The Stick Handler

by Cathryn Fox

  “You should jump in the shower,” she says as she pulls her hand back.

  “Yeah, good plan.” I head to the bathroom and don’t bother shutting the door tight behind me. I rarely do. Katee is welcome to come in any time she likes. I turn on the spray and climb under, letting the warm water fall over me. I grab the soap and as I wash myself, my dick twitches. I grip the base of my cock, and give a good hard stroke, all the while visualizing it’s Katee’s hands on my body. A groan crawls out of my throat.

  “You okay in there?” Katee asks.

  “Yeah, I’ll be right out.” I wash quickly, shampoo my hair, and turn off the spray. The air is cool against my hot skin as I climb out, and knot a towel around my waist. I step into the room and Katee is pulling the blankets up on the bed, her sweet ass aimed my way. Fuck, what I’d give to pull her pants down, lay her out on the bed and put my cock all the way inside her. Another groan catches in my throat and she turns to me.

  “You sure you’re okay. You sound like you’re in agony.”

  “I am,” I say, and her gaze drops to the bulge in my towel.

  “Were you watching porn in there or something?” She turns and fusses with the pillows. When she finishes, there is a pretty pink blush on her face.

  I drop my towel and she gives a little gasp as I reach into my suitcase. “You’ve seen me naked before, Katee,” I say casually. “Touched almost every inch of me. No need to be embarrassed now.”

  “Yeah, but that was before…”

  “Before what?”

  “Before you suggested we have sex. Now, well. Now I can’t seem to look at your body the same way.”

  “So you think I’m a real guy now, Katee?”

  “Yeah, definitely, and then some.”

  I chuckle at that, tug on my clothes, and rake my hand through my hair to comb it.

  “You can’t go out with your hair wet like that,” she says. “Hang on.” She run to the bathroom and comes back with a hair dryer. “Sit here.”

  I flop into one of the chairs and she runs her fingers through my hair as she turns on the blower. Fuck, I love how she touches me. I put my hand around the chair and grip her leg, needing my hands on her, anywhere. She finishes my hair, and I stand.

  “Thanks.” I scrub the top of my head. “It’s so short.”

  “That’s because you got yourself all cleaned up for your wedding.” As soon as the words leave her mouth, her eyes go wide. “I…ah…” she begins, like she’s trying to retract.

  “It’s okay—”

  “In one week, everything will be fine, I’m sure of it,” she says quickly.

  “I hope so.” Fuck man, I pray to fucking God that Ari comes to her senses and realizes what a colossal mistake it would be for us to get married.

  “We should go.” Katee averts her gaze as she grabs our coats, handing mine to me.

  “You ready for this?” I ask.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be. But you do know I’ll probably break my damn neck, right?”

  I grab her zipper and pull it to her chin. Then adjust her hat on her head. “You want to sit this one out?”

  “No, I’m game.”

  I give her a grin, and nudge her chin with my fist. “That’s my Katee. Always such a good sport.”

  She angles her chin up. “That’s what you love about me.”

  “Oh, you think that’s what I love about you,” I say, and open the door. A gust of wind whips over us and Katee shivers.

  “I guess if I don’t break my neck, I’ll freeze to death. Either way, here goes nothing,” she says and steps outside.

  I lock up behind us, and put my arm around her to keep her warm as we head to breakfast. We enter the restaurant and Katee moans.

  “Ohmigod, Luke. This place smells divine.” We step up to the counter, and Katee’s eyes practically glaze over as she takes in all the breakfast sweets.

  More people pile in behind us. “The place is packed. Why don’t you find us a table, and I’ll grab us something.”

  She nods and peels off her coat as she moves through the crowd. I put an order in for two coffees and crepes, as well as a pastry with sugar-coated raspberries on it. I pay for the food, and make my way through the crowd to find Katee. She’s sitting at a table with another couple, which takes me by surprise.

  “Hey,” I say and take my coat off. I put it over my chair and sit.

  “Luke, this is Becca and Trey. They saw me searching and offered us their table. They’re here on their honeymoon too. They’re both from Canada.”

  Trey’s mouth drops open as he looks at me. “Wait, aren’t you—”

  Shit, I never expected anyone to know me, but Canadians do love their hockey. I shake the guy’s hand. “Yes, and it’s nice to meet you Trey.”

  “How long have you been here?” Becca asks, before she takes a sip of her coffee.

  “We just got in yesterday,” Katee answers. Becca smiles at us, and leans in to her husband. “Same,” she says. “Did you guys sign up for the honeymoon package?”

  “We did,” I say, when Katee looks at me. I take her hand in mine and bring it to my lips.

  “I guess we’ll see you tonight for the sleigh ride and bonfire, then?” Trey says.

  “It’s on the agenda.”

  “Although I might not make it,” Katee says.

  “Ooh,” Becca teases. “Busy doing other things?”

  “Well, yes, but no.” Katee crinkles her nose. “I’m probably going to break my neck on the hill today.”

  “You don’t like skiing?” Becca asks.

  “My first time.”

  “Then why—”

  “I should have taken her to Bali,” I say, and everyone laughs. Just then, our food arrives. The waitress sets our plates down, and clears Becca and Trey’s away.

  “We’ll let you eat.” They both stand and grab their coats from the back of their chairs. “See you tonight,” Trey says.

  “Cute couple,” Katee says after they leave.

  “Not as cute as we are.”

  She grins and looks at the food in front of her. “Raspberry tart. Luke, you’re killing me.” She takes a big bite and moans.

  “You don’t have to eat it.”

  “Yeah, I do,” she says and lets her eyes drift shut. I chuckle. “At least you’ll still love me when I’m two hundred pounds heavier at the end of the week.

  “You’re perfect, Katee. You’ve always been perfect.”

  She grins. “You have to say that. You’re my husband.”

  “I’m saying it because it’s true.”

  Ignoring that, she takes another bite and moans. “So what comes with this honeymoon package you booked?” she asks.

  “Typical honeymoon things.”

  She angels her head. “How am I supposed to know what typical honeymoon things are? This is my first honeymoon, you know.”

  “Mine too,” I say and she frowns. “What?”

  Her hand closes over mine. “I’m sorry, Luke. I get that this situation is all messed up, and things aren’t the way they’re supposed to be.”

  “You’re right, they’re not.”

  6

  Katee

  Even though I’m dressed in a big ski jacket, with hat, gloves and boots, the cold still manages to seep into my bones. Luke puts his arm around me and drags me to him as we make our way to the lodge for our honeymoon sleigh ride, followed by a bonfire.

  The slopes are lit up, people taking full advantage of the nighttime skiing. I snuggle in closer to Luke, and when he rubs his hand up and down my arm, something he’s done a million times before, the way my body awakens doesn’t go unnoticed. I’ve always been aware of him, but ever since he offered to help me out in the bedroom, I’ve not been able to look at him without thinking of sex. A needy shiver goes through me and he mistakes it for cold.

  “What am I going to do to get you warm?” he asks

  My mind instantly drifts, imagining his hard body on mine, warming me with his mouth as
he kisses a path down my body. I shiver again, and angle my head to see him. There is a small grin curling up the corner of his mouth, and I get the sense he knows what I’ve been thinking. I haven’t answered him yet. This morning, when he said all I had to do was say the word, I was all prepared to answer. Only problem was, I had no idea what word was going to come out of my mouth.

  “Hey, you made it.”

  I glance up to see Becca waving us over to the group. From what I can tell, there are eight couples in total. When we reach our new friends, Becca looks me over. “No broken neck,” she says.

  “There were a few close calls,” I say and laugh. “Actually, it was kind of fun. Though I’m not so sure I want to do it again.”

  “We didn’t get off the bunny hill,” Luke says, and Becca and Trey laugh. I glance around at all the other couples, many who are snuggled close. “Then again, we didn’t come here to ski,” Luke says, and presses his lips to mine. At first the kiss surprises me—since when has Luke been into public displays of affection?—but when his tongue slides along my bottom lip, I sink in to him. I’ve kissed Luke before. But never, ever like this. Holy hell, what is he doing to me, and how come I like it so much? His hands slide around my body, and he deepens the kiss as he holds me to him.

  The sound of sleigh bells reaches our ears, and Luke breaks the kiss. I inch back and Becca and Trey are grinning.

  “Sorry,” Luke says. “I can’t seem to keep my hands off my beautiful bride.”

  “I totally understand,” Trey says, as he pulls Becca close. “I feel the same.”

  Becca hits him playfully, and I lean into Luke, go up on my toes and put my mouth to his ear. “What the hell was that?”

  “Just playing the part,” he says. “Letting you try it on for size since you’re so anti-marriage.” He nudges me. “Not so bad, right?”

  Not so bad?

  Jesus, if he can kiss like that, what the hell would it be like to actually sleep with him on a regular basis? I’m not sure, but now, well, I’m a little more anxious to find out.

  The horses and sleigh pull up in front of us, and the driver steps down. “Welcome everyone,” he says. He’s a jovial man, probably in his late fifties, dressed in a big red jacket and black boots. He almost looks like Santa Claus. “Tonight we’re going on a romantic sleigh ride around the village, and I’ll be dropping you all off at the main lodge for a bonfire and games.”

  “Games?” someone in the group says.

  He gives us a wink. “Let’s just say there will be fabulous prizes for the couple who knows each other best.”

  I turn to Luke. “I want to win.”

  He laughs. “Me too.”

  I laugh with him. Neither of us know what the prize is, but we both have such a competitive nature.

  “Now if you’ll all climb aboard.” Luke helps me onto the sleigh. I lower myself onto a pile of hay, and Luke sits on one side of me, while Becca and Trey settle in on the other. Once everyone is on board, the driver takes his seat and sets the horses in to motion.

  “This is kind of fun,” I say, and rub my hands together to keep warm. We head down a snowy path, and I take in all the lights. I know I’m not the girl he wants here with him, and I feel a little guilty that I’m glad it’s me and not Arianna. She doesn’t deserve Luke after what she’d done. I mull that over for a second, then quickly remind myself she is what he wants. Little bells on the rein jingles and pulls me back to the present. Around me everyone relaxes as they take in the majestic sights. Luke’s thigh presses against mine, and I shimmy closer to absorb his heat.

  The horses circle the icy lake, where families are skating and laughing and drinking hot chocolate. “That looks like fun.”

  “We can do that tomorrow if you want.”

  “I’m way better on skates than skies,” I say.

  “Me too.”

  “You should be, you are the Stick Handler.”

  He leans in to me and his breath is warm on my ear when he whispers, “You think that’s how I got the nickname.”

  I go still for a moment, then when he chuckles, the vibrations going right through me, I whack him. “Ohmigod, Luke. Spare me the details.”

  He laughs again. “I’d rather show you.”

  I turn to him, and beneath the stars I catch the lust in his eyes. It burns through my blood and as arousal takes hold, my nipples harden, and my panties grow damp.

  Luke might have offered to teach me about sex—a friend helping a friend—but from everything he’s said to me since we’ve been here, to the way he’s looking at me right now, it’s clear he wants everything that comes with this pretend honeymoon.

  What do you want, Katee?

  A big fat snowflake lands on my eyelash and I blink it away. “It’s snowing,” I squeal and open my mouth to catch a few falling flakes.

  Becca laughs. “I take it you haven’t seen a lot of snow in your lifetime.”

  “Not too much. Which is why I’m freezing to death here.”

  “The bonfire will warm us all up.”

  Luke puts his mouth back to my ear. “I’ll warm you up.”

  Becca grins at me, and I wonder if she heard Luke. “I hope they have marshmallows,” she says, and while I love marshmallows, I know better than to eat them, especially after this morning’s tart.

  We travel along the path for a little while longer, and eventually the driver stops in front of a gorgeous log lodge. The smell of a wood burning fire reaches my nose and I breathe it in.

  “Okay folks,” the driver says. “Everyone off. I’ll be by in a couple of hours to take you all back to your lodging.”

  Luke jumps down, grips my waist and hauls me off. I slide down his body, and the groan in the back of his throat curls through me. He grips my hand and we walk into the lodge together. I spin to take it all in. It’s elegant, yet rustic, and so damn cozy. In the middle of the room there is a huge walk-around fireplace, and there are trays of sandwiches, sweets, and marshmallows for roasting, set out for us.

  “Wine or beer?” Luke asks, when he spots the bar.

  “I’ll have white wine.”

  He glances past my shoulder, and I take in his handsome face, specifically his beautiful lips.

  I want them on my body.

  “How about you, Becca and Trey?” Luke asks. “What can I get you?”

  “I’ll go with you,” Trey says, and Becca reaches for my hand when we’re alone.

  “That man can’t keep his hands off you,” she teases.

  I spin, and watch Luke walk away. My gaze drops to his ass, and a fine shiver moves through me.

  “He’s a hands-on kind of guy,” I say.

  “Trey is a huge fan of his. He told me they call him the Stick Handler.” She giggles and says, “That sounds kind of dirty.”

  I laugh with her, my mind rewinding to what he said about his nickname. “You’re right, it does, and I’m pretty sure he didn’t get it from the ice.”

  “Then you’re a damn lucky girl.”

  Not yet, but I could be.

  “What are you two laughing about?” Trey asks, when the guys return.

  “Girl stuff,” I say and give Becca a wink.

  Just then a middle-aged woman dressed in a wool sweater and jeans, her short hair tucked behind her ears, steps up to us all. “Welcome everyone. Please help yourself to some food, and grab a seat by the fire to warm up.” She checks her watch. “My name is Veronica, and I’ll be leading the games. We’ll get going in a few minutes.”

  I hand my wine back to Luke as I shrug out of my coat. Then I take his drink so he can do the same. We all grab chairs near the fire and the warmth rushes over my body. I take another sip of wine, and I’m already starting to feel the effects. I lean into Luke, and he puts his arm around me.

  “Okay folks, let’s find out just how well you newlyweds really know each other.”

  Cheers erupt as she hands out sheets of paper attached to a clipboard and pencils to all the women. “What the heck are t
hey going to make us do?” I ask.

  “Beats me,” Luke says. “As long as you don’t have to draw, we’ll be okay.”

  “Hey,” I say and whack him. “I’m not that bad.” Okay, I am that bad and Luke damn well knows it.

  “How this game works is I’m going to ask some questions and the women will write their answer on the paper. Do not let your spouse see it.” She waves her hand toward a back table. “We have a prize for everyone, and one grand prize to the last remaining couple.”

  I set my drink on the small table beside me, and wag my brows at Luke. “We got this.”

  “Okay, first question,” Veronica begins. “What’s the one thing your guy would save in a fire, besides you?”

  I grin at Luke, and scribble my answer on the paper. Once we’re done, Veronica begins to go around the room. “Couple number one,” she says to the guy and girl at the end of the row, and points to the guy. “What’s your answer?”

  “My old baseball cards,” he says, and his spouse smiles and holds up her sheet of paper, which says, baseball cards. Everyone claps, and the pair kiss each other. She goes around the room, polling all the couples, and some of the answers are hilarious.

  When she gets to Luke, he says, “My hockey stick.”

  “Yay,” I say, and hold up my paper, which says hockey stick. I nudge him. “Too easy.”

  Only one couple gets eliminated and they are given a gift bag with prizes in it.

  “Now hand the clipboard and pen to the guys.” Papers shuffle for a moment, then she begins again. “Okay, ladies, what was the first movie you ever saw together.”

  “Oh, shit,” Luke says, and I whack him.

  “You know this.” He makes a face like he doesn’t, and I swear if he gets it wrong, I’ll pinch his…oh, wait. No, I won’t pinch his nipple, otherwise he’ll pinch mine and that would be…horrible…painful…. Fun?

  Oh, God.

  I suck in a fast breath, and Luke’s eyes narrow in on me. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” I say breathlessly. “Good.”

  He writes his answer down and Veronica goes around the room again. When she gets to me, I say, “The Lion King.” Luke grins and holds up the answer. The Lion King.