by Kat Mizera
“Guys tell you that?” Brock tried to absorb what she’d said, the miles of creamy skin barely penetrating his affronted thoughts; no wonder she had issues in the bedroom.
She snorted. “That’s probably the only thing they like about sex with me.”
“That can’t be true, baby.” He moved his hands to her cheeks. “I don’t know what kinds of men you’ve dated, but they were fools. I can think of a lot of things I’d like about sex with you.” What kinds of guys had a problem with perfect, round breasts? Sure, they were tiny, but her nipples were beautifully shaped and blush-colored, standing at perfect attention on her chest. He was already imagining what it would be like to suck one fully into his mouth…
“Like what?” Her lower lip trembled.
“Like how soft your skin is.” He ran his hands along her shoulders, his fingers making a gentle trail down her arms. He looked into her sad eyes and feelings he had no business having rocked him right to his core. He hadn’t believed he was capable of loving anyone ever again, but Ashleigh was quickly breaking through every barrier he’d put up. He wanted her more than he wanted to eat or breathe or even play hockey.
“Brock?” Her eyes were searching his as his fingers continued to trace light designs on her skin; her arms, her chest, her neck.
“You’re making this hard,” he murmured. “Because right now there’s nothing I want more than to show you how sexy I think you are. But I can’t have sex with someone who’s terrified.”
“I’m not terrified.”
“No?” His eyes met hers and he could see sparks of desire mingled with the trepidation.
“I’m more nervous I wouldn’t please you…”
“Everything about you pleases me,” he said in a throaty whisper.
“I don’t think I have a G-spot, and usually the only way I can get off is by myself,” she whispered.
“Is that what you’re worried about?” He lifted her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “When you’re ready, I’m going to make you beg me to show you how sexy I think you are.”
“I already told you—I don’t beg,” she met his eyes.
“I think you desperately need someone to make you beg,” he whispered against her ear, strong fingers reaching around her to knead her ass. “I think you need me to make you beg.”
“Brock…” Her voice was ragged as she leaned against him. “I don’t, I mean, I do, but it’s—”
“Tell me you want me to make you beg,” he growled, knowing what she was trying to say. “Just say the words and I’ll make you forget everything you ever thought you knew about sex.”
“I want you to make me beg,” she whispered the words he wanted to hear, her eyes never leaving his.
“Shit, Ashleigh.”
16
Brock crashed his mouth down on hers, kissing her almost brutally. He backed her against the wall and kissed her until she whimpered. His tongue collided with hers with both force and tenderness, showing her how much he wanted her without letting up. All that mattered right now was touching and tasting her; he didn’t care his beard was rubbing against her soft skin. Weeks of longing came out in the way they clung to each other. But even as he dominated her mouth, his hands were gentle and loving, caressing her like he hadn’t touched a woman in a long time. He used his fingers to explore the skin on her back, giving her goosebumps and making her moan.
Out of nowhere, he pulled away, breathing hard as he took a few steps back.
“Brock, please!” Her voice was ragged when he moved away.
“Damn, baby, that’s not the kind of begging I had in mind.” He rested his forehead against hers. “The time isn’t right. You asked me for romance, and I haven’t given it to you. We have to wait.”
“Please.” Her eyes sought out his.
“You said you don’t beg,” he dragged out a ragged breath as he looked at her.
“I will for you.”
“Dammit, Ashleigh.” He was back against her in two long strides, putting his hands on either side of her face. “I want you. I want you to beg, I want you to want me back, I want to fuck you so hard you’ll still feel my cock tomorrow.” He pushed her against the wall again, his body pressed hard against hers. “But I know you—and this, this can’t happen because you deserve more than a casual fuck. Not until we’re to a point we can make love without holding back.” His breath was warm against her face and she bit her lip as her eyes watered.
The back of his hand brushed across her wet cheek and he bent, slowly, letting his lips hover millimeters from hers. “Don’t cry, baby doll. It turns me inside out to see you cry.”
“I want you.” Her voice wasn’t even a whisper, just a flutter of wind against his cheek.
“Jesus fucking Christ.” He lifted her by the ass and pulled her legs apart, resting the junction between them against his erection and letting her link her feet behind his back. He moved his hands up over her waist, across her shoulders and then to rest on either side of her face again. “I want you so bad I can taste it, but you deserve more, because letting you down isn’t an option.”
Her eyes widened. “But—”
“No buts. When it happens, it’s going to be good. But tonight… I’m just going to kiss you. I’m going to touch you. I’m going to stop around third base—and when you wake up tomorrow? You’re still going to be wet.”
“Mmm.” Her voice was nothing but a moan, her head falling back when he licked the soft spot behind her ear.
“Not making love to you tonight is going to kill me,” he murmured against her neck, his hands moving down her back and slowly cupping her ass.
“You still can…”
“Nope.” He found her mouth with sweeping strokes of his tongue. One hand continued to hold her ass while the other traveled down over her bare flesh, her breast, her flat belly, and finally, the curve of her hip. When she shivered, he deepened the kiss, digging his fingers into her hair and all but swallowing her with his passion.
Brock’s cock was straining against his shorts and the window of time for him to stop was rapidly coming to a close. Her trust and friendship were important to him, and he had a feeling all these crazy emotions he was having, coupled with her sexual insecurity, were going to send them down a path they could never return from. He slowly ended the kiss, letting her get her legs underneath her again before releasing her. She was staring up at him with the first signs of true desire, and it was all he could do to turn around and pick up her robe.
Handing it to her, he waited until she’d pulled it back on before scooping her up in his arms and carrying her out to the couch. He sank down with her in his lap, his arms still around her, and they sat that way for a long time. He gently caressed her back and she rested against him, her head in that spot between his shoulder and neck that she seemed to like so much. He didn’t know what he was doing, but was powerless to stop whatever they’d started here. The part of him that wanted to run knew he couldn’t—especially not now that she’d bared her soul to him. He had a gorgeous movie star in his arms and she needed him to make her feel beautiful. That was the craziest thing he could have imagined.
“Brock?” Her voice was rough, as though she was sleepy and content.
“Yeah, baby?” He was skimming her shoulder with his mouth, watching as she shivered against him.
“I want you to...” She flushed and broke off.
“What do you want? You want me to make you come, baby?”
“Mmm hmm.” Her eyes were closed, her warm body molded to his.
He wanted to please her like he’d never wanted to please anyone before, and he had every intention of finding her G-spot, her clit, and every other part of her he could possibly use to show her how good sex could be. Hearing her talk about intercourse being uncomfortable made him uncomfortable. What kind of jerks had she been sleeping with? Any man who knew anything at all about a woman’s body knew when she was aroused, when she wasn’t ready, and definitely when she wasn’t enjoying herself. He t
ended to make a woman orgasm three or four times to his one, depending on the woman and the situation, and he would do everything in his power to make it happen for Ashleigh.
Starting right now.
She leaned forward slowly, her eyes never leaving his as she pressed her lips against his and slowly found his tongue with hers. There was the subtle taste of cinnamon, as if he’d been chewing gum recently, and she let herself explore it. And him. He was beyond delicious, giving her something she wanted to consume until she couldn’t possibly take anymore. He was all hard muscles, soft lips, tender fingers, rough beard and the steely erection pressed firmly against her behind. She didn’t know how to get more of him, how to sink deeper into his touch, his kiss, his everything. His mouth was like a playground to her, something to explore and enjoy, one swirl of her tongue at a time. He was kissing her back, his body fully engaged, but his touch was light, remaining almost perfectly still as she pillaged his mouth.
“You’re so yummy,” she whispered breathlessly.
She smiled shyly before leaning up to kiss him again. This time he was more involved, digging his fingers into the hair at the base of her neck and pulling her closer. One hand drifted down her back, reaching the curve of her ass and cupping it.
“You’re fucking gorgeous,” he whispered, rising to his feet with her in his arms and carrying her back to the bedroom.
“You too.” She laid back when he put her down, letting him cover her with his body. His shirtless torso made her sigh happily, taking in the sharp angles of his neck and Adam’s apple, the masculine chest covered with dark curling hair and his taut, round nipples. Without thinking, she leaned up to take one in her mouth, shivering with pleasure when he moaned.
“Slow down,” he rasped, his voice rough as he gritted his teeth.
“Brock…” she whimpered with dismay. “I’m so turned on—and that never happens.”
“Oh, it’s happening,” he grunted, strong fingers sliding under her robe. When he ran his hands along her thighs she let her legs fall open, inviting him in.
“Sweet Jesus, that’s beautiful,” he rasped. He leaned forward, nuzzling her stomach as he slid one hand into her panties. She was so wet she could feel him swirling around with one finger, gently prying her open.
“Brock…” There was a tiny hint of panic in her voice and he paused. “I, um…” She was blushing furiously. “I’m really…uh, sensitive... If you’re too rough with your fingers, or, um—”
“Shh.” He shook his head. “Never gonna hurt you, baby. Trust me.”
She closed her eyes as he began to explore the tender area between her legs, his finger a whisper against her folds, moving up, down and then in a circular motion until she arched into him.
“That the spot?” He circled her clit with expert precision, his calloused finger so gentle she lifted her hips right into his touch. The lips of her pussy were drenched, she could hear the wet sounds it made as he pressed a finger into her. She tensed, ready for the usual discomfort, but there was only sweet pleasure. She responded to every movement, rocking against him until she was panting, whispering his name.
“Oh, please, please, please…”
“Are you begging?” he teased, sucking her ear lobe into his mouth again and watching intently as she started sliding into his hand.
“I don’t know… Oh, God! Brock!” Everything inside of her started to tighten, her breath frozen in her throat as she jerked against him. He added another finger and curved them up, touching something that sent a spark of white-hot lightning shooting through her. She squealed, her head falling back just as everything spiraled away from her. Red and black and white blurred her vision. She wasn’t sure, but she might have been screaming his name, the fingers of one hand squeezing his biceps while the other dug into his hair. “Don’t stop… Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck!” There was nothing she could do but ride the crest, bucking each time he moved his fingers to a spot she hadn’t known existed. She reared and panted until finally, finally, he pulled out his fingers. Just as she started to get her breath back, her eyes fluttered open in time to see him stick them in his mouth and lick them clean.
“Fuckin’-A, you’re delicious.” His eyes were cerulean fire, burning into hers, and she rose up to find his mouth, taste herself on his tongue and tug his body over hers again.
She was still shuddering with the aftershocks, and a low moan escaped her as she tried to catch her breath.
“Easy, baby.” He was smiling down at her, the knuckles of one hand resting on her cheek while the other hand cupped her perfectly round ass. “You okay?”
“I’m more than okay.” Her eyes glittered with lust.
“Making love to you is going to be so fucking hot,” he whispered, kissing the side of her face. “And by the way?”
She squinted slightly, giving him a wary look. “What?”
“I found your G-spot and made you come with my fingers.”
She blushed but was laughing. “You most certainly did.”
“That means I win the bet.”
“That means you got to third base and I’ll consider letting you try for home.”
“I just rocked your world and didn’t even earn a chance to get to home plate?” he teased.
“Those are my terms.” She leaned over and pressed one last kiss to his lips. “But I think you should know—I really like kissing you.”
“And you should know I really like watching you come.” He wrapped his arms around her. “I’m going to like it even more when you come all over my cock.”
She gave him a shy smile before cuddling against him. She didn’t know what had just happened, but it blew her away. Her friends had told her about sexual experiences like this, but she’d never had one; experiencing it with Brock was that much more special. If this was any indication of what was to come, she was all in.
Saying good-bye on Sunday afternoon had been much harder than Brock had expected. Spending time with Ashleigh, Bella, and his mother had been unlike anything he’d done in years. They were already a family, and instead of being freaked out, he’d enjoyed it. Having the three of them waiting after the game wasn’t just fun, it was comfortable. Seeing Bella’s face light up as she ran to him was something he’d never experienced in his hockey career, and he didn’t want to admit how good it made him feel, that he meant so much to someone so innocent. He’d also liked watching Ashleigh’s beautiful violet eyes darken with lust, excitement, and appreciation when she looked at him. When she’d wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, it was like coming home, as if kissing her was the most natural thing in the world.
They’d spent the night kissing and touching, but not going any further no matter how hard it was for him. Having her in his arms was natural, too, so sleeping alone last night had sucked. They’d texted half the night, until he’d finally had to beg off, knowing how tired he would be today. And he was, but after the weekend they’d spent together, she was worth it. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed a woman so much, but Ashleigh was the whole package; beautiful, sweet, and unexpectedly shy. He wanted to protect her, help her, do anything she asked of him. He wasn’t sure why, but was having too much fun to think about it.
He met Vlad and Dax for breakfast and was grateful the rest of the team had finally left him alone. They’d been ribbing him since they’d heard about the marriage, but they seemed to have moved on to other things. Or maybe they sensed he wasn’t in the mood since he’d had to leave his new family yesterday and hadn’t shown up at the bar last night even though Vlad, Dax, and Cody had all invited him.
“How’s Ashleigh?” Vlad asked him as they sat down.
Brock shook his head. “It’s still early. I’ll talk to her later.”
“So she won’t be there when you get home?” Dax spoke sympathetically.
“They won’t be living with me,” he muttered, the reality of that rubbing him the wrong way.
“What do you mean?” Dax frowned.
�
�For one, her job is in L.A. and mine is in Vegas. Second, she got a part in a movie, so she and Bella will be in Atlanta while they film it for the next two to three months.”
“What happens when hockey season is over?” Vlad asked. “Will you go to Atlanta?”
“Probably.”
“How’s it gonna work with you guys living in different cities?” Dax asked. “I mean, won’t it be hard?”
Brock grunted, opting to focus on his coffee instead of answering him. What kind of dumb question was that? Of course it was going to be hard.
“Is Ashleigh pregnant?” Dax asked after an awkward silence.
“What? No!” Brock’s head snapped up and his eyes flashed in annoyance. “What the fuck kind of question is that?”
“Why else would you elope like that, when you barely know each other and your lives are so geographically different?” Dax didn’t bat an eyelash as he looked at him.
“Is that what people are saying?” Brock asked, horrified, his fork frozen midway to his mouth as he stared at him.
“Well, yeah.”
“Shit,” Vlad muttered.
“She’s not pregnant,” Brock hissed under his breath. “I’m crazy about her, and we want to provide a stable home for Bella in the middle of all this adoption stuff!” Ironically, that wasn’t a lie.
Dax held up his hands, shaking his head. “Hey, I’m not trying to be a dick. I was giving you a head’s up about what I’ve heard because we’re friends. That’s all.”
“Fuck.” Brock hung his head. He had to tell Ashleigh right away so she was prepared for the onslaught of questions from the media. She was on a movie set, for heaven’s sake. Even if the guys were having a little harmless fun behind closed doors, there was every possibility someone—a trainer, equipment manager, the bus driver—had heard them and mentioned it to someone outside the team. That’s all it usually took for rumors to go viral. No one who worked for the team would do it maliciously, and for something like this, where a pregnancy would be public knowledge one way or another, they wouldn’t even think twice that they might be doing something wrong.