by Sarah Hegger
“Yes.” She pushed into his hand.
Sam stroked her seam, his thumb circling her clitoris. “Ask me if I’m hard?”
“Are you hard?”
“Find out.” He slid his fingers into her panties and touched her. “Touch me.”
She needed him naked, and Elizabeth gripped his waistband and tugged. Underneath he was naked and his hard, thick cock sprung free. Elizabeth gripped his hot, velvety flesh.
“Fuck.” Sam slid a finger through her wetness and inside of her. “Is this where you want me?”
“God yes.” Elizabeth pumped his cock and ground against his finger.
Sam slid another finger inside of her. “This is where I want to be, buried deep inside you.”
“Now, Sam.” Elizabeth rode his hand.
Sam left her suddenly and lunged for his sweatpants. Out of the pocket, he tugged a condom and ripped open the wrapper.
Elizabeth watched as he slid it over himself. “Sure of yourself, weren’t you?”
“Lizzie.” Sam dropped on the couch and dragged her closer until she straddled him. “Let’s see if we can shut that smart mouth up for a minute or two.”
Elizabeth opened her mouth to protest, but his cock was right where she needed it to be.
He flexed his hips and pushed into her.
Not wanting to wait a second more, Elizabeth slid onto him, her body opening and easing his passage until he was buried to the hilt inside her.
Sam flung his head back on the couch. Tendons stood out along his neck. “That feels so good.”
“Yes.” Elizabeth took a moment to absorb the size of him and how fully he filled her. Then it wasn’t enough, and she ground down on him.
“That’s it, baby.” Sam cupped her breasts and brought them to his mouth. “Take what you need.”
She pushed down harder on him, taking him as deep as she could while she rubbed her clit against the hardness of his stomach.
Sam gripped her hips and drove her faster. “Take us both there, Lizzie.”
Elizabeth rode him harder. Her orgasm tightened in her belly and exploded through her in waves. She froze and tightened around him.
Flexing his hips, Sam rode it out with her. Then he took control of the pace. “Again.”
“I’m not sure I can.” She struggled to catch her breath.
Sam drove deep inside her. “I know you can.”
His fingers digging into her hips, Sam drove them both forward relentlessly.
Amazingly, Elizabeth felt another orgasm building. This one deeper inside her and sweeping her away with it. It crashed over her in a searing wave.
Beneath her, Sam thrust deep inside of her and came with a shout.
Boneless, Elizabeth collapsed against his sweaty chest.
Sam held her closer and stroked her spine. “Lizzie?”
“Hmm.” She didn’t have the energy for much more.
“We are definitely doing that again.”
Chapter 24
Elizabeth woke cuddled up next to the furnace called Sam. Turns out a girl could make use of all the stamina that came with a professional athlete.
This morning, she ached in all sorts of delicious places.
Sam lay on his back with his arms tucked behind his head.
For a moment, Elizabeth lay still and waited for the awkwardness to settle in. She waited a few more moments, but it didn’t.
This was Sam, not some unknown factor. For the most part she already knew the worst about him, where he came from, what demons rode him, and what each expression he had meant.
The one he was wearing now said he was deep in thought.
“Morning.” She snuggled closer to him, tucking her head under his chin.
Sam’s arm came around her and tugged her closer. Her libido registered the possibilities of naked Sam and morning sex.
“Morning.” He kissed the top of her head. “I have a conundrum.”
“You sure do.” She cracked herself up. “Your conundrum is nudging my thigh.”
“Smart ass.” He laughed. “I don’t know what to call you now.”
“Elizabeth?” She propped her chin on his chest the better to see his sexy, dear face.
“You see when you were being nosy, I’d call you…”
She filled in the pause. “Quizzie Lizzie.”
“Right.” He tapped her ass. “And when you were getting yourself all riled up—”
“Lizzie in a tizzy. I think I hated that one the most.”
“Nah, you only pretended not to like it.”
She pinched his side. “I’m one hundred percent sure I didn’t like it.”
“Tomato, tomahto.” He cupped her ass and lingered. “And when you were being crazy or girly, I went with Dizzy Lizzie.”
Her irritation was only a vague sense she ought to protest because that’s what she did. But with his calloused hand on her butt and his sexy torso beneath hers, it didn’t seem worth the effort. “I’m waiting to hear the conundrum.”
“Hussy.” He flexed his hip. “I’ve been lying here trying to figure out something suitable to rhyme with Lizzie.”
She bit his pec. “Or, and not to keep flogging a dead horse, you could go with Elizabeth.”
Sam snorted. “Sexy Lizzie doesn’t work, neither does steamy Lizzie. The best I can do is Sizzly Lizzie.”
“Dear God, Sam, I will pay you not to use that one.” But the idiot could always make her laugh. It was her Achilles heel. That and the incinerating smoke show that was Sam.
Lightning fast he rolled her under him. “You don’t like that one?”
“No.” She shook her head and laughed at him. “And we both have morning breath.”
“Really?” His eyes gleamed with mischief. “Don’t you think you should check?”
“No.” She tried to wriggle free before he did what she knew he would.
Sam gripped her head. “I think we need to make sure.”
The phone rang and stopped him.
Happy with her reprieve, Elizabeth prodded him. “You better get that. It could be your mom.”
“Do you want to say hello if it is?” Waggling his eyebrows, Sam reached for his phone. “Tell her her dearest wish has come true.”
“I swear to God, Sam—”
His face stopped her.
“What is it?”
“My coach.” He looked at her with a face full of longing and dread.
Elizabeth took the phone from him and swiped to answer the call. She held it up for him.
Sam took the phone. “Hey, Coach?”
Elizabeth leaned her ear against the other side of the phone, but she still couldn’t make out anything.
Sitting back, she watched Sam’s body language for a hint of how the call was going.
Sam stiffened and pushed his hand through his hair.
Ah, shit! But he looked more dumbfounded than pissed or shocked. So, probably not his contract being ended.
He listened to Coach, occasionally nodding and scratching his jaw. There was even some hair tugging tossed into the mix.
“Tonight?” He stared at her as if he needed rescuing. “The thing is, I promised some kids I’d come to their—”
Elizabeth pinched him so hard he jumped and glared at her. “Ask him to give you a second,” she whispered.
Her heart pounded so loudly. If she had interpreted right, it was everything he most wanted.
“Sorry, Coach, there’s someone at the door. Give me a second.” He muted the call and glared at her. “What?”
“Is Coach asking you to meet with him tonight?”
“Umm, no.” Sam gave her a boyish grin. “Actually he wants me to come in so they can assess my fitness.”
This was better than she’d hoped. “Why?”
“The league has lifted my suspension.” His grin broke free. “They want to see how soon they can put me back on the ice.”
“Sam!” Elizabeth shrieked and threw her arms around him. This was everything he’d hope
d would happen. “You must go.”
“But I promised that kid, Mathew—”
“Screw Mathew.” And then she felt bad. “Well, not really but I’ll explain it to them. Everyone wants to see you back on the ice, and they’ll understand.” She’d make damn sure they did, and she was fairly certain Chris would be with her on this. “You have to go, Sam.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” She poked his side. “Now you’ve left Coach on hold long enough.”
Sam unmuted the call. “Sorry about that, Coach, but the guy wouldn’t stop talking. So, what time tonight?”
He nodded and ended the call. Then he sat there staring at the wall opposite the bed. “Did that just happen, Lizzie?”
“That happened, Sam.” She slid her arms around his waist. “You’re getting your second chance, Sam.”
He grabbed her and pulled her into a hard hug. “What if I mess this up?”
“You’re not going to miss this up.” She didn’t even have to fake how much she knew this. “Because I’ve watched you fight for what you want since we were babies, and nobody stops Sam Stone when he wants something.”
“I want this, Lizzie.” He tightened his hold. “I want this so much. I want to do better.”
She wriggled close enough to kiss his jaw. “You will do better, Sam. It might be hard, but remember we’ve all got your back.”
His voice was gruff as he tucked his head into her shoulder. “Thank you, Lizzie.”
* * * *
The locker room looked bigger than he remembered it. Sam pulled up his socks and bent to tie his skates. Habit took him through the same order of kitting up.
His name was still written above his stall with all his kit hanging like he wanted it.
“Sam.” Kurt, the equipment guy, entered the locker room. “Man, it’s good to see you sitting here.” He held Sam’s favorite stick. “I kept her company for you.” He handed the stick to Sam with a roll of tape. “She’s been lonely without you.”
A couple of his teammates sauntered in, already dressed in practice kit and sweating. Dawson, their captain, nodded to him. “Stoner.”
“Tank.” Sam nodded back.
Still wearing his skates, Dawson bow-legged it over to him. “You don’t look as shit as I thought you would.”
“Shit, Tank, don’t make me blush.” Sam had missed this too. The camaraderie of being part of a group who pit everything they had against an opposing team.
Taking a seat beside him, Dawson studied Sam.
Sam kept taping his stick.
“So, you’re back?”
He nodded. “I’m back.”
“Gotta ask this, Stoner.” Dawson took a heavy breath. “Are we getting the old Sam back?”
“Shit.” Nerves attacked Sam. Sitting with Lizzie in his bed this morning, he’d been so sure things would be different. “I fucking hope not.”
Dawson barked out a laugh. “We’d like some parts of the old Stoner back.”
“Give me a list.” Sam lightened the mood with a grin. “And I’ll see what I can do.”
Dawson chuckled and then looked at Sam’s phone. “Someone is blowing up your phone.”
What the hell, he had a few minutes anyway and felt sure it would be Lizzie.
It was Lizzie, but not only Lizzie.
Shit! They were going to make him bawl.
Lizzie had sent him photo after photo of Chris’s kids. They were on the ice, dressed to play and holding up signs.
Go get them, Sam.
Stone Crush!
And the last one nearly did him in. We know you can do it, Coach!
Dawson peered over his shoulder at the photos. He cleared his throat. “That the kids team you coach?”
“Assistant coach,” Sam said. “And yeah.”
“Are they any good?”
Sam had to laugh. “Nope, they’re the crappiest team you’ve ever seen on the ice. But, Tank, those kids love the game in a way I’m not sure even I did at that age.”
Dawson smiled. “Yeah?”
“Every time they touch the puck it’s like Christmas. They cheer when they manage not to fall off their skates.” Sam thumbed through the photos again. “That’s what hockey is about, Tank.”
“Yeah.” Dawson punched his arm and leaned closer. “Is that your new lady?”
A new photo had come in of Lizzie showing him her tough face. Her sign read Don’t mess up!
A sappy grin spread over his face. “Yeah, that’s my Lizzie.”
Dawson studied the photo of Lizzie. “Kind of makes me wish I had one of those.”
Sam tucked his phone into his bag. “I need me some ice time.”
Chapter 25
The noise in the Mountain Vista bus was near deafening. Chris’s team sat side by side with some of the Mountain Vista residents and they all spoke at the top of their voices, nobody listening to anybody else.
Elizabeth would put up with this and a whole lot more because of where they were going.
“You all right?” Maddy nudged her and gave her a huge smile.
Elizabeth was better than that. Three days of not seeing Sam, only talking to him late at night, and she was more than all right at the prospect of seeing him again. Holding him again. “I’m good.”
“Yeah, you are.” Chris winked at her before turning to yell at the bus. “Quiet down.”
Nobody paid her any mind. They were overexcited. They were going to see the Titans practice, courtesy of Sam, and not a team member would miss it.
She still worried about the number of people, but Sam had laughed at her when she called. “It’s a big stadium, Dizzy Lizzie.”
Somehow even that name didn’t annoy her as much.
The team had a couple of days between games, and apparently the press would also be attending practice.
The bus stopped at the stadium and introspection time ended. Elizabeth helped Chris wrangle Sam’s herd in the right direction and into their seats.
The stadium looked kind of naked without all the game hoopla. Dressed in a variety of Titans jerseys, the team were on the ice, their blades scratching across it.
The coach stood on the ice and yelled, “Close him down! Stay on your man!”
“There he is.” Maddy shrieked and pointed. “There’s Sam!”
Elizabeth almost gave herself whiplash she turned so fast.
The tribe broke into cheers.
Sam glanced up and raised his stick at them. Then his attention went straight back to what was happening on the ice.
How had Elizabeth never realized how damn sexy Sam was on the ice?
Maddy grinned and nudged her. “You’re drooling.”
As much as Elizabeth would like to deny it, she couldn’t.
A number of other groups of people were scattered around the stadium, including a small press contingent who had their gazes glued to the practice. Marc Gracie sat in their midst, his attention focused on Sam.
She couldn’t read anything from his face.
Around her, the children chattered and pointed. They weren’t holding any grudges for Sam missing their game.
“Stone!” Coach yelled and they all turned to look. “Close that gap around the net.”
Nodding that he’d heard, Sam put on a burst of speed.
“Probably the best skater in the league,” Marc Gracie spoke from right beside her.
Elizabeth turned. She hadn’t even heard him approach. “Careful, Mr. Gracie, that sounded like a compliment.”
“Perish the thought.” He gave her the attractive smile that made him so popular with TV hockey viewers. “He’s looking good.”
Two compliments in one session. Elizabeth dredged up something to say. “He’s been working hard through his suspension.”
“It shows.” Gracie turned to look at the kids. “Is this the team Sam coaches?”
“Actually Chris is the coach.” Elizabeth gestured where Chris and Maddy were wrangling kids. “Sam agreed to help her out.”
> Gracie watched the practice for a few silent moments. “You know, I think you have the wrong impression of me.”
“Oh?”
He flashed his smile, reflected in his deep espresso eyes. “I’ve never disliked Sam.”
As a good Canadian girl, she’d been raised to say nothing if she had nothing nice to say.
“I still don’t.” His smile widened into something far more genuine. It made her want to like him, or at least give it a shot. “I was playing my last year for the Barracudas when they drafted Sam.”
She hadn’t realized that. “You played on the same team?”
“For part of a season,” Marc shrugged. “Then I got injured and it was my final concussion.”
“That’s a tough way to have to retire.” Sam would hate that. Behind Marc, Chris pulled a face.
“Not really.” Marc watched the skaters come close to the glass. “I was getting on and my body was starting to bitch at me about the amount of punishment I put it through.” He glanced at her. “And I love what I do now.”
They stood in silence for a while. Not wanting to be rude, Elizabeth focused on Sam and tried not to prod Gracie to get to the point.
“Sam was the most talented rookie I’d ever seen,” Marc said, his expression softened. “Man, that kid hit the ice and the hair on the nape of my neck stood up. I knew I was watching the sort of player who could shape the way the game is played. He had that Orr magic about him.”
None of this jibed with what Marc said about Sam now. “What happened?”
“Sam’s head let him down.” Gracie tapped his temple. “Great players have the raw skill, for sure, but it’s the head that gets them there.”
Elizabeth rose to Sam’s defense. “Sam has great mental focus.”
“It’s more than that,” Gracie said. “Sam let himself get distracted by the sparkle of being a hockey player. Dating actresses, partying, playing to the crowd.”
“Lots of players date actresses and models.” She had nothing for the partying and the playing to the crowd. “And I think he’s learned his lesson.”
Gracie stared at her for a long moment and then shrugged. “We’ll see. The reason I ride him so hard is because a waste of that much talent is a goddamned sin.” He gestured to the kids around Chris. “How much would any one of these kids give for an ounce of what Sam has?”