by Cass Kincaid
Yesterday, we’d sat down and gone through my entire schedule. I’d prepared one because it’d been requested in writing by Isobel. I’d printed a copy for Faith, and we both agreed it was grueling. And yet, she wholeheartedly agreed to stay with the kids in my home so their life could have some semblance of normalcy. She knows that for the next few weeks, she’ll be responsible for the children on her own. I was wary of the idea, but she took to it immediately. I hate the idea of leaving things to her so quickly, but luckily, my housekeeper Maria frequents the house, and Mom and Dad are in the same city, so she won’t be completely alone.
I’ve explained to her that I’m not expecting her to do anything apart from running Darcy to school and back, and keeping them both happy and content. If she can make sure their needs come first, I won’t ask for anything else.
Except this. Right now. Us.
We could do the whole menial small talk thing. I could ask how the kids were. I could even question her about the play area incident.
But, I don’t. I just move closer to her.
I want more than a kiss, too. I’ve been gentle, and nice, but that’s not my style.
“Yes, I know you’re going to San Jose.” There’s a hint of sadness in her eyes, but it’s shrouded by desire.
“My parents are right around the corner if you need anything. So, you don’t have to feel like I’m just dropping you off in the deep end. If it gets to be too much for you—”
“It won’t,” she interjects, sitting up on the bed. “I told you I would handle everything. I wouldn’t say I could if it were too much. I’m not Isobel.” The corner of her mouth twists up, and I know she wants to touch me.
“You’re damn right you’re not,” I say coarsely. “You’ve been an angel, Faith. For my kids.”
And for me.
“What do you mean?”
I’m at the edge of the bed now. “I checked references like crazy. Made sure I had the right person to look after my kids. Isobel’s references were shiny and flawless. Hell, my own mom said I’d be a fool not to hire her to take care of the kids. I was there with her for weeks, making sure she was as perfect as she seemed on paper.”
She stretches her legs out in front of her on the bed. “But?”
“There was something missing, but I ignored it, thinking it was all in my head. I thought Isobel was a gift from Heaven.”
She smirks. “Rather, a gift from Hell.”
I grin, nodding. “My mom doesn’t know what Isobel did, Faith. She just thinks she quit. She doesn’t know about the whole concession stand—”
“Your secret’s safe with me.”
I lean forward, onto the bed. I’m so fucking close, I can breathe in the heat of her skin. I press my lips against hers gently, whispering, “Thank you.”
She kisses me back, saying everything I need to know.
I’m teetering on the edge of control, and I know I’m a goner.
I pull away from her, only long enough to lock the door in my room and the kids’ room, then close the door that adjoins them.
I’m going to keep Faith in my bed tonight. Because that’s exactly where I want her to be. The kids sleep hard; we won’t wake them. Besides, I have an early flight tomorrow, and I want to taste every inch of this sweet jewel before me, even if it’s just for the night.
We’re crossing a line, and I know it. But I want her. Hell, I fucking need her. So, I’m going to take her. The only think I don’t know is if it’ll douse the smoldering fire within me that burns for her, or make it burst into flames.
Chapter 15
Faith
By the time Tristan turns back to me after ensuring the doors are locked and the kids are sound asleep, I’ve come up onto my knees on the bed, waiting for him.
I know what his intentions are. They’re mine, too. And I won’t deny him.
Won’t deny myself.
In an instant, he’s on me, against me, pushing me back, onto the bed. “Mmm...” A low moan slips from my lips, and I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, shocked by the mix of pleasure and pain as he nips down the soft flesh of my throat.
Tristan is already rock hard; I can feel him through his jeans. He grips my sides, holding me in place as his fingers tease their way up my shirt.
Something within me is begging to be freed, a desperate need I’ve never known before. And as he rips my shirt over my head and his eyes become fixated on my breasts, covered in a red satin bra, I know what it is.
Pure, raw lust. I want him like I’ve never wanted anyone or anything else before. My eyes burn with desire as they meet his gaze, which is scorching enough to singe the skin of my body just by looking at him.
His shirt comes off, too, and he tosses it to the side. The hunger in his eyes matches mine, and he’s doing everything in his power to restrain himself from losing his last thread of control.
The magnetic pull between us, the one I’ve felt since we first met, brings him closer to me, and the fire between us explodes instantly. Our tongues are caught in a frenzy, tangling and dancing, before I pull myself from him, wriggling out from under his weight.
Instead, I guide him to roll over onto his back, crawling over him. My fingers fumble with the button of his jeans. I’m trembling with how consumed I am by him. I want my lips around his cock. I want to please him. Need to.
“No.” His low growl alarms me as his fingers lace in my hair, tugging me away gently. A gasp escapes my lips, and I tilt my head up to face him.
“But I want—” I sound weak, breathless.
“I said no.” He pushes me off him and retreats from the bed.
I follow, thinking I’ve made a grave mistake, disappointment washing over me.
Suddenly, he’s tearing my own jeans from my body, picking me up by my hips as though I’m weightless. I tighten my legs around his waist, the heat of his skin mixing seductively with the damp hotness of my core.
He lowers me onto the bed, towering over me. Desire burns in my eyes, and I can see it reflecting back at me in his.
With one fingertip, he teases the strap of my bra off my shoulder, tracing down my collarbone and breast, up over the other breast until he pulls down the other strap. In one swift movement, he unclasps it, letting it drop to the floor. My breasts are bared to him, and it takes everything in me to keep from looking away from him and covering myself.
“You are fucking gorgeous.” His voice is low and husky. “Do you want me, Faith?”
I stare up at him, unable to breathe evenly. “I’ve never wanted anything more in my entire life.”
His lips crash together with mine once more. He nips at my bottom lip, causing a groan to escape my throat. This time, he pulls away from me. His palm is in the middle of my chest, pushing me back onto the bed, then it travels down my abdomen, making me moan again. With both hands, he tugs my panties off, sliding the satiny fabric down my legs. I can see his eyes roaming me longingly as he coaxes my knees apart, and I know what he must see in the dim light of the room; the glistening wetness I can feel between my legs. He lowers his head between my thighs, planting a series of kisses on the soft skin there, slowly making his way toward his goal.
My chest heaves as he moves painstakingly slow, savoring every inch of me. His tongue finally reaches its destination, and my legs twitch when his mouth begins its tantalizing assault. He kisses and nibbles at me until I can’t hold back another second, every muscle in my thighs constricting as I reach desperately for a pillow, using it to muffle the moans and screams as I find my release against his mouth.
My legs are just beginning to relax as he stands and removes the remaining barriers between us, kicking his jeans and boxers off. He kneels onto the bed, hovering over me once again, his forearms on either side of my shoulders.
I reach between us, running my thumb down his massive erection, pressed against the warmth of my entrance.
I’ve barely pulled my hand away when Tristan, showing no mercy, thrusts into me. Pleasure breaks free from
my throat, and I grip his shoulders as though he’s a lifeline, clawing at them with my fingernails. Thrust after thrust, I wriggle beneath him, finding our rhythm and meeting each violent thrust as every muscle within me clenches deliciously around him.
A primal growl falls from his lips as he thrusts harder, faster than I’ve ever experienced. Taking me, owning me, using my body in ways I never imagined. His hands grasp and knead, pinching my taut nipples between his fingers. I can’t contain my moans, and Tristan’s grunts with the exertion are just as audible.
My back arches as he buries himself deeper inside me with each aggressive thrust, giving myself over to him. I whimper without meaning to, grinding myself against his hardness.
He’s relentless, gripping my hips hard in his hands, pounding into me, pulling me up to meet each painfully erotic movement. Again and again.
From the deepest depths of me, I feel him twitch, so close to finding his release as it builds within him.
“Tristan,” I whisper, and it’s enough to send me careening over the edge, emptying himself deep within me. We both gasp simultaneously, and I bite down on my bottom lip as he shudders and convulses against me.
Without pulling out, and completely out of breath, Tristan lowers himself onto me, then rolls over quickly, taking me with him so that I’m lying on top of him. My breasts rest against his heaving chest, and he brushes the hair out of my eyes, revealing the Cheshire cat grin he wears as he gazes up at me.
“Wow,” I whisper, a hint of a smile on my face.
“You’re damn right you’re wow,” he chuckles softly, leaning ahead to kiss my shoulder.
In the dim light of the room, I cast a glance toward the door that adjoins his room to the children’s. “Do you think we woke up the kids?”
“Nah,” he breathes. “But give me another chance and I’m sure we could wake up this whole damn hotel.”
Chapter 16
Faith
I wake up in the morning to an empty bed. It’s not like I didn’t know he was leaving, but part of me wishes that he’d at least have woken me up to say goodbye.
The last thing I wanted was for the kids to find me in their dad’s bed, so I haul myself from beneath the covers and head to the adjoining room, grabbing a quick shower before I attempt to wake them up.
Our flight is later in the afternoon. It’s a weekday, but the kids don’t start school until Monday, so at least we have a bit more time to get to know each other.
Once I’m showered and ready for the day, I can’t quite bring myself to wake the kids up just yet. Instead, I start to pack their bags and get ready to leave.
I can’t wipe the smile off my face. The more I try not to think about Tristan and the time we spent together during the wee hours of the morning, the more I do think about him, conjuring up extremely vivid memories of his lips, his tongue, and every muscle that bunched and clenched as he took me. I can’t rid myself of the taste of him.
We crossed a line, one we can’t go back across, but I have no intention of pretending it didn’t happen. Everything he did to me, everything he made me feel—he awoke something within me I didn’t know had been dormant.
“Faith, what are you doing?”
I didn’t even realize that Darcy was awake or sitting up, staring at me incomprehensibly.
“Good morning. I’m just packing up. And thinking about all the fun we’re going to have.”
She jumps off her bed, fist pumping the air. “You’re the best nanny we’ve ever had.”
I chuckle at her statement, but it makes something in my chest constrict. “You haven’t had that many.” I brush her hair away from her face after enveloping her in a hug. She holds me to her as though her life depends on it.
“I know, but you’re still the best!”
That’s when I feel a little squeeze around my legs. Ferguson’s awake, and he’s hugging me, too.
I remember what it was like to lose my mom. I’m not looking to replace theirs, but there’s something about having another woman around. Someone that can give the hugs and attention that you expect to receive from a maternal figure. I’m going to make their life better while I’m around. It’s a promise I’m making to them, and to myself.
I’ll even keep in touch once I go to college.
If I go to college?
I shake my head at the notion. It was only one night with Tristan, and I need to put things in perspective. But with two sets of big, wide eyes staring at me, it’s hard. Especially when I think about the prospects of having Tristan’s hands all over me every night.
***
We’re sitting down to breakfast, and there are only a few short hours before we have to catch our flight to Arizona. I’ve enjoyed my stay in Denver, but the prospect of seeing Tristan’s house has my curiosity piqued, and my fears rearing their ugly head.
I don’t want to let Tristan down. I took this job with a purpose, and since I had to ask for money for Dad, too, it makes me want to succeed in it even more.
I’m watching the kids polish off the food on their plates when I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I turn to see a blonde woman smiling warmly at me. I remember her from the game. She waved a couple of times then, but we hadn’t spoken.
“Hi. Faith, right?”
I nod.
She greets the kids, too, before turning back to me. “I’m Sandy, Jack’s wife. I should’ve introduced myself earlier. Anyway, I just wanted to say that if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”
I look down, and she’s stretching a hand out to pass me a card. Her name, address, and phone number are on it. “That’s very kind of you, but we’re heading to Arizona today.”
She nods, before she turns to scold her son, who’s trying to steer her away from us. “I know,” she admits. “We’re on the same flight. What time is the driver picking you up?”
“Twelve.”
She smiles. “Same time as us, perfect. I’ll see you down at the reception desk, then. That is, if Junior doesn’t pull my arm off first.” She rolls her eyes. “Anyway, I just wanted to say hello and let you know we’re not too far from Tristan’s house. If you need anything, you know how to get a hold of me.”
“Right. Thank you.” But she doesn’t hear my reply. Her son’s insistently dragging her toward the vending machines. Ah, that’s what was so important. I chuckle to myself as the boy begins pressing buttons in rapid succession while his mother feeds quarters into the slot.
“She’s nice.” Darcy’s voice cuts into my thoughts, and I turn toward her as she continues. “Sandy, I mean. You should call her when we get back home.” She hops off her stool.
“Darcy, where are you going?”
She smiles deviously. “To get a cake from the machine, like Junior.”
I chuckle. “For later, right?” She responds with only a devilish grin, and it only makes me laugh harder.
I feel good about going to Arizona. I’m still nervous about the whole thing, but now I see it as a challenge. One I have every intention of succeeding in for the next few weeks.
Chapter 17
Tristan
The next few days are going to be more stressful than I thought, I can see that now. The team’s acting as if we’ve already won the Stanley fucking Cup. But we can’t be complacent. Not only because we have a long way to go, but because the journey’s just begun, and with the number of games we’ve got ahead of us, we need to keep up the momentum. Now, tomorrow, and right up until the bitter end. That’s the only way that cup will be ours.
I nudge Jack, sitting beside me, his gaze fixed out the window of the bus. “Hey, man. Thanks for getting Sandy to get in touch with Faith. I appreciate it.”
He clenches a fist and punches me in the shoulder lightly as we begin to collect our shit and disembark the bus, heading into the airport. He hates flying, too, so I don’t doubt he’s thankful for a distraction. It’s part of the job, but sometimes it just does my fucking head in. All I want to do is play hockey, not having
to trust my life to a tin can that soars through the air.
“Don’t sweat it, man. I know it must be tough for you. That’s what friends are for, right?”
I nod my head, taken aback by his affirmation that we’re friends. Not that I don’t want to be, but because, after Blake hooked up with my ex-wife, I’ve had a tough time remembering that not everyone is like him. Blake and I went to school together. We went to the same college. We did everything together. It never occurred to me that when I introduced him to Hayley, his attraction to her would trump the years of friendship we’d accumulated. The worst part was that the affair had gone on for years, and I’d been completely blind to it.
After that, my kids and my parents were the only people I wanted to associate with. And the only people I wanted to put my trust in. It’s easy with the kids, compared to trusting someone else.
Jack laughs at my expression. “You don’t have to act as if the world’s always on your shoulders. You can delegate, you know. And let people help you. You can be the captain of a team without harboring the stress of it all yourself.”
I arch a speculative brow. “Is that how I’ve been behaving?” I grab my bag from the overhead compartment, and we head inside.
I thought I socialized enough, acted as if I was part of the team, on and off the ice. I’d never thought of myself as a loner.
“When we won the first game, you acted like you were doing us a favor by celebrating with us all.” He chuckles when he says it, but there’s admonishment in there, too.
I raise my eyebrow higher. “I did? Shit.” I let out a slow breath. “I guess I’d just rejoined the team after being passed around like the kid in the schoolyard no one wants to have to acknowledge. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
He nods his head, running his fingers through his dirty blonde hair. “Yeah, but you were picked up by Arizona. And not only that, but they made you captain. Do you know how much that pissed off Kevin? Shit, he’d been with the team for how long? They sold him and got you instead, man.”