"Is that all it is, Adelaide? Just an interest in the sport? Or is it interest in something else entirely?"
"I have no idea what you're even talking about."
"Don't you?" He leaned closer and draped his arm around the back of the seat. His hand brushed my shoulder and I sat forward, shooting him a silent look of warning. But he wasn't looking at me, he was staring down at the players on the bench with that same calculating expression he'd given me only moments earlier.
My heart jumped into my throat when I realized he was looking at Nathan. No, he couldn't be. He had no idea who Nathan was, had never seen him except for the night of the party more than two weeks ago. There was no way he could know we were seeing each other. And even if he did, so what? I didn't answer to Quinn, and I certainly wasn't about to defend my actions to him.
"Was there something you wanted, Quinn? Or did you just come over here to annoy me?"
"I was merely being sociable." He pulled his gaze away from the ice and made a show of looking around the small suite we were in. "I haven't seen Marie tonight. I thought she might be here with you."
I curled my fingers into my palm and told myself that slapping Quinn right here and now wasn't an option, no matter how much I wanted to do it. "Marie decided to stay at school this weekend to finish settling in for the semester."
"Pity. I was hoping to see her again." His mouth curled in a smile that lacked all warmth as his gaze moved from me to Jacqui and back again. "Will you two be joining us for dinner after the game?"
"We already have plans."
"Hanging out in the Quarter again, no doubt."
"Where we go is no business of yours."
He tilted his head to the side, a look I didn't understand flashing in the flat gaze locked on mine. Then he blinked and whatever I'd seen was gone, leaving behind a chill that had nothing to do with the cold air of the arena. He nodded his head in Jacqui's direction then stood, his voice dripping with veiled sarcasm and disdain when he spoke. "Ladies. I'm sure we'll see each other soon."
"Not if I have anything to say about it," I muttered, the words so soft I knew he wouldn't be able to hear them even if he hadn't already been walking away. My body trembled as a sudden shudder washed over me and I wrapped my arms around myself, wishing once more I'd thought to bring a jacket even though what I felt had nothing to do with the chilly air.
"That man is a menace." The cold hatred in Jacqui's voice startled me and I placed a reassuring hand on her arm, squeezing it.
"Just ignore him. That's what I do."
"I'm not so sure ignoring him is the smartest thing to do, cher."
"Then what else should I do? I certainly don't plan on paying any attention to him, not when that's exactly what he wants."
"Just don't turn your back on him. He's up to something."
"He's always up to something, Jacqui. That's just who he is. He'll move on to something else in a few days and become someone else's problem. Then his daddy will step in to smooth things over and Quinn will move on to his next interest. Over and over and over. It's just how things are with him."
"Don't fool yourself, cher. He's focused on you and something tells me he won't be easily swayed. Watch yourself."
I started to brush off her warning then changed my mind. Jacqui was too good a friend to dismiss her warning so carelessly, especially when I happened to agree with her. Quinn was up to something and I had no idea what. As long as he left Marie alone, I didn't care. I made a mental note to call my sister in the morning then nodded toward the men scrambling on the ice in front of the net. "What are they doing now?"
Jacqui leaned forward then reached back and grabbed my hand, tugging me with her. Something in the air had suddenly changed and the boredom I'd sensed in the crowd earlier morphed into excitement. Jacqui said something but I couldn't hear her, not over the scattered cheers and shouts of encouragement. I stared down at the ice, trying to follow what was happening, but I couldn't make anything out, not until a player in a bright purple jersey slammed something into the net. The red flashing light came on and a split second later, a wailing siren split the air, the noise so loud and unexpected that I nearly slipped from the edge of the seat. Jacqui caught my arm but instead of steadying me, she pulled me to my feet, jumping and clapping as she shouted along with everyone else.
She looked over at me, her bright smile dimming when she noticed my look of confusion. She rolled her eyes then pulled me closer so I could hear her.
"The Bourdons just scored. And I think it was your boy who made the goal."
"Nathan? Really?" I clapped my hands together and stared at the ice, trying to find Nathan. My gaze landed on him almost immediately as his teammates surrounded him, pounding him on the back and patting their gloved hands against his helmet. He raised his stick in the air like he was saluting the crowd and skated back to the player's bench. I couldn't be sure but I thought he looked up at me. Thought our gazes met.
Then he looked away so quickly that I told myself I'd simply imagined it. Just like I imagined the way my traitorous heart leapt in my chest when I caught sight of his playful wink.
Chapter Seventeen
Nathan
I was in a foul fucking mood and doing my best to hide it.
Six to one.
Six fucking goals. To one.
We'd had our asses decidedly handed to us by the Bombers and I wasn't the only one pissed about it but nobody else seemed to be taking it as hard as I was. Yeah, it was a preseason game. Yeah, we were a new team, still getting our legs under us. No, the loss wouldn't count in the standings.
But damn, we fucking sucked. Tonight's game had made that more than obvious.
The ribbing I'd taken from some of my former teammates hadn't helped. Most of it had been good-natured, like the teasing from Zach Mummert and Harland Day. Aaron "Pops" Malone had been serious when he asked how I was adjusting. Ben Leach, the fucker, had barely looked at me and Kyle Middleton had made some smart-ass comment about being the worst of the worse. I'm still not sure what the fuck happened with those two, other than my piss poor attitude and constant fuck-ups driving a wedge in the tight group we'd once been. I could almost understand Ben's reaction—I hadn't exactly been very supportive when he left our Vegas trip last January with a brand-new wife in tow, even after he'd somehow managed to fall in love with her. Was it jealousy? Maybe. Probably.
Or maybe it was something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. Something I didn't want to admit to.
But Kyle's comment...I had no fucking clue what I'd done to deserve that. Maybe he'd been joking and I just took it the wrong way.
Or maybe I was just as fucking clueless about that as I was about everything else.
I tossed back the shot of cheap whiskey from the round Dylan had bought for everyone then slammed the empty glass down next to the other three I'd already done. The alcohol was slowly working its magic because the burn wasn't as sharp and the aftertaste nowhere near as bitter.
If I was smart, I'd call it quits and head home. I couldn't afford a hangover, not when we had another game tomorrow evening. Game day skate was generally lighter but I had a feeling Coach Somers would be coming down on us hard anyway. He hadn't been happy about tonight's game and he'd made a point of letting us know his exact thoughts about our performance in the locker room.
But I couldn't go home yet because I was waiting on Addy. She was supposed to meet us here, at what had to be the quietest bar in the Quarter—probably because it didn't have electricity. At least, that's what they claimed. They had to have something though because the beer was chilled and they didn't have any problems ringing up our tab.
What a sorry group we must look like to anyone else coming in. Seven guys in disheveled suits sitting around an old picnic table on the side patio, drowning their sorrows in a mix of whiskey and beer by candlelight.
Or maybe I was the only one drowning my sorrows because everyone else was joking and laughing.
Tristan nudged my ar
m, damn near knocking the beer bottle from my hand. "You scored tonight. That's something, right?"
"Yeah. It's something." I raised my bottle in mock salute then tilted it back and drained half of it in several long swallows. I noticed Dylan studying me and I met his gaze straight-on, silently daring him to say something. He shrugged and looked away then jumped back into the conversation he'd been having with Sean and Luke.
I pulled the phone from my front pocket, frowned at the time, then unlocked it and tapped the icon for my text messages. No alerts, no new messages. Not since Addy's latest one almost an hour ago.
Be there soon—XOXO. A
I grinned in spite of myself but the grin only lasted a few seconds before I jammed the phone back into my pocket. It had been nearly an hour. Where the hell was she? Had something happened? Had she been waylaid by her father for some reason? She'd been in the owner's box with Jacqui and that fucking jerk I'd seen her with at the party, along with some men I hadn't seen before, probably her father's friends. Maybe she hadn't been able to get away as soon as she had planned.
Or had she changed her mind? Because yeah, wouldn't that just be the fucking whip cream on the shit cake tonight had turned into? Now I knew how she must have felt a few weeks ago when I hadn't shown up.
Shit.
I didn't want to feel that way. Didn't want to be so hung up on a woman that I was constantly checking my phone, wondering where she was. And I sure as hell didn't want to feel that spurt of jealousy that ripped through me at the thought that maybe she had gone somewhere with that other guy, the one she called a slimy snake in the grass.
Fuck.
No, I wasn't jealous. I was just...I didn't know what the hell I was, other than being in this foul fucking mood. I should get up and leave. Walk home. The walk would clear my head, as long as weaving through the drunks on Bourbon Street didn't fuel my temper.
Yeah, that's what I should do...but I didn't. I didn't want to leave and miss Addy. I could deny it all I wanted to but I needed to see her tonight. Needed to hear her soft voice with its soothing accent and gently rolling vowels. Needed to see her dark eyes flare to life with heat and passion. Needed to feel her soft hands against me as she searched and explored every inch of my body. Needed—
I just needed. Period.
And fuck. I was in trouble. I'd never needed anything before—but I needed Addy.
I sat there in a state of denial, frozen in place as I mentally argued with myself. As I tried to convince myself I didn't really need anything, that this was nothing more than my foul mood combined with alcohol. Maybe I would have succeeded, given a few more minutes or hours or hell, even days. Then Addy walked in, her dark hair falling in waves around her shoulders and a sparkle in her dark eyes. Her gaze immediately landed on mine and her full mouth curled in a welcoming smile as she headed toward me.
Yeah, I was definitely in trouble.
And for once, I didn't give a shit.
I grabbed my wallet from my back pocket, pulled out more than enough bills to cover the tab plus some, then pushed to my feet.
"What? You're leaving?"
I wasn't sure who asked. Luke, maybe. Or maybe Tristan. I didn't care, just nodded and met Addy halfway, my hand closing around hers and pulling her with me.
"Nathan! What are you doing? I just got here."
"I know. Now we're leaving."
"But I—"
I spun her into my arms and pulled her against me, my mouth closing over before she could say anything else. I swallowed her soft sigh and deepened the kiss, my cock instantly hardening when she pressed her sweet body more fully against me.
I broke the kiss with a low growl and stared down at her. Her parted lips were damp and rosy from my kiss and her wide eyes were glazed with surprise and need. She didn't say anything as I led her from the bar, just tightened her hand around mine and held on as we walked up Bourbon Street.
It took longer to reach my apartment building on Iberville than I thought it would because I had to slow my gait for Addy to keep up as we dodged the growing crowds looking for a good time. But we finally made it, both of us breathing a little heavy by the time I pushed open the door to my apartment. Addy's hurried breathing was no doubt from the fast pace I'd kept up but mine was from something completely different.
Need.
Burning, twisting need.
I kicked the door shut, dropped the keys to the floor, then pulled Addy against me. The kiss was hard. Desperate. Driven by a burning need I didn't understand and didn't want to question. Not now. Not when the only thing that mattered was the woman in my arms.
I ran my hands along her side, my knuckles grazing bare skin as I dragged the hem of her silky blouse up. Her back arched, pressing the weight of her full breasts against my chest. I wanted—needed—more. So much more.
I broke the kiss and stepped back, freeing her from the blouse with one hand as the other caught the lacy material of her bra. I yanked the edge down, felt the breath hitch in my throat as her breast popped free. The dark rosy nipple pebbled under my gaze, hardening into a tight peak that begged for attention.
I dipped my head, pulled her breast into my mouth and sucked. Her sharp gasp filled the heavy air around us, encouraging me. I closed my teeth around the hard peak and gently bit down and was rewarded with another sharp gasp. Her hands tangled in my hair, holding me to her as I sucked and nipped and licked and teased.
But it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. I wanted her. All of her.
Now.
I slid one hand down her side, dipped my fingers into the waistband of her pants and pushed them down past her hips. Her breathing grew heavier, faster, sharper as I eased my hand between her legs, fingering her through the scrap of lace covering her pussy. And fuck, she was already wet, so fucking wet as she rocked against my hand, my name a ragged whisper falling from her lips.
I stepped forward until her back hit the wall then dropped to my knees in front of her. One hand closed over her hip, steadying her as I removed her boots and peeled her pants off. Then she was standing before me, clad only in a lacy bra, all luscious curves and smooth skin. Her chest rose and fell as she stared down at me, her dark eyes wide and glazed with passion.
I sat back on my heels and just stared at her, drinking in every glorious inch of her sexy body as blood surged in my veins. My cock throbbed with need, already anticipating the feel of Addy's tight pussy clenched around it. The feel of her heat. Her fire. The heady explosion of release.
But not yet.
Not yet.
I coaxed her legs apart, reached up and parted the hot flesh of her pussy. Traced her clit with the tip of my thumb and was rewarded with a soft cry. I slid my finger inside her wet heat, swallowed a moan when her muscles convulsed around it. I eased my finger out then looked up, my gaze catching and holding hers as I dipped my finger into my mouth and sucked, reveling in the taste of her against my skin and on my tongue.
She moaned, the sharp sound filled with need. Her hands closed over my head, her fingers twisting my hair as she guided me toward her. I dipped my head and closed my mouth over her pussy. Licking. Sucking. Teasing. Over and over as her hips rocked against my mouth. I eased one finger into her then another. In and out. Slow and gentle at first, then harder. Faster. Reveling in the heat of her pussy. Reveling in the silky wetness coating my fingers and lips and tongue. In the feel of her muscles clenching around me as she came. In the sound of my name in her ragged voice as she wrapped one hand around my wrist and held it in place, riding my fingers with wild abandon.
But it wasn't enough. I needed to be inside her. I needed to fuck her. To drive my cock into that hot pussy. Deep and hard. Over and over until she screamed my name. Until I lost myself.
Until nothing else mattered except the two of us.
I reached down and undid my dress pants, shoved them down to my hips until my aching cock sprung free. There was a single condom in my wallet and I managed to snag it free, to open the packet and sheath my
self with hands trembling from desperate need. Then I was on my feet, my mouth swallowing Addy's cries as I lifted her. Her legs wrapped around my waist and I braced her against the wall, holding her in place as I wrapped one hand around my cock and teased her wet pussy with the tip.
Then I drove into her, burying myself in her wet heat. She cried my name, the sound sharp and filled with the same need pulsing through me. Nails dug into my shoulders and somewhere in the back of my mind I realized I was still dressed. That I was still wearing my suit, tie and all.
I didn't care. Not now. Not when I was driven by a need that seared every inch of me.
I eased my cock from her pussy then plunged inside her again. Over and over. Harder. Faster. Deeper. Driving into her again and again until she screamed my name.
Until my vision wavered and grayed.
Until my own release surged through me, leaving me weak and breathless.
Until there was nothing but Addy. Nothing but us. Here. Now.
Until I realized I could never have enough of the woman trembling in my arms.
Chapter Eighteen
Addy
I paced back and forth in my room, the phone held to my ear as I grabbed one outfit after another and another, tossing them from the sitting chair to the bed. Nerves knotted my stomach, the tiny little balls of tension growing larger with each step I took.
Going out for dinner wouldn't matter because there was no way I'd be able to manage even a single bit, not even a spoonful of turtle soup.
My throat closed at the thought of eating anything. I stopped my pacing, pressed the palm of my hand against my stomach, and squeezed my eyes shut as I sucked in a deep breath then another. Jacqui's voice droned on in the background, the words nothing more than noise.
I sucked in another breath and forced myself to focus, finally caught the tail end of whatever she'd been saying.
Rule Breaker (New Orleans Bourdons Book 1) Page 11