Riptide (A Renegades Novel)

by Skye Jordan

  The thought of having sex with him electrified her blood. Just kissing him had knocked her completely out of balance. What would she do when she was naked? When he was naked? Or when his hands roamed her body? When his mouth ventured beyond her lips? When he moved between her legs and pushed inside her.

  A wave of want crashed, making her so dizzy, she had to put a hand against the wall to steady herself. “God,” she said, the word shaky with excitement, anticipation... Fear. She forced her feet moving again. “He’s so out of my stratosphere. It’s probably time to check into some video education toni—”

  Psssssssss….

  Faith’s feet froze on the stairs, her ears perked to the new, high-pressured hiss coming from somewhere adjacent to the storage room. It was the kind of sound that prickled the skin on the back of her neck with alarm.

  She turned and started back to the basement, her mind searching for the cause. The explosion shocked her, and Faith tripped over her own feet. She let out a cry just before she hit the cement stairs. Pain cracked through her butt and back, stealing her breath. The box she’d been carrying slammed against the wall, then the floor, spraying silver screws like confetti.

  Faith used her hands to slow her momentum and brace herself once she’d come to a stop. But several moments passed before she could gain control over her breathing to ease the pain that stabbed along her back and butt.

  When it finally eased enough to let her draw full breaths, her other senses came back, and a new horror flooded in—the sound of gushing water.

  Grant had pushed everything too far this week—his frustration with his parents, his desire for Faith, and the limits of his own body. And he was paying for all of them.

  He let the hot water pulse from the new showerhead over his right shoulder, glad he’d gone for the more expensive model and all the massage features. After this, he’d stretch then pack it with ice. Add a little ibuprophen and a good night’s sleep, and he’d be fine tomorrow.

  But the sleep wouldn’t come easily. All he had to do was remember the feel of Faith’s warm mouth under his. The gentle way she’d stroked his tongue when she’d found the nerve. The way she felt against him. And, God, the sounds she made when he kissed her...

  All his blood flowed south again. His groin tightened. His cock hardened.

  “Fuck.” Grant opened his eyes to his hard-on and sighed. It was going to be another long night.

  He hit the controls, pulled the towel from the shower door and pressed it against his face. His brothers would be here tomorrow. Initially that would buffer him from his parents. But Grant suspected that Patrick and Shawn would become as big a source of stress and frustration as his parents were. And even after all these years, that really disappointed him.

  As he dried off, he thought of Faith and her relationship with her father and Caleb, a boy she wasn’t even related to by blood. They were loving, nurturing and kind. Because Faith was loving, nurturing and kind. And it made Grant wonder if it was time to add that kind of happiness and warmth into his own life.

  But that was extremely hard to do in his line of work with a grueling game and practice schedule which included travel, charity and team events. When he was surrounded by women who were more interested in what kind of fame or finances he brought to the table instead of what kind of man he was.

  “And you’re a good man, Grant Saber.”

  Faith’s words made him smile and created a burn at the center of his chest again. He didn’t feel like he deserved them, but he wanted to deserve them. Now he wished he had more time to earn them with her.

  His phone chimed with a call. Grant closed his eyes, sighed and picked up the phone. He didn’t recognize the number, just that it was local, and hoped Bobby Lowry was calling to get together. It would be good to see him and it might help keep Grant’s mind off Faith.

  “Hello,” he answered, scrubbing his hair with the towel.

  “Hey, Grant?”

  He recognized Faith’s voice immediately, which threw him completely off axis. “Faith?”

  “Yeah, hi.” She sounded off. Out of breath? Or…tipsy? “Um, are you free? I was wondering if you could stop by. I’d, um, like to see you.”

  Something inside his chest rolled and flipped. His mind flashed to the sight of Faith’s gorgeous eyes flooded with desire, her lips red and plump from his kiss. And his cock went from interested to let’s go.

  “Really?” His overly eager response made him cringe a little, and he yanked himself back down to earth. “I mean, you’re not just messing with me?”

  A beat of silence hung before she filled it with a hasty, “Yes, really.”

  Excitement burst through Grant in one hot explosion. A reaction he had absolutely no control over. He tilted his face toward the sky and pumped his fist with a silent Yes. Then pulled himself together, tossed his towel aside, and told her, “I’ll be there.”

  “Great.”

  “And Faith?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Normally, I prefer red, but on you, pink. It’s your color.”

  A moment of silence, then, “Pink.”

  “Yeah.” The thrill bubbling through his blood at the thought of her in something sexy and skimpy and pink rivaled a goddamned hat trick. “Be there in fifteen.”

  He disconnected and reached for the bathroom door.

  A knock came from the entry to the guesthouse, followed by, “Grant?”

  He cringed at the sound of his mother’s voice and leaned on the door handle. “Yeah, mom. Taking a shower.”

  “Sorry, honey. I wanted to tell you that Patrick came in early. And Shawn’s going to be delayed. Do you think you could come up to the house for a drink before you turn in? Patrick’s interested in the landscaping barrier you put in the planting beds out front. Says he’d like to use it at his house and had some questions.”

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he whispered, then said, “Actually, I promised Dwayne I’d meet him to talk about some team strategy tonight. Can you tell Patrick I’ll catch him tomorrow?”

  “Oh.” She sounded disappointed and Grant braced for her incensed anger. “All right.”

  When she didn’t say more, Grant said, “Thanks.”

  “Sure.” Pause. “Honey, I just wanted to tell you that your dad and I really appreciate all you’ve done around the house this past week, and despite our rough start, it’s been so nice having you home.”

  Ah fuck. He rubbed his face, so not in the mood to deal with this. Nor did he know what to say. Based on years of experience, he wasn’t ready to jump into expectations. “Thanks mom. I’m glad.”

  “Tomorrow maybe we can sit down with your schedule and see when we can all make it to one of your games.”

  He dropped his hand, lifted his head and stared at the door. “Really?”

  Okay, that wasn’t what he’d meant to say out loud, but...really?

  “Yes, really. Say hello to Dwayne for us. We’ll talk to you in the morning.”

  When the door closed, Grant shook his head and muttered, “Who was that and what did she do with my mother?”

  But he only wondered for a second, because he had someone very special waiting on him.

  Grant splashed on a little cologne and dressed in jeans and a tee, and was out the door in two minutes flat. He shrugged into his park on the jog to his SUV parked in the drive and headed toward town.

  With edgy alternative rock shaking the car and his mind spiraling through what would be his first time with Faith—feeling her, tasting her, hearing her, experiencing her—Grant was primed and pumped when he took the steps to the store two at a time and found the front door open. He stepped into the darkened store to the familiar tinkle of a bell and the rasp of his own quick breath.

  He was just about to call for her when Faith’s voice floated up from the basement. “I’m down here.”

  Grant frowned. “Um, okay…”

  At the bottom of the stairs, he found three feet of water covering the concrete floor and Faith dr
essed in the same clothes she’d been wearing at the rink—only now she was soaking wet.

  She reached high to add a box to the top of a shelving unit and glanced over her shoulder. “Hi. Thanks for coming. Hope I didn’t get you out of bed.”

  All his excitement leaked from his chest and his shoulders sank. He hooked his thumbs through the belt loops of his jeans and tilted his head. A pipe had obviously broken, and it hadn’t happened in the last fifteen minutes.

  She’d played him.

  Well.

  “I’m still not sure why the pipe broke,” she said, skipping the explanation. “Everything’s insulated. Maybe just one expansion too many? I got the water turned off pretty fast, and I have everything I need to replace the pipe, which I can do myself, but there’s one fitting that’s on so tight, I can’t loosen it. I’ve called three plumbers, none of whom are available for a minimum of three days—so much for emergency plumbers, right? I just need your brawn. The problem is that the pipe blew right at an elbow, and to fix it, I’ve got to get the elbow off. But it’s crimped down so tight, I can’t move it, and wouldn’t you know it, I don’t have another one the right size in stock. If you can just loosen the fitting for me, I can do the rest myself.”

  “You can do the rest yourself, huh?”

  “Yeah,” she said, her smile way too sweet, her expression way too innocent. “Unless you want to fix my pipes while you’re here, Mr. Fix-it.”

  Grant exhaled heavily and shrugged out of his parka. “I’d like to fix your pipes, all right, but this wasn’t what I had in mind.”

  Her face pinked up, her gaze lowered, and she pushed her hands into her back pockets. The move made Grant focus on her chest. Made him realize her T-shirt was white. White and wet. And she wasn’t wearing pink underneath.

  She gave him a one-shouldered shrug. “You don’t have to help, but you did tell me to call you for anything.”

  Fine. He could play this game. He tossed his jacket back up the stairs and crossed his arms. “Do you realize how much emergency plumbers get paid? They’re not cheap.”

  Surprise touched her eyes just before her jaw tightened in frustration. “Have you been gone so long you’ve forgotten how friends do favors for friends?”

  “A favor for a friend sounds something like this: Hey, one of my pipes broke. Think you could come over and give me a hand?”

  Her mouth twisted, and her gaze dropped away. “Well, I could pay you, but I think it’s a safe bet you don’t need the money.”

  “Very safe.” He toed off his running shoes. “But there is something I really need.”

  She shot him a wary look.

  “Since you’re not asking, I’ll just tell you. I need another kiss. I need another taste of that perfect fucking mouth of yours.”

  She crossed her arms. “Is that the only reason you came? Because you thought I was going to jump into bed with you?”

  “Isn’t that why you didn’t mention the pipe? Because that’s exactly what you wanted me to think?”

  Her jaw rocked in frustration. “Maybe I wasn’t sure if you’d come if I told you it was for the pipe. And maybe I’m a little desperate. I need to open tomorrow. And I need to live here tonight.”

  He assessed the water to keep himself from blowing up with frustration. To have his first choice claim him as her last choice made him feel like he was back in high school.

  But like he’d told Caleb, when you became really good at something, you also became irresistible in a lot of ways. And he had two things securely in his back pocket as specialties – hockey and sex.

  “Before I give you what you want,” he told her, “I want to know if you’ll be giving me what I want when I’m done.”

  “Grant”—she laughed his name—“I don’t know what you expect—”

  “What I expect,” he said with a seriousness to match her carelessness, “is a kiss.”

  “Fine.” She huffed in frustration. “Whatever.”

  Whatever?

  Fine. He’d fix the fucking pipe for her and he’d leave—without taking that kiss. Because he would never be anyone’s desperate choice. And he sure as hell didn’t need to use manipulation to gain a woman’s affection. He’d leave Faith alone, ride out the rest of his time here, judge the stupid ice-carving contest, and go back to DC, where at least the women didn’t whatever him.

  She moved to the bottom of the stairs, rummaged in a toolbox there and offered him a flashlight and a pair of pliers. Grant took them, and waded into the water in search of the damaged pipe.

  “Why don’t you have a girlfriend back in DC?” she asked.

  “Because that’s how I like it.” He clamped the end of the small flashlight between his teeth, then gripped the fitting with the pliers and twisted—a movement his shoulder didn’t like much. The metal spun a little but didn’t loosen.

  He tried a few more times—unsuccessfully. But the manual labor worked out some of his frustration.

  Pausing, he pulled the flashlight from his mouth. “I need another pair of pliers.”

  Metal clanged against metal as she searched for more tools. Grant couldn’t keep himself from admiring the way her jeans pulled taut over her ass.

  “Why don’t you have a boyfriend?” he asked.

  “Because I was taking care of my dad and running the store. I haven’t had time for anything else.” She offered him another pair of pliers. “Here.”

  He took them, humbled again. She had to be one of the most unselfish people he’d ever met. And she really didn’t have anyone to fall back on. So in her view, she probably had felt like she’d had to lie a little to get Grant over here.

  “What?”

  Her question made him realize he was still staring at her. Grant shook his head and turned back to the pipe. “I was just thinking what a stupid prick Dillon was to let you go. Definitely his loss.”

  She remained quiet a minute, and Grant rolled the pain from his shoulder.

  “Well,” she finally said, her voice softer, “when you’re in the spotlight with everyone telling you how fantastic you are all the time, I guess your feet start to lift off the ground. And when you feel a little higher and mightier than others, I guess your needs somehow seem a lot more important.”

  Those words hit their mark and Grant’s stomach dropped. He paused and glanced at her over his shoulder. “You’re right,” he said, adequately humbled. “That does happen. It’s good to be reminded we’re mortal every once in a while.”

  He replaced the light between his teeth, positioned the pliers, and used all his strength to twist. Three tries later, the fitting loosened and the elbow separated from the vertical pipe.

  Pain burned through Grant’s shoulder joint, and he swore and rolled out the sting.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “I’m just sore. Between the fixes at the house and practices, I’ve used it a little too much this week.”

  After loosening the attached piece, he sloshed toward her with the bad length of copper.

  Faith’s body loosened in relief and she smiled. “Oh, thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome.” He set all the tools and the pipe on shelves nearby. “Are you sure you can get the rest, or do you want me to help while I’m here?”

  “I can get it.”

  “Fine.” He gave her a nod and sloshed toward the stairs. “See, that’s how it works, Faith. You ask for a favor, I say ‘Sure I’ll help’. Then you say ‘Thank you’ and I say ‘You’re wel—‘“

  Something tugged on his shirt, and he turned to see what he’d snagged it on. And found Faith holding a fistful of his tee.

  “And I say, I’m sorry.” She released his shirt. “I should have just asked. And I really appreciate you coming over. This...freaked me out a little. I haven’t had anything big go wrong since my dad died.”

  His heart twisted. “I can’t imagine how hard it must be to handle all this on your own.”

  “Most days...” She shrugged. “I manage. But
while you’re here...” She looked frazzled and vulnerable and so fucking beautiful with bright eyes and flushed cheeks. “I was going to ask you tomorrow when you came by, but you’re here now, so...” She took a breath. “Do you want to go to dinner maybe? Or something? On a night when, you know, you don’t have practice?”

  A zing of excitement coursed through his chest, but he tamped it down. Grant planted his hands on his hips and lifted his brows. “Did you just ask me out?”

  She dragged her lower lip between her teeth, fidgeted with the hem of her tee, and smiled a little. “Um, yeah.”

  He grinned. “Have you ever done that before?”

  She laughed. “No. Pretty obvious, huh?”

  Grant pressed one hand to the cement wall and exhaled. “Is that what you really want, Faith? Dinner at a restaurant?”

  She worked her lower lip some more. Then shook her head.

  “What do you really want?”

  She held his gaze, but didn’t answer for a long time. And Grant didn’t pressure her, because he could see her working it out in her head. And because he knew this was a big step for her.

  “You.” The word came out as a half whisper. She cleared her throat and said, “You. I want you. I want...” she exhaled heavily and shook her head. “I want to know what it’s like to be with you. With a man like you. Part of me wants just an hour. Part of me wants all night. I’m willing to take whatever works for you. I don’t...expect...anything more. I just know you’re only going to be here a short time, and...”

  She let her eyes close and all the air leak from her lungs as if the words exhausted her and she couldn’t bring herself to say more.

  Grant’s chest was strung tight. Walking in, he’d known what he’d wanted—to corrupt a sweet country girl into a hot fling. Now...he still wanted that. But he wanted something else too. He just wasn’t sure what.

  “Come here,” he told her.

  She lifted her gaze to his, her eyes clear but confused. And, she looked so fucking innocent right now Grant couldn’t believe how badly he wanted her. Couldn’t believe how hot she made him looking like a drown mouse. Or how those big blue eyes cut into him.