Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
Rain
“He’s not hurt, is he? He’s bleeding.”
I smiled at Maddy, making sure it was my “everything’s fine” smile, and nodded. “I’ve seen your uncle take on much harder hitters than this guy. Trust me. He’s fine. And after they’ve served their penalty, then comes the fun part.”
“The fun part?”
“Just wait. You’ll be teasing him about it for days. Trust me.”
I smiled and nodded and made sure my face didn’t express the fear I felt. Brian had taken a few hard hits and, yeah, he was bleeding. But it wasn’t the bleeding that was making me worry. It was the couple of hits to the head. He’d been out of the game for months, and I don’t think he was in the habit of punching his coworkers at his previous job.
From the box where I was sitting with the girls, I watched him shake his head a few times, like he was shaking hair out of his eyes. Then I watched him blink a few times and roll his shoulder.
I breathed a sigh of relief. He looked okay. Like he didn’t have a head injury, or a concussion or had broken anything. It’d just been a fight. And our guys fought all the time. It was part of the game. I didn’t really enjoy the fighting aspect of it. It always made me cringe, whether it was my brothers or any of the other players.
But we had our own ways of dealing with fights that I did enjoy. And Maddy would get to see her uncle in a new light. Now I was smiling.
The game had been pretty uneventful up until this point. It was Sunday, the stands were half full because it was the weekend before Christmas and people had shopping to do and meals to prep. The next few months of hockey would be better, attendance-wise. But the crowd would remember this and talk and maybe there’d be a few more people at the next game. Because we hadn’t really had an instigator on this team since a couple seasons ago. That player had been a walking hair trigger. Just touch him, and he went off. The crowd had loved him.
He’d gotten poached by one of the other teams after that season and then had moved back to Canada and gotten picked up by one of the western leagues.
The game continued for another five minutes, the fans’ smiles getting bigger because they knew what was coming. And when the whistle blew for a stoppage, my grin couldn’t be contained.
Maddy looked at me then looked down at the ice.
“What’s—”
The other player’s music began to play as he stepped onto the ice. Each player picked their own song at the beginning of the season and was required to do a fifteen-second “performative apology.” Yes, they were required to literally dance back to the bench.
“For our first apology of the night,” our in-arena announcer’s voice sounded like a late-night DJ on some old ’70s R&B station, smoky and smooth, “Kenny Duncan from the Fitchfeld Feenoms has chosen that tried-and-true classic that we all know and love.”
While our fans booed, Duncan skated to center ice, where a few teammates joined him. The music was perfectly timed for them to begin the arm motions for “YMCA.” A lot of the guys used this one because they claimed to be unable to dance. Which had always seemed funny to me because they could balance on two blades of steel and fly up and down a sheet of ice like they’d been born with the ability. And yet they claimed to have no rhythm.
When our league claimed to be the most fun you’d have at a game, we weren’t kidding. We took our fun seriously. But I wasn’t watching their team. I watched Brian. He didn’t look nervous, just leaned back on the bench and watched the other team perform with a slight smirk on his face. Like he was waiting to show them up. And if I remembered correctly, he would.
“Next up, let’s welcome Mr. Whiskers back to the ice for his rendition of ABBA’s ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’”
I glanced at Maddy, just to make sure she was watching. Not surprisingly, her mouth dropped open as she watched Brian skate to center ice.
If I hadn’t seen his performance before, my mouth would’ve been hanging open too. Now, I just couldn’t stop smiling. I’d asked him once if he’d had help coming up with his dance, and he’d nodded. “Kinda,” he’d said. “My sister loved this song, and she made me dance with her when we were younger. I already had the moves down. No-brainer.”
It was only fifteen seconds long, but it was the best fifteen seconds of my day, maybe the week.
With his arms in the air, he skated in a circle to the music, making complicated patterns, like he was vogueing. And when he came to a stop, he did the best Magic Mike body roll I’d ever seen.
The audience went wild. Maddy started to laugh uncontrollably. I whooped and clapped. Even my mom, who’d agreed to come to the game today because Krista had flashed doe eyes at her and said please, whistled through her teeth before dissolving in laughter.
When it was over, Brian skated to the bench, where his teammates slapped him on the back and tapped their sticks against his leg pads. Except for Reb, of course, who’d already skated to the blue dot for face-off.
Brian’s grin held my attention. He looked lighter than he had the whole time he’d been here so far. I was mesmerized. And when he looked up into the box where we sat and winked… Well, I just about combusted. I knew it was for me. I knew that because when he waved, Maddy waved back.
The game was pretty uneventful after that. No more fights. Just a few minor penalties. And we won the game in overtime.
This was turning out to be our winningest season ever.
“So,” Tressy drew the word out to about five syllables, “is there something you wanna talk about?”
I looked at my almost-sister-in-law with true consternation and a little bit of fear. Rowdy and I were still planning our trip to Harrisburg to get Tressy a ring. Had I inadvertently said something that had made her suspicious? Shit, I couldn’t remember that I had, but… “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”
“Uh-huh. Okay.”
Nodding, Tressy arched her brows and made a face as we waited in the green room on the lower level. Maddy and Krista were playing some complicated hand game in the corner with a few of the other players’ kids, while the rest of the WAGs mingled and chatted with the Devils’ Angels dance team. Most of the WAGs were girlfriends. Not a lot of the team members were married, although that could change in any given year.
I gave Tressy a look. “What does that mean?”
Her wide-eyed innocent look just made my gaze narrow.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She shrugged. “I just said okay.”
I was about to question her again when Brian walked into the room. He caught sight of Maddy, who rolled her eyes in professional preteen fashion but crossed the room to give her uncle a quick hug. I couldn’t hear what they said above the rest of the conversations in the room, but Maddy was apparently giving her uncle shit for that dance.
While I wouldn’t be giving him shit, I’d tell him I’d want to see it in a room with just the two of us, while he was naked. I’m sure Tressy would want to know this. I totally wasn’t going to tell her.
Brian gave Maddy his complete attention while she spoke to him, but finally she turned away to get the backpack she’d left across the room, and he walked over to me.
My smile widened with every inch he came closer.
“Still got your moves.” I arched my brows. “Maddy seemed amused by them.”
Brian’s grin made me burn from the inside out. “Nice to see her smile like that. If it means I gotta take a few punches and shake my ass a few times, I’ll do it.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tressy give a little wave and walk away, probably to meet Rowdy.
When she was out of earshot, Brian said, “Hey, while we’ve got a sec, I just want to make sure we’re still on for tomorrow.”
Heat bubbled inside, making me wish tomorrow wasn’t so far away.
“Yeah. We are.”
“Good.” His smile disappeared but now his gaze was heated. “I’m really— I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me too.”
After a few seconds of staring at each other, I blinked and let my gaze fall to his mouth. “Did you get that looked at?”
I pointed to his lip, which he reached up to touch, making a face when he did.
“Yeah, needed a couple stitches. No biggie.”
In some people’s worlds, a wound requiring stitches would be a big deal. Not in ours.
“Um, you ready, Uncle Bri?”
Well, damn. I’d been so wrapped up in Brian, I hadn’t noticed Maddy coming up behind me.
“Yeah, kid.” His gaze slid to the side and his grin turned soft. “You hungry? Let’s get something to eat.”
Maddy’s head tilted to the side, her gaze bouncing between Brian and me, before she nodded. “Sure. I can eat.”
“Good, ’cause I’m starving. See you later, Rain.”
I almost said, “See you tomorrow,” but stopped myself just in time. Instead, I waved and tried to contain the smile that wanted to hijack my expression.
“Sooo, there’s nothing going on between you and Brian, right?”
“That’s right.” I didn’t even bother to turn around to see Tressy, who must be in stealth mode. “We were just talking.”
“Uh-huh. Well, when that just talking turns to not just talking, you know you can trust me if you need to discuss.”
“Nothing to discuss.” I grabbed my tote, gave Krista a hug, patted Tressy on the shoulder, and headed for the door
I’d told Dad I was working at home this morning, which wasn’t unusual on the Monday after a game.
The team had the day off from practice, though they were encouraged to work out or take a yoga class at the only gym in town. Some of them even opted for ballet, which I thought was amazing for flexibility.
And while I did do a few work-related things, including updating our socials and banking a few posts for the rest of the week because I didn’t want to have to work Wednesday or Thursday, mostly I got ready for my not-a-date with Brian. We were just two friends meeting for lunch to discuss…something. Not sure what that something was, but I didn’t really care. Brian and I would be alone to discuss anything we wanted.
I’d have him all to myself. No brothers, no niece, no prying neighbors or landlords or friends or townspeople who loved to gossip or would tell my brothers I was having lunch with a man. It was part of the reason I’d bought this house across town. I loved my family, but growing up as a girl with three brothers, I also loved my space.
I’m not a great cook, not like my mom or Rowdy. Damn him, he’d inherited the good-cook gene from my mom. But I’d spent enough time in the kitchen with my mom, and I was pretty… Well, I was decent.
And I liked to cook. When I had the time. Which wasn’t often. I had a few signature dishes that I could pull out when I had friends over, but this was just lunch.
So, a good hearty soup and thick roast beef sandwiches were on the menu. I whipped up a potato soup loaded with cheese and bacon and chives, because really, who didn’t like bacon and cheese and potatoes. And the roast I’d put in the crockpot last night before bed was now fall-apart soft and going to be yummy. I even made homemade rolls, although I cheated with the bread machine.
When Brian knocked on the door at twelve-thirty, the house smelled amazing, and I couldn’t stop smiling when I saw him standing there.
“Hi.” I waved him in and shut the door against the cold wind whipping through the valley today. “It’s bitter out there.”
“Yeah. Forgot how cold it can get here.” He shuffled his feet across the welcome mat as I shut the door behind him. “Damn, Rain, what’s that smell? It’s amazing.”
My face was going to hurt if I kept smiling like this. “Lunch. I hope you’re hungry.”
“I’m starving, so I hope you made a lot.”
I motioned for him to follow me back to the kitchen, where I’d set us up at the table by the window.
“I’m used to making much more than I should because my brothers almost always drop by for some reason, and they’re always hungry. Especially Reb?—”
Dammit, I hadn’t wanted to bring him up, not already, even though I knew I was going to ask Brian about what had happened between him and my brother. But first I wanted a little bit of time to just talk.
“You can say his name.” Brian gave a wry huff. “It’s not like we’re mortal enemies or anything.”
“I know that. I just didn’t want to start off on that note.”
“So what do you want to talk about?”
Now that he was here and watching me with those intense eyes with his arms crossed over his broad chest, I was lucky we didn’t have an audience. Because anyone with eyes would be able to read my emotions.
“Why don’t we get lunch first?”
He didn’t answer right away, just stared at me, like he was trying to read my mind. If he could, would he run? Was this attraction one-sided? Was I seeing something that wasn’t there?
Then I thought back to the other night when we’d fallen asleep on the couch and the way he’d looked at me. No, I wasn’t wrong. I knew what I’d seen, and I wasn’t wrong.
He wanted me, hopefully as much as I wanted him. And I was done waiting for the right time. This was the time, right or not.
“Sure, lunch sounds good.”
He stood on the other side of the island from me, taking dishes and plates that I filled with food, making small talk. We settled at the table, talked a little about the game last night, laughing about the intermission games with fans and discussing the league standings, in which we were solidly second place.
“Denny and Reid have been on a tear this year,” I said. “They’re our top goal-scorers, and they’re playing like two guys who don’t want to stay in this league very long.”
“Yeah, they’re young and hungry. And they’re good. I noticed Coach working them hard during practice this week.”
“It just seems like everyone is stepping up their game this year. Might be why the ECHL is giving us another look.”
“I know you said your dad’s leaving the decision up to you and your brothers, but what do you think he wants to do?”
I shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. He’s really not said a lot, which for Dad is odd. Dad aways has an opinion.”
And honestly, that had me worried, but we weren’t here to discuss my dad, or any other member of my family for that matter. I asked him if he wanted more food, but he declined and I rose to take our dishes to the dishwasher, but he rose and followed me, slotting his plate and dish next to mine. And, as ridiculous as it sounded, it was the sexiest thing he could’ve done at the moment. Which was stupid, I know. And yet…
“Brian?”
He leaned against the island, close enough for me to be able to reach out and touch him if I wanted. And I wanted.
“I really hope I’m not overstepping any boundaries right now, but,” I took a deep breath, “I like you, and I’d like to see you in a context outside of work. If that’s not what you want, you just have to tell me.”
He didn’t move right away, just continued to stare at me until I could feel my cheeks getting red from embarrassment. Had I made a mistake? Did he not feel the same way about me? Oh my god, I was an idi?—
I barely realized what he was doing when he reached for me, curving his hand around my neck, the warmth of it seeping into my skin like a drug. He tugged, and I closed the few steps between us as he moved his hand from my neck to frame my face with both hands.
Oh wow.
My lips parted, though I wasn’t sure if I was going to say something or just as an invitation. I have no idea what I would’ve said because my brain stopped working as soon as his lips touched mine. At first, he kissed me like I was breakable, like I’d run if he got too close.
So I wrapped my arms around his waist and lifted up onto my toes so our lips could more completely align, and then I pressed my body against his and kissed him with all the pent-up longing I’d been storing for years.
I felt like I’d won the lottery after a decade of playing, my yearning for him dissolving every line of defense I’d erected since last year. My desire for him burned like sparks in my blood, making me tingle all over, while my core clenched with need.
For a few brief seconds, he let me control the pace, let me kiss him like I’d dreamed about, our lips pressed together, and our bodies smashed up against each other like we were trying to melt into one another.
And then it was like a switch flipped. His fingers flexed against my cheeks, drawing me even closer, until my lips parted. The tip of his tongue swiped against my bottom lip, and I moaned and welcomed him in.
Excitement jangled through me like a drug, and that’s what it was. One I couldn’t get enough of. I rose onto my toes to get even closer as we melded together into a kiss that felt like the start of something amazing, not just an amazing thing in itself. But his height, which I loved by the way, had become a hindrance. Yes, I wanted to climb him like a tree, but that would seem kind of desperate, right?
So I craned my neck, and he bent his as our kiss settled into this long-term agreement of pleasure. My hands spread across his back, pressing into him, until I needed more than the promise of feeling his skin. Before I realized I’d made the decision to do it, my hands slipped beneath the warm cotton and hit pay dirt.
He groaned into my mouth as my fingers flexed into his skin, kneading the muscles I could feel beneath. His hands, up until now still cupped around my face, began to act on their own instead of as a pair. One stilled around my neck again, holding my head up so he could kiss me harder, deeper.
His other hand slid to my shoulder then around to my back, pressing and sliding, pressing and sliding, until he reached my waist. I thought for a split second that he was going to stop there, like, oh, I don’t know, a gentleman out of a Victorian novel or something.
But I should’ve known better, because, yeah, Brian definitely had plans of his own. And I was all in on whatever he wanted. Because he wanted me. I could tell it in the way he held me and the way he kissed me. The way his entire body tensed against mine and, yeah, by the bulge between his thighs.
He’d worn jeans today, but they weren’t loose enough to hide his erection. A shiver of desire ran down my spine and made my thigh quiver. And made me wet.
Too fast? Fuck no, not fast enough.
He spread that one hand across my ass and molded me through the thin cotton pants I wore. Just the thought that those long thick fingers were that close to my center made me make an embarrassingly needy sound. I had just enough self-control not to hoist my leg around his waist and force him to take my weight.
Or maybe he read my mind because he slid his other hand down my back to my other side and squeezed both cheeks, a split second before he lifted me off my feet. He moved away from the island so I could wrap both legs around his waist, my arms moving up to circle his shoulders and hold on while he adjusted me in his arms.
Our lips separated as he looked down at me, a question in his eyes that I could tell he didn’t want to speak aloud.
I nodded immediately, not wanting to break the spell. Thankfully my house wasn’t that big, and he carried me into the living room in a matter of seconds, not even long enough for me to worry that he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.
Those thoughts scattered the second he laid me out on the couch we’d slept on together the other night and spread out over me. I sucked in a deep breath at the sheer size of him hovering, blocking out the light from the front windows.
Brian must have thought I couldn’t breathe because in the next second, he flipped our positions. I scrambled up to put a knee on either side of his hips, my hands braced on his chest while I stared down at him. My braid fell over my shoulder, and when I bent closer, it fell forward and brushed against his cheek.
He reached up and caught it between two fingers, wrapping it between them and tugging me down so our lips met again. This time, our kiss was a little slower and a whole hell of a lot hotter. And I’d thought it wouldn’t be able to get hotter. But the slow, sensual lick of his tongue in my mouth revved my libido, the muscles of my pussy contracting until I wanted to push one of his hands resting on my hip between my legs.
Brian didn’t seem in a hurry to do much more than kiss, and damn, the man did it so well, I could go along with the plan. For a little while, at least. But the heat between my legs continued to build until my hips needed to move.
I pressed my core down until I could grind against his erection, relieving at least a little of the ache. His breath hitched when we connected, the seam of my pants rubbing against my clit as I arched my back and slid up and down his length.
Fuck, I wished we were naked. I also knew we’d gone from zero to sixty in record time. The only excuse I could give for that was because it was Brian. I’d lusted after this man for way too long.
And I didn’t care what had changed since yesterday. Whatever had gone on between him and Rebel. I knew I should. Knew I should at least find out how this, Brian and me, was going to affect the dynamic between Reb and me.
But frankly, right now, I couldn’t care less. It was only me and him right here and now. That’s all that mattered.
His hands on my hips held me tightly but didn’t hinder the rhythm I’d started. He let me take over again, but I knew now that if he wanted something different, he would do it. Take it. And I’d gladly give it.
Slowly, I found myself sinking lower until I was laid out flat above him, our bodies perfectly aligned. If only we were naked.
Pushing up, I braced my hands on his chest until I could get into a seated position, his cock still between my thighs and pressing against my clit. I was loath to give up that sensation, but I needed to see his face when I moved my hands under his shirt and tugged it up. I couldn’t stop my gaze from flipping down to see what I’d uncovered, and the dark trail of hair that started around his belly button and continued beneath his jeans was well worth it. The man didn’t have a perfectly carved six-pack, but he was solid. And he definitely didn’t manscape. As I pushed his shirt up farther, I uncovered a thin mat of dark hair across his chest that made me want to pet him.
No sooner had I thought the words than he reached behind his shoulders and drew his shirt over his head with one hand. I mean, I’d read the books where they described it, and how the woman nearly fainted from lust. The writers weren’t that far off on that. Oh my god, I needed to suck in a whole lot of air and then make sure I didn’t drool because, holy hell, was that hot!
And it left him shirtless, which was amazing too. Okay, more than amazing because now I could touch him.
I slid one hand from his stomach to his left pec, letting my fingers glide through the soft hair to the nipple that was hard and tempting. I wanted to lean down and bite it, but I was a little afraid I might scare him off if I started to use my teeth already. So instead, I pinched it between my thumb and forefinger, watching his eyes narrow and his lips part as I did.
The intensity in his gaze gave me more confidence, and I slid my remaining hand up to do the same to his other nipple.
“I won’t break, you know.” His voice rumbled beneath my hands, making my pussy clench and my thighs tighten.
“Do you want me to do it harder?”
“Yeah, I do.”
My hands actually trembled for a second before I gave him what he wanted. His expression didn’t change, except that his eyes narrowed even more. So I did it even harder. His hips jerked beneath mine. His fingers squeezed into my hips and held me tighter against him. I wanted to move, but he held me so tightly, I couldn’t. And I really liked that.
I played with him for several seconds before I noticed his jaw working. I leaned forward to press a kiss against the stubble then rubbed my cheek against his, enjoying the sensation against my skin.
“Fuck, Rain. I don’t want to stop.”
“Who said anything about stopping?” I spoke directly into his ear then bit the lobe, making him groan again. Damn, I really liked that.
“There’re things we should talk about.”
I flicked my tongue behind his ear, and he breathed out heavily. “Do those things have anything to do with us right here and now?”
I pulled up so I could see his expression when he answered. He paused just long enough for me to worry that maybe there was before he shook his head.
“No.”
And then he flipped me onto my back.