Offensive Plays: A Surprise Baby Hockey Romance (Heatwave Hockey Series)

8. Libby

”Someone unexpected, I would think,” he replies.

”Why do you say that?”

And why do I get the feeling he might be talking about me?

”Ever since I was a kid, my mom had this idea of my perfect woman, and she drilled it into me that that”s who I should marry. I mean, just look at Jonah and Lillian; I think that”s what she would expect for me, but I don”t really care for…predictable girls.”

A long answer and still doesn”t answer my question.

”Fergie, I asked you your ideal woman...not your mom”s.”

He stares at me and doesn”t look away. My skin prickles at the intensity of his look. But just as he”s about to say something a bright flash of lightning outside draws our attention to the window followed by the loud boom of thunder and suddenly, we”re plunged in darkness.

”Shit,” I say under my breath.

We wait a few seconds, and when there”s no sign of the lights coming back on, Fergie stands and turns on the flashlight on his phone. ”Do you know where the breaker box is?”

I wrack my brain, trying to remember if Gigi ever showed me that.

She showed me how the laundry works, where her spare blow dryers are kept, and where to find the wine glasses...but the breaker box? No dice.

”Uh...”

”Where”s your garage? We can start there.”

”Right, ok. This way.” He follows me through the darkened hall. The only light coming from the lightening that keeps pulsing outside only to be followed by more loud booms.

It”s even darker inside the garage, and I stay close to him. Like if I stay too far behind, someone might snatch me up. He notices.

”Libby, are you afraid of the dark?” He turns his light on me, and I cover my eyes.

”No...” I scoff.

The thunder booms again, and I jump even closer to him.

He chuckles softly as he rests a reassuring hand on my shoulder. ”I”ve got you, ok? Come, on.”

Those words coming from him carry so much weight.

We scan every wall of the four car garage and don”t find anything resembling a breaker box.

”So like, how big is this box supposed to be? Are we talking the size of a small animal or like...a fridge?”

He turns back with his brows cinched and lips quirked up, as he finds me looking at the ground.

”Wait...do you think a breaker box is an actual box?”

”Why would they call it a box if it wasn”t an actual box?”

He purses his lips in thought. It”s cute.

”I mean, it is a box just not like...” he flashes the light toward a cardboard box marked ”Christmas decor” sitting in the corner of the garage. ”A box box.”

”Got it. So the breaker box is more like an enigma. A box-like thing?”

He full on laughs now.

”Where”s the primary bedroom?” he asks me.

My stomach sinks. Why? Am I that endearing that he just wants to take me to bed?

When I don”t answer right away he adds, ”Sometimes it”s in the primary bedroom closet.”

”That would be my room,” I say, motioning to the door.

”Lead the way then.”

He hands me his phone and I take it from him and turn back toward the interior of the home. The storm outside is still raging as we make our way up the steps. I can feel his eyes on me. Like they have some kind of magnetic pulse that makes my own skin react.

The picture of his—um—man parts pops into my mind. And it takes everything in me not to let the little fantasy I have in my head play out in real life.

So what if he”s my ex”s brother? What if I let him take me to pound town and then we just act like nothing ever happened? I don”t need a relationship after all. Life is finally going the way I want it. Sort of. I’m not living under the shadow of who my uncle was. I”m not just Zane O”Connor”s little sister. The last thing I need right now is a relationship that will put me right back into the passenger seat of my life.

Which is why I signed up for a hookup app...not a dating app. And the man who promised a night to remember is currently staring at my ass as I take him to my bedroom.

You need to keep your distance.

That one thought halts all the others. It”s true. I can”t be with a Ferguson. Much less, this particular Ferguson. It’s too messy.

”Right down that hall,” I point and hand him back his phone.

”Are you...not coming?”

”I”ll wait here.”

Bemused, he takes his phone and walks down the hall to my bedroom only stopping to glance back at me for a moment before stepping inside.

When he”s out of my line of sight I can finally breathe.

It was a horrible idea to bring him here. It”s bad enough I left him hanging earlier, but now I”ve led him to my room, where anything could possibly give me away. I”d rather wait here and face him than stand next to him while I watch that shoe drop.

He steps back out a moment later, shaking his head.

Shit.

”No luck. Looks like the power might be out in the whole neighborhood.”

Ok. I”m still in the clear.

”You got candles or something we can light?”

”Candles? Um...I don”t know where Gigi keeps them. But...” Oh. ” We have the fireplace!”

He tenses for a moment, then says, ”Ok. Let”s light it up.”

Sitting in front of the warm fire, we sit next to each other. If we get too close, we might actually combust. And from the thoughts I”ve been having this week about him, I just might.

”Your clothes are still wet. I”m sure I have a t-shirt big enough for you somewhere up there.” I move to get up and he places a firm hand on my thigh.

”Don”t, it”s dark. I”ll just dry them here by the fireplace. You mind?” He moves to unbutton his white dress shirt. His jacket has long been hung up to dry.

”By all means,” I say, drawing my eyes away from him.

But the moment he gets to the last button and slips it off, I can”t help but look at the way the fire dances across his toned body.

Michael Ferguson has an actual eight pack. He really does. I thought only the most disciplined of all people could do that. How in the world does he have such a rock hard body? I mean besides being a professional athlete and all.

And now I”m gawking. I tear my eyes away from him and focus on the fire taunting me.

I can see the whisper of a grin stretch across his face from the corner of my eye, but he holds it back as he hangs the shirt nearby and returns to his spot next to me. This time just slightly closer. Enough that his leg is touching mine.

”We need to address the elephant in the room,” he says, leaning back on one hand and placing the other on his bent knee. He looks so relaxed—shirtless and sitting by the roaring fire.

I look around the room. ”I don”t see any elephants here.”

He smirks before saying, ”You don”t like me.”

That takes me by surprise.

”That”s an unfair assumption.”

”Is it? Because I get the feeling that I make you uncomfortable.”

Says the half-naked man sitting just mere inches from me.

”You don”t make me uncomfortable.” Just horny. Stop it, Libby. You are a grown-ass woman. Act like it.

”Ever since Zane joined the team, I”ve been trying to figure out how to talk to you about what happened between us, and it just never felt like the right time.”

”And now seems right? You with no shirt and me...in my pajamas.” That I caught you checking out my ass in.

He shrugs.

”Fine, let”s talk,” I relent.

He sits up and moves even closer to me, and my heart starts to pick up speed as he does. I swallow hard as he brings his face up to mine, our breaths intermingling. What is he doing?

”I didn”t say talk. I said address,” he says sternly before placing a hand on my hip and pulling me toward him.

”Michael...“ his given name slips from my lips. Up until this moment, I haven”t been able to call him this. He”s Fergie. Only Fergie. Michael is too... personal.

”Libby,” he whispers onto my lips.

With the heat of the fire behind me, the rain pattering against my window and the man I shouldn”t want drawing me to him—it”s a losing battle.

My phone goes off, Avicii”s Hey Brother bleating through it”s speakers doing the work of a cold shower all in a matter of seconds.

”That”s Zane,” I breathe out.

Michael shifts back to his original seated position and nods.

I reach for it and try to shake the fogginess of whatever was just happening.

”Hey!” I say into the phone.

”You okay?” Zane asks.

”Yeah, why wouldn”t I be?” I look over at Michael, who is watching my every move.

”Electricity”s out in half the city. Some electrical storm.” I can hear the whoosh of windshield wipers as he speaks.

”Yeah, here too.”

”Kes said you were going home. We”re all heading to Landry”s place now. Meet us there.”

”Now?” I squeal out.

”Yeah, half the team will be there. He has a back up generator and a bunch of rooms that were just renovated. That way you don”t have to be alone.”

I”m not alone...but thanks for your concern brother.

”Right. Yeah. That sounds good, we—I’ll meet you there.”

Zane hesitates on the other line, ”Okay, see you in a few, Lib.”

I disconnect and look at Michael.

”Put your shirt on Magic Mike. We”re going to your place...Landry”s place. Whatever that place is called.”

He rises and reaches for his shirt, ”What? Why?”

”He”s got a generator, everyone”s heading there now.”

The heat between us feels like it”s vaporized and as he slips his shirt back on, I remember that this man is totally off-limits.

”I”ll go change into something...” I look down at my silk pajama shorts. ”Less...this.”

Michael waits for me at the bottom of the steps as I rush down the stairs and grab my keys off the entryway and reach for the door.

”Libby, wait,” he says.

I pause, my hand hovering over the doorknob. I wait for him to say something. He looks like he’s at war with himself.

Then, he looks up at me and mutters, “Fuck it.”

Without a second thought, he closes the distance between us and brings his hands up to my neck and takes my lips into his.

I still for a second, caught totally off guard by this unexpected kiss. But the feel of his lips moving against mine. The way my body reacts to him. It all feels so right. I drop my arm holding my keys and meet his savage kiss stroke for stroke.

I want this. So bad.

But as soon as it starts, it”s over. He pulls back and takes the keys from my hand. ”I”ll drive,” he says, opening the front door. I”ve barely caught my breath when he grabs the umbrella by the door and holds it open for me to step under.

”You don”t have to—“

”Go, Libby.” His voice is gruff and so fucking sexy. I can”t do anything but obey.

So I step outside as he walks me to my parked car in the circular driveway. An empty four car garage and I couldn”t think to park in there and avoid this rain.

But I have to admit, I love the feeling of his warm hand on my back ushering me into the car.

Once we”re both inside, he turns the car on and it purrs to life.

”A red corvette,” he says smirking. ”It suits you.”

”Thank you,” I smile sheepishly.

He quickly turns the corner from my road that leads to the house where he lives with his teammates. Thank goodness it looks like nobody is home yet when he parks the car. The giant water feature in the middle is splashing with the heavy rain pouring down.

”You ready?” he asks before reaching for the door handle.

I look at him. ”You go ahead. I”ll wait here until everyone arrives.”

He looks almost deflated at that comment. Like I”m telling him that I don”t want to be seen alone with him.

And it’s true. My brother can’t see us. Not after all my talk of never being caught dead with a hockey player. I may have loose morals, but I refuse to be a liar. Liars, I can’t stand.

He just nods, before opening the door and running inside, leaving me alone in the car with still swollen lips from that stolen kiss.