be crushed by them.
But when Kyle had shown up at her door tonight, her first instinct was to throw herself into his arms and spill every one of her concerns at his feet.
And then he’d started to talk and all she wanted to do was kiss him.
Okay, maybe she wanted to do more than kiss him.
Because now that she was, now that she had her mouth on his and had tasted him again, she wasn’t sure kissing him was going to be enough.
Liar.
Yep, she was. She was pretty damn sure kissing him was not going to be enough.
But for right now, she’d take what she could get and worry about the rest later.
Tilting her head, she kissed him with her lips closed at first, getting to know the feel of him again. This close, his scent infused her every breath. It worked like a drug on her body, like the sweet rush of alcohol. Her every nerve ending tingled with desire, immediate and demanding.
Her lips moved over his, her body knowing instinctively how to get the perfect fit. Kyle must’ve had the same response because he angled his head and the months they’d been apart slipped away as if they’d never happened.
Without thought, she swung her leg over his thighs to straddle his lap, kneeling over him until her head was above his.
His hands went to her waist, clasping her tight and holding her steady. Not trapped, but she felt the way his fingers clenched then loosened, as if he wanted to tug her closer but thought better of it.
Before, he wouldn’t have hesitated to pull her against him and take over. She’d never said no, because she’d wanted him just as much as he’d wanted her. But he’d also never let her take control.
Now, she sensed his patience. His restraint.
Not that he didn’t participate. He kissed her back with a heat so fierce she nearly combusted. It felt like it’d been forever since she’d kissed him, and every ounce of pent-up, desperate desire crashed over her in a rush.
She couldn’t get enough of his mouth, kissed him like he was her favorite drug. And he had been. She just hadn’t realized how much of an addict she’d been until she’d tasted him again.
Soon, though, kissing him wasn’t enough.
In the back of her head, she knew she should slow down, that she was heading down a path she’d sworn she’d never take again. And yet it felt so good, so right. And Kyle was giving her everything.
He let her control the kiss, but that didn’t mean he didn’t participate. Far from it. He licked at her lips and demanded entry to her mouth, then slid his tongue inside.
His flavor hit her like a shock to the system, throwing her into a chasm of memories she’d tried so hard to forget since he’d left. Now they all came crashing back, pushing her toward a decision she’d already thought she’d made.
Screw it.
Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she scooted closer, until their bodies were locked together in an embrace so tight, she almost couldn’t breathe.
Her breasts flattened against his chest, so hard and muscular he felt like a wall. A living, breathing, heated wall of flesh that made her want to strip him down so she could run her hands all over him.
Before she could stop herself, she’d grabbed his t-shirt in her hands and began pulling it up.
Wait. Maybe—
No. No waiting. She’d waited for this since he’d walked away. She wasn’t going to lie to herself. Tomorrow, she’d tell him no more, they were finished. Tonight… She’d get what she wanted.
Which was him.
Pulling away, she ripped his shirt over his head, getting little resistance from him. Not that she expected any.
So when he grabbed her hands after she dropped his shirt on the cushion beside him, her eyes widened in surprise.
“Hey, Leah. Maybe we should slow down.”
Blinking, she tried to hide her shock but obviously not fast enough because he shook his head.
“No. Wait. Don’t misunderstand me. I want you. Hell, I want you more than I want to breathe right now. But I need you to know this isn’t just sex for me.”
Her expression must have showed her disbelief because his beautiful mouth tightened for a few seconds before he shook his head.
“I’m serious. You gotta know that I’m not just looking for a one-night stand
.”
Her traitorous heart skipped a few beats, but she told it to stand down. “Honestly, right now, I don’t care.” Then she told a huge lie. “I just want you to fuck me.”
She wanted to groan the second the words left her mouth. He knew her, knew she never used that kind of language. Sex wasn’t just fucking to her. If he truly remembered anything about her, he knew that.
And apparently, he did remember.
“Leah—”
She leaned down and kissed him again. She didn’t want him to question her, didn’t want him to say no. She just wanted him. Tonight. Now. Without strings or expectations.
Tomorrow, she could second-guess the hell out of tonight.
After a few seconds, he must have decided she was serious because his hands grabbed her shirt by the hem and tugged it up.
Seconds later, they were both naked from the waist up and she moaned as they melted against each other.
Her achy, tight breasts longed for his touch. As soon as she thought about wanting him to cup her breasts in his hands and squeeze, he slid his hands from her back to exactly where she ached for them.
She arched, giving him more room to work. He took what she gave him and squeezed her breasts, molding them into his palms. Every move he made was familiar, but she thrilled to his touch. Her already overworked lungs had to find even more oxygen because she was fast running out.
Even when he released her mouth to trail his lips along her jaw and down her neck, she still couldn’t breathe. Actually, it was harder to breathe because she knew where his mouth was headed. She moved back enough to accommodate him as he kissed his way down her throat and chest to her right breast.
Her breath caught and held as he blew on her nipple.
Damn him for remembering exactly what drove her wild.
The sensitive flesh puckered and ached as he teased her. He nibbled at her, using his teeth to make her crazy. Her fingers latched on to his hair, tugging and pulling him closer at the same time.
She was so close to begging him to take her in his mouth when he finally sucked her inside. Moaning, she let her head fall back, her eyes closed as sensation flowed through her. Dark and heady and so sweet. It drew her even farther away from reality and into the little world where only the two of them existed.
She’d thought that little world was gone, never to be found again.
And yet here he was, his hands and mouth on her, driving her crazy. She couldn’t get enough.
When his mouth shifted to nuzzle her other breast, she released his hair and smoothed her hands down his back. Warm skin covered sleek muscle that moved beneath her hands. Her fingers clenched and released, like a cat kneading a blanket.
When he pulled away with a groan, she wanted to protest but could only suck in air when he rose from the couch in one smooth movement, holding her as close as he could. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist as he carried her to the bedroom. Unerringly finding his way. Almost as if the past year and a half hadn’t passed by.
In the dark, he laid her on her bed and followed her down, sealing his mouth over hers.
Now he took over. Kissed her with more force, more demand. His hands skimmed down her body, stopping at the waistband of her yoga pants to slide beneath before he began pushing them down her body.
He had them and her panties halfway to her knees before she realized they were gone. His mouth pressed kisses all over her, from her mouth to her jaw to her ears, nipping at the lobes before dipping back to her breasts and then trailing down to her belly button.
Her stomach quivered as he got closer to her core, and when he put his mouth over her, she reached for the headboard and held on. Back arched, she bit at her bottom lip as he made love to her with his mouth.
Her body moved with every flick of his tongue against her clit. She couldn’t keep still. It’d been so long since she’d had his hands on her body and she’d missed him. So much more than she’d ever admit to anyone.
The man knew how to drive her crazy, in a good way, in and out of bed.
He pushed her so close to the edge of orgasm, she nearly screamed when he backed off. He ran his hands down her thighs, spreading her even wider, making the emptiness between her legs ache even more.
“Not so fast, angel.” His low-pitched voice coaxed her eyes open and she watched with dazed desire as he rose above her.
“I’ve been dreaming about being back here in your bed for a year and a half. No way in hell am I going to rush this.”
Her breath caught at the growl in his voice and at his words.
Had he meant them? Had he truly missed her? Or was he just saying what he thought she wanted to hear?
On his hands and knees above her, he looked down into her eyes, which she could just see in the faint light leaking in from the front room. What she saw there made her want to hope for so much more.
But should she?
“You don’t believe me, do you?” He shook his head. “That’s all right. I’m going to be here a while. I’ll make you believe.”
You believed in him before. Look where that got you.
She opened her mouth to say…something, but his lips descended, covering hers and dragging her back into the heat, where only the two of them existed right now.
Her hands slid down to his waistband, worked the button free then shoved his jeans down as far as she could. Being pinned under his big body limited her movement, but she got his lean butt bared enough to run her hands over the sleek muscle.
The man had a beautiful body. He had scars all over, nicks and dings, and he probably had black-and-blue marks she hadn’t seen yet. But every muscle was taut and hard, and she wanted to lick him from head to toe.
Right now, she settled for kissing him back as hard as he was kissing her and caressing his body as worshipfully as he did hers.
After several long minutes, he groaned and sat back on his heels, but not before kissing his way back down her body, stopping with a kiss just above her mound.
“Hold that thought, hon.”
Then he fell on his back next to her and shoved his pants off his long legs. She rolled to her side, head propped on her hand, to watch him. And as soon as he tossed them over the side, she climbed over him.
Her hair fell down around them like a curtain, and he gathered it into his hands and lifted it over her shoulders. Then he cupped her head in his hands and brought her down to kiss her again.
His kiss heightened the fervor roiling in her gut and she couldn’t stay still. She had to—
It was her turn to tease him, running her nose along his stubbled jaw and chin, then settling her mouth over one nipple then the other.
His rapid intake of breath was music to her ears, and when she bit him, he groaned, making her sex clench, aching to be filled.
She almost reached her intended target, wanted to take him in her mouth like he had her, but he reached for her jaw a second before she would’ve sucked him in.
“I fucking hate to say this, but not this time, angel. You suck on my cock and I will come in a split second. Ride me, Leah. I want to come with your pussy wrapped around me.”
She shuddered at the naked sensuality in this voice and took a second to suck in much-needed air before defying him, if only the tiniest bit.
Flicking her tongue over the tip of him, she looked up at him, reveling in the way his head punched back in the pillow and he arched with a groan.
“Leah…”
She took pity on him, reaching for the drawer in her bedside table for a condom. They hadn’t been using them toward the end of their previous relationship, and she wondered if he’d complain.
He didn’t say a word, just watched her.
Taking his cock in her hand, she pulled him back to roll it over him, taking her time and smoothing it into place as his jaw got tighter and tighter. And her smile grew wider.
“When did you become a tease, angel?’
Shaking her head, she leaned forward, planting her hands on
either side of his head.
“Maybe I’ve just learned to take what I want.”
“You don’t have to take it. I’ll give you whatever you ask for.”
Because it was too close to exactly what she wanted to hear, she sealed her mouth over his and kissed him until they could barely breathe, rubbing her mound over his hard, hot erection.
Her sex ached but she forced herself to delay, even if it was only a few seconds as the heat built.
Finally, she couldn’t take any more. Arching her back, she positioned herself to take him inside. He had to help her, one hand on her waist and the other on his erection, holding his cock away from his stomach.
They both groaned as she sank down, taking him in completely. She paused for several seconds, kissing him and adjusting to the feel of him stretching her wide. It’d been a while since she’d had sex, and even though part of her wanted to take him hard and fast, another part wanted slow, hot, and forever.
Forever.
Breaking the kiss, she nuzzled her head into his neck and began to ride him.
“Jesus, Lee, I’ve missed you so fucking much.”
His words made her heart flutter, but she shook her head and rode him harder, faster. He felt so good and she didn’t want her brain to go somewhere it shouldn’t. She didn’t want to think about tomorrow or the day after that. She only wanted to focus on here and now.
Even with all her training, her lungs felt incapable of keeping up. This man had been such a disruption in her life. One she’d embraced wholeheartedly. And paid for when he’d left.
No. Not thinking about that now.
Now she only wanted to focus on the pleasure. On how his body fit inside her and around her. How he moved in ways he knew made her crazy. How he whispered in her ear how good she felt around him.
Every stroke deep inside made her gasp. Every slight tilt of his pelvis made his cock hit a different, sensitive area inside her. Driving her farther into that spiral of desire.
When she came, it was like a bomb blast, detonating through her body.
She shuddered in his arms, his arms wrapped tight around her as he groaned and pumped his release into her.