Her breasts pushed up against the duvet, and he reached out and hooked a finger into the covers, dragging them down. As he revealed her perfect curves, his dick, already sporting morning wood, hardened almost painfully.
Her eyes darkened and her lips parted. “Speaking of stamina…”
“I’m a guy in his prime. I like sex.”
“Perfect. I do too.”
He liked that about her.
He leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her head away. “Morning breath.”
“I don’t care.” He cupped her chin and turned her face back to him. “We both have it.” He gave her a long, lazy kiss with tongue, and it didn’t matter one bit. She tasted amazing.
When he pulled back she was breathless and hazy-eyed. “Wow.”
He smiled. “If you’re worried about your breath—and I just want to be clear, you have no reason to be—let’s do this.” He flipped her onto her stomach.
She gasped. “Whoa.”
Straddling her thighs and sliding her hair aside, he started kissing her at the nape of her neck…openmouthed kisses and slow licks…down the center of her back, over the bumps of her spine, to the hollows at the base.
“Oh my God.” Her voice was a sigh. “Oh my God.”
He shifted down her legs so he could palm her ass cheeks. Christ. She was absolutely fucking perfect…firm, round globes that filled his palm. He squeezed and she let out a low moan.
Bending, he kissed her there…on each cheek, a soft kiss, then a gentle nip. Her body rippled beneath him, and she made needy little whimpers that told him she liked what he was doing. Nonetheless, he said, “Okay, beautiful?”
“Oh yes. Do it again.”
He paused. “Do what, baby?”
“Bite me. Please.”
At her words, his balls ached and his dick bobbed in front of him, a painful spike. Jesus. She was stunning. He bent down and gave her sweet cheeks a couple more love bites, making her moan in delight. Then he soothed the red marks with his tongue.
He used his hands to part her thighs. This was gorgeous, this view of her, all pink and pouting and glistening. He lifted her hips and stretched out on his belly so he could taste her there…aw fuck, yeah…so good.
“Jesus,” Jodie gasped, her head lifting off the pillow, her body quivering.
“Still good?”
“Oh God, I can’t…yes…don’t stop…”
He ate at her with gusto, sucking and kissing and licking, swallowing her delicate feminine taste, breathing in the scent of her arousal. Her hands curled into the sheets, and he found her clit with his tongue and worked it back and forth. She jolted and shivered.
“Want to be inside you when you come,” he muttered, reaching over for a condom. He suited up and lifted her hips again, finding her entrance…tight and hot and slick. He gritted his teeth as he slid inside her.
Hot pinpoints of pleasure darted all over his skin. His balls tightened. He gripped her hips as he pushed in deeper…deeper…till he was fully seated and throbbing in her tight channel. Christ, the visual…his groin pressed to her ass, his cock shiny with latex and her arousal slowly sliding out of her and then back in.
She moaned. “Oh God, that’s good…so deep. I feel it so deep.”
“Good.” He stretched out over her, taking as much of his weight as he could on his arms, pressing her into the mattress as he fucked her harder, driving into her. She pushed her hips back against him with every stroke. “Glad this is good for you.”
“So good.” She shoved the pillow aside, her hair covering her face, then slipped her hand down beneath them. Her fingertips brushed over his balls as she touched herself, finding her clit.
That was hot as hell.
Their skin slapped together, their moans floated around them, and the bed bounced with their frantic movements. He gave one ass cheek a small slap, and her cunt squeezed his dick. “Like that?” he growled.
“Y-yes…”
“Oh fuck.” He gave the other cheek a sharp tap. Lust sizzled up and down his spine, pooling at the base, pressure building. Sweat built on his forehead and his chest as he pumped against her. He was close…
A strangled cry tore from her throat, her fingers working her clit, her pussy rippling around him as she came.
“Beautiful.” The word came out from between clenched teeth as his own orgasm roared toward him, fast and dark. Sensation tore through him, wrenching every muscle, his balls contracting, jerking muscles deep in his groin in delicious agony. He felt the pulsing jets all the way to his thighs as he poured into her. Once again, his vision went black.
He collapsed over her in a sweaty heap, chest heaving, heart pounding. “Holy, holy fuck,” he gasped near her ear, his face pressed to her hair.
“Yeah.” She panted too. “Holy fuck.”
Nick didn’t want to move, but he was crushing her, so he shifted to the side, reluctantly pulling out. He rolled onto his back, but kept his hand on her ass to maintain the connection as they both fought to breathe.
He rolled his head and looked at her. She looked back at him. Her face was flushed, eyes bright, lips curved into a tiny smile. She looked…happy. Satisfied.
He wanted to pump a fist in the air. He’d made her look like that. He’d given her what she wanted. And he wanted to give her more.
Wow. This huge, hot swelling feeling in his chest was weird.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this quiet,” he quipped.
The corners of her mouth lifted higher. “Now you know how to shut me up.”
“Hmm. Good point.”
He reached out and stroked his fingertip over her cheek. “You’re amazing.”
Her eyelashes fluttered. “Um, thank you. I think it’s the other way around though.”
“Well, if we’re amazing each other, we’re doing something right.”
She laughed softly. “True.” She sighed. “I guess I’d better go.”
“You have time for a shower.”
She bit her lip. “I guess I do, but…I’ll go home and shower. In case they come early.” She huffed. “It’s not like it’s far to go for my walk of shame.”
“Hey now.” He frowned. Was she ashamed?
“Just an expression.” She palmed his cheek, smiling. “Don’t worry, I don’t regret what happened at all. It was fantastic. I just have to be…you know…a mom.” She rolled her eyes.
“I get it. You’re a great mom. A sexy mom.” He lifted up to kiss her.
“Thank you.” She eyed him. “Just being honest here…I don’t want to leave.”
“I know. I don’t want you to leave either. But like you said…it’s not far. And I have to get to the arena for our morning skate.”
She nodded and rolled off the bed to grab her glasses and then search for her clothes.
He had to watch her get dressed…he couldn’t get enough of seeing her naked. He grabbed a pair of sweatpants and pulled them on while she put that sexy black lace underwear back on, then her trousers and sweater.
He walked her to the back door. “We have a game tonight.”
“I know.” She tipped her head and smiled. “Zyana and I will watch.”
“Maybe sometime you could come to a game.” He said it without thinking. It had been a long time since he’d invited a woman to come to one of his games.
“Zyana would love that. Kendra keeps talking about it too.” She shrugged. “So yeah…maybe sometime we will.”
“Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow. We have a day off.”
She nodded, her eyes unusually guarded. “Yeah. Sunday. We’ll be around.”
With a wave she let herself out and jogged across the yard to the coach house.
Nick turned back to his kitchen. He had a strange feeling…a bunch of feelings. He didn’t want her to g
o. He wanted to keep her here, all to himself, all damn day. He wanted to hear her laugh. He wanted to make her moan. He wanted to hold her hand and kiss her and fuck her senseless.
And he didn’t want to feel this way. Which made him want to punch something.
Chapter 18
“So how was the date?”
Kendra perched on a stool in Jodie’s kitchen later that morning, while Zyana was busy over in the living room with new blocks Kendra had given her.
“It was good.” She tried to sound casual.
“Good? That’s it?” Kendra’s face fell.
“Okay, no, it was fantastic.” An excited laugh bubbled up. “Best date ever.”
“Ah! Tell me all.”
She told Kendra about the pub, the improv play, and the wine bar after, and how much fun it had been.
“Wow. Nick’s such a quiet guy, this surprises me. I mean, he’s a great guy, but…”
“I know. I was a little surprised too. I mean, my first impression of him was that he was a big jerk. Turns out he’s not. He actually has a sense of humor, and he does talk if it’s about something he’s interested in. I guess…that’s better than someone who talks a lot about anything just for the sake of hearing their own voice.”
“True.”
“We went back to his place after.” She studied the pattern of the granite on the island.
“Oh my God!” Kendra glanced over at Zyana, but she was engrossed in her blocks. She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Did you sleep with him?”
“Yes.”
“Ah! How was it?”
“So good.” Jodie closed her eyes briefly, getting warm all over, especially low down inside. Every time she thought about sex with Nick, her belly did a flip-flop. “I just got home an hour ago.”
“Holy crap!”
“He’s pretty amazing. Everything you said about sex with a hockey player is true.”
Kendra laughed. “Wow.” Then her smile faded. “So, um, what does this mean?”
“Nothing.” Jodie shrugged. “Don’t worry. You know I’ve given up on finding a man now I have Zee, and Nick is definitely not that guy who wants an instant family. He’s been pretty honest that he’s not interested in ever getting married or having kids.”
Kendra frowned. “Really?”
“Oh yeah. And after what he’s been through, I guess I don’t blame him. His parents dying, then his brother.”
“He talked about all that?”
“Yes. He still feels guilty about his brother.” She tipped her head to one side. “I suspect he doesn’t want relationships because he figures he’ll let people down again. Or he’ll be hurt again. I told him he’s not responsible for his brother’s suicide, but…that’s easy to say. Not so easy to deal with, I expect. So.” She smiled at her friend. “This isn’t a big deal for either of us.”
“Hmmm. Okay.”
Zyana skipped over to them. “Mommy, can I have some juice?”
“Yes, you may.” She moved to the fridge.
“I’d better get going.” Kendra slid off the stool. “I have a bunch of errands to do.”
“Max is already at the game-day skate?”
“Yeah. He’ll be home in a while for his nap.”
Did Nick take naps on game day? Apparently it was a thing.
She handed Zyana her juice, then followed Kendra to the door. “I have a bunch of things to do as well. Groceries. And later, Jaquawn is coming over for a playdate.”
“Zyana has a boyfriend.” Kendra winked. “It’s cool to have other kids nearby to play with.”
“Yeah, totally. And if things go well, Evaline says she’ll have Zyana over to play.”
“After you do a background check on her and her husband.”
Jodie laughed. Kendra knew her so well. “I may have checked them out with the other neighbors.”
“Of course, you did. And that’s just smart.”
“Thank you again for taking Zee last night. I had such a good time.”
“I’m so glad.”
They hugged and then Kendra waved and left.
Jodie turned to her daughter. “Okay! Let’s get going. You need new rubber boots and we need food. If you’re a good girl, we can go to McDonald’s for lunch.”
“The one with the play place?”
“Yes.”
“Yaaaay!”
Zyana wasn’t super cooperative when it came to shopping for boots and clothes for her, but she stuck it out with McD’s as bribery. There, Jodie sat with a cup of coffee and watched Zyana burn off some energy running around the play area, climbing and crawling through tunnels, making friends with two other little girls there. Then they stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things, including the ice cream Jodie gave in to Zyana on.
This was when a car would definitely be handy. Keeping track of Zyana on the bus and while walking limited how much Jodie could purchase and carry.
While Zyana napped, Jodie stretched out on the couch with her Kindle. She was pleasantly tired from last evening. She found herself losing track of the words she was reading, thinking about Nick and everything they’d done…She had not been lying to Kendra when she’d said how good it was. He was the most considerate, generous man she’d ever been with, as well as obviously experienced. When he put his mouth on her, wow, he knew what he was doing. And what a great kisser…
She let out a sigh and gave up on the book, setting her e-reader on her stomach and closing her eyes. Maybe Nick was at home napping right now…an afternoon cuddle in bed would be so nice. Except he was probably serious about sleeping since he was preparing for a game.
Nonetheless, she imagined curling up with him in his big bed…lazy kisses, slow touches, and shuddering orgasms…God, she wanted that.
Tomorrow. Nick had a whole day off, and he knew Zyana napped after lunch and went to bed early. It would happen tomorrow.
Or maybe not.
Nick had the day off Sunday, and she’d been sure he’d come over at some point. She’d felt so happy remembering their date, her stomach fluttering with anticipation at seeing him again. He knew Zyana napped in the day and went to bed early…but nope.
She didn’t hear any noises coming from the garage, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t there. He could be stripping or hand-sanding the pieces he was working on. She wasn’t going to seek him out though. She’d learned that lesson. Clearly, his garage where he worked on his antiques was his personal space, where he went to be alone with his thoughts, and she wasn’t going to barge in there again.
Zyana and Jaquawn had played well together yesterday, and they ran into him and his mom at the park when she and Zyana went for a walk. Jodie and Evaline planned another playdate for the following weekend, Saturday morning, and Zyana had fun exploring puddles in her new boots with the bright candy-colored stripes.
After chicken, rice, and broccoli for dinner, it was bath time for Zyana, then time for some books and bed.
Downstairs, Zyana asleep in her bed, Jodie kept glancing at the door, still thinking maybe Nick would come over.
But he didn’t.
She didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but it was kind of hard not to think that he’d had second thoughts about what had happened Friday night. That depressed her. She slumped on the couch with a pout on her lips as she watched a recorded episode of Chicago Fire.
* * *
—
All during game day Saturday, Nick kept thinking about Jodie. He couldn’t wait to see her again.
He had to put her out of his mind to focus on the game. He couldn’t think about her watching him play. He was a professional, and he’d learned to compartmentalize things. He’d learned at an early age that whatever shit was happening in his personal life had to be left behind when he stepped on the ice. As a kid, he’d welc
omed that, hockey providing a distraction from other crap. Now…the team was counting on him to step up with all the injuries they had.
At this time of year, things got intense. Teams were pushing toward the playoffs and the long season of a demanding sport was taking a toll on the players…almost everyone was nursing some kind of bump or bruise or strain, but they had to play through it. So far he’d been lucky—knock on wood. He took off his glove and bumped his knuckles against the boards as they warmed up before the game. Not that he was superstitious. Ha.
The Aces knew they had a playoff spot locked up, but what remained to be seen was who they’d meet in the first round, since other teams were still on the bubble. But they couldn’t pay attention to how other teams were doing. They had to focus on their own game and play their best.
The game was fast and the Blues were hitting hard. They were also shooting the puck like lasers. Thank fuck Stoykers was sharp tonight and had made some amazing saves, keeping them in the game.
The Aces were up by a goal near the end of the first period when one of the Blues got the puck and skated in on the Aces’ net. He took the shot and Stoykers extended his right leg to stop it. The shot went wide, but Stoykers fell forward, nearly flat on the ice, then rolled around, obviously in pain. The play was whistled down.
Jesus. Nick skated over to Stoyko, lifting a hand to signal Luke on the bench that he was needed. Luke came running over in his track shoes and dropped to his knees beside Stoyko.
“Fuck!” Stoykers yelled. “My knee.”
Nick stood near him as Stoykers pushed up to stand, ready to help if needed. Luke grabbed Stoykers’s stick and the two of them held him up as he skated off, weight on one leg.
Pax Whitmore, the AHL call-up replacing Boyarov, also injured, was trading his ball cap for his goalie mask and doing a few stretches at the bench.
Christ. This was so bad. Hopefully Stoykers was okay. Maybe he’d walk it off during the intermission and be back in net for the second.
But that wasn’t the case. Stoykers had “tweaked something,” as they were told, and was definitely out the rest of the game.
Big Stick: An Aces Hockey Novel Page 18