Page 37 of Stick Break
“Okay,” I say. “But you need to know something before we go inside.”
She tilts her head, the flicker of uncertainty back in her eyes. “What?”
I gesture toward the cottage. “If we go in there, if you let me make you feel something else, it might be longer than a fleeting moment.”
She laughs, and it’s like the sky cracking open. A warm, rich, full-bodied sound that breaks through the tension and wraps around my chest like a balm. I want to bottle it. Memorize it. Hear it every damn day for the next seven days… maybe longer.
“I didn’t want to say anything,” she teases, wiping an imaginary bead of sweat off her brow. “But I’ll admit, I was a little concerned. I mean, a guy with your stamina on the ice…”
She says that like she knows I’m an NHL player, but we’re not delving into the specifics. “If were being totally honest here, I’ve wanted you since I first laid eyes on you asleep in my bed. Wanted to put my hands and mouth on you. Wanted to taste every inch of your body. So with much shame…” I hang my head with disgrace. “I admit, it’s entirely possible, that the first time might be a little fast…”
She arches a brow, her grin playful. “You mean there will be more than one time?”
I meet her gaze and let a slow, wicked grin tug at my lips. “I can pretty much guarantee it.”
Her laughter bubbles out again, warm and unguarded, and something inside me unclenches. For the first time in weeks, maybe longer, it feels like the world isn’t crumbling beneath my feet. I want to sweep her into my arms, carry her to my bed, lay her down like a promise, but before I can figure out how to navigate that with my injury, she slips off my lap and sways toward the cottage with a flirty little wiggle in her step.
She glances back, over her shoulder. “Guess this solves the bed-sharing dilemma.”
I don’t even hesitate. “Get your ass inside. On my bed. Now.”
She squeals, disappears through the door, and every blood cell in my body races to catch up.
I follow her in, close the door behind me, and lock it. My eyes sweep the room, my buddy’s beach cottage, where none of this was supposed to happen… and yet here we are. A rustle of bedsheets pulls my gaze down the small hallway. I walk slowly toward the bedroom, my pulse thudding in my ears, and then I see her.
She’s under the covers.
My sweatshirt is on the floor.
“You’re…” My voice comes out rougher than I mean. I swallow. “You’re naked.”
She laughs, eyes sparkling. “Not the first time you’ve seen me naked tonight, Rip.”
I grin. “Yeah, true. But now you’re naked for me, which means I get to touch you. Big difference.”
Still rocking just my boxers, I feel my cock stir, thickening like it has a mind of its own. I grab the waistband and peel them off with a sly smile. Her eyes practically pop out when she sees me fully revealed.
“Don’t act like you haven’t seen this before,” I tease, wrapping a hand around myself. “I caught you peeking.”
She lifts her chin, cool as ice, but I know she’s a hot mess beneath that façade. I know, because I am too. “You’re right. I did peek earlier.”
“Unfortunately, I was already in the ocean when you got undressed. But I did get a feel.”
Her eyes widen and she shivers slightly.
I close my eyes for a moment, remembering. “Fuck, you felt amazing wrapped around me.”
I step toward the bed, trailing a finger teasingly around the blanket she’s clutching under her chin. Slowly, deliberately, I drag it down her body, uncovering every inch of her soft, glowing skin.
My heart thunders. My cock thickens even more.
She lies there, wide-eyed under my gaze, squirming a little under my intense stare.
“Char,” I whisper when she shifts, “You are absolutely gorgeous.”
Her smile flickers, a shadow of worry crossing her face.
“Char?”
