by Steph
“And I like them. It’s a great group of guys, even Derek, who can’t keep his mouth shut to save his soul. I swear even his mother’s embarrassed by him.”
Her laugh made him want more, made him want to hear her laughing as he tumbled her onto a bed and kissed his way down her body until she wasn’t laughing anymore but was sighing his name.
“Yeah, he can be a bit of a loose cannon but he means well. I don’t think the guy has a mean bone in his body. He just…doesn’t know when to stop. He’s still young.”
Will wasn’t. And he was more than old enough to know exactly what he wanted.
Parking the car along the street, he jumped out before she could say anything and got her bags out of the back. He wondered if she’d discourage him from coming up and figured he wouldn’t give her the time say anything.
But she only smiled when he followed her to the front door and up the stairs.
“Come on in.” She widened the door so he could follow her and led him into the kitchen. He took a quick second look around, noting the distinctly feminine decorations and bright colors.
Definitely a girly room and he liked that, too. Hell, even her kitchen was girly, with pink curtains and dish towels and a pink mixer on her counter.
It shouldn’t have been a shock. He’d seen her dressed for work…sexy skirts and sleek blouses that hugged her curves and made him lust after her freaking calves and want to lick the hollow between her breasts.
Tonight, she wore tight jeans and a tight white v-neck sweater that dipped low enough that he could see the swells of her breasts and that made him salivate.
“Thanks for bringing the bags up for me.”
“No problem. Gotta get my steps in for the day.”
Her laugh was magical. “I thought you worked out this afternoon.”
“I did but it was mostly weights. Monday I’ll work on cardio.”
He happened to turn at that moment and caught her staring at his ass.
She tried to cover by reaching for the bags he’d set on the counter, but he knew he hadn’t imagined it.
“Would you like a beer?”
Her question came out in a rush and Will wasn’t about to turn her down. Groceries in his truck be damned. It was cold out. They’d be fine.
“Sure.”
“I’m not sure what I have.” She turned toward the fridge behind her to open the door and he took the opportunity to get closer. Glancing up at him, she smiled before grabbing a bottle from the back. “I don’t drink it much but I always keep some in the fridge for the guys upstairs.”
Say what? “The guys upstairs?”
As she handed him a bottle of dark porter from a company he’d never heard of, he took the opportunity to stare into her eyes. So pretty, the color of the dark chocolate he loved.
She blinked but didn’t move away and he could’ve closed the distance between them in a flash and pressed his mouth against hers, they were that close.
He heard her suck in a short, sharp breath and her lips parted in anticipation but he managed to control himself and pulled back to twist off the cap.
So he might end up with blue balls tonight but it’d be worth it if she invited him back. And he wanted to be invited back.
Putting some space between them, he leaned back against the counter as she put away her few groceries.
“You can go sit down if you want. You don’t have to stand here.”
“I’m good. Nice place. I wasn’t expecting you to like pink so much.”
She straightened from putting a box in one of the lower cabinets and, when she headed back to the fridge to pour herself a glass of wine, she had a lopsided little grin on her face. So damn cute. And sexy. How the hell did she manage that?
“The wallpaper and paint were already here so the pink matches that.” Then her nose scrunched up. “Okay, I like pink. Not a big deal. Besides, it fits with the house. I fell in love with this place when I was looking at apartments in the area. All the buildings I’d seen were industrial and I hated them. Then the real estate agent showed me this and I fell in love. I’ve always had a thing for these old Victorians. Wasn’t sure I wanted to live in the city but this is a good neighborhood, close to the arena, and it was in my price range.”
“Hey, I’m not dissing your house. This place has a lot of character.”
Shooing him out of the kitchen now, she pointed toward the couch. He went but waited until she’d sat on the couch before lowering himself next to her. Not too close. Didn’t want to make her nervous.
“It does. And after I met the upstairs and downstairs neighbors, I knew this was it.”
Pulling her legs up onto the couch, she leaned back and began to tell him about her neighbors. The male couple upstairs who were planning their wedding after being together for twenty-five years. The seventy-something woman downstairs. The young couple next door expecting their first baby and the older couple on the other side whose son had drug problems and had been in and out of rehab.
“Sounds like you’re pretty involved with your neighborhood. How long have you lived here?”
“About two years. I’ll really miss them when I leave.”
“Are you planning to leave?”
She glanced down at the glass in her hand before taking a sip. Covering her expression.
Shit, she was.
“Jess? Are you looking for another job?”
She raised her head and her lips twisted. “There’s an opening in Philly in the marketing department. Not exactly what I’m doing here but it’s where I want to be, an NHL club with a good reputation, and they know my work. It’d be a good move.”
It’d be a great move. Fuck. “Then why don’t you sound more enthusiastic?”
Her eyes widened. “I am. I mean, it’d be a big step but I’ve been working toward it for years. I like what I’m doing here I like the people I work with. And there’s more I can do here. There’s room to grow and a lot more latitude to do things my way.”
“There’re always trade-offs. Bigger club, bigger headaches.”
“True, but it’s too good an opportunity to pass up.”
He got that. He did. But… Shit, he didn’t want her to leave. Not now.
And wouldn’t that make you a total prick.
“Yeah, I guess it would be.”
Shrugging, she took another sip of wine. “I don’t think it’ll matter anyway. I don’t think I’ll get it. I’m not sure I have enough experience for what they’re looking for.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because the person they’re replacing has about twenty years more experience than I do and they’ll probably promote from within. There are a couple of qualified people already on staff, but if they hire one of those to fill the spot, they’ll be looking for someone to fill that spot, so that’s why I applied.”
“Sounds like you’re always thinking one step ahead.”
“You have to be thinking at least three or four steps ahead. That’s what my dad always said.”
Her dad. He’d almost forgotten. He tried to smother his instantaneous reaction but she must have seen something on his face because her gaze narrowed.
“You don’t like my dad, do you?”
“I don’t really know your dad.” Which was the absolute truth.
Her eyebrows rose. “But something happened, didn’t it? He did something or said something—”
“It was a long time ago.”
And he probably should’ve left it there. Talking about it now, with her, wasn’t going to do him any good and might put a wedge between them. And that was definitely not what he wanted.
What he wanted was to close the space between them, her body plastered against his while he kissed her hard and took her breath away.
But she continued to stare at him, expecting an answer, and he figured it wouldn’t help his cause to lie. All she had to do was ask her dad. Who might not even remember an offhand comment he’d made more than a decade ago.
Maybe it’s time to let this go.
“I was young, probably twenty-one, twenty-two, just getting my feet under me. I’d graduated from college and had some interest from a couple of AHL teams. Back then, you still had a decent shot at getting picked up by an AHL team even if you weren’t drafted. Today, it’s harder—” He shook his head. “Never mind, off topic. Basically, your dad told a former coach of mine that I had more of a chance of having a career as a brain surgeon than I did a career in the NHL and that I should seriously consider taking my degree and getting a job where I might actually make a difference.”
Her nose wrinkled again and she shook her head, looking pained.
“Yeah, that sounds like my dad. He can be a real ballbuster. I can’t believe he said it in front of you, though. Usually he’s not quite so much of an…asshole.”
Smiling, he shook his head. “He didn’t know I was there.” Or he had and hadn’t cared. “I guess you could say he motivated me to work harder. And hey, I’m still here.”
He had wondered about that, occasionally, if Gardiner’s words had had any effect on his game, at least inadvertently.
Her smile had softened as he’d spoken, and by the time he was finished, she was nodding. “You are. And you’ve had two of the best seasons of any other player in the league. Your stats were amazing. I don’t know why you didn’t get the press some of the other players got. I mean, I know why you didn’t and it sucks because you’re not a flashy player like some of the kids out there, but still… It’s why I talked you up to Coach. I knew this team needed someone like you.”
He couldn’t hide his grin because she’d just admitted she’d been the one to recommend him. Made him feel like he was king of the world.
But she obviously didn’t feel the same. Her gaze dropped and her teeth sank into her bottom lip.
Putting his beer on the coffee table, he reached for her glass, setting it next to his. Then he grabbed her hands in both of his and laced their fingers together. Her eyes widened slightly but she didn’t pull away, which made him wonder, if he pulled her even closer and kissed her, would she slap him? Or would she lean in and kiss him back?
He didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize their relationship but he also didn’t want to pass up an opportunity.
And he wanted to get a hell of a lot closer.
“And I can’t thank you enough for that. Seriously. The team’s great. There’s a lot of talent and the guys are awesome. But the main reason I’m fucking thrilled to be here is because I met you.”
Her eyes widened even farther and he wondered if he’d pushed too hard, too fast. But she didn’t pull away.
“I don’t know what to say to that.”
He shook his head. “You don’t need to say anything now. I’m just giving you fair warning.”
Her gaze narrowed but she still didn’t pull her hands away from his. “Fair warning for what?”
“For this.”
Wrapping one hand around her neck, he leaned in and did what he’d been dying to do.
He kissed her. Flat-out, full-on, pressed their lips together and kissed the hell out of her. And when she didn’t move away, he let his tongue slide against her lips and demand entrance.
She froze at the first lick but Will didn’t give up easily. Turning his head, he got a better angle and flicked at the seam of her lips.
Damn, she was soft and he wanted to taste her, wanted to lick into her mouth and tangle with her tongue. But if she didn’t let him in, he was going to have to pull back—
With a quiet sigh, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and practically crawled onto his lap.
Oh hell yes.
With her knees on either side of his, her lips parted and gave him what he wanted. All access.
His tongue slid into her mouth and he tasted the slightly sweet wine she’d just had but he also tasted her. And that was so much more intoxicating than any liquor.
His lungs began to labor almost immediately, as if he’d done wind sprints for the past hour, and his muscles tensed. He tried not to crush her against him but it was a battle, one he was going to lose pretty damn quickly because every time he breathed in, her scent invaded his lungs and made his blood rush south.
Christ, his cock had already been pressing against the zipper of his jeans but now it began to throb as her lips moved over his. Every time she shifted or put the slightest bit of air between them, he pulled her back and sealed their mouths together more tightly.
He’d gladly suffocate as long as she stayed glued to him. He had her right where he wanted her and he wasn’t going to give up the ground he’d won so easily.
Even though she kneeled over him, he couldn’t help that he still managed to loom over her. Compared to him, she was tiny. Curvy and rounded and totally female but small enough that she had to feel a little overwhelmed by him.
Of course, she didn’t show it. And maybe she really didn’t notice because he let her have all the control. Her hands gripped his neck tight, as if she thought he might try to get away. Like that was really gonna happen.
No fucking way was he leaving this exact spot until she told him to get the hell out.
And that didn’t seem like it was going to happen anytime soon because she tightened her arms around his shoulders and drew him in even closer.
When he took a deep breath, his chest brushed against her breasts, making him hypersensitive to every slight move she made. And she made a lot of them.
As her knees sank even deeper into the cushions, she shifted her hips closer and the heat of her body increased exponentially. Excitement chugged through his veins like lava.
Her fingers clenched then spread on his shoulders then clenched again, like a cat kneading its paws. Every time she dug her fingertips into his muscles, he wanted to groan with pleasure. He wished she’d slide her fingers into his shirt collar and knead his bare skin. He wanted to tell her to do it, to touch him, but he didn’t want to stop kissing her.
Because she was the best damn kisser he’d ever met. Her mouth fit perfectly against his, her tongue playful and so damn sensuous against his. He drew back several times just so he could dive back in and slide his tongue against hers again.
With each second that passed, his control grew more frayed. The hand at her nape tightened until he realized she was pushing back against him. He released her neck immediately but let his hand slide down her back in a slow caress, landing on her hip to mirror his other hand. Which he didn’t remember putting there.
Since she didn’t seem to mind, he gripped her tighter and began to draw her closer, letting their kiss ramp up in intensity. He found it harder to breathe with every passing second, his heart pounding against his ribs, his cock throbbing in his jeans.
He had the almost overwhelming urge to tug on her hips and bring her down farther, press her against his erection and let her rub against him. He wanted her to be crazy for him, as crazy as he was for her.
Yes, she’d initiated the kiss. And yes, she was currently attacking his mouth like she couldn’t get enough of him. He knew exactly what that felt like because he couldn’t get enough of her.
Her scent, something light and spicy, made him want to move his mouth along her jaw and down her neck so he could lick at the hollow. From there, he’d move to her breasts…
His hands began to creep up her sides as he thought about her breasts. The girl had curves—
Jess pulled back with a little gasp, beautiful dark eyes wide as she stared into his.
Shit. He didn’t want her to stop. He wanted a hell of a lot more than just a kiss and now that he’d had a taste, he was willing to push a little to get more.
Blinking up at him, she swallowed hard then sucked in air. “I’m still not sure this is a good idea.”
He knew it was one hell of a good idea. “We’re the only people here right now. No one else needs to know what happens. It’s just us. Right here, right now. Take what you want.”
He saw her consider
ing, saw her head tilt to the side, and saw the exact moment she made up her mind.
Jess couldn’t get enough of Will.
Even though she knew she shouldn’t be indulging her lust for him, she hadn’t been able to deny herself a taste.
But now that she’d had a taste, she wanted so much more.
And why not? There was no reason to deny herself except for the fact that he played for her team. And she knew better than to get involved with a player.
But in the time she’d spent with Will, she’d realized he wasn’t like other players she’d known.
“Jess?”
He stared at her with steady eyes, pinning her in place. Demanding a response without making her feel like he was forcing one.
Will had a commanding presence, on ice and off. Maybe it was his age and experience. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn’t an arrogant douche, like many other professional athletes.
Maybe it was the fact that when he smiled, her stomach did a stupid little flip-flop. That smile was a little goofy, a little cocky, and more than a little hot.
But he wasn’t smiling right now.
The look in his eyes made her heart beat even faster and she sucked in a deep, steadying breath. Which made his gaze drop to her lips.
Holy shit. How did he manage to make her want him even more by simply staring at her mouth?
“This isn’t a good idea.”
The words coming out of her mouth meant absolutely nothing because her body had disconnected from her brain. Her body thought it was a fucking awesome idea and that he should get back over here and let her kiss him again.
She’d been the one to initiate. This situation was entirely her fault. The fact that he hadn’t kept her at arms’ length wasn’t a surprise. The fact that he was waiting for her to make the next move was.
Had she really expected him to simply take over? To take the decision out of her hands and relieve her of responsibility?
Damn, that totally made her sound like a coward.
Own it, babe. Always own your mistakes and your triumphs.
Her dad’s mantra, drilled into her head over two decades.
Well, damn. Mistake or triumph, she wasn’t ready to stop.