She was still telling herself that, trying to convince herself to stop thinking like that right now when Tyler looked up. His dark eyes met hers, deep and unblinking. And so intently focused on her that liquid heat pooled between her legs, filling her with a burning need.
She ran her tongue over her dry lips, unable to look away from that intense gaze, and said the only thing that came to mind.
“Oh. My. God.”
Chapter Three
Tyler blinked, his focus shifting from his stretch to the woman standing in the doorway. Her eyes were wide with surprise and a faint blush turned her cheeks a cute shade of pink. The t-shirt he had given her to wear hung on her, at least three sizes too big. It shouldn’t look good on her—and it sure as hell shouldn’t have emphasized the generous swell of her breasts. But it did.
And she looked sexy as hell.
Tyler blinked again and swallowed a groan. He pulled his legs in, moving them so his feet were together, sole to sole. Then he pressed an elbow against each knee and applied gentle pressure to the stretch as he watched Jenny.
And hoped to hell she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
“Is something wrong?”
Her mouth snapped closed and she shook her head, her gaze moving to something behind him. Her blush deepened. “No. I, uh, I just never saw anyone—I mean, I didn’t realize you were that, uh, that flexible.”
He chuckled then straightened his legs in front of him and leaned back on his hands. “I have to be. That’s part of my job.”
“Oh. Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”
Tyler pushed to his feet then moved over to the shelf where he kept a few yoga mats. He pulled one out and turned, holding it out to her. “Ready to learn some moves?”
Jenny’s gaze flew to his, surprise and worry clear in their blue depths. Her gaze slid down to the rolled mat in his hand then quickly darted away. “I don’t think I can do what you were, uh, just doing.”
Tyler laughed then moved toward her, extending the mat. Her hand closed over it and she stepped away, almost like she was afraid to be too close to him. “I don’t expect you to. Like I said, I was just stretching.”
“Stretching. Okay.” She took a deep breath then finally looked at him. “So, how does this work then?”
“Here, let’s get the mat down.” He took it from her and unrolled it on the floor, which is what he should have done to start with. “We’re just going to do some basic moves. It might be easier if you take your shoes and socks off.”
Another flash of surprise lit her eyes and he expected her to say something, or ask him why. But she merely kicked each cute black boot off then leaned against the wall and pulled her socks off. She folded them and placed them neatly in one boot then straightened and crossed her arms in front of her.
“Now what?”
“Now you come over here and stand in the middle of the mat.”
Jenny gave him an odd look—a mixture of disbelief and uncertainty—then moved toward the mat. She looked down, frowning, then shifted closer to the center until she was perfectly situated in the middle. Tyler bit back a grin then moved in front of her, making sure to keep several feet of space between them.
“First one is Mountain Pose. Like this.” He kept his feet and legs together and brought his arms slowly overhead, drawing his palms together. He lengthened his spine and tilted his head back, breathing in deeply through his nose. He caught the faint hint of Jenny’s shampoo again, the scent light and almost fruity.
Don’t go there.
Except that was easier said than done.
He exhaled and lowered his arms, then opened his eyes. Jenny watched him, her head tilted to the side, another blush fanning her cheeks. She ran her tongue across her full bottom lip then quickly looked away when their gazes met.
“Mountain Pose, hm?”
“I didn’t name them.”
She muttered something, the words too low for him to make out. Her gaze slid to his once more, holding it for a quick second.
Which was a second too long. Heat tightened his gut, an almost painful clenching of dangerous awareness. Tyler held himself still, told himself he was imagining things.
Told himself that the spark of attraction laying heavy between them was nothing more than his imagination. That’s all it could be. Hell, he didn’t even know her that well, not really. And even if he did, it wouldn’t matter. This was Jason’s sister, for fuck’s sake.
No, he must have imagined that flare of attraction because in the next second, Jenny closed her eyes and swung her arms over her head, her hands smacking together with a small clap. She opened one eye and stared at him.
“Like this?”
Tyler pushed away the disappointment over the realization that he had only imagined the spark and offered her a smile he didn’t quite feel. “Uh—not quite. Your arms need to be straighter, not quite so limp. And, uh, your legs should be closer together.”
Yeah, that was probably the first time he’d ever said that to a woman. Heat filled his face, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. Did Jenny notice? She must, unless she was completely blind. At least she didn’t say anything.
He stepped behind her, close enough he could feel the heat from her body brush against him. He forced his mind to blank, to not think of her body, to ignore the heat—especially the heat from within. He ran his hands along her arms, telling himself to ignore the softness of her skin as he straightened them over her head. He reached up and unclasped her hands, quickly repositioned them.
“Now close your eyes and let your head drop back. No, not that much. Just a little.” He adjusted the angle of her head, tried to ignore the sensation of soft hair against his hand. “Now inhale nice and deep through your nose, and let your mind go blank.”
“Blank?”
“Yeah. You just want to turn your focus inward. Concentrate on nice deep breaths. Let your body relax.”
She stiffened for just a second then nodded her head—and immediately hunched her back. Tyler placed one hand between her shoulder blades, felt the tightness of muscles under his palm.
“Are you always so tense?”
“I don’t know. I guess.” She turned her head and looked at him, a small frown on her face. “It’s been a rough few months.”
He wanted to ask her why, wanted to know what had happened to make her so tense. Wanted to know what had happened to make her leave home and move down here with her brother. But she turned around before he could say anything—which was probably for the best. It wasn’t his business, he had no right to ask.
He flattened the palm of his hand against her back, ignoring the shiver that passed through her. “Straighten your back. Yeah, like that. Now you kind of want to stretch up—no, not on your toes.”
“How am I supposed to stretch up if I’m not on my toes? Isn’t that how you stretch?”
“Maybe that’s the wrong word. You want to lengthen your spine.”
Jenny dropped her arms and spun around, a frown on her face. “I don’t know what that means.”
Tyler bit back a grin at her obvious frustration, even though he knew he was the cause of it. His mind tried to come up with another way of explaining it but came up blank. Maybe it would be easier to show her instead of telling her.
He turned so his back was toward her, then glanced at her over his shoulder. “Put your hand in the center of my back.”
Her eyes widened as she lowered her gaze then quickly brought it back to his. “Uh…what?”
“Put your hand in the center of my back. Not quite between my shoulder blades.” Tyler looked straight ahead, his gaze focused on an invisible target on the wall in front of him. Deep breath in, hold it, release it slowly. Clear his mind, thinking of nothing, focusing inward—
Until she touched him.
The feel of her hand against his back jolted him, the sensation almost burning. He sucked in a deep breath, the hiss echoing in his mind. Jenny pulled her hand away with a muttered apology.
>
“My hands are cold—”
“No, that’s okay.” Was that it, the reason for the jolt that shot through him? Was it nothing more than the touch of a cold hand against his flesh? Tyler swallowed his own snort of disbelief. Yeah, he could try to tell himself that but he knew better.
He cleared his throat and tried to turn his focus away from her touch. “Go ahead, put your hand back.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Several long seconds passed before he felt the hesitant touch of her fingers against his back. Another jolt shot through him, one that had nothing to do with the slight chill of her hand. But he was prepared this time and held himself still, made sure he controlled his reaction so she wouldn’t see it, wouldn’t feel it.
Another few seconds passed before she finally flattened her palm against his back. He sensed the tension and hesitation leaving her. He took another deep breath and tried to force the tension from his own body.
“Now what?” Jenny’s voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper above the background music coming from the audio system on the small table in the corner. Tyler swallowed, forced his own voice to come out strong and steady.
“Just keep your hand there and feel how my back changes.”
One more deep inhale then he closed his eyes and slowly brought his arms out to the side. Another deep inhale, finding his center as he raised his arms over his head and lengthened his spine. Higher, reaching, trying to tune everything out—
How his skin warmed under her hand.
How her fingers trembled against his flesh.
How her breathing quickened and turned shallow as she slowly trailed her fingers along his spine.
Shit.
Tyler exhaled and dropped his arms, stepping away from her as he turned around. Jenny’s gaze was focused on the floor, her hand held against her own chest, cradling it. A blush colored her cheeks, one he was certain matched his own. He knew why his face was heating but why was hers? From embarrassment, or something else?
He cleared his throat and forced a grin to his face. “Did that help?”
Her gaze met his then quickly darted away, the blush deepening. “Um, yeah.”
“Good. Okay. Then, uh, your turn. I mean, if you still want—”
“Sure. Yeah.” Jenny nodded, causing her hair to fall into her face. She brushed it away then spun around. Her shoulders moved with the force of her deep breath then she slowly raised her arms over her head, mimicking the move he had made earlier.
Tyler watched her back straighten and smiled. “That’s almost it. Just move your arms a little higher to get a really good stretch.”
He stepped closer and placed a hand on each of her arms to show her. It was meant as nothing more than an innocent gesture, made with no conscious thought. Maybe the touch startled her. Or maybe he moved too fast, or he wasn’t as gentle as he thought. Whatever the reason, Jenny lost her balance. She stumbled, spinning around and crashing against him. He didn’t think, just reacted, catching her in his arms before she fell. Soft curves pressed against his body, separated by nothing more than the thin cotton of the t-shirt she was wearing.
His shirt.
And the way she pressed against him—it felt right. Natural. Like her body had been made just for him.
Her head tilted back, her deep blue eyes wide with surprise. The black of her pupils grew larger as her gaze dropped to his mouth. Her tongue darted out and swept across her full bottom lip.
Tyler’s body tightened in response, desire shooting through him. The air grew thick and heavy with anticipation. With excitement. Was he imagining it? Was it nothing more than wishful thinking?
No, he didn’t think so, not with the way she was looking at him. Not with the way her body pressed so close to his. A tremor went through her—or maybe the tremor came from him. He couldn’t tell, couldn’t be sure.
This is a bad idea.
Move away.
The thought—no, the warning—sped through his muddled brain. Yes, he needed to move away. This was Jason’s sister. Jason’s baby sister. He needed to move away, to step back and put distance between them. A lot of distance. Like maybe a few miles.
But he didn’t move. He couldn’t, not when her gaze held him immobile. Not when the hunger in her eyes matched the same hunger racing through his veins, burning him from the inside out.
But he had to try, couldn’t allow himself to—
He cleared his throat. “We, uh, we should probably—”
“Uh, yeah. I—I didn’t mean—” Her voice, as hoarse and husky as his own, trailed off. Neither one of them moved, not for the space of several loud heartbeats. His? Hers? Both of theirs? Tyler didn’t know.
And he didn’t care.
He told himself to loosen his hold on her. To step away. Instead of releasing her, his arms tightened around her waist, pulling her even closer.
And then his mouth closed over hers. Sweet, warm, forbidden. Gentle at first. Hesitant. Learning the curve of her lips, feeling the softness of her mouth against his. Just a small taste, that was it. One small taste and then he’d stop—
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed even closer, her mouth opening under his. Need exploded deep inside, fueled by the sweep of her tongue against his and the tiny little whimper she made. Hot, needy. He tightened his hold on her, fitting her hips against his own as he deepened the kiss. All thought fled his mind as sensation swept over him. There was nothing left, nothing except the burning desire brought to life by the woman in his arms.
The kiss grew, exploding between them with fiery intensity. Tyler slid his hands under the hem of her shirt, his fingers grazing the smooth flesh of her back. Soft, warm. She sighed, the sound nearly lost in the mix of their heavy breathing, and pressed even closer. Her hands roamed along his back, down to the waistband of his gym shorts and dipped inside to cup his bare ass.
He groaned as her hips met his, as she pressed herself against the hard length of his cock. She moaned again, the sound barely more than a sigh, but one filled with the same need thrumming through his body.
Need. Want. Hunger.
All of that and more crashed over him, severing the last thread of control. He dragged her shirt up, broke the kiss long enough to pull it over her head, reclaimed her mouth as he tossed the shirt behind him. It wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.
His fingers closed around the clasp of her bra, quickly unfastening it. He deepened the kiss, swallowing her throaty sighs as he slipped the bra from her arms and pulled it away. Then he crushed her to him, heated flesh against heated flesh, the hardened points of her nipples pressing against his chest. And fuck yes, that was what he wanted, what he needed.
No. He wanted more. Needed more.
He slid his hands between them, cupped the heavy weight of her full breasts in each hand. Warm, soft. He ran his thumbs over each hardened nipple, felt a shiver run through her body as he rolled the tight peaks between his finger and thumb. She moaned then broke the kiss, looking up at him through glazed eyes. He started to pull away, to drop his hands, worried that he’d gone too fast. Her hands closed over his, holding them in place.
No, not holding. Moving them, guiding them as she pushed her breasts together. Another moan escaped her, this one low and throaty as her head fell back. Then she released his hands and reached for him, dragged the tips of her fingers along his chest and down. Down further, to the waistband of his gym shorts.
Tyler held his breath, his body frozen with anticipation as he waited for her touch.
Lower. Just a little lower.
Her fingers dipped inside the waistband, her touch hot against the flesh of his stomach. She hesitated, slid them even lower. Close, so fucking close. He could feel the heat of her hand near his cock as his body strained toward her in a silent plea.
Just a little closer…
He swallowed a groan, his jaw clenching as her fingers brushed against the head of his cock. Once, twice. Soft and hes
itant. His hands closed over her breasts, squeezing them tighter together, massaging them as he held his breath and waited.
Telling himself not to rush her.
Telling himself not to guide her hand down further.
Telling himself not to wrap his hand around hers and show her how he liked to be stroked.
But fuck—he wanted to feel her touch. Needed to feel her soft hand wrapped around the hard length of his cock. He craved it, like nothing he’d ever craved before.
He opened his eyes, his gaze meeting her own. Dark, sultry. Needy. He reached for her face, cupping it with both hands, and leaned forward. His mouth crashed against hers, the kiss unleashing something primitive inside him. Possessing, demanding. Carnal.
And then, finally, her hand closed over his hard length. Hot, soft, the strokes long and hard. He deepened the kiss and groaned into her mouth, drinking in her spicy sweetness. And fuck, he could do this all night, just kiss her as she stroked him, over and over. Long. Hard. Steady. Those soft little sounds she was making deep in her throat brought out a savagery he’d never before felt. He wanted to toss her over his shoulder and carry her to his room. Toss her onto his bed and lick every inch of her body until she screamed his name and begged for release as he drove his cock into her wet heat.
But fuck, he couldn’t move. Not yet, not when just the stroke of her hand against his cock made him think he was hearing music.
He gave himself a mental shake. Music. No, that wasn’t right. It wasn’t music, he was hearing things. Her touch was driving him to distraction, making him think he was hearing things.
Music. Louder, the sound slowly penetrating his foggy mind. Music but not music, something that didn’t—
Jenny’s touch against his cock slowed then stopped. She broke the kiss, her breathing nothing more than short gasps as she rested her head against his shoulder. Did she hear it too?
Music. No, not music. It was—
Tyler swallowed back a groan as Jenny pulled her hand from his shorts. But the music didn’t stop. It grew louder. Faster.
No, it wasn’t music. It was—
He opened his eyes, frowning as his mind finally made sense of what he was hearing. It was—the theme song from Jaws?
Playing For Keeps: A York Bombers Hockey Romance (The York Bombers Book 3) Page 3