Page 4 of Pucking Wild

“Call me Ryan,” I say, shifting past her to toss the soiled rag onto the counter.

She takes a deep breath, letting it out. “Fine. Ryan it is then. Tell me a secret, Ryan.”

“A secret?”

“Yeah, you’ve seen me naked, so it seems only fair. Even the odds.”

“What kind of secret?” I say, feeling my pulse thrumming. This woman does things to me, things I don’t rightly understand.

She shrugs that shoulder again. She’s gonna be hurting tomorrow. In a week or so, she’ll peel like crazy. She’s not used to this Florida sun.

Because she doesn’t live here.

She’s off limits, and she’s leaving tomorrow, and you’ll never see her again.

She’s not yours.

“I want to know what you taste like.”

Fuck, did I just say those words out loud? It had to be me because she’s looking at me like I’m crazy.

“Ryan—”

“A kiss,” I say, breathless. “That’s my secret. I want a kiss. One kiss. From you.”

Her full lips tip on one side, flashing me a sexy little half-smile. “And what would a guy like you do with one kiss from a girl like me?”

“Savor it,” I reply. “Cherish it. Save it for a rainy day.”

Now she’s smiling again, and I feel it warm me all the way through. “I like that,” she replies, her voice soft. “No matter where we are, when the clouds roll in on those dark and rainy days, we can pull out this moment and sit inside it. We can remember what it feels like to be windswept and sun-kissed and free.”

The way she says words has me mesmerized. I can’t look away.

“Here’s the deal, Ryan,” she says. “I’m naked and vulnerable, so you have to be a perfect gentleman, okay? No getting handsy with me. You asked for a kiss, and I’m gonna give it to you.”

Oh god, this isn’t happening. I came in here for Fritos. I didn’t even want to come. I lost a coin toss with Sanford. Now I’m standing here with a gorgeous naked woman, and she’s going to kiss me.

She pushes lightly off the island with her hip, closing the distance between us. I’m 6’1”, which is pretty average for a pro hockey player, but the other Rays are all giants. Hell, Kinnunen is a literal bear at 6’5”. Skating next to him, I feel almost puny.

Not now, though. Glancing down, I see that Tess’s forehead just barely clears my chin. It’s the perfect height to give her brow a kiss. But that’s not the kind of kiss I want. I want those pouty lips.

“You don’t have to do this,” I say, heart pounding.

“I want to,” she says, her gaze still so soft as she steps in. “Hands behind your back, Ryan. Grip your wrists.”

I move without hesitation, doing as she says.

“I have to warn you,” she says, that soothing voice coiling deep inside me. “I’m covered in sand.”

“Me too,” I reply. “That shit gets everywhere.”

“Mhmm.” She steps an inch closer. “My hair, my boobs, the crack of my ass.”

I grin. “You’re still gorgeous, Tess.”

“Oh, I know. I might just taste a little gritty. Don’t hold it against me?”

“Never,” I reply, heart in my throat. “I may taste like blood.”

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