8
Ten minutes later, Reid emerged from the locker room with one of his teammates—a tall, gorgeous blond with magnetic gray eyes and a stubble-darkened jaw. Reid introduced him as Viggo Sandström, the team’s starting center. Nadia recognized him because he’d scored two of the Rebels’ four points that night. Plus his handsome face was as famous as Reid’s.
He grinned down at her and gallantly kissed her hand. “Pleasure to meet you,” he said, his deep voice tinged with a Swedish accent. Holy crap, he was hot.
Nadia smiled a little dazedly. “Same to you.”
Jess was all but gaping at Viggo. When he shifted his gaze to her and smiled, she looked like she’d swallowed her tongue.
“Hello,” he greeted her.
Before Jess could respond—not that she seemed capable—the puck bunnies suddenly broke free of the security guards and rushed forward, squealing Viggo and Reid’s names.
Not wasting another second, Reid grabbed Nadia’s hand and ushered her out the rear exit to the parking lot. There was a sleekly powerful silver sports car waiting at the curb. It looked futuristic with butterfly doors that opened upward instead of outward.
As Reid slipped a bill to the grinning security guard who’d brought the car around, Nadia stared at it in fascination. “What is this?”
“An SSC Ultimate Aero.”
“Is it American?”
“But of course.” Reid looked pleased that she’d remembered his rule.
“It’s gorgeous,” she marveled. “It almost looks like a spaceship on wheels.”
“It’s one of the fastest cars in the world,” he said proudly.
She grinned. “Surprise, surprise. A hockey player nicknamed The Rocket drives a supercar.”
He grinned, walking to the passenger side. “I’ll have you know that on most days, I drive a pickup truck. So I’m not that predictable.”
She laughed. “Touché.”
He tweaked her nose. “After you, pretty lady.”
She smiled and slid into the car. The leather seat embraced her like a lover, and the interior was immaculate.
As Reid climbed behind the wheel, she asked playfully, “How fast can this baby go?”
“She has a top speed of two hundred fifty-seven and can go from zero to sixty in 2.78 seconds.”
“Wow,” Nadia breathed.
“She held the world speed record for three years.” His smile turned wry. “That honor now belongs to the Bugatti Veyron.”
“Which, I’m guessing, isn’t American.” Nadia grinned. “Tempted to defect?”
“Nah. This’ll do.” He started the engine.
Nadia gasped as raw power vibrated through her body with the impact of a rocket launch. She looked at Reid and laughed. “You’re right. This will definitely do.”
He grinned.
As they roared away from the curb, she asked, “Which restaurant are we going to?”
“Casa Holden.”
It took her a moment to register his meaning. “You’re taking me to your house?”
“Yes.” He glanced sideways at her. “I wanted us to have some privacy. You don’t mind, do you?”
Her pulse quickened at the thought of spending an evening alone with him at his home. It didn’t get more intimate than that.
“Nadia?” He eyed her expectantly.
She smiled, settling more comfortably into her seat. “I don’t mind.”
His answering smile was slow and sexy.
Once they got through the snarl of arena traffic, Reid accelerated toward the highway. Nadia watched him drive, turned on by his confident handling of the powerful car, the way he steered with one hand and manipulated the gearshift with the other.
He drove with the cocky ease of a race car driver, but looked like a successful CEO in his expensive designer suit. The cut of the dark jacket emphasized the span of his broad shoulders, and French cuffs peeked out from under the sleeves. He was the only man she knew who could pull off badass while wearing Armani.
He turned his head, catching her gaze. “What’s on your mind, beautiful?”
She smiled. “You clean up very well.”
“Think so?”
“Absolutely.”
“Do I look good enough to get another one of your kisses?”
Was he kidding? He looked good enough to make her his sex slave!
She sighed demurely. “We’ll see how the night goes.”
His grin flashed white in the shadows of the car.
His thick hair had been carefully combed back, but a renegade lock fell over his forehead. Without thinking, Nadia reached over and gently pushed it back.
When he smiled at her, her stomach fluttered with butterflies.
“Did you give Nelson another quote for his column?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am. I sure did.”
She smiled. “Atta boy.”
He chuckled. “So what’d you think of your first NHL game?”
“It was amazing. Really exciting.” She grinned teasingly. “When I told you to kick ass tonight, I didn’t mean literally.”
He laughed.
“I mean, I always knew hockey was a violent sport, but watching it up close and personal…damn.”
He flicked her an amused glance. “What’s wrong? Too barbaric for you?”
She grinned. “Maybe.”
He snorted in mock disgust. “Wuss.”
She laughed. “Having a low tolerance for violence doesn’t make me a wuss. It makes me civilized.”
“You calling me uncivilized?” He sounded delighted rather than offended.
Grinning, Nadia contemplated the crooked bridge of his nose, the darkening bruise on his cheek and the rugged line of his shadowed jaw. “Let’s just say you’re no Boy Scout.”
“Nope,” he agreed. “Never had time for Boy Scouts. When I wasn’t in school, I was playing hockey.”
Nadia smiled, picturing him as a sturdy young boy with an unruly mass of dark hair, bright blue eyes and an impish grin. She bet he’d been a heartbreaker even back then.
“Seriously though, Reid. The way you brawl during games, how have you managed to keep all your teeth?”
He grinned. “Luck, I guess. My dad played hockey all the way up through college and never lost any of his teeth either.”
“Good genes. Was he a brawler like you?”
“Who do you think taught me?”
Nadia laughed.
Reid reached over, stroking his knuckles down her cheek. “I love the way you laugh. It’s wicked yet whimsical. Like fur handcuffs and rainbows.”
Nadia blushed, her insides melting with pleasure. It was probably the sweetest thing any guy had ever said to her. “You really have a way with words.” She grinned. “But don’t quit your day job.”
He laughed.
“I say that because you’re considered one of the best two-way defensemen in the league,” she elaborated, showing off her newfound hockey knowledge. “They say you’re really good at transitioning from forward to backward, generating scoring chances and maintaining possession of the puck. They say it’s rare for a defenseman to mix the best of both worlds as well as you do.”
Reid looked both amused and impressed. “Someone’s been doing her research.”
She chuckled. “I’ve got a ways to go before I completely understand the rules of the game. But I’m an apt pupil.”
“That’s good,” he drawled. “I’d be more than happy to teach you anything you want to know.”
The rakish gleam in his eyes made her wonder if he was talking about hockey or something else entirely.
Clenching her thighs against a sudden rush of moisture, she turned to stare out the window at the passing scenery. “Where exactly do you live? In the mountains?”
He chuckled. “Something like that. I had an apartment downtown for a while. Then I figured if I’m gonna live in Colorado, I should get a place with the best mountain views.” He grinned. “And living outside the city gives me the freedom to unleash this baby on the open road. Hold on.”
Before Nadia could react, he floored the Aero.
She squealed as the sports car shot off down the highway, rocketing into the night.
Her heart was still racing when they reached a wooded enclave tucked into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The few houses they passed weren’t mansions, but they were impressive enough to leave no doubt they’d cost millions.
Reid turned into his property and rumbled up the long driveway until his house came into view. It was larger than the other homes with three stories and a slanted roof. The exterior was stained wood and boasted windows everywhere you looked.
“Wow,” Nadia said appreciatively. “What a beautiful house.”
“Thanks, babe.” Reid pulled into the six-car garage. There was a midnight blue Ford pickup, a silver Lincoln Navigator, a black Tesla Model S, a classic red Mustang Boss with a black stripe down the middle, and a shiny black-and-chrome Harley.
All American.
He grinned at Nadia. “See? No Ferraris or Lamborghinis.”
“True,” she acknowledged. “But why does one man need so many cars?”
“Just doing my part to keep American workers employed.”
She grinned. “Good answer.”
Laughing, he got out and came around to help her out of the low-slung car. “I’ll give you a tour later, but there’s something I want you to see first.”
Holding her hand, he led her across the garage, up a floating staircase and through a door that opened onto a glass-enclosed rooftop terrace.
Nadia gasped in delight.
Dozens of candles flickered invitingly around the large terrace. A romantic table set for two was bordered by tall planters and potted trees twinkling with fairy lights. There was a cozy lounge area with a sectional sofa curved around an outdoor fireplace, a perfect spot for sipping a glass of wine while enjoying an uninterrupted view of the mountains.
“Oh, Reid,” Nadia breathed, utterly enchanted. “This is amazing.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He smiled, watching her. “It’s not a five-star restaurant—”
“Are you kidding? It’s better.”
His smile deepened. “I can’t take any credit. My architect designed the terrace, and my housekeeper decorated it and prepared our dinner before she left.”
Nadia arched a teasing brow. “How’d you know I would say yes to dinner?”
“I didn’t.” His eyes glinted. “But here you are.”
She couldn’t even be mad at him for correctly guessing that she wouldn’t be able to refuse him.
Turning away with a smile, she crossed to the facing wall of glass to take in the spectacular view of the mountains. Blanketed by stars, the rooftop terrace gave the illusion of a sunroom floating in the sky. She said as much to Reid.
“That’s the effect my architect was going for.”
“Well, he nailed it. And even though it’s an outdoor room, it’s not even cold.”
“That’s because it’s climate-controlled,” Reid explained, coming up quietly behind her. “It’s heated in the winter and cooled in the summer.”
Nadia sighed. “Perfect.”
“I agree.” Brushing her hair aside, Reid pressed his lips to the nape of her neck. “Perfect.”
She shivered, pure sexual awareness skittering down her spine.
“I was watching you tonight.” His mouth was close to her ear, his heated breath whispering into her body and curling through her veins. “During the game, when I was on the bench…I watched you, Nadia.”
She swallowed tightly. She could feel him pressing into her back, thick and hard, the heat of his body surrounding her. Her pulse throbbed and her clit swelled.
“Wanna know what went through my mind while I was watching you?” he murmured.
She licked her dry lips. “What?”
His hands curved around her body, his fingers splaying low on her stomach. “I thought about how hot and beautiful you looked. I thought about what you were wearing under this tight dress. I thought about kissing you…licking you…doing unspeakably dirty things to you.”
“Oh my.” Another shiver rippled through her. “That’s why you belonged in the sin bin.”
His husky chuckle rasped over her nerve endings. “Yeah.”
As he trailed kisses along her sensitive neck, she closed her eyes, bracing her palms against the glass for support. She felt as weak and dazed as the hapless opponents he’d body-checked on the ice tonight.
“Give me that mouth, Nadia.”
She turned her face into his and was rewarded with the heat of a long, exploratory kiss. She moaned as arousal thickened inside her, spreading between her thighs to wet her panties. She felt heavy, hot, on fire.
Breaking the seal of their lips, she turned in his arms and stared up at him, heart racing, hypnotized by his dark intensity.
He gathered her head between his hands, slid his fingers into her hair. Then he kissed her again, opening her mouth with his lips. Her awakened senses exploded with heat and pleasure.
She kissed him back, and his low groan vibrated through her body to all her secret places. She pressed closer to him, rocking her hips into that massive bulge against her stomach.
“I want you,” he growled fiercely. “Want you so fucking bad it hurts.”
Every atom in her system went nuclear.
“Then take me,” she whispered.
He shuddered and lifted his head, staring into her eyes for an arrested moment.
Not giving her a chance to reconsider, he swept her up into his arms and carried her from the terrace.
She clung to his neck, pressing her face into his shoulder as he descended the stairs into the house. The next thing she knew, he was striding through his bedroom door and setting her down at the foot of an enormous bed with the covers turned down.
She stepped out of her ankle boots, then lifted her arms as he dragged her dress up over her head and dropped it on the floor. She felt a sharp surge of arousal, power and excitement as she stood before him in her strapless bra and panties.
His eyes slowly drifted over her body, tracing every inch of her. “Beautiful.” His voice rumbled low and rough. “So damn beautiful.”
Heat, thick and molten, stirred between her legs.
Holding her gaze, he sank to a crouch before her, hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her black lace panties and eased them slowly down her trembling legs. She was grateful that she’d taken the time that morning to shave her pussy, leaving only a slim thatch of hair above her clit, like a landing strip to paradise.
“God, that’s sexy,” Reid whispered, his eyes blazing with hunger as he stared at her mons. The laser intensity of his gaze caused a rush of wetness to leak from her sex.
Pulse pounding in her veins, she watched as he reached between her thighs, groaning when he found her slick and ready. When he touched the swollen nub of her clit, she whimpered and thrust her hands into his hair, bunching the thick silk between her fingers.
His finger made teasing passes over her clit until she was gasping and moaning. Then he leaned forward and dragged his tongue over the outer lips of her pussy.
She cried out, her knees almost buckling.
Reid held her waist firmly, keeping her upright. The imprint of his hands on her bare skin burned with delicious heat.
His gaze lifted to the small mounds of flesh plumped over the cups of her strapless pushup bra.
“Take off your bra.” The husky resonance in his voice made her shiver.
Staring into his eyes, she reached behind her back and undid the clasp of her bra, then let the scrap of black lace fall to the floor.
Reid swallowed tightly and licked his lips, making them glisten in the low light.
Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Nadia whispered apologetically, “I’m not working with much.”
He shook his head slowly as he stood, his eyes smoldering with possessive satisfaction. “They’re perfect. And so are you.”
Her stomach flip-flopped.
When he cupped her small breasts, she shivered at the feel of his rough skin against hers. She couldn’t breathe as he plumped her tits in his palms, then brought them closer together to lick one nipple and then the other.
She moaned, her head falling back as pleasure arrowed down to her core.
Watching her face, he took both her nipples in his mouth and sucked them.
The whiplash of heat that suffused her body left her gasping. She never thought it would be possible to come just from having a man’s mouth on her nipples. But here she was, right on the verge of orgasm.
Before she could take her next breath, Reid lifted her by the waist and deposited her in the center of the humongous bed.
Then he reared back, toeing off his shoes and stripping off his socks. With shaking hands, he tore off his jacket and shirt, wrenched down the zipper on his suit pants and dragged them off with his dark briefs.
When his cock bounced free, Nadia gasped.
Massively thick and long, curving upward toward his navel, his dick was even bigger than she’d suspected.
And the rest of him…oh, man. Literally. His body was pure masculine perfection. All power and hard sculpted muscle with eight-pack abs, his thighs and calves developed to whipcord toughness. A black tribal tattoo curled around one muscular bicep while the other boasted an intricate rocket. Both tattoos completed his bad boy hotness.
If Nadia hadn’t been soaking wet before, the unveiling of Reid’s Adonis-like body would have done the trick.
Holding his gaze, she leaned back on her elbows and let her thighs fall open to give him an unobstructed view of the slick, pouty folds of her pussy.
He swore hoarsely, his cock jumping and swelling even more. He fisted himself, stroking his hard length as he stared down at her with fierce, lustful appreciation.
“Reid,” she whispered achingly. “I need you.”
He groaned, a raw sound of primal male hunger. Not wasting another second, he climbed onto the bed, put his face between her legs and wrapped his lips around her throbbing clit.
She cried out, her back arching.
Gripping her thighs, he gave her a slow lick, his tongue spreading her slick folds, the tip flicking against her clit.
Her hips shot off the bed as she keened with pleasure.
He didn’t stop, his tongue thrusting slowly and licking her slit as shafts of white-hot need stabbed through her.
“So sweet.” His voice was dark and guttural. “You’ve got the sweetest fucking pussy.”
She groaned, tormented by the flickering strokes of his tongue. Her legs shook in his strong grasp, her heels digging into the mattress as her hips twisted against his mouth. Her clit was burning and aching for release, and she was so wet she could feel the slickness sliding down her inner thighs and along the curve of her ass.
Reid growled low, the primitive sound vibrating against her aroused flesh. He pushed his tongue into her wetness, teasing and tasting her until she thought she’d go crazy with lust. She could feel her pussy convulsing, could feel her orgasm close, so damn close.
“Reid,” she sobbed, clutching his thick hair. “Oh, God…”
He sucked her needy clit and swirled his tongue deep inside her, and that was all she could take.
She screamed his name, bucking against his mouth as she came.
He groaned hoarsely as her pussy clenched and spasmed around his tongue. He lapped at her tender flesh, savoring the hot juices that spilled from her.
She finally fell back on the bed, sweating, her body still wracked with shudders.
He kissed her stomach and licked the undersides of her breasts, then reached over to open the top drawer of the nightstand. She caught a glimpse of a black box labeled Trojan Magnum XL before he grabbed a foil packet and slammed the drawer shut. He tore the wrapper open with his teeth and rolled on the condom with a deftness that confirmed he’d had a ton of practice.
Then he levered over her with a look that told her he was about to get down to serious business. Her body quivered with anticipation as he spread her legs wide, positioning himself between them.
He started slowly, stroking her slit with the wide crown of his cock. The sensual gliding motion made her writhe against him, eager to take more of him.
He circled his hips, lodging his cockhead inside her. She gasped and pulsed her hips against him, convinced that he was trying to kill her in slow, maddening degrees.
“Easy,” he whispered. “We’ve got all night.”
Not if she combusted first!
He entered her slowly, inch by thick inch, groaning as her body stretched around his massive girth. She moaned and arched against him, trying to take him deeper.
“Jesus, Nadia.” His voice was low and guttural, his head bowed as he shuddered against her. “You feel so good. So fucking incredible.”
“So do you,” she breathed, hooking her ankles behind his back as he sank all the way inside her.
“I need to go extra slow with you,” he rasped. “Don’t wanna embarrass myself.”
She might have laughed if she’d had any air in her lungs, if her senses weren’t reeling from the pleasure-pain of his deep penetration.
He stared into her eyes as he began to move. She arched her back, reaching to grab his round ass and pull him deeper.
He felt so good inside her, velvet steel sliding back and forth through her slick folds. She went mindless with pleasure, enslaved to his rhythm—deep and penetrating, slow and lazy strokes that had her moaning and writhing beneath him.
“How you feeling?” he whispered, brushing her hair out of her face. “You good?”
She made a garbled noise that sounded like Hell, yes.
He gave a shaky laugh and leaned down to capture her lips. She whimpered as his hot tongue stroked hers in tandem with the surging thrusts of his cock. It was a double sensory assault that had a torrent of juices coursing from her body, soaking the sheets beneath her. She’d never been so wet in her life!
Reid groaned with husky satisfaction, sliding his mouth from hers to trail kisses down her throat to her flushed chest. She shivered, gasping his name.
“Look at us, Nadia,” he commanded, low and rough. “See how good we look together? Goddamn.”
She stared down at where their bodies were joined. She was unbearably aroused by the sight of his thick, glistening cock sliding in and out of her body. And the contrast in their skin tones was a serious turn-on.
He began thrusting harder and faster, his palms flat on the bed, bracketing her shoulders. She sobbed as his pumping cock found all her sweet spots, stroking over them until her head thrashed back and forth on the pillow.
“Fuck, yeah,” he groaned, his buttocks flexing beneath her calves with every thrust of his hips.
She tightened her legs around him, clawing at his sweat-slick back. He was so huge, so hard, his big body dominating her so thoroughly she thought she’d die from the blinding pleasure.
No man had ever made love to her this way before. Her body was no longer her own. He owned her completely.
“Nadia,” he gasped. “Ah, sweetheart…can’t get enough of you.”
Her eyes stung with tears as she begged for more, begged him to fuck her even harder.
He obliged her, pinning her legs back against her chest to deepen the angle of penetration, his rock-hard abs slapping her stomach. Her head fell back as she gasped for breath, absorbing the power of each relentlessly pounding stroke.
She came harder than she ever had before, screaming incoherently.
Reid followed seconds later, shouting her name as violent shudders wracked his body. She felt his cock jerk spasmodically, spurting into the condom with such force she thought it would burst.
Gasping, he held himself above her so as not to crush her with his weight. His eyes were a hazy blue, probing hers beneath heavy lids. He looked as stunned as she felt.
After several moments, he rolled onto his side and pulled her close, wrapping her in the powerful shelter of his arms. Both were covered in sweat, and the damp sheets were twisted and ripped around them as if the bed had been caught up in a tsunami.
It was a long time before either of them spoke.
Reid was the first to try. “That was…”
When he trailed off, Nadia let out a breathy laugh. “Yeah.”
He kissed the top of her head, nuzzled her hair. “I knew we’d be incredible together.”
“I wish you’d told me,” she teased. “I would have jumped your bones sooner.”
His laugh rumbled against her ear.
She smiled lazily, running her hand over his wide chest and eight-pack abs. The muscles were so hard there was no give. “You have an amazing body,” she marveled.
“So do you.”
“Not like yours. Yours is out of this world. I can’t even imagine how insane your workout regimen must be.”
“Hmm.” His hand slid down her back to cup her ass. “That’s not the type of workout I’m thinking about right now.”
“No?”
“No.” He was still semi-hard, his cock brushing her hipbone as he rolled her onto her back and leaned over her, his eyes glinting with mischief. “You know I’m never letting you leave, right?”
She grinned up at him, her pulse fluttering. “That might be a problem.”
“Why?”
“Well, for starters, I don’t have any clothes.”
“I’ll get some for you.”
“Hmm.” She pursed her lips. “I could use a new wardrobe. And judging by those Chanel purses you bought me, you obviously have excellent taste.”
He grinned, his finger lightly circling her navel. “Not that you’d really need any clothes. I prefer you au naturel.”
She shivered at his touch. “So you intend to keep me trapped here in a perpetual state of butt-nakedness?”
He pretended to consider it. “Works for me.”
She laughed, sliding her hand up his arm to trace the tattoo on his left bicep. It was a rocket blasting off, leaving plumes of smoke in its wake. There were three rows of letters etched onto the missile, some sort of code.
Nadia stared, fascinated by the tattoo’s intricate detailing. “I know the rocket is based on your nickname, but what do the letters symbolize?”
“My siblings’ first and middle initials,” Reid answered.
“You have siblings?”
“Yeah. Two sisters and a brother.”
“What are their names?”
“Ryder, Avery and Aria.” Reid looked down at his tattooed bicep, his face softening. “When we were growing up, our parents were pretty obsessed with me playing hockey, almost to the exclusion of everything else. They wanted me to make it to the pros, so they often prioritized my hockey practices and games over my siblings’ activities and recitals. It wasn’t fair to them, and I know they resented me at times. But they rarely ever complained. They were always at my games, cheering me on and pushing me to be the best. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”
Nadia smiled, incredibly moved by his heartfelt words. “That’s really beautiful, Reid. Your siblings sound amazing.”
“They are,” he murmured. “We’re very close.”
“You’re lucky to have them.”
“I know.” He grinned. “They tell me so all the time.”
Nadia laughed.
“Be right back.” He leaned down and nipped her bottom lip, then rolled away and swung his long legs over the edge of the bed. She watched as he peeled off his condom and wrapped it in a tissue from the nightstand, then balled it up in his hand and stood.
She couldn’t take her eyes off him as he sauntered to the bathroom, the muscles in his ass and thighs flexing, his heavy cock swinging between his legs. It was so long and thick that even without being erect, it was still a sight to behold.
While he used the bathroom, Nadia took a moment to admire his bedroom. She’d already gleaned that it was huge and comfortably furnished with an island of a bed. But now she noticed the rich hardwood floors, the high ceiling, the large flatscreen television mounted above the fireplace. Now she could marvel at the wall of French doors that opened onto a balcony with stunning views of the mountains.
As she lay there trying not to wonder how many other women had been inside Reid’s bedroom, he emerged from the closet, which apparently connected to the bathroom. He was wearing black pajama bottoms that hung low on his hips. His chest was gloriously bare, and his dark hair was standing up in untamed disarray. He looked so hot and fuckable, her mouth watered.
He brought her the matching black pajama top. “Put this on.”
She sat up, letting him help her into the shirt. It was way too big for her, the sleeves so long she had to fold them back four times just to see her hands.
Reid buttoned her up and then looked her over, his eyes gleaming with possessive approval. “I like seeing you in my clothes.”
Her entire body blushed with pleasure. “I’ll probably trip over the hem when I walk,” she joked.
He grinned. “Who said anything about you walking?”
As he swept her up into his arms and carried her from the room, she asked teasingly, “Where are we going?”
“It’s time to eat. I’m starving, and you need your strength for the next several rounds.”
Several rounds? Oh my!
They ate dinner beneath the stars on the rooftop terrace.
Reid’s housekeeper had made some sort of chicken and pasta dish with a red wine sauce and garlic bread. It was delicious.
Not that Reid would have noticed, given the way he inhaled the food.
“Guess you weren’t exaggerating when you said you were starving,” Nadia teased.
He chuckled. “I’m always hungry after games. Add the workout we just had and…” He trailed off meaningfully and she grinned.
“Gotta get those carbs.”
“That’s right.” He winked.
She forked up a bite of chicken and chewed, watching as he swiped his garlic bread along his plate to soak up the last of the wine sauce.
“I’ve been trying not to learn everything about you through Google,” she said.
His eyes twinkled. “Been Googling me a lot, huh?”
Her cheeks warmed. “I wouldn’t say that.”
“It’s okay. You can admit it.”
“There’s nothing to admit,” she huffed. “I mean, yeah, I’ve looked up your stats and read a few articles to better understand what you do. But it’s not like I’ve been cyberstalking you or creating fangirl Tumblr pages.” She snorted. “God knows you’ve got enough of those.”
He grinned. “How would you know?”
Her face heated. “I may have come across one or two while I was, um, you know, uh…”
“Not Googling me?”
She narrowed her eyes, then plucked a cherry tomato from her empty salad plate and threw it at him, hitting him square in the chest.
He roared with laughter.
Fighting a grin, she picked up her wineglass. “Seriously though, Reid. Now that we’ve become…intimate, I realize there’s still a lot I don’t know about you.”
“True.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin, tossed it down on the table and leaned back in his chair, chest muscles flexing and rippling under his tanned skin. “Ask me anything.”
She had to drag her gaze back up to his face. “Where’d you go to school?”
“Boston College. Full athletic scholarship. I majored in general management.”
Nadia was impressed. Boston College was a very exclusive school with stringent academic requirements. Hockey star or not, he would have had to keep his grades up to remain on scholarship.
“Why general management?”
He smiled. “After I retire from hockey, I’m going into business with my father and brother. We’re planning to open a chain of sports bars. And eventually I hope to own a hockey team.”
Nadia beamed. “Really?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Her heart was aflutter. Gorgeous, smart, talented, a phenomenal lover and business-minded? He was hitting too many of her hot buttons.
She took a gulp of her wine. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-eight.” He grinned. “Too old for you?”
She laughed. “Hardly. I’m twenty-five.”
“I know. But you look even younger.” His eyes roamed her face. “It’s that gorgeous brown skin of yours. It glows.”
“Why, thank you,” she cooed, fluttering her eyelashes at him.
He smiled back at her. The soft candlelight highlighted his rugged features, delineating his strong jaw with its shadow of dark stubble.
She found herself studying the crooked bridge of his nose, wondering how many times it had been broken. “Growing up in Detroit,” she mused, “I bet you dreamed of playing for the Red Wings.”
“I did. I would have loved to get drafted by them. But it wasn’t meant to be.” His expression softened. “I was meant to come here.”
Something in his gaze made Nadia’s heart flip over.
She swallowed hard, wondering if she could have sex with him and not become emotionally attached.
God, she hoped so.
“The Rebels made it all the way to the finals last year,” she blurted. “Think you can take home the Cup this season?”
Reid smiled. “That’s definitely the plan. We have to stay focused and put ourselves in the best position to make it happen.”
She nodded, pretending to jot down notes.
“What’re you doing?”
“Taking notes for my brother,” she said. “Since you won’t give him an exclusive interview, I figured I’d get the scoop for him.”
Reid’s brow furrowed.
Nadia laughed. “Relax, handsome. I’m just kidding.”
A glimmer of a smile quirked his mouth.
She ate the last of her chicken and set her fork down. “So your teammate Viggo is from Sweden, right?”
“Right.”
Nadia smiled. “I should introduce him to my cousin Scarlett.”
Reid lifted an amused brow. “You have a cousin named Scarlett?”
“Yes.” Nadia laughed. “Her mother loved Gone with the Wind. She couldn’t stop reading the novel and watching the movie when she was pregnant with my cousin. If you tease her about being named after Scarlett O’Hara, she’ll kick your ass. Anyway, she’s the lead singer and drummer for an indie rock band called Off The Grid. They’re touring in Sweden right now.”
“Yeah?” Reid grinned broadly. “That’s awesome.”
“It is, isn’t it? They’re not big over here yet, but they have a pretty decent fan base over in Europe.”
“That’s really cool. Viggo enjoys a lot of indie rock bands. I’ll have to ask him if he’s ever heard of Off The Grid.”
“Cool. Let me know what he says.” Nadia sipped her wine. “Do your siblings ever come to your games?”
Reid grinned. “They do. Especially when we make it to the playoffs.”
“That’s good.” Nadia smiled at him. “What about your parents?”
The warmth in his eyes faded.
“They come,” he said quietly. “But not together.”
“Why not?”
“They’re divorced.”
“Oh.” Her voice softened. “I’m sorry.”
He nodded, taking a sip of his wine.
“You seem like such a close-knit family. The divorce must have been difficult for you and your siblings.”
His jaw tensed. “We were adults. So we dealt with it.”
Nadia sensed that it was still a sore subject for him. So she moved on. “Since you said I can ask you anything, here’s an obvious one: Why do you hate reporters?”
She watched his face darken. Then he gave a hard shrug. “I just do.”
“But why?”
“I don’t trust them. I think they’re unethical and opportunistic.”
“Not all of them,” she protested. “Nelson isn’t like that.”
“He’s a rare exception.”
Nadia frowned, shaking her head. “I don’t understand. You gave interviews early in your career. Did something happen to make you stop? Did someone write a slanderous article about you?”
A muscle throbbed in his jaw. “No.”
She sensed there was more to the story. Before she could probe further, he changed the subject.
“So tell me about your parents. What are they like?”
Nadia studied him another moment, then sighed. She’d let him have his secrets. For now anyway.
“My parents were college sweethearts,” she answered. “They’ve been married twenty-seven years. Every October, they drop everything and take off on a ten-day cruise. They’ve been everywhere.”
Reid smiled softly. “They sound pretty special.”
“They are,” she agreed. “They’ve always been there for Nelson and me. They can be overprotective at times, but we know they only want what’s best for us.”
“What do they do?”
“Mom’s a hospital administrator, and Dad has his own dental practice.” Nadia laughed. “He personally sends us six-month reminders to get our teeth cleaned. If we don’t keep our appointment, he sics his receptionist on us.”
Reid chuckled. “His vigilance obviously paid off. You have a beautiful smile, Nadia.”
“Thank you.” She grinned. “So do you.”
He smiled, searching her face in the candlelight. “How would your dad feel about you dating me?”
She grimaced. “I’ve had bad experiences with athletes,” she admitted, her mind flashing on a dark memory. “So Dad would be concerned about me dating another one.”
“What about my race? Would he have a problem with that?”
Nadia hesitated, debating whether to give him the truth or the politically correct answer. “Dad is very…afrocentric. For starters, he and my mother went to an HBCU.” She paused. “That stands for historically black colleges and universities.”
Reid looked amused. “I knew that.”
“Sorry. Wasn’t sure.” She grinned sheepishly. “Anyway, my father’s a proud member of a black fraternity and belongs to several other black organizations. He even named my brother after Nelson Mandela.”
“Yeah?” Reid grinned. “Cool.”
“Nelson thinks so too. He takes every opportunity to tell people.”
Reid lifted his wineglass to his mouth, eyeing her over the rim. “It sounds like your father wouldn’t approve of you dating a white guy.”
Nadia bit her lip, then sighed. “Probably not.”
He nodded slowly. “I still want to meet him.”
She froze, staring at Reid. “You…want to meet my father?”
“Yeah. Your mother too.” He smiled, setting his glass down. “You should bring them to one of my games.”
Her heart was beating erratically. “Don’t you think that’s moving kinda fast? This is only our second date.”
“I know.” He held her gaze. “But it won’t be the last.”
A shiver ran through Nadia. “I can’t decide whether that sounds like a threat or a promise,” she whispered.
Chuckling softly, Reid dipped his thumb in his wine and began running it around the rim of the glass, smoothly and sensuously. The gesture hypnotized her.
Watching her face, he licked his thumb and then slowly rose to his feet, came around the table and held out his hand to her.
Staring up at him, she placed her palm in his. The resulting electricity shook them both.
As she stood there before him, he brushed the pad of his wine-scented thumb across her bottom lip.
Unable to resist, she parted her lips to touch his thumb with the tip of her tongue, tasting the rich cabernet. Tasting him.
She felt him shudder.
Nostrils flaring, he framed her face with his palms, his fingers sliding through her hair. She lifted her face to his, sighing when his warm mouth covered hers. Damp heat gathered inside her, spreading between her thighs.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, her body arching closer to his. He parted her lips, gliding his tongue between them. She shivered, hyperaware of her nudity beneath the too-big pajama top.
He whispered her name, stroking his tongue in and out of her mouth until she whimpered.
Breaking the heated kiss, she took his hand and led him across the terrace to the lounge area. Ignoring the sectional, she dropped to her knees before him. Staring up into his eyes, she pulled his pajama bottoms slowly past his hips, releasing his stiff cock.
He stared down at her, his gaze heavy lidded as she wrapped her hand around his massive girth, stroking him, running her thumb over the tip and spreading the moisture that leaked out.
He shuddered, watching her intently. When she flicked her tongue against the glistening head, he let out a sharp hiss that aroused and delighted her.
She gripped his heavy cock and slid her tongue along the underside, licking a thick, pulsing vein.
“Fuck, Nadia,” he rasped.
She dragged his pajama bottoms down his long legs, admiring the hard muscles of his thighs and calves. When he stepped out of the pants, she undulated to her feet like a stripper and backed him toward the sectional.
With a saucy lick of her lips, she put a hand to his broad chest and gave him a firm shove, surprising him enough to send him sprawling backward onto the sofa.
Not giving him a chance to recover, she knelt between his powerful thighs and locked her lips around his jutting cock.
His hips jerked against her mouth. “Fuck!”
He was so thick and hard, so aroused that precum spurted from the head to spill over her tongue.
“Umm. Delicious.” She took him deeper into her mouth and then withdrew until only the head remained between her plush lips. When she flicked her tongue against the wide crest and then sucked, he threw back his head with a raspy groan that was so sexy her pussy contracted.
He was too big for her to take all the way into her mouth. But that wouldn’t stop her from giving it the old college try. Fisting him at the base, she milked him with her hand while licking and sucking her way down his shaft.
Gasping, he shoved his fingers into her hair and brushed the strands back so he could see her face as she fucked him with her mouth.
She used her lips and hands, reveling in the guttural curses and moans that erupted from his heaving chest. She was intoxicated by the taste and texture of him, the hot pulse of his cock against her tongue.
“Jesus, Nadia.” His fingers fisted in her hair, tugging at the roots as she sucked him harder and deeper, as deep as she could go without choking. With her other hand she fondled his heavy testicles, the skin stretched tight around the engorged glands.
When she felt the muscles clenching in his thighs, she knew he was close.
Seconds later he came with a shuddering groan, thick jets of semen exploding against her tongue.
She’d never swallowed before, and he was coming so hard and fast she thought she would choke. But she managed to relax her throat and swallow as he spurted hotly into her mouth, groaning harshly.
When it was over, he fell back against the sofa, his eyes closing on a deep sigh. She loved seeing him like this, all relaxed and boneless, the picture of a perfectly satisfied male. It thrilled her to know that she could do this to him. For him.
When she began crooning the lyrics to Beyoncé’s “Rocket,” he let out a husky little laugh.
“Thought you might appreciate that.” Grinning, she rose from her knees and straddled him on the sofa. His strong, muscled thighs flexed beneath her buttocks.
Without opening his eyes, he pulled her against him. She shivered, her nipples peaking against the hard slab of his chest. He reached under the pajama top, running his hands down her back and over her hips, then squeezing the plump curves of her ass.
She was wet and ready, throbbing between her legs, her breasts heavy and aching.
When he began dragging her shirt up, she lifted her arms to facilitate the removal. She wanted as much skin-on-skin contact as she could get, and she wanted it now.
Opening his eyes, he cupped her small breasts, making her gasp and arch backward. He rubbed his thumbs over her erect nipples, his cock thickening and lengthening against her slick folds.
She met his eyes. They were deep blue, electric with need and lust.
He leaned forward, kissing the corners of her mouth and sucking her bottom lip as he stared directly into her eyes.
“Spend the night,” he whispered.
She shivered. “I can’t. I don’t—”
He thrust upward, into her, making her cry out.
This time it was a command. “Spend the night.”
“Yes.” She flung back her head at his next thrust. “God, yes…”