The Sweetest Seduction, Breakaway Hearts (21 page)

Now it was his turn to shiver. Every sound she made, every miniscule movement, took on an erotic level. The ache from his dick spread into his balls, a warning sign that he was getting close to coming, but he couldn’t tear himself away from her breasts and the seductive murmurs she gave with each nip and flick on his tongue.

Her low moans rose into sharp cries. Her hips bucked under him, grinding even harder against his cock, but still he kept on. He couldn’t get enough of her.

Then, in one swift movement, she flipped him onto his back and straddled his waist. “Enough,” she said in a shaky voice, her breath coming in short bursts. “I need you in me now.”

He grinned while she slipped his boxers off with one swift pull, followed by her own panties. Another first for him. Usually he was the one begging and pleading to get naked, waiting patiently for his partner to give consent. Hailey didn’t ask—she acted.

That dimple reappeared as she stared at his fully erect cock, her eyes widening. “My God, you’re huge.”

His moment of pride faded into pure bliss the second she took him into her mouth. So hot. So wet. He couldn’t fight back the groan that rose from his chest. This was what a blow job should feel like. He dug his fingers into the covers while her tongue swirled along his shaft all the way up to the tip and back down again. The tightness in his balls increased with every bob of her head. A whimper formed in his throat, and he found himself begging, “Stop, please, stop.”

She released him and leveled her gaze with his. A look of worry flashed across her face. “Was I doing something wrong?”

“No, not at all.” His lungs bellowed as quickly as hers had when she’d stopped him earlier. “But if you keep that up, I’ll be coming way too soon for you to enjoy it.”

A laugh of relief brought that dimpled grin back. “We can’t have that, now, can we?” She grabbed the condom from the nightstand. “Ready for this?”

He’d been ready since the moment their lips touched.

He sat up to take it from her, taking a moment to sneak in one more kiss. The taste of her desire was even stronger than before, and yet it tempered his enough to where he wasn’t worried about coming the moment he got inside her. He wanted to last as long as possible, to draw this out as much as he could, and to savor every second with her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair as she deepened the kiss. Gone was the “give me a quick fuck” vibe. Her tongue followed his slower tempo in a sensual dance that spread fire through his veins.

Ben closed his eyes and drew in her clean scent. She smelled like soap and snow, like ice and Red Vines. No heavy flowery or girly, fruity perfumes on her. Just a fragrance that was uniquely hers.

She ended the kiss, gulping for air, her eyes downcast and her bottom lip quivering. “Ben, what do you want from me?”

More than one night.

The thought ambushed him and squeezed his chest tight. He’d just met Hailey. He hardly knew anything about her other than she was Canadian and loved hockey as much as he did. And yet he wanted more. He wanted to hang out with her, to watch more games with her, to sit next her at dinner, and hold her hand while he got to know her better.

But he dared not mention that to her. The last thing he wanted was to scare her away when he was this close to finding his release. Maybe he could bring it up afterward and ask for her number, see where things went. But right now, he needed her as much as she said she needed him.

He opened the wrapper and rolled the condom on with reckless abandon.

She nodded as though she understood what he was thinking and pulled him down to the mattress with her, guiding his cock toward the entrance of her sex.

He eased into her and sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. Being inside her was even better than he’d imagined.

“You feel like heaven,” she said softly.

His voice broke. “So do you.”

“More, Ben.” She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper into her. “I need more.”

And he’d gladly give it to her. He started slowly, intent on drawing out the exquisite friction like he had with their kiss. He pulled out until just the tip was inside her before sliding back in as far as he could. The base of his spine tingled, and sweat beaded along his forehead. Even taking it slow, it was almost too much.

He stilled, trying to focus his mind on anything other than how wonderful she felt so he didn’t come right there.

She gave him an impatient roll of her hips. “Faster, Ben.”

Oh, fuck it!

He gave up on trying to outlast every guy she might have been with before. If he didn’t start moving soon, neither of them would come. He pumped his hips up and down, finding a rhythm they both could enjoy, and was rewarded by a brilliant smile.

“Yes, Ben, there, right there.”

Her praise encouraged him. He picked up the pace, going deeper with each thrust, his pulse quickening with every sigh of pleasure.

Hailey arched her neck back, inviting him to taste its delicate hollows while her body rose to meet him. Her legs tightened around his waist. Her fingers ran up his spine and curled in his hair, her breath sharp and shallow. Her words became incomprehensible, yet they continued to flow from her lips.

The ache at the base of his cock returned with a vengeance that signaled the point of no return. He bit his bottom lip and moved harder, faster, determined to make her come before he did.

She locked her gaze with his. “So close, Ben, I’m so—”

Her words broke off in a strangled cry, and her inner walls clenched around him, squeezing him until he could no longer hold back his orgasm. He plunged into her one more time and cried out her name as he came.

Time seemed to stop. The throbbing of his heart vibrated all the way through his cock, reminding him he was still alive, even as the rest of his body refused to obey his commands. His muscles stiffened, paralyzing him until he was helpless to do anything but stare down at her and enjoy the waves of bliss that rolled though him.

Then his arms gave out on him, and he collapsed on top of her. “That was awesome,” he said, his voice raw and exhausted.

“You took the words right out of my mouth.” She continued to run her hands up and down his spine in a leisurely manner that threatened to lull him to sleep. “You wouldn’t happen to have another condom in your pocket, would you?”

He gave a snort of laughter. The only reason he’d had the first one was because his brother supplied it. He wasn’t the type who kept a condom in his pocket “just in case.” “I’m afraid not.”

She gave him a sigh. “Too bad. I was hoping we could have another go at it once you’d recovered.”

It was tempting. Very tempting. And she’d mentioned she was on the pill, so the risk was low.

He lifted his head and gave her a sleepy smile. “It’s up to you.”

She grinned and brushed his hair back from his face. “You look like you’re ready to pass out on me.”

“You were the one ordering me to go harder and faster.”

She chuckled and looked away. “You know, this is not something I usually do, but I’m glad I came back with you tonight.”

His gut clenched when she lifted her eyes to him and waited for his response. “Yeah, me, too.”

He wanted to say more, to follow up with his plan to ask for her number and suggest they stay in touch, but his tongue felt as floppy and heavy as the rest of his body. He rolled over to the side, taking her with him.

She stretched out alongside him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Get some sleep while you can, Ben.”

He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent, and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he was alone. The alarm clock read 3:34 AM. The rumpled sheets next to him marked where Hailey had been, but they’d long gone cold.

He sat up and called out her name, but no answer came. He stood and searched the room for any sign of her but found nothing. Her clothes were gone. She was gone, and he had nothing left but a memory.

Damn it!

Ben sank back down on the bed and ran his fingers through his hair, cursing his missed opportunity. He should’ve asked for her number when he had the chance. Now, he had no idea how to find her. He didn’t even know her last name.

After moping for a few minutes, he looked down and realized he’d been so exhausted, he hadn’t even disposed of the condom. He picked up the wilted piece of latex, noting the unusually scant amount of cum that remained in it, and went to the bathroom to throw it away.

And there, written on a hotel notepad on the counter, was a note.

Dear Ben,

Thanks for everything. I’ll never forget tonight.

<3,

Hailey

He traced the grooves made by the pen, stopping at the small heart she’d drawn at the bottom, and shivered in the cold. Regret clawed at his insides like a wild bear. He might have missed his chance with her, but he wouldn’t forget tonight, either.

He ripped off the note, folded it into quarters, and shoved it into the back of his wallet

Chapter Two

Nine Years Later

The ice called to him.

After he’d torn up his knee, Ben had sworn he’d never go near a hockey rink again.

And yet there he stood in the shadows, holding on to his cane with white knuckles while he watched some teenagers scrimmage, wishing he could go out there and join them.

“Come on, guys,” the coach barked. “Erikson’s tearing you to shreds out there.”

He followed the coach’s finger to the player with the puck. The kid was tall and thin, probably a junior member of the team judging by his lack of muscle mass. But what he lacked in size, he made up for with speed and skill. He handled the puck as well as any player Ben had faced in the NHL, shifting left and then right, throwing his opponent off guard with a deke and slipping past him into the breakaway. One slap shot later, the puck was in the net.

A groan came up from the team as Erikson raised his hands in the air and skated a small victory lap around the rink.

The coach mumbled something under his breath and stared at his clipboard before scribbling a note on it. “That’s six, guys. You’re embarrassing me.”

It wasn’t until Erikson came closer that Ben knew the reason why.

Erikson was girl.

The helmet had concealed her hair, but there was no mistaking the feminine curve of her lips or the thick fringe of her lashes. A pair of matching dimples cut into her cheeks as she gave one of the guys a playful hip check, and an odd feeling of déjà vu washed over him. She looked familiar, but he couldn’t remember why.

His curiosity propelled him from the shadows and down the stairs toward the coach, his knee no longer protesting each step. He waited until the coach finished calling the next play before he asked, “Local team?”

The coach jumped, then gave him a narrow-eyed once over. “I haven’t seen you before.”

Ben smothered a laugh. After years of being recognized everywhere he went, the anonymity was nice for a change. Amazing what losing a playoff beard and getting a haircut could do. He hadn’t worn his hair this short since before he was drafted. “I’m new in town.”

The coach peered closer, and for a second, Ben feared his secret was out. “I know I’ve seen you before. Ever play hockey?”

Ben grinned. “Yeah, just a bit.”

“I thought so. You’re built like a power forward.”

He wasn’t the first coach who’d said that. At six-four and two hundred and forty pounds, he’d always been one of the biggest players on the team, but he lacked the aggressive nature to play that position. Instead, he’d made a successful career of playing goalie. All-Pro teams, Olympic medals, even trips to the Stanley Cup finals.

Until one bad collision twelve weeks ago had ended all that.

He’d retreated to the resort town of Cascade, British Columbia, to lick his wounds, but after a week stuck in his home, the solitude became unbearable. He came down the mountain and drove through the small town where most of the locals lived, winding up at the only thing he knew.

The ice rink.

He stood quietly by the coach and observed the next play. Erikson was on the defensive now. She bit her blades into the ice, catching up to the player with the puck and passing him. With a quick half turn, she was in front, skating backward, and she snatched the puck away as the player stumbled and skidded into the boards. She took it coast to coast, and the puck soared through the biggest five-hole he’d ever seen on a goalie.

The coach threw his clipboard on the bench. “Aw, come on, Watson! You can’t leave a hole like that, especially with her. You want to make amateur league or not?”

Erikson plowed to a stop and helped the goalie up. “Give him a break, Gus. I caught him off guard.”

“You caught him sleeping in his skates.” He paced back and forth, running his fingers through his sparse hair. “All right, that’s enough. Hit the showers.”

“You’re letting them off lightly,” Ben murmured. “My old coach would have had us skating sprints after practice.”

“Yeah, but my boys just took on Erikson, so they’ve been punished enough.”