Wicked Games (Denver Rebels) (15 page)

“Hey there, handsome,” she purred, batting her eyelashes at Reid. “Welcome back.”

“Holly,” he said, caught off guard by her unexpected appearance. “It’s, ah, good to see you.”

“Good to see you too.” Her green eyes lowered to his chest, lingering on the bare skin exposed by his partially unbuttoned shirt. “Mmm. Looks like I showed up just in time.”

Reid chuckled. “I was about to take a shower.”

“Good.” She slipped her palm inside his shirt to stroke his chest. “I’ll join you.”

“Uh, not so fast,” he said, stepping away from her.

Her hand dropped to her side, confusion flickering in her eyes. After another moment, she smiled seductively and drew her arms around his neck.

“No problem,” she breathed, backing him into the room. “We can shower afterward.”

“Not this time,” Reid murmured, removing her arms from around his neck.

She stared at him with a bewildered frown. “What the hell’s going on, Reid? Why are you acting like you don’t want me here?”

He gave her a steady look. “We need to talk.”

Her eyes narrowed. “About what?”

Reid stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter the room.

She hesitated a moment, then tossed her head and strutted forward.

Reid met Holly at a frat party during their freshman year at Boston College. She was one of the hottest sorority girls on campus, the first of many he’d bagged over the next four years. They’d dated only briefly because he was too focused on balancing hockey and academics to commit to a relationship. Right before graduation, he and Holly ran into each other at a nightclub and hooked up for old times’ sake. After that night, Reid never expected to see her again. But Holly apparently had other plans. When the Rebels came to Boston during his rookie season, she sought him out after the game. He took her to dinner, one thing led to another, and they wound up back at her apartment. That was the beginning of their no-strings-attached affair, an arrangement that satisfied both their needs.

Reid closed the door, then turned around slowly to face Holly.

She stood there toying with the belt of her trench coat. He knew from experience that she was practically naked underneath.

“If you’re worried about Viggo interrupting us,” she drawled, “I saw him in the lobby getting cozy with some blonde. I think he’ll have his hands full for a while.”

“Good to know.” Reid motioned to the desk chair. “Have a seat.”

Ignoring the chair, Holly sauntered over to the bed he’d claimed, her hips swaying provocatively beneath the leather trench. She sat on the end of the bed and crossed her long legs, watching as he walked toward her.

“You usually call me the day before you arrive,” she explained, unbuttoning her trench coat. “When I didn’t hear from you, I figured you were busy and just forgot to touch base. So I decided to come over and make sure you weren’t planning to skip town without seeing me.”

With that, she pulled open her coat to reveal the red lace teddy she wore. Her large breasts were spilling out over the top, her erect pink nipples visible through the sheer fabric.

Staring up at him, she licked her lips into a brazenly seductive smile. “I got a new teddy from Victoria’s Secret. Do you like it?”

“It’s nice,” Reid said. He’d have to be blind to think otherwise.

Satisfaction filled her eyes. “I bought it just for you.”

“You shouldn’t have. Really.” He reached down to button up her coat, covering her exposed breasts.

She pouted up at him. “Why did you do that?”

“Because.” Reid sank to a crouch in front of her, maintaining eye contact. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

A look of dread crossed her face. “What is it?”

“We can’t do this anymore.”

She frowned. “Why the hell not?”

Reid held her gaze. “I’ve met someone.”

Hurt flared in Holly’s eyes for the briefest moment, but then she smirked. “You’re always meeting someone,” she retorted dismissively. “The Internet is filled with pictures of all the ‘someones’ you’ve met.”

“This one is different,” Reid said quietly.

She snorted. “New pussy always feels different.”

“No.” He shook his head at her. “This isn’t about new pussy. I’m really into her, Holly. I want to see where things go with her.”

Holly searched his eyes. “Are you serious?”

“Very serious.”

She stared at him in wounded disbelief. “So what the hell are you saying, Reid? That you’ve been using me all this time until something better came along?”

Reid frowned. “C’mon, Holly. You knew what this was. We had an understanding, remember? We agreed to hook up when I came to town because we’re two mature adults who enjoyed sleeping together. But we also agreed that we could call it off any time and for any reason, no hard feelings.”

Her lips twisted bitterly. “Forgive me for not being a fucking android. Forgive me for not having ice in my veins like you obviously do!”

Reid grimaced. He felt like a dick. But it wasn’t his fault that she’d expected more from their fling. He’d been honest with her from the start, and he’d never made any promises he didn’t intend to keep.

He shook his head slowly at her. “I’m sorry you’re upset, Holly. But you had to know this arrangement had an expiration date.”

“Why?” she demanded, her eyes flashing with anger. “Why does there have to be a damn expiration date? We’ve known each other for ten years, Reid.
Ten years!
Is it so crazy that I was hoping we would eventually become more than fuck buddies? Is it so impossible for you to see me as a woman you could love even more than hockey? My God, Reid, that’s all I’ve ever wanted!”

He frowned at her. “What’re you talking about?”

“
Seriously
?” she shrieked, shoving at his chest. “I’ve always had feelings for you, you asshole! How could you not know that?”

Shit.
Reid rubbed a hand across his jaw and let out a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. You never told me.”

“Would it have made a difference?” she challenged hotly.

He held her gaze for a long moment. “You’re a beautiful woman, Holly. You deserve better than a once-a-year fling. You deserve a man who cherishes you and wants to be with you.” His tone gentled. “Unfortunately, that man will never be me.”

A flicker of pain crossed her face, tightening her mouth.

“All these years,” she said bitterly, “you never had time for a relationship because hockey consumed your whole life. Now all of a sudden you’ve met someone new, and your tune has totally changed.”

Reid said nothing.

As if struck by a sudden realization, Holly stared at him. “Oh my God. I just saw photos of you with some random black chick. Is
that
the bitch you’re dumping me for?”

Reid’s expression hardened. “Don’t call her that. You don’t know a damn thing about her.”

“I know she’s not even your type! Do you really expect me to believe you want
her
over me?”

“I don’t give a fuck what you believe.”

Holly’s face reddened. She shook her head at him. “You’re insane.”

Reid straightened from his crouch and stepped back. “It’s time for you to go.”

She met his eyes with sneering contempt. “Don’t come crawling back to me when you get bored with your little slave-girl fetish.”

“I won’t,” Reid said sardonically. “Trust me, darlin’, it’ll be a cold day in hell before you hear from me again.”

“Bastard!” Blinking back tears, she jumped up from the bed, shoved past him and stormed across the room. At the door, she turned and spat maliciously, “I hope you have a shitty season and miss the fucking playoffs!”

With that she slammed out the door.

“All righty then,” Reid muttered with a grim chuckle. That hadn’t gone as well as he’d hoped. But at least he’d gotten it over with.

At that moment his cell phone rang.

Welcoming the distraction, he walked over to the nightstand and picked up the phone. When he saw Nadia’s number, his pulse skipped two crazy beats. He found himself smiling even before he pressed the answer button and murmured, “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.” Her sweet voice was a soothing balm to his nerves after the ugly confrontation with Holly. “Just got your message. I was meeting with a student.”

“Yeah, I figured you were still at work,” Reid said.

“I just left. We get off early on Fridays—one of the perks of working at a community college.” There was a smile in Nadia’s voice. “I’m glad you made it safely to Boston. Did you get some sleep on the plane?”

“Not really.”

“No? That’s too bad. I know you need your rest. I’ll feel guilty if you play badly because you were sleep deprived.”

Reid smiled, touched by her words. When was the last time any woman—other than his mother and sisters—had showed concern for his well-being?

“I’ll catch up on sleep tonight,” he promised.

“You’d better,” Nadia said.

His smile deepened. Tucking one hand into his pocket, he sauntered to the window and stared out at downtown Boston. “So what’re you doing tonight? Got any plans?”

“Nothing special. Just hanging out with Jess.”

“Yeah? Where?”

“We’re going to happy hour. I owe her a rain check since we were supposed to go on Tuesday night.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Well, Nelson and I were on our way to meet her at the bar when his editor called to tell him that he had to cover your team’s practice. That’s why I was there with him.”

Reid smiled. “So that’s who I have to thank. Your brother’s editor.”

“Yes.” He could hear the answering smile in Nadia’s voice. “He’s the one who made it possible for our paths to cross that night.”

“How can I ever repay him?” Reid murmured.

Nadia laughed softly. “I think you already have. Giving Nelson a quote for his column did wonders for the
Dispatch.
You put the paper on the map, and Nelson says they’ve had a sharp increase in online subscriptions.”

“Yeah?” Reid said with a chuckle. “Glad I could help.”

“So is Nelson. He’s more popular than ever, and now he’s the envy of every hockey reporter in the world.”

“Couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy,” Reid said sincerely. “I’ve been reading his columns. He’s a great writer.”

“He is,” Nadia said proudly. “I’m thrilled to see him getting the recognition he deserves. And I’m grateful to you for making it happen.”

Reid grinned mischievously. “How grateful?”

“
Very
grateful.”

“Can you be more specific?”

She purred seductively, “I’m so grateful that I could just lay you down and…mmm. How about I just show you when you get home?”

That was all it took to get Reid hard. “Damn, woman.”

Her naughty little laugh sent a shiver through his body and a burst of heat to his throbbing groin. Closing his eyes, he leaned his forehead against the cool window and groaned. “You’re driving me out of my damn mind.”

“Am I?” She sounded wickedly pleased. “Then I guess I shouldn’t tell you about the sexy lace thong I’m wearing under my—”

At Reid’s tortured groan, she let out a peal of laughter. The sound was soft and melodic and so bewitchingly sweet it brought an ache to his chest.

He stared at his reflection in the cold glass, fascinated by the sparkle in his eyes and the smile softening his face. He looked so happy and relaxed, he almost didn’t recognize himself.

“I know I haven’t been gone even a day,” he murmured, “but I miss you.”

He heard Nadia’s breath catch, and wondered if he’d said too much, too soon. But then she whispered, “I miss you too.”

A rush of warm pleasure spread through him, making him smile before he shook his head. “It’s gonna be a long ass season.”

She sighed. “I know.”

For the first time ever, Reid found himself envying other guys whose jobs didn’t require them to travel so much.

“Since you attended college in Boston,” Nadia said, changing the subject, “do you catch up with old classmates while you’re in town?”

Reid grimaced, thinking of Holly. No way was he telling Nadia about her. “I always have dinner with my old coach, and he comes to the games.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Nadia said warmly. “It’s great that you’ve kept in touch.”

“Definitely.” Reid smiled. “Coach York was an amazing mentor. He made me a better hockey player. I owe him everything.”

“That’s so sweet, Reid. He must be so proud of you and the awesome career you’re having.”

“He is.” Reid chuckled. “But he still gives me constructive criticism after every game.”

Nadia laughed. “Gotta keep you humble, right?”

“Something like that.” Turning, Reid propped his shoulder against the window, keeping one hand tucked inside his pocket. “You’re gonna have to change for happy hour. You can’t wear that thong.”