Authors: Steph
BrickWall_Kobo (21 page)
He’s not yours.
You pushed him away.
And if he gave her another chance, she’d make it up to him.
“Hey, Liss, I didn’t know you’d be down here.”
She turned away from the locker room to smile at her brother.
“Hey, Mike.
You waiting for Jake?”
He nodded, his smile bright.
“Yeah, we’re gonna go eat.”
Then he looked over her shoulder for a second.
“See you later, Lissy.”
She figured Jake had appeared but a second later she heard her name in a familiar voice.
A voice that made her thighs clench and her inside quiver.
“Bliss.”
Sucking in a breath, she turned and had to bite her lips against the huge grin that wanted to escape.
Her gaze devoured him and she blinked back sudden tears.
He looked amazing.
Strong.
Tall.
Hers.
And the way he looked at her… Steady.
With so much heat in his eyes.
She wanted to reach for him, throw her arms around his shoulders and beg him to forgive her for pushing him away.
“Hi.”
“How’d you get down?”
And just that fast, she panicked again.
“Jake put me on the list.
I’m sorry.
I should’ve warned you.
I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.
I just wanted—”
Curling his hands around her neck, he bent down and sealed his mouth over hers, kissing her until she could barely breathe.
When he pulled away, long seconds later, she vaguely heard the catcalls from a few of the other guys and laughter from the girls.
But nothing could take her attention from Shane.
“I’m glad you’re here.
And I’ll thank Jake later—”
“You are welcome.”
Jake smacked Shane on the back as he walked past to bump his fist with Mike.
“Just do not wear yourself out tonight.
We have a game tomorrow.
Be nice to him, Bliss.
He might still not be right in the head.
Considering he let you go way too easily the first time, he definitely is not thinking straight.”
Shane’s lips curved, making her heart beat faster.
“I’m a fast learner.
And I try not to make the same mistake twice.”
Bliss shook her head, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“I was the one who made the mistake.
Can we—”
“Go?
Absolutely.”
Shane got her turned around and headed for the door in a split second, his arm around her shoulders.
Bliss had to walk fast to keep up as he made for the door to the side lot where the players parked.
“My car—”
“We’ll pick it up— Shit.
I brought CJ.”
He stopped, turned, and tossed his keys at Jake, whose lightning-fast reflexes allowed him to catch them.
“Give those to CJ.
Tell him not to ding my truck.”
Jake’s laughter followed them out of the building but Shane didn’t slow and he didn’t talk as they hurried to her car in the lot across the street from the arena.
She figured that was because there were still fans heading the same way.
A few of them recognized him, called out congratulations and encouragement for the next game.
He acknowledged every one with a smile and a wave but he didn’t slow.
It wasn’t until he folded himself into her front seat and she got them on the street that he spoke.
“We’re going back to your place to work this out, right?
Because I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings.”
She swallowed hard, sliding a quick glance at him, to find him staring at her.
“Yes, we are.”
“And we’re going to work this out.
Because I love you, Bliss.
I don’t want you to have any doubt about that.”
Her hands clenched around the steering wheel at the absolute authority in his voice, and she nodded, not sure she could answer coherently and still drive.
“I missed you,” he continued.
“You know that, right?
I never wanted to give you up but I didn’t want you to think I was like your ex.”
“I know.
Shane—”
“You got the flowers.”
“Yes.
Shane—”
“When there were no more games, I would’ve shown up at your door and we would’ve talked.
And I would’ve told you just what I’m telling you now.”
Stopped at a red light, she turned so she could see him.
Those blue eyes, always so intensely focused, made her burn from the inside.
And when she smiled, his expression lightened enough for her to see the heat in his eyes.
Then the light changed and she stepped on the gas.
He didn’t say anything else as she drove the last few miles back to her apartment.
He unfolded his big body from the front seat as soon as she put the car in park.
Which meant he was at her door as soon as she opened it.
He took her hand to help her out and didn’t release her as he hustled her toward her apartment building.
By the time they reached her door, she was laughing.
She couldn’t help it.
She could barely keep up with him when he walked fast and, right now, he was practically running.
As she went to fit the key into the lock, he pressed himself against her back, short-circuiting her brain, and she dropped the keys.
“Let me get those,” he grumbled, “because if you bend over…”
She went wet at the deep note in his voice and she might have whimpered as he scooped up the keys and opened her door.
With his hands on her hips, he hurried her through and, in the next second, he had her plastered against the door.
His big body held hers against the door, so much hard muscle she wanted to bite him.
Then his mouth sealed over hers.
His full beard was a new sensation that only added to her sensory pleasure.
As the fury of his kiss infected her, she shoved her hands into his hair and held on tight.
She’d already toed off her sneakers and locked her legs around his waist when he lifted her off her feet.
Tilting his head, he kissed her deeper, sank his tongue into her mouth, and made her moan as his hands worked at her jeans.
With a groan, he pulled away for a second.
“I’m making it a rule that you always wear skirts.”
She huffed out a short laugh but, at the moment, she couldn’t agree with him more.
“I may actually agree to that.
But for now, just hurry.”
His mouth slipped back over hers as his fingers worked at her jeans.
“Drop your legs.”
She obeyed without thought, wrapping her arms around his shoulders so her legs could hang free and he could work her jeans down her legs.
It took a little maneuvering because that damn denim clung but finally she felt cooler air brush against her bare thighs and her mound.
Her moan sounded loud enough that she feared her brother might be able to hear her through the walls.
And then he slid his hand between her legs and flicked at her clit with two fingers and she didn’t care who heard her.
She only wanted Shane to hurry.
Hips writhing against him, she felt him fumble with his pants.
“Fuck.”
He growled.
“Condom.”
“Good thing you’re so good with your hands.”
He sucked in a sharp breath then let out a sharp bark of laughter.
“I fucking love you, Bliss.”
He’d said it earlier in the car but here, now, she melted.
Completely.
Totally.
“I love you too.”
He kissed her hard enough to press her head back against the door.
Then he let her slide down until her feet hit the floor.
And handed her the condom.
Smiling, she looked down to see his cock pressing out of his open zipper.
Hard, dark, and oh so enticing.
“Put the condom on, sweetheart.
And then I’m going to fuck you against the door because I don’t think I can make it to the damn couch.”
She took the condom from his hand, hands shaking with need, and rolled it down his hard shaft.
Then she wrapped her arms around his shoulders again and would have climbed him like a pole if he hadn’t put his hands on her hips and lifted her.
The next time they did this, she wanted them to both be naked and standing in front of a mirror so she could see his arms.
Then he lifted her like she weighed nothing, and the only thought her brain was able to process was
Now
.
Right freaking now.
As if he’d read her thoughts, he settled her on the tip of his cock and let her slide down the shaft at an excruciatingly slow pace.
In this position, he felt huge and her arms tightened around his neck until she figured he might not be able to breathe.
But she didn’t let go.
And his hands tightened on her hips as his chest rose and fell with each gasping inhale.
When he was seated deep inside her, he held there until she couldn’t take the anticipation any longer.
Turning her face into his neck, she bit him.
And as he shuddered against her, his hips pulled back.
And he gave her exactly what she wanted.
All of him.
Epilogue
The crowd had begun the countdown at twenty seconds.
Shane heard them but kept his eye on the puck.
The play was at the other end of the ice.
The Redtails had scored the only goal of the game but the Arizona Rattlers weren’t giving up yet.
The teams were battling in the corner for the puck, the Rattlers trying to make one last play to push the series to six games.
The Reds were doing everything they could to make sure this series ended here at home with the Calder Cup in their hands.
Ten… Nine… Eight…
The Rattlers left winger dug the puck out and made a break for center ice.
Shane set, catcher up, stick down.
The massive roar of the crowd barely registered.
Five… Four… Three…
From the blue line, the winger took his shot.
And Shane cleared it just like he had every shot this game.
Shane roared along with the crowd as the horns blared, signaling the end of the game.
And the Redtails won the Calder Cup.
His team rushed toward him from the opposite end of the ice and poured off the bench, sticks forgotten, helmets torn off and tossed.
They met in a crush at the center of the ice, hugging, jumping, screaming.
And in the center, Shane grinned until he thought his face would break.
In the middle of crush, Shane hugged his guys and yelled along with them.
But after a minute, he looked into the seats and found Bliss.
She wore one of his jerseys and was hugging Faith and Mike and jumping up and down.
And when she caught sight of him looking her way, her grin got impossibly wider.
Then she blew him a kiss.
Life was good.
Life was really fucking good.
The End
Stephanie Julian
Stephanie Julian has been a daily news reporter, a freelance feature writer and a movie, theater and music critic but what she loves most is writing heat with heart.
She’s happily married to a Springsteen fanatic and is the mother of two sons.
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