Chapter 12—Body Check

They ate dinner at a small Asian restaurant. Family owned, and the owners weren’t hockey fans. Drew had been there a few times before, and they never recognized him as a sports star, just a returning patron. This late at night, they had the place to themselves.

They lingered over a glass of dessert wine, leaning on their elbows and staring into each other’s eyes like the lovesick fools they both were. Or, at the least, he was. To the casual observer, they looked like a couple in love. Drew wasn’t sure what they were, but Marina made him feel good about himself. When he was with her, his life seemed brighter and more hopeful. She warmed him from the inside out. Just gazing into her eyes made him feel like a superhero, and he wanted to be her superhero, her prince, her go-to guy, whatever she’d let him be.

He had to get through the playoffs before he made any life-changing decisions. One thing at a time, as hard as it was.

Tonight they were in a bubble, and bubbles easily burst. He wasn’t ready for reality just yet. He wanted so much more. They’d be good in bed together. He was certain, and he wanted to test his theory, even though there’d be no going back once they crossed that line. The way she was looking at him gave him confidence. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. He saw it in the way she glanced at his lips and licked her own, the way he body responded to his by leaning closer, the way her eyes glowed with expectation. Yeah, she wanted him.

“Come home with me,” he blurted, giving voice to his thoughts.

Marina’s large eyes grew larger. “Come home with you?”

He nodded, his expression pensive but hopeful. “Yeah.”

“Are we talking about for a cup of coffee or more?”

“More.” He held her gaze, not wavering, letting her see the intensity and passion flaring in his eyes.

“Maybe I don’t sleep with guys on the first date?” She teased in an attempt to deflect his suggestion, but he was dead serious.

“Maybe it’s not our first date. Since this entire night is about being normal, we’ve probably had six dates before tonight. That’s plenty of time to get to know each other before we—you know—do it.”

She giggled. “Do it?”

“OK, fuck, screw, get vertical. Whatever.”

Marina sobered, and her bright eyes said more than her words. They burned with the same desire currently raging through his body like a wildfire in a dry grass field. “This is a bad idea.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. No one needs to know. Ever. Just one time so we know if the sparks arcing between us are worth pursuing despite all the obstacles.”

She lowered her gaze, as if thinking about his proposition.

“They are,” she whispered and lifted her head. Her answer was in her eyes, and his body sang hallelujah.

Drew nodded and signaled for the bill. In a few minutes, they were in the car and on their way. He resisted the urge to speed through the quiet Seattle streets. Getting a ticket would only prolong the wait, and he had little patience. The longer he took getting her naked, the better chance she’d have second thoughts.

He pulled into his garage and quickly helped her out of the car. On a whim, he picked her up and carried her into the house, kicking the door shut behind him and carrying her to his bedroom. Laying her on the bed, he gazed down at her. A slight smile rested on her face, encouraging him.

He lowered his body beside her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply. Within seconds, they were all over each other in a tangle of limbs, sweet heat rising from their bodies. Drew kissed his way down her neck while she buried her fingers in his hair. He unbuttoned the blouse she wore, pushing it open to reveal soft skin and a blue lace bra. Just above her left breast was a small tattoo of a broken heart and the words forever in my heart.

“Your parents?” he whispered. His heart ached for her loss, even as his body pushed him to get on with it, but he couldn’t. Not yet. She meant more to him than a quick lay. Because she mattered, he couldn’t blow off the relevance of this moment.

She nodded, sad for a moment, her eyes filled with unshed tears and painful memories. “I don’t want to think about sad things right now.”

“I’m here if and when you do. I’ll always be here for you, Marina.” He meant every word he said. Imagining his life without her filled him with profound sorrow. How she’d managed to get under his usually strong defenses in such a short time, he’d never know.

Marina tugged on his shirt collar and smiled through the tears. “Make me forget if only for a little while. Make me feel only good things.”

“I can do that.” He smiled back, vowing with all his heart to make good memories with her.

Her nipples drew his attention as they peaked under the fabric. Holy fuck, she was perfect in every way imaginable. He hadn’t a clue how he’d gotten so lucky to know a strong, kind woman like her. He pushed the bra upward to expose two pink, taut nipples. He sucked in a deep breath. She was every bit as lovely as he’d imagined. Her breasts were small but perfect. Her nipples begged for his mouth, and he lowered his head and ran his tongue over first one then the other. She gasped and dug her fingers into his scalp.

“Drew,” Marina whispered, “I need—” She didn’t finish the sentence, as if she forgot what she was going to say when he sucked a nipple into his mouth.

Marina slid her hands down his body and under the waistband of his jeans, cupping his ass, and Drew bucked against the sensation of her hot little hands on his bare butt. He slid downward, positioning himself so she couldn’t reach him. As much as he loved her touching him, he couldn’t take much more or he’d lose it before he ever unzipped his fly. The sex had to be as good for her as burying himself inside her was going to be for him.

Sex?

He hated to think of what they were doing as sex or fucking or screwing or whatever. His feelings were deeper than that. Perhaps they were making love.

Hell if he knew.

He unzipped her skinny jeans and tugged on the waistband, peeling them off her, along with her shoes. Pity, he would’ve been good with her keeping those heels on, but maybe another time; he already knew there’d be other times.

Next, he hooked his index fingers on both sides of her minuscule lacy panties and slid them off. They joined the jeans on the floor.

Placing his hands on the inside of her thighs, he parted them, spreading her wide and pausing to gaze upon her with reverence. She was giving herself to him without regard for the future consequences, and he would do everything in his power to minimize, even better, prevent those consequences.

She was swollen and wet, so ready for him, needing him like he needed her. His dick twitched in response, begging him to end this torture, but it would have to wait. Marina came first. He’d see to it.

Drew lowered his head and ran his tongue along her slit. She tasted incredible, like a woman with the man she was born to be with. Her breathing was shallow and fast. She lay her head back on the pillow and writhed with anticipation. He closed his eyes, savoring everything about this moment, the taste of her, the smell of her arousal, the heat of their two bodies.

He pushed his tongue inside her, and she whimpered. He added a finger, curling it so it rubbed against her and used his thumb on her clit. She tossed her head more vigorously on the pillow. Her moans increased, encouraging him to give her more pleasure. He gripped her thighs to hold her still. Even so, she bucked against him, hot for her release.

“Drew, don’t make me wait,” she gasped. Her hot gaze begged him to take her over the edge, and he would when he was ready, and she was close to falling apart before his eyes. Another finger joined the first. Several more thrusts with his tongue and hand. He pressed harder with his thumb. She whimpered, begged, pleaded, squirmed, and then he felt the beginnings of her orgasm build through her luscious body.

“Drew. Oh, Drew.” She kept repeating his name, and he loved it. Her body shuddered repeatedly. Only when she relaxed and became quiet did he remove his fingers and his mouth.

Hearing her shout his name, he vowed his would be the only name she’d ever shout during an orgasm. Anything else would kill him.

* * * *

Marina woke from a blissful stupor with no idea of how much time had passed, nor did she care. Drew had just given her the best orgasm known to woman, and she didn’t want the feeling to end.

As she floated back down on a soft pillow of ecstasy, she turned her head toward Drew. He was standing at the side of the bed, stripping off his clothes. She smiled at the sight of his generously sized dick and salivated. He wasn’t lacking in the penis department, and she wasn’t lacking in the enthusiasm department.

“You are making me hot all over again.” She winked at him as she lounged on the bed, legs splayed apart, grinning.

He slid a condom down his cock and glanced over his shoulder at her. “You’ve been making me hot for fucking weeks.”

“Good to know. Now get your gorgeous ass over here and make me even hotter.”

“I will, but take off the rest of your clothes first.”

Marina gladly complied. Shrugging out of her blouse and unhooking her bra, she tossed them to the floor. She ran her gaze over his ass and thighs. Hockey players had incredible lower bodies, and she wasn’t just referring to dick, but the whole package. Hockey required muscular thighs and well-developed butts to power those blades. Drew was all hard muscle and raw strength.

He crawled onto the foot of his large bed, walking on his hands and knees until his knees were between her legs. His eyes glowed with desire, as he ran his gaze down her body, stopping at the small patch of dark hair.

She reached up and stroked the Sockeyes tattoo on his upper arm. The Space Needle was hooked in the fish’s mouth and Mount Rainier loomed in the background. “Nice tat.”

“Every guy on the original Sockeyes team got one to show our support of the new owner and the move to Seattle.”

“I noticed a lot of guys had them. That’s cool.” She touched the fish, and he smiled down at her. Over his heart was another tattoo of two hockey sticks, one broken, one not, and the words David with the year his brother died. She met his gaze, and he shrugged but said nothing. There wasn’t anything to say. The meaning was obvious, just like hers was.

“You only have two tattoos?”

“Yeah. To me, having more would diminish the importance of the two I have.”

“I feel the same way.” She adored this complex man with all his deeply hidden feelings, and she’d show him how much as best she knew how. She’d never been good with expressing her emotions off the ice.

He leaned forward and kissed her tattoo, and Marina sighed happily. Forget that they shouldn’t be doing this. Forget she could lose her job. Forget he’d be in deep shit with his parents. None of the consequences mattered. This man and their mutual pleasure were the only two things that mattered tonight.

“God, I want you,” he groaned, his lips pressed against her neck. She wrapped her arms around his waist and arched upward, rubbing her belly across his rock-hard cock. He sucked in a breath and lowered his hips, grinding against her.

“I fucking want you, too.” She rarely said the “F” word, but when she did, she meant it with all her heart. The word carried more power when used sparingly.

She spread her legs wider, and he didn’t hesitate to lower his hips and position himself at her entrance. The tip of his erection tickled her, and she moaned in gratitude. She grabbed his ass and squeezed tightly trying to force him down on her, but he was too strong, and she couldn’t budge him.

“You’re a tease.”

“I’ve been called a lot of things, don’t recall that being one.” His predatory smile spread heat through her body to the tips of her toes and fingers.

“You want something?” His tone might be teasing, but his eyes were deadly serious with an intensity she’d never seen from him when handling a hockey stick. That intensity was focused solely on her, and she shivered with anticipation.

“You know I do,” she said.

He pushed inside slowly at first until he was buried and every part of him filled every part of her. She squeezed her eyes shut and just felt him inside her, all around her, as if he’d buried himself not just in her body but in her heart and soul. She opened her eyes to find him watching her. His nostrils flared like a bull ready to charge. She moved underneath him, torturing his cock, and watching his tight control deteriorate with every thrust and angle change of her hips.

“Fuck. I can’t hold on much longer.”

She ground against him, harder this time. His face contorted into the face of a fierce warrior conquering his world and taking what was his. And she was his.

He pulled out and slammed into her again, leaving her gasping and clinging to him. Instead of thrusting again, he held still for a long moment, his face buried in her hair, his breathing hard and rough. He sounded like a man who’d skated two back-to-back shifts in a hard-fought hockey game. He lifted his head and met her gaze. She saw things there, scary things, powerful things, things she didn’t want to think about. A few seconds later, he started moving, and she forgot everything but him and the feel of his body on top of her and inside her.

“Marina, I’ve been dreaming about this for weeks.” He spoke through gritted teeth as he increased the pace of his strokes until they became deep, hard, and close to frantic.

“Harder. Oh God, harder.”

She held herself together until the first shudder of an orgasm enveloped her, then she let go just as he came.

Marina squeezed her eyes shut as her orgasm overpowered her, stampeding through her body and sucking every last bit of energy from her while shooting her into ecstasy and floating her back down on a cloud of boneless contentment.

Her life would never be the same again.