KENNEDY

When I walk through the front door of Broad Street Beans ten minutes early for our coffee date, Tyler is already waiting at the table by the window where we sat last time. The usual crowds of fans that follow him everywhere hover around him as he signs their coffee cups and pieces of paper. I bet that part of being famous gets old after a while, but he seems to love every second of the attention.

I clear my throat when I reach his table, drawing angry looks from two blondes who are hovering over him and shoving their tits in his face.

Tyler slides his chair out from the table and stands, his gaze fixed on no one else but me. There’s a seriousness to his eyes, his expression and tone matching when he says, “I was afraid you wouldn’t come.” Then, he does something I do not expect and brushes off the bimbos and comes around to the other side of the table to pull out my chair.

“Have a seat.” He holds out his arm, waiting for me to sit down before he pushes in my chair. “What do you want? I’ll have them make it for you?”

The girl behind him flashes daggers in my direction and tugs on the edge of his fitted tee, her friend touching his biceps. He shakes them off, and before I can respond to his question, he turns to them, irritated.

“I’m sorry, ladies, but I have a date. It was nice meeting you.”

“She’s not even pretty,” one girl mutters under her breath.

The other girl speaks so low I cannot make out what she says to her friend, but I could care less what either of them thinks about me.

Tyler ignores their snarky remarks and locks onto me, sucking me in with one look. I wish he hadn’t been such an ass the other day because there is something so beautiful but sad behind his eyes, and when he stares at me, he looks at me as if he were looking right through me and into my soul.

“I’ll have a nonfat caramel macchiato and the brownie cheesecake,” I tell him as I slide my winter jacket off my shoulders and slip it over the back of my chair along with my messenger bag.

The corners of his mouth turn up into a devilish grin as he scans my body, assaulting me with one glance. “Coming right up.” He winks at me before making his way to the coffee counter to give our orders.

Retrieving a paper, pen, and tape recorder from my bag, I try to quell the nerves bubbling up inside my chest. Even though I have sat down with professional athletes a thousand times, I have never interviewed them about tough personal subjects.

Tyler returns a few minutes later, balancing a plate of cheesecake in his hand, the fork close to sliding off the edge. He sets the cake in front of me, followed by my espresso drink and gives me a napkin from his pocket. He’s so damn cute right now I want to get up and kiss the shit out of him. But, instead, I try to keep it professional as if that is even possible after the things we have done to each other.

He’s so big and muscular that he dwarfs the wooden chair, causing me to lose my focus because all I can pay attention to is how his muscles flex beneath the dark shirt that hugs his broad shoulders. I lick my lips without realizing I am doing it until Tyler laughs and snaps me out of my daze.

“You know,” he leans forward and places his elbows on the table, his voice low and sensual, “we can always take this back to my place if you want.”

“Not a chance,” I lie, wishing he’d finish what we started the other day.

I was so upset after I left his house, not only because he was a jerk but also because I had misread him, left myself too vulnerable and open to the idea of something more between us.

“You promised me you would talk.” My tone is firm and steady. ‘So, I expect you will hold up your end of the agreement.”

He nods, maintaining eye contact. “As long as you promise to keep what I tell you to yourself. This part of my life is not anyone’s business, and I don’t want to expose my family to a media nightmare over something that happened a long time ago.”

Taking a sip from the mug, I peek at the notes I had written down last night. What questions should I ask? Where do I even begin? After learning the dark truth about Tyler and his ex-girlfriend, I knew I couldn’t publicize his personal life.

“I thought you could give me more of an exclusive insight into the team and the organization as a whole. I want to know what it’s like to play for the team you grew up idolizing. I want to know why you started playing hockey and why you refuse to play for another team. I—”

Tyler stops me before I can continue. “That’s the story you want from me? And you will keep it professional? You won’t mention my family?”

“Yes, of course. You have my word.” I mean it.

“I was a little worried that you would write about Blake and Payton, and I just…” His voice trails off, as he looks away from me, ashamed. I can tell he didn’t want to give up his son in the way his body language shifts, but I also figured as much when I saw the adoption was open, allowing him to visit with his son every month.

“Can I ask you one thing that I swear will never go viral?”

He holds his breath far too long before letting it out. “I can’t guarantee I will answer, but what do you want to know?”

“Why did you give Blake up for adoption if you wanted to be part of his life?” Afraid my words came off too harsh, I stop myself for a second to rethink my next statement. “I know you go to the Hudsons house every month to visit him. That must be hard on you.”

He clenches his jaw, the tension in his body evident from his face down, making me nervous in response. “Look, I’m not angry with you or your questions. I want to tell you everything. I wish I could. But I am not used to sharing this part of my life with anyone. I don’t know you, even though I would like to get to know you better. Opening up to you, or anyone for that matter, is not something that comes easily to me.”

I reach across the table to touch him, provide him with some form of comfort, and he takes my hand in his and squeezes hard. “You can trust me, Tyler. I have known about Blake for days and haven’t said a word to anyone. Whatever tough guy front you put on with me at your house cannot happen again if you want me to give you another shot. Understand?”

“Yes, but you also have to realize that this is a big step for me and that no amount of pushing and prodding will get you the answers you are looking for.”

“Okay, then start talking. I want to know what happened and why you have kept Blake a secret.”

He lowers his head, avoiding direct eye contact with me. “It’s a long story.”

I run my thumb across his skin and grip his hand. “I have time.”

He glances over his shoulder to scan the coffee shop. “Can we do this somewhere more private?”

“I don’t live far from here. How about my apartment?”

He nods. “That’s perfect.”

* * *

After I make a pot of coffee and pour us each a cup, I set the mugs down on the coffee table in the living room in front of Tyler and take a seat next to him.

“I don’t know if I’m ready…” He stops for a second to collect his thoughts before locking onto me. “But I will try to tell you everything.”

I clamp down on his arm, all too aware of how tight his biceps feel beneath my fingers. “We don’t have to do this.”

“No, I want to, believe me, I do. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep this part of my life private, never allowing anyone to get too close out of fear they will run to the news and blab their mouth? You already know the truth, so there’s no point in trying to pretend that you are wrong.”

Holding my other hand up to my heart, I say, “I won’t tell a soul. I promise.”

“I know.” He smiles but only for a second before it’s replaced by a frown. “We were seventeen when Payton got pregnant. The first time I saw her,” the corners of his mouth turn up as he speaks about her, “I was a goner. She was pretty, smart, funny, and knew all the right things to say. I was an awkward, lanky kid at the time. I was shocked when she agreed to go out with me. Over time, I had grown into my body and made the varsity hockey team, but she gave me a chance before I was the Tyler Kane everyone knows now. She was the love of my life. Everyone loved her. I had all of my firsts with Payton.”

Tyler leans back and into the wall of couch pillows, taking a second to suck in a deep breath and let it out before he continues. “My parents flipped out when Payton and I told them she was pregnant. They wanted Payton to have an abortion. I wanted her to keep the baby, but I had no idea how I would raise a child without an income. My dad said if we decided to raise Blake that I was out on the street. His focus was on my hockey career, and he wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of me going pro. The funny thing is he changed his mind after Blake was born, but it was too late by the time he had come around.”

“Payton’s parents are the devout Catholic type that goes to church every weekend. They were against abortion and wanted Payton and me to give Blake up for adoption. After she started to show, her parents sent her to live with her grandparents in New York. That was how we found the Hudsons. For the last five months of her pregnancy, Payton lived down the street from Blake’s adoptive parents. She would go for walks around the neighborhood with her grandmother and talk to the neighbors, and when Payton found out the Hudsons had been trying to have a baby for three years without any luck, she asked them if they were looking into adoption.”

“Britt and Steve Hudson went to all of Payton’s doctor's appointments. Britt was even her partner in her Lamaze classes. They are good people, the best. As much as I didn’t want to give Blake up for adoption, I knew they were the right fit for my son. I wasn’t in the mental or financial position to take care of a baby, and Payton’s family wanted her to have a future that didn’t involve me.”

“How come you went with an open adoption?” I try to be as delicate as possible with my questions. “I’m just surprised that you never missed a visit with Blake in over eight years.”

His facial expression matches the pain behind his eyes, all of his emotions running through them at once. I am numb from his story, mostly because I am having a hard time processing the information, but I also feel so much anxiety and anguish knotting my stomach from his revelation. I cannot even imagine what it must be like for Tyler.

“I thought that if I worked hard enough and made it pro that I would be able to get Blake back. I guess I didn’t understand how an open adoption worked. But I’m glad we went that route because I couldn’t live with myself knowing my son was out there and I didn’t do everything in my power to see him.”

“And Payton…she still goes every month with you and your parents.”

“Yeah, she brings her son with her to play with Blake. Sometimes her husband comes with them.” He leans his head back against the couch and stares up at the ceiling, clutching my hand. “I hate seeing them together and happy. We were supposed to be together as a family. That’s what I had planned for us before I realized how wrong I was about the adoption process. Payton and I stayed together through the NHL Draft and mid-way into my first year with the Flyers, but we had grown too much apart over Blake. A part of me resented her for being able to give away our son and move on with her life when I was not able to do the same thing. I still resent her for it because I cannot let go of the past.”

“You still love her, don’t you?” I ask the question even though I already know the answer from the way he speaks about her.

“She’s the only girl I have ever been in love with. I wish I didn’t feel a thing for her because it would make this situation between us a lot easier, but I can’t deny the fact that she stills holds onto a piece of me and our life that we shared together for so many years.”

I scoot closer to him on the couch, our mouths so close, inches apart. “Thank you for sharing this with me, Tyler.”

He breathes against my lips and rubs my jaw with his calloused thumb as he cradles my face in his big hand. “Thank you for listening without judging me.”

“Of course,” I whisper, the tension between us burning like a lit match.

“You’re beautiful, Kennedy.” His words fill me with so much happiness. “It’s been a long time since I felt anything for a woman, but you…”

“I’m different,” I add, thinking of how many times I have heard this from a man and want to roll my eyes.

“No, I wouldn’t say that at all. You’re interesting and smart, you always make me laugh, and when I’m around you, I can talk to you, be open about my life. I don’t have my wall up around you, which is nice because I am so used to shielding myself from people, forced to keep my secrets to myself. It’s not easy being two different people.”

“I like the real Tyler Kane much better than the hockey player—”

Before I can finish the sentence, Tyler’s lips crash against mine, and his tongue slips inside my mouth as he pulls my head closer, stroking my cheek the entire time, as he deepens the kiss. Without breaking away from him, I climb onto his lap, my knees digging into the couch and my thighs molding around his. He doesn’t waste time removing my shirt and bra. My clothes hit something on the table behind me with a thud, but neither of us stops to find out what fell over.

Taking his time, he sucks and nibbles on my nipple while massaging my other breast with his big hand. On some level, I think this is wrong. We were just talking about his child and his ex, but what Tyler is doing with his mouth is making me dripping wet, and it feels too good to stop. He needs to work through his pain and anger about the past. Maybe I can be the person to help him.

Feeling beneath his fitted shirt, my hands travel over his sculpted stomach, and my fingers work on getting the button of his jeans open so I can slide my hand through the slit in his boxers. He stops kissing me long enough to remove his shirt and lift his hips to push his pants and boxers down far enough that I can grab ahold of his giant cock with both hands. My hands seem so small in comparison, and with each stroke, I pick up my pace, now getting the hang of how fast he likes it.

“I want to come in your mouth,” he groans, his head titled back against the couch cushion and his hand clutching my waist.

I slide off him and onto the sofa, getting on my knees as I lean over him, still stroking his cock as I lower my mouth and lick the tip. As my tongue glides along his sensitive skin, he makes a hissing noise that almost sounds painful but is so fucking hot I can feel my juices slide down my thigh.

Fitting him in my mouth is always a challenge because it’s not just his length that is overwhelming. But I do my best to trick him into thinking I have all of him in my mouth, rubbing the tip against the roof of my mouth to give him the same satisfaction without having to check my gag reflex. Sydney once wrote an article on how to give a proper blow job, and since she’s far more experienced than me, I learned this little trick from her.

Tyler twists some of my hair through his fingers, holding my head in place, damn near ripping a chunk out, as he comes in my mouth. There’s something about the noises a man makes when he comes that I swear is hotter than the act itself. Not all men have the same reaction, some are what Sydney and I call silent cummers, but Tyler…Oh, my God, this man is hot as puck.

I barely have enough time to swallow before his hands are on me again. He pushes me onto the couch, my back landing flat against a pillow. After removing his shoes and pants, naked and looking like a fucking sex god, he climbs on top of me, separating my thighs with his hand. The skirt I have on allows him easy access.

“You’re wearing something normal today,” he says with a smirk. “I like this skirt, but I like you better out of it.”

He slides the material up my legs and peels back my panties, tugging at the lace until I hear them tear.

I frown because he just ruined La Perla lingerie. “Hey, those were expensive.” My voice is playful though somewhat irritated.

“I’ll buy you new ones,” he says, this time pulling hard enough to rip them off me. “I’ll buy you a whole fucking lingerie store if that means getting these off so I can fuck you.”

I laugh and wrap my legs around his back. “Roxie isn’t here to get in the way this time.”

A smile stretches across his handsome face. “Nope. You’re pussy is mine now, and no one is getting in the way.”

He leans over the side of the couch and reaches into the pocket of his pants to retrieve a condom. Without wasting time, he opens the foil packet and rolls the latex down his length, positing himself between my legs. My body tenses for a second, nervous in anticipation of his giant cock. Most of the men I have had sex with were average or slightly above the norm. But Tyler is so big I wonder if it will even fit.

He eases into me slowly, giving me a few seconds to adjust to his size. More like I need a few minutes because he barely has it in and I’m already in pain.

“You okay?” he asks after I bite down on my lip and close my eyes.

I open my eyes and nod, digging my heel into his back. “Yesss,” I purr. “Please, don’t stop.”

As he slides in and out of me, careful not to hurt me, I get used to him, and with some of the pain comes intense pleasure. Tyler picks up the pace, his movements so in sync as he grips my hips and fucks me. He really fucks me, hard and fast. This time, he doesn’t wait for me to give him the go ahead, and I don’t need it.

“Tyler,” I moan, scratching my nails down his arms.

“That’s it, babe. Come for me,” he says, his voice soft.

No problem.

With a firm grip, he lifts my legs over his shoulders and pushes further inside me. This. Feels. So. Good. I don’t want him to stop. Ever. My insides clench, a brush of heat spreading from my cheeks to my toes, as my moans turn into screams and an intense orgasm rocks through me, commanding control over my body. I have come undone.

Tyler has crazy fucking stamina—not that I am the least bit surprised with him being a pro athlete. He pumps faster, the sweat trickling down his forehead with each thrust, dripping onto my leg as he kisses my skin. We lock eyes, another earth-shattering orgasm brewing within, and when he starts to groan, his facial expression changes, a look so sexy I come again.

His body trembles one last time before he leans down to kiss me, slow and passionate as if we had made love instead of fucked. After he leaves a trail of kisses along my chest, he slides out of me. I have no doubt I will be sore in the morning after all the hammering he did between my legs.

Tyler heads to the bathroom, naked and glistening with sweat, his toned body perfection in every way. I could admire him all day. Not until he saunters back into the room with a bright smile on his face does it register that I just fucked Tyler Kane. I have a slight fangirl moment because…I just had sex with Tyler Kane, the highest paid player in the NHL.

I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I have been a fan of his since his first year in the league, and as a hometown boy, he has gotten a lot more attention around here than other players. And he deserves it. He’s hands-down the most talented center in the NHL, outscores all of the people who play his position, and is by far, one of the fastest and most dominating skaters on the ice.

And he just wrecked my pussy, took charge of my body and fucking destroyed me. I loved it, loved every second of him taking what he wanted. I need more. But he has other plans, stepping into his boxers and jeans, flashing me an evil grin as he dresses.

I feel so exposed and shove my skirt back down over my thighs, then search for my bra and shirt. I find them on the coffee table, soaked in coffee because they landed right in our mugs.

“Stay like that,” Tyler says after he slips his shirt over his head and tugs it down his torso. “I want to remember this for later.”

I laugh, about to get up from the couch when he plops down next to me, hugging me against his chest. “I want to see you again. I thought I could give you a tour of the Wells Fargo Center this week. I’ll call Mike in the morning to schedule a meeting with him so you can get all the info you want on the trades. Sound good?”

“Yeah, that would be awesome. Thank you, Tyler.”

“It’s a date then.” He says, confident and with a wicked smile that matches mine.

“Yep, it’s a date.”

I am going on a date with Tyler Kane. A small part of me giggles and squeals with delight, but I try to hide my excitement from Tyler. I can have my fangirl moment later with Sydney.