Page 22 of Snowed In With the PUCK

Jessica stands by the glass, looking out. When she turns to face me, I can feel her desire. It’s tortured, just like mine is. We’re torn between wanting and being careful, between giving in and withholding. Underneath it all is a foundation built on desire. And right now, that desire consumes me.

Before I can second-guess myself, I lean in, capturing her lips with mine. My fingers brush her cheek. Jessica deepens the kiss and, in that moment, everything else fades away.

“I want you,” she murmurs into my lips, sending a jolt of arousal through me.

Her hand grazes against the bulge in my pants. Oh,thatkind of wanting…

And before I can think better of it, I sweep her into my arms and lift her up, pressing her against the glass wall. Her legs wrap around me and in my arms, she is light as a feather.

The enclosed space feels safe, and the desire between us is stronger than before.

“Fuck me, Eric,” her voice is insistent and breathy. “I don’t know what we’re doing or where this is going… but I need to feel you inside me.”

“Damn, Jess,” I say, my hand undoing my belt while my other arm holds her up. I feel her hold herself up by clinging to my shoulders while I pull out my condom, then let my pants drop. Then my underwear; just enough to free my cock.

Her full skirt is perfect for this moment. I reach up to push the thin fabric of her thong aside as she slides down the glass wall just enough to let the tip of my sheathed cock slide into her. She eases down onto the full length of me, moaning, her eyes looking into mine. She is glorious perfection to me at this moment.

Her elegance in that dress coupled with the naughty sex we are having turns me on so much, I feel like a man possessed.

“Yes, baby,” I say as she grinds on me while I thrust.

Her lips are soft when she kisses me, nipping at my lower lip. I let loose in her moments later as she bites back a cry of bliss, her orgasm consuming her and turning her eyes beautifully soft. I hold her a moment longer, marveling how a chance mistake of the Stanton’s led us here… and wondering how long it’ll last.

Chapter ten

Jessica

I’m still reeling fromthe team’s Christmas party and the rooftop sex when the cold Colorado air hits my face as Eric and I exit the hotel. It’s hard to return to an event and act composed after my back was just pressed against the cold glass of the rooftop bar and Eric’s body was pressed against mine.

One look from him as we walked toward the ballroom told me we weren’t going to hang around much longer. I hold on to his arm as we wait for the valet to bring his car up. I’m surprised at how natural the touch feels to me. It feels anything but fake.

The holiday lights twinkle from every lamppost, casting a warm, festive glow, but my head is miles away. The sky threatens snow with the amount of gusty wind that blows my hair.

Fake relationships weren’t supposed to feel this complicated. Here I am, walking beside Eric, myfakeboyfriend, who kissedme—and more!—like it was the most natural thing in the world just moments ago.

We hadn’t talked about the intimacy we shared. The boundaries between us were already blurred into oblivion, but that rooftop moment of bliss? It made everything more of a mess because it normalized turning to each other for emotional and sexual release.

I’d told myself I’d stick to the plan. Keep things professional, focus on the fake dating arrangement to help the team’s image, but now? Now I don’t know what to think. My emotions are a tangled knot.

As the car is brought up by the valet and we approach it, my pulse quickens at the sight of a group of reporters hovering just outside the hotel entrance. They spot us almost immediately, and one breaks away from the crowd, heading straight for us like a hawk on a mission. She’s holding a microphone, flanked by a camera crew, the bright light blinding in the evening twilight.

“Eric! Jessica!” Her voice cuts through the crisp night air, confident, enthusiastic. She’s smiling like she knows something we don’t, like she’s ready to pounce on the scoop of the century. “Are you two enjoying the Denver festivities this holiday season? Any romantic dates in the city yet that you’d like to tell the public about?”

Romantic dates? My breath catches. Panic claws its way into my chest. We haven’t gone on any dates. I mean, how could we? This entire thing is an act. Fake. We were supposed to keep it simple,but now it feels like our cover is about to be blown, the pressure of keeping up appearances suffocating.

I glance at Eric, silently pleading for him to take control; to somehow make this less of a disaster. I open my mouth to say something—anything—but nothing comes out.

The reporter takes a step closer, her grin widening. “You’re live on air!” she announces gleefully, clearly sensing my discomfort. “Our viewers are so curious! Eric, you’re known for big actions, right? That’s what brought you here on the trade. What do you have planned for your lovely lady?”

Big actions… that refers to his on-ice fight. I suddenly see this reporter as a vulture, waiting to feast on someone else’s failure or demise.

Eric doesn’t even flinch. He slips into his usual easy charm, his arm sliding around my waist as if this situation is just another routine interview for him. “Well, if you want grand gestures,” he says, a slow grin spreading across his face, “I’ll do you one better. Not just a date here in Denver” He pauses, letting the anticipation build. “I’m taking Jessica to Nashville to meet all my old friends there.”

My heart stops.What?

The reporter’s eyes widen with excitement, her mic now aimed directly at me. “Jessica, what a gesture! Eric must be crazy about you! How does it feel knowing he’s taking you back home with him?”

I can feel my cheeks burning. Nashville? Meet his friends? This was supposed to be fake! I can’t keep up with the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. It’s all too much. The reporter’s words hang in the air like a taunt, and suddenly, everything feels a little too real.

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