Chapter Two
Vadmir took a right off the turnpike and pulled up to a small, wood-clad bar. It was fake Western complete with a rail to tie up non-existent horses, and had saloon-style doors. Above it a sign shaped like a spur read Watering Hole.
“Wait there,” he said after he’d turned off the engine.
“Why?”
“Just wait.” He unfolded his big body from the car and strolled ’round the front, his finger gliding over the bonnet. He then pulled open my door and held out his hand. “There you go.”
I smiled. “I can open a car door, you know.”
“I’m sure you can, but a lady shouldn’t have to when there is a gentleman around.”
Oh, he was a charmer all right. And with that spark in his beautiful blue eyes and that cheeky grin, he could be very dangerous indeed.
Or perhaps he could be just what I needed.
I took his hand. His hold was solid as I straightened.
“Phew, it’s getting hotter out here,” I said, “and it’s only March.”
“There’s still thick snow on the ground in my hometown,” he said, grabbing a dark green sports cap from the glove compartment. He pulled it low on his head and clicked his car locked.
“At least you get a few hours a day at the rink, in the cold.”
“Yes, that time in the cold is good.” He slipped an arm around my waist and urged me forward. He stooped slightly, as though trying to make himself inconspicuous, which was impossible given his size.
The Watering Hole was cool and dark and a familiar country song was playing on a jukebox. The floor was made of something designed to look wooden but felt like linoleum underfoot.
Vadmir dropped his arm from my waist as we walked toward the bar.
I missed his touch.
“What are you having?” he asked, looking down at me.
“A cola thanks.”
“JD with that?” He tugged on his bottom lip with his teeth and appeared to be holding in a grin, as though daring me to throw caution to the wind.
“No.” I smiled. “Too early in the day for me to hit the booze.” Besides, if I was going to be lucky enough to get up close and personal with him, I wanted to be compos mentis, store the whole experience accurately in my memory to bring out on lonely nights and long flights.
“Two colas,” he ordered, holding up his index and middle finger to the barman.
The barman stared at him for a second too long and then set to filling up a couple of tumblers from the draft. “Here,” he said, sliding them toward us. “On the house.”
“Nah, I’ll pay,” Vadmir said, shoving five his way.
The barman shrugged, took it and then pushed forward a pen and a cardboard bar mat. “Can I get your autograph? I root for the Vipers every game.” He gestured to a board behind him. It was covered in red and white Vipers paraphernalia including a pic of Vadmir with his arm around the team captain who’d I’d seen earlier. They were both grinning broadly and their shiny black gum guards gave them a menacing appearance despite the obvious jubilation of the moment.
“Sure,” Vadmir said, hovering the pen over the paper. “Who is it for?”
“Devon,” the barman said. “Please.”
Vadmir quickly scrawled on the mat and pushed it back.
“Thanks,” the barman said, grinning and spinning to the wall behind him. He set about rearranging the existing pictures and newspaper clippings to accommodate the new autograph.
Vadmir picked up the colas and turned to me. “Quiet corner?”
“Yes, sounds good.”
He led the way to what was indeed a dark and quiet corner. I took the opportunity to study his butt—it was high and taut and his jeans sat just right, and damn, he had long legs, like super-model-long legs, and I’d wager they were as solid as his arms were.
Feeling a little in awe of his physical size, I scooted into the booth opposite him and sipped my drink through the yellow-striped straw. He dropped his gaze down my throat and I wondered if he was watching me swallow—I wondered if he was imagining what it would be like to shove his cock in my mouth and come. Would I swallow then? Was his cock as big as the rest of him?
“So,” I said, licking my lips. “What are the chances of your team picking up the cup this season?” Harmony had mentioned something about a cup, I was sure of it.
He cleared his throat and captured my gaze with his. “Good, more than good, things are going…swell.”
“Swell, mmm….” Despite the cool drink I was hot and the word swell, damn, it made me think of swollen, engorged. Fuck, I was getting horny. I squirmed on the leather seat, plucked a band from my purse and set about scooping my hair onto the top of my head. I collected it in a thick ponytail then wound the band at the base.
Again he watched my movements, then took a long slug of his drink.
My breasts shifted beneath my t-shirt. He appeared to struggle momentarily on keeping his attention on my hair but then he gave in and his eyelids drooped and he watched my chest.
My nipples were tight and tingling and I knew without looking they’d be poking at my top.
“Phew, that’s better,” I said, “it’s hot in here.”
He grinned, slow and lazy, as if he had all the time in the world. “You’re hot,” he said, tipping his head and returning his attention to my face. “Like real hot, and real pretty, too.”
“Why thank you.” I steepled my hands beneath my chin and leaned forward on the table. I then studied the dampness on his soft bottom lip—a residual speck of moisture from his drink. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
He laughed, a low chuckle and winked. “So I’ve been told.”
“I can’t imagine a player for the Vipers doesn’t know what he’s worth. You must be very talented to be on the team.”
“Yeah, I’m talented.” He paused. “And not just at hockey.”
I shrugged, trying to go for nonchalant, but I was enjoying our banter. “So what else can you do?” Jesus, I could just imagine.
He sat back and folded his arms, his knuckles pressing against his biceps. “Wanna find out…Sammy? Want me to show you what else I can do?”
My belly clenched and a quiver attacked my inner thighs. They were a loaded couple of questions that I didn’t need decoding. He wanted to know if I was going to fuck him today. If I wanted to find out what else he was good at.
Hell yes.
I was a woman with needs and, from where I was sitting, I’d wager Vadmir Arefyev would be able to fulfill those needs and then some. Likely a few I hadn’t even known needed attending to. I also had an empty evening ahead of me now Harmony had taken off, so what harm could a little company do? Hot, horny male company with no strings attached and a body of the incredibly lickable variety.
He was still studying me. His mouth had closed as though holding in more words as my brain formed an answer to his questions. Would I bolt? Slap him for his boldness? Or would I tell him that I’d been having dirty thoughts about sucking his cock for the last few minutes?
I reached for my drink again. Slurped up the last dregs of cola and then pushed it aside.
“My hotel is only five minutes from here,” I said. “Is your place closer?”
He shook his head. “No, ma’am. It’s about fifteen.”
“Then we should go to mine and you can show me your other…skills.” I paused. “I’m guessing you need privacy to do that.”
“Privacy is a definite requirement.” He unfolded his arms and leaned forward, coming so close to me I could smell his earthy cologne again. “I don’t want Devon over there snapping pics of my naked ass for his memorabilia wall. My new boss, she would likely have something to say about that.”
“I guess so.” Now I knew, without a doubt we were on the same page. And thank the Lord for that, because I was going to get up close and personal with a sexy Russian ass and I could hardly wait.
* * * *
The drive to the Daylight Hotel took a grand total of four minutes. Vadmir was foot-to-the-floor the entire way. He didn’t speak, just glanced at me a couple of times with a decidedly hungry look in his eyes.
But that was okay, because I was planning on letting him feast on me in the most unwholesome of ways. I just hoped he could walk the walk as well as talk the talk because I was buzzing for a bit of action.
He slammed to a stop underneath the hotel’s covered entrance, tossed the keys to a valet and, after opening my car door, strutted through the automatic doors into the foyer with his hand pressed against the small of my back.
I glanced around, hoping to God I wouldn’t see any of my flight team hanging about. I didn’t. They were most likely at the malls or sleeping. Luckily I was an old hat at shift work and lived in my own time zone.
“The elevators are this way,” I said, gesturing past a large urn holding orange and purple parrot flowers.
“Yup,” he said in a grunting tone.
Vadmir stabbed the call button and the doors opened immediately.
We stepped in and the doors swished shut. As we were pulled upward silence surrounded us.
I looked at our reflections in the smoky-metal surface of the doors. I barely came up to his shoulder and was half his width, I’d guess I weighed a fraction of him and one of his legs was as thick as both of mine. A study of the bulge in his groin also told me that Vadmir Arefyev was primed and ready to go.
A small tremor of nerves fizzed through me and I clenched my fists. He really was enormous in every sense of the word.
He caught me staring.
“You still want to do this?” he asked, pushing his right hand into his jeans pocket and appearing to adjust himself.
“Do you?” I looked up into his clear eyes.
“I can’t think of a better way to spend the rest of the day than with a hot chick.” He paused. “And if naked is working for you, Sammy, then that’s good for me.” He turned from our reflections, rested his hand on my shoulder then smiled down at me, his whole face softening. “But if you want a movie and dinner that is cool, too.”
His touch unleashed a craving deep inside of me, and I knew a movie and dinner wasn’t going to cut it, not by a long shot. But it was sweet of him to suggest it.
I placed my hand over his, circled his wrist with my fingers then slid them up to his elbow, forcing the blond hairs back on themselves. His skin was soft but the tendons and roped muscles beneath were solid and thick. “Vadmir, I think we both know what we really want so let’s not beat around the bush anymore.”
“Beat around the bush?” He frowned a little. “What is that?”
“You know, pretend we want dinner and a movie when what we really want is each other.”
He grinned and the sinful glint returned to his eyes. “Ah, yes, okay. I understand what you are saying.” He moved closer and slid his hand from my shoulder to the back of my neck. “No more beating the bush.”
I was going to reply with a smart answer but I didn’t. Instead I concentrated on him. Each one of his fingers pressed on my nape in a comforting yet possessive hold. He loomed over me, his scent and his body heat invading my senses. Up close I could see pale stubble covering the skin above his top lip and a tiny freckle to the right of his cupid’s cusp.
I placed my hands on his chest. His pectoral muscles were wide and dense and pressed against the material of his t-shirt. I caught my breath and my breasts hitched.
He lowered his face to mine.
I leaned in, my concentration firmly on his mouth. Damn, I wanted that mouth on me. I wanted my mouth on him.
With a tinny ping the elevator doors slid open. He quickly released me and backed away.
I felt bereft. My heart was racing and my knees weak.
Quickly I gathered myself together. I had things to attend to and standing in an elevator wasn’t going to get me anywhere.
“This way.” I strutted out of the lift and along the carpeted corridor, being sure to wiggle my ass for his enjoyment.
He was close behind me, real close. I could hear him breathing. Luckily there was no one around because as we reached my door his hands were on my buttocks, groping and squeezing and exploring the shape of my hotpants and what was beneath.
My pussy clenched and heated. I fumbled with the keycard, but only for a moment because then I flung the door open and we tumbled inside.
A loud bang told me he’d back-kicked it shut and I found myself pinned against the wall by a very big, very hard hockey player.
I tilted my chin and stared into his eyes. “Bring it on,” I said with a sassy grin as I pressed my breasts into his torso.
He hooked his arm beneath my right leg and pulled it up around his waist. His left hand was still on my ass.
“You sure?” he asked, his lips brushing mine and the stiffness of his cock pressing against my pussy through our clothes. “Are you sure you want to see what else I am good at?”
I tightened my leg around him and gripped his shoulders. “Hell yeah and get on with it. Show me what you Russian boys are made of.”