Empty Net (34 page)

“Question.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

“Have you loved a lot of people?”

It was something she had wanted to ask him for a while. She knew of his ex, but nothing more. He really didn’t know much about her past lovers either. They had talked about everything under the sun except that. And since she was pretty sure she was falling in love with him, she wanted to know everything.

Tate shook his head. “No. I loved Elsa, but other than her, not really. I dated a lot, and had sex with a lot of women, but no, I’ve only loved one.”

“Wow,” she said, feeling stupid. Not only had she dated a lot, but she loved every single one of those guys. Or at least she thought she did.

“What?” he asked.

“I have loved every man I have been with. Pathetic, huh?”

Tate shook his head. “Maybe you never really loved them, you just thought you did.”

Well, didn’t he just read her mind? Audrey giggled. “That’s a little deeper than I thought you would ever go. Isn’t a guy your age only supposed to think of sex, sex, and maybe sex?”

Tate laughed, then pinned her with a lusty grin. “If you put your hand down my pants, you would know very well that I can be deep and think very much about sex. Sex with you, to be blunt.”

Laughter bubbled at the base of her throat. Sometimes Tate blew her away with his flirty, cocky swag. Not only did it shock the hell out of her, it made her want to jump on top of him and hump his face. He was just so insanely hot. “I’m not really sure if I should be offended, turned on, or disgusted right now.”

He bit down on his full bottom lip as he held her gaze. “Turned on is way more fun, don’t you think?

Why were his words like hot caresses?

“Hush up and watch the stars,” she said, looking up at the sky again.

When she felt his breath on her cheek, she gasped. He whispered, “Why don’t you want to touch it?”

She was pretty sure he was talking about his dick and not his statement, but it didn’t matter. “We’re outside! I am not having sex with you out here! My ass would freeze!”

Tate chuckled as he nipped at her jaw, his hands sliding down her ass as he pushed her into the hard bulge in his pants. “I would keep it nice and warm, I promise.”

“I bet you would,” she said breathlessly, “but you’ll have to wait till we go inside.”

Tate nodded. His beard tickled her as he moved his nose against hers. “Question,” he whispered.

“Mmm-hm?” she whispered back as her eyes locked onto his dark-with-lust, blue ones.

“Whose bed are we
not
sleeping in tonight?”

And with that, Audrey swore she came.

Audrey woke up to the sound of a piano being played. She was alone and cuddled deep in Tate’s feather-soft bed, dead tired from being gloriously loved. But hearing the beautiful melody had her stumbling out and wrapping a sheet around her to cross the hall to his music room. He sat at his piano, wearing only a pair of boxers as he played a song she didn’t recognize. She smiled as she walked over to him, taking in the general beauty that was Tate Odder.

He was lost in the music, his eyes shut as he played. She watched his arm muscles flex as his fingers moved skillfully across the keys. It was a sight to see, and it was hard to keep her hands off him. Moving behind Tate, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. She must have startled him because he jumped and the music stopped abruptly.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, still not letting him go.

“No, its fine, did I wake you?”

“Yeah, but I don’t mind,” she said, kissing his temple. His hand came up to hold her arms as he moved his other hand along the keys, playing a one-handed melody. “Are you okay?” He nodded, kissing her hand before saying, “I am great.”

“Me too.”

He nodded, a grin on his face as he continued to play.

“Do you not want to go back to bed?” she asked.

Tate shook his head. “I can’t sleep.”

“Oh, okay.” She kissed his cheek softly. Wanting to make him laugh, she said, “I could sleep for days after the acrobatics you put me through in the bedroom.”

Her intentions worked, and he smiled. “You will get used to it.”

Audrey giggled. “Lord, I hope not. I like the surprises you give me.”

Tate nodded, dropping both hands to the keys. Audrey watched for a moment, then whispered, “Can I watch you play?”

He turned his head, looking up at her with a grin. “Of course.”

Audrey almost hopped in excitement as she crawled up on the sleek dark-colored piano, sitting cross-legged as she smiled down at him. He looked up at her, and for some reason she saw pain in his eyes.

“What? Do you want me to get down?”

“Not at all. Matilda used to do that. She would sit up there for hours, writing in her book or playing with her dolls while I played.”

“Aw, that’s sweet. Y’all must be close. I can’t wait to meet her.”

She watched as Tate swallowed before giving her a small grin. “Yeah.”

Audrey smiled. “Well, play me something. Blow me away, Mr. Oooodder.”

Tate shook his head as a smile tugged at his mouth. “I have been working on something.”

“Really? What?”

He sat up and started playing a familiar song. When he looked at her and began to sing, she suddenly felt dizzy. Her hand came up to lightly clasp her throat as her heart pounded. His voice was low, rough-sounding, and she swore she could feel it in the pit of her stomach. While he sang, he didn’t look away, but held her gaze.

He was definitely her dream come true.

Letting her feet drop onto the keys, interrupting his playing, she reached for him, cupping his head with her hand and bringing him to her. He came willingly, his hands resting along her
sides as she pressed her lips to his. Using her other hand to cup his jaw, the sheet she held around her fell, leaving her completely naked in front of him. What she meant to be only a small thank-you kiss turned into some heaving petting. His hands came up, cupping her breasts as he pushed himself in between her legs. Backing away, she held his face in her hand before she said, “That was amazing, thank you.”

“It’s all for you,” he said gruffly. “Now come back here.”

He moved his hands between her thighs, cupping her dripping wet core, then dipped a finger inside her. Taking her mouth with his, he curved his finger inside her, going deeper into her slick opening. Biting her lip, he moved his fingers up to her clit, moving around the taut bud, causing her to moan into his mouth. At her release, she squeezed his biceps, gasping his name as he moved his fingers in and out of her quickly, heightening her sensations.

“Oh God,” he moaned in her ear as she squeezed his fingers with her hot body. She couldn’t breathe, and when he took her by the back of her knees, bringing her closer to the edge of the piano, breathing still wasn’t optional. Pushing down his shorts, he entered her with one quick move, filling her to the hilt before he pulled out and went back in slowly. He picked up speed, his hands squeezing hers as he pounded inside her. Audrey clenched her hands into a fist, letting out little spurts of air with every thrust.

When Tate stopped and pulled out of her, he dropped down between her parted legs and she looked down at him with a confused expression. Before she could say anything, he moved his mouth up her thighs, kissing and nipping, then running his tongue up her swollen lips.

“Again?” she asked, fighting for air.

“I’m always in the mood to make you come,” he said, then dipped his tongue inside her, lapping up her juices and teasing her sensitive bud. Audrey shouted, taking hold of his hair as
she rested one leg on his shoulder and the other on the edge of the piano. It didn’t take long before she was screaming and all but ripping his hair out of his head as she had her orgasm.

Again.

Opening her eyes, she watched as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, grinning up at her. She dropped her feet down on the bench and lowered herself onto his throbbing dick. His eyes slowly shut as she took every inch of him inside her. Gripping her ass when she wiggled her hips, he started to move her up and down his ripe, hot cock. She let out an agonized gasp and her nails dug into his shoulders as she rode him hard, her ass smacking against his thighs. Tate brought her lips to his, kissing her aggressively while his nails bit into her ass. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as she came, squeezing him hard. Within seconds he followed, biting down on her shoulder as he came too.

Still rocking together, Audrey kissed along his shoulder to his neck, nuzzling her nose in his beard, then kissing along his jaw. When Tate opened his eyes, she smiled, kissing his lips hard as his hands came up her back, cupping her shoulders.

“Did that really just happen?”

She grinned. “Um, yeah.”

“Shit,” he panted, then took a deep breath. “That was intense.”

“Everything about us is,” she gasped, her lips dusting his jaw.

“I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

She couldn’t agree more.

Tate left the next night. After spending the day, eating cupcakes and lying in bed while catching
up on their shows, Audrey couldn’t help but cry when he left. Of course, she didn’t do it in front of him. But when he got into Lucas’s truck and rode away, she cried the whole way into the house and then through her lonely dinner. It sucked, but she knew this was the life of a hockey girlfriend. She had seen Elli, Harper, and Fallon go through it, so she knew what to expect. She just wished it didn’t hurt so badly.

She knew Tate was coming home in four days, but after a couple of days she knew she couldn’t wait that long. It was crazy how much she wanted to be with him all the time. She didn’t know if it was because he was gone or because she just loved being around him. Probably the latter. There was something about the way he held her, and talked to her. It was different over the phone, when she missed the feel of his big warm hands. She was ready for hockey season to be over, but knew that was a good five to six months away.

Thankfully, she didn’t care about her job or have anyone who needed her home all the time, because otherwise her impromptu trips wouldn’t happen. Glancing down at her phone to see if Tate’s practice was over, she dialed his number.

“Hey,” he answered.

“Hey baby,” she said, smiling. “I can’t wait to see you. I’m impatient as all hell.”

Tate’s chuckles went straight between her legs, causing her to drift shut.

Man, she wanted him.

“I like that you are impatient,” he said. “How’s work going?”

“I keep hoping my dad will fire me. It hasn’t worked yet,” she said with a laugh.

“Baby, why don’t you quit?”

“And do what? Be a hockey groupie, following you everywhere?”

Tate laughed. “No, I was thinking more along the lines of opening that … you know.”

“What?” she said, trying to make him say it. She loved the way he said “cupcakery.” It was so cute.

“You are messing with me, aren’t you?”

She giggled. “Yes, but no, as much as I want to open my own place, I don’t have the balls to do it.”

“Yes, you do. I believe in you.”

Her heart warmed as she opened the car door and loaded up the backseat with the stuff she had. “Well thank you. Maybe I’ll get fired soon.”

“You are very hardheaded, you know that?”

“Yup,” she said, getting into her car.

“So,” he said in a low, sexy voice. She loved when he talked like that, in his
I’m gonna rip you apart
voice.

“So,” she cooed back.

“What color are your panties?”

Audrey giggled, pulling her pants out to see the bright blue lace panties that matched her tank top. “Blue.”

“Mmm,” he growled. “I can’t wait to rip them off you.”

Breathless, she gasped, fighting for air. This man did it for her in so many ways. With her hand on her chest, she said, “Oh my God, you are making my girlie parts happy.”

Tate started laughing, ruining their flirty conversation by saying, “Your what?”

She was pretty sure she had used that phrase around him before. “My girlie parts, my pussy.”

“Oh, well, baby,” he said, his voice going deep again.

She bit her lip with excitement. “Yeah?”

“I’m going to make that pussy scream.”

Yup, right back to where they started.

“Mm, I can’t wait.”

“Me neither,” he said, making her toes curl. “But unfortunately, I need to go now. I have lunch with the boys.”

“Wow, thanks! Get me all hot and bothered and then rush me off the phone.”

He chuckled as she rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, love, I will take care of you later.”

“You better,” she said through his chuckles. “All right, see you soon!”

“Can’t wait.”

Audrey’s grin was unstoppable as she drove to Rocky Top Wines. It was going to be a quick meeting and she was ready to get it over with. After parking the car, she grabbed her files and headed inside. Taking a different elevator than she normally would, she headed up to the second floor and down the hall to Fallon’s office. Rob, Fallon’s assistant, had an appreciative look on his face as he watched her enter. Dressed to impress, he wore dark blue slacks, a white dress shirt, and pink suspenders. His dark hair was brushed to the side and he had big geeky black glasses on. He was too cute for words.