Defending Your Heart: A Friends to Lovers Hockey Romance (Rules of the Game Book 2)

by Emma Tharp

  “Sounds like a lot of pressure for one person,” he says, his tone sympathetic.

  “It was. Looking back, I’m not sure I would’ve gone to med school if my dad didn’t expect so much from me,” I whisper.

  “Are you happy with your career choice?” He sets his napkin on his plate and turns his body toward mine.

  I follow his lead and angle my body in the direction of his. Our knees touch and my body heats up. “I am. I love what I do, so I guess I should be happy that Dad pushed me.”

  “Right. That’s the way I have to think about it, too. Who knows if I’d have made it into the NHL without that asshole’s inducement?”

  We give each other a grin of mutual understanding. He and I have more in common than I initially realized. I’d like to get to know more about Cole.

  “Do you want any more to eat? I have plenty,” I say, pointing to a still-full pan. “If you don’t, I guess I’m having lunches for the next week.”

  Patting his flat stomach, he says, “No, thanks. I’m stuffed.” He stands and takes the plates to the sink. “But I am going to help clean up.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” I try to protest as I stand to join him next to the sink full of pots and pans.

  “Don’t be silly. You cooked. I’ll clean up. It’s a rule.” He turns on the hot water and lathers up the sponge with dish soap.

  Someone forgot to tell Marcus that rule. He’d never help out in the kitchen. Cole’s sexiness factor just jumped up one hundredfold. “Well, you know that I’m not a rule breaker.” I giggle and get plastic containers out of the drawer to store the leftovers in. And I grab an extra one to give some to Cole.

  Scraping the last of the risotto out of the pan, I lean past Cole to place it in the sink. My bare arm grazes his and tingles shoot through me. I let out a shaky breath. His gray eyes dart to mine and his lips part. My mouth is suddenly too dry. I lick my lips and his heated stare never leaves mine.

  Cole brings his hands out of the sink, dries them on a towel, and turns toward me. Our bodies are so close. My nipples graze his chest. His eyes darken to almost black. My belly tightens with longing. Tilting my head back, I rise up onto my toes. At the same time, he leans down and pulls me tight against him. He places his lips over mine and his hand strokes up and down my back. I loop my hands around the back of his neck and deepen the kiss. It isn’t long before our tongues are tangled together and I’m breathless.

  Cole pulls back and rests his forehead against mine. “Are you sure about this, Alex?” he asks, his voice ragged.

  I’m caught off guard. He’s eyeing me like his very existence hinges on my answer. He smells so good. I don’t want to think. All I want is to feel.

  “Alex, I have to know if you’re sure, because if you aren’t over Marcus, that’s okay, but I won’t be a rebound guy.” His hands come to rest at my hips.

  Pulling on his belt loops, I tug his hard body as close to mine as possible with clothes on. “I’m over him. I can’t believe I ignored all the red flags. He proposed to me at someone else’s wedding. Even though I was embarrassed, I wanted to believe in him. Not to mention, I wanted to give my parents grandkids. Foolishly, I thought he was my guy. I was wrong. And now, I can assure you this is what I want. Please kiss me.” My words come out in a rush. Biting my lip, I tug at his shirt, pulling him so our lips are nearly touching.

  “That’s all I needed to hear.” He leans in, closing the space between us, grabs my chin, and runs his tongue along the seam of my lips then slips it in my mouth. Heat simmers up through my whole body.

  Cole’s fingers ghost down my sides and up and under my shirt where his strong hands reach up to cup my bra. He squeezes gently and glides his thumbs under the material to my oversensitive nipples. I exhale a soft moan and my body hums in anticipation.

  He lifts me so I’m straddling him, my legs wrapping around his waist. He turns us and sets me down onto the edge of the island. He stands in front of me, my legs on either side of him. He moves his hands through my hair, angling my neck to the side and he runs his mouth along the delicate skin of my neck. A pulse builds between my legs.

  “You taste so good,” he whispers.

  I drag my hands down his shoulders, chest, and abs, loving the way his hard muscles feel under my fingertips. His eyes are closed as I explore the planes of his upper body. He feels good and all I want is more. As I lift the hem of his shirt, his eyes flutter open and he takes my hand in his, stopping me.

  He lays a gentle kiss on my lips. “I care about you, Alex.” He gives me another sweet kiss, this time on my cheek. “That’s why I want us to take our time.”

  I’d like to protest because my body is aching for him, but the sincerity in his eyes tells me this is important to him. Interlacing my hands with his, I say, “Are you sure?” The question mirrors the one he asked me earlier.

  “I am,” he says, his face close to mine.

  “Okay, then we’ll take our time.” I hop down off the counter and make to walk toward the sink to get a drink.

  He gently grabs my wrist and pulls me back toward him. “Are you okay?”

  “Sure. Just need some cold water.” I try to laugh, but it comes out strained and forced.

  “No. Please don’t take it this way.” He pulls me in close, both arms around me.

  I look down and blink hard. “I won’t.”

  Lifting my chin, he forces me to stare up into his beautiful eyes. “You have to understand that I stopped this because you’re different. You need to know that. I’ve hooked up with women for one night. We used each other for sex. That’s not what this is to me. You mean more to me than that.”

  My throat is thick with emotion when I say, “I do?”

  Cole takes my face in his hands. “Yes. And it scares the shit out of me. I’ve never felt this way before.” He brings his mouth to mine and kisses me deeply, showing me how much he cares for me.

  I melt into him, wishing there would be more tonight, but content in knowing that I mean something to him. And for a man like Cole, where words don’t come easy, what he just told me fills me with happiness.

  Eight

  Cole

  When I made the date with Alex, the movies seemed non-threatening. We’d be close, but I wouldn’t be tempted to throw her down on a bed and ravage her body. Sure, that’s all I want to do, but I’m not going to mess this up. This woman makes me feel things I’ve never felt. Like maybe I could work on being the type of man she deserves and be a relationship guy. So when I called her the week after she made me dinner, I asked her to go see the new post-apocalyptic thriller that everyone’s been talking about.

  Only now, with her sweet scent all around me, and her long bare legs draped over my own, I realize that the movies aren’t quite as safe as I thought they’d be. It’s taking everything in me not to run my fingers up and under her skirt. I want to play with her clit and finger her right here, right now. Damn, I can only imagine how sexy she’d look coming apart for me in the theater. We’re even sitting in the back row. I have to get my mind out of the gutter and focus on the movie.

  “Oh my God!” Alex shrieks and throws her arms around me, nearly landing in my lap, as a gory-looking zombie jumps out of nowhere and starts chasing the main character.

  I stroke her shoulder and try not to giggle at her adorable reaction to the movie. “You okay?”

  She’s fully sitting on my lap now and her eyes find mine. “Sorry, that scared me.” Nuzzling her forehead into the crook of my neck she lets out a soft laugh that tickles my skin and shoots a jolt of blood pumping to my groin. “I’m embarrassed,” she whispers.

  “I’m here for you when you get scared,” I tell her, my voice low and husky.

  Looking up at me, a grin plays at the corners of her eyes. She doesn’t say anything, but she brings her lips to mine for a slow, sensual kiss.

  My hands go to her hair and bring us closer, my tongue plunging into her mouth. All the sounds and people around us fall away unti
l Alex and I are in a full on make-out session. Tongues gliding, hands exploring, and hearts racing.

  Pulling back, she rests her forehead against mine. Both of our breathing is ragged. Her eyes are questioning. Should we get the hell out of here or do we take this down a notch before we lose control in a movie theater?

  We could go out to my truck.

  No, no, no. We shouldn’t. Our first time together won’t be tonight, and most definitely won’t be in a truck. Get your head on straight, Cole.

  Closing my eyes, I take a few calming breaths and remind myself why I asked her here. This was supposed to be an innocent date. One where I would keep my hands to myself and prove to her what she means to me. Yet here I am, practically attacking her mouth with a raging hard on. This has to stop. “Should we finish watching the movie?” My question sounds weak and feeble, announcing to her that I really don’t give a fuck about the movie, but I hope she understands the meaning behind the words.

  Easing off me, she nods. “Sure. Okay.” She rakes her hands through her hair and crosses her legs.

  Damn. I hope I didn’t offend her again. Turning to her, I whisper in her ear, “I want you so bad, Alex.” Tapping her head and her heart, I say, “I want these, too.”

  Her eyes blaze through mine in the dim light of the theater. “Okay. But I don’t know how many times I can do this. The starting and stopping is driving me crazy. Not to mention, that it’s hard not to feel like you don’t want me.”

  Fuck. This isn’t going like I planned. Pulling her hand to my lips, I kiss the back of it. “I hear you. But I’m doing this for both of us. Waiting is important because…” This is so damn hard. “Because you mean something to me. Do you understand?”

  She nods, although the horizontal set to her eyebrows says that she might not be fully on board. “If keeping me out of your bed is something you really need to do, I’ll go along with it. For now.”

  “I don’t want to wait forever. Promise.” I kiss her cheek and turn my attention back to the screen.

  The movie seems to drag on forever but I barely pay attention to it. My focus is entirely on keeping my hands to myself and not staring at Alex all night. It’s like torture.

  Back in my truck, we drive home in near silence. Rounding the turn to get on her street, I sense her eyes on me. Prickles work their way up the back of my neck. Keeping my focus on the road, I wait until I’m parked in her driveway before I turn to face her.

  “I’m sorry about tonight. Things got a little more heated in the theater than I thought they would,” I sigh and shake my head.

  Her cheeks turn pink and she smiles the sexiest guilty smile. “Honestly, I’m not sorry. I like getting physical with you, but I’m trying to respect your decision to be good.”

  Fuck. She’s making this almost impossible. “When you tell me that you like getting physical with me, you make me want to shut my truck off and take you inside so you can see just how much I enjoy it, too. But not tonight. Let’s go on another date and if we’re both still feeling it, we can take things to the next level.” Desire so strong, I know if I can hold off tonight, I’m ready for this woman.

  Her emerald eyes glow and I feel it burning in my chest. I’m ready to be the kind of man she needs me to be. And most of all, she’s going to see that this relationship between us is more than physical. So much more.

  “If the motherfucker keeps goading me, I’m going to lay his ass out,” I tell Derek in the middle of practice the next day.

  Marcus keeps screwing up plays, which makes me look bad since we’re on the same line. He’s being unprofessional. And the last thing I need is Coach breathing down my neck anymore than he already is. Lately it’s been showing that our line is getting weaker, and I know it’s the tension I’ve been feeling toward Marcus. I can’t stand the guy, which makes it difficult to play with him. It’d be nice if Coach would change lines, but it’s highly unlikely that’ll happen.

  “Just stay away from him, man. He’s not worth it.” Derek pats me on the back and skates toward the bench.

  If only it were that easy. The sooner Alex gets her stuff out of his house, the better. Then she’ll be free of him. And with any luck, he’ll get traded next season. Sure, we’re only halfway through this season, but at least it’s not the beginning.

  Toward the end of practice, I stop for a water break, and Marcus follows me to the bench. I turn my back toward him and grab a water bottle and squirt it toward my mouth.

  “Why don’t you stay the fuck away from her?” Marcus says from behind me.

  Turning in his direction, I scowl at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  He skates closer and reaches in front of me to grab a water bottle. The urge to shove him into next week is strong, but I grind my back teeth instead.

  “You know exactly what I mean. It’s fucked up that you’re with Alex. She’s mine.” His nostrils flare.

  Rolling my neck from side to side, I stare down the smug bastard. “She gave you back your ring and moved out. I think that means she isn’t yours anymore.”

  He’s in my face now and his dark eyes seem to protrude out of his head. “It’s a setback. And last I checked, teammates don’t fuck each other’s girls.”

  My body tenses and I push off of one skate, bringing Marcus and I chest to chest. “What Alex and I do is none of your damn business,” I spit out and turn to skate away before I lay him out flat on the ice.

  He follows me and gets in my face again. “I saw you with her at the Lawless concert. Your hands were all over her. You need to back the fuck off.”

  I let out an artificial laugh. “Or what?” I close my fists, readying myself for battle.

  Marcus’s face goes a deep shade of red before he cocks his arm back. He throws his gloves off. I see it coming, but I have to let him land a punch first, so I can retaliate.

  All the breath whooshes out of me as he lands it on the side of my ribs. The fucker knows right where the pads end. Splintering pain burns across my side, but I have no time to think about that. I throw my gloves aside, rip off Marcus’s helmet, and connect my fist squarely with his nose. An audible crack accompanies the shot and blood flows down his face.

  His fist starts flying and so do mine. One of his shots hits my jaw, but I get him down to the ground quickly and land several punches. All the rage I’ve been pushing around for the last couple of weeks bubbles to the surface. How dare he hurt Alex the way he did. She didn’t deserve any of it. I land a couple more punches to the face and gut before someone comes up behind me, pulling me off.

  “Break it up. Now!” Coach Stevens shouts, his tall menacing frame skating toward us. He was in the NHL in his prime. Even though he’s gained a few pounds since he played professionally, he still can skate, and fast.

  “Easy big boy. It’s time to end it,” Derek chides, grabbing me by the shoulders, pulling me away from Marcus. “He looks way worse than you do.”

  Marcus stands and tries to come at me again.

  “Get to the showers! Now! Shaw, locker room one and Reid, number two. Hurry up in there and come to my office when you’re finished.” Coach stretches his arms out between us, his chin high and chest puffed out.

  I’d like to pounce on Marcus again, but he’s not worth pissing off Coach anymore. I heave some deep breaths in and out through the pain in my ribs as my heart rate slowly comes down. Making my way toward the locker room, I take one look back at Marcus; red welts line his cheek and he’s dabbing at the blood seeping from his broken nose. I can’t help but laugh.

  In the locker room, I gingerly take off my gear and wince when I get to my jersey and chest protector. Once my bare skin is revealed, there’s a red bruise starting to form on my side. Gently stroking the spot with my fingertips, I cringe at the acute pain. I have at least one broken rib, maybe two. But God it was all worth it to kick his ass.

  Not wasting any time, I take a quick shower, get dressed, and make my way to Coach’s office. It’d be nice to bea
t Marcus in there. I don’t want him to get the first word in or fill Coach’s head with bullshit.

  My heart rate picks up and I knock at the door.

  “Come in!” Coach shouts.

  Opening the door, I’m not surprised to see Marcus sitting in one of the chairs. He doesn’t look up at me. I fist pump internally at the fact that he’s holding a tissue up to his nose.

  “Sit down, Shaw. We need to talk about what happened out there.” Coach’s brows are furrowed so tight together they look like a caterpillar on his face. He’s an intimidating man, at least twenty years my senior, and the last guy I want to piss off.

  Before I can even take a seat, Marcus starts running his mouth. “The fight was Shaw’s fault.”

  “Um, no. You came up on me and threw the first punch,” I spit out. If he thinks he’s going to blame this on me, he has another thing coming.

  “Okay. There’s three sides to every story and we’re going to hash this out.” Coach puts his elbows on the desk and leans in.

  Marcus jabs his finger in my direction and says, “He’s fucking my fiancée.”

  I scowl at him and flex my jaw. “She’s your ex-fiancée, and I’m not sleeping with her.”

  Coach shakes his head and gives me a disapproving stare. “You’re seeing her?”

  “Is it anyone’s business?” I ask. The heat from Marcus’s gaze is burning a hole in the side of my face, but I refuse to look at him.

  Coach smacks his desk with the palm of his hand. “You made it my business when you brought it on the ice. I’ve heard about enough from you both. You’re both on probation.”