Page 67 of The Christmas You Crash

Letting go of her ass, I push my hand between Lexi’s belly and the mattress until my fingers find her clit. It’s an awkward position for me, what with my other hand still covering her mouth, but it lets me fill her deeply. I slam my hips into her ass, my fingers working her clit furiously. My hand barely muffles the sexy-as-hell moans that spill from her lips.

“Come for me, Lexi. Come on my cock.” I’m so close. So damned close. But I need her to come first. “Now, baby.”

I’m not sure if it’s my words, the harsh slap of my hips, or my fingers madly circling her clit, but Lexi comes. Hard. As her body shakes and shudders beneath me, she bites my palm to keep from crying out. Her pussy ripples and clenches around my cock, and I explode. My movements becoming erratic, I press my face between her shoulder blades to muffle my own sounds of pleasure.

We’re a twitching, gasping mess as we both come down from our orgasms when there’s a soft knock on the door and Isla’s muffled voice floats through the wood.

“The coast is clear whenever you two are ready.” There’s a pause. She clears her throat, and I can almost hear the grin she must be fighting. “Take your time.”

Lexi groans, hiding her face in the mattress. I kiss her neck before slowly pulling out. I miss the heat of her immediately. “Let’s get cleaned up. Time to face the music.”

“That saying is so stupid,” she grumbles, turning over and flopping onto her back. Her face is flushed and dewy with sweat. “How in the hell does onefacethe music? You can’tfacea sound.” She lets out a little growl. “Doesn’t make sense.”

I can’t help it. I laugh. “You’re right, Oscar. It doesn’t make sense.”

She glares at me. “Shut up.”

I lean down and kiss her. “So grouchy for someone who just came all over my dick.”

thirty-three

RYDER

We decideto tell them the truth and swear them all to secrecy.

When I lead Lexi out of the guest bedroom, I’m relieved to find that the only people left in the apartment are my teammates and their wives or serious girlfriends. The few casual dates that accompanied some of the guys have been banished to I’m-not-sure-where. It’s not that I think any of those women would have ill intentions, but if one of them got pissed at the guy they’re seeing and spilled the beans, it would blow up in all our faces. Not just mine or Lexi’s, but the guys too. We’re about to ask them to keep a secret from Coach.

All eyes are on the two of us as we make our way back to the couch. Lexi’s got one hand holding mine, and the other wrapped around my arm like she’s scared I’ll ditch her to deal with all of this alone. I never would, of course, but she’s freaked out. I get it.

“So,” Logan Byrne—our first-line right winger—pipes up from his seat on the couch opposite us. He eyes us speculatively. “Why were the two of you hiding from Coach?”

I glance at Lexi. She blows out a deep breath, making her hair flutter around her face. I open my mouth to speak and spare her from having to explain, but she beats me to it. “My name is Alexis Cross. Your coach is my dad.”

You could hear ice melt.

Every single guy in the room stares at Lexi like she has two heads. Isla and Mira don’t seem all that surprised, but then again, they don’t have the kind of relationship with Coach that would make this front-page news.

Griffin narrows his eyes at my girl. “Wait a second. I’ve seen a picture of you on Coach’s desk. Aren’t you like fifteen?”

His roommate, Mira, smacks her palm against her forehead. Logan barks out a laugh, Maddox shakes his head, and Sebastian shoots Lexi an apologetic grimace.

“It’s an old picture, dumbass,” Maddox grumbles. “Obviously.”

Lexi shifts uncomfortably beside me. “I’m twenty-three. Not fifteen. Jesus.”

“Oh.” Griffin nods, like that makes much more sense. Because it does. “Right. Sorry. Carry on.”

“How did you two meet?” our goalie, Sebastian Navarro, asks. He poses the question to Lexi, and god bless him for it. His tone is soft and soothing, and it helps Lexi relax beside me.

“Ryder tried to garrote me,” my insane girl says with a smirk in my direction and complete deadpan delivery.

Maddox chokes on his beer. “I’m sorry, what?”

Rolling my eyes, I pinch Lexi’s thigh. Sheyelps, then breaks out in a fit of giggles. “ShethoughtI was going to murder her,” I clarify. Okay, so that’s not much better.

“I really feel like we’re missing a vital part of the story here,” Logan drawls.

“You guys know my dad sent Ryder to his cabin for the week, right?” Lexi asks. The guys all nod. “Okay, well, what my daddidn’t know is that I was already there and planning to spend a relaxing week alone.”

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