“I am too,” I said, sighing. “I shouldn’t have let you believe it was me for this long. Did you have to fire him?”
Dad laced his hands together on his desk. “Yes.”
“Even now that you know it wasn’t me?”
“Yes,” he said. “I laid the rule, and he chose not to follow it. He’d been on thin ice before this, and the fact that he went behind my back…” he swallowed hard. “Without the courage to talk to me like a man—”
“Would that make a difference?” I asked, hope blooming in my chest.
He tilted his head.
“If Crosby would’ve spoken to you first. Been upfront about his intentions with Ivy?”
Dad sighed. “I don’t know. We’ll never know now. The fact is he disrespected me. My rules. And I don’t want a man like that on the ice. On my roster. Or in my building.”
Ice-cold fear frosted my insides.
Eric…he’d already secured himself so deep within me.
We’d already gone so far without even realizing it.
And now…with this…
Fuck. My. Life.
I was going to cost him everything.
“Look,” Dad said. “I’m sorry I got you two mixed up.”
“Are you going to talk to Ivy?”
He shook his head. “I can’t control who she dates.”
I narrowed my gaze at him.
“You have different rules, Pepper,” he said, almost apologetically. “Ivy is an intern at a gossip magazine, not employed by the Sharks.”
“And if I dated someone from Ontario?” I challenged.
He flinched. “Pepper,” he chided. “You know I don’t like the idea of either of you dating players. Look at this,” he said, waving a hand over the stack of tabloids. “This is the life that comes with it. And it’s only a glimpse! Beyond this, we’re on the road all the time—”
“And I’ll be at every game!”
He blinked a few times like he hadn’t realized and then stared at me a little harder. “Why are you pushing this so hard? I made a mistake. You’ve never been about players before. Not since Mason.”
“You keep bringing him up,” I said.
“Well, he keeps crowding my space since you came back.”
“That’s not my fault.”
“I’m just hoping you’re not going to fall for his act.”
“I’m not that stupid.”
“I know,” he said. “I know. Which is why I’m not even sure why we’re still having this conversation.”
I groaned.
Because I’m in love with your star goalie.
Holy shit.
I was in love with Iron Man.
And I couldn’t come clean. Couldn’t tell my dad in confidence because Eric had so much more to lose than I did.
Holy hell, when did things become so tangled?
“We’re not,” I finally said. I scooped up the tabloids and pushed back from his desk, heading toward the door.
“Pepper,” he said, stopping me. “You know I’m only so hard on you because I love you, right?”
I swallowed the knot in my throat.
“Because I’m proud of the woman you’ve become,” he continued.
Tears coated my eyes.
It wasn’t fair.
It wasn’t fair to be angry with him. To lie to him.
But it wasn’t fair to have the ultimatum he’d placed on his players either, not when it came to Eric and me. Something real. Not some…challenge for a player to hook up with the coach’s daughter.
“Love you, too, Dad,” I said, and shut his door behind me.
I walked down the hallway, clutching the tabloids to my chest as I headed toward my office.
Shutting the door behind me, I jolted, dropping the tabloids at the sight of Eric’s massive frame filling my office chair.
I knelt to pick them up, taking the few seconds to catch my breath.
“Sorry,” Eric said, at my side in an instant, helping me scoop up the mess. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s fine,” I said, sighing. Anger still simmered in my blood right alongside the hurt and guilt and fear.
Basically, I was a hot freaking mess.
“Whoa,” he said, realizing what he was helping me pick up. “What’s with the gossip rags?”
“Dad,” I said, tossing them on my desk.
Eric’s eyes widened, and his hands found my face, cupping my cheeks. “Are you all right? Did you tell him it wasn’t you?”
I nodded, pointing to Rory’s picture. “Look at this, Eric,” I said, my tone on edge. “How the hell am I supposed to believe we can work when even Rory—one of the happiest men I know—can’t keep it together.” I pulled out of his touch, needing to be away from his warmth, his scent.
Pain flashed in Eric’s eyes before resilience coated them. He grabbed the picture. “This is from years ago,” he said.
“What?”
“Look.” He pointed to the back of Rory’s neck. “No tattoo.”
“I’m not following.”
“He got another tattoo right after him and Paige made it official.” He shrugged.
“Then why are they featuring that picture?”
“Because we’re having a hot season and the Trio is marrying off. They’re looking to stir up old drama,” he said, and then pointed at the picture of Connor. “And they’re also looking at the newest up-and-coming stars, too.”
I rubbed my palms over my face, trying to collect myself. Hating that Ivy was venturing into a career where this was the norm. Where only the headline mattered, not the person behind it.
No, that wasn’t fair, either. Ivy only interned at the place now. Soon, after she put in her time, she’d report real news, and she’d be damn great at it, too.
Eric stepped toward me, where I had retreated against my closed door. He approached me slowly, almost like he was afraid I’d stop him.
But how could I when everything in my body reacted to him the second I set eyes on him? When all I wanted him to do was wrap me in those strong arms and help me breathe.
Breathe through my worry.
Breathe through my over-analytical mind, crunching every possibly failure that may happen.
Breathe through the craving to have his taste fill my mouth.
“Pepper,” he said my name like a plea. “Tell me what to do.”
I wetted my lips, looking up at him. He stopped within touching distance but didn’t put a hand on me, like he couldn’t take me pulling away again.
“Tell me,” he said. “You say the word and I’ll walk into Coach’s office right now and tell him what you mean to me. I’ll make this right for—”
I lunged for him, stopping his words. He caught me with one arm, hauling me against his hard body until I was eye-level with him. I crushed my mouth on his, sliding my tongue between his lips, tracing the edges of his teeth.
God, he tasted good—my personal addiction.
Touching him, feeling him, tasting him…it made the pain go away. The worry, the fear, the guilt…gone.
Nothing existed but his arms around me, his flavor on my tongue, and his scent in my nose. Nothing could touch us here, in these moments. Not the press, or my father, or the fact that he had so much to lose…
Shit.
I jerked my mouth back, locking eyes with him as he held me against him.
“You can’t,” I said, breathless.
His eyes widened, uncertainty flaring.
“You can’t tell him,” I clarified, and his shoulders relaxed a bit. “Not now,” I continued. “We have to wait until your contract is signed and solid.”
“Pepper that is months away. We’re talking the end of the season.”
“I know.” I pressed my forehead against his. “But I can’t…I can’t risk you losing everything over me.” I wiggled until he set me gently on my feet, but he kept his hands on my hips.
“And until then?” He asked, his voice low, cracking, strained.
I should tell him to leave me until then.
Let me go until his career and family’s farm was secure.
But I was a weak, selfish thing.
So instead I reached up and smoothed my fingers over his solid chest. “We stay in the shadows.”
Relief barreled out of him and he scooped me up again, kissing up and down my neck, the line of my jaw, and then my lips.
“Eric,” I sighed his name.
He slowed, his chest heaving against mine. “Right. Shadows. Not your office.”
I smirked. “Someday,” I said, nipping at his bottom lip. “Someday I want you to bend me over my desk.”
He shuddered against me before reluctantly letting me go. I stepped out of his way of the door as he reached for the knob. “I’ll hold you to that,” he said before opening it.
“Promise?” I asked as he stepped into the hallway.
“Hero’s honor,” he said, winking before he strolled out of sight.
Chapter 16
Eric
“Where are we going?” Pepper asked for the hundredth time, fidgeting with her dress as it crept up her thighs in the passenger seat of my truck.
“You can ask as many times as you want, Pepper. You’re still not getting an answer out of me. That’s the whole point behind a surprise.” I ripped my eyes away from her silky skin and focused on the road as the light turned green.
“As long as it’s not the rink, I’m good with it,” she replied, but I saw her foot tapping.
Since we’d created our no-nookie-at-the-rink rule a couple of weeks ago, she’d never wanted to linger in her office.
I’d had it with the secrecy and the sneaking around, but a promise was a promise, and if she wanted to wait until my contract was signed to go public, I could do that for her. Her concern for my career—for my family, was one of the things I adored about her, but I also knew it was a matter of trust.
To Pepper, I might be her friend and her lover, but I was also a hockey player, and to her, it was only a matter of time before I chose the game over her. Going public meant that if we ever broke up...well, that would be public, too.
Truth, as much as it chafed, was that she might trust me with her body, but she didn’t trust me with her heart.
And every day, as we fell deeper and deeper into each other, I was starting to realize that she already had mine. But it was okay, at least that’s what I told myself. I could be patient. I would show her that I was worthy of her trust no matter how long it took.
I just wished she hadn’t already been hurt so much that she felt the need to protect herself. Add to the fact that Hall was now a rookie defenseman for the Sharks, and my loathing for what she’d been put through in the past was at an all-time high. In fact, the only thing Mason Hall hadn’t been right about was Coach Harris. On a professional level, Coach tolerated Hall. On a personal level, however, he had zero use for him.
“I would tell you where we were going, if I’d been the one to plan our Valentine’s Day,” Pepper cajoled, batting those long lashes at me.
“And that is why you didn’t get to plan our Valentine’s Day,” I teased her. “You’re not very good at keeping secrets.”
“I’ve kept us a pretty good secret,” she pointed out, folding her arms under her incredible breasts. That dress was going to be the death of me. It was hot pink, matching the ends of her hair, with a lower, square neckline that showed off the curves I knew more intimately than my own gear. I couldn’t wait to take it off.
“Hey, that’s your choice,” I reminded her. “I’m all for driving over to your dad’s and telling him exactly how I feel about his daughter.” I pulled the truck into the employee parking lot of a local movie theater.
“And how exactly do you feel about his daughter?” She asked.
I would’ve teased her if not for the flash of vulnerability I saw in her eyes. Instead, I pulled the truck into the spot closest to the back door and killed the engine.
“I’m wild about her.” I leaned over the console of my truck, took her chin between my thumb and forefinger, and tipped her face up toward mine. “I might go as far as to say crazy. Insane. Mad, even.” That fear slipped from her eyes as if it had never been there, and I kissed her softly before pulling away. “Now, would you like to begin our Valentine’s Day?”
“Absolutely,” she answered with a heart-stopping smile. Fuck, that still got to me. Something told me it didn’t matter how long I got to keep her— until the end of the season, or the rest of my life— I would never tire of seeing her smile.
“Then let’s get going. You wait right there.” I grabbed the umbrella from my driver side door and hopped out into the chilly February rain before shutting the door behind me. I could’ve cared less about the rain, but growing up with Mom and Faith had given me more than a little respect for how long women took to get ready, and I wasn’t about to let the rain get to her. The only thing allowed to get Pepper wet was me.
I opened her door, and lifted her from the truck, shamelessly letting her body slide down mine as the rain slapped the umbrella I held above us.
A few moments later, we entered the theater through the back door.
“Mr. Gentry, we have everything set up as per your request,” the theater manager told us after he shut the back door.
“Thank you,” I told him, collapsing the umbrella and taking Pepper’s hand.
“Right this way.” He led us down the hall and up a small flight of steps. The sounds from a newly released movie came from the right, and the manager led us to the door on the left.
The theater was nearly dark as we entered, lit only by the running lights that led up the stairs, and the pale, dimmed sconces that dotted the walls.
“When would you like your movie to start?” The manager asked.
“Forty minutes sound good?” I asked Pepper. Her eyes were locked on the small table that had been set up on the wide walkway between aisles. There were two chairs, candles, a few dozen roses, and silver-plated dinners waiting for us.
“What have you done, Iron Man?” She asked with wonder in her eyes.
“Guess you’ll have to find out,” I answered. “Now, what do you think? Forty minutes enough time to eat?”
Her smile was wide as she nodded her head. “Yeah, I think that will do just fine.”
The manager said he’d be back at the designated time and left us to our own devices.
“Nine’s?” Pepper guessed as I removed the lids from the platters.
“It’s your favorite.”
“You’re my favorite,” she said as I took my seat. “This is perfect. What movie are we watching?”
“That’s a surprise too,” I told her with a grin.
We ate slowly, soaking up our time together. We’d be on the road for two weeks. This weekend we were in Denver, and next, Nashville. That meant while we’d be together almost nonstop, we couldn’t be together.
“That was amazing,” Pepper said as we finished dinner.
“There’s more,” I promised her, standing from our table and offering my hand. She took it, and we climbed the stairs slowly until we reach the exact middle of the theater and then made our way down the row.
Pepper laughed as she saw the buffet of snacks that had been laid out just past our seats. “What did you do? Order the entire snack bar?”
“Yep,” I answered, taking a tub of popcorn and a box of butterfingers. I’d pay for this with my morning workout, but I was going to enjoy every second of tonight with her. “Did I miss anything you want?”
“Nope. I have everything I need.” She took a long look down my body, and my cock stirred to life, just like it did every time she glanced my way.
She grabbed a few snacks of her own, and we settled into the leather seats, popping the recliners up.
I raised the armrest between us, rolled slightly, and gripped Pepper’s hips. Another roll and she was on top of me, her dress sliding up her thighs as she straddled my hips.
“Why, Mr. Ge
ntry, whatever did you have in mind?” She braced her hands on my shoulders and rolled her hips over my now rock-hard dick. God, it didn’t matter where we were, I was always ready for her.
“Someone once told me it was her fantasy to make out in a theater,” I reminded her, flexing my fingers on her hips.
“What? You did all of this to fulfill a fantasy?” A slight tremor went through her body.
I reached over to the seat next to me and unzipped the bag I’d dropped earlier, removing the large blanket from inside. With a quick movement, I wrapped Pepper in the fabric.
“I see it as my personal mission in life to fulfill every. Single. One. Of. Your. Fantasies.” I punctuated each word with a kiss on the delicate skin of her arm. She smelled so damn good, like vanilla and citrus.
“You amaze me.” She didn’t give me a chance to reply. Her mouth landed on mine, and I responded immediately.
My tongue licked into her mouth and my fingers threaded through her hair, holding her closer for my kiss as I took control.
Fuck, I wanted her. Not like that was any different from any other moment of my life. She moaned, rubbing her cleft over my cock, her dress having ridden to her hips to reveal a tantalizing scrap of lace covering her.
If my calculations were right, we had about ten minutes, which was more than enough time to get her off. Twice.
I drew the blanket higher around us, making sure she was covered just in case my timing was off. Then I kissed her with deep, sweeping thrusts of my tongue as I sent my hands up her thighs.
“Your skin is so damned soft.” My fingers quested higher until my thumbs grazed the edge of the white lace of her panties.
She sucked in a breath, and my teeth captured her lower lip.
“But here,” I said as my thumbs slipped under the lace, parting her. “Here, you’re even softer.” I slid through her slick folds until I reached her clit, then began to circle it.
“Eric,” she moaned. “God. Yes. Please.”
My cock jumped beneath her, desperate to climb out of my pants. I’d thought my initial infatuation with her body would fade, just like it had with any girl I’d taken to my bed. But I only craved more of Pepper. The sex got hotter, better every time we were together. I was addicted to her like a drug, jonesing for my next hit.
Blocker (Seattle Sharks Book 5) Page 16