“Yep. Too bad I have to leave her for three days now.” He turned his head to face Nik. “Relationships are hard when you’re constantly on the road.”
“So you miss being single?”
Colton shook his head. “No, I didn’t say that. I wouldn’t trade what I have with Maya for the single life again. Just saying I’ll miss her while we’re on this road trip.”
Nik understood completely, because he’d miss Meryl too. More than he wanted to admit.
***
“You are going to love me,” Matt declared as he arrived in Meryl’s office, tablet in hand.
“I already love you,” she replied. “But if you’ve got a reason to love you even more, I’m anxious to see it. I assume you mean the website.”
“You got it.” Her brother rounded her desk to stand beside her and set the tablet down, tapping on the screen.
A few seconds later, Meryl found herself looking at the mock-up for the Young Generals website, complete with adorable kids in hockey gear and quotes about the program from the players involved, including Nik.
‘I am happy to be a part of the first Young Generals hockey camps and look forward to sharing my love of the sport with boys and girls throughout San Antonio,’ his quote read, and it was followed by similar statements from Trevor Collison and Becker Lawson, along with Meryl’s own statement about the benefits of organized sports for children and her goal of growing the sport of hockey throughout central Texas.
“It looks great, Matt. Thanks.” She felt a surge of pride seeing her name and picture displayed prominently as the founder and organizer of the program. It had all come together faster than she’d dreamed, and she she owed her brother for that. He’d put in the extra hours to build the website in only a few days.
“Anything for my favorite sister.” He grinned. “And that’s not all. I’ve been working on something else for the marketing campaigns. I’m thinking billboards along the highway.” He tapped at the screen again and Trevor’s face appeared, along with his statement about the program.”
“Wow, nice. That should be a great help.” Well, except for the fact that it was the wrong player on display. “Do you have those for the other guys too?” Meryl asked, trying to keep her tone casual. “Like Becker or Nik?”
“Ha ha. Of course I do.” Matt laughed. “Didn’t think I’d leave your guy out, did you?” Another tap on the screen, and Meryl found herself staring at Nik’s handsome face.
Was it wrong that he seemed to be looking directly at her, with his smile only meant for her? Get a grip, Meryl. You’re falling way too fast. “He’s not my guy,” she said.
“Sure thing. You don’t actually expect me to believe that, do you? I hear you even invited him to the mausoleum for Christmas Eve,” Matt said. “And that he actually kind of liked it. That says a lot, Meryl.”
She nodded. It said a lot to her too.
Chapter Twelve
With ten of the Generals’ next fifteen games played on the road, Meryl saw Nik only sparingly and devoted her attention to promoting the Young Generals program. Matt’s marketing expertise proved to be invaluable, and early response to the program seemed to be positive. The idea might have come to her on a whim, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t make it a success. More importantly, the idea had led her to Nik. It still might not win her father’s support and praise—something Meryl began to doubt would ever happen—but Nik was definitely far more than a consolation prize.
Now, with NHL All-Star break upon them, she hoped to have more time to spend with him. As Nik strode into the restaurant to meet her for dinner, Meryl felt the familiar tingle and flush come over her that she experienced every time she got close to him. “Hey, sexy.” She stood to greet him, and as he leaned close to give her a kiss on her cheek, Meryl savored the scent of his cologne.
“I thought that was supposed to be my line,” Nik teased. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you more,” Meryl countered as she sat back down. “Are you disappointed you weren’t selected for the All-Star game?” Although Nik had accumulated ten points in the fifteen games since the holiday break, it proved to be not quite enough, as Colton Tremblay was the lone player representing the Generals in the All-Star game.
“Yes and no,” Nik said. “It would have been a tremendous honor, especially as a rookie. But I like having a few days off to spend with you.”
“That’s the best part, for sure,” Meryl said. “I have a little surprise for when we finish eating.” Tired of her father’s spies and constant sneaking around, she’d booked a suite at a nearby luxury hotel, hoping they could finally have a night of total privacy.
“Oh yeah?” Nik’s eyes widened. “Even better than the surprise that greeted me on I-35 this morning?”
Meryl knew exactly what he referred to. “You saw the billboard, then?”
Nik laughed. “It was kind of hard to miss. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a big image of my face. And not sure I ever want to again.”
“You’re in the minority, then. I have no doubt there are plenty of women in town who love seeing your face greet them on the highway as they drive to work,” she said. “I just hope it doesn’t cause any accidents.”
“You flatter me. They’d probably rather see Becker.”
As usual, he deflected the compliment with modesty. Meryl wondered if Nik’s ego would ever catch up to the greatness of his hockey game. Hopefully not, because she loved his quiet, modest nature. “Oh, they will. They see Beck on I-10.” She grinned. “And Trevor on I-37. You guys are now everywhere.”
“And this is a good thing?” Nik asked.
“Oh, trust me, it’s a very good thing,” Meryl said. “Registration is already taking off, and our first camp is months away.” She’d scheduled it for June, when the hockey season would be over. Even if it was a long-shot for the Generals to contend for a Stanley Cup in their first season, she knew she couldn’t schedule camps for April or May. If she did, and the team qualified for the playoffs, she wouldn’t have her star coaches available. And even if Meryl thought she was good at a lot of things, she was nowhere near ready to be a hockey coach.
“That’s great,” Nik said. “I’m honored to be part of it, and very proud of you for all the work you’ve done in such a short time.”
They were the words Meryl longed to hear from her father, but hearing them from Nik warmed her heart and made all the work and long hours over the past month worth the while. “Thank you. That means more than you know.” She opened her menu. “Shall we go ahead and order now?”
“Yes.” Nik smiled. “I’m anxious to see this other surprise you have for me.”
***
The surprise didn’t disappoint as they unlocked the door of the suite Meryl had booked for them at the luxury hotel. Nik’s mind raced with the things they could do there, especially when he saw the whirlpool tub. Colton had certainly been right that maintaining a relationship was hard for athletes who spent a lot of time on the road. Although his relationship with Meryl was still very new, the last several road trips had been difficult being away from her. Even when the team was back in town for a few days, Nik was usually so busy with practice that he had little time to spend with her. Add to that the fact that neither of them truly had their own place, and things were especially difficult. He longed to wake up with Meryl in his arms and not have to rush back to his temporary home with the Crawfords or to the rink right away for practice.
“So what do you think?” Meryl asked.
“I think it’s perfect,” Nik said, as he pulled her into his arms. “Kind of like you.”
“I’m not perfect. You just make me feel that way.”
If he made Meryl feel perfect, she made Nik feel at home. He still missed his family terribly, and persisted in his efforts to move his mother and Aleksei to San Antonio, but he no longer felt the same loneliness that he had before Meryl came into his life. Nik planted a kiss on her forehead as he held her in his arms after they mad
e love, enjoying the feel of her heart beating next him.
“Is this the part where you whisper tender words to me in Russian?” Meryl asked, turning to face him. “Remember, you promised to teach me some things.”
Nik nodded. “I did, yes. What would you like me to teach you?”
“Hmm.” Meryl was quiet for a few seconds as she seemed to think about it. “How about ‘I love you?’ How do you say that in Russian?”
Nik’s body involuntarily tensed. Was she serious about wanting—needing? —to hear those words, or was it merely a lesson in Russian? It wasn’t always easy to tell with Meryl, which was one of many things that excited Nik about the young, sophisticated American beauty who, on the surface, should have everything she wanted but still seemed to yearn for more. Her own success, acceptance, love, or maybe all of it. Meryl craved it, but could Nik be the one to give it to her.
“It’s okay,” Meryl whispered, as if noticed that he tensed. “You don’t have to say it if you don’t mean it. I don’t want to pressure you.”
If it wasn’t pressure, then what was it? Oddly, though, Nik began to relax. He could handle pressure. He handled it all the time. On the ice, with the game on the line. Already, several times in his young career, he’d scored the winning goal for his team. Then there was taking care of his family after his father passed away. That was pressure, and Nik rose to the occasion. Yes, his family still struggled financially, at least until Nik had signed his first NHL contract, but they persevered. And now the future was bright. Did the future also involve the beautiful woman Nik held in his arms? One thing was certain. He enjoyed every minute he spent with her.
“Ya lyublyu tebya,” Nik whispered, his breath against her ear.
“Why do those words sound so beautiful in any language?” Meryl questioned.
“Maybe because you’ve longed to hear them,” Nik surmised, happy to be the one to be able to say them to her. “But no more. I love you, Meryl Johnson.”
“You sound like you mean that.”
“Of course I mean it. I do not say things if I don’t mean them.”
Meryl smiled, a brightness forming in her eyes that Nik couldn’t recall seeing before. “I love you too, Nikolai Brantov. Ya lyublyu tebya.”
The pronunciation might not have been perfect, but Meryl was right. They were beautiful words, especially when they were spoken by such a beautiful woman.
Chapter Thirteen
Nik woke with the sun already up, Meryl still by his side, and the knowledge he didn’t have to rush off to practice. Although he would love to be on his way to Nashville for the All-Star game, if he were, he’d be missing out on this. And there were definitely worse ways to wake up.
Meryl opened her eyes, yawned and stretched. “What time is it?” she asked.
Nik stole a glance at the bedside clock. “Just after eight.”
“And you don’t have to go anywhere?”
He shook his head. “No. I am all yours for as long as you want me.”
“Mmm. I do like the sound of that.” Meryl rolled over and ran a finger along his chest. Almost immediately, the sensation went to Nik’s groin. It didn’t take much to get him turned on. “One of us does have to go to work today, though,” she continued, her fingers trailing lower.
Nik bit his lip as he felt himself stiffen. Surely, she wouldn’t tease him like this and then jump out of bed to get ready to go into the office. No. Not after last night. “Right now?” The words came out with a gasp as her hand stroked his erection.
Meryl laughed as she shook her head. “No, not quite yet. We have a little time.” She gave him a naughty grin as she pushed the sheet aside and lowered her head, closing her mouth on his shaft.
Oh, God, yes. Nik sucked in a breath as she sucked on him, his heart racing and his cock stiffening more as she worked her magic. He had a vague thought that this must not be Meryl’s first time doing this, that she had experienced in this way of driving a man wild, and his mind flitted to the man in the picture at her house, the one from the soccer team. She’d loved him too, Nik knew as much, but he was the one she was with now and that was all that mattered, especially as her mouth continued to work its magic.
His hands gripped at the sheets on the bed. He was close now, so close. And what the hell was that ringing noise? It took Nik a moment to realize it came from the stand beside the bed and not inside his head. It was his damn phone. He wouldn’t stop to answer it, though. Not at this moment, when he was so very close to ecstasy.
Meryl’s movements slowed for a second, as if she wondered if he would reach for the annoying, ringing device. “No, baby, don’t stop,” he urged, and she picked up the pace, moving her both her tongue and her hands over him and Nik pumped harder until he finally exploded in her mouth with a final gasp. “Bozhe moy, ya lyublyu tebya!”
“I only understood half of that.” Meryl lifted her head, wiping a hand across her mouth as she smiled. “I think I got the most important part, though.”
“I hope so.” Her lips were still wet with his juices, which Nik found alluring, and his cock began to stir again. Oh, the things this woman did to him. He wanted to touch her, kiss her, drive himself inside her.
His phone, though, sounded again, diverting his attention. “Damn it,” he muttered. “I probably should answer that.” Whoever it was, they were persistent. Maybe if Nik answered it, they’d go away. Hopefully. He reached for the phone. “Hello?”
“Nikolai, it’s Rick Johnson.”
Nik’s palm began to sweat as he looked at Meryl. “Your father,” he mouthed, his hand over the phone. What the heck did he want? Whatever it was, he doubted it could be good. “Yes, sir. What can I do for you?”
“I’d like to speak with you, if you can meet me in my office at the team headquarters.”
No, probably not good. “When?” Nik asked.
“As soon as possible.”
Nik looked at Meryl, naked beside him on the bed. If he was going down, he at least wanted it to be on a high note. “I will be there in an hour,” he said before ending the call.
***
There was a time, in the not-too-distant past, when Nik would have regarded the team owner with deference. After all, their station in life was nowhere near the same. Nik might have an NHL contract that paid him nearly two million a year, but it was mere pennies compared to the wealth of the team owner. Since knowing Meryl, though, and learning more about the man she referred to so impersonally as ‘Father,’ Nik no longer looked at Rick Johnson with any awe.
Although he didn’t fear his boss, Nik was no idiot, either. “You wanted to see me, sir?” he asked as politely as he could muster.
The older man nodded, his hands steepled in front of him. “Yes. It’s about my daughter. I understand you two have been spending a lot of time together.”
Not nearly enough to suit Nik, but he wasn’t ready to admit that until he knew for sure what sort of information or confession Mr. Johnson sought from him. “I very much enjoyed spending Christmas eve with your family, if that’s what you mean. As for the time since then, most of it has been spent on the road. It’s been a difficult schedule lately, as you know.”
“A lot of time spent in hotels, then?”
Nik nodded, still unsure where this conversation was headed. “They are nice hotels, though. I can’t complain about the accommodations.”
“And the one last night?” Mr. Johnson asked, eyebrow raised. “Were those accommodations also to your liking?”
Nik tensed a little. “I’m not sure what you mean, sir.”
“Last night.” Mr. Johnson removed his glasses and leaned forward. “Please don’t play dumb with me, Nikolai. I already know you spent the night with my daughter at the Carlton hotel downtown. Suite 1423.” He smiled, but his gaze was penetrating rather than kind or amused. “And that you ordered strawberries and chocolate from room service even after I talked to you this morning.” A mirthless laugh followed. “I think I have a pretty good idea what happened
after that.”
Nik never intended to play dumb. Coy perhaps, but never dumb. Either way, it now seemed like a bad strategy. It was obvious Mr. Johnson had the best spies money could buy. Nik wiped his suddenly sweaty palms on his gray trousers. “Then I won’t insult your intelligence by denying anything. I like your daughter very much. I’ve enjoyed working with her on the Young Generals project, as well as getting to know her on a personal level.”
“Is that right?” His lips twitched and the unfriendly smile appeared more as a smirk. “Are you saying you intend to pursue a relationship with my daughter?”
Nik didn’t hesitate to answer. They’d already been discovered. What was there to lose by being bold? “Yes, I do. With your permission, of course.”
“I see. And you believe Meryl is interested in the same?”
Mr. Johnson’s tone was skeptical, and clearly intended to make Nik uncertain, but his mind recalled Meryl’s tender words of the night before and the way they’d greeted the morning. Her father might have people watching her every move, but he didn’t seem to know his daughter very well. “Yes, sir. I’m quite confident she is.”
That’s good, then. I’m happy to see your confidence off the ice matches your confidence on it.”
Nik wasn’t sure what to make of the team owner’s words or his tone, but nodded. “In this case, yes it does.”
***
Meryl sat nervously in her office, waiting for Nik. Any summons to the great man’s office was cause for concern, and she had a pretty fair idea what this one was about. They’d been found out. She silently cursed herself for booking the hotel in her real name and paying with her credit card, especially when she already suspected her father had spies. Although she might be past the point of caring about Daddy dearest’s opinion of her, Meryl knew Nik valued his position on the team and still respected his boss. How long would that respect last? More importantly, if push came to shove, what mattered more to Nik? The Generals, or Meryl? She suspected she was about to find out.
Crossing the Line (Men of the Ice Book 2) Page 8