Chapter 3
Audrey
I thought I knew what I was getting into with Seb. His sinful smile promised me dirty, dirty things. Naked things.
And so far, he’s delivered on every promise.
It’s usually pretty difficult for me to come, much less twice, but already I feel a second one building deep in the pit of my belly. I pinch my nipples and tug at them, losing myself to whatever feels good.
Sliding a hand between our bodies, I circle my clit. Seb nudges my hand away, replacing it with his. He touches me exactly the way I need, firm pressure mixed with hard thrusts.
He kisses the side of my neck, sucking on the sensitive spot beneath my jaw. A scream bubbles up within me.
“Seb!” It overtakes me, waves of pleasure coursing through me. I’m helpless to the sensations wracking my body. I almost sob, it feels so good. In fact, I think a tear gets loose. It trickles out of my eye and down my cheek.
He kisses the apple of my cheek, directly over the tear.
“There’s no crying in baseball,” he says, his voice rough and gravelly.
I laugh, my pussy contracting around his hard length buried deep inside of me. He groans, his cock flexing within me.
“It’s a good thing,” I assure him. I hitch my legs higher around his waist.
He cups my cheek, his eyes boring into mine.
He must see whatever he’s looking for because he nods and gives me a quick, hard kiss.
Rising onto his elbows, he pulls out and thrusts into me.
I relax into the pillows, helpless to his ministrations.
He buries his face in my neck. It doesn’t take long before he goes tense above me.
“Audrey,” he whispers, a plea on his lips.
This is more than simply sex. Whatever connection we share, it’s bigger than the physical. I barely know the guy. I don’t even know his last name.
But my soul knows his.
Seb hasn’t even pulled out of me when there’s an electronic beep and a bang as the hotel room door slams open.
“Hey, asshole,” a man says, his voice preceding him into the room.
Seb slips his softening cock out of me and covers my body with his.
“Luke,” he barks. “Can you give me a minute?”
The guy—Luke—finally comes into view. He gulps and covers his hand with his eyes.
“Shit, Seb,” he snaps. “Put it away.”
Blindly reaching on the floor, Seb hands me my shirt. He deals with the condom and slips into his shorts before he finds mine.
It might be the quickest I’ve ever gotten dressed. My face flames. How am I supposed to get out of here?
“Are you decent?” Luke asks. He lowers his hand, his eyes squeezed shut.
“What the fuck do you want?” Seb snaps.
“Dad got a call,” Luke says.
“So?” Seb wrangles his shirt over his head.
“Your name’s on the trade block.”
My stomach sinks. I take in Luke’s Austin Aces t-shirt. I didn’t notice before; Seb’s shirt has the logo for the Minnesota team on it.
“There’s always rumors,” Seb says dismissively. “Can you give us a few moments?”
“Dude, the call was from the head coach,” Luke says. “I think this thing is real.”
“Okay. So I’ll deal with it,” he says. “Seriously, I need a minute here.”
Luke looks me over with interest now that I’m fully dressed. “Yeah. Okay. Whatever.” He turns on his heel and stalks out of the room, the door slamming behind him.
Seb looks at me, chagrined. “I’m sorry about him. That’s not how I wanted this to go.”
I swallow my fears. “I need to know.”
He arches an eyebrow. “Anything.”
“Your brother is a hockey player.”
Guarded, he nods.
“Your dad has a call from a head coach. About you?”
He winces. “Yeah.”
“And your work thing…”
Seb clears his throat. “What are you asking?”
“Please tell me you don’t play hockey,” I whisper.
He winces. “I can’t do that.”
“Fuck. Fuck.” Searching the room, I find one shoe and slip it on. Where’s the other?
“Audrey. Is my job really that big a deal?”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
He snorts. “Yeah, because boasting is a surefire way to get a woman into bed.”
Whirling around, I stare at him with my hands on my hips. “Is that all this is? Only sex?”
“I don’t want it to be,” he says slowly. “But I’m guessing by whatever’s freaking you out…”
“I don’t fuck with hockey players,” I snap. “I can’t.”
“Audrey—“
“Fuck. I’m so screwed.” I pace back and forth. My dad is going to kill me.
He catches my arm. “Hey. Is it really that big a deal?”
“Yeah. It is.” I wrench away.
“Audrey…”
I shake my head. “No. You don’t get to do that. Don’t use that voice with me.”
“What voice?”
“The I’ve seen you naked voice.”
He steps closer to me. “But I have seen you naked.”
I look away.
“What’s the problem?”
“My dad. He’s…”
“He’s not a fan of hockey?”
“Worse,” I whisper. “He works in it.”
“So do I,” he laughs. “My whole family does.” He pauses. “He’s not a GM?”
“No. He’s a coach.”
“Oh, cool.” His voice is hollow.
I stiffen. “You’re not going to ask who he is? Try to get tickets or ask for a tryout?”
He laughs. “Baby, I’m an NHL player. I don’t need your dad to get me a roster spot. I have one all on my own.”
My stomach sinks. He’s definitely off-limits if he plays for a different team than my dad coaches. The only thing that would make him even more off-limits is if he played for Boston.
“I can’t do this,” I tell him honestly. “I have to go.”
“Can I see you again?”
I have to give him points for his persistence. “That’s not a good idea.”
“I don’t care who your dad is,” Seb says firmly. “That has no bearing on you and me.”
“Except we live in different cities. And you’re probably about to be traded. You get a fresh start in a new place.”
“I don’t care,” he says. “They can trade me wherever. I want to see you again. I’m okay with long distance. Whatever it takes. I only want a chance to get to know you.”
He reaches for me and, this time, I let him pull me into his arms. He wraps his arms around me, my face pressed to his chest.
“We can make this work,” he says.
I want to believe him. I do.
There’s so much stacked against us. His job, grad school, my dad’s career… and that’s on top of potential long distance.
“What we have—there’s something between us,” Seb says quietly. “I knew it from the second I saw you. I just—I knew. Please don’t give up on us. Not before we have a chance to start trying.”
“Okay.” My voice comes out in a whisper. I clear my throat and meet his eyes. “Okay.”
Seb cups my cheek again, kissing me softly. It feels like a promise.
“I should go. You have stuff to deal with.”
He shakes his head. “I’d rather deal with you.” But he releases me, taking a step back. “Third time’s the charm. Can I get your number?”
With a laugh, I fish my phone off the floor, where it must have fallen out of my pocket. I unlock it and he punches in his number, calling his own phone. It vibrates from underneath the bed.
“I’ve got a meeting with my agent tomorrow, then a bunch of interviews,” he says apologetically.
“So you’re here for the draft?”
He nods. “My brother—the youngest one—he’s getting drafted.”
He sounds so confident. There’s no hesitation there.
“How are you so sure?”
Seb smirks. “Everyone in my family has been picked in the first round. Even Uncle Todd was picked last in the first round, but still taken in the first round.”
“Wow. So when you say it’s your family business…”
“My brothers and I all play. My dad and my uncles played. My grandfather played.”
Squinting at him, I try to clock his features. He doesn’t look familiar, but I’ve admittedly been out of the loop the last four years I was away at college. I avoided all things hockey.
“So I’d know your family?”
“You’re familiar with the Henry dynasty?” He cocks his head.
Slowly, I nod. Everyone’s heard of the Henry family. Their family has won more Stanley Cups between them than any other. There are three brothers active in the league now, plus two of the older generation working in the front office of various teams. I’m fairly certain one is a GM.
Seb gives a little wave. “Hi. I’m Sebastian Henry.”
Oh, fuck.