P laying house was a blast of discovery. She lived in an orgasmic daze. Learning a lot about herself through his eyes. Martin said he wanted to be the man to build her up, and he was true to his word. He called her beautiful and sexy. His words lifted her spirits. The way he looked at her, touched her and made love to her, left her feeling like a goddess. His actions sent her soaring like a shooting star. She was becoming addicted to his praise and being in his arms.

As the days passed, the only dark cloud was no news on the missing girl. Every day she checked the news. The online blogs offered no signs that Kimber had returned home; safe and sound where she belonged. The police provided little information. It was as if the world had forgotten already or they didn’t care.

Time moved too quickly. Martin’s schedule was hectic, but he spent every free moment with her. They joked around like friends, but acted like lovers. It scared her how quickly she fell for him. Her brain and her heart couldn’t disassociate. Lust and love blurred together. At first, she thought she could push those feelings aside. Except, every time he smiled, her stupid chest tightened, and the butterflies danced in her tummy.

This happiness was unexpected. She came to visit and escape the sadness; to let go of all the plans she’d had for her future. She was afraid of being alone on Valentine’s Day. Her pseudo wedding date. Everything she’d planned was for a future her ex never wanted. She was ready to settle down, and he wanted adventure. They weren’t on the same page and that’s why he left. The sting and the sadness had worn off.

She sat on the couch, flipping through a magazine and waiting for Martin to return home from his training session. The team looked great, and they were ready for the playoffs. Martin played well in his last two games. They won one and lost one. She enjoyed box seats to see him play at home. The roar of the fans as their team took home the victory was beyond cool. Martin had been so happy.

That was the first time he kissed her in front of other people. It was only Joe and Cam, but they counted. The kiss wasn’t friendly either. It involved tongue and ass grabbing. Whatever twist their relationship had taken, he wasn’t hiding it. She wished she’d been a fly on the wall in the locker room when he talked with his friends. Maybe then she’d know what went on in his mind and how he felt about her.

Her phone buzzed on the table. It was her mom. “Bonjours, Mamma. How are you?”

“Ah ma Sylvie is alive. Hello my one and only daughter. You are too busy to call your mother these days? You’ve been gone for close to two weeks, and I’ve spoken with you only once, on the day you landed. Bruno and I got worried.”

“Is he with you?” She could tell they’d put her on speaker. The tin sound and far away voices gave them away.

“Bonjours, ma petite fille,” Bruno said from a distance. He’d always called her his little girl; even though he only came into her life when she’d been a teenager. “We put all your boxes in the basement and your old room is ready for when you come home. When do you think that will be?”

Moving in with her parents felt like such a step backwards. “Thanks for that. I booked a seat for the fifteenth, but I might stay longer. That depends on Martin.” She’d booked the return flight before they complicated their relationship.

“How is my man? Has he been good to you? He played like a champ the other night. His team might do better than my Habs, which pains me.”

She could hear his smile through the phone. Her step-father didn’t care about hockey, but he loved Martin like a son. She laughed. “He’s fantastic, and he’s been an excellent host.” The door opened and Martin walked in looking like he'd stepped off the pages of her magazine. His hair was damp from a shower. “He got home a moment ago. Do you want to say hi?”

“Yes!” They both shouted in unison.

She pressed the speaker button and mouthed to Martin that her folks were on the phone. He nodded and took off his coat. “Okay. He can hear you now. Behave.”

“Martin, you have to remind my daughter to call home more often. She gets lost in her computer world and forgets to come up for air. Please tell me you’re making her go out and have fun.” If her mother had her way, she’d be out dancing twenty-four-seven.

He kissed her cheek and sat down next to her on the couch. He smelled divine, and she cuddled into him. “I can assure you I’m keeping her busy. As for the phone calls, that’s on her. You can’t make Sylvie do anything she doesn’t want to.”

Bruno’s laughter rang out loud. “True. She’s headstrong our girl. So, when can we have her back?”

She didn’t want to think about leaving or have Martin tell her it was time to go. “I’ll get back to you on that. Look, Martin only just walked in the door and I’ve got lunch on the stove. I promise I’ll call you later. Love you both,” she said and disconnected the call after everyone said farewell.

“You made lunch?” He raised a brow.

Her cooking skills weren’t great, but she could heat soup. “The vegetable soup is on simmer. I made ham and cheese sandwiches and a tossed salad. It’s not much.”

He cupped her chin and kissed her lips. “It’s plenty and thank you. You are the highlight of my day. What have you been up to? What are you reading?” Comments like that were the reason she’d fallen for him. Not only was he gorgeous and sexually talented, he cared about what she did with her time. It wasn’t all about him.

The fashion magazine sat open on the coffee table. A stick thin model rocked the latest in leather handbags. The other page had an advertisement for a destination wedding. White sandy beaches with a couple holding hands as they ran through the surf. “Nothing. I sat down and started flipping.”

“Don’t compare yourself to women like that. I think you are way sexier.” He kissed behind her ear. “Way more supple.” He squeezed her breast.

She gripped his shirt and kissed him. Their mouths connected and tongues tangled. She pulled him on top of her and moaned when his erection poked her belly. One hand dove into his wet hair, holding him in place. The other reached between them. She lowered his zipper and freed his cock. Stroking his length and getting wetter by the second. “I want you.”

He yanked her sweats and panties down. Off only one leg, but it was enough to give him access. He thrust into her. “I love coming home to you.” He pounded into her at a relentless pace. She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him harder. Sweat dripped onto her cheeks and she didn’t care.

They were raw, visceral and her climax tore through her like a hurricane. Wet, messy and with so much power she was shaking. “Oh… oh!”

Martin increased his pace, and she was so overcome by her own orgasm she didn’t notice when he stilled. She hugged him close and stared into his eyes. They were mesmerizing. He peppered her face with kisses and she giggled. “That was exactly what I needed. I’m sorry.” He kissed her lips, soft and sensual. “I can’t get enough of you.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for. I enjoyed that too. A lot.” She looked down at their mostly clothed bodies and laughed again. “Guess we both needed that.” She smiled and reached to grab a tissue to clean up. That’s when she realized there wasn’t any mess. He’d come inside her. This wasn’t the first time he didn't pull out. While she took the birth control pill, it wasn’t one hundred percent effective. Plus, she’d missed one on her travel day.

He sat up and helped her put her pants back on. “I’m starving now. Let’s go eat.” He tucked himself back in his jeans and zipped them up.

“You can tell me all about how things went with your trainer,” she said, adjusting her blouse and following him into the kitchen.

“I’d rather hear about your work. Did you call Caroline back?” He grabbed bowls from the cupboard and filled them with soup.

They sat down at the table and she grabbed a sandwich from the pile. “She’s really great. I expected her to be snobby, or something. Given she’s rich and an up-and-coming musician. But she’s totally down to earth.”

“I guess we didn’t spend much time with her at the bar the other week. She’s a nice girl and Nico won’t stop talking about how great she is. I’m glad he’s happy, but he takes the lovey-dovey shit to a whole new level. Theo’s almost as bad. At least Carly keeps him in check.”

She chewed past the lump that formed in her throat. His bitterness towards love hadn’t softened at all during their time together. That wasn’t a good sign. “Right. Anyway, we connected, and she’s hired me to start a website for the missing teens. She really wants to get some attention on these kids and I agreed.”

“Does that mean you’ll be staying? You never gave me or your folks a date.” He sipped his soup and peered at her.

“I can work from anywhere. I planned to stay until after Valentine’s Day. Is that okay?” Her voice cracked. She dreaded that holiday, but his response more.

“I’ve got you for a while longer. Great. You can be my date to the wedding.” He leaned over the table and kissed her. Their lips smacked as he pulled away.

“I’d love to be your date. Aren’t you in the wedding party though?”

“I’ll be a groomsman, but we’ll be able to sit together. It’s an evening ceremony and reception. Did Caroline bore you with all the details during your conversation?”

“No, we mostly talked about the teenagers and all the cases she’d researched so far. I’ve got time and since she’s paying for it, I’ll be able to dig deeper. We had a great conversation. Not much wedding talk, but she invited me to her bachelorette party.”

“Did you say yes?”

“Yeah, I told her I’d go. It’s the same night as the bachelor party, so I would have been alone. Does it bother you if I go?” She ripped the corner of her bread and dunked it in her soup.

His smile lacked its usually liveliness. “Not at all. I’m loving the smile on your face and the fact you’re getting out and making friends. You’re acting like the old you again.”

“Thanks to you. You’re giving me plenty of reasons to smile.” Her smile had everything to do with him. Falling in love had a way of making a person smile. She could have kicked herself for letting that happen. Especially, when his smile wasn’t nearly as bright as hers. “Are you okay? You seem a little down.”

“You noticed.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry. Most days I can leave my performance on the ice, but I’ve been playing like shit. My reflexes are slower and Montagne got in three goals from the slot. It’s like my blockers aren’t holding up. The worst part is that Mr. Northcote watched them go in. The trade deadline is coming up, and I’m hearing all sorts of rumors.”

“Rumors are deadly for your confidence. Let them go and don’t listen. You are a great goalie.”

He pushed his empty bowl away. “That’s easy for you to say. People aren’t talking about you and saying you’re a half rate web designer.”

“No one is talking shit about you. It’s all in your head. If there is anyone out there talking smack, don’t give them the satisfaction of letting their bullshit get to you.” She reached over to take his hand, but he pushed his chair back from the table and stood.

“It’s not bullshit when it’s the truth!” His voice echoed through the room. “I’m going to cost our team the cup, if I can’t pull my head out of my ass.” He paced the room, searching for something. He found a dish cloth next to the sink and wiped the counters.

“Hockey isn’t played by one man. It takes a team. You’re on the best team and you’re the best in the league.” She tried to remain calm but her pulse raced as she stood up.

He scrubbed the inside of the sink. The spotless steel shined. “Stop,” he yelled and held his hands up when she approached him.

“Don’t scream at me because you had one bad practice. I’m only trying to make you see the other side. Who fucking cares if you let in a few goals? You’re not supposed to carry the team. Greatness—”

“Your pep talk is only making it worse. You don’t get it. I’m not trying to pick a fight with you.” He rang the excess water from the cloth and folded it.

“Then don’t. Don’t fight with me.”

“Fuck!” He stormed off towards the laundry hamper.

She didn’t like the way their fight made her feel helpless. He retreated to the couch and rearranged the magazines. She sensed him pulling away. The silence spoke volumes about his state of mind. A smart person might have given him space to relax, but she couldn’t leave things like that. She came up behind him on the couch.

“I’m sorry I said no one cares. I know how important your career is, and I wasn’t trying to belittle that.” She pressed her hands into the muscles on his shoulders, massaging the tension away. “I’m here to listen, and I promise to leave my advice in the other room.”

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “I want to hear your opinion. It’s not you or what you said. I’m a little stressed. Today didn’t go well for me and you’re leaving shortly.”

She kneaded the knots. “Tell me how I can make you feel better.”

“You’re doing it.” He opened his eyes and looked at her upside down from the couch. He smiled. “Now if you did this topless, it would be even better.”

She pulled her shirt off and removed her bra. His smile widened. She leaned over the back of the couch, her breasts pressed against his forehead as she claimed his lips. She wanted to be there for him the same way he was there for her. They could help each other smile again.