THAWING AVA

Selena Illyria

www.loose-id.com

Thawing Ava

Copyright © December 2013 by Selena Illyria

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Image/art disclaimer: Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.

eISBN 9781623006594

Editor: Jana Armstrong

Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde

Published in the United States of America

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This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Warning

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Dedication

For the wickedly awesome writers, Lissa Matthews and Cassandra Carr, who inspired this idea. Thank you! To Jodi Redford, you saucy minx you. To Shell and Tilly for your awesome feedback. Thank you! And last but not least to Jana for your patience. Thank you all!

Chapter One

No one told Ava that Brice Douglas was going to be here. In fact, when her mother had called, she didn’t mention the sexy-as-sin hockey player and Ava’s ex-college crush.

Brice leaned against the wall in the far corner as if he were a kid who’d been naughty, but he was a grown man who didn’t look the least bit sorry for whatever it was he had done. His auburn hair was mussed as if he’d just rolled out of bed, a bit of reddish-brown scruff decorated his cheeks, his lips were red, and his green eyes were dark and inviting her to step into that forbidden part of the forest she couldn’t resist. Despite all the years she hadn’t interacted with him, it was like Christmas vacation all over again. Him trying to wheedle an extra helping of pudding despite his stomach flu and her trying to resist him before she broke down and gave him her share.

Her skin prickled as his stare roamed over her face and neck, then across her chest, only to come back up to her face again. She shifted in her seat and looked away. Concentrate, she ordered herself, but she could feel the weight of his gaze on her. It was a heated caress that penetrated her thick, fluffy parka and sweater, and glided along her skin like warmed oil.

Ava ignored the way her nipples tightened and her labia thickened and her body temperature increased. Brice Douglas wasn’t going to lure her in. She wasn’t a college sophomore under his spell. At least that’s what she told herself. No one knew about her crush on him, and they wouldn’t. Whatever the reason he was here and she’d been called would require that the past stay dead.

When she’d seen her parents’ number on the caller ID, she’d thought they were just checking in on her again. Her mother didn’t think she should be alone after breaking off her engagement with the two-timing lothario wannabe, Perry. Instead Ava had gotten a summons that’d scared the shit out of her.

“Your father needs you up in Witch Fields immediately. Your ticket is waiting at the airport. You have to dress warmly. It just snowed. A car will pick you up from the airport. I’ll see you as soon as I can. Love you, sweetie.” Josie Jackson had hung up before Ava could respond or react. Ava’s heart raced, and nightmare scenarios swirled around her head. All of them included her father in the hospital. Her mother may not have said it, but Ava couldn’t keep the idea out of her head. Without coffee or a shower, she’d packed up her things, changed into jeans and a sweater and her new parka, and headed to the airport.

Nerves frazzled, exhaustion tugging at her eyelids, she was in early-morning mode where understanding was limited. Her body wanted to hug Brice and feel all that hard, lean, hockey-honed muscle against her. She gave herself a mental shake and looked around her father’s office to get her bearings.

The walls were surprisingly white with very few pictures or paintings on them. Windows in the back looked out onto forest. Other than his desk and the overstuffed chair she sat in, there were no pieces of furniture. She knew her father had taken over the Witch Fields Prowlers only last year. He’d gone from head coach to part owner when the team took a financial hit. As far as she knew, he had a full staff, so what hockey thing needed an outsider’s help?

Her bulging suitcase filled with winter clothes sat near the door ready for her to grab and make a run for it should she need to. So far her father and Alexi and Brice hadn’t said anything except to ask her how her flight was or if she needed anything. Yeah, she needed an extra-large mocha frappé with whipped cream and chocolate shavings and an explanation. Ava tried not to stare at her father’s coffee mug and drool. He liked his java black, no sugar or cream. Why anyone would do that to coffee was beyond her. The sweet elixir of life needed enhancers, extras, chocolate.

Once she got her coffee, things would make sense. At least she hoped they would. For now all she could do was eye her father, James Jerrod Jackson, and Alexi Kuraine, team captain of the Witch Fields Prowlers, and try not to look at Brice, who was part of the team’s defense. Maybe Dad wanted to introduce her to the team? And maybe he’d called her up to the freezing north to tell her she’d won the HGTV Dream House sweepstakes that she hadn’t even entered. “Dad—” she started.

“I’m so sorry, honey, to bring you up here on such short notice, but I really need your help, and you’re the only I can count on.”

Okay. Things must really be in the shit if he was turning to her. “What about Davis? Where is he?” She knew her brother worked as head of the Prowlers’ PR department.

“Putting out fires,” her father replied.

Her father and Alexi looked guilty. What for, she had no clue. She’d never met Alexi, so she wasn’t sure what he’d done. She glanced over at Brice; he didn’t look guilty in the least—annoyed but not ashamed either. Nor had he answered her question about why Davis wasn’t here or where he was.

“I need you to do me a huge favor. You need to play companion to Brice over here.” Her father gestured toward Brice in a nonchalant manner, but Ava didn’t miss the annoyance on Brice’s face. “He’s going through a difficult time right now and needs someone to make sure he stays out of trouble.”

Brice scowled and moved toward the desk but stopped and went back to the wall, only closer to Ava this time, his gaze not on her father or Alexi but on her. Ava tried to ignore the flames on her face. Brice’s features hardened, and his eyes glittered with something akin to daring, as if he was demanding she say something. She couldn’t. She didn’t understand why the team’s management needed her of all people to watch over Brice. It made no sense.

She shifted in her seat and then looked up at Alexi, who stood on her father’s right. Doubt filled his eyes. Annoyance at being called away from packing up her life competed with curiosity and anger.

“Brice has been partying far too much as of late, and it’s showing in his performance on the ice,” her father explained.

Alexi nodded; his lips thinned to a line.

“We’re too short staffed as is to handle it,” her father pressed on. Frustration furrowed his brow. He moved around in his chair, and Alexi said nothing, just focused on her father.

Brice was wasting his talent. How could he do that when last time she’d spoken to him, hockey had been his life? She refocused on her father; he looked uncomfortable and sad. Her father loved this team. Anger filled her like scalding liquid. What was the team doing about this? Why weren’t they stepping up?

She studied Alexi once more.

Alexi gave her a smile that brought a blush to her cheeks. Something about that small gesture made her think he may not be so innocent or calm as she’d first thought.

She ignored it. “Why can’t the team do anything about this?” She directed the question at Alexi.

Alexi straightened. “Because our attention is so divided between personal issues, injuries, and other shit. Brice’s actions were left for last. You’re our only remaining hope.”

She gritted her teeth. Brice cleared his throat. She looked over to find him glaring at Alexi before going back to staring at her. Great. If she was lost before, she was even more so now. She looked to her father for guidance. That was safer; at least she thought it was.

Her father glanced to his right at Brice and then back at her. “Also of late he’s had a bit of a woman issue. His head’s not in the game. He’s been distracted. He’s normally got a good head on his shoulders, but when women are involved…” His voice trailed off.

Ava sputtered. A woman issue? She was a woman.

What the fuck are they thinking to bring me into this?

“This is such bullshit,” Brice muttered.

Ava looked over at Brice to find a muscle working in his jaw, but he said nothing else. Ava couldn’t help but wonder how bad it was that he wouldn’t defend himself. Or that they needed to call someone in for this. Nothing made sense. Maybe I should ask for some coffee. Ava opened her mouth, but she was interrupted.

“This latest incident has gotten him so screwed up he’s not doing his job. Missing passes, hogging the puck, ignoring direction from the coach.” Her dad shook his head. “I wish I was back coaching, but they need me more in the front office. Alexi, Coach Nelsen, and myself have talked about benching him, but when he’s on, he can kick the shit out of the competition. When he lets women get to him, he goes to clubs and bars, gets into trouble, starts fights with other guys, fights with the paparazzi. It’s a clusterfuck.” Alexi looked over at Brice, and sadness painted his features. Ava wished she’d followed hockey after college, but her life had been so busy, and Perry had hated the sport. There was only so much whining she could take before she’d stopped watching altogether.

Brice ran a hand over his face but continued to remain silent. Hurt, pain, and humiliation flashed across his features. Her heart contracted at the emotion he displayed. How could this be the same person who hadn’t let anything interfere with his love of hockey? Besides eating and feeling like crap because of the stomach flu, he had gone on and on about the finer points of hockey that Christmas break. Because of his enthusiasm, she’d gotten interested in the sport once again.

Oh, Brice. What happened to you?

Some of her unhappiness lifted. So Brice has been misbehaving and has an issue with unacceptable women, and they brought her in help Brice get his head on straight? “You have so much talent, Brice. I want you focused, and I want your head out of your ass. You, Ava, are no-nonsense. You can keep him on the straight and narrow.” Her father paused and turned away. “I’ve got to deal with management issues. The rest of the team has their own problems that they need to focus on. We don’t want to bench him, not with all the injuries we have. Our current lineup can get the job done. We need him at his best.”

Brice looked at her. Their gazes snagged. Helplessness and hope mingled in the dark green depths. The golden flecks winked at her like tiny lights. Frustration hardened his features. He opened his mouth to speak and then snapped it shut.

Ava pulled her gaze away from his and refocused on Alexi and her father. “You can say it, Dad. With my broken engagement and being between careers, I have time on my hands. Will I get paid for this? I’ll need somewhere to stay.” She didn’t mention her aunt selling her café or Perry’s cheating ass.

She decided to make the best of the situation. A little distance from her ex-fiancé would do her good, and if she got paid for it, even better. Plus, she wanted to understand this change in Brice. The arousal he inspired would have to go on the back burner. He needed her to focus on him and stop whatever reason he had for screwing up his talent.

James blew out a breath, relief on his face. “Of course, and you’ll be staying with Brice.”

Ava blinked. “Excuse me? You said he had women problems, and you want me to stay with him?” How can they be so stupid? She studied them for a moment. Oh yeah, they’re men.

Ava turned her attention to Brice. The intensity burning in his eyes sucked the air from her lungs. Her pussy fluttered; her inner thighs tingled.

Danger! Danger!

Brice looked away and swallowed. She watched, entranced. It took all her energy to remember the fact that they weren’t alone in the room. But she could still feel his gaze on her. He may have been a few feet away, but she felt his presence right next to her.

Memories of spending time together—seeing him on the quad, waving at him and Davis, watching hockey with him, rooting for the same team as him, getting him soup and making sure he was sleeping okay—flooded back into her mind. She could feel the warmth of his smile on her skin, the gratefulness in his eyes when she took care of him, his whispered words of thanks, the laughter that lit up his eyes and seemed to come from somewhere deep within. Among the memories was her sadness when he became disappointed that his family hadn’t called to check on him. She wanted everyone but Brice to go away so she could ask him what had happened. Why was he acting out? She could feel the tears stinging her eyes but refused to let them fall. With a mental shake she listened to her father’s words.

“I trust you, Ava. You can keep your hands to yourself, and you certainly won’t encourage him. But I need you in his apartment to make sure he doesn’t sneak someone in,” James offered. “There have been women who have made scenes at his apartment building. I don’t want to go through that again. We need positive press.”

Ava thought it over; no hotel bills, free room and board, the ability to be close to family and clear her head of her ex. There was one snag. “How long will I have to stay?” she asked. Ava needed to know so she could plan and figure things out, like how to remain neutral and help Brice get centered on hockey. Sex could wait; she’d been deprived of it this long. What was a few more weeks? And if she needed a little something, then she could let her fingers do the walking.

Alexi answered. “Well, it depends. We have a real shot at the play-offs. So it could be several weeks. If the situation gets too strained, we can always move you into an apartment across the hall. Just as long as you keep an eye on him.” He raised an eyebrow and looked over at her father.

James nodded, a smile on his face. “Yes, we could do all that and more. Besides, I love having you here with me. Your mother will be so happy to have you in the same town.” His smile widened to an all-out grin. Guilt dampened the lust that threatened to grow within her.

Ava smiled, but she fought to keep herself from giving in. “I want a contract put together so it’s all legal and crap.” She held up a hand to prevent their protests. “Just to say I’m working for you and all that and what my salary is. You know, the basics. Once I sign on, I move in. But I want to talk to Brice first. If he’s going to have me making his entire life miserable, then he’s got to know why I’m doing this and what my rules are.” There. Someone in the room without Stanley Cup fever had to be reasonable.

Brice snorted, and she ignored him.

James slid a paper across the tabletop, which she accepted and read over before turning her attention back to her father and Alexi. She didn’t dare look at Brice. Who knew what his face would reveal? She had dealt with contracts before when helping her aunt. She studied the agreement carefully. There were no clauses about sex or parties. Just an outline of what they wanted from her: keep Brice sober, get him to practice on time, and make sure he’s healthy. Any other issues that needed to be addressed were under her discretion.

“We didn’t have time to get into the weeds, so it’s just the basics. Do you approve?” her father asked.

She signed her name, initialed where she needed to, and dated it. “Yes.” She slid the document back to her father.

James glanced at Alexi, and they both nodded. “Fine. I’ll have this notarized and give you a copy tonight. You can stay with your mother and I before you move in. Is that all right? Practice is about to start, so you’ll have time to get the lay of the land in the area Brice lives and talk later. I’ll have the car at your disposal.”

“Totally fine.” She nibbled her bottom lip and tried to ignore the trepidation she felt. Ava loved her parents, but it had been a long time since she’d lived under the same roof with them. The love between James and Josie was both strong and embarrassing as hell. They may be in their fifties, but that didn’t exactly stop them from having sex or making sexual innuendos.

James gave her a mischievous grin. “We’ll behave, promise. And this will give you a chance to get reacquainted with him again. You and he went to the same college, and I know you two knew each other back then.”

Fuck.

Ava had hoped her parents wouldn’t have that information, but apparently the world hated her. “Nope, never met him,” she lied. “Besides I didn’t hang out at the frat house all that much. It wasn’t exactly hygienic.” She wrinkled her nose, remembering the smell of stale beer and pizza and something that had been living in their refrigerator for God knows how long. How anyone got laid in the frat house was beyond her.

“You didn’t have a problem with it during Christmas,” Brice finally spoke up.

“Ava, no need to be shy. I know you knew him, but we don’t have time to rehash the past. We have a practice get to,” her father stated.

“My memory of that time is fuzzy.” Ava didn’t want to think about that time, not with him in the room. The pain of his rejection and wondering if it was because of her weight hung in the back of her mind, threatening to come to the forefront if she let it.

James frowned. “Oh, well. At least you two have hockey in common. That’s a start.” He beamed at her despite a question in his eyes.

Ava couldn’t resist smiling back, even though guilt pinched at her. “Yeah, even if I haven’t watched a game in years. Perry hated the sport, thought it was too violent. Guess I’ll have to get a Hockey for Dummies intro.”

Alexi made a growling noise in his throat. “Some people just don’t know what the fuck we’re all about. Shame. We could’ve used someone like you cheering us on.” His eyes filled with mirth and a spark of trouble.

Heat flushed her cheeks. Brice pulled her from her thoughts by clearing his throat. “Time to go, captain,” Brice stated as he motioned for Alexi to precede him out of the office. Neither man made a move to leave.

“Alexi, that’s my daughter,” James warned.

She glanced away. It had been ages since a man had gazed at or even flirted with her. She couldn’t count the glimpses Brice threw her way—he was off limits, even if he was a delectable distraction. She shook her head.

She remembered the young man he’d been back in college, so in love with hockey; now it had come to this. “He was just being cute, Dad, no worries. Besides I don’t date hockey players.” Ava knew she was lying. Hockey players could be on the list, but she’d never thought they’d be interested in her.

“Just snobby, cheating, lawyer assholes,” James muttered.

“Dad!” Ava couldn’t help but grin. Her mood lifted a bit.

“You know I’m right. Anyway, this will take your mind off missing that bullet. I’ll call the car around. You get settled in and maybe get a new jacket?” He winced and looked away. “It’s a bit bright, honey, and well, it’s a bit big on you. You’re a healthy girl, but that’s just… You look like a snowball with arms and legs.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “It’s freeze-your-tits-off cold outside. I lived in Florida most of my adult life. ’Scuse me for wanting to stay warm.”

Alexi’s face turned red; then he started to guffaw loudly. Her father followed suit. Even Brice chuckled. Ava ignored all that and got up to leave. Any talking to Brice would have to wait. Practice came first. “You guys go to practice, and I’ll talk to you later, Brice.” She grabbed the handle of her luggage and wheeled it out of the office. She bypassed the rink and headed straight for the car waiting in the parking lot. Once she was inside the warm interior, she ordered the driver to take her to her parents’ home. After she got settled, she’d check out Brice’s apartment building and get a good look. She was also going to look for a place to live once this whole thing with Brice was over. Maybe she could kill two birds with one stone.

* * * *

Brice trudged up the last few flights of stairs and pushed open the door to the twelfth floor. His body ached—in a good way—and his head was clear. No crap with women, no run-ins with the paparazzi, nothing but hockey and a loose plan to unwind and relax for the night.

No women. He’d told his teammates that. That was partly true. As soon as Ava walked into the office that afternoon, he knew he was gone. She’d been the one who got away in college, and now she would be in his life and his babysitter at that. Ha! Companion or whatever they wanted her to be. Brice doubted the team believed him, and he couldn’t blame them. He’d been a total asshole as of late. With Christmas coming up, his blues had increased to stupidity level. Just seeing Ava had made him feel as if his equilibrium had returned. For the first time in years he could see things and reflect without trying to paint the scenes in better terms. He’d tried to worm out of taking responsibility; it wasn’t his fault women had created a scene in the lobby of his apartment building or that he’d stayed out so late. He’d needed to blow off steam.

He smiled as he remembered Ava’s entrance into the office with that huge bright white parka and jeans, face with little makeup, big brown eyes wide with surprise when she’d seen him. He’d eaten up every inch of her. Her flawless cocoa skin looked waxen, and there were bags under her eyes that made his heart hurt. She hadn’t been taking care of herself. Davis had mentioned her breakup with that jackwad of a fiancé, something about cheating. Looking at Ava, Brice couldn’t fathom any sane man leaving her for another woman. The puffiness of her jacket couldn’t hide her full breasts and voluptuous form, and the jeans molded her thighs and perfectly rounded ass like a second skin that he wanted to palm and give a nice spank.

If it hadn’t been for her father and Alexi, he’d have suggested helping her get out of that bulky jacket. Instead he’d had to deal with listening to his character flaws while Alexi stared at her as if he wanted to absorb her into his memory and use her for his spank bank later. Brice couldn’t very well call out his friend and captain. He was supposed to be behaving. He couldn’t deny that Ava Jackson had been on his mind since Christmas a few years ago when he’d been a senior in college and had gotten a bad case of the stomach flu.

She’d taken care of him during that time while trying to study for some classes. Davis had left on vacation with his boyfriend’s family, and her parents had taken an anniversary/non-honeymoon honeymoon to France. She had nowhere to go, and he’d needed someone to keep him company. That had been the best Christmas he’d ever had. It had been simple but perfect.

The only drawback was they’d never gotten together once winter break was over. He’d tried to call her, but the number was to a pizzeria and not her dorm. After calling everywhere and getting nowhere, he’d given up. Not even Davis could help him; his head had been buried in classes and his new boyfriend. Brice had hated to write it off, but he’d always hoped they’d meet up again. Now they had.

This time he could get things right, maybe even convince her to give them a try. Even though he had to stay away from women, Ava wasn’t just a woman. She was intelligent, sexy, fun, and she loved hockey. He’d have to reintroduce her to the game, but still, she was open to it. How many women could he say that about who didn’t only want in his pants? Although he couldn’t be sure about that last part. The glances she’d thrown at him the few times their gazes had met made him think there was hope that she was as attracted to him as he was to her. Besides, it was her job to be with him 24-7. And she wouldn’t bring him the same kinds of headaches other women had, right?

Just seeing her today had turned around something inside him. A fire he’d thought had dimmed in his soul seemed to have lit up. He wasn’t sure what it was about her that had brought this out, but he was determined to find out what else she could do for him. Brice couldn’t help that he also wanted to see her over him and under him. Ava was trouble with a capital T, but she was worth it.

He got to his apartment and unlocked the door. There was a lot he needed to do before she came over. Brice threw down his bag, put away his jacket, and broke out the steam mop and rubber gloves. He ached from practice, but nothing would keep him from making sure his apartment was so spic-and-span that she’d be impressed by it, maybe even ignore the “Lady Killer” moniker the gossip rags had christened him with and what she’d heard from James and Alexi. He wanted to impress and dazzle Ava, and recapture some of that Christmas magic they’d created back in college.

He still had to decorate his apartment, but that would come later. Brice had to prove to her that his talent and career mattered to him. Then she’d be willing to give him a chance. He also wanted to see if she was the same caring, sweet woman who’d nursed him while he’d been a whiny baby during his bout of stomach flu. He’d missed her glowing smiles, her praise, her comforting presence, and her expressive face. She couldn’t hide any of her emotions and thoughts from him. She’d been so trusting and confident. No doubting his desire to be a pro in the NHL, no “it takes time.” She’d just told him, “You’ll get there. I know it.”

Fate had given him a chance to prove that her faith in him was justified. He just hoped what her father and Alexi had said wouldn’t color her judgment too much.

Chapter Two

The next day found Ava standing in front of Brice’s apartment waiting for him to come home. He’d insisted on meeting her to show her around the place they’d be sharing, and work out a schedule to allow them both to feel as if they could live in the same space without killing each other. Nice offer. She wasn’t sure how this was going to go between them, living under the same roof, being in close quarters again. Just like Christmas. She could still remember the disappointment she’d tasted when he hadn’t returned her calls after break. It had taken all her courage to call him. She had mulled over every word, even written it down like a dork. Her hand had shook when she’d dialed the frat house and waited for someone to pick up. It had been a relief when Davis had answered. He claimed he’d get the message to Brice immediately, no questions asked. After that, nothing. She’d see Brice walking around the quad, arm slung over the shoulder of one of the cheerleader set, laughing, smiling, walking with her brother. The sting of humiliation made her use the long way back to her dorm or go out of her way to avoid the frat house, even turning down party invites from her brother. Brice had graduated that year, same as Davis. Now she was confronted with him as an adult, and she wasn’t sure if her memory of him or his actions today indicated that he’d felt the same way she had back then or if she was imagining things. So much had changed for them over the years.

A sense of sadness crept up on her when she thought of all those years when she’d stopped watching the game. She and Davis used to love going to games and talking shop at the table. Now she was forced to buy a Hockey for Dummies book to reacquaint her rusty brain with the rules, positions, and plays. Some stuff came back to her; others were lost in her mind along with old cartoon shows and which boys she thought were cute and she’d die if they didn’t talk to her or acknowledge her existence. That other stuff wasn’t important. Making sure she understood hockey and all its rules was. It not only allowed her to bond with her father once more, but it would be nice to talk to Brice about something, anything, since this was the sport he loved. That and discussing the current state of hockey wouldn’t lead to sex. She remembered them watching a game during Christmas break together along with the few times she’d managed to get up the nerve to say hi whenever she’d see him with Davis off campus. He was so invested in the game he refused to get up to go to the bathroom until the commercial. Too bad DVR hadn’t been invented by then. Instead he’d had to use a VCR, check the programming over and over again, and keep the TV on the same channel when the game came on. Ah, the good old days.

He hadn’t had to explain the game to her; she’d gotten the gist of things, but it had been so cozy, just the two of them, sharing ginger ale for his still delicate stomach and popcorn.

Now he was back in her life, and it was Christmastime once again. The world must hate her to push them together like this. In college he hadn’t seemed that woman obsessed, but ever since he’d made a pro team, he’d become some sort of “Lady Killer,” as the press had dubbed him.

Ava knew all about lady killers—her ex had been one; so charming a woman couldn’t resist him. He could talk the panties off a girl within minutes of meeting her but wouldn’t stay loyal if his life depended on it. She didn’t want to think of Brice as that, but what if he really was like Perry? She wasn’t sure how to change Brice’s attitude, but she knew that he needed her if her father had to bring her in to fix his problems. Her father had trusted her to help him when he’d coached peewee hockey, so she had some experience in wrangling boys to an extent. And she’d taken care of her aunt’s café whenever her aunt had gotten ill or needed a break. She supposed that would help her.

Ava checked her watch. Practice had been over for at least fifteen minutes. Where was Brice? The arena wasn’t that far from the apartment building. Traffic wasn’t too heavy in this area, which was surrounded by shops and pubs and restaurants. She’d checked it out online. The building he lived in had spaces available starting at five thousand a pop for a two-bedroom. Upper floors cost more and had more space available. Her mother had told her Brice lived on the twelfth floor, which meant he had a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath apartment that included one bedroom in a loft area, an office/study, an open-air layout, a fully stocked kitchen, and a living-room area. As a resident, he had access to all three of the pools, one Olympic-sized, the gym, spa, and steam room. He could also take advantage of the laundry, pet walking, and maid services offered.

Working-class people couldn’t afford to live here, but according to the gossip rags, Brice come from money and had inherited his personal wealth but didn’t flaunt it around, which was nice. He drove an SUV he’d had for over five years and had simple suits that didn’t exactly keep up with the latest trends. He gave a lot of time to charity and talked with the peewee teams in the area. He seemed like a down-to-earth, nice guy; his only issue was with women and partying. Hopefully she could make sure he kept it in his pants and she wouldn’t lose her heart all over again. Her father was counting on her. Hell, she was counting on herself.

Ava had looked over the team’s stats. Alexi had been right; they had a real shot at the play-offs. Two losses and one tie in the season so far. Both times they’d lost, it had been Brice’s fault, missed passes and shots and even a high amount of penalties, which led to time in the box. Somehow she had to get him to refocus his efforts. It seemed that when he went to a club, that’s where he met the women who fucked with his concentration. First rule, no clubbing. And since she hated clubs in general, she doubted he’d be able to convince her to go to one. She was twenty-nine, not eighteen. It felt silly to have hung on to her feelings for so long. She thought she’d gotten over him. All it took was one look, and she’d felt that spark again. There was more going on in her life right now—well, not right now—there were more important things.

Last night, after the meeting at her father’s office, she’d had a talk with her parents about Perry and possibly moving up to Witch Fields for good. Once she started her babysitting gig, she would need to start making plans for herself while Brice was at practice. She needed to pound the pavement and look for a job in a restaurant, bakery, or café. She wanted her own business in the food industry one day, and working from the bottom up all over again would help reinforce what she had to do. She needed a job that would allow her to play babysitter to Brice when practice was over. Ava would be able to work longer hours once the season ended. At least I have a lot to keep my mind occupied enough to resist Brice’s possible advances. But none of that could happen if he didn’t show up.

What is taking him so long?

She studied the hallway, which was painted a soothing taupe color, with live potted plants here and there and a few abstract art pieces on the walls. A floor-to-ceiling pair of windows let in light and showed off a great view of the downtown area. There were only four other apartments on the floor, which spoke of how much space had been invested in each suite of rooms. From the pictures on the Web site, a tenant could get furnished or unfurnished depending on their taste and needs. She wished she could afford to live here. Most of her budget would deal with finding a place and moving her stuff up to Witch Fields; whatever was left over would go to storage and getting anything she hadn’t been able to keep back. The creak of the stairwell door put her on alert. She turned around and looked over at the entryway, hoping it was Brice and that she wouldn’t have to stand out in the corridor for much longer. Ava felt awkward about just waiting or pacing for him.

Brice appeared with a ball cap low on his forehead, hiding his auburn hair. He had a neatly trimmed beard covering his high cheekbones. He wore a dark blue parka and well-worn jeans with a few places so thin they looked like they’d rip any day now. He had thick-soled work boots that had seen better times, with mud-splattered toes and washed-out patches on the suede. Brice carried a huge duffel bag with him.

He didn’t look up, just continued to nod his head as he walked. Ava took some time to study him. Brice moved with that smooth grace he’d always had, confident on terra firma and the ice. Broad shoulders were defined despite the slight puff of the jacket. She could see his trim waist, and the denim molded to his muscular thighs and calves. As he approached, she saw his fingernails were manicured.

He looked up, and she sucked in a breath as his green gaze met hers. A small smile formed on his lips, and she found it difficult to take in air much less not return the gesture. She tried to ignore the dampness of her palms. Her pussy fluttered as he drew closer, and her heartbeat picked up. She tried to swallow, but her mouth felt dry.

His smile grew to a grin that showed off his straight white teeth. For the first time in her life she found a beard on a man sexy. Her heart hammered against her rib cage as she thought about feeling that scruff on her inner thighs and her sex.

Ava shifted from one foot to the other as the ache between her legs increased. She licked her lips and brushed loose strands of her hair behind her ears. Ava looked down as the heat in her face increased to become a prickling fire. She felt awkward and unkempt. Even though she hadn’t dressed up to meet him, she’d kept her style casual.

“Hey!” Brice put his bag on the ground, leaned down and wrapped his arms around her, picked her up, and held her close in a bear hug that sent her thoughts into disarray and set her body on fire. Through the thick padding of his jacket, she could feel his solid frame. Her hips bumped his, and there was definitely something happy to see her. She gave in and melted against him for a bit, allowing the cold on his clothes to cool some of her ardor. It didn’t work. Her father’s words came back to bite her. “Brice has got so much talent. I want him focused, and I want his head out of his ass. You’re no-nonsense. You can keep him on the straight and narrow, and with your…” Her thoughts stalled.

Crap.

She wriggled in his arms, but he only tightened his grasp and placed a kiss on her cheek. His beard scratched her skin, sending tendrils of arousal straight to her pussy. A giggle formed in her throat, but she refused to let it out. Her lips turned traitor and curled upward.

Her brain betrayed her, and she began to wonder if it felt this good on her cheek… No no no! she admonished herself. “Um, Brice, can you put me down? You’re cold.” Sad excuse, not even true. With her jacket on, she was warm. She felt like she’d stepped into a steam room. Her body heat spiked, and her clothes began to chafe her skin. The idea of stripping down to cool off was tempting, but she doubted that would help keep Brice in line. Or make a good impression with any of his neighbors.

“Oops, sorry.” He placed her on her feet with care, but he still had a smile on his sensual lips. “I’m so glad you’re here, and that it’s you and not someone else. You do remember me, right?” Worry clouded his green eyes. Tension radiated from his body, making her uneasy.

“Yeah. College, Christmas, hockey, Davis’s frat brother.” She bobbed her head and looked down at the floor so as not to fall deep into his dark emerald eyes with those beautiful gold flecks. She nodded toward his duffel bag. “Need help?”

Brice shook his head, the smile back on his lips, albeit not as bright or welcoming, more reserved, wary. “No, no, I got it.” He dug his keys out of his jacket pocket, unlocked and opened the door, and allowed her to precede him. “After you, milady.”

She chuckled and entered, only to stop close to the entryway. The open space was overwhelming. The kitchen, dining area, living room, and bedroom all shared the first floor; a circular staircase led up to a loft area. High ceilings with exposed beams made her feel small. It didn’t help that there was so much white. Tall, bright white walls blinded her. Black leather furniture and dark wood tables were arranged tastefully around the room. It was so simple it was almost a showplace. The only things that screamed Brice were the framed pictures of hockey greats on the wall and a massive plasma-screen TV.

“Who lives here?” She moved farther into the room.

He chuckled. “How could you tell? I moved in a few years ago, already furnished with basic pieces, and I let them decorate it for me, but I didn’t add much of myself in here. No time.” Brice carried his bag into the room, brought it to a door in the kitchen area. He opened the door and went inside. She could see a washer and dryer along with several shelves. A pantry. Feeling nosy, she moseyed on over and peeked inside. She admired the stainless-steel appliances. Her inner clean freak purred at the top-of-the-line equipment.

“Stop drooling over my washer and dryer. And no, you can’t kidnap my kitchen.” He gave her the devilish grin that made her knees turn to jelly and her stomach flip.

She turned around to check out what he’d been talking about. “Goddamnit!” Ava rushed over to the built-in double oven, six-burner stove top, dishwasher, and double sink with stainless-steel handles. The cabinets were black, but with the brushed-steel handles they actually looked sexy. “I think I’ve just had a kitchen orgasm. Well, a mini one,” she corrected herself. “This is a nice start but not my dream kitchen.” She ran her fingers lovingly over the black granite tops. The smooth stone felt almost silky.

“What would you call a dream kitchen?” he asked from behind her.

She glanced over her shoulder to find his focus on her ass. Hiding a grin, she moved away to check out his French-door-style refrigerator. No use encouraging him, even if she felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach. She opened the door and used it to shield her body.

“First and foremost a premium coffeemaker—I need my coffee, no excuses—two six-burner stoves, and of course a professional-grade, best slow cooker on the market, an immersion blender, two sets of double ovens, convection oven to do roasts, a smoker, flat-top grill, walk-in fridge and freezer. Basically top-of-the-line everything with dark wood cabinets, brushed-steel handles, granite countertops, and cork flooring for easy cleaning. Oh and an ice cream maker. That’s just a few of the things in my dream kitchen.”

“Oh really?” He had moved closer. Those two simple words, whispered in a husky tenor, danced like fingertips up her spine to tease her nape. She resisted the urge to shiver.

When she shut the door and looked back at him, their gazes met, and heat wrapped around her body. Her clothing felt scratchy and too tight. Ava was the first to look away. Job: keep him out of trouble. He’s trouble. Focus, Jackson, focus! She looked back up at him. His gaze hadn’t moved, and amusement quirked his lips. The corners of his eyes were crinkled. He was older but still as sexy and appealing as he had been in college. There was a confidence and assurance that radiated from him, a sexual comfort in his body that reached out to caress her and remind her that he was all man. She ducked her gaze, which snagged on the very prevalent erection that pressed against his fly.

Ava swallowed and tried to ignore how big it seemed. The thickness of his erection looked like it would rub her vaginal walls right, maybe even hit that special spot that would make her see stars. Her internal muscles rippled and clenched. Her panties became damp; her clit swelled. She looked away and shuffled toward the dining room area, trying to put distance between them. The closer she let him get to her, the more likely it was that her caution and resistance would erode to nothing.

He’s just like Perry, she told herself.

Liar.

Even a few minutes with him showed her that. It was a weak argument, but there was nothing else she could think of to stop her. Not even a reminder that her father was counting on her helped keep those errant, sexual urges away.

Ava focused on the dining area. Although spotless it looked unused, no scuffs or scraps on the tabletop or floor. “No dinner parties or eating at the table?” she asked but knew the answer. He’d say no time. She wondered if any of his conquests came home with him, saw this, and wanted to take care of him.

Her heart ached for him, and a moment of clarity hit her: the various women—never the same one twice—the unused dining room, the barely decorated apartment. Brice didn’t live here; he just stayed here. This wasn’t home for him. He was so blessed and yet didn’t seem to know or understand it.

She resisted looking back at him to confirm her thoughts. Instead she examined the padded beige chairs and dark wood table. Unused candles sat in their pillars, having never been lit.

“Nope. I don’t really need the dining room set, but I don’t know what to do with it. I keep wanting to donate it but keep forgetting. Besides I don’t have the time for anything. Didn’t even have a housewarming.” Again, he’d moved closer without her noticing it.

Was this what it was going to be like while she stayed with him? Nothing but practice and making sure he didn’t go out at night? What else was in his life besides hockey and charity? Ava wanted to push him away, gain some distance, and yet part of her wanted to see what could have been. What he would do if she allowed him to get close. See if he’d let her take care of him. Where was his family?

With a sigh she knew what she needed to do even if it hurt her to do it. “Brice, give me some space, okay? I’m here to make sure you keep out of trouble, not be the next notch on your bedpost.” She didn’t look at him to gauge his reaction. Instead she moved into the living room area. The words were harsh and would be at odds with her feelings, but she had to draw a line in the sand and set some boundaries.

A plush leather couch, sofa, and padded chairs were arranged around a low wood coffee table strewn with hockey and sports magazines along with some mail. The massive TV sat against a whitewashed brick wall between two black steel shelves laden with DVDs and a few books. A black-and-white rug with an abstract swirl pattern lay on the floor, rich and plush but not Brice in the least.

“I know why you’re here, Ava, but can’t I appreciate the woman you’ve become? The curves you now have? The beauty you possess?” he asked, again so close.

“Smooth, Douglas, real smooth.” This time she turned around fully to face him.

He gave her a small smile and shrug. “I have to say what I see. You’ve always been intelligent, beautiful, and curved in all the right places.”

She pointed at him. “Exactly. Intelligent. I don’t need another smooth talker who will leave me high and dry. Been there, done that, returned the ring, and moved out of the apartment. I’m your babysitter, not your lover,” she said firmly. Even if she still felt that tight ball of arousal low in her belly.

“I heard about that asshole you were engaged to.” He looked down, hiding his face and expression from her view. Now his voice was harsher, no desire anywhere to be found. “I’d like to meet him one day, so I can beat the shit out of him.” He glanced up, a tight smile on his lips, anger blazing in his eyes.

Just seeing him so mad on her behalf sent part of her reticence crumbling. And yet she couldn’t understand it, so she said, “Why? We knew each other in passing and stayed in tight quarters during Christmas in college. Not long enough to really—”

He closed the distance between them so quickly she didn’t have time to steel herself. He kissed her hard.

It was a gesture to shut her up, a kiss that stole her air and scattered her thoughts and cracked a few walls she hadn’t realized were weak. Though closemouthed, it branded her with a restrained heat she hadn’t expected. She wanted to open her mouth for a taste, give in and urge him to unleash all that heat. Ava could smell that clean scent of soap and male with just a hint of musk that sent the fire in her body spiraling through her. His body heat seeped past the barrier of her jacket and the denim into her skin. She wanted to touch him, anywhere, everywhere, to pull the hardness of his body against hers. Ava wanted to peel off his clothes, gaze upon all that tanned skin, and explore every inch that she hadn’t seen in pictures.

She reached out to touch him, but he stopped the kiss so quickly she could only whimper in response. When he lifted his head, she found herself panting and confused, any thought of why she was here gone. She brought her fingers to her lips and pressed them to the tingling flesh.

“That Christmas was the best Christmas I’d ever had because I was with you. May have been two weeks, but I never forgot that time. Two weeks wasn’t long enough for us, for me,” he said before he stepped back. His face, ears, and throat red, desire and something else swirled in his eyes. “I have to go shower. You can just wander around, okay? Nothing to hide from you. I’m an open book.” He gave her another devilish smile and took off for the bathroom like demon dogs were on his heels. All she could do was stand there and touch her bruised lips. Damn it. She cursed herself, but she wouldn’t have taken that kiss back for anything in the world. She’d always wished she had gotten up the courage to kiss him that Christmas.

He paused before he entered the sectioned-off room and looked over his shoulder at her. “By the way, I like to cook, and I’ll be making dinner tonight. No going out for us, so get your things and get your ass back here quick as you can. Don’t make me spank you your first night here. And I will do it. Don’t think I won’t.” His gaze caressed her body once more.

Even through the layers of clothes, she felt it, touching her in places he couldn’t see, had never seen. Fuck, I’m so in trouble. As soon as he shut the door, her knees buckled and her legs gave out. She didn’t let the pain of denim-covered skin and bone hitting the wood flooring register.

Chapter Three

Brice stripped out of his clothes as if they were on fire. His cock pulsed, and his balls were so fucking hard they were nearly at the blue-balls stage. When he’d seen her in the hallway, he hadn’t expected for Ava to look so damn cute and sexy. It had only been a day since that office meeting. When he spotted her in front of his door, he’d felt light-headed, and his heartbeat picked up the pace. He had a bit of trouble breathing. Seeing her again made their situation real. She was here. With him. Even through the clothes he could see her curves and knew her full breasts, voluptuous waist, wide hips, and rounded ass were there, waiting for him to expose and feast on them like a dying man at his last buffet. He didn’t think he’d react to her like that. She had been on and off his mind for years; in fact, if he was honest with himself, he had to admit every woman he’d slept with had been compared to her. Would she make those sounds or react like that? Until he saw Ava, he’d been going through the motions of a happy man.

Ugh.

He was pretty sure that explained his actions. He knew his dating habits changed and increased whenever Christmas came around. Seeing Ava in her simple outfit—nothing that should attract his attention—made the women he usually went for seem shallow in comparison.

Lately he’d found himself attracted to the women who were as bright as multicolored Christmas lights. The more outgoing and loud, the better. But they weren’t Ava. They were rink bunnies looking to get their names in the gossip columns and hook themselves a rich athlete. He knew they’d been using him as much as he’d been using them, but now with Ava here, their actions along with his was starkly outlined.

His mind couldn’t help but travel back to those two short weeks at Christmas break. During that time he’d felt centered, safe, and most of all the focus of someone’s attention. He wasn’t alone; someone cared about him. They’d had an easy rapport. After Brice had recovered and the new quarter started, Davis hadn’t been much use in helping him find his sister—he was too in love with his current boyfriend. Spotting Ava around campus had been few and far between. She had even stopped coming up to him and Davis when she saw them. He’d been too hurt by her actions to even try and find out what was up.

Now that she was back in his life, he could show her how far he’d come and that he wasn’t going to let her get away. Hell, he could prove to her that Alexi and James were wrong about him. Everyone was. She would get to see the real him, and maybe that would convince her to take a chance on him.

Brice turned on the water and stepped in without thinking about the temperature. A hiss passed his lips as the icy liquid doused his body. It did nothing to blunt his arousal, nor did his cock lose its hardness. If anything, the stubborn bastard rose up to his stomach and pulsed while his balls continued to throb for release.

He grabbed the body wash and squeezed out a generous dollop. Brice closed his eyes and thought of Ava just outside of the bathroom. She needed to be naked. He pictured her before him, starting with peeling off that eyesore of a jacket. It hid her figure from him. He wanted to burn the damn thing.

Brice took hold of the zipper tab and pulled it down. The ripping sound sent a thrill along his spine to buzz around his testicles. His cock jerked as he took hold of his shaft and gave himself a slow stroke. He shuddered as the pleasure snaked through his body. In his fantasy he peeled away the coat to expose a tight, thin cotton sweater that couldn’t hide the hardened state of her nipples.

“So beautiful,” he murmured as he let her jacket fall to the ground. The bright light of the apartment illuminated the curves of her body.

He cupped her full breasts. Even clothed she was a knockout. He squeezed the mounds, savoring their weight and fullness. Ava let out a throaty moan that filled his belly with fire. He grabbed the hem and pulled. Without a single word of protest, she lifted her arms and allowed him to slip the sweater up her body. He couldn’t resist placing kisses on the exposed parts of her that he could reach. Brice dropped the sweater to the floor with her jacket and took a step back to admire the slight swell of her belly and the bright white lace covering her breasts.

Brice pulled on his shaft as he pictured Ava in only her bra, jeans, and boots. His fantasy self lowered his head and placed kisses along her chest. He cupped her breasts once more. Brice circled the full mounds until he could take one nipple between his teeth and tug on the tip before he pulled it into his mouth. He sucked and plucked on the nub while he kneaded her other breast. The fabric caused him frustration. He wanted to taste her skin. He increased his strokes as he pictured undoing the back clasp and shrugging the straps down her arms to expose her fully. “Perfection,” he murmured before he continued his ministrations. Fantasy Ava was so much better than any woman he’d ever been with.

He suckled, nipped, and teased the taut tips. With each action, her moans grew louder. She ran her fingers through his hair and held his head to her chest. Brice moved his hand up and down from root to tip. He grunted and spread his legs father apart as warm water showered him from overhead. Brice rolled his balls with his other hand as his strokes became leisurely. He squeezed his dick just under the thick crest to slow things down a bit.

Fantasy Ava urged him to her other nipple. He memorized every dip and hollow he encountered with his fingertips before undoing her fly. Once opened, he yanked down the waistband along with her panties and slipped his fingers between her thickened labia. He zeroed in on her clit, already plump and pulsing for stimulation. While sucking on her nipple, he flicked and circled the bundle of nerves. Ava responded to him perfectly; mewls and cries rained down on his head as she worked her hips against his fingers.

He moved his hand in time with his fantasy counterparts, wanting her to come with him when he did in the real world. Brice made a line of kisses from her breast over her stomach and mound before he slipped his fingers along the sides of her labia to her tight, wet entrance. He worked the tips of his digits in and pulled them out, then pushed them back in again.

Brice took her clit into his mouth with tugs and taps of his tongue. She rode his mouth, rocking her hips against his lips, smearing her cream on his chin, cheeks, and mouth. He looked up, watching as she squeezed and tugged on her nipples while she rocked her hips. His name floated from her lips in a prayer that set his soul on fire. He wanted to hear that in real life, in his bed against the wall, on the floor, everywhere in his apartment. Brice didn’t want to be denied her just because of their circumstances. He increased the speed of his strokes, tugging harder. His orgasm tingled just beyond his reach. Only a few strokes more and he’d be over the edge.

Yes, Brice. Please more. Suck harder. Finger fuck me, yes, she groaned as she pulled her nipples and rolled them.

He thrust his fingers in faster, pausing to hook the tips to rub over her G-spot. Brice needed her to come first, wanted to have her pleasure feed his own. A wave of pressure and desire filled his body until his skin felt as if it would burst. “Ava,” he rasped out, not caring if she heard him.

He worked his hand faster, tugging harder, had to reach that summit. Fantasy Ava cried out as her vaginal walls fluttered and clenched around his fingers. She came on gasps and moans. Brice came, with jets of cum hitting the shower wall, his stomach, and down his hips to flow to the drain. His body felt like jelly, and his brain was swathed in cotton. As the afterglow settled on him, his thoughts cleared. He felt less frantic. The urge to leave and forget his loneliness had faded to nothing. He wanted to have dinner and laze in bed with Ava, catch up with her, and get to know why she’d want to marry that asshat. Anger flashed inside of him once more. He hated that she’d willingly bound herself to someone like Perry. A growl formed deep in his chest.

Besides getting his shit together on the ice, Brice was going to show Ava that she deserved so much more than a moron who couldn’t see her true value. He smiled. He could see the irony of that plan when he hadn’t gone after her himself. He grabbed the shower gel again and began to clean himself up.

Once he was sure he was clean and his thoughts weren’t hazed with needy pulses from his eager dick, he shut down the water, got out of the stall, and dried off. He didn’t bother getting dressed. Ava would have to get used to his way of unwinding after practice. Later he wanted to do some drills on the ice at the arena if he had time, something he hadn’t done in a long time. He wrapped a towel around his waist and gathered up his clothes and hat, put them in the laundry basket, and left the bathroom.

Banging of pots and pans and the opening and closing of the refrigerator door drifted toward him as he padded around the corner to the kitchen. The scents of chicken wafted on the breeze. His stomach grumbled even though he’d eaten lunch with the team.

Ava stood behind the cooktop island, a sheen of sweat on her forehead and cheeks. He grinned when he found her jacket off as he’d fantasized about. She had on a thin black sweater just like he’d imagined; he could see that she wore a belt with her jeans that hugged her hips. She moved with grace around his kitchen. Ava showed no awareness of him whatsoever, which amused him. Again his stomach grumbled. As much as he appreciated the gesture, he couldn’t help but poke at her. “I said I was making dinner.”

She looked up. Her eyes grew wide until he saw only a ring of brown. Her jaw dropped. She placed her hand down on the counter and knocked the ladle out of the saucepan. Liquid went flying, splattering the countertop, the stove top, the front of her sweater, and her face. He couldn’t help his grin. Pleasure purred through his body at how shocked she was but also how much she liked what she saw, guessing from the banked hunger in her eyes. He resisted the urge to trail his fingertips down the center of his chest and over his abdomen. Brice could feel his once-sated penis growing thick as blood pooled in his groin. He ignored his dick and watched how she reacted.

Ava pulled her attention away from him, turned off the burner, grabbed a towel, and began to clean up the mess. His amusement turned to lust as he watched her breasts swing with each movement of her arms. He pressed his lips together to keep the whimper in his throat from coming out. Rather than give in to his desire to kiss her again, he went to help her. She brushed him off. “I’ve got it. No worries. I was just making a stock for some soup. It’s getting colder out there. You need something to warm you up when it starts to snow. Also you need some on hand in case you and any of the guys catch a cold.”

Brice looked into the stockpot and grinned. Chicken bones and bits of meat floated around, but the smell was heavenly. His stomach grumbled again. He walked over to Ava and pressed a kiss on her temple. “Thank you,” he whispered in her ear. He meant what he’d said. His heart expanded at her thoughtfulness. If she made some homemade animal crackers, he’d have to marry her right then and there.

“You can thank me by putting clothes on. I’m staying in the loft bedroom, right?” She didn’t look at him as she rinsed off her dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. Ava still hadn’t changed her sweater, and he didn’t point out the wet patch on her chest. He would’ve loved if she just whipped off the top. Brice didn’t voice that idea; he knew she’d smack that down immediately. Instead he focused on her question even if it irked the dominant side of him that wanted his woman in his bed and close enough to hold and cuddle. “Yeah. Did you look around?”

He waited for her to say something that would make his heart hurt. Brice wanted her to feel welcome and comfortable in his home, even if it did lack color.

She nodded but still didn’t look at him. “Yes. You have a nice place, although, you need to add your touch to it. It’s so…plain.” She finished putting away the plates and utensils. “You have your hockey heroes here but nothing else.” She finally met his gaze, sadness in her eyes. “Where is your life outside of hockey?”

He winced at the prick to his pride. For the first time he looked around his apartment, and he could see what she meant. He had his hockey life; that was it. He hadn’t watched any of those movies in his impressive DVD collection in years, and some of them were his favorites. “You could decorate for me. I don’t have time. You saw my room. You know my tastes.” Brice wasn’t sure if she would take it as an opening to get to know him or crossing the line that she’d tried to set. He didn’t care if it was pushing things. He wanted this place to be a home for the both of them. They had to live here for however long until management thought he’d learned his lesson.

He flashed back to college and where she would sleep while taking care of him. She’d had no problem staying in his room, sleeping a few feet away in Davis’s bed. He’d wanted her to go back to her dorm and sleep there so she wouldn’t get sick, but she’d refused, saying he might need her, pushing her plump, tempting bottom lip out at him, enticing him for a kiss, despite the pain and discomfort he was in. Deep down he’d known he wanted more than just a kiss, even if it would hurt like hell. Now he had her under the same roof again, like they were that week in college, and she’d be a few feet away. This time it would be different.

“That was college, not now. And how am I to decorate your space and keep an eye on you?” Ava crossed her arms under her breasts, pushing them up and drawing his eye to the thin fabric of her sweater and the still-wide stain from the broth. The top looked worn and pearled in places, as if it’d been tossed in the wash many times. He could even see a bit of her black bra. He filed that away for later, but his cock gave a jerk, wanting to explore under her shirt now.

“You don’t have to watch me during practice. Not like I’ll go nuts and hit on the female sports reporters on the scene. So can you maybe check a few things out, take some pictures, and I’ll decide if I want them or not.” He liked the idea that she would be shopping for him. For a moment he thought about her shopping for them, with her agreeing to stay with him, seeing where this would go. It was ridiculous that he’d want that now. He had to show her there was more to him than what the gossip rags suggested. Yes, he had made bad choices, but he wanted to change.

She frowned. “If you want to shop for furniture, I’ll go with you, but I won’t shop for you. Not getting rid of me that easily, Douglas. Anyway, it’s very personal. This is your place, not mine. Are you that afraid of furniture stores? And what would you do with all the other stuff?” Her dark brown stare bored into him. He shifted his stance and wanted to walk away, escape from that look that seemed to sear into his soul.

“They clean it and put it in storage unless someone moves in that needs furniture.” He knew he wouldn’t miss the stuff. Brice wasn’t a leather guy unless it involved leather pants, sex, or handcuffs.

“Eco-friendly to say the least. If we do this, I need to know you’ll be willing to help me. This is your space. I’m just a guest. Besides, this keeps you away from the pubs and clubs, and yes, I rhymed that on purpose.” She picked up the pot and began to strain the contents into a large storage container he hadn’t realized he owned. “Um, you going to get dressed? Unless you want to cook in the nude. That could be dangerous for your equipment, and I’m not sure how I’d explain that kind of accident without my father sending me back to Florida.”

“Why? Uncomfortable with the human body, sweetheart?” He was tempted to drop the towel but didn’t.

Ava didn’t answer. She just shook her head and continued what she was doing.

Brice loved that she wasn’t rising to the bait. “Fine. I’ll get dressed, but after this, you’ll have to get used to me shirtless and in sweatpants or nothing else.”

He stalked off to get dressed. Brice dropped the towel before he turned into his bedroom. Let her get a glimpse of what she’s missing. Screw Perry. I’m going after what I want.

Chapter Four

Ava tried to ignore Brice as he moved around the kitchen, completely shirtless and clearly not wearing underwear, but her inner sex-starved woman wanted him naked and moaning as she went down on him. The outline of his semihard penis showed at the front of his baggy sweatpants, making her even more aware of his current state. Arousal made her body tight and her skin itch. She’d heard him in the shower, calling out her name, and his grunts and moans. There had been a brief moment when she’d flicked open the button fly of her jeans but thought better of it. Getting off wouldn’t help her corral Brice, and clearly he didn’t care about the rules.

At every turn he pressed and pushed and reminded her he was a man—a virile one at that—and he was very attracted to her. She couldn’t miss the glances he threw at her breasts, waist, and hips. It made her all the more aware that she still wore a damp sweater that reeked of chicken and garlic. Ava didn’t dare leave him and change; her clothing was still at her parents’ place. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him to stay put. It was that she didn’t want him to come with her and have her mother ask him questions and try to feed him. Josie had said he hadn’t been by the house in a while. Her mother wouldn’t miss a chance to grill him about his life, not what the gossip columns reported on or what her husband and son had told her. Josie would go into mother mode and wouldn’t let them leave until they were laden down with enough food to feed a hockey and football team.

Nor did she want to be stuck in the small cabin of his truck smelling like this. Especially not with her arousal refusing to go away no matter how much she ignored it or tried to think of unsexy things. None of it worked, not with Brice moving around her looking like a tanned buffet of sinful flesh who didn’t care what anyone thought of him. His sexual confidence hammered at the wall of her resistance. She couldn’t ignore the way his muscles slid under his skin or how tempting it was to trace the tattoos decorating his arms, chest, and sides. Her gaze kept darting back for more, eating up every nuance of his unveiled body. It felt as if she’d never seen a naked man before.

Ava wanted to hide somewhere. Drop her pants and get some relief, but she wouldn’t dare. Not with Brice lurking about and certainly not when he could walk in on her. She wasn’t sure if what she’d heard in the shower had been genuine, but that kiss was real enough.

If he’d teased her mouth open and pulled her against him, she would have been gone. That much she knew. Bad enough he’d managed to make her forget why she was there in the first place.

Now she couldn’t stop thinking about him, about the shower and him calling her.

She wasn’t sure how long she could go and not give in to her desires. He was pure sex walking and knew it. Put him in some leather pants, and she’d be a groupie at his feet begging him to fuck her, take her, tie her down, and spank her. Perry had thought her desires disgusting and unfitting for his girlfriend. She doubted Brice would allow her to ignore her needs. She didn’t want to say anything. Not only would it be inappropriate, but she didn’t want to deal with Brice’s rejection. Ava didn’t want to see his face as it scrunched up in disgust. How did you ask a man to tie you down or spank you? Would Brice look at her with less respect? She shoved those thoughts away.

No use thinking about it when it wouldn’t come true. Couldn’t come true.

He brushed past her, taking down pots and pans and opening drawers and grabbing cooking implements. Each encounter allowed her to feel his erection against her ass. A flare of heat bloomed in her belly and spread to her limbs and down her legs. She took a deep breath, then blew it out as she worked on making chicken soup. Ava thought about making crackers from scratch but didn’t want to go overboard. Besides the broth wasn’t for now; it was for later. She didn’t want it to seem as if she was mothering him. She did enjoy taking care of people, and it was clear he needed someone like that in his life.

As far as she could see there were no pictures of his parents or family anywhere unless you counted his teammates. She thought back to that Christmas; she knew his family traveled a lot. They’d hardly been in town to see his collegiate games. From what he’d told her, they were close, but she didn’t think they were as close as she was with her family, before Perry.

“Are you going to make homemade crackers too? I saw it done on some cooking show.” His query brought her back to the present. Was he a mind reader?

“I wasn’t sure if that would be too much. Do you want cheddar or plain? You don’t have any cheese, so we’d need to go get some.”

“We can do that. Are you gonna make noodles? I have a pasta maker if you want to use it. My mom gave it to me when I made the team. Thought it would encourage me to invite them over and cook.” He gave her a cheeky smile. He started to put together the ingredients for a sauce while he boiled water on the stove next to her pot of broth.

“The broth is for later, so not right now. You don’t cook for your family? Have they seen this place yet?” She was genuinely curious. Had their relationship changed during the years? That would be nice.

“Nope. They know the address. Between my mom’s charity gigs and my dad’s international law firm, they haven’t been able to come out. I don’t mind so much.” He shrugged, his face tight. “They may not make the games, but they do watch.” Sadness tinged his voice.

Her heart ached for him. “At least they make the time,” she offered up. “I haven’t watched hockey in a while. I feel bad for not being more in touch with my family.” She didn’t mention Perry. Ava didn’t want to talk about that part of her life, not yet and not with Brice.

“Why Florida?” He bent down to taste his sauce. She hadn’t asked what he was making. She assumed it was pasta for the carbs.

“Job opportunity after college. My aunt lives there, and she owns a café. She offered to show me the ropes while I learned how to run a food-oriented business. I want to own a bakery one day.” Heat flushed her cheeks as she waited for him to laugh at her dream. Perry hadn’t been impressed, so he hadn’t encouraged her.

“That’s awesome. Davis mentioned you were into food in college. Why didn’t you go to culinary school?” He poured noodles into the sauce and mixed it all up.

She almost preened at his interest. “I wanted to have something to fall back on, so I got a degree in marketing,” she explained. “I went to culinary school down in Florida while working at my aunt’s café.” Ava had declined any help from her parents or her aunt. She’d wanted to earn her way.

Brice patted her on the back. “Nice! I’m so proud of you. That’s awesome. So what kind of bakery would you open?” He poured the pasta into a bowl and sprinkled on parmesan and put it on the dining room table. “You almost done with the soup?”

“Yep. Just have to let it simmer for a bit. Do you want me to make a salad? Do you have any bread or bread sticks? I didn’t look.” She turned down the heat.

“Sure. Something simple, okay? The pasta will be heavy enough.”

“Okay.” She got out the ingredients for a lettuce and tomato salad. The atmosphere was cozy, simple and warm. Almost homey. She wasn’t sure if she liked it or not, but it was comfortable. Brice didn’t seem the least bit off put by what looked to be growing between them.

“Got it. Picked some bread sticks up a couple days ago. Wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them, but they were on sale.” He grabbed some gluten-free bread sticks and put them in a basket, then on the table. She felt relief that he hadn’t lit the candles on the tabletop. This wasn’t a romantic situation; this was dinner.

Ava finished with the salad and then settled across from him. A sense of ease filled her. He looked so relaxed. Tension wasn’t evident in him. Not like in her father’s office. Brice served first her, then himself. “Thanks for helping with dinner. Beats going out for food. And like you pointed out, these things don’t get used much.”

Warmth filled her chest. As she dug in, she became very aware of how alone they were in this massive place. Every move she made seemed to be amplified. She could hear the squelch of him twining the spaghetti around the tines of his fork or when he picked up a bread stick and bit into it. The crunch of the lettuce bounced back at her. Her chewing filled her ears, and she could hear nothing else. Once she swallowed, the silence returned to them. She opened her mouth to say something but wasn’t sure what subject to broach.

“This is delicious. Is this gluten-free pasta?” Ava grimaced at how stupid she sounded. Food talk? Really? As she chewed, she could taste how similar it was to regular pasta but not as filling, not as heavy as gluten-based counterparts.

The grin he gave her could blind; it was all straight, bright white teeth. “Glad you like it. I’m not allergic, but it’s healthier. Also better for my diet so I don’t gain a lot of weight. Pasta is excellent before a game. Lots of energy to burn but easy to make.”

“I’ve been meaning to try gluten-free products, see how they taste and everything, but my aunt is old-school when it comes to baking. When’s your next game?” She ate her salad to keep from looking at Brice and avoid feeling stupid for that amateurish change of subject.

“This weekend with our toughest opponent, the Falcons. We’ve only lost to them once this season and won the last time we met. I really need to be on my game. I’m actually glad you’re here.” His tone didn’t tell her whether he was serious or not.

She looked up at him and caught the smile on his lips. “I’m not a good-luck charm, and I still have to finish reading my hockey book.” Again that sense of stupidity settled on her. She was tempted to pull an all-nighter and watch nothing but the NHL Channel but didn’t want to keep him up too.

“No need for the book. You have me to help you refresh your memory of the game. And yes, you are a good-luck charm. You’re going to help me stay on my game.” His face showed how serious he was; his eyes flashed with conviction. “I already feel good, better than I have in years, with you around. It’ll be nice having someone I know cheering me on.” His features softened.

Silken tendrils of heat filled her, reminding her of every touch from him in the kitchen. She cleared her throat. “I have to run back to my parents’ place and get my things. Dad’s letting me use one of his cars since I don’t know the area yet and I don’t have a rental.” She didn’t want him thinking too much of her attending games.

“Why don’t I drive you over? My SUV has enough space, and unless you’ve brought everything and the kitchen sink, I’m sure I can fit it all. The visit will give me a chance to talk to James.” His eyes sparkled with amusement that she didn’t understand.

“O-okay, Sure. I only brought what I could pack. Everything else is in storage until I have a place to stay. I had just put the last of my things away and only had my clothes to go when Mom called. I had already sold most of my furniture and kept the pieces I liked.” Her heart stuttered. So many memories sold because of her breakup with Perry. She hated to sell the rolltop desk that she’d found at a flea market and cleaned up and varnished herself. Perry had refused to lift a hand to help her. In fact, he hated looking for treasures with her, thought it was waste of time. One of the many things they hadn’t had in common. Why had she wasted her time with him for so long? Why had she even agreed to marry him when she’d had reservations? It wasn’t like anyone held a gun to her head and told her she had to. Brice’s attention only made Perry’s neglect that much more obvious.

A void filled in her head. The last few weeks had been focused on packing up her life and moving on, but she hadn’t thought about why her relationship fell apart beyond Perry’s cheating. She dragged her fork through the pasta and sauce and drank a bit of water, but her appetite was long gone.

“You okay? Where’d you go? Is it the spaghetti?”

Ava shook her head. Would Brice get it? Sure, he looked concerned, but they barely knew each other. She studied his expression; genuine worry filled his green eyes. Ava knew she couldn’t hide her emotions from him, not when they’d have to live so closely together. Besides he could just pester her until she told him.

“Ava,” he said, his voice soft, lulling, “you can tell me. I swear I won’t judge you.” Conviction flew over his features. He leaned forward in his chair, both hands pressed to the tabletop. “Tell me what the asshole did to you, honey.” The softness was gone; only the hard edge of anger remained. It seared her flesh, slicing through her hesitation.

The words tumbled out unheeded, as if she needed to say it before she hid it all away behind her walls. “I was thinking of my ex. I don’t know why I stayed with him so long. We barely had anything in common, and from what I understand from my neighbors, he’d been cheating on me for most of our relationship with the twins down the hall and his assistant and a few women from his law firm. I don’t understand why he’d propose to me. I just… I never really thought about these things. Didn’t have the time. I’ve been trying to move on. He didn’t even protest when I broke up with him. Just told me it was my loss. I don’t know why he cheated on me. I want to ask, but I don’t want to face him.” She sighed and took a sip of water. “I wanted to ask him if it was my weight, but part of me didn’t want to hear that.” Didn’t want to think that again a man had rejected me because of my figure.

Ava felt stupid for feeling the way she did and for even voicing her desire to talk to Perry one last time. Perhaps it was a need for closure, she wasn’t sure, but she knew she needed to understand why someone would hurt another person like that. She remembered how nonchalant he’d been. He hadn’t even fought her, argued for her to stay, or given her reasons to be together. That’s what hurt the most. His law career came first and her second. She could accept that if he’d been dedicated to her, but to know that he wouldn’t even fight for the woman he’d claimed he wanted to marry?

Tears burned her eyes, and an ache started in her chest. What would it be like to matter to a man so much that he’d fight for her? Argue with her to stay, to give them a chance? Not even Brice had done that. No phone calls or visits to her dorm, nothing. He’d had his life, and it hadn’t included her. Slips of hot water burned a trail down her cheeks. She sniffled and ducked her head to hide her emotions. Had Brice fucked her up so much that she was still hurt over that Christmas?

She heard the scrape of a chair on hardwood but didn’t look up. Brice’s heavy footsteps came toward her. The fevered weight of his calloused palm settled on her shoulder. He gave the muscle a squeeze. A wave of comfort washed over her before she remembered the pain of no calls or visits, of seeing him around campus. Rather than talk about that bit of embarrassment, she allowed him this moment, even though she wanted more than a shoulder squeeze.

“Okay, first, Perry is an asswad, plain and simple. He’s a douche bag for cheating on you. If he was cheating on you for that long, he had no desire to commit to you. Giving you an engagement ring was probably his way of distracting you. Probably thought it would appease you.” Brice stood up, grabbed his plate and glass, and headed into the kitchen before coming back and getting hers. “And second, if he didn’t fight for a prize like you, he was a moron. You are a priceless treasure, honey. I was stupid for not going after you after Christmas, but he was an even bigger idiot for using you like that.”

She remained silent, unsure of whether to believe him or not. Brice had the same charisma as Perry, the same easy charm that lulled you into a sense of safety. She couldn’t trust that, could she?

Ava pressed her lips together, unable to voice her pain to him, the humiliation she’d felt waiting by the phone for him to call, getting close to but not asking Davis about him. No, can’t trust him. Just because he’s a smooth talker doesn’t mean anything. I’m just easy prey to him. Live-in pussy that he could seduce so he won’t have to go out to clubs to hunt. She used those thoughts to steal herself against him.

“The question is what did you get from your relationship with Perry that you couldn’t get being single? Why stay with someone who doesn’t tick all the boxes?” Brice turned to look at her, a hard gaze in his green eyes, gold flecks flashing. She shifted in her seat, feeling like a child caught in a lie.

Facing the truth about Perry would be easier than telling Brice what he’d done to her. Ava licked her lips to give herself some time to answer. “Well, he kept me company. We didn’t live together—he had his place and I had mine—but he stayed over. I didn’t feel like a loser when I ate dinner alone and he was working late.” Her thoughts wrapped around this notion. “I suppose I just liked saying I had a boyfriend or fiancé. He wasn’t exactly that giving in bed. Okay, he was crappy in bed and only really cared about his orgasm and not mine. I just didn’t want to be alone,” she admitted. Just saying she didn’t want to be alone out loud made her feel stupid. “How pathetic am I that I’m so scared of being alone that I’d stick with someone who cheated on me?”

“But you didn’t,” Brice pointed out. “You left his punk ass once you found out. You’re a strong, sexy woman, Ava. You walked away when you could’ve stayed and settled, but you didn’t. I’m proud of you.” He bent down and kissed her temple.

She felt silly that his words made her ridiculously happy. Electricity spread from her stomach outward to envelop her body. Arousal weighed on her like heated oil, almost a balm on her soul, but it still didn’t make up for what Perry had done to her.

“So what did you like to do that he didn’t?” He waggled his eyebrows at her before he got up and headed to the sink area and began to fill the basin with water.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him. For a moment her brain dived into the sexy, dirty, filthy places she’d only been able to fulfill with fantasies she’d read about. “Spankings,” she blurted out. Her face, neck, ears, and chest flushed with fire. What harm could it do to tell him that? Nothing would happen. She just wanted to see if she was a weirdo for wanting that.

“Wha—” Brice turned his head to stare at her. “Fuck!” He yanked his hand back from under the stream of water and patted it dry.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry! I thought… Shit.” She rushed over to the freezer and grabbed a bag of peas. Ava wasn’t sure why she was sorry, but the words came out nonetheless. She also felt amusement that he’d been so distracted by her confession that he’d hurt himself. That’s what he got for not paying attention.

“Not your fault, sweetheart. My hand is fine, just a bit warm. Now, spankings. Tell me more.” His grin was lascivious, filled with dark delights that made her pussy flutter and her heartbeat tick up a few notches. “Do you want bare-handed? Wooden spoon? Belt? Whip? Flogger? Crop?”

Ava groaned. She couldn’t even blame her outburst on being drunk. Her sex-starved whore had taken over her mouth. There was no taking it back. “Can you just forget I said that? It’s not acceptable, only done in fiction, and I got confused for a second. Why don’t we go get my stuff right now?” She hadn’t met anyone who shared her sexual interests. She’d avoided sites and chat rooms and groups, never having the courage to join up and see if maybe there was hope for her. Her sexual confidence had never been high to begin with. Perry’s disgust had only made her feel worse. How could she expect Brice to understand and accept her when the man she was supposed to marry couldn’t?

She rushed off to the coatrack near the door, grabbed her coat, and shrugged it on with her head down and her focus on the floor. Her body had other ideas, like becoming tight and constricting once more. Her damn bra felt like it was smothering her breasts, and once again her panties had become soaked, just when they’d started to dry a bit.

His silence made her uneasy. She looked over at him and swallowed. Her stomach fluttered as nervous energy surged to the surface. His features were hard once again, and anger glinted in his eyes.

“What did you just say?”

“I’m not going to repeat it. Let’s just get my stuff.”

Brice filled the dishwasher and shut the door. He leaned a hip against the counter and crossed his arms. She watched as his biceps bunched up, stretching his tattoos, and his chest puffed up as well, making her very aware that he was shirtless. Her gaze trailed down his body, memorizing each ridge and dip until she zeroed in on his erection tenting his sweatpants. She swallowed at the girth and length outlined by the soft, worn cotton. Ava wanted to drop to her knees and tease him through the fabric before pulling his pants down and feasting on his thick and long shaft. She loved the idea of a blowjob, so long as it didn’t feel like a chore. Perry had always wanted blowjobs but never reciprocated. Any pleasure she could’ve gotten from the act died instantly. Would Brice demand it or ask or maybe beg? Her lips twitched as she thought of making him plead for her mouth on him.

She shook away those thoughts.

“Wanting to be spanked is normal. I enjoy doling a few out myself. In fact I’d like to bend you over the table and give you one right now for being so damn stubborn. I can see you trying to hide something from me, and I don’t like it. You will tell me what’s going on, Ava. Mark my words. Don’t think you won’t end up in my bed fucking me.” He said the last bit low and husky, a heated promise that cut through her clothes to raise goose bumps on her fevered skin.

This was all too confusing. She couldn’t ignore the deep pulse in her sex or the heat that flared over her ass at just the thought of his hands on her. She tried to hold back the tears of relief at being understood, at finally being accepted for who she was and what she wanted. Brice hadn’t sneered at her or looked at her in disgust. How could she stay away and keep herself safe, do her job, and get the hell out when he said things like that? This was turning into something she couldn’t even begin to define.

There was hurt and pain there, but also desire and need. Brice said all the right things; did he mean them? It seemed like he did. He confused her, distracted her, made her forget who she was and why she was there. She squeezed her eyes shut, pinched the skin of her inner wrist, and allowed the pain to distract her. Could she truly trust a man whose gossip column moniker was “Lady Killer?”

“Not going to talk about this. Get dressed, and um, do something with that thing. It’s an eyesore,” she mumbled and turned away from temptation.

Brice chuckled. “Eyesore? Not with the way you were looking at him,” he purred.

She glanced back at him. Her gaze tracked his fingers as he traced them down the center of his chest, bisected his abdomen, rimmed his navel, then stopped at his waistband. He hooked both his thumbs into the edge and yanked it down. She let out a high-pitched squeak and shut her eyes, but not before she caught sight of his cock: ruddy, thick, precum shining over the wide cap. Her pussy fluttered, and her knees went weak. “Goddamn it, Brice!” she grumbled. Why did he have to test her?

“Not God, honey, but you’ll find that out soon enough. By the way, sometimes I like to walk around naked, so get used to seeing me like this. Although, how can you keep me out of trouble if you can’t even look at me?” Brice’s voice was so close she sucked in a breath and stumbled back into the wall. She hadn’t even heard him move.

She could feel his body heat even through the thick padding of her jacket. She could feel the temperature around her spike. His breath fanned her face; she could smell the spices from the sauce and the tomatoes and pasta. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about that spanking. You need one, honey, badly. Naughty minx, tormenting me with your lush curves and sexiness. Perry might not have known what he had, but I do. Don’t think you can hide from me. I’ll destroy every ounce of ice and all the walls you try to erect. I may have been stupid in college, letting you go, but now I’m grown up, and I know what I want.”

She sucked in air as he ran his hands over her hips, gripped her curves, and pulled her close. He rocked his pelvis against hers, and she cursed the barrier her jacket and jeans created. She could feel the slide of his thick shaft between the cleft of her ass even through the denim.

Ava let out a shuddering breath when his lips brushed over her pulse point. He nipped and sucked the skin with harsh tugs that would definitely leave a bruise. “You are mine now, and I’m not letting you go, not even after the season is over. We have a lot to catch up on, and I plan on taking my time. I’m going to rub another one out now. You wanna watch? Come into the bathroom. I’ll leave the shower door open.”

He pulled away. Without his support, she slid down the wall, whimpers fell from her lips, fever burned through her veins, and her body shook with restraint. Her pussy throbbed, demanding release. Her clit pulsed for attention. I’m so fucked right now, Ava thought. She wasn’t sure what was up or down or wrong or right. Her world had gone askew, and she couldn’t keep up the pretense of not wanting him.

How can I keep myself from getting hurt when all I want to do is be burned by the desire he’s offering me?

* * * *

Brice knew he’d lost his mind. He’d pressed and pushed, and now she might decide not to stay, but he had to tell her what she was getting into when living with him, even if it would be for a short time. If she came into the bathroom, he knew he’d won; if she didn’t, he’d have to try harder. Just hearing about her asshat of an ex pissed him off. He wanted to show Ava what she’d been missing. That all men weren’t like that; he wasn’t like that. Then she’d blurted out about the spanking. He had no idea where the hell that came from, but he was more than happy to indulge her kinks if that’s what she wanted.

His cock jerked at the thought of seeing his handprint on her ass or thin stripes from a crop. He wanted to know if she was into using toys, even do some BDSM-like scenes with him. Would she like blindfolds? Her hands bound over her head and legs tied to the footboard? He hoped so. There had never been the right lover who’d willingly wanted to try out something beyond vanilla with him. A bit of slap and tickle, fine, but not too hard, nothing that would leave a mark. Brice knew love bites and hickeys would show, but he didn’t care too much. A bit of guilt poked at his conscience. Her father would probably have a fit if he saw it and think Brice was taking advantage. Brice hoped James would be understanding once he explained. The blatant hunger in her dark brown eyes had set his soul alight. But the distance she tried to establish only showed him that he had his work cut out for him. He’d been a coward back then, too young and stupid to recognize what she meant.

As he turned on the shower for the second time, he didn’t bother to shut the door or close the cubicle. Even if she didn’t come to him, that was fine; he’d just have to work harder to get her to give in to her desires. Brice had nothing to be ashamed of when it came to his attraction to her.

He stepped into the stall and let the warm water cascade down his body. He kept his ears open for Ava’s footsteps. Instead, he heard the loud bell of the phone. Ava’s voice was muted from the water hitting the tiles. Rather than indulge once again in some one-handed relief, he cleaned up, dried off, and padded into his bedroom naked. Let her see what she’s missing.

“Okay, I’ll tell him. Talk to you later, Alexi,” she said before she hung up the phone.

Brice whipped his head around to look at her. Alexi? What the fuck did he want? He better not be checking up on me. Brice didn’t put it past Alexi to make a play for Ava given the way he’d looked at her in her father’s office. Ava was exactly what Alexi liked in a woman: curvy, sexy, and intelligent.

Ava came into the bedroom as he pulled on his boxers. “That was Alexi. Todd’s shin is acting up, so he’s going to have to miss the game until the doctor gives him the go-ahead. Must be really bad to have to sit out. You guys normally play even if you’re being held together by spit and a prayer.”

Brice’s lips quivered as he tried to hold back a smile; instead, he looked away as he yanked up his jeans and buttoned his fly. His cock was semihard and easier to deal with, for now. He pulled on a sweatshirt and grabbed some socks and his sneakers. “Yeah, well, Todd’s been going on like that for weeks with no break. He’s being forced to sit it out. Something’s broken, that’s for sure,” he muttered.

“Brice?” she asked, voice soft, seducing him to look up.

“Yeah?” He studied her face. A question hung in her eyes.

“Be careful, okay? I know hockey is a rough sport, but don’t be careless. Wouldn’t want that pretty face to get messed up.” She turned on her heel and left him.

All he could do was stare as her lush behind swayed away from him in an enticing roll of her hips. His heart stuttered at her concern. Not even his parents had asked that of him. He smiled and decided to reassure her. “Don’t worry about me, honey.”

There was hope. He just had to make her admit her attraction and desire for him. Brice knew he’d enjoy every minute of it. Tonight he’d give her a reprieve before the fun started. There was still the team to think of and a way to convince her father to let him pursue Ava. Brice knew he was risking a lot, but she was worth it. No matter how long it took, he would make the loss of time during college up to her. She would be his.

Chapter Five

Ava trudged through the door of Brice’s apartment. It was day two of living with him, and so far she’d gotten a combined three hours of sleep. The damn man was trying to kill her with his nightly masturbation sessions, ones that were neither quiet nor PG-13. She knew he was making sure she heard every filthy, dirty utterance until he came. There were moments when he begged her to come down and give him some relief. Her pussy was not thanking her for her resistance either. The damn traitorous area kept throbbing, and her clit pulsed. Her nipples felt like they were in a permanent state of being able to cut glass.

But there was no way she could acknowledge her attraction to him.

As soon as Brice put his things away, she decided it was time for a talk. “Brice, can I talk to you?”

He took off his cap and sauntered over to where she stood in the kitchen area, all predatory grace and easy confidence with a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin. “What’s up, sweetheart?” he asked as he placed his forearms on the counter and leaned toward her, his head only a few inches away from her chest. If he could just lean over, her inner minx murmured. Ava ignored her.

“I’m here to keep you out of trouble. You are aware of that, right?” She knew he knew that was part of the job.

Brice nodded and said, “Yes, and so far you’re doing a really good job of it.”

“Getting me into your bed isn’t part of the deal. You have trouble with women. I’m a woman.” She watched him nod. The smile didn’t slip off his face, much to her annoyance.

“There’s nothing that’s part of the deal that says I can’t make a play for you. Unlike most men, I can multitask, and you’re living under the same roof with me. How am I supposed to resist your lush curves and sexy smile? Hmm?” He tilted his head and gazed into her eyes. A question hung in the green depths. One she didn’t want to answer.

“I’m under contract to my father, Brice. I’m your companion, babysitter. Not your bed partner. It wouldn’t be”—she struggled to find the word—“appropriate for me to give in to your advances. Did it ever occur to you that you could be a rebound? Or that I’d think I was a pity fuck to you?” There, she’d said it. Maybe he’d pause to think about her words.

“First, you’re not a pity fuck, and second, rebound or no, I don’t care. I want you. End of story,” he said. His tone brokered no argument.

She shook her head. “No, it’s not. I just got out of a bad relationship. How would it help the team if I slept with you? Just because you didn’t find me in a club or at a bar or pub doesn’t mean I can’t distract you, and I refuse to let your game suffer because you can’t keep it in your pants. That’s part of the problem.” She pointed at him.

He leaned forward and nipped her fingertip.

Ava pulled the digit away from his face and ignored the gentle throbbing and heat that flowed up her arm.

“It may not help the team, but it would help me with my focus. I appreciate how much you want me and the team to succeed, but what I do or don’t do is on my head, sweetheart. I’m a grown man. If I can’t handle pursuing you and playing hockey, I shouldn’t be allowed on the ice or near you.” He straightened. “Now are we going to go furniture shopping, or should we start on some tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner? You’re exhausted, and it’s getting colder out there. A little comfort food would go a long way. We can even watch a movie if you’re up for it.”

She sighed. She didn’t seem to be getting through to him. At least she’d had her say, and she did appreciate the offer to make dinner two nights in a row. Her exhaustion was his fault, but he was willing to take care of her. Somewhere in her heart a part—a small part—of her melted.

“Come on. Let’s go find you some couches and a sofa. Do you want to try the store on 8th and Halliwell?” She grabbed the keys to his SUV and headed for the door.

“Sure. The window display looked good. If all else fails, we could always go to mainstream furniture stores.” He followed behind her. She could feel his gaze on her ass but didn’t say a word. Ava was just too tired for it.

“When we get back, you pick out a movie and I’ll handle cooking. We can eat in front of the TV.” He locked the door, and they headed to the elevator.

He leaned his butt against the railing as she pushed the button for the lobby.

“What colors do you have in mind, or do you want to play it by ear?” Ava wasn’t up for wandering around; she loved furniture shopping, but she was exhausted and couldn’t appreciate it all. First opportunity she got, she would settle in on a couch and let him wander. Surely he couldn’t get in trouble just looking, right?

They hit a mom-and-pop handmade furniture store; he found nothing as far as living items went and moved on to a department tore. She took pictures and notes of whatever got his attention. Next they moved on to another handcrafted furniture store. Again nothing, and the store didn’t have Swedish meatballs to help Ava keep her energy up. Thankfully he didn’t even try and flirt; instead he seemed committed to finding something and appeasing fans who’d come up to him for autographs or pictures. No one paid the least bit of attention to her. When they arrived at a mainstream furniture store, Brice’s grin told her everything she needed to know.

“You’ve been stringing me along until we got here,” she accused.

He shrugged. “I had to give everything a look over. It meant more time with you in public.” Brice slipped his arm around her waist and rested his hand on her hip. Her feet ached too much from all the walking to create a scene, so she let him.

He made a beeline for the sofas and much to her amusement picked furniture that was more warm in tone: red and taupe-colored cotton and brown leather. Brice settled down and pulled her with him. “Ah, oh yeah. This is what I’m talking about. So comfy and warm.”

A salesperson wandered over to them. Without waiting for the pitch, Brice spoke up. “I need to see matching ottomans and all the colors this comes in, please. You don’t have to bring the ottomans, just pictures please.”

Sensing a sale, the salesperson hurried off to grab a swatch book and a catalog.

“What do you think, honey? Comfy enough?” He snuggled against her and exhaled.

The sofa enveloped her in a world of warmth and softness, like sitting on a cloud. She didn’t want to get up at all. “Can they just deliver it to the apartment with me on it? Don’t wanna get up.” She shut her eyes, knowing she might fall asleep at any moment.

“You’d think you were the one doing major hockey practice. And no, but I’ll carry you out to the car if you like.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “You just relax.”

The salesperson returned in record time with everything Brice had requested, and for the next half an hour, he put together a living room set that was both comfortable and stylish. “You have great taste,” Ava commented.

“Thanks. I’m very careful about what I pick. It’s got to be comfortable and durable. Besides I like how clean the lines are, how simple the set looks, and plus there’s some storage capacity in the ottomans. Now we need to look for tables, or should we wait? Are you hungry?” He rubbed her shoulder and placed a kiss on the side of her head.

She knew she should protest, but she was far too cozy to do much protesting. “If you’re up to it.” Ava didn’t relish the idea of walking to the car.

Brice waved over the salesperson who’d been waiting on them and gave him instructions on what he wanted to see. Anything that looked like a trunk or a chest had his okay. She opened her eyes long enough to give her two cents even though she wasn’t sure why he cared about her opinion. He bought coffee, end, and side tables, as well as new bookshelves and an entertainment cabinet. “We’ll get lighting later. You’re out of it. Come on.” He pulled her up and helped her to the car, settled her in, and took the keys from her.

“Thanks for coming with me.” He climbed behind the wheel and drove them home.

Ava didn’t protest when he wrapped his arm around her waist and plodded up to the elevator. In the comfort of his embrace, she relaxed and allowed him to take care of her. She couldn’t push him away, her arms refused to function, and her legs ached too much for her to move away. It felt nice to have a moment with him after a long day of trudging around shopping. When they reached their floor, he scooped her up and carried her down the hall. He put her down and unlocked the door, picked her up once more, placed her on the sofa, and tucked an afghan around her. “Relax, honey. I’m here for you.”

She fell asleep right away.

* * * *

Ava woke up a few hours later sans shoes, socks, and jeans, tucked in her bed in the loft. She yawned and stretched before getting out from under the covers to go to the bathroom. After she used the toilet, she took a shower and changed into her pajamas. She couldn’t help but smile. Brice’d had a prime opportunity to strip her naked and put her in his bed; instead he’d respected her boundaries. Her heart swelled at his actions. She appreciated that he’d given her some space and distance. She let a small smile form on her lips. Maybe there was hope for him. She checked the time. It was ten o’clock at night. A soft snore drifted up from his bedroom area. He was asleep, thank goodness. Ava padded downstairs and headed for the kitchen.

He’d left a note telling her that her soup and sandwiches were in the microwave.

Once her food was heated up, she placed it on a tray along with a glass of milk and settled down on the sofa. Tomorrow they’d have to wait for the delivery of the furniture, but at least this place would get more life. She ignored the soggy bread and took a bite before turning on the TV to the NHL Channel. They were showing the most recent play-off games for the Stanley Cup. Rather than get up to get her notebook, she just watched and ate. Everything she’d seen and read began to click. Her confidence in her memory was shaky, and she was nervous about coming off sounding like a newbie given all the time she’d spent around the sport with her father. Reading and watching helped not only remind her of what she’d missed all these years but also brought her up to speed on some of the changes. Diving was a penalty—one Brice had gotten in the past. Elbowing and fighting were all penalty-box-worthy offenses as well as throwing your stick, something Brice had done in anger during an unfair call by a ref. When a player was in the box, that meant an opportunity for a power play, where the teams could face off while one team was a man down, but that was for a limited time.

Her enthusiasm increased as she began to get the hang of things. A few times she found herself cheering along with the fans but had to keep the volume down. Even after she was done eating, she didn’t get up and rinse off her dishes; instead all she could do was watch until those games were done.

“Ready to come to bed? Or do you want to sing more classic punk songs and try not to wake me up? I’m not offended. It’s cute, really, but I have an early practice and a packed day today.” Brice stood close to her. He had sneaked up on her again. His hair was mussed, his beard a bit unruly, and pillow creases were on his temple. He looked so cute just woken up from sleep she couldn’t stop her smile.

“How about I make us some hot chocolate and then we go to bed in our separate beds?” she added quickly.

Ava got up, stretched, and carried her things to the kitchen. She rinsed the plate off and started work on hot cocoa—heating up the cream, using his gourmet cocoa powder, and adding a bit of cinnamon sugar.

He climbed up on a stool at the counter area. “Okay, what about whipped cream?”

She shook her head. “Too much sugar will keep you up. Besides, there isn’t any left. You didn’t have much to begin with. I like whipped cream with my coffee, and I forgot to get some. ”

“You gonna go grocery shopping during practice? It’d be okay, and I have too much to do tomorrow; the interview and a visit to the middle school team and then I want to come back and watch some old footage to study my game.” He ticked off his to-do list with his fingers.

She’d gone over his schedule with Davis and Alexi to figure out which games she could attend and which ones she’d have to stay home. The team couldn’t spare the expense of flying her out since she was a temporary employee. As much as management wanted to keep Brice in line, the other owners didn’t want to spend money they could be using for next season’s player cap or salary negotiations.

“If Davis can cover for me, yes, I’ll go shopping. Write down anything you want me to get, and I’ll make a quick trip.” She poured the heated milk into mugs already containing a scoop or two of chocolate mixture, stirred, and handed one to him. “Thanks for making dinner. I really appreciate it.”

He shrugged. “Just taking care of my woman.” Brice downed his beverage and handed his cup to her. “Thanks, honey.” He yawned and headed to his bed.

She smiled; a glow filled her. Again, he’d been sweet and a bit flirty but didn’t push things. Ava wondered if he’d forgotten all about seduction and decided to just go slow with her. Part of her hoped he would give her space to accept his stance; the sex-starved-nymph part wanted the sexually aggressive, say-what-he-means-and-wants man from day one. She appreciated that he was up front with what was on his mind. He was worlds better than past boyfriends and especially in comparison to Perry. That much was clear. She just wanted a little time to get used to all this attention.

Chapter Six

Brice watched the delivery guys settle the furniture down. The building interior designer had already taken away his old stuff. Ava was too busy to direct the traffic; she was putting things away from her run to the grocery store. Every so often he’d glance over at her in the kitchen and admire her ass or breasts. He wasn’t the only one who appreciated the curves, but he decided to ignore the delivery guys in favor of getting them out of there ASAP. He had to get to practice as soon as this was done, and he only had ten more minutes before they had to go. After practice it was an interview and then a talk with the peewee league.

His cell phone rang, and he answered it. “Douglas.”

“Brice, it’s Alexi. I’d like to work on a few new plays? Just you and me, so Ava doesn’t need to come with you.”

Brice let the words hang between them, torn between leaving this cozy scene of domesticity and getting in some extra rink time. He looked over at Ava; she had the ingredients out to make a beef broth. He smiled. She was taking such good care of him and putting up with so much, from driving him around furniture shopping and his nightly masturbation sessions. She deserved a break, and he wanted to show Alexi that he was there when the team called.

“Sure. Let me tell Ava, and I should be there in ten minutes, fifteen with traffic.”

“Okay.” Alexi hung up with no good-bye.

Rather than call over, he strode into the kitchen and stopped next to her. For a moment he watched her chopping a bunch of onions. Her movements were quick and clean. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to be that fast and not end up in the ER.

“What’s going on?” She paused to brush back a strand of hair and wipe away sweat before she put down her knife and looked up at him.

“Alexi wants me to get in some extra practice with him. You don’t have to drive me. There’s still some furniture left to be delivered. Is it okay if I just go and leave you here?” His heart pounded against his rib cage. This would be the first time since she accepted her post as his babysitter that he would be going out on his own.

“Call me when you get there and have Alexi call me too.” She went to the sink and rinsed off her hands before going back to the cutting board.

“Deal. I’ll be back in about three or four hours and will call if we’re running late or he wants to keep me longer.” He bent down and pressed a kiss to her temple.

For a moment he didn’t move. She trusted him. Awe yawned through his heart and emotions shifted. The anger of the team forcing him to take on a babysitter melted around the edges. She thought he would manage himself for a short trip to and from the rink without holding his hand. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out.

“Are you going to stand there staring at me? Go, practice. I can hold down the fort.” She didn’t even look at him, just waved him off with her free hand and reached for a small bowl with her other.

“Thank you.” He grabbed his duffel bag, put on a coat, nodded to the delivery guys, and headed out to his car. He unlocked his vehicle, got in, adjusted the seat, and slammed the door shut. After he turned the ignition and buckled up, he sat there. He was alone in his SUV again. Ava’s citrus-and-floral perfume lingered in the cab. He could feel her presence in the seat next to him. It felt wrong to not have her there with him, like a part of him was missing. He wanted to go back up to the apartment and convince her to drive him to the arena. It was a ridiculous notion since she was trusting him to get from point A to point B with no protestation. He didn’t want to let her down, nor did he want her to think she needed to baby him and hold his hand everywhere. As much as he loved having her with him, he had to show some sense of authority in the situation. She trusted him, and he wasn’t going to fail her.

He put the truck into gear, turned, backed out of the space, and drove to the arena.

Alexi was waiting for him, already suited up. Amusement glinted in his gray eyes. “You’re two minutes late. Ava called to see if you got here.”

Brice wasn’t sure how to take this teasing. He’d had the usual ribbing from the team, but he didn’t know if Alexi’s laughter was at him or some private joke. “Had to let the car warm up.” He let the sentence lie there as he got dressed for practice.

Alexi was one of the ones who may have fought to keep him off the bench, but that didn’t mean Brice trusted him completely. He realized just how much the team had let him down by not talking to him and hoisting the situation onto management. Would I have acted better if they’d come to me? He didn’t know. It looked like both sides needed to earn back some trust.

“I’m going call Ava,” he said.

“Sure. You’re going to be playing goalie for a bit. I have a few ideas I want to try out, so make sure you wear some extra padding. I don’t want Ava killing me if I hit too many shots to your nuts.” Alexi chuckled.

“She’s not—” Brice started but didn’t finish he made the call and returned to Alexi. Once back he donned the extra goalie gloves and padding.

Alexi picked up the conversation where Brice had left it. “Anyone with eyes can see you two are attracted to each other. How you managed to stay away, I have no clue. I’d be on her like white on rice the first night. I give you kudos for your restraint, but I think it has more to do with her than you.”

Brice took his place in front of the goal and eyed Alexi to see if he was joking. Alexi’s features were serious with concentration as he took his first shot. Brice blocked the attempt with his stick and sent the puck back to Alexi for his next try.

“And you’re not pissed? About the attraction, I mean.” Brice watched Alexi’s stick movements, trying to predict where he was going to take the shot from.

“Nah, if you’re attracted, you’re attracted. Thing is you’ve been really good since she’s come along. You’re not drinking, and you haven’t gone out partying. In fact you’ve become a better teammate in the past thirty-six hours. She’s good for you, but the second you screw up, you’re getting a manny.” Alexi pointed at him with a smile on his face.

“Fuck that. I’ll stick with Ava. I won’t need a manny. And are you going to shoot or do I have to wait all night? I’d like to get home to Ava sometime in the next century.” Brice prepared for Alexi’s shot and managed to catch it with the goalie glove.

“Nice. One more and then we switch. I’ve been off lately.” Alexi set up, looked as if he was going to shoot from the left side, but switched sides and aimed from the right. The puck sailed past Brice’s head with an inch to spare and hit the back corner of the net. Alexi donned more padding, and Brice took his turn.

After an hour of working on his shots and then a full team practice, they called it a night.

“Good job, bro. You’ve improved, but there’s still work to be done. I’m going to stick around and watch some old game footage. See you tomorrow. And you will eat lunch with us tomorrow.”

Brice nodded. “Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

He hoped Ava’d had a good day without him. He was bone tired but energized. He refused to back down from his pursuit of her. He didn’t want to go to bed alone tonight. Sex didn’t have to happen, but to feel her in his arms would go a long way to soothing some of his fears. If Alexi was cool with him being with Ava, then he wasn’t going to let anything stand in his way. He got into his SUV and drove home, taking the time alone to think and plot.

When he walked through the door, the aroma of spicy beef stew greeted him. His stomach grumbled in response. Ava was nowhere to be found. A note sate on the counter.

Went to comic book shop with Dad. Beef stew with noodles in the oven. Will be home soon. Don’t go out. Need to talk.

Yes we do, sweetheart. Yes we do. Brice grinned, put his things away, and set up a plate with some leftover sourdough rolls. As he settled in front of the TV, he dug into his food and sighed as the cayenne rolled over his taste buds. She’d used just the right amount of heat so it didn’t overwhelm him. Pure bliss. The perfect antidote for the icy bite in the air. Snow was predicted for that evening. Traffic tomorrow would be hell. He glanced out the window, and worry tugged at his gut. Brice hoped she would get home soon. He didn’t like the idea of her out there even if she was with her father.

He reached for his cell phone to check in on her. People got stupid when it snowed, especially if they thought they needed to get somewhere. He didn’t want to freak out, but he also didn’t like that she was out there without him. Ugh. Stop worrying. She’s a grown woman. She can take care of herself. As much as he knew that, he also became well aware of just how little time she’d spent in town. As far as he knew, she had grown up here but hadn’t been to Witch Fields in the last few years. There had been a lot of changes and new construction. Ava had arrived four days ago, three of which she’d spent driving him around, not enough time to get reacquainted with the area. He stood up, paced for a bit, then sat down again, his stew only half done.

When she gets home, she is so going to get a spanking.

* * * *

Ava flipped through the comics filed neatly away in the bins. After getting stir-crazy waiting for Brice to get home, she’d called her father, who suggested they meet at One Stop Hero Shop, the comic book store was a few blocks away from the apartment building. On the frigid walk to the store, she’d seen cozy diners, bookstores, a sporting goods store with signed memorabilia from Brice and other teammates from the Talons as well as the team a county or two over. There had been bakeries specializing in gluten-free treats, big-name coffee shops, a tea shop, and an ice cream parlor.

The other side of the street was fashion lane it seemed, with a shoe store, secondhand thrift store, a cosmetics store, and a superstore. There was an electronics shop and a few office supply stores and a luxury car dealership. She knew in the other direction it was supermarket central, with a super warehouse and a big-name organic food store along with a mom-and-pop organic food store. Around the arena were various well-known restaurants. She and Brice hadn’t gone out to dinner yet, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to do something public that could be interpreted as a date.

Did she want to date Brice? Attraction was one thing; dating was another thing altogether.

“You and your brother should come out with me, you know, like you used to when you were little. I miss that. Davis is too busy, and you were too far away.” Her father pulled out a Spiderman and put it in a basket he’d set on a shelf below him.

Ava didn’t respond. Instead she moved around him to check out the latest X-Men. “Perry hated graphic novels, and I just didn’t want to go and get a lecture on my taste in reading material. It wasn’t right to go without you and Davis.”

“Uh-huh,” James held up another Spiderman and put it in his basket. “So what’s up with you and Brice?”

Flashes of heat filled her cheeks. Damn it; time to fess up. “I lied to you. I knew Brice from college. Davis asked me to look in on him during that Christmas vacation when I wanted to stay to do some catching up and he had the stomach flu. So we hung out, and I took care of him until he got better.” She waited for her father to say something.

He only grunted.

Unable to hold back, she decided to see how he’d respond to her next confession. “There’s an attraction there, but I don’t want to cost the team or risk a shot at the play-offs because…”

“So far, so good, I’d say, but our main issue was the partying he was doing with those rink bunnies. The women would then show up at the games and make a spectacle of themselves, catcalling him, etc. You know how to act in public. He’s been better with you around. It’s only been four days, but he’s on time, sober, looks well rested and ready to get on the ice. You’ve helped do that.”

Ava had seen some of those changes up close and personal. Despite the masturbation sessions and his flirting, he seemed calmer, less tense, more focused. She didn’t want to take the credit for all of that. Brice had decided what he wanted to do, and he’d done it. “It’s up to him to make sure he takes care of himself. I’m just there to babysit.”

James sighed. “No, you’re not. I could’ve called in a professional to make sure he stayed home. Yes, he’s a grown man, but I didn’t want to risk him doing something stupid to try and get away from his minder. Besides that, I didn’t want to take the headaches that come with benching a player and trying to configure a lineup that works. We have good players, but a lot of them had to be benched so they get the healing they need. Up until now the season has been brutal for us. Our healthy are being depleted quickly. It will only get worse. I need him one hundred percent focused. You came when I called you with an emergency, and you’re here to make a life. You’re over Perry, correct?”

His question caught her off guard. For a second all she could do was blink. “Yes.” The single word slipped out; no other explanation needed. The only hurt she had leftover was wanting to know why Perry had cheated on her. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to see him and ask just yet. Not until things were settled with Brice.

“Then see where things go with Brice. That’s all I can say. I’m pleased that you’re being honest with me. Thank you, but we have to hurry this up. If I’m not home by six, your mother will refuse to feed me, and it’s chicken dumpling night.” He moved out of the aisle and headed for another part of the store.

She felt less guilty, but she wasn’t sure how to proceed with Brice just yet. Do I give in, or do I just stall until after the game? Once she made her choices, she headed for checkout and then back home. Her father had offered to drive her home, but she’d declined. She wanted to see a bit more of the downtown area and enjoy being out at night. Witch Fields was lit up with Christmas lights. Santas and Rudolphs and reindeer seemed to be everywhere—in displays, on street corners, and hanging off the sides of buildings. With the snow the world was hushed and magical, where anything could happen. She loved this time of year.

She stopped off at a café and grabbed some gluten-free croissants for breakfast. Ava had forgotten to get them when she’d gone shopping earlier. She had an apple-spice bread pudding recipe in mind to try.

Brice was waiting for her—shirtless and agitated, a game paused on the TV. “Where have you been?” he demanded. Irritation darted across his face and filled his eyes.

Ava took a step back and glared at him, caught off guard by his anger. For a second, she was reminded of Perry when she was a minute late to meet him. The need to defend herself rose. “Uh, I left a note, and check the attitude. Unlike you, I don’t owe you an explanation of where I’ve been.” She entered the apartment again and shut and locked the door. She didn’t face him immediately; she needed to marshal the urge to snap back at him and say something really hurtful.

“But you couldn’t let me know when you’d get back? I was worried. It’s freezing outside and snowing. I was terrified you’d get hurt or lost. Did you take a cab at least?” Worry lines creased his forehead, and his eyes were wild and bright. He hadn’t responded to the part about needing to tell her where he’d been.

She shrugged out of her jacket. “No, I walked, and you could’ve called to check in on me. When did you get back? I didn’t get a text or message that you were home.”

He checked the wall clock next to the door that led to the pantry. “An hour. You’re okay? Were the sidewalks salted at least? And I thought you wouldn’t be gone for long.” His gaze traveled over her body in a caress that penetrated her jeans and sweater. Her skin tingled under his scrutiny.

“Yes, I’m fine. You should’ve called anyway.” She strode into the kitchen, trying to push back her irritation. “You ate, right?”

“Yup.” His humid breath tickled the shell of her ear.

She jumped when she felt his hands on her hips. His body heat seeped past the layers of clothes to help warm her up.

“Br—”

“No. I was worried. I need to touch you, feel that you’re here, safe and sound. I was scared. It’s Christmastime. You know how insane people get.” His voice shook at that confession. She didn’t miss how low and rough the tone was either.

“We can’t do this, not now. You have a game, and I—”

“Don’t you dare use Perry as an excuse. I’m here now. You only need me.” He pressed his lips to the hollow just under her ear.

Shivers of heat slipped from the spot down her spine. She had to suppress her reaction, keep her mind sharp, but desire was slowly fogging up her thoughts.

“I’ll admit I’m attracted to you, but I don’t think you can focus on the game and me at the same time.” She had to tell him how she felt. “I won’t be a notch on your bedpost.”

His shoulders brushed against her back as he shrugged. “We can multitask. As you’ve noticed, I haven’t gone out, and I haven’t looked at another woman since you’ve been here.”

She hated that he had a point; however, she couldn’t let him get away with his nightly temptations. “Yeah, I don’t think they had your daily masturbation sessions and trying to seduce or flirt with me in mind when they asked me to do this. We have to figure out something nonsexual to make this work. Also, we haven’t gone out, so how could you have time to look at other women?”

He gave her a husky chuckle. “Don’t use my schedule as deflection. Now as to nonsexual things, well for starters, you can forget covering up. That’s not going work. Just dress the way you would normally dress. ’Cause whatever you wear, it’s not going to matter. I can still picture you naked. If you want to test me, we can always go to dinner, just the two of us.”

He kissed his way along her throat, nipped and sucked at the crook of her collarbone. A shiver raced down her spine. Her knees turned to jelly, and she melted against him for support.

She had no comeback. Her thoughts became scrambled by what his lips and teeth were doing to her.

He released that patch of skin and pressed on. “I’m not going to stop pursuing you or making you very aware of my sexual attraction to you. I. Want. You. I’ve always wanted you, even back in college.”

She whirled around to look at him. Arousal and shock jittered along her nerve endings and reverberated through her body. She studied his face. Sincerity showed on his features. She tried to reconcile that with what she’d just learned.

“I called you, left a message, and you never called me back!” She wasn’t sure what would be worse: him telling the truth or lying. Both options left a sour taste in her mouth. If he hadn’t gotten her message, she’d spent a long time being mad and hurt, thinking he hadn’t felt something for her. If he had and just hadn’t cared to call her back, then he really wasn’t the man she thought he was. There was no way she could continue to be attracted to him with his inconsideration hanging over their heads.

Brice shook his head. “If you called the frat house, your message probably got lost. I’m sorry. I was in and out those days with classes and practice, trying to impress the scouts, so I was hardly there. The guys, Davis included, weren’t exactly responsible when it came to passing on messages, especially after the holiday return. There was too much trying to catch up, not enough memory cells active.” He chuckled. “So I didn’t get it. I’m sorry, honey. But you didn’t say anything whenever I saw you. You went out of your way to avoid me. Don’t think I didn’t notice.”

She groaned and covered her face with her hands. Ava wanted to strangle Davis in that moment. A kernel of shame filled her at how cowardly she’d acted. “You were the first guy I’d ever felt so comfortable with and liked so much. I’d had crushes before, but you were different. I felt so at ease with you. When you didn’t call, I didn’t want to deal with the disappointment head-on. All this time… I bet it was Davis. He wasn’t very responsible in college, especially when he had a boyfriend.” She knew her brother’s brains were routinely in his pants when he had a new lover. She didn’t want to think about the other reason she’d considered Brice hadn’t gone after her.

“Look, you know where I stand now. I want you. You want me. The only thing that’s standing in our way is you. And I won’t let you ignore your needs. So I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing, and when you decided you want to take a ride on my so-hard-I-could-hammer-nails dick, then you know where to find me.”

She shook her head. She had to think things over, see how she felt about this new information, and figure out if in fact this could work like he seemed to think it would.

Four days was not weeks or months. She opened her mouth to tell him this, but he stopped her with a raised hand.

“I’m just telling you how I feel. I want to be honest with you, get things out in the open. Also I owe you a spanking for not telling me you were safe or when you’d get home. Come on. You can show me your finds.” He held out his hand to her; she accepted and let him guide her over to the couch with her bag of comics in tow. “I haven’t been in ages, and I’ve missed a couple issues of Batman.”

She placed her bag between them as they settled on the couch. He oohed and awed at all the right moments and commented on each issue. Brice picked the books up and flipped through them with care. “You need to get extras so you can read one and keep one in pristine condition. Comic books are an investment, after all. Do you have storage bins?”

Her inner geek girl purred under this appreciation of a usually discarded form of literature. “I need to get a new one for here. I plan on going back to Orlando at the end of the month. Your schedule is jam-packed, so there’s no actual time to do anything but shop for the basics and get you to the places you need to go.”

“We’ll make time.”

As they sat together on the couch, she took a moment to study him. He hadn’t been drinking alcohol; nothing but organic went into his body. Brice had even stepped up his workout routine: going for a swim when he got up and using the complex gym. If he kept this up, he would definitely help get his team into the play-offs. But only if he didn’t get distracted.

Sex with him wouldn’t be bad—not in the least—but would he enjoy some of her desires in the bedroom? Spanking was one thing; what about all the other stuff? She wasn’t sure. He seemed so open and out there, and God knew it had been a long time since she’d felt wanted and desired. It’d be nice to have a partner who wasn’t so close-minded and actually needed and yearned for her.

She licked her lips and decided to take a shot. To be as honest as him. “Brice?”

He put down a graphic novel and looked up at her. “Yes, sweetheart?”

“I do—am attracted to you,” she confessed. “And it’s sexually frustrating listening to you at night.”

Brice took her hands and gave them a squeeze, but he said nothing.

She pressed on before she lost her courage. “I’m… I’ve read about bondage. Would that be something you’re interested in?”

Her heart hammered against her rib cage. She tried to ignore how damp her palms had become. Sweat beaded on her brow and upper lip as the seconds ticked by, stretching out like elastic. She waited for it to come back and smack her hard. Her face tingled with heat. I should’ve known, should’ve learned from Perry. Tears formed in her eyes. She looked down; he still held her hand, hadn’t let go. Ava tried to pull away. She was a freak and knew it; his silence confirmed it.

“Ava, look at me,” Brice commanded, voice low, hard, direct.

She met his gaze, waiting to see the disgust she’d seen so many times in Perry’s eyes.

“Why do you want to do bondage?”

There was nothing but static in her head before she answered. “I want to give up control, to trust someone, to know I’m being taken care of and my needs, my desires are being accepted. I want to be able to fall and let someone catch me. I want to know what it’s like to be… I’ve always wanted to…” She struggled to find the words and make him understand.

Ava licked her lips and tried again. “The idea always fascinated me. To allow someone to tie me down, take away my sight, and I have to trust them, completely. If I can find someone who will take care of me, fulfill my sexual needs, that would be…”

He reached out and cupped her cheek. He gave her nod. “Go on.”

She inhaled, then went on before she lost her nerve. Some of the fear faded away, but some still remained, bringing up images of Perry’s disgusted expression and cruel, twisted lips. “I like the pleasure I get from the idea of pleasing someone else and the praise I would receive from following orders or a command.” She knew she was wading into unfamiliar territory but couldn’t stop herself now. “Most people would be disgusted or think it childish, that I should’ve left that behind when I was a kid. But the reward I could get, the fulfillment I’d receive from pleasing my partner, who’s told me his desires and I’ve carried them out… I want to feel that.”

An ache filled her chest, followed by a yearning so strong it took her breath away. She prayed Brice understood, that he got her. Rather than ask if he comprehended what she was saying, she looked toward the TV screen. The hockey game blurred, and her tears slipped over her cheeks until they dried up. She didn’t bother to hide them. He’d already seen them. Brice’s hand hadn’t moved from her cheek. His thumb stroked the last tracks of wetness before he turned her head toward him.

“Honey, I understand. I get a rush out of giving my lover pleasure, knowing only I can give it to her, that she trusts me when I tie her down and cover her eyes. It makes me hard just thinking of you bound to my bed, legs wet, pussy slick, and your body primed for what I have to offer you. That I’ve found someone who shares my desires in the bedroom, it’s just… I’m in awe. It’s not just the power of being in control that I get off on. It’s the intimacy, the sharing, the ability to give my lover what she needs and for her to trust me with not only her body but her safety. I haven’t had that in a long time. You honor me, honey.” He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “I promise I won’t betray that trust.”

She snuggled in next to him and allowed him to hold her. He wrapped both arms around her and hugged her to him. Exhaustion tugged at her eyes. She wasn’t completely open to a sexual relationship with Brice just yet. They had to work on more communication and establishing a nonsexual aspect to their interactions. For now she would accept comfort from him and think on how to proceed. She wasn’t averse to falling into bed with him, just being cautious and aware of their situation.

“You rest. I’ll finish watching this, and then you and I will go to bed.” He kissed her temple and settled down to watch more hockey games, taking notes as he went.

She didn’t protest when he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his bed. “Have to shower and change into nightclothes,” she grumbled but was too tired to go upstairs after all the walking she’d done. Her jeans felt tight and molded to her legs, her feet pulsed with pain from all the walking, and she was emotionally empty. She’d never told Perry why she’d needed to be bound or any of the other things in the bedroom. He wouldn’t have understood, but Brice did. A weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and her body could relax and unwind fully.

A gentle worry blipped in the back of her head. What will happen when this was over? Can I truly trust him with my heart? She tried to push that last thought away. For once the sex-starved nymph remained silent.

He pressed a kiss on her forehead and laid her down. “There’s always morning, honey. We’ll talk more.”

As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light, not even protesting when he pulled off her shoes, socks, and jeans and tucked her in.

Chapter Seven

Brice gathered the comic books, cleaned the couch, and turned off the TV before he crawled into bed. He wrapped his arms tightly around her as he molded his body to hers. This was heaven, complete and total peace. He could picture spending nights just like this after games. They could go out to dinner, catch a movie, or just cuddle up in the hotel room before curfew and order pay-per-view and room service. He doubted Coach would go for it, but it was nice to think about. She would be a welcome sight after a long time away from home.

He pressed a kiss to the back of her head and inhaled that sweet, soothing vanilla scent. He wondered what she’d spoken to her father about. Him maybe? If they had, it might account for her desire to be open and honest with him. He hoped her father hadn’t encouraged her to stay away from him, although if he had warned her off, Ava wasn’t taking his advice. Brice was happy they had cleared the air. He couldn’t blame her for not wanting to risk getting hurt, but at the same time, he wondered if her ex had anything to do with her refusal to just dive in and explore their attraction. Brice wanted more than just sex—that much he knew—and all he could do in the situation was keep telling her that he was serious.

He snuggled into her warmth. It felt right having her in his arms. When this babysitting period ended, he didn’t want to let her go, but how to convince her? That was the question.

He had a new sense of direction and a hunger. Brice wasn’t going through the motions anymore. Watching old footage had shown him just how badly he’d played these last few months. What a selfish bastard he’d been. He couldn’t believe anyone on the team hadn’t tried to kill him, although would he have noticed their hostility toward him? Probably not.

His head had been so swathed with his own issues he wouldn’t have taken account of any change in the air. He wasn’t lonely or aching, and now he knew why she’d never called him.

Brice ignored the throb in his cock. When he wasn’t thinking about hockey and the upcoming game, his mind wandered to Ava and all the things he wanted to do with her. They’d spent nearly ninety-six hours together, and he didn’t mind one bit. She fit like a glove. He was sure his parents would love her. That’s if they could stay in town long enough to meet her and not just fly in for charity and social events.

He knew his parents loved him and his siblings, but sometimes their absences made him feel as if he had been abandoned. Brice had turned to hockey to fill in the gap. It hurt to see how close Davis was with his parents. James and Josie had always treated Brice like family, but it wasn’t the same. There was still a hole inside his heart. Now that he had Ava back in his life, some of that pain had faded.

When the loneliness and issues started, he hadn’t turned to his brothers or his teammates. He’d wanted to deal with it on his own. Now the team thought he needed a babysitter to keep his libido and alcohol consumption in check. He flexed his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her nape. Fate had been kind to him; she’d brought back Ava in his life. For that he could be grateful. As his eyelids slid closed, he wished it was after the game and they were celebrating a win.

* * * *

His alarm blared to life. He groaned and yawned. It was too fucking early. Enveloped in comfort and warmth, he tried to ignore it, but the blasted thing kept beeping. He opened one eye and looked over to the window. Dawn had barely made a dent in the inky-blue din. Thin streams of gold, orange, and red hung low in the atmosphere, making way for day. With a sigh, Brice slipped out of bed and stretched before he opened the curtains fully. He got dressed in sweats and headed down to the pool for a few laps and then to hit the gym. He loved being so alone and able to work out in peace. The other thing he loved: waking up with Ava in his arms. She hadn’t even stirred when he got out of bed. Her features had been so peaceful and relaxed, open and beautiful, the makeup worn away. She wouldn’t like that some of her eyeliner and lip gloss had been smeared on the pillow, but he didn’t care. He preferred her with very little to no makeup at all, like she’d been in college. Ava was a natural beauty.

As he did laps, he turned over his current situation. His hockey game was improving and would only get better—that was good—but sleeping alone left him horny and frustrated. Sure, that could be used in the game, but he doubted he could function with so much sexual frustration swirling within him. He and Ava had been open and honest with each other, and now he wanted to act on it. She trusted him enough to tell him her needs in the bedroom, but he couldn’t ignore the annoyance he felt that she couldn’t give him even a little bit of room in her heart.

Tonight he was determined to get her to finally give in to at least one of her needs. Maybe spank her but no sex. As much as he wanted to, when he finally sank his throbbing cock into her tight, hot, wet pussy and fucked them both stupid, there would be no reason to deny their attraction. He could balance both hockey and seducing her. There were no problems so far, and Alexi was on board with her being in his life, but Brice needed to talk to her father and the rest of the team, see how they felt about the notion and make them understand this wasn’t a fling. He was serious about her.

He did the last lap and got out of the pool. He dried off and put on sweatpants and a T-shirt and stuck earbuds into his ears and headed for the gym. Another hour down, which he ended with yoga before he jogged back upstairs to his apartment. He still wasn’t sure how he could convince Ava to go along with his idea of trying to take off some of their sexual needs with a little mutual masturbation.

The scents of scrambled eggs and bacon wafted toward him when he entered the door. His stomach rumbled. A plate was already set up for him, with a basket of croissants placed in the middle of the table. She turned toward him, annoyance on her face. “You could’ve woken me. I need to get some exercise done. I’m starting to feel lazy.”

He waggled his eyebrows and murmured, “I can help you with that if you’d only let me.”

She rolled her eyes and sat down across from him. “Sex may be a great form of exercise, but I can’t do it all the time. I need to be able to walk and shower and stuff. We can’t have sex yet.”

He shrugged and settled down at the table. “Leaving the apartment is overrated. At least I’d know you were sated. I did notice you didn’t rebuke me and you said ‘yet.’ I see someone is more open to sex with me. That’s good. So after the game?” He hoped she’d say yes and just agree instead of fighting him.

“You’ll find out,” she teased. “What’s on the agenda today besides practice and lunch with the guys? My brain is a bit fuzzy. I’m still tired.”

He thought about his schedule. “Another interview with a local paper and another talk with one of the middle-school hockey teams. After that my day is all about you.”

“Am I going to need a helmet and pads for this?” A smile quirked her lips.

“Nope, but you will allow me to cook dinner for you tonight. No complaints.” He waited for her to say something negative. As much as he wanted to take her out, maybe dinner in would be better for them to continue bonding.

She didn’t protest; she only grinned. “Fine by me. I like it when a man caters to me.”

“That’s not all. After dinner you’ll let me take care of you sexually.” He waited for the explosion.

It didn’t come. She just eyed him. “Fine. One night, but after that, you’re going to live like a monk, understand? No masturbation or sex of any kind, not before the game.”

Relief swept through him at her words. “Deal. How do you feel about anal stimulation? And sex toys?”

Just asking her about it made his skin flush with heat and his body tighten. His cock jerked, and his balls throbbed for relief. He hadn’t let off any sexual tension last night, so tonight he’d make up for it. Brice just hoped she was up for his ideas. He wanted to explore some of her bondage and spanking needs.

“I’ve never had anal sex.” She didn’t look at him, but he didn’t miss the red flush in her cheeks. Instead she focused her attention on finishing her breakfast.

“Would you like to try it?” He hoped she’d say yes. Brice wanted to be able to claim every inch of her body and make her his.

“I’m willing to try anything once. Enough sex talk. Finish eating and get a move on. You’re at least two minutes behind schedule getting to the arena.”

“Excuses, excuses. This conversation isn’t over, not by a long shot. And don’t think I’ll forget it,” he said to her.

She ignored him, rinsed their plates, and put them in the dishwasher before she left to use the loft shower. He followed her lead and rushed to wash up. Brice finished in record time, dressed and ready at the door while she grabbed his car keys. This looked like it was going to be an awesome day.

“You driving again today?” He didn’t mind her driving his truck, but he didn’t want her to feel like his servant.

“Sure. I want to talk to a few of the local businesses and see about putting in my application. Maybe even do some work in the catering area. Mom mentioned her caterer was looking for some servers. Once I’m done there, I’ll get some Christmas decorations and check out a few furniture stores so you have choices and we don’t waste your time, not that I know what you like. Besides it allows me to get to know the area a bit more. I’ll be back in time to pick you up for your interview. How’s that?” She preceded him out the door. He set the security system and locked everything up behind them.

When she slid behind the wheel, he exhaled. It felt good to have her back in the truck with him. That missing part of him was back. He felt more stable. He reached over and placed his hand on hers.

“Can’t drive with you trying to hold my hand.”

He withdrew his touch and settled deeper into the seat.

She didn’t ask him why he’d done that. Instead, she drove out of the garage and merged into morning traffic.

Once they arrived at the arena she gave him a kiss on the cheek before she took off. The guys hooted and catcalled; he ignored them. “You’re all just jealous,” he shot back before he headed out to the ice.

They started with speed drills before breaking into offense and defense. By the time lunch was called, he was exhausted. Over grilled chicken and orzo with carrot slaw, they discussed the upcoming game and some of the things they needed to work on. He thought over everything that Alexi pointed out. Brice was still weak on his right side and needed to be aware of it.

He checked his watch. It was almost time for his interview and then the talk with the Blue Jays, the public middle school’s hockey team. Tomorrow would be even more hectic; he had a TV interview to talk about the game and another interview with a hockey magazine. As he changed into his street clothes, his thoughts turned to Ava and tonight. There was a way to satisfy his needs while giving Ava some relief from her frustration without him coming. That was the point, right? Caring for your significant other’s needs was as important as your own. A grin pulled at his lips as he thought of all the ways he could satisfy her.

He headed into the staff parking lot. His truck was already waiting in a spot near the entrance, the engine purring and Ava sipping a coffee. He opened the door and grinned. “Hey. How long have you been waiting? Why didn’t you come inside?” Brice hoped she’d seen some of his practice.

She put the car into gear and backed up. “Not long. I just wanted to relax before we had to take off again. I have a lot of information to absorb. I may have a job lined up after all this is over. I also had to make sure I knew how to get to that newspaper office. Then the school.” Ava merged into traffic without much effort.

Brice could only stare at her. “How the hell did you get all that done in four hours?” He couldn’t pass up samples or a sale when he went to any cafes, restaurants, or diners. Brice hated to admit it, but he was a just-in-case kind of person. Sometimes he needed to try a new cheese just in case he liked it, and sampling a new dish they’d made was just polite and let him see if maybe he wanted to make the meal at home.

She turned onto Main Street and hit after-lunch traffic. “I have a list. I focus on that. Besides, I already knew what I wanted to ask and find out. I did get you some blueberry corn muffins.”

He shook his head. “You have to enjoy going out. Otherwise why do it? We should go out for dinner after the game. Win or lose. What do you say?”

“I’d like that.” She turned into the newspaper’s parking lot and found a spot in the visitor’s area. “Do you want me to come up or man the getaway driver role?”

He couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Nah, you can come up. Much warmer anyway. Thanks.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. Brice wanted to inhale her scent, reabsorb being around her. He realized he’d missed her at practice. At least she’ll be there tomorrow, he thought to himself.

They got out of the car and headed for the Witch Fields Sentinel. He couldn’t resist grabbing her hand as they went into the building and didn’t let go when they stepped into the elevator. Brice needed that contact with her again. She was his woman; she just hadn’t agreed to date him yet.

“Are we still…?” Her voice trailed off, and uncertainty edged her tone.

The question came out of nowhere. “Say it, honey.” He needed to hear what she was thinking out loud.

She licked her lips and looked around before she responded to him. “Are we still on for tonight?”

“In a way. Don’t worry about it. I have to watch a few games first before we do anything.”

She shifted at his side; her arm brushed against his. He gave her hand a squeeze, hoping that would calm her down some. Brice couldn’t resist leaning over and whispering in her ear, “Just think, as soon as we’re done, I could have you tied to the bed, leg spread wide while I’m eating your sweet pussy until you come on my face and then I’d give you a rest and start it all over again.” He inhaled the sweet, citrusy-vanilla scent of her and pressed a kiss to the hollow just below her ear. “I’m so hard right now I could fuck you here and not care.”

“Brice,” she hissed.

He gave her another kiss, this time on her cheek, just as the doors slid open. “We’ll finish this later.” Brice pulled on her hand and led her out to the sports reporter’s desk.

The interview wasn’t torture; sitting beside her with a raging hard-on was. He regretted not wearing any underwear. The damn metal of his zipper brushed against his throbbing cock with every movement. It didn’t help that he could smell her perfume over the stale coffee, ink, and paper scents that permeated the office. Even among the ringing phones, printers, and copiers going off every few minutes, and loud talking, clacking of keyboards, and the ringtones, he could sense every inhale and shift in her chair. He hadn’t let go of her hand, and she, thankfully, hadn’t yanked it back. Brice brushed his thumb over her pulse point as he answered questions about his game as of late and if there would be any possible improvement. Missy Grant-Smythe was an excellent sports reporter, always professional, and it helped she came from a hockey dynasty family as her father and brother had been a part of championship teams. She didn’t just cover hockey, but it was her main focus.

“Ms. Jackson, are you enjoying being back in the same city as your father?” Missy asked.

Ava blinked, and a red flush stained her cheeks. She licked her lips, drawing attention to her fuller bottom lip. “Um, yeah, it’s great.” Her voice had gone up a few octaves, which pulled a chuckle out of him. Her palms were damp, and her eyes were wide.

He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. “She doesn’t know that her father brags on her all the time,” he explained.

“Oh, he does?” Ava turned to look at him. Some of the fear had faded, and curiosity filled her features.

Missy nodded. “Yup. He’s very proud of both of his children. Where’s Davis? I haven’t seen him lately.”

“He’s busy with a few other projects. He’ll be at this Saturday’s game, or so he told me. Thanks, Missy. Excellent interview as always. See you Saturday.” He stood up and drew Ava with him.

“Crap,” Ava muttered.

Brice didn’t say anything to her until they were back on the elevator. He drew her to him, released her hand, and slid his arm around her waist, placing his hands on her hips, stroking the full curves through the denim. “Call him while I deal with the munchkins.”

“Thanks, I just… Ugh, I don’t know what to tell Davis. We had a fight about Perry before I found out about the cheating. Davis and I haven’t spoken since, and I feel bad. I didn’t tell him I was coming up here. I’ve been avoiding him when since I arrived. ” She exhaled and ran a hand over her face.

Brice bent down and pressed a kiss on her temple. He gave her hips a squeeze before sliding his hand back to caress her ass. He gave the cheek a smack before going back to running his hand over the full mound, hating that they were in public and she was clothed.

“Brice,” she warned.

“Don’t care. Like I said before, I would.” Brice led her out of the building and back to the car. She got behind the wheel, and he slid his hand onto her thigh. “I want to unbutton your fly and slip my hand into your jeans to see if you’re wet for me. I bet your panties are soaked. I can’t wait to finger fuck you, feel your pussy clench and flutter around me as you come. I want your cries and your moans. I want you naked and writhing on my bed, tied down and begging me to fuck you.” Brice couldn’t stop his mouth. Being away from her had been difficult. Having her try to put up walls and warn him off just encouraged him to push.

She sucked in some air and shuddered. He moved his hand toward her crotch and felt the heat even through the denim. Ava grabbed his wrist. “Not now.”

“So you promise I get a taste tonight when I get home? I’ll be back in time for dinner, but I have to go to the arena to watch old game footage and analyze my awesomeness.” He cupped her thigh and gave it a press before shaking his arm out of her hold.

“What do you want for dinner?” She turned onto Elementary Street and drove into the middle school parking lot and found a spot closer to the exit than the building. He wouldn’t let her change the subject.

“Not going to let go of this.” He glanced around.

Few cars were in the lot; some teachers and the after-school bus were the only vehicles in sight. He leaned over and took hold of her chin and turned her head toward him. Brice pressed his lips to hers and pried open her mouth with his tongue and sank it in to tease hers into a bit of play. She tasted of chocolate and vanilla with a hint of coffee. Her perfume floated around him. The heat in the small cabin spiked. With his free hand, he unzipped his parka to let some semblance of cooler air lower his temperature. It didn’t work. His shirt and undershirt scratched at his skin; his erection pressed against his fly. Pressure built inside him until he thought he would lose complete control. He pulled back, reminding himself that this wasn’t the time or the place, but damn, he was proud.

Brice took in her bruised red lips, all gloss smudged away to a matte finish. She panted, her pupils were wide, and her hand shook as she lifted it to press her fingers to her lips.

“More where that came from later. Let’s get out of here before I do something that will get us sent to the principal’s office and arrested.” He gave her another kiss and got out of the car. The cold air was a blessed relief to his overheated body. His shirt stuck to his damp back, and beads of sweat slipped from his brow. He made a mental note to take his car to Drake’s to check on the heating and AC system. Either something was wrong with it, or she made him that hot. Brice grinned. It’s the latter, he thought as he adjusted his throbbing erection. I’ll take a cold shower when I get back to the arena.

He grabbed her hand and led her into the school. It was automatic to reach out to her, make that contact. The fact that she hadn’t protested or tried to get him to let go was a plus that buoyed his spirits and gave him hope. “Thanks, honey.”

She looked at him, forehead scrunched in confusion. “Why?”

Much to his disappointment she had put herself back together, her mouth the only evidence of her disorientation from earlier.

“For not fighting me on the affection. For allowing me to be able to kiss you and hold your hand in public. Just wish we could do other things in public.” He punctuated that statement with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“Take a cold shower or jump in a pile of snow,” she grumbled. “Or maybe take a long walk off a short pier into a frozen lake. Probably make your brain cells work faster.”

“No snow, only dirty slush piles, and I have no desire to get pneumonia. Although if I get sick, will you play nurse, maybe dress up for me in one of those outfits they show online?” He pushed into the building and headed straight for the gymnasium.

She didn’t respond. Her plump lips were pressed together in a thin line with a hard look on her face. He didn’t egg her on. Instead he refocused on the last task of the day. He’d given talks to this school before, so he knew the way. When he wasn’t playing or practicing and he had time, he took in a game. He also donated money to keep the arts and after-school programs going. Brice valued art and education as much as he did sports. “I might teach here once this hockey thing is over,” he confessed.

“What would you teach?”

He was thankful she didn’t just assume physical education. “English but I’d also coach the hockey team or be an assistant coach if they let me.” Brice knew he had a lot to teach the younger generation from his experiences so far. He wanted to be open and honest with them, talk to them about what they should avoid and how much they should be open with their team. He may not get the job, but he wanted to try anyway.

“I’m sure they would. It’s a nice school from what I’ve seen. Why not high school?” she asked.

“Can’t take the teenage attitude.” He chuckled and pulled her into the gym, where they were already waiting for him. Brice settled her in the front row and then started his talk. He varied it every time so that what he said applied to how they did in their last game.

“You lost last time, and that sucks. I know ’cause I did too. But I’m proud of you guys. You didn’t pout or throw a tantrum like us adults do from time to time. You acted like true sportsmen.” Pride swelled in his chest as he looked over the smiling faces of the team before him. “Now for the bad news. Here’s where I felt you went wrong and how you can work on it. You’re almost there. I just know you can be district champs by the end of the season.” He went into his analysis of the game, highlighting the players’ accomplishments and teamwork, and singled out each individual’s ability. By the time it was over, he still had several questions to answer and parents who stood around looking at watches impatiently. Brice didn’t rush it. He answered everyone and didn’t shorten things just to accommodate the impatient parents. He was exhausted but felt good about what he’d done.

When Ava grabbed his hand and tugged him out of the school, he could only lean on her a bit. A yawn pulled at his lips, and he tried to fight it. He had several matches to watch before he could truly call it a night. “Can we do pizza tonight? No cooking for either of us. There’s a gluten-free pizzeria on Fifth and Gold that makes an awesome thin crust.” He didn’t want her to go all out for him.

“Sure, but can you stay up if you’ve had pizza?” She turned the key; the engine growled to life. She put the SUV into gear, turned her body toward his, and backed up with caution.

He glanced at her as he slumped into his seat. “Don’t worry about me, honey. I’m not gonna be the one tied to the bed.”

“Promises, promises. Maybe I don’t want to be tied now. Maybe I’ve changed my mind.”

“No use turning back now. We’re doing it. I’ll only bind your hands. We’ll start there.” He closed his eyes and smiled when she said nothing in protest.

“Don’t think you’ve won. I just don’t want you to expend energy arguing with me when you need to focus on your game,” she shot back after a few moments of silence.

“Excuses, excuses. I still won this round.” They arrived at the arena, and she hadn’t disputed him. He unbuckled his safety belt, leaned over, gave her a kiss, and scrambled out of the cab. “I’ll take a taxi to get home. No need for you to come get me when it’s supposed to snow again tonight. Don’t want you to get caught up in that. See you later, honey.”

Brice slammed the door shut before she could rebuke him. It wasn’t her he worried about. As he shuffled in through the player entrance, he came across a few other teammates who hadn’t gone home yet.

“You doing some extra studying?” Marsh asked.

Brice nodded and grabbed his notebook and a pencil from his locker.

“Good. Glad I’m not alone.”

Brice didn’t ask why he was here late. He saw Davis come out of the weight room. Davis gave him a nod but said nothing. Brice opened his mouth to call him back, but Marsh pulled his attention back to why he was here.

“Come on. Let’s go. I want to get home before it’s so bad that we can’t leave. I don’t want to get snowed in with your sorry ass.”

Brice snorted. “Yeah, well, I have a hot woman waiting for me at home, so I don’t want to get snowed in with you either.”

They headed into the film room and settled down to watch past footage. Brice felt at ease with Marsh. They may not have talked on a personal level for the past few weeks, but it was good to hang around him again, one on one. There was no personal crisis here, no sexual frustration, just two teammates who wanted to better themselves for the team.

Chapter Eight

Ava’s heart tried to tattoo itself against her rib cage as the seconds ticked by. What had happened in the elevator and in the truck hadn’t soothed her. She found her arousal had amplified and refused to cool off, not even after a lukewarm shower. So now she just paced. The pizza arrived, but she’d barely touched it. Her tummy kept flipping. Food didn’t seem like a good idea. She’d thought of going out and getting some more Christmas decorations. Her stomach growled, and the acid of hunger churned in her gut, but she couldn’t bring herself to dive into the chicken and veggie specialty pizza that Brice favored according to the pizzeria. At least he kept to the health trend. She broke off a bit of the pizza crust and popped it into her mouth. Garlic, butter, salt, pepper, and cayenne with the sweetness of the crust burst on her tongue. She picked up a slice of pizza and studied the space as she ate. His apartment was bare, no indication that a holiday was in full progress. She mentally planned out how she’d use the tinsel and the lights. The loft needed some sparkle, as did the banister and the mantel over the fireplace. Ava wouldn’t go so far as to decorate the TV or bookshelves.

As she looked around, she flashed back to their Christmastime in college. The frat house had been bare too. Since no one was going to be there, they didn’t think it would matter to decorate or not. She hadn’t done much since the stores hadn’t had a lot left over. There also had been only slim pickings in the tree department. A Charlie Brown-style plastic number whose fake pine needles kept falling onto the tabletop. Brice had been amused—thank goodness—but she wasn’t sure if he’d want a real tree, one that was put together, or something small as a reminder of their time together. As she finished off her slice, she glanced at the clock again. Maybe we need dessert. She thought of making a devil’s food peppermint ice-cream cake.

With no timeline, she knew it couldn’t set properly if he came home early. Her mother would be making white chocolate spearmint mousse pie. Lightly sweet and minty, the perfect complement to the huge turkey dinner she made every year. Sadly, last year, Ava spent Christmas with Perry and his snobbish family. She’d been miserable. This year would be different. Would Brice’s parents be in town? She hadn’t asked him his holiday plans. The Prowlers had a game the day after Christmas. She’d thought of calling Brice’s parents, but wasn’t sure that would be a good idea. She didn’t want to pry too much and pick at a wound that may not have healed.

Brice seemed to know her really well. She, on the other hand, knew nothing about him. Well, almost nothing. There were the basics. Did that really count? Do I really want to know more about him? Once this is over, will he want a true relationship with me? The Internet images of him with model-thin women came back to haunt her. Ava shook her head. No, can’t think like that. Brice said what he meant, period. If he truly wants me after this, then I’ll give it a try.

She turned on the TV and decided to watch the nightly news, hoping for a distraction. It didn’t take long for her to zone out. The usual segments; a few feel-good pieces but mostly bad news. The only time she felt even remotely happy was when they did some coverage on the upcoming hockey game. She winced when two players slammed into the wall and then began fighting. Growing up, she’d seen her fill of fights. A naughty thrill went through her as she watched. As much as she didn’t want Brice to get into a fight, it was part of the game and expected.

She finished her third slice and rinsed off her plate. Nine o’clock and still no Brice. Not even a phone call and I’m the one that deserves a spanking? Her pussy tingled at the thought of Brice’s hand on her ass. Just the idea of his hands on her body brought back her arousal. He’d promised her that when he got home, they would be doing some bondage. She wanted to go through with it, but there was still the practical part of her that warned against it. The sex-starved vixen reasoned that she’d never get this opportunity again. Who, or rather when would she find someone so sexually compatible and unafraid to show affection in public?

Perry had hated to hold hands with her. Brice went for it without hesitation, initiating contact with her in public whether she was ready for it or not. The more time that passed, the more differences showed up between the two men that she couldn’t deny. Brice was nothing like her ex, that was for damn sure. Brice was open-minded, honest, accepting, and affectionate. Just having him hold her hand or wrap an arm around her waist sent a thrill and filled a hole she hadn’t realized was there. Ava hadn’t realized just how starved for affection she was. His desire was obvious to her, his confidence refreshing. He wasn’t arrogant or cocky; he was just sure.

As much as she tried to fight against her attraction, it was making her grumpy too. She didn’t want to deny herself this time and ignore her sexual instincts. Okay, for tonight I’ll allow it, but if it fucks up his game, no more. I’ll use a vibrator, she promised herself. Now that that had been decided, there was only one other thing to do: call Davis. She couldn’t avoid her brother forever.

She grabbed her cell phone and scrolled through her contacts. Ava chose his number and hoped he was asleep or his battery had died. She didn’t want to dissect her relationship with Perry with her brother. From day one Davis had called it on who Perry truly was as a person. Eating crow didn’t sit well with her.

He answered on the first ring. “Can’t talk now. We’ll do lunch tomorrow. Dinah’s, corner of Rose and Hedgewater. Use GPS. Later, Sis.”

Ava stared at the phone, the dial tone beeping through the speaker. “How the hell am I related to him?” she shouted to the empty apartment.

She turned her phone to vibrate and put it down. Irritation warred with affection. At least he didn’t sound pissed with her.

“Sometimes I wondered that too.” Brice’s voice, low and full of amusement, carried over to her from a few feet away. The clunk of keys hitting a hardwood surface echoed around the space.

She whirled around at how close Brice was to her.

“How did you… Are you a ninja?” How had she missed him? That door was too well oiled.

“Took martial arts when I was younger. Learned how to move quietly to eavesdrop on my older brother and his friends.” He gave her a mischievous grin. “God, I’m starving. So, pizza here?”

“In the oven.” She decided to bring up the issue of decorations right away. “Um, Brice, how’d you like the apartment to be decorated? And if it’s okay, I’d like to get a tree. Something small, I promise. I can do it while you’re at practice.” Ava waited for rejection.

He opened the oven and grabbed a slice. Brice answered without looking at her. “Sure. What’d you have in mind? I never decorate. Too busy with the season and other engagements. And I wasn’t going to say no, so why do you look like I was going to hit your puppy or something?”

She grinned. “Nothing insane. Just simple decoration, tinsel, lights, a tree. Leftover crap from Perry.”

“Don’t put up anything too high unless I’m here. I don’t want you to get hurt, okay? The ceiling is so fucking tall. I’m scared of the cleaning crew using ladders to clean up there because that’s a long fucking way down. Good for summer and if the AC conks out. Bad for winter and decorations. And I’m not Perry. Perhaps you need a reminder.” His eyes darkened to the color of a forest at dusk.

She shifted in her seat and looked down at the counter. “Okay, deal. So are you too tired for…?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to finish that sentence.

“Say it, Ava,” Brice ordered.

Heat flared in her face and prickled along her ears. She licked her lips. “Um, are you too tired for what you promised me?”

Brice shook his head, and her heart sank. “Ava, be explicit. Tell me what you want.”

“Do you want to tie me down on the bed and use sex toys on me?” He hadn’t talked about vibrators and dildos, but she decided to throw that in there and see if he’d be put off. Brice had mentioned that he wanted to watch her masturbate, to see how she liked it, but this was putting her pleasure completely at his control.

The room grew hotter, and the fireplace wasn’t even on. She toyed with her phone. His gaze weighed on her, caressing the column of her neck, swirling around her breasts, and slipping down her stomach to whisper against her thickened labia. She could feel his fingertips ghosting over her flesh.

“Look at me, Ava.” Brice’s voice was deep, dark, hardened with command.

She met his gaze. “Yes?”

“I told you before you never have to feel ashamed with me over your desires and needs. You have to be honest with me and me with you. Now using sex toys on you—do you want me to use the ones I have, or do you want to use yours?”

He had sex toys? “Why would you have sex toys?”

He chuckled and replied, “I always wanted to be prepared in case I found a lover with my interests. If we came back here, which was rare, if ever, I’d be ready. Good enough explanation?” He moved around the counter.

She reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. “Yes, and thank you for not getting defensive with my asking.”

“Another Perry thing?” His eyes narrowed, and anger flared briefly before it disappeared to be replaced by an emotion she couldn’t identify.

She nodded. “Yes, but I want to move on from there, do things I was denied, and finally acknowledge and give in to my desires.”

He cupped her cheek and gave it a stroke before he stepped back. “Good. Just let me take a shower, okay? Marsh talked me into a workout while analyzing my games. I feel like I’ve pushed myself so hard that I’ll need some massage therapy tomorrow. Sex will help, though.” He gave her a kiss on her cheek, finished his slice, then went into the bathroom.

Hope or nerves, she wasn’t sure which she felt more of. Elation and satisfaction filled her; finally, she’d have the sex she always wanted with a man who actually wanted to please her and who understood her sexually. Did she dare hope that Brice would give her all she needed? As much as she wanted to put all her pleasure-filled dreams on his shoulders, she couldn’t be the only one with desires in the bedroom.

They’d talked about her needs, but what about his? Would being with her and getting to do what they’d never done after Christmas really make up for all those years apart? Brice was gorgeous, sexy, and confident, a walking sexual dream just waiting to come true.

It could all work out, but only if they both kept an open mind. Despite her thoughts, doubts crept in, things Perry had instilled in her that she couldn’t deny. Would he think her too sexually adventurous if she did agree to bondage and domination on their first encounter? Maybe they should just try one thing at a time? Could they only do just one thing? Her head felt heavy with the door Brice had opened with their talk. Her tummy fluttered. Would Christmas end up being like their last one together, minus the sick part? They had a second chance. She didn’t want to blow it. The last five days had been wonderful getting to know him again, slipping into his world so easily. Sex was only a part of their issues. She had to understand why he’d been acting the way he had. Argh. Stop it, she ordered herself.

Trying to distract herself from when he’d come out of the shower wasn’t helping her state of mind either. Ava refocused on what Brice brought to the table. They could talk about emotional issues once the sexual tension had been eased. For one thing he wasn’t opposed to dirty talk in the least. He talked a good game, but could he back it up? We’ll see.

Ava headed to the full-length mirror near the door and took a good look at herself. Perry hadn’t commented on her curves and her waist, but why would he go for a size 2 if there hadn’t been something wrong with her being a size 14?

She ran her hands over the sides of her breasts, down her waist, and over her hips and let her arms fall to her sides. Brice seemed to love her figure. The only fault she could find in her weight was that she needed to exercise more. Clothed was totally different than nude. Would her rounded stomach truly be sexy to him? What about her full breasts? How about her ass? He liked to caress her hip, but would it turn him off to see her cellulite up close and personal?

Her mind went a mile a minute supplying all the embarrassing things that could happen. He could lose his erection or tie her down and leave her or bind her and then take his pleasure while ignoring hers. She felt so vulnerable. It was as if her time with Perry had wiped away any sexual experience and awareness she had. She ran her hands over her belly. The flutters in her stomach had turned into a hundred butterflies trying to do the cha-cha. Stop it, she ordered herself once again. This isn’t helping things.

To distract herself, she decided to clean things up. There wasn’t much to put away. Within five minutes everything was spotless once more. The pizza had been wrapped and was in the fridge, the plates were in the dishwasher, and the counters were wiped down.

The shower had stopped, and she could hear Brice moving around, but he hadn’t come out of the bathroom just yet. What was he doing in there? Did guys get just as nervous as women did when it came to sex? Was he trying to get it up? Jerk off? Manscape?

She looked down at her outfit: jeans, boots, socks, and a fleece top, not sexy at all. Her underwear was bikini style and a simple cotton bra. She’d stopped going for sexy when she noticed that Perry didn’t seem to give a shit about her lingerie. Ugh, I’m pathetic. She turned toward the stairs, ready to go up change. I really need to go shopping if this works out.

Brice sneaked up on her and snaked his arms around her waist and held her tight to a hard, hot, solid wall of muscle with a prominent erection digging into her ass.

“Nope. Not going to let you go change.” Once again Brice had gone ninja on her and read her mind.

“How—”

“You don’t notice anything when you’re deep in thought, which allows me to walk up to you without you hearing me.” Brice smelled of water, soap, and, underneath it all, male musk. “You also look nervous and like you want to run.” He brushed his lips over the side of her neck.

Ribbons of heat slithered through her body to coil in her belly. Her heartbeat picked up the pace, and her pussy heated. Her labia thickened, and her clit began a dull throb. Her limbs became relaxed as he rocked against her. She leaned back into his embrace, trusting him to keep her upright and safe. It felt like being home, and she melted into that sensation.

“Don’t run from me, honey. You’re beautiful as you are. I wouldn’t have this hard-on if you weren’t.” He rolled his hips and slid his cock above her ass once again. “Trust me. There’s only me and you here. Nothing to worry about. No pressure. We’ll go slow, okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered, her voice so low and husky she almost didn’t recognize it. Tears burned in her eyes at his words. Again he’d called her on her fear, and again he soothed away her nerves. How did he do that? And how can I do that for him? Yearning to ease away his troubles tugged at her stomach, mingling with the desire to please him, to take away his burdens and give him nothing but pleasure.

He blazed a path down her neck with slow kisses that lit up her skin from the inside out, enhancing her awareness of his hands on her hips, the solidity of his hard, muscled body, and the soft presses of his lips. His grip increased in strength but didn’t hurt.

“So soft and smooth, like silk.” His tone was ragged. He slid his hands up her waist and traced her curves until he came to her breasts. “So full, they overflow my hands. I bet they’re responsive. Perhaps you’d like to try clamps, hmm?”

“Maybe.” She had read about them, and she did enjoy a hard pinch to her nipples. “I…I don’t know.” Her breasts heated and tightened at the suggestion. She couldn’t ignore the throb of her nipples. The need for contact, his touch, anything to alleviate the hardness of the tips filled her. She wanted his hands everywhere on her. “Please—” she started. Unused energy sparked through her body, filling her with tension. She wanted to move, to writhe, to find some way to expend the growing intensity that saturated her. A desire to be tied down and controlled grew until she almost couldn’t take it. Brice had to do something.

“We can try it later. Now what do you need?” He took her breasts into his hands and cupped their fullness before giving them a squeeze.

She let out a moan. Ava molded her hands around his and kneaded her breasts. Lightning shot straight to her clit. Her pussy fluttered in response. Moisture dampened her panties. She moaned again and rocked her hips against his erection. He rewarded her efforts with a low, husky groan.

“Your body is lush. It is perfection. I’ve longed to feel you against me, under me, above me, surrounding me. I bet your pussy is nice and wet and your tits ache for my mouth and fingers.”

Any sense of hesitancy faded at his words and actions. A scream of frustration filled her throat when he removed his hands, grabbed the hem of her shirt, and tugged up. She lifted her arms without protest, waiting for his next move. Her skin was tight, hot, and itchy. Her body was too small to contain all the pressure that grew within her.

He slid down low and placed kisses over the base of her spine to trace his way up her back. He took his time as she fidgeted, trying to keep motionless under his hands. She wanted to yank off her shirt and her bra but stayed immobile. He hadn’t ordered her, and she needed to hear what he thought of her bare body.

Brice tugged the sweater down her arms and off. Cool air kissed her exposed, overheated flesh. He ran his palms along her sides, over her stomach, up her torso to cup her breasts once again. He kneaded them with slow care, giving her more pleasure, and yet her nipples ached all the more.

“More,” she moaned. “Please more. Touch me, kiss me everywhere.” She stroked his arm and covered his hands once more.

Brice didn’t disappoint. “I can’t wait to explore every inch of you. Undo your jeans and push them down.”

She did as he requested, feeling silly when they scraped along her thighs, down to her knees, and pooled around her ankles. That sentiment didn’t last long as the cool air brushed against her bare skin. “Brice, can I—” she started to ask and then faltered.

“Let me take care of you, honey. Just tell me if it’s too much.” Brice moved to her front. He gave her a kiss on her lips that just whispered against the tingling, heated flesh, and bisected her body with butterfly touches of his mouth until he came to her mound. She dropped her gaze and watched him as he untied first one boot and then the other. Ava lifted her feet one at a time. He tugged off her shoes and then her jeans and socks. All that was left was her panties.

“Go sit down on the bed.” He rose.

For the first time she noticed he was completely naked, exposing the old bruises and worn scars as well as the tightly muscled body. Lean and athletic, not an ounce of fat as far as she could see. Masculine beauty in the flesh and all hers to play with. His face, ears, neck, and chest were flushed, and his nipples were tight buds. For the first time she noticed small silver barbells pierced thorough the ruddy flesh. Fascinated, she leaned forward, wanting to taste them. She moved closer to get a better look at his tattoos. Brightly colored in some places and black-and-white in others, but they all looked like they belonged together.

Her gaze slid down his body from the shallow well of his belly button to the line of auburn hair to the neatly groomed curls that formed the base of his groin. From the patch of dark auburn hair rose his cock: thick, flushed red with the veins standing out clearly, the flared head wide and mushroom shaped with a pearl of precum glimmering at the slit. He came to her; his penis bobbed with each step. She licked her lips. Every inch of the rod was all for her. Only for her.

Chapter Nine

Brice grabbed his shaft and stroked himself from root to tip, smearing the evidence of his desire with his thumb before taking the route in reverse. “Do you want me? Do you need me as much I need you?”

Ava’s gaze was glued to his cock. “Yes.” Her tone came out ragged, unrecognizable. Never had she wanted to touch, taste, kiss, lick, please someone as much as she did him. All thoughts of her past sexual experience were gone, burned away by the desire in Brice’s eyes, voice, and the way he moved toward her. She’d never felt more wanted before.

“Take off your bra. Show me your breasts,” he ordered. He continued to stroke his cock.

She reached behind and undid the clasp. Her breasts fell as her bra slipped down her arms. Ava tugged it off and let it drop to the ground. Time stretched like a rubber band. Her nerves returned. Are my breasts sagging too much? Do they look fat? Anxiety began to bat away some of her arousal.

“Stop it!” he snapped. “I’m not Perry. Look at me, honey. Take me in. Tell me what you see. Is my dick limp because of your breasts? Do I look like I’m going anywhere?”

He dragged a chair over and sat down, his legs splayed open. Brice took his time, running his hand up and down his shaft. His mouth dropped open; his tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip. “I’m so fucking hard for you I could come any second, but I won’t. Can’t. Not until you do. Before I tie your sexy ass to my bed, I need you to touch those sexy tits for me. Cup them, squeeze your nipples, show me how you like to be touched and teased. Please me by pleasing yourself.”

Please him by pleasing me?

She cupped her breasts for him, reveling in his admiration. She kneaded the mounds, pinching the nipples. Her arousal increased under his stare. She took a deep, shaky breath and let one hand travel down her abdomen to the edge of her underwear. She tugged at the waistband of her panties, pulling the fabric up, pressing the damp cotton against her pussy lips. Just the pressure on her needy labia spiked her desire. Sexual confidence filled her as his hand worked faster over his cock.

“Take off your panties. Show me how wet you are for me,” he ordered, voice dark and raspy. His pace slowed; he grasped his shaft just under the flared crest.

Ava scrambled up to her feet, breasts shaking at the sudden action. She hooked her thumbs in her panties and shoved them down, stepped out of them, sat back on the bed, and spread her legs. She bent her head and saw her upper thighs glistened with her cream, she was that wet and aroused by him. She removed her gaze from her sex and looked at Brice to judge his response to her revelation.

Brice let out a pained groan. “Shit.” The word sounded torn, as if ripped from his throat. He worked his hand over his cock faster; with his free hand he cupped his balls, heavy and huge. Brice rolled the eggs, tugging on the sac as she watched his arousal grow higher. “You’re gorgeous. Absolutely perfect. Show me you want me. Touch yourself. Show me how you want it.”

Show him?

“Go slowly. Start with your breasts,” he urged. Brice slowed his hand, moving it up and down languidly, as if he had all the time in the world. “Watch me. See how much I want you? How thick my dick is for you? I’m so close to coming. I want to come for you. Make me come.”

Bolstered by his words, she cupped her breasts with both hands once again. She massaged her breasts, watching his reaction. His eyes narrowed. He bit his bottom lip, leaned forward, and stroked his cock faster. She tugged on her nipples. Sparks of electricity shot straight to her clit, her hips bucked as a cry ripped out of her throat. Desire pulled her under Brice’s spell. Empowerment buoyed her. She felt beautiful, sexy, perfect—all because of him.

He grunted. “Yes, like that. More. God, you’re beautiful.”

His words were oil on her skin, sliding over her, touching hidden parts of her that she tried to keep from the light. Ava lost herself to the sensation as the heat inside increased. She continued to pull the tips until they were too sensitive to touch. Her body was strung out, so taut all it would take would be a soft touch on her clit to set her off. To stave her coming arousal, she let her hands coast over her body, teasing the inside of her thighs with light fingertips until some of the pressure eased. Brice followed her lead.

“Fuck, I need you so much. This isn’t enough.” Brice pinched the crown of his penis and winced. He stood up and headed for his closet.

She watched him as she dragged a fingertip up one side of her labia and down the other to circle her wet entrance. Now that she had found a comfort with her body, she didn’t want to stop the sensations.

Brice pulled out a box, lifted the lid, and extracted a vibrator, blindfold, leather padded handcuffs, lube, and a few paintbrushes in various sizes. He laid out the items on the bed, then went to the kitchen. Ava rolled over onto all fours and crawled to the end of the mattress and examined each item. The vibrator had a clit stimulator and a slim arm for anal penetration. Her pussy rippled as she flicked it on. She ignored her body’s reaction and turned off the dildo and picked up the other articles.

“We’ll use the clamps later if you’re still interested.” Brice returned to the bed holding a plate with brown, caramel, and white colored dots. He placed the dish on the nightstand. “Lie back down on the bed, extend your arms over your head, and close your eyes.”

“I thought you wanted me to show you how much I wanted you?” she teased as she moved back to the head of the bed.

“I can’t resist you anymore, and I need to touch you and taste. I want you to come all over my mouth.” He picked up the cuffs and the blindfold. “Now, do as I say or you will be punished.”

She didn’t give him any lip and followed his instructions.

“Thank you for trusting me.” He wrapped the bonds around one wrist and then the other, and linked them to the slats of the headboard.

“I need to do this. I can’t deny myself anymore. With you I feel safe and accepted.” She closed her eyes as she allowed the bed to cradle her body. She laid back and gave up control to Brice. She couldn’t wait to see what he had in store for her. Some nervous energy returned as she waited for his actions. She curled her hands into fists. She lay prone and waited.

“I’m honored. Truly honored and humbled.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead and blazed a trail down to her lips. “You are a beautiful, sexy woman who deserves to have a man who wants to please you, to make you come over and over again. Lucky for you, I am that man, and I’m here to give you everything you’ve missed.”

She opened her eyes to see his features. Brice gazed down at her, his darkened green eyes lit with a smoldering fire of need and appreciation. For the first time in her life she knew what it was to be sexually wanted by a man. Tears burned her eyes. She tried to push them back but a few escaped.

His stare softened, but the desire didn’t fade away. “Why don’t I show you what I love about you? And yes, I said love. Don’t deny it later because I sure as hell won’t.”

He climbed onto the bed and straddled her waist. His gaze moved over her body like a heated caress. Unable to stop herself, she writhed.

She dug her heels into the mattress; she pushed up her hips. She couldn’t buck him off. He leaned forward and cupped her breasts, giving them a squeeze before he began to massage the globes with strong pulls and contractions of his hands. “I just have to say a few things. First I love your generosity. No one else would’ve given up their Christmas vacation to take care of a sick, whiny jock. I also loved how you wore a tight sweater every fucking day we were together back then. You have gorgeous tits, honey. So full and firm, they overflow my hands. I wanted to peel you out of those damn things so badly. It was driving me insane. God, your breasts are so fucking perfect. I want to push them together and fuck them.”

He groaned and thrust forward; his cock dragged over her belly, smearing the evidence of his desire on her overheated flesh. She wriggled underneath him. Her pussy fluttered and clenched, yearning for him to fill and stretch her. Ava let out a moan of frustration. He didn’t give her nipples the attention they needed. “Pinch my tits. Suck my nipples. Bite them. Anything. God, just touch them!”

The words rushed out, and her reward was a low, husky chuckle. He released her full globes and took both nipples between his index fingers and thumbs, then pinched, holding them as pain and pleasure flicked back and forth. Her vaginal walls rippled as she dug her heels deeper into the bed. A whimper came out of her lips as the beginnings of an orgasm took her.

“No, don’t come yet. Hold it back.” His voice came to her from a distance as her muscles tensed and her body stilled. She tried to push back the pressure, but it was too late. The first wave hit her and sucked her under, filling her body with delicious sensations. Her nerve endings lit up as pleasure danced through her. Cream trickled down her inner thighs as her clit pulsed. As the pressure ebbed away, she felt a stillness in her that she’d never known. When she opened her eyes, her gaze landed on Brice’s face. Amusement and desire lit up his stare.

“Next time you come, you’ll keep your eyes open, and you’ll be calling my name. Also, when I tell you to not come, you will do as I say. We’ll work on it little by little. Now, honey, come again.” He released her nipples, and she gasped as another orgasm took her. The pressure burst as the inferno welled up within her until she thought she was on fire.

Her back bowed as she thrust her chest upward. Pinpricks danced along her flesh and consumed her from the inside out. Her toes flexed as she lost herself. Brice’s name came out on a gasp.

He tugged, pinched, and rolled her nipples through it, pulling aftershocks from her body. She shivered as sparks of pleasure continued to go off. Brice stretched his body over hers. The heat of his skin branded her, seeped deep into her, increasing her desire. He flicked the now sensitive tips with his tongue, then circled one nub before sucking it into his mouth. His beard scratched at the tight skin of her breasts, adding to the pleasure. She felt her pussy flutter once again. Tingles danced along her nipples. He moved down her body, blazing a trail of fire with nips, sucks, and kisses. When he reached her navel, he dipped his tongue into the well and swirled, drawing more sensation than she thought possible.

He kissed his way over her bare mound before he paused at the slick lips of her sex. “Fuck, I had a plan, and now all I can think of is eating you out. You’re gorgeous. So lush, so curvy. I’m going to enjoy fucking you, more than any woman I’ve ever slept with. You…you are what I’ve been waiting for. God, you smell good.” He punctuated that statement with a slow, teasing lick as he traced up one side of her labia and down the other, ignoring the dripping entrance of her vagina. His beard rasped the insides of her thighs as his head moved. “Mmm, so good. I could eat you all night and day and never get enough. One day I will. I’ll keep you in bed only to let you out to eat and shower and use the bathroom, and then we’ll start all over again.”

Brice gazed up her body, determination in his green gaze. “You’re mine, Ava. Mine.” He parted the plump lips of her labia and blew on her clit. The thick bundle of nerves jumped before he traced the tip with his tongue, flicking, nudging, and circling the bud before he took it into his mouth.

She wrapped her legs around his head and tugged on her bonds, wanting to slip her fingers into his hair and press his head closer. “Brice,” she gasped.

He gave her clit a strong pull. Again her vaginal walls fluttered and clamped down. Pressure built low in her gut and spread as another orgasm began to build.

Brice released her clit. “Hold it back. Don’t come yet.” He sucked, licked, and traced her sex with his tongue, teasing her pussy with dips and circles around her entrance. She moved from side to side as the pleasure increased. With great effort, she pushed back the wave and tried to ignore the desire running rampant through her body. She focused on breathing—in and out, slow inhales and exhales, until she got her body under some semblance of control.

“That’s it, honey. You’re perfect,” he murmured before she felt his tongue slip into her pussy.

He prolonged her pleasure, using his tongue to swirl and tease the delicate tissues of her vagina. Despite the shallow pushes, she felt on the verge of orgasm again. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take. “Brice, please, fuck me,” she begged. Her toes curled, and her legs shook as she tried to hold back the building pressure.

He withdrew and licked his lips. He wiped away her glistening cream from his chin and cheeks and lapped it up from his palm before he answered her. “Not yet. You’re close to coming. You need to calm down a bit, and besides”—he gave a wicked smile—“I have plans for you. Do you want to try anal stimulation now or later?”

His question caught her off guard, like a splash of ice water to her overheated skin. Anal? She licked her lips and thought it over. A little honesty was needed here as well as anger. “Damn it, Brice. I want to come, now! Why are you insisting on this?”

“You will come. Trust me. Is this because you’ve never done it before and you fear the pain? It’s okay. We’ll take it slow. Maybe tomorrow. But I have to spank this luscious ass and use the vibrator on you.”

Her arousal returned but not to full force. “Thank you. Fuck me,” she said, unsure of just what she was thanking him for. Brice made her feel beautiful, loved, and desired. He was considerate and giving. If only he’d slip his cock into her.

“You can thank me with your screams and cries for more.” Brice moved off the bed and undid her bindings. “Get up on all fours. I need to get my hands on your sexy ass.”

She did as he requested and watched him with curiosity over her shoulder. He unscrewed the anal attachment and spread lube on the shaft of the sex toy. Just watching his hand stroke up and down on the thick stalk increased her body heat. She squeezed her thighs together; her legs trembled with anticipation. He shook his head, put down the dildo, and pushed open her thighs. With a firm swat on the center of her left butt cheek, fire spread through her pussy, adding a new dimension to her desire. She groaned and wiggled her butt in response, pushing her hips back at him.

“Nope. No hiding that sweet pussy from me. Show me how wet you are. I want you dripping so I can lap up your juices as you come all over my face,” he growled.

She kept her legs spread as a flush of heat bathed her face, neck, and chest at his intense scrutiny of her sex. Ava had started doing a Brazilian wax recently. Did he like what he saw?

“So beautiful. I can’t stress that or say that enough. Why a Brazilian? And no, I’m not complaining. I just want to know.” Once again Brice picked up the sex toy and slathered it with lube before he placed it at her entrance.

Sweat slipped over her face as she tried to ignore the press of the bulbous head at her opening. “I… Oh God,” she moaned as he nudged it inside of her. “I… Brice, please…”

Her internal muscles clenched around the thick crest, trying to draw it deep inside of her. “Answer me.” He withdrew it; he punctuated that order with another swat, this time harder and on top of her thigh. Her vaginal walls rippled.

“Damn it,” she groaned. Tension flexed and expanded in her body as her muscles contracted and relaxed. It took her a moment to comprehend that he’d asked a question. “Brazilian, right,” she panted and swallowed. “Fine, I do it because I like the feel of it, how air feels against my overheated pussy, how good it feels when I trail my fingers down there, how sensitive I am with no hair. Now, please. Fuck me with the vibrator, your cock, fingers, something,” she pleaded.

He gave her a dark chuckle. She lifted her head and looked back at his face. Determination etched itself in every stress wrinkle of his features; his mouth was set in a thin line, his nostrils flared with each intake of air, and his eyes were narrowed to slits that only showed a hint of his forest-green eyes. “Oh, I’m going to fuck you all right. I’m going to make you scream when you come on this vibrator and then on my cock.” He pushed the sex toy deep inside her with one thrust before he withdrew it and repeated the process.

She gasped and threw her head back. He continued to push and pull the sex toy out of her, sustaining her pleasure by modifying his speeds—slow and hard one minute, and fast and shallow the next. She opened her eyes once more and looked at him, wishing she could see him fucking her with the vibrator. Instead, she accepted his ministrations and watched every emotion float across his face. With one hand, he fucked her with the sex toy; with the other, he stroked his cock in between swats on her ass. The sight caused the first tremble of another orgasm. She gritted her teeth and tried to stop the pressure once more.

“See what you do to me? How much I want you? Look at how fucking thick my cock is for you, how red it is, how much cum is dripping from it. All for you, honey. Because of you.” He threw back his head; tendons stood out on his neck. His tattoos rippled on his skin with each thrust and stroke of his hands. The pure masculine beauty of Brice’s body coated in a sheen of sweat left her mouth dry and made her body quake. Desire flushed his tanned skin; his muscles flexed. Just witnessing him getting off on fucking her with a vibrator and spanking her pushed her closer to the precipice.

“Brice,” she moaned, “I want you so much. Please.” She wanted to come so much it hurt.

He lowered his head, and his gaze settled on her face. “Then give me your orgasm, honey. Come for me,” he demanded.

Ava let go. A shimmer started as feet flexed. The feeling seeped up her legs and swirled around her hips to travel up to her stomach. The sensation climbed into her chest, darting through her arms and her neck, until it rolled around her head. Her body tingled and burned as the heat filled her until she thought she’d burst. Too much, so much pleasure she swore she couldn’t take anymore. Tears slipped down her cheeks as the fire filled her blood. Her body felt inadequate to handle the awesome gift he had given her. The tension was just too great. Sounds she didn’t recognize filled the air. His name was a prayer on her lips as she chanted it over and over again. Her body shook, her arms quivered, her hands ached from gripping the bedspread. Her vaginal muscles contracted and rippled around the dildo. She shut her eyes, and she saw stars.

“Ava!” Brice cried out as he found his own release. Hot streams of his seed fell on her ass. The bed jostled as he moved. His arms encircled her waist, and he rolled her down onto the bed. She opened her eyes, but all she could do was gaze at him, speechless. Her brain was swathed in cotton; she was wrapped in a warm cloud as sparks continued to go off. He peppered her face with kisses.

“So beautiful, baby. I can’t wait to come inside you next time. Rest for a bit. Next round starts when I can breathe without panting.” He took her lips in a soft kiss that branded her mouth as his as he pulled the vibrator out of her oversensitive pussy. As much as it hurt now, she couldn’t wait for the next round. Maybe he’d turn the damn thing on and use the clit stimulator.

* * * *

Brice knew he was well and truly fucked. If he hadn’t been in deep shit before, he was in it now. His emotions switched from just wanting to be with her, getting to know her again, and fulfilling his sexual desire for her to something deeper. He’d known that he was attracted to her and that his emotions went beyond a need for friendship and companionship. After that Christmas so many years ago, he’d felt an emptiness that nothing could fill. Even his past sleeping around hadn’t been able to fill that space in his heart. He’d always suspected she was the missing piece, but he hadn’t guessed how right he was or how much being with her would mean to him. Brice no longer felt the chains of exhaustion holding him back. Mind clear and focused, his life looked better.

After watching her orgasm, he wanted to see more of that. He yearned to test out all the ways he could make her come. Brice needed to explore every craving she had or even thought of. But it was more than that. It wasn’t just about fulfilling her sexual desires; he desired to build her perfect kitchen. He’d even move from his apartment and buy a house just outside of town. Whatever she wanted, he’d give it to her. He would show that he could provide her everything she’d thought she’d get from that asshole, Perry, and things she hadn’t even dreamed of. Brice could see a wealth of emotion, thought, and desire in her and needed it all. He would absorb it and offer it back to her tenfold. He’d only ever felt this way about one other thing: hockey.

A new fire began in his belly. He had a hunger for both: his first love, hockey, and his woman. Ever since she’d stepped back into his life, he’d felt his focus return. Reintroducing hockey to her had opened his eyes to things he’d missed or had stopped noticing about the sport. In some respects, he felt like a kid falling in love with it all over again. Old grudges, all the aches and pains and anger had faded into the background. He could love the sport again. It wasn’t a drag or something he had to do to earn a living. Shock reverberated through his body; his job had become an evil, something he had to go to.

Five days of being with her had returned to him what he’d never even known he’d lost. He stared at Ava. She was lying on his pillows just at ease, unconcerned that she was naked. Open and relaxed. Tears burned in his eyes. She allowed herself to be vulnerable in front of him. His heart ached at how much she’d laid before him by allowing him to bind her to the bed spokes. Never had he had a lover who was so willing, who came to him, dropped her baggage, and allowed herself to lose her inhibitions in what they were doing.

Before they’d started, there had been insecurity. He hadn’t understood that but figured it had something to do with Perry. Brice could only shake his head at that. Was I just as bad? He thought back to his past conquests and mentally groaned. He hadn’t gone out with women Ava’s size. Could that be one of her hang-ups? That I hadn’t gone out with a plus-size woman? The questions hit him like a punch to the gut. It was true he hadn’t looked at a curvier woman since Ava. In fact, once Christmas was over and she hadn’t called, he’d gone back to the cheerleaders. Ava wasn’t other girls. She was perfect the way she was, curves and all. He knew going forward he would have to keep telling her how much he wanted her, how beautiful she was until she got it through her stubborn head that he was telling the truth. It hurt knowing he’d played a part in her current issues. Jesus, I’m so fucking stupid.

He ran a hand through his damp hair. I’ll have to do better. He decided this next round would be slow, drawn out to tease her and heighten her desire for him. Show her that he wanted to worship her, that he truly appreciated her and her body.

He untied her arms and woke her to check and make sure she wasn’t in any pain.

She gazed at him with sleepy, soft eyes and smiled.

“How are your arms and wrists?” He rose and grabbed the abandoned plate and brought it to the bed. Dots of caramel and chocolate sauces with whipped cream decorated the flat surface. He selected a paintbrush with coarse bristles for more stimulation and added sensation.

“Fine. They don’t hurt.” She flexed her wrists and wiggled her fingers while she eyed the brush and food items.

“You have to tell me if you’re hurt or aren’t up for things, okay? We have to have a clear line of communication. I want you, but I’m not a sadist. I won’t hurt you unless you really want it, understand?” He studied her features for any indication that the words had sunk in.

She nodded. “Thank you,” she said again.

He shook his head. “No need to thank me. I’m here to please you.”

“You get your rocks off by giving me what I want?” She gazed at him, her face open, curiosity in her dark brown eyes.

Brice put down the plate and brushes and settled on the side of the bed next to her. He cupped her face so that she could see his expression. “I do it because it arouses me to please you, to give you pleasure and indulge your desires and fantasies. Because in giving to you, I also get something. I know I’m pleasing my woman, giving her what she needs and wants most, both sexually and emotionally. I’m showing my appreciation for every dip and curve of your body. I want to show you that I appreciate your body.” He paused to give her time to digest this bit of information. The speech had gotten long-winded, but he had to get it out there to make sure she understood his motivation.

“So, in giving me what I want, you get what you want?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “I want you to trust me but also be able to come to me and express yourself. You should never fear that I will find something distasteful or find you unattractive. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: You. Are. Beautiful. I’m more than willing to show you, in every way possible.” He picked up the brush and plate once again and shook them at her.

She gave him a shy smile that lit her eyes up with mischief. “Well, I could use another demonstration.”

He chuckled. “I intend to act that out. Now lie back and get comfortable. Do you want to be tied down again?”

Ava lay quiet for a moment before she shook her head. “Not this time. Next time?”

“Okay.” He watched her scoot down and stretch out. Brice chose caramel to start with. He dipped his finger in the dot, dragged it through, and smeared it on her lips before leaning over to kiss her. She opened her mouth without prompting from him.

She moaned and pulled her head back. Her eyebrows rose in question. “Caramel?”

He grinned. “Yup. Now hold still. Don’t move. You move; I stop.”

Brice concentrated on his work, dipping his brush in one sauce and painting it with light touches over the side of her neck. He lapped up the caramel line until he got every bit of the topping and repeated the process on the other side, across her collarbone and down the valley of her cleavage.

She moaned and shook but didn’t move. Pride filled his chest that she had followed his command.

“Perfection,” he murmured as he turned to the chocolate topping once he’d run out of the caramel and selected softer brush. He blew on the tip before applying his first coat. She shivered, and her breast quivered. With a groan, unable to resist a taste, he bent over her breast and lapped up his work, sucking, flicking, and taking the tip into his mouth with his teeth and tugging on it. Her flavor was of salt and sweetness. He could smell her arousal. The world narrowed back down to just the two of them. Panic filled him for a second. He still needed to sleep and get up early in the morning. “God, I wish it could go on forever,” he murmured before he went back to teasing and tugging on her nipple.

Ava slipped her hand in his hair and scratched his scalp as she held on tight to a hank of hair. She urged him closer to her chest.

The burning pain from her nails only added to his need for her. Despite his earlier warning, he couldn’t stop himself now. Later, she’d be punished; later he’d give her a proper spanking too.

He took as much of her breast into his mouth as he could with strong pulls. She moaned and mewled. Her free hand coasted over his back; her fingers traced along his spine. Fire spread along his back, swirled around his chest to arrow down to his groin. His cock twitched as his arousal grew.

He turned his attention to her other breast, showing it the same care, painting it with the dessert sauce before sucking, licking, and nipping the tip. Each action was rewarded with her cries, moans, and pleas. “Brice, God, please, more.”

He took his time, not wanting to rush anything. He felt too wired to sleep anyway, not with this feast of perfection lying in his bed. With each caress and touch, he murmured his appreciation, telling her how beautiful, sexy, and flawless he found her. She writhed and squirmed. She combed her fingers through his tresses and clutched his hair, depending on what he did. When he reached her mound once more, she pushed her hips toward him. “Please, eat me.” Her voice was breathless and seductive. The sound shredded through him, testing his control and his will. Instead, he reined in his need and focused on her.

“I love it when you beg me.” He buried his face between her thighs and ate at her slick, plump pussy. She rode his lips, smearing her cream on his mouth, cheeks, and chin. He pulled away from her wet flesh long enough to say, “Come for me. Come all over my mouth,” before he dived back between her legs.

He didn’t just need her to come; he needed to feel it, so he slipped first one finger into her dripping channel and then another. Brice finger fucked her slowly before increasing the pace, allowing her to ride the digits as he flicked and tapped her clit. His cock pulsed in time with each squeeze of her womb on his fingers.

She cried out, arched her back as her body trembled. He withdrew his fingers and lapped up her cream, savoring the musky, salty sweetness. Brice rose up to his knees, settled on his heels, and grabbed the vibrator, slipped it into her pussy, then turned it on, thrusting and withdrawing it as he watched her breasts quiver and body shake. He took hold of his cock and stroked it in time with his ministrations.

“Pinch your tits. Come again for me.” He needed to watch her orgasm again.

She cupped her breasts and took her nipples between her fingers and tugged. Just the sight of her consumed by passion pushed him to the edge. The tingling started in his feet and coasted along his spine, onward to his head and then back down to buzz around his balls. His testicles hardened and pulled tight to his body. Semen rushed up his thickened shaft to spill out of the slit. Jets of cum coated her stomach and his hand, slipped down to stain the bedspread. Together they found release. When she couldn’t take anymore, he shut off the vibrator and withdrew it. He gave himself one last stroke and laid back. Panting, he savored the feel of his heart thudding against his rib cage and closed his eyes.

A wide grin tugged his lips until it hurt. His breath gusted out of his damp mouth. His mind was a blissful blank slate. He hadn’t experienced this sensation—ever. “If this is what it’s like to masturbate for you, then being inside you will kill me. But it will be so worth it.”

She gave him a shaky laugh. “As soon as I can move, I’m dragging you into the shower with me. You have to get some sleep. You have a game on Saturday.”

“I know.” His lips pulled tighter until it hurt, but he didn’t care. “This was worth it.”

“At least I know you’ll sleep tonight.” He was totally at ease and even sleepy. After a couple of minutes he was strong enough to get up. Needing to feel her in his arms, he scooped her and carried her into the bathroom, set her down on the toilet, and turned on the whirlpool tub jets. The massage they’d get would ease any aches and pains. He returned to the bedroom and stripped the bed and remade it with fresh sheets and a comforter. He cleaned up the brushes and the vibrator. When he returned to the bathroom, she was already in the tub, eyes closed, softly snoring. He smiled and joined her. Once settled, he placed a kiss on top of her head and held her. Pure heaven. He couldn’t wait to do this again, preferably coming inside her next time.

Chapter Ten

Ava sat shivering at the round table in the outside area of Dinah’s. “Can you explain why I’m freezing my tits off?” Her breath drifted up like a translucent white cloud to waft away with the breeze. People walked past their table, giving them crazy looks before going on their merry way, probably someplace nice and warm and cozy.

Davis gave her one of his patented big grins that said he was amused by their circumstances. “Because, dear sister, it’s exhilarating. Can’t you feel your blood pumping? You’re sitting in crystal clear, clean air. This is life, girl. Life!”

Ava gritted her teeth and rubbed her hands together. “No. It’s insane. Is all that health food and rampant sex softening your brain? If I die of pneumonia, Brice will kill you.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She really didn’t want to turn Davis into Brice’s biggest cheerleader. That man wouldn’t stop until they were engaged and she was pregnant by the end of the month.

Davis’s simple grin turned into a shit-eater smile. “We figured you two would hit it off. Good thing his game’s improved, or Dad would have had a fit.”

She raised an eyebrow in question. “You figured?” A sinking feeling filled her stomach. Had she been set up by her family? Did they think she needed a distraction from Perry that badly? She had no desire for this babysitting situation to turn into some sort of pity matchmaking. Rather than say something caustic that could turn this meeting into a bloodbath, she took a sip of her rapidly cooling coffee. The bitterness of the java kept her awake; the aftertaste of cool, sweet peppermint and the creamy, buttery white chocolate helped to give her energy.

Davis dipped his head. “Hey, we hoped. Besides I was tired of giving him every little detail of your life. He wasn’t exactly too happy to hear you were engaged. In fact, he was downright sullen. That was the worst week of his man whoring and game play.” Davis shook his head and pushed up his black-rimmed glasses.

“What are you saying?” She had an idea but wanted to hear it from her brother. He’d been around Brice longer than she had, knew him better.

“That guy wanted to jump your bones from day one. When you didn’t call or stop by the frat house, he figured you weren’t interested. Didn’t stop him from wanting you, though. It didn’t help that his family couldn’t be bothered to check in on him or even not go out of town and take him in during breaks and vacations.” Davis rolled his eyes. “Anyway, he— Wait a minute,” Davis tapped his chin. “You did call, didn’t you?”

With care, despite her shaking hands, she managed to place her mug on the tabletop, then threw her arms up in the air. “Oh, now you remember, you forgetful dipshit. That boyfriend of yours must’ve sucked out your brains through your penis that ski break. You’re usually less forgetful.” That last part was a lie, but she figured she’d butter him up a bit.

A red flush bloomed on Davis’s cheeks. “Sorry, I just, well, he was hot, and his body was killer. That man could tie a cherry stem with his tongue, Ava. His. Tongue. So to answer your question, yes, he could make me forget my name and did quite a few times. Mea culpa, Sis.”

Ava grumbled about worthless brothers but decided to let that slide for now. “You owe me, and you’ll make it up to me later with a few new cookbooks or something, deal?”

Davis shrugged. “Why not? Besides, you’re with Brice now, right? Judging by that glow you two have going on, I’d say you got some last night. Dirty girl. Don’t give me details. Like Dad, I still think you’re a virgin who doesn’t know what fisting is.”

“Davis!” Heat suffused her cheeks, and she was thankful they were alone and freezing outside.

“Yeah, I’ll pretend you didn’t react like that, filthy woman. Anyway, good job on keeping the ‘Lady Killer’ on the straight and narrow, keeping him home. He’s been doing really good. Alexi thinks he’s even better than he was when he first joined the team.” Davis sipped his own tea and made a face. “Okay, time to go in. Enough freezing our asses off. I have a question for you, and I want to be surrounded by people when I ask it.”

She stood up and grabbed her dishes. “Oh, okay. You didn’t tell me why we were out here to begin with.”

“Because I wanted to see how sorry you were for our fight over Perry the nonpervert.” Davis grinned and ran around her.

If her hands hadn’t been filled, she would’ve tried to swat him on the back of his head. “Dork. And yes, you were right about him, happy?” she asked as he took a seat near a window.

“No, I’d have been better if you hadn’t gotten engaged. What the fuck were you thinking? I thought, sure, date the drab milquetoast guy, but don’t marry him, and then you went and agreed to do it! I thought you were the smarter of the two of us.” Davis shook his head and waved down the waiter to order two more coffees and menus.

Ava sighed and slumped into her chair as she began to heat up. “Honestly, I didn’t want to be alone, but also I wasn’t sure who would want me. That’s it. Stupid reason.” The confession was uttered so softly she prayed he hadn’t heard her above the noise of the other customers.

“I could smack you upside the head,” Davis growled. “Why would you think that? You’re gorgeous, Sis, intelligent and confident. What guy wouldn’t want you?”

Ava shrugged. “The guy who didn’t return my phone call? Not that I’m saying that played into it, but you do have to admit living in the land of the seminaked people doesn’t help a size 14 like me when it comes to thongs and itty-bitty bikini tops. Plus, after Christmas I saw him with all those cheerleader types. How could I compete with that? Was I supposed to stop eating and get unnaturally thin?”

“Has Brice fucked your brains out? I’m getting tired of rolling my eyes so hard they’re going to get stuck. Ava, honey, please don’t let a meathead who wants a size nonzero and doesn’t know the difference between sugar and sugar substitute really ruin your confidence. You’re better than that.”

Shame filled her. She peeked over the top of her menu to see him looking directly at her, dark brown eyes filled with unwavering support.

“I love you, Sis, I do, but really? I think you say that as an excuse. In reality you were just scared to try and look for someone, especially when you thought you found him in Brice. He clearly doesn’t have a problem with your size, and besides you two didn’t talk to each other. So what’s the problem? Is it the ’Lady Killer’ moniker?” Davis broke eye contact and looked down at his menu.

She felt a sense of relief for the reprieve but couldn’t deny his words. “I guess so. I liked him a lot, D. I thought we hit it off, and to feel like he’d rejected me… I saw him around campus, never went up to him, but he was always surrounded by the skinny set. How can I compete with that if that’s what I think a guy wants?” She didn’t address Brice’s bed notches. She wasn’t sure how to.

Davis put down his menu. “You could have asked, Ava. You were always shy around guys you thought were out of reach. You deserve love, Sis. Look at Mom and Dad. They can’t keep their hands off each other after all these years.” He shuddered and pulled a face.

Ava followed suit. “Maybe I thought I couldn’t find something like that. How many happy married friends do you have? Dad looks at Mom like he’s gazing at the sun, in awe and a bit afraid. Like she’s not real. I think maybe I began to think of Mom and Dad’s love story like a fairy tale, not real. How can we find something like that? How did you?”

Davis nodded. “I get that, honey, but you have to try at least. Look at me. I found Egan.” His face lit up when he mentioned his fiancé. “Body like a god, intelligent as a whip, owns his own business, has excellent credit, and can fuck like the Energizer Bunny, and he likes hockey! Hands-down perfect. As for our friends, that’s their life, not yours. You have to find your own happy ending, literally and figuratively.” He winked. “Although looks like you have.”

“Not giving details, you perv. Anyway, so Brice really is focused again? Am I really helping? It’s only been six days, and the game is on Sunday.” She didn’t want to be a burden or to have them sugarcoat things for her. She really wanted to help him, focus him. There would be no “Lady Killer” in the papers as long as she was around, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to be playing like shit anymore. If that meant she tied him to the bed in order to make sure he slept, she would.

“Yup, like he’s gotten a new wind. He’s faster, more aggressive on the ice, making smarter decisions. Also, more giving, not as selfish with passing. He’s watching more game footage and takes criticism better. I think he wants to impress you, show you he’s the damn good hockey player that everyone says he is.” Davis picked up his coffee cup and took a sip.

Ava thought over his words. “I don’t want him to do this to impress me. I want him to do it to impress himself, the team. He’s got to do it for himself, not anyone else, most of all. I guess we have to have another talk.”

Davis nodded his head. “Understandable. But I doubt it’s just you in play too. Don’t worry. We’ll truly see if there’s an away game and you can’t make it.” Mischief danced in his eyes.

Ava held up a finger. “No. I’m not going to trick him into thinking I’m sick just so you can see if your hypothesis is right.”

Davis chuckled. “Just throwing it out there. So how do you like the updated Witch Fields so far? I have Sunday off; maybe I can show you around after the game? You and Brice can have dinner with Egan and me.”

Ava grinned. “I’d love it. Brice and I can do dinner. This place seems to have changed so much. I hardly recognize some of it, and the new stores that have gone up are huge. It’s been a major adjustment. But I haven’t gotten lost yet.”

Davis leaned forward, placed his elbows and forearms on the table, and looked at her. “Do you really want to do food? You have a marketing degree that’s going to waste. I don’t want to shit on your dream, but I need someone like you in the office. We’re rebuilding our PR team from the bottom up, and I really need fresh eyes. Well? Will you think about it?”

Her head spun. She had a few job opportunities already in the works. Do I really want to work that closely with my brother and father? How would Brice feel about this?

“It can be temporary if you want. Just try out the position, see if you like it.” His eyes glinted with mirth.

She grabbed a napkin and balled it up and threw it at him. “Dork. What do you need from me exactly? I’m not sure how I can help. It’s been ages since I’ve done any kind of marketing.”

He snatched the napkin out of the air and grinned. “Fresh ideas. New takes on things. We need to reach nonhockey fans. People that only watch when it’s the Olympics and we’re winning or the Cup and it’s their city.”

She shook her head. “Why would you want them? If they don’t like it, they don’t like it.”

Davis shook his head. “We’re talking locals here, not an international thing. The former owners fucked up with the money. The team does its best, goes out and talks to people, does appearances, interviews, but we need the town to give a fuck.” Disgust filled his tone.

Ava let his offer sink in. Taking a job with her father and Davis would allow her to keep close to them. After being in town for a few days she realized how much she’d missed being near her family. And besides the offer wasn’t forever, so she still had options. “Okay, it’s a temporary position. I need to think on it. This does change my plans, and I still don’t know how things will end up with Brice. Let me talk to Dad and Brice. See what they have to say. I know Dad will be thrilled, and I’m sure Brice will be happy, but I don’t want to make him feel like I’m everywhere, watching him. But this does give me more options than I had when I came into town.”

Davis nodded and launched into all the gossip about the Talons until her head spun and worry tightened her stomach. She hoped things wouldn’t turn violent between the two teams. For the rest of the early afternoon she and Davis talked and caught up on family gossip until it was time to fetch Brice from practice.

* * * *

Brice packed the last of his things. Worry gnawed at his gut. He wanted to stay behind and work on skill drills or maybe watch more footage. Alexi wanted him to turn in early and get as much sleep as possible. They had to be up bright and early for practice as well as game-day press. Stop thinking, he ordered himself, but his brain wasn’t having that. Instead, it went through all the strategies Coach Nelson had given them, every note and suggestion he’d gotten. Doubt crept into his mind. None of what he’d just learned made any sense. Nor could he remember the advice Alexi had just given him. His head was so muddled he was going out of his mind. He wanted to escape, to run away. Nervous energy jittered along his legs and arms. Thirst rolled over his taste buds. He’d been avoiding alcohol all week. He could taste the yeast in the beer, the bitterness and sweetness, the deep rich flavor that hit him like a punch to the face.

As he walked down the hall, the need for a beer and to be surrounded by people increased.

Ava. I need Ava.

The thought slammed into him as he shoved through the arena doors into the player and employee parking lot. Anger roiled inside of him as he remembered Alexi’s words to him: “Don’t lose your temper. Don’t end up in the box. Let Marsh handle any shit going down.” The Talons would push him and try to get under his skin. He didn’t need them for head games; his own brain was filled with doubts and insecurities, thank you very much. He didn’t even want to think about Ava being there to watch him. If he went down in a blazing pile of all-out shit-balls horrible, then so be it, but to have his woman there? No!

He spotted his SUV immediately and went to it, avoiding all the groups talking and some of the wives and girlfriends completely. He felt like punching something and slugging down as much beer as humanly possible. He got into the truck and slammed the door. He barely noticed Ava sitting in the driver’s seat. His mind was so cocked up with crap that he could barely function. Once he was buckled in and slumped into his seat, they took off. As the vehicle wove through late-afternoon traffic, he found himself noticing all the bars that were downtown. He used to know each of them intimately; now he felt as if they were long-lost friends he’d stopped talking to years ago.

“Don’t. Not now. I will strap you down to your own bed if I have to. You’re not going out tonight,” she growled.

He glanced over at her. She glowed and looked less stressed. Regret tugged at his heart, and tears formed in the corners of his eyes. He jerked his head away before she could see that he was about cry like a baby. Do I really want to burden her with my shit? As much as he didn’t want to and would have preferred talking to one of his teammates or Davis, she was here. Everyone else would be spending their time relaxing and trying to clear their heads. He clenched his jaw; the words were there, but he refused to let them out.

Ava slipped her hand over his. “Hey, talk to me. Tell me what’s going on please. I want to help you, and you clearly are struggling with yourself. Is it pregame-day jitters?”

“I need help, honey. I’m going out of my mind. I need to calm down, and I’m like a cat in a room filled with rocking chairs. I want a drink, to be in a bar with other drunk slobs and just not care. I…I want to lose myself in a meaningless fuck that won’t mean much come morning. I just—” His words trailed off.

“Okay, how about we start with some yoga? Then you can help me cook. I’m thinking steak with new potatoes and a side of…not sure. Nonalcoholic beer, just one to take the edge off and give your taste buds what they crave without getting drunk. No masturbation or sex. You can use the frustration for the game. You’ll take a soak in the whirlpool tub, and then we’ll do some meditation, visualization of success before you hit the hay. No mindless TV. How’s that?” She turned into the apartment complex parking lot.

He mulled over her plan. “Doesn’t sound… I’m not sure.”

She unbuckled her belt, turned in her seat, grabbed his chin, and moved his head toward hers. Without a word she leaned forward and kissed him. A simple closemouthed kiss that banished his thoughts. He parted his lips, allowing her tongue access, but she didn’t take advantage of it. His hands scrabbled against the seat belt as he tried to get it unlocked. She pulled back just as the damn thing unlocked and the strap zipped up to hit him in the shoulder. Smooth move, Casanova, he admonished himself silently. With a smile she opened the door and got out. “Come on, Romeo. I’m hungry.”

She slammed the door shut as he unhooked himself from the safety belt, grabbed his bags, and got out of the car. Ava stood near the door, leaning against the frame, waiting for him, a cocksure smile on her face. Seeing that grin hit him square in the chest. So much support, so much comfort and warmth. In that moment he knew it was love. If he had any doubts before, they were erased. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

“Hurry up, big boy. Let’s get you upstairs so you can stop thinking.” She slid the apartment guest card into the slot and opened the door.

He rushed toward her and caught the door before it slammed shut. Already his mind was a blank and his soul felt buoyed by her confidence in him. Before she opened the second door that led to the main lobby, he grabbed it and shut it, stopping her from walking through. “Thank you,” he blurted out.

She cocked her head to the side. “For what?”

“You look at me, and I see your confidence in me. You believe in me even though I’ve fucked up and in the past I’ve let the gossip rags have more stories than they needed. I just… Thank you for not judging me.” He bent down and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Simple and sweet, undemanding, an expression of his appreciation. He pulled back and caressed her cheek with his fingertips, savoring the silken heat of her skin.

“Thank you for letting me into your life and not making a fuss. Now, upstairs with you. You need to start relaxing.” She turned the knob and yanked it open, grabbed his hand, and led him through the lobby. He didn’t think the walk would be anything special, so it was shock when a few people came up to him and shook his hand and wished him luck, gave him an encouraging word or just smiled at him. All he could do was smile and nod his head. There were no words to express how much it meant to him. The community was wishy-washy when it came to supporting the Prowlers.

Their fan base was small but passionate. Both Davis and James were trying to get more attention after the fiasco of the last investors, where they blew the money and left the team near broke. It warmed Brice’s heart to see such outreach. It made all the talks and interviews worth it. By the time he got into the elevator, he was close to tears for a new reason. Ava leaned over and wrapped an arm around him, rubbing his side and murmuring words he couldn’t understand. They got off on his floor and walked to his apartment. Ava opened the door and ushered him in. She got started on dinner, pulling out a steak that was already marinating. When the phone rang, he picked it up, avoiding the evil eye from Ava.

End it quick, then bath time, she mouthed.

He nodded. “Hello?”

“Brice, sweetie, it’s Mom. We’ll be in town, in time for your game even. Already have tickets. We’ll see you for dinner afterward. Have to go. The plane is about to take off.” Marion Douglas hung up before he could respond.

He clicked the End button and just stood there. Frozen. His parents were coming to town, and they wanted to have dinner. Panic and dread filled him. His mother was a Christmas freak. Would they come here? He looked around the apartment. They needed more tinsel and lights and everything! “Ava, we have to decorate more. I need more balls and tinsel and lights, and shit, what else?”

His heart hammered in his chest. His hand shook as he tried to think past the fear of his mother’s face when she saw how simple everything was. “We need a tree!”

“Brice.” Ava’s voice snapped him out of his panic. “Go soak in the tub. I’ll do dinner. Afterward I’ll get more decorations, but you need to relax and de-stress. Off with you!”

Brice placed the phone in the charger and shuffled off, not wanting to defy her. She was right; he had a lot to concentrate on. Worry still nagged at him. This was the first time they’d ever expressed interest in having dinner with him when they were in town. Sure, they said they’d love to come, but that was when they were in a different state or country. He felt like a kid all over again hoping that this time his parents would stay. Nervous energy flitted through his body as his brain spewed out questions. Did they have enough time for a tree? Were the lots well stocked? Did they have any pine trees left? What about evergreen? Would his mother be okay with plastic or fake? As the water filled the tub, he stripped out of his clothes and tried to relax. This was the first time his parents would see his new place. He was nervous as hell to make sure things were right. Despite their absence in his life, he wanted to show them that he was doing just fine. The fear of failure lurked in the recesses of his mind as he remembered all the times they’d disappointed him. This was first time they were acting as if they were interested in his life. Emotion overwhelmed him.

The bathroom door opened, and Ava came in. She grabbed a small bottle of purple crystals, popped the top, and poured some in. “Lavender and sage bath salts. Don’t whine about it being too floral. It will help. I’ve called my mom. She will bring home some decorations. No worries, baby.” She stood on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to his shoulder before smacking him on the ass. “Now get in.”

The heat burned through his ass, lit up his nerve endings, his semihard cock filled with blood, and his balls grew heavy. Fuck! He looked back, but she’d already closed the door. Hmmm, maybe a spanking from her might not be so bad, but first she needed her spanking. He shook his head and stepped into the basin. “Fuck,” he groaned as the sole of his foot made contact with the water. Ignoring the pain, he stepped in fully and settled into the tub.

He rested his head against the lip and sighed. Tension began to float away as the heat soaked into his muscles. Christmas music floated from under the door. A smile tugged at his lips. He closed his eyes and tried to let go, stop worrying, stop thinking, and just feel. The doorbell sounded, followed by voices. The door shut again, and Brice drifted off to sleep.

* * * *

Ava tried not to fume as she paced in the hallway.

“We were waiting to disembark from the airport when we called. You’re his babysitter, yes? Your services are no longer needed. His parents are here to make sure he stays on the straight and narrow.” Marion Douglas peered at Ava as if she were a bug under a microscope. “You’re James and Josie Johnson’s adopted daughter. Davis is your natural brother.”

Ava pressed her lips together and tried to find a response that wouldn’t insult Brice’s mother. “Yes, my brother and I were adopted. Until my father tells me otherwise, I’m staying with Brice.”

Marion’s forehead creased. Annoyance flashed on her face. “I’m sure James will be understanding. We’ll be in town until the play-offs. You’re assistance isn’t needed or wanted here. As investors in this team, we have final say. I’ll see to it your things are sent to you at Josie’s home. Now please leave before I call security. I really don’t understand James’s thinking, having his vulnerable daughter—you have to be susceptible since you just left your fiancé—staying with a man who clearly needs more than just a babysitter to deal with his issues. Anyway, Merry Christmas. I’m sure your father will pay whatever is left on your salary, although if you think Brice or my husband and I will pay you, you are sadly mistaken.” She turned on her heel and left Ava in the hallway with only her jacket and anger for company.

Ava slipped her phone out of her pocket and dialed Davis’s number. Not since her childhood had anyone brought up the fact that she and Davis were adopted. James and Josie may be white and their only children black, but that didn’t matter. When her parents realized they wouldn’t be able to have children of their own, they hadn’t hesitated to adopt two children who needed love and a home. Close friends and family hadn’t made too much of a fuss. Josie had learned quickly how to deal with all issues that came with having African American children and, when stumped, turned to friends and professionals for advice.

In one conversation Marion Douglas had devalued Ava’s parents’ love and generosity. Ava slipped on her jacket and flexed her hands, resisting the urge to go back to Brice’s apartment and slap that woman silly. She couldn’t go home to her parents like this; Josie would have a fit and want to come over here. What am I supposed to do now? How is Brice going to handle this? This is a clusterfuck.

Davis answered after several rings. “I hope you have a good reason for this. I was about to get a blowjob.”

“Brice’s parents just kicked me out of his apartment. You have to come get me before I go back there and kick her ass.” She got down to the lobby, only to be met by the apartment complex manager. “Davis, gotta go.” She hung up.

“I’m not giving you my guest pass,” she growled.

He held up his hands. “I’m here to thank you, Ms. Johnson. We wanted to give you a gift basket of chocolates for your work with Mr. Douglas. It’s been quieter since you’ve been here.” He gave her a small smile.

“Thanks.” She accepted the basket from the desk manager. “That bad?”

“Coming home drunk close to game time, fighting with paparazzi in front of the complex, fighting with staff, vomit in hallways and elevators, stairwells. So, yes, it was bad. In one week we’ve seen a massive improvement.” He took a step back. “We hope you stay.”

She did too but didn’t say it out loud. “I have to go. My brother is waiting for me.”

Moving around the manager, she rushed outside and prayed Davis had burned rubber and was there, waiting for her. He lived five minutes away, give or take the traffic. Thankfully, he was. She got into his car, stored the basket on the floor, and buckled up. “Drive before I go back in there.”

“Told Dad. He’s on the phone to them, but there’s very little he can do. The Douglases have invested a lot of money into the new team structure. I don’t know what he can do, but I can’t believe they’d disrupt Brice’s progress like this. Jesus, he’s going to freak out. What about your stuff?” Davis drove to the other side of town toward the residential part of Witch Fields.

“She said she’d send it to Mom. She brought up our being adopted. The team doesn’t have a problem with it, Brice doesn’t, why would she— I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay. Off to Mom and Dad’s we go.” He drove in silence until they pulled up in front of their parents’ house.

Josie stood in the doorway waiting for them. “If I see that woman, I’m going to tear her hair out! How dare she just kick my daughter out like that, not even telling Brice!” Josie Johnson’s Georgia accent thickened as anger darkened her bright blue eyes. “Now both of you get in here before you catch your death of a cold. I have soup and sandwiches waiting for you in the kitchen.” She stepped back and allowed them entry before taking their coats.

“And pie?” Davis asked, ever hopeful.

“And pie,” Josie responded.

Heat pumped through the house like a welcoming hug. The scent of cinnamon and vanilla drifted on the air, reaching into her and untangling the knot in Ava’s chest. She was safe, home, and no one would hurt her. Marion’s words hit a mark she’d thought she’d buried a long time ago, reminding her of the hurt she’d thought she’d cast off as a child surrounded by people who didn’t understand. Her mother led them into the kitchen and sat them at the center island. Two plates, already fixed with food, sat ready for them to consume. As both siblings tucked in to eat, their mother took her place behind the counter.

“I can’t believe Marion of all people would act like that to you.” Josie shook her head.

Ava looked up. “What do you mean?”

Josie rested a hip against the counter. “Well, she’s not exactly the high-and-mighty socialite she wants everyone to think she is. I grew up with her. We’re from the same town. Her family was what you would call from the wrong side of the tracks. She was dirt-poor growing up. Her father worked three jobs to keep his family afloat, but they still had to collect welfare. Nothing wrong with that,” Josie said, pointing a wooden spoon at both her children. “Anyway, her mother didn’t work—she had severe depression—but they couldn’t afford to send her to a doctor or get her on meds, so she stayed home. There was also a baby brother, but I can’t remember his name. When Marion was around sixteen, her father just up and left. Some say he went away with a younger woman. So Marion took on the role of breadwinner. She went to school and worked afterward, almost didn’t graduate. When she was around eighteen, that’s when she met Carter, successful international lawyer, jet-setter, and ten years her senior.”

Ava wasn’t sure where this story was going, but she sat and ate and listened anyway.

“That’s when talk went from whispering to hissing. Carter had just left his fiancée at the altar, according to gossip, and here he was carrying on with a girl who’d never left her town in her life. Within a week, they were living together, her and her family in his new mansion; within a month, they were engaged, and within two, they were married and she was pregnant with his first child.” Josie shook her head. “Everyone figured she had him wrapped around her little finger. But to talk down to my daughter after what she did? No.”

“Mom, I still don’t see how this involves my being adopted.” Ava pointed out.

“She sees what she went through in you. Don’t think for a second that woman hasn’t done her research. She knows you just broke up with your fiancé and would probably assume it was to get with Brice. Also, she knows you don’t have a set job at the moment, and you moved in with Brice within a day of arriving here.” Josie shook her head again.

Ava’s jaw dropped. “She thinks I’m a gold digger?”

“Duh, Sis, because that’s what people called her. Besides, it’s not exactly that hard to see since you two have been spotted everywhere. Furniture store trip, remember that?” Davis interjected.

Ava groaned. “No one told me. Did we end up in the gossip column for that?” She hoped not. “That would be just plain stupid. It’s furniture shopping, not a wedding.”

Davis chuckled. “Brice isn’t one to hold back affection, and there are pictures of you two out and about with him giving you a kiss on the cheek or holding your hand. They even have photos of you two going into his apartment building. They think you’re his new girlfriend. They even know about Perry and what happened there. They don’t know that you’re his babysitter for the team, thank God.”

Ava mulled over the implications of this new information. She felt a sense of violation at having her life scrutinized, and yet she felt defiant. This was her life with Brice. They were doing nothing wrong and certainly nothing that would damage the team. She looked up at her mother for guidance or at least a word of advice.

“Your father brought you in as a last resort,” Josie started.

“Mom! You’re not supposed to tell her that,” Davis grumbled.

“I have to tell her, Davis.” Josie looked at her, her mother’s gaze filled with tenderness. “You deserve to know. The team was going to bench him. Actually they were going to do more than that, but your father intervened and managed to give him a chance, a grace period to get his head together without benching him. He went to the mat for him with the coach as well. Most of the team isn’t cleared, either too banged up or haven’t gotten the doctor’s okay. The lineup we have is one that works not only the best but wins us games.” Josie glanced away. “So they started to interview people to act as his sober coach. Problem was the locals we found who could specialize in this were big fans of his. We didn’t want any excuses from the rest of management to not pony up the dough. For a month we went through the process. It wasn’t until your father got the idea for you to come up that things clicked.” Josie beamed. “Your father vouched for you, and so far you’ve had a wonderful influence on Brice. You were our last hope, and you did it. We knew it was risky, but I knew you wouldn’t fail him, and you haven’t. But the work isn’t done, and having his family back in the picture is going to confuse him. His family hasn’t really been in the picture since he was born. Marion didn’t want to raise any more children after raising her baby brother, but she had kids because that’s what Carter wanted. She loves them but not enough to stick around; at least that’s what’s said.”

Ava’s heart lurched for Brice. Worry gnawed at her nerves. What was he going through right now? She wanted to go back and help him. This would be a punch to the gut, and he had finally started to make progress. Worst-case scenarios played ping-pong in her head. She remembered his words from earlier. “Crap, Davis, I need to go back.”

Josie shook his head. “You’ve given him a start. Now he has to stand on his own two feet.”

Chapter Eleven

Brice strolled out of the bathroom feeling refreshed and relaxed. Some of the thoughts had faded to the background; others still swirled around in his head like gossamer spiderwebs detached from their places to wrap around anything they encountered. They merged and added their doubts to other ideas and notions. He knew a talk with Ava would clear more of the issues he had. All thoughts of a talk vanished as he watched in confusion as Hal from maintenance carried a large pine tree into the room, trailing needles. Christmas decorations glittered on practically every available surface. How long have I been in there?

He was grateful for the hard work he saw, but at the same time, he was also thankful he’d put on pants. As one of Hal’s employees, Dan, rushed by, Brice grabbed him by the arm. “What’s going on here?”

Dan gave him a small smile and bobbed his head. “You’re welcome. Mrs. Douglas has instructed us to set up the rest of the decorations. She felt the ones put up weren’t good enough. They’ve all been replaced and stored to be disposed of later.”

“Uh, okay, although, Ava isn’t my wife yet so…” He let his voice trail off when his mother came into view, a severe smile on her face as if it pained her to express that kind of emotion, even with Botox. “Mom? Dad?”

His mother stepped forward, while his dad milled around the kitchen island looking displaced and uncomfortable. “We’re here early. Our plane got here just in time. We’ve dismissed Ms. Johnson as we’ll be staying here until the play-offs. I know we haven’t been around, but now we are. We need to be a family, and starting today we will be. No more traveling. Isn’t that wonderful?” She didn’t try to reach out and hug him; tension held her body in place.

Brice couldn’t understand why she was acting like this. None of his siblings had told him they had gone out of their way to visit them. Why him and why now?

He placed his hands on his hips. “Mom, where’s Ava? I need her.”

His mother shook her head. “No, you don’t. I’m here, and besides she wasn’t good for you, getting you in the gossip rags again. What was James thinking? His daughter was just taking advantage of you.”

Brice blinked. “No, she’s been helping me get my ass on track.”

She wrinkled her nose. “No need to swear, honey. And yes, she was. She was using you to get back at her ex.”

Brice closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on. “No, she wasn’t. She was helping out her father and me. What the hell are you talking about?”

“Again, language. I understand, you haven’t been yourself lately, but we’re here now. No need for Ms. Johnson. Besides that, her character isn’t exactly good enough to act as someone who can help you in this area, not like your family can.” She came forward and laid a hand on his shoulder.

Brice shrugged it off. “Look, I’ve been going through a lot of crap lately, letting it affect my game. You guys haven’t been here for me. I’m a grown man who’s acted like a teenager with his first car. Being with Ava has allowed me to see how truly crappy I’ve been. You coming back into my life isn’t going to fix anything when you’re part of the problem.” He hated to say it, but it had to be put out in the open.

His mother reared back as if slapped. “You can’t be serious. We would never… We love you.”

Brice sighed. “I know that, but do you really think your past behavior has helped with stability for me or my brothers? You guys were in our lives so infrequently it was like spotting Rudolph in the middle of summer. We love you, and when you were here, we were loved, but other than that, we were on our own or dealing with servants.” An ache started in his chest, but he had to press on, to say it before he became a coward and stayed silent. “Not even Grandma and Uncle Thomas stuck around for us. We dealt with problems on our own and learned to keep our crap to ourselves.” Old wounds ripped open and grew larger with each word he uttered. “Talking to you and Dad about it would only have made us feel guilty since you both loved to travel. Now you want to come back because you think I’m being taken advantage of by a woman who’s done more for me in less than a week than you have in all my life because you think, what, she’s using me?”

“Well, you have to admit the way she left her fiancé was a bit…abrupt…and she has no job, no way to support herself. I admit she’s college educated, which is good, but other than that, she’s had no aim or drive.”

“That guy was an asshole who cheated on her. You know about cheating, Mom. You and Dad did it on his former fiancée. Didn’t think we knew that, did you?” His anger drove his words. “You know that we know all about what happened back then. What gives you the right to think you can judge Ava without talking to her?”

His mother shifted from one foot to the other. “She’s also adopted and—”

Brice felt something in him snap. “Adopted? Adopted? You have an issue with that? Get out. Both of you. Get the fuck out of my house. I don’t have a problem with it. No one in my life is going to use that to keep me from the woman I love. Come back when you have your head screwed on straight and you’re the mom I thought you were.”

“But, the gossip columns. It’s not good for you… We are your family. You need us, not her,” she cried out.

Brice shook his head. “I’m beginning to think you don’t know what is good for me. Just go.”

His mother left, but his father remained behind. “I’ll talk to her. She’s been hit hard by your grandmother’s death. She’s just… She’s not thinking, Son. I’d like to get to know Ava, since you seem to want to marry her.”

Heat flushed through Brice’s cheeks. He swallowed at the look his father gave him. “Um, yeah.”

“You were serious about that, Son, weren’t you? Don’t say things you don’t mean, especially to strangers. What your mother and I did to my ex-fiancée was wrong, I’ll admit it. We’ve made our apologies. You know what your mother said and did was more her mother than her. Your grandmother was a prideful woman, who was also a bitch. As much as I hate it, it’s one of the reasons we were away so much. We didn’t want to be around your grandmother. Thankfully she didn’t affect you or your brothers.” Carter Douglas reached out and gave Brice’s shoulder a squeeze.

He couldn’t accept their actions or their lack of apology. Brice had known the story growing up; his grandmother had always made sure they knew why their mother and father were away, and ignored her various diatribes. Brice and his siblings always ignored her when she came out of her severe depression cloud to utter something she felt worthy of being said. Brice hadn’t even attended his grandmother’s funeral, not wanting to remember all that negativity. Now his mother had brought that into his home, driving away Ava and maybe costing him his relationship, all in the name of trying to help. His shoulders felt heavy, and exhaustion tugged at his eyelids.

“Point taken. You are not forgiven, though. I need to sleep, but we’ll talk after I’ve spoken to Ava. This better not have cost me her… I just…” He didn’t want to think about it.

Carter Douglas nodded. “Just don’t shut us out okay? Please?”

Brice could only nod. He couldn’t see a way for his parents and Ava to exist in his life after the way they had treated her. His father left, the maintenance crew with him. Brice sank down on the couch and looked around the glittering room filled with lights, baubles, and tinsel. All this joy and no one to share it with. Anger burned in his chest. The Talons better not start shit, because Brice was in no mood. He just hoped Ava was at the game; he needed to set things right with her. He texted Davis. He doubted Ava would want to hear from him just yet.

Bring Ava to the game, need to talk to her.

Davis didn’t reply. Worry gnawed at Brice’s gut as he got up and went to bed. Ava, please don’t turn away from me, he said silently. His bed felt cold and empty; he reached out and grabbed the pillow she’d used. It carried her scent. “She’ll come back,” he muttered before sleep took him. She has to.

* * * *

Ava trudged into the arena with everyone else. Her head felt heavy, and she had a crick in her neck that no amount of rubbing and massaging would help. Davis had said Brice had texted him to have her at the arena. She made a mental note to flog him for that. Coward. They found their seats and settled down. She couldn’t ignore the whispers and looks shot her way. After dinner her mother and Davis had shown her the articles that had been written about her and Brice since she’d taken on the position of his babysitter. Snarky drivel mostly, nothing of actual truth. Comments about her weight were sprinkled throughout the pieces. She was surprised at how calm she felt about it. She knew the truth; anything else anyone said was just speculation. The thing she couldn’t shake was what Marion Douglas had said to her. She’d thought she’d made peace with her adoption status, but having someone judge her all over again hurt.

She shuddered. Davis leaned over and placed an arm around her and rubbed her shoulder. “It’s okay, Sis. We’ll get beer and nachos, and you’ll have fun.”

Her stomach rumbled. Despite a big breakfast of home fries, bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, waffles, and several cups of cappuccino, she still felt empty, hungry. Things hadn’t been helped by Davis pointing out that how Brice played would determine whether or not she would be tagging along to the Tampa Bay game. They didn’t want to spend the expense if they didn’t need to. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted Brice to do well or screw up. As fucked up as that was, she wanted to make sure he kept on track.

Davis smacked her thigh. “Stop worrying. He’ll kick ass—not literally, of course. And he’ll set his parents straight.”

“I’m sure he will, but I don’t know if I have a place in his life with them here,” she confessed.

“Then stop mothering him—not like you’ve done it, though. Mothering is picking out his clothes and choosing his friends and controlling shit like that. You direct him but make sure he doesn’t stray off things. That furniture thing… I’ve been telling him for ages he needed to get new stuff. It was depressing just being in there. Not many of us have seen his place, and I know he doesn’t take anyone over there, even his dates. As for his parents, he’s a big boy, and he can make up his own mind on who he’ll let in his life and who he won’t. Stop worrying. Let’s not talk about that. Have you made a decision?” Davis poked her side.

She winced. “Ow! Not yet. I haven’t spoken to Brice about it.”

Davis raised an eyebrow at her. “Why do you need to talk to Brice? He’s not your keeper. You’re a grown woman.”

“It’s not about that. It’s that I’ll be working for the team. We can carpool and stuff, but if I take it, with that salary you’re offering me, I’ll be able to get a place of my own and have a job. It’s a major decision. I really wanted to talk to him about it. There are other discussions we need to have.” She waited for Davis to explode.

“You slut!”

“I’m telling Mom you called me a slut. She’ll make you break a switch off the tree in the front yard,” she warned.

“I’m not scared of Momma. I’m a grown man, thirty years old. I don’t need her to discipline me. I’ve got Egan for that.” Davis stood up. “I’m going to get us eats. Don’t be a tattletale. You know what happens to snitches.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “You say that now. Mom, you’ll never guess what Davis called me.”

Davis whirled around, eyes wide and wild. “Momma, I—”

Ava snickered. “You were saying, li’l Davis?”

“Shut up.” He made his way through the crowd to get their food.

She shook her head. His place wasn’t empty for long. Marion Douglas settled in next to Ava. There was no time to react; all she could do was stare at her like Brice’s mother was an apparition.

Brice’s mother took Ava’s hand and gave it squeeze. “Ava, I’d like to say I’m sorry. My husband and son have spoken to me and I…” She hesitated, her features hardened, and she pressed on. “They made me see how wrong I was to treat you the way I did. I don’t like the situation as it is, but I see that maybe I should at least try to get to know you.

“Can we try again? Have a talk? Spend some time this week? I’ve come to realize as of late how much I want my sons back in our life. We’ve been gone far too long. I really do want to get to know the woman my son wants to marry.”

Has she been drinking? No alcohol was on her breath.

Ava studied her closely. There had to be some reason she was here. As much as she wanted to send the woman away and let Brice and his parents settle things, if she was going to be with him, then she’d have to put up with them. Her stomach churned as echoes of Marion’s words played back at her. She gritted her teeth and tried to draw in some calm with a deep breath and responded. “You are Brice’s mother, and I don’t want to shun you if you’re serious about being in his life.” She watched Marion nod, but Marion gave no implication the words had sunk in. “I want him to succeed. So, how about Christmas lunch? That can be a start.” She decided being nice was better than shutting Brice’s mother out. In the end it was all up to Brice.

Marion’s bright green eyes lit up. “Thank you so much. Thank you. Lunch would be perfect.” She stood up. “I’ll call you at Josie’s?”

“Um, okay.” She wasn’t sure if her mom would be happy to get a call from Marion, but why not?

Marion turned and disappeared into the crowd. As Ava relaxed into her seat, she watched the teams skating back and forth or talking to each other on the bench. Some of the tension from her conversation with Marion ebbed away. Brice wasn’t hard to spot; he had his helmet off and was scanning the crowd. There were bags under his eyes, which worried her. He shook his head and turned to talk to Alexi. Had he been looking for her? She hoped he would stay focused and leave the drama behind. A glance at the Talons bench showed that they seemed to be stacking the deck with a lot of bigger guys. Each one of them looked pissed off. Did someone throw away their coffee this morning? Ugh. Her stomach knotted up all over again, and her heart seemed to be trying to pound its way out of her rib cage. She shifted in her seat.

“No worries. Here, have some beer, and I got candy and nachos.” Davis handed off the drinks and food to her.

She accepted her share and recapped what had happened with Marion rather than comment on Davis’s choices. Candy and nachos?

“Dayum, I miss the best stuff. Don’t get scared, but we’re hearing that the Talons are really gunning for Brice, Marsh, and Alexi. They’re going to have their hands full. Don’t get arrested, okay?” Davis accepted his cup and some food and hunkered down for the game.

Her nerves turned to anger. “Bullshit. They better not hurt my Brice!”

Davis snorted. “Your Brice? Just calm down and don’t kill anyone.”

The horn sounded before she could reply. Ava sat in her seat and watched, but she couldn’t keep still. Food forgotten, she tried to keep pace with the action. From the first drop of the puck to the first check of Brice into the glass, she was enthralled. Like everyone else in their section, she booed and threw things when the Talons player skated off to the penalty box with a smirk on his face. Ava shouted out obscenities at him and threatened to make him nutless while Davis chuckled next to her. When the Prowlers scored their first goal, Ava found herself hugging the person next to her, jumping up and down, tears slipping down her cheeks.

“Are you a ninja squirrel now come to steal our nuts?” Davis laughed as Ava shoved him.

“Shut up, you dork.”

The first period ended with no other goals. Davis had to make another beer run. Every check, every shove, skirmish over the puck, every attempted shot sent her blood pressure through the roof.

She sat back, exhausted. Her limbs hurt, and her feet ached from all the standing or jumping up she’d done whenever they got close to scoring. Brice had been fast on the ice, protecting Alexi and fending off attacks, even getting into a scuffle near the Talons goal and getting pushed to the ice and into the glass a few times. He was bleeding from the head and chin come the end of the second period. She knew he’d get the superglue treatment to seal up the wounds until they could determine whether he’d need stitches; unless it was really bad, he would be able to get back onto the ice.

Nervous energy filled her as she tried to relax and wait for the half to be over. Davis returned with more food and drinks. “No beer for you. Don’t want you to get in a drunken brawl just in case.”

She snorted. “Not likely to happen, but I will have difficulty hearing after this.”

Between the shouts and screams, arguments and punk rock filtering through the speakers, it was hard to hear. It was like a homecoming. She couldn’t believe she’d missed this all because of Perry. “Goddamn, it’s good to be back here,” she declared before taking a sip of her cherry cola.

“Good to have you back, Sis,” Davis shouted just as the horn sounded for the start of the third period. The next twenty minutes were filled with screaming until she was hoarse and arguing with the ref, she and every Prowler fan in the arena when they sent Alexi into the penalty box for getting into a scuffle with one of the Talons defense. Brice was checked again, this time into the net, which caused play to stop and the net had be moved back into place. The Prowlers won the face-off, thankfully, but not before someone elbowed Marsh. The action stopped as a fight broke out between Marsh and the Talons defenders. The Talons weren’t holding back and didn’t seem to care how many penalties they racked up so long as the ends justified the means. They managed to tie up the score.

Another face-off win led to a goal by the Prowlers. Ava jumped up and down and cried with relief that the Talons were going to lose—at least that’s what she hoped. There wasn’t enough time on the clock for any real attempt for the Talons. Anything was possible in hockey, though, even a comeback with forty seconds to go.

The Talons had pulled their goal to bring in another attacker. The action was so fast and furious she had a hard time spotting the puck. Sweat misted her forehead, and her body was tensed to the point of pain. She refused to sit as the seconds ticked down. Her body swayed in exhaustion when the buzzer sounded and the Prowlers won. Her legs lost all their strength, and she found herself swept up in Davis’s arms as they celebrated the win. He had to support her as they made their way out of the arena among the throng of exuberant fans.

“I need a drink, some coffee, lots of coffee, and maybe food?” she grumbled as Davis led her to the car.

“We’ll wait until after the interviews and then go see the team.” They sank into their seats, and Ava closed her eyes.

“I still need a coffee. Go get me some. God, I’m tired, and my head hurts,” Ava groaned.

“Get your own java, you junkie.”

Davis’s phone rang. He answered and then said okay to someone before hanging up. “Dad,” he said at her questioning look. “We can’t go see Brice. They’re going to the plane as soon as the interviews are done. They want to get into the TB arena and get in an early morning practice so they can get back in time for Christmas. You won’t be going since Brice played really well, and they want to see how far that goes.”

Disappoint crashed any happiness she had over the win. “Can I at least call him?”

Davis shook his head. “Sometimes I wonder how smart you are, Sis. Really. Can I call him? Of course you can! But he can’t talk for long.”

Ava ignored him and took out her phone. She dialed his number and left a message, carefully worded so Davis wouldn’t take it in the dirty direction. “Hey, Brice. I just wanted to say congrats on your win, and we’ll talk when you get back. Bye.”

“God, that was so friggin’ clean I’m disappointed again. I wonder if we’re related.” Davis pulled out of his spot and joined the bottleneck of honking cars and shouting fans.

“Some of us have this thing called self-control,” she pointed out.

Davis snorted. “Self-control is for boring people. If Egan was going on a four-day trip away from me, I’d be as filthy as possible on his voice mail.”

“What I have to say to Brice is for him alone, not you and your perviness.” Ava calmed down as an idea formed in her mind on how to connect with Brice while he was away.

“Coward.”

Ava didn’t respond immediately. “Let’s go home. I’m hungry, and I want some coffee.”

“Your blood is coffee by now. Does Brice know how much you need the caffeine?”

“Just drive, Jeeves.” She closed her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Chapter Twelve

Brice shifted in his seat on the plane. It had been two days since he’d been home. Ava hadn’t e-mailed, returned his calls, or answered his texts. His body pulsed with aches and pains, but he didn’t care. He looked at his phone once again. The pics on the gossip column had turned a fan photo of him with two fans trying to kiss both his cheeks into something dirty. What really worried him was that it was taken in a bar. He and Alexi had been walking around getting the lay of the land when Brice needed to use the bathroom. He and Alexi got caught by the girls, and they each took pictures with them and then went back to the hotel. As soon as they had gotten back, they told management. It helped that Alexi had backed him up. They hadn’t gotten a slap on the wrist, just a warning not to go out again. After that his focus had been on the game. Once they’d won, he turned his attention to not having heard from Ava. She’d only sent a text message to congratulate him on the win.

Right now he dreaded going back to his apartment. His parents may have gone to their home in the Manor Hill area of Witch Fields, but that hadn’t brought Ava back from what he’d heard. She was staying at home with her parents, much to his annoyance. Coach Nelsen and his team had been pleased to see him back in form, and after Tampa Bay, there wasn’t any talk of benching anymore, which was good. Only one problem in his life so far: Ava.

As soon as they landed, he put in a call to get her over to his place. No stalling. This avoiding crap was bullshit. It didn’t help that Davis was also incommunicado too. What was with those Johnson siblings?

She’d not mentioned her talk with his mother or what happened after, nor had she told him how she was doing emotionally. How many times did he have to make it clear to her that he wasn’t just in it with her for sex?

Alexi nudged him. “You going to go to Ava’s parents’ for Christmas? The team will be there for the Christmas Eve party. Wasn’t sure if your babysitter would let you out after ten,” he joked.

Brice pretended to guffaw and slap his thigh. “So funny. Idiot. Probably. I have plans for Christmas.”

“Just so you know, if you fuck up with Ava, I’ll be right there waiting to comfort her.” Alexi grinned and laughed when Brice punched him in the arm. “Ow, fuck. Damn it, Douglas. I was slammed into the boards on that arm. Jesus.” He rubbed his biceps.

“Sorry, but don’t fuck around like that. Ava’s mine, got it?”

Alexi nodded. “Yeah, I hear you.”

Brice didn’t want to talk about Ava with Alexi anymore. He decided to change the subject. “How’s your brother? Isn’t he in college?” Brice’s brothers didn’t play hockey; one was a quarterback for the newly created NFL team the Las Vegas Sinners, and another was the head chef at a five-star adult resort. Both of them were staying away from Witch Fields. They didn’t want to deal with any possible parental drama.

Alexi shook his head. “Just graduated, thank God. Mom wasn’t sure for a second there. He was shitting away his grades, not sure why, but I’ll find out when he comes to stay with me for a bit before looking for a job.”

“Check with Davis. He’s always looking for people for the marketing department, and he’s young so…”

“I’ll see. I heard Davis offered Ava a position. Think she’ll take it?”

That was news to him, but he didn’t want to say yes or no or let Alexi know that Ava hadn’t told him. Another spanking offense. “Not sure. She’s still mulling it over. ”

The plane started its descent. Brice shut off his phone and the Wi-Fi. If she wasn’t at his apartment, he would go get her. There was more to talk about than he’d thought. He had to address what his mother had said directly. He only hoped that wasn’t the reason Ava was avoiding him.

As soon as they landed and he grabbed his luggage, they piled into the team bus, which brought them to the arena. He bid good-bye to his teammates and got into his SUV and took off. One thing he liked about his truck was that it wasn’t kitted out with fancy tech crap. Being without tech in his vehicle allowed him time to think. To plan.

Within an hour he was parked in his apartment complex’s lot and ready to confront Ava. He avoided the lobby and went straight for the stairwell. He slipped out his phone and hit speed dial for her number. It went straight to voice mail. He left a message. “You better be in my apartment. We need to talk before I spank your ass for keeping things from me.”

Despite the number of floors he had to climb, he wasn’t that out of breath; anger helped him. He was also annoyed with Davis. Why hadn’t Davis told him he was going to make that offer? They were best friends, even though they’d been too busy to hang out as of late. He called Davis when he had good news and had been there when Egan proposed, so why were both Johnson siblings keeping things from him? By the time he got to the twelfth floor, he was so worked up he wasn’t sure how he would handle talking to her without shouting.

Nor did he know how he would handle it if she wasn’t there. He unlocked the door and his heart lurched and he clenched his jaw. She hadn’t met and greeted him; in fact there was no sign of her. No scent of cooking. Only pine hung in the air. “Great. Just fucking great.”

Kicking the door closed, he locked up behind him and set down his stuff. A look around showed the decorations were still up, as was the tree. He hadn’t asked for anything to be removed just yet. “For fuck’s sake!” he shouted to the room.

“What the hell is wrong with you? I’m here.” Ava came down the stairs from the loft lugging a box of decorations. “I was clearing out some of the decorations I hadn’t used.”

Brice growled. “Strip and bend over the bed.”

Ava put the box down on the ground and stared at him. “Excuse me?”

He knew that maybe he’d gone too far, but there was no backing down now. “You heard me,” he said as he walked across the room. His gaze never left hers. Her jaw was clenched, and her hands were balled into fists at her sides.

“No, what I think I heard was you saying blah, blah, blah. I’m here. Why are you so pissed?” She pressed her fists against her hips and leaned forward.

He ate up the sight of her, angry and sexy at the same time. Her lips were pressed together, but that couldn’t hide how plump and tempting they were. His dick twitched and thickened. Arousal licked through his veins and inflamed his body. He gave himself a mental shake.

“You left the apartment, abandoning your job to watch me and make sure I behaved. What if my meeting with my parents fucked up my mental state?” Brice knew it was a low blow, but it had to be said.

“Your mother dismissed me,” she pointed out.

“And? Your father hired you. Why are you taking orders from my mother? Investor or no, they don’t make calls. They sink money into the team. There are no perks for this team yet. Take off your clothes. Now!”

“I’ll remove my sweater if you admit to me that this whole thing wouldn’t have happened if you’d had a talk with your parents before this.” She grabbed hold of the hem of her sweater but didn’t do anything.

The about-face threw him. He ran a hand through his hair and paused for a moment to think. She was right; he should’ve confronted his mom and dad before this, but he hadn’t thought it was a big deal until she came back into his life. “Fine. I’ll give you that, but you still deserve to be spanked.” Tension hung in the air. Unspoken anger drifted between them. “Sending me a congratulations text doesn’t excuse you from not calling me after or talking to me that night.”

She lifted her hem, exposing a smooth expanse of skin. In response he unzipped his jacket and shrugged out of it before taking off his shirt. For every article of clothing she lost, he would reciprocate twofold.

“That works both ways. You could’ve called me rather than texting Davis.”

Guilt filled him. He should’ve done that too, but he’d been scared that she wouldn’t answer and let him state his side.

“If you had let me know what happened, you know, your side of the story, I wouldn’t have texted him,” he shot back.

“I can do this all night, you know.” She unsnapped the button on her fly but didn’t pull the zipper down.

He followed suit; he almost moaned in relief as some of the pressure on his cock eased. He bent down and tugged off his sneakers and socks before he stood to face her once more. “So can I. I told you we needed to be honest with each other. Running away and leaving me with no warning isn’t being responsible as my babysitter or for my well-being. Now admit you deserve to be spanked.”

She pursed her lips and pushed down her jeans before stepping out of them. “Fine. I could’ve waited in the hallway and watched for the outcome, but I didn’t think it would be a good idea if your mom found me lurking around. Besides, you needed to talk to them without my support. Face a demon.”

Brice raised an eyebrow. “Oh? I need to?” He moved toward her, stalking forward slowly. He got in her face. “I did need you. I needed you there to help me through the aftermath. To sort my emotions. I needed you,” he growled, bringing his lips within centimeters or hers.

She blew out a breath, and her shoulders dropped as her body relaxed. “You could’ve called me,” she threw at him. “You could’ve told me to come back.” She didn’t move away.

That warmth of vanilla floated between them, mingling with the musk of his aftershave and the clean aroma of soap.

“You can throw down the orders, you can tell me to do things, but you can’t think for yourself? You let my mother toss you out? Of your home?” He threw back at her.

Her eyelashes drifted down until only a narrow strip of brown showed through the black fan of lashes. “This isn’t my home. It’s yours. I’m just staying here as a guest.”

“You belong with me. This is your home too.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her body against his. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. He traced the seam of her mouth with his tongue, slowly prying her lips open until he could sink his tongue in to swirl and tease hers. She tasted of oranges and honey. With a groan, he ground his erection against her pelvis. She moaned and threaded her fingers through his hair before she shoved him away, panting, lip gloss smeared and pupils blown wide.

“I am not your property,” she growled and came at him, taking his head in her hands. Her fingernails dug into his skin. She kissed him hard, claiming his lips and tongue until his lungs burned for air, and he felt lightheaded but held on, gripping her hips to the point of bruising.

She pulled back, gasping for air.

“Wrong. You are needed here. Not as my babysitter but as my girlfriend, lover, and confidant. You need to be here. I need you here with me,” he managed to utter in between breaths.

“Well, I don’t need you! I’m not some charity case you take on to make yourself feel good and keep yourself on the even keel.”

“Fuck this.” He grabbed her wrist, pulled her to the bed, pushed her to the bent-over position, and yanked down her panties. “You want to be stubborn, so be it.”

He pulled back his hand and swatted her in the center of her left butt cheek. She let out a cry, but that didn’t stop him. He gave her three swats in a row on each cheek. Ava bucked and fought but didn’t try to move out from under his hand.

“Admit it, you love this. You’re defying me to get more.” He waited for her answer.

“No, and this isn’t helping you,” she said over her shoulder.

He traced her slit. She was already wet. He circled her dripping entrance. He pushed one digit into her tight channel, and her vaginal walls clenched around the invasion, trying to pull it farther inside. His cock jerked. He groaned. “So fucking wet and tight and ready for me. Who’s the liar now? You want me not helping? Let’s see how far I can take this before you beg me to fuck you. Stay like this.” He withdrew his finger and straightened.

He lapped up her juices before he went to his closet. Just to make sure, he glanced over his shoulder to find her seated on the bed, legs crossed. “You’re just begging for more punishment, aren’t you?”

She lifted a shoulder but said nothing. All he could do was shake his head and open up his trunk. He selected a flogger, something that would tease but not punish. They would try other types later. He returned to her, and she was back in position, a smirk on her face.

“You’re only delaying the sex.” He paused to take off his jeans and put his hands on her thighs and spread her legs wider. Once he had her where he wanted her, he took a swat, first at the top of her thighs. She hissed and bucked but said nothing to stop him. Fuck. “If you want to stop, say stop, and everything will halt. Later we’ll do safe words, understand?”

The rule book between them had been thrown out in favor of passion.

“I trust you. Now fuck me,” she demanded.

His heart contracted on that statement. Again, she left him in awe. “This doesn’t mean you’ll get off easy.”

“I just want to get off.”

He gritted his teeth and shook his head. “Haven’t earned it yet. You have to admit to me that you should’ve come back.” He put the flogger into play, spanking all over her ass, not hitting one place twice in a row. “Tell me you were wrong. Tell me that you should’ve come back.”

“Admit that you didn’t actually need me, that you were just being an idiot and you could solve your problems yourself,” she shot back.

“Only if you admit your fault.” He paused and waited for her to say something, to be a smart-ass. His heart hammered against his rib cage. As right as she was—and he knew it—he wanted her to let go and admit her fault as well. “I need you, honey. I need your level head, your voice in my ear that told me it would be okay. I need your strength, not your absences. I feel like shit knowing what my mother said to you. Did you think I would side with her? That I would just judge you and let her thoughts drive my treatment of you? If I didn’t care about it in college, why the hell would I care about it now?”

“You didn’t come after me then,” she shouted. “You went with your cheerleaders and your friends and frat brothers, but you didn’t try to find me. You knew I was Davis’s sister, and you didn’t even use that route. Was it because I was fat? Maybe not your type?”

Brice stumbled back. “Are you saying… What are you saying?” His arm fell to his side.

Ava straightened up. “Come on, Brice. Be honest. You preferred the athletic type or maybe someone slimmer. How about a hint of curve but not, never overly curvaceous.” Her gaze seared into the depths of his skin, straight to his heart.

“You can fuck me, hold my hand, say the dirtiest things to me. You can spank my generous ass, but still, back then, you didn’t pursue me. You flirted, joked but nothing else.” Tears shone on her face. “You talk about needing me, but what about me? What if I needed you? Reading those gossip columns made it real for me. They think I’m your girlfriend. Am I? You say that’s what you want, but how can I trust you? How can I know it’s real? That what we do here and now matters. That it’s more than just sex.” She crossed her arms over her chest and crossed her legs, as if trying to shut herself away from him.

He knew that saying the words wouldn’t matter. It was actions that would seal the deal.

He dropped the flogger, needing to hold her, have her feel his heart against hers. Instead he came to her and went down to his knees. He ignored the pain that laced through his knees and thighs, and shook his head. “I can’t make up the past to you. I was stupid and scared. Not because of your sexy, voluptuous body, but because I wasn’t as smart as you. I was a jock. My grades weren’t that awesome. I had hockey, and that was it. My parents weren’t around, and despite my confidence, part of me felt like shit about my intelligence. ” He looked up at her.

Hesitation painted her features, but she didn’t stop him from talking. He pressed on. “I know now what I want, what I need in my life. Back then I didn’t. I know that I want you, need you. Your body is only the outer shield. What’s inside is what counts. Your laugh, your smile, your intelligence. You don’t hesitate to call me on my shit, and I need that. I need all that you can give me and more, just as I need to be open and honest with you. I’ll admit I didn’t date any women that were your size after college, and that was stupid. I passed up a lot of gorgeous women because of that, but I knew that no one, regardless of size, would ever compare to you. ”

She shook her head, and his heart sank into his stomach.

If he had to plead, so be it. He opened his mouth and let the words fall out. “Babe, please—”

“Yes, I should’ve stayed to help you deal with your mom, and we did need to talk, but there’s nothing you can do to make up for what happened in the past. But now? I need you to open up to me. Do you really want me? Did you really tell your mom you wanted to marry me?” Tears slipped down her cheeks.

He rose and cupped her face, wiping away the moisture with his thumbs. “Yes, I do. But I don’t want to marry now. I want to give you time to think on it and accept it, but my desire to have you as my wife is very much real. We need to put away the floggers and bondage and just make love. I want to show you that I do love you and your body, every inch of it.”

“Brice,” her voice quivered.

“I love you, and I’m going to show you. No ties, no spankings, no threats, just you and me.” He bent down and hooked his arms around her knees and the center of her back and picked her up.

She squealed. “Brice! Put me down! You can’t—”

“Ava,” he said as he positioned her on top of the covers.

“What?” She gazed up at him in awe.

“Shut up. I can pick you up, and I will, many times, if we’re ever going to have sex against a wall, the windows, or the kitchen counters.” He climbed onto the bed and covered her body with his. “You’re not heavy, honey, not by a long shot. So stop worrying.”

He pressed a kiss to her lips and took his time, pouring his emotions into the contact. He pulled back and sighed. “I love your lips. I love to kiss them and could all day.” He proceeded to show her with slow kisses, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth before scraping the flesh, then soothing away the sting with his tongue.

She moaned and threaded her fingers through his hair. “More,” she whispered.

He shook his head. “Not yet.” He traced her features with butterfly kisses, taking his time. “I love your eyes, your nose, your chin, your cheeks, all of your face. I’ve dreamed of it for years.”

He traced the length of her neck with his tongue. Salt and sweetness burst on his taste buds. With a groan he continued on his path, circling her breasts before teasing her nipples with brief flicks. She writhed and arched her back.

“Brice, please,” she requested.

He shook his head. “Let me show you, please. God, the filthy things I could do with your breasts.” He scraped the tip of one peak with his teeth and lapped at it, then sucked it into his mouth. She clutched handfuls of his hair and pulled, but he refused to let go until he had her whimpering. Her moans turned to groans. He stopped and switched to the other bud. He nipped, bit, sucked, and kissed his way down one side and up the other, over her stomach, teasing her navel with quick swirls before moving down to her mound. “So much beauty. I will never get enough of exploring your body and your needs. Next time, we’ll use blindfolds.”

“Can I have control next time?” Her voice was low, soft, husky at the edges.

He gazed up her body, staring into her passion-darkened eyes. “You can have anything you want, honey. All you have to do is ask.”

He took a moment to inhale her musky perfume. Her legs were spread so he could see the plump, red lips of her labia and her thighs already glistening with her juices. Without hesitation he dove between her legs and lapped and ate at her delicate flesh. She wrapped her legs around his head and urged him closer to her heated flesh. He didn’t disappoint, enjoying every minute of giving her pleasure. Her essence coated his tongue, lips, chin, and cheeks.

He took her clit into his mouth, flicking the pulsing bud. Her body shook and quivered. The sounds she made only enhanced his desire for her. His cock ached, demanding that he sink into her tight wetness and never come out until they were both sated. When she came all over his mouth, he couldn’t take it anymore. Brice sat up and reached over to the nightstand, pulled out the drawer, grabbed a condom, sheathed himself, and rolled onto his back. “Ride me.”

He waited for her to protest, to make excuses. She got up onto her knees. “Brice, I’m…”

“Ava, fuck me,” he ordered. “If you don’t, we stop now, and I masturbate. Choose.”

He gave his cock a single stroke, hating the barrier between him and his skin.

She looked at him and licked his lips. With slow, hesitant movements, she threw one leg over his and positioned herself over his cock. “I’m not sure.”

“Baby, I know, but I want to watch you ride my cock, watch your tits bounce and watch your face as you come. Now, ride me, honey.”

She took hold of his cock and gave it a squeeze before she placed it at her entrance. She lowered her body down until he was seated fully inside her. She repositioned herself to sit on his lap, planted her feet into the bed, and rose up, then moved back down. He reached out and held one hip while pulling and tugging on her nipple.

“Move for me, honey. Ride me.” Brice’s gaze darted between watching his cock slip in and out of her pussy and her face. Her breasts bounced with each rise and fall of her body. She used her legs to help her power up and down. The need to thrust overwhelmed him, but he fought against that with everything in him, wanting her to control the tempo and pace. “That’s it, baby. Ride me. Fuck me.” He let out a groan and threw back his head when her vaginal muscles squeezed his dick. “Fuck, that feels good. Again, baby. Ride me. Fuck me. Faster, harder, baby.”

She picked up the speed, bouncing on his lap. The sound of slapping flesh and their moans and groans ricocheted off the walls. He released her nipple and held on to her hips, driving his hips upward, pushing into her as she came down on him. “So good, so fucking good. More, baby, more.”

She moved faster. Her pussy clenched and fluttered around him. She groaned and slowed it down, leaned back, and placed her hand on his thigh and restarted riding him.

He groaned as she drove him closer to going crazy. He needed to encourage her, say something before he lost his mind fully. “That’s it, honey. Get yours. I’m all yours. Fuck me, use me, come for me.”

He lost himself in the pleasure she wove around him in a tight web. Electricity seared up and down his body. “So close, honey.” He reached out and delved a finger between the puffy lips of her labia and found her clit. He pressed on the bundle of nerves. He felt her vaginal walls undulate and clamp down on his cock. Her body shook and stilled as she let out a cry. Without missing a beat, he drove his hips upward, drawing out more orgasms until he felt the electricity buzz around his balls and the semen rise in his shaft as it thickened and jerked. He came, filling the condom with his seed.

As the energy left his body, he released her hips and lay back, panting and trying to lower his heart rate to something that wouldn’t hurt. “Perfect, Ava. Just perfection.”

Ava leaned over him and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Thank you,” she whispered before she moved off him. He winced at the pain to his oversensitive cock but said nothing.

Instead, he reached over and cuddled her until she yawned and fell asleep. He got out of bed, disposed of the condom, and cleaned up before he soaked a washcloth and went back and wiped away her excess juices. Once she was cleaned up, he drew the covers over her and joined her under the blanket. He wrapped his arms around her before falling asleep. He refused to let her go. Hopefully this had convinced her of his trust in her and his appreciation for her body.

Chapter Thirteen

Christmas Eve

Ava woke up feeling sore. She couldn’t believe she’d ridden Brice and he had wanted her to. They still had a long way to go, that much she knew. His confession of love and wanting to marry her made her nervous. Yes, he was 100 times better than Perry, but she didn’t feel comfortable with getting married. They had just met again after years of separation, and they’d been living together for almost a week and a half. She didn’t want to rush things. Brice had to get his life together, talk to his parents, figure out if he truly wanted to keep playing hockey. Two games where he did well wasn’t good enough in her book. There would be times when she was sick or couldn’t go, like the away game. He’d have to get used to her not being there. Honesty was a must, and the fact that he wanted that between them was perfect and exactly what she wanted. Accepting her in and out of the bedroom gave her confidence in a way she hadn’t realized she needed. Support from her family and a belief in herself was something she was used to, but someone not related to her who believed in her bolstered her in ways she couldn’t even describe. She felt like she could take on anything. But there was a catch—she still needed a job. She didn’t want to just live with Brice and let him pick up the slack; she wanted to contribute to the relationship herself.

To clear her mind and give herself some time to think, she started a batter of pancakes and whipped some eggs. She lost herself in the mixing and measuring and quiet. Every once in a while she heard a soft snort from Brice, but he didn’t wake up. Last night had also increased her sexual comfort with him. Not every man would encourage a woman her size to be on top. A smile tugged at her lips. He could pick her up, handle her weight, and even had plans to lift her up during sex again. A chuckle slipped out. All she could do was shake her head. Both of them had changed and matured. She could see now that the Brice she’d held in her head had some insecurities, that his whole life had been about hockey, but during that Christmas, there had been a sadness about him. Maybe there were some deeper issues with his family than she thought or he knew.

“Hey.” Brice slipped his hands onto her hips and pulled her back against him. His cock was already semihard. He nuzzled her neck. “No need for clothes, huh? I like that. Naked day. We can do that.”

She used the spatula to smack him on the side of his thigh before putting it into the sink and grabbing another.

“Ow! Fuck, baby. I was checked on that side. Still sore.” He pulled back.

Horror filled her. “Go run a bath right now and soak! Jesus, why didn’t you tell me?” She had been so focused on their argument and sex, she’d missed the bruises and cuts. Even before he’d left for his away game, he’d been hurt.

“Nothing a sexy massage can’t cure, but if I take a bath, you have to join me. Tub is big enough for two,” he taunted.

Her body ached in its own way. The batter and eggs would keep. “Okay. But the massage will have to wait.”

Brice let out a whoop and rushed into the bathroom.

“Don’t forget it’s the team’s Christmas party at my parents’ place tonight, so I’ll have to go back at around four to help set up, get dressed, and cook,” Ava reminded him.

Brice came out of the bathroom and rested a hip against the doorway. “You didn’t bring back your clothes?”

“No. Didn’t want to presume, just in case.” She let him grab her wrist and pull her into the bathroom.

“No need to think now. We’ll move you back tonight.” He led her to the tub.

“We need to talk about that.” She watched him wince and shook her head. “You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?”

Brice gave her a cocksure smile. “Actually, I did, but at least I tried, right?”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, you did.” She watched him move around the bathroom. Muscles bunched and slid under smooth, velvet skin mottled by bruises and cuts. She reached out and ran her hands over his back. He let out a hiss and grabbed her hands and pulled them until she could wrap her arms around his waist.

“Are we better?” he asked, his voice small, unsure.

Just hearing his lack of confidence tugged at her heart. “Yeah, we’re better, but we need to talk to work. We can’t just pick up where we left off. But we can start off with a clean slate.”

He nodded. “I can understand and respect that. So we start here and move up?”

“Yup, but”—she let that word hang between them—“you need to talk to your parents and explain things. One confrontation wasn’t enough to make your mother and father understand things. Maybe after Christmas?”

He went silent. She fidgeted from one foot to the other, feeling as if she might have pushed the issue too far. She knew his relationship with his parents wasn’t in a good place, and despite the encounter with Marion, she wanted him to face his parents and lay out how he was feeling and what he was thinking. That would go a long way to helping him deal with his other issues and give him some sense of closure.

He shut off the water, turned, and held out his hand to her. She accepted it and let him guide her into the tub. They settled down, him against the back and her resting on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her. “Yeah, after the holidays would be best. I have a game after Christmas and then a home game before New Year’s, but you knew that. I just need to figure out how I’m going to address her bringing up your adoption as a way to hurt you. She’s never been so snobbish before.”

“Maybe she was being territorial? You’ve never brought back a girlfriend to meet them, have you?” Again she felt like she was pushing a line.

“Nope, never. They were never really around and my grandmother wasn’t exactly polite when not depressed, so I barely brought home my friends unless I had to.”

Her heart ached for him. “I’m so sorry.”

“It was what happened. Nothing I could do about it. When my grandmother lived with us and she wasn’t on her meds, she was bitchy. Neither of my parents liked being around her, and therefore they liked to go off and leave us under the care of the servants and with her.” His face darkened. For a moment she thought he was going to shut down but he continued to talk. “It wasn’t exactly a happy childhood, but it was mine. Hockey was both an escape and salvation. That’s why I was so dedicated. There was nothing else for me, not even school.”

She couldn’t imagine having the kind of childhood that lacked love and attention. Her parents had been into everything she and Davis did. No matter how embarrassing, they supported them, and took an interest in their schoolwork and after-school activities. From her mother, she got her love of cooking and an interest in marketing; from her father, she got her love of hockey and most sports. Both gave their children unconditional love. “I’m not going to say I’m sorry. Just that I support you in everything you do. I want you to know that.”

He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I know, honey. I know, and you don’t need to do anything except simply be here for me. That’s all. Oh, and screw my brains out anytime I ask.”

She smacked his arm. “Come on. We have to get cleaned up, eat, and get ready.”

Despite the time constraint, Brice went slow. Once she was cleaned, she dried off and got dressed in the clothes she’d had on yesterday, minus her panties. She finished cooking breakfast and set the table. “Hurry up. The food will get cold.”

Brice came around the corner wearing only sweatpants. “I only have two days off. I don’t want to rush things.” His stomach growled. “I will say that does look good.” He settled at the table and dug in. “Delicious as usual. So are you going to take Davis’s offer? Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

She sat down and cut into her pancakes. “I wanted to think things over. If I take his offer, it would only be temporary. I already have a job lined up with a catering company. But also I’d want to take classes in marketing to catch up on new techniques. It’s been a while since I’ve had to use my degree.”

“You could use it to improve on your techniques in cooking, so think of this as an opportunity,” Brice pointed out.

“I would have a job, and I would be going back to school part-time.”

“And you can stay with me. You wouldn’t have a job babysitting me anymore. I don’t need it.”

“Are you sure? Have the team and management mentioned the bar to you?” She wanted to know how they had reacted.

“Alexi took care of it, assured everyone I wasn’t drinking or slutting around and we were only there to use the bathroom. But I was—well, we were warned to be more aware of where we are. It’s not our town. Walking into the wrong bar could mean an encounter with overzealous fans.” Brice finished off his eggs and retrieved more orange juice.

“Understandable. And you guys do need to be careful.” She left the table and brought back the carafe of coffee. “Did they say anything about my contract?” She wanted to know if they were going to end it now or keep her on. This was a favor to her father. Despite Brice’s behavior, someone still needed to monitor his progress until proven otherwise. Not that she didn’t think he couldn’t do it or he wasn’t serious about stabilizing his life. Management would want to be cautious and make sure he could in fact still focus.

“No, nothing. You’ll probably hear what they want to do about it after the new year. To them so far it’s a win-win. They get someone to watch me, your dad is able to have you close, you have a job, and I have you. See? Everyone wins.” He grinned. “This way the coach doesn’t have to bench me. He could’ve, but they didn’t want to given how many injuries we have at the moment. With our current lineup, we can still go to the play-offs. If we don’t have any more injures. That game against the Talons was brutal. The team is taking massive fines for excessive violence. We were lucky to escape with a few concussions and minor injuries. We’re able to play, even though the doctors need to clear us before every game. I’ve got stitches and bruises, nothing too major.”

“You’ll still need to do yoga and your morning routine. You skipped that this morning,” she pointed out.

He chuckled. “Only for today. Tomorrow back in the pool and the gym and then afternoon practice.”

She knew his schedule for the next few weeks. As the play-offs approached, the tension would increase. The less drama, the better, and she was willing to help out any way she could.

She sat back down at the table. “Why did it take so long for them to address the issues going on with the team?” It was a question she hadn’t really thought about until now.

“Because the original owners were too busy swindling money from the team and trying to stack the bench with egos that they didn’t think about how to manage a team properly. My issues were the least of our problems. There was infighting and money negotiations and all sorts of shady shit going on. At least I showed up come game time, and I did go to practice. Some wouldn’t even answer the phone because they had a hangnail.”

“Damn. Hockey players were always so down-to-earth to me.” She shook her head.

“Every sport has its prima donnas. Ours were just on this team. We were newly formed, and most of those guys were going into retirement but wanted to get paid first. Nothing wrong with that. They were also surrounding themselves with hangers-on who just wanted to say they knew a Stanley Cup winner. It happens. We’re not all like that.”

She knew that.

“So in the end, people just thought the players had taken advantage of a new team.” He shrugged. “We’ve weeded out those who didn’t want to be here and are bringing in new blood.”

Ava went back to finishing her breakfast. “Okay, hurry up and get dressed. We need to get there so I can change into new clothes and then help Mom in the kitchen and with decorations. Party starts at seven, ends at nine.”

* * * *

They arrived around noon. She was able to take another shower and get dressed in fresh clothing before packing up her things and stowing her suitcase in Brice’s car, then went back to help her mom in the kitchen. Brice was already in there helping out with the prep work. The only thing left to do was decorations, but her father and Davis had that sorted. Tinsel in green, blue, and white decorated the ceiling, along the mantel, and on the staircase. Mini hockey gear decorations hung on the large Christmas tree that stood in the living room.

The doorbell rang. Rather than have her mom or dad stop what they were doing, Ava answered it. Alexi was the first one to arrive, cuts and bruises on his face. She winced. “Come on in. You sure you can eat?” Alexi came in and took his hat off. His ear looked like someone had tried to rip off the tip. “Oh my God! I heard you’d got bit, but I never thought…”

“Asshole claimed he was hungry. They benched his ass, and he’s got a huge fine on him.” Alexi gave her a big grin that showed he was missing one of his front teeth.

“Jesus, I thought… It was really a brawl, wasn’t it?”

Alexi ran his tongue over the empty space. “I’ll go in to the dentist once the season is over. Yeah, brawl isn’t the word for it. More like a melee. Brice’s pretty mug got off easy.” She took his coat and led him to the dining room area. “Okay, I’m going to be robbing your parents’ house,” Alexi remarked as he picked up a mini goalie mask in the team colors.

“Get in line. I don’t know where they got it since I haven’t seen it around town, and they refuse to tell me. I think they bought them all and are hiding them in this house somewhere.” She eyed the door to the storage cupboard under the stairs.

Ava spent the next half an hour answering the door and entertaining the team members and their families. Kids ran around the house, and she chatted with the wives and girlfriends. Not once did she feel out of place or the odd man out. Everyone made her feel welcome and accepted. By the time nine rolled around, she was tired and ready to go to bed. She and Brice bid good-bye to everyone and even snagged a few decorations from the tree.

When they got home, she changed and brushed her teeth and got into bed. She snuggled down next to him. “That was a great party. I didn’t realize how much I missed that until now.” Laughing with Davis and the team made her realize just how much she’d sacrificed to be with Perry.

Brice’s arms came around her, and he kissed the pulse point on her neck. He moved against her until she could feel his semihard penis against her ass. “You can’t back out now. There’s no escaping me. If you try and leave, I will go after you. I will fight for you. Don’t think I won’t.”

“Oh really?” She shifted against him and sighed.

“Yes, I will. Now I’m going to tell you what happens after New Year’s.” He placed a kiss to her shoulder.

“Go on.” She was curious to see what ideas he had.

“You are going to move in with me. After the season is over, we’re going down to Orlando and get your stuff.” He kissed down her arm, taking his time. He picked up her hand and threaded his fingers through hers.

“Uh-huh.” Liquid heat flowed through her veins and seeped into her body, awakening her arousal.

“You’ll work with Davis in PR, and you’ll go to school part-time.” He kissed the back of her hand, then up her arm.

“Sounds good so far,” she said. She melted against him. “And then?”

“Then after six months, we’ll get engaged.” He traced the shell of her ear with the tip of his tongue.

She shivered as her pussy contracted and her panties grew damp. His words came at a distance. All she could say was, “Uh-huh.”

He released her hand and slipped it over her hip to cup her mound. She moaned as he worked his fingers on her clit. He moved the crotch of her panties aside and slipped his fingers between her damp folds to tease the pulsing nub. She rocked her hips against his digits. Needing to give him some of the same pleasure he was giving her, she reached between them and took hold of his cock. She smeared his precum over the wide crest. It was awkward, and her shoulder felt stretched, but she kept it up, matching the same rhythm he did.

“After a year, married.” He bit into her shoulder as his hips pumped and his cock slipped up and down her hand. His fingers tapped, circled, and played her clit, bringing her close to the edge, but it wasn’t enough.

Pressure built up in her womb, expanding at a crawling pace. She tried to keep still, to keep her hold on him and work herself against his fingers, but restless energy filled her body. She needed to do something. He slipped a hand under her and held her hip, stilling her movement.

“Be still and let me make you come,” he urged.

He slid his fingers through her slick folds and sank first one, then two into her pussy. She moaned when Brice pressed his palm against her clit while he worked his digits in and out of her wet channel. She clenched her inner muscles around the invasion, trying to hold him inside her for a bit longer. He pushed her toward orgasm as the pressure mounted. Unable to move, all she could do was continue to work his cock, feeling it jerk and thicken in her hand as he pumped his hips.

“God, Ava, yes, so close,” he moaned.

“Brice, please. Need to come.” He rocked his palm as his fingers worked faster. He curled his fingers and hit her G-spot. Bright white stars burst behind her eyes as she cried out. The pressure inside her exploded, washing her in sensation. Her legs shook, and her hand stuttered in its pace. He released her hip and wrapped his hand around hers to finish him off. She felt him pulse and jerk in her hold before he came, bathing her ass and lower back with his seed.

He rested his forehead against the center of her shoulders. His humid breath brushed over her cooling, sweat-misted skin, raising goose bumps. “What were we talking about?”

“Shower time?” she suggested, unsure of whether her brain could work properly as the bliss set it.

“Then bed, practice, or something tomorrow. Love you, honey.” Brice kissed her nape and slipped out of bed. His footsteps looked wobbly as he headed to the bathroom. He returned to help her to the shower stall. They managed to clean up and then dry off. He set her down on a chair and stripped the bed and put fresh linens on it.

“No one likes to sleep in a wet spot.” Once done, they got back into bed and fell asleep.

Chapter Fourteen

Christmas Day

Christmas morning was a study in frantic energy. Brice had to work out, but expending that much energy on weight training or the elliptical bike or doing a few laps around the pool couldn’t dispel the fact that his parents were coming for lunch. He also hadn’t given Ava her present yet. It was something simple, and she’d probably freak out about it, but he knew he had to give it to her. He was relieved she hadn’t found it yet; there were very few places he could store it without her stumbling upon it. As he finished up his last rep, he wiped down his arms, face, and neck and headed upstairs, taking the stairwell rather than stinking up the elevator cabin.

When he arrived at his apartment, Ava was running around like a madwoman, stirring this, tasting that, and putting up the decorations they’d pilfered from her parents’ house. The place smelled heavenly. She’d gone light and healthy with baked skinless chicken drumsticks and baked potatoes with a simple spinach-and-tomato salad. Everything smelled good, and his stomach grumbled happily. One thing he could count on was her cooking to put him at ease. She, on the other hand, looked like she was about to slip and fall. He caught her around the waist and drew her to his body, ignoring his sweat-stained clothing to hug her and kiss her on the temple. “Thank you, honey. It all smells wonderful. Now stop it, drink some wine, and rest. I’ll take a shower and take over, okay?”

“Can’t. Didn’t even get you a present. So much to do. Need to finish cooking, the decorations… Are they okay? Not sure. Put everything in a box that we didn’t like.” She tried to wriggle out of his arms. “All sweaty. Now I need to go shower.”

“You’re fine.” He kissed the side of her neck and felt her heart flutter faster. He nipped over her pulse point before he released her. “No need to worry. I’m happy. No one to impress but you, so stop worrying. I don’t give a shit if they don’t like it or they do. Just know that I love what you’re doing, and the tree looks awesome. Next year we pick out the tree and decorations.”

“I just—”

“I know what you want, and no matter what, you don’t have to impress anyone but yourself. I’d be fine with leftovers. There’s no need to go all out for my parents or me for that matter. I love everything you do, honey. Have some wine. Chill.” He turned her around and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Fine. After I finish cooking. I’m almost done anyway.” She darted back to the kitchen before he could stop her.

With a sigh, he let her go, took a quick shower, dried off, and dressed in sweats and an old T-shirt. He would change into a suit before he left for the arena. He set the table and then went to help her finish up the cooking. He wouldn’t change to meet his parents. It was his house, and he would dress how he liked. Latent anger simmered in his veins at how his mother had treated Ava. They didn’t deserve to see him trussed up.

“Thanks.” She drank the last of her red wine, rinsed out the glass, and put it in the dishwasher.

“No thanks needed. After my parents leave, I have a present for you.”

Worry clouded her eyes. “Oh my God! I didn’t get you anything.”

His heart lurched in his chest. “Don’t. There’s no need to. You being here is gift enough. I just wanted to give you something that would show you how I felt about you.”

Her eyes widened. “If it’s a ring—”

He cut her off. “Our engagement isn’t until June, so no, it’s not a ring.” He grinned as he watched her fidget and bite her lip.

“Brice—”

“We’ll talk when there’s more time. But I have it all planned out. No worries.” He turned away from her before she could say anything else, grabbed the dishes of baked chicken and potatoes, then the leftover rolls and the salad.

“Yeah, we’re so talking later.”

He was saved from responding by the doorbell sounding. Rather than have her freak out again, he answered it and took his parents’ coats. His mother greeted Ava shyly with a small attempt at a hug before they settled on a handshake. “Good to see you again. Thank you for having us over.”

Ava stepped back. “It’s Brice’s apartment.”

He came over to her and slipped his arm around her waist. “It’s our apartment,” Brice corrected. “And thank you for wanting to come have lunch with us.” He prayed things would go smoother. “Come on. Let’s eat.”

They walked over to the table and sat down. Everyone served themselves with the only sound being scraping and clinking of utensils. For a moment, nervous energy jittered along his leg, causing it to start shaking up and down.

“Caught the Tampa game. Good job,” his father commented. “Brutal but good. What does that make, three in a row for you guys?”

Relief swept through him. “Yeah, but it’s not a sure thing. We need to do more work on our defensive side, show more control, and not let them rattle our cages.”

“Were those men on the Talons suspended for their conduct?” his mother asked. “I felt they were far too rough.”

“Fines but not suspended. This isn’t football.”

“Wish it was,” Ava muttered. “Or soccer.”

Brice chuckled. “Yellow cards all around?”

“That guy started that fight with Alexi, and those weren’t love taps you were getting either,” she pointed out.

Brice’s father agreed. “Exactly. The league needs to be harsher.”

“But they won’t.” He shrugged. “It’s rougher than all those sports you both mentioned. There are things that are expected. If things get out of hand, the refs will step in.”

“Not good enough,” Ava grumbled.

“This baked chicken is delicious. Did you make it, Ava?” His mother had already finished off one drumstick and was reaching for another.

“Yes, simple ingredients. Olive oil to help crisp up the chicken. Everything else is my mother’s recipe with my twist.” Ava preened. “And no, she won’t give out the recipe. I had to steal it when she wasn’t looking.”

His mother chuckled. “Your mother was always protective of her recipes. She even started a food fight to avoid one of the judges giving away all the ingredients they thought they tasted in her key lime pie.”

Ava laughed. “She refuses to let anyone guess what she uses. The bottles in her kitchen are unlabeled so only she knows what is what. Only when I’m dead, she says. Ninja mission if you ask me.”

Everyone laughed. Brice relaxed as he watched Ava and his mother bond over cooking.

“I don’t cook much anymore. You’ll have to teach me.” The request was unsure, her voice soft and low.

Brice held back a smile.

“Sure. I’m making waffle batter tomorrow if you want to come over and help out,” Ava offered.

Brice’s heart lurched; a grin spread across his lips.

Marion beamed. “I would love that. I really would.”

The rest of the hour passed easily with an exchange of gifts from his parents to him. They even included a spa kit for Ava. Before they left, they talked about more lunches and even dinners together and hugs.

As soon as the door shut, he turned to her. “Well, it’s a start.”

“Yes, it is. Now you have half an hour before you have to go. Present please.” She held out her hand and closed her eyes.

He gave her a quick kiss on the lips before he rushed to his closet and brought out a small, gift-wrapped box. “Okay, open ’em.”

She opened her eyes and picked up the box, turning it this way and that. Thankfully she didn’t shake it. Instead she carefully undid the tape without ripping the paper, pulled back the wrapper, and took out the plain brown box. “This better be chocolate for all the trouble I’m going through,” she teased.

“Better than chocolate, I promise.” His heart pounded as he waited for her to open the top.

Once she did and pulled out the small tree, her gasp was all he needed to know he’d done good. Tears shimmered in her eyes. “Is this… Brice, you saved it?”

“I didn’t want them to throw it out, so I saved it. Helps that it was plastic and not real. Otherwise it’d be dust—”

He didn’t get a chance to finish. She rose up on her tiptoes and threw her arms around his neck while holding the tree.

“I couldn’t let go of it even though you were gone and I might never see you again. You may have been Davis’s sister, but that didn’t mean the next time I saw you you’d be single and open to me. And it didn’t help that you were avoiding me and wouldn’t let me get you alone to talk.” He took her face in his hands and used his thumbs to brush her tears away. “I love you, honey. Maybe that’s why I didn’t pursue you, because I knew even then that deep down once I had you, I wouldn’t want to let you go, and that scared me too.”

She released his neck and settled back down onto the floor. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Give me time—”

“No need to return my sentiment, honey. Just know how I feel, okay? Now, I have to go change and then leave. Otherwise I’d stay here unwrapping my present.” He gave her a closemouthed kiss and went to change into a suit. Despite it being a holiday they had to leave for an out-of-town game and they needed to practice. When he came out of the closet, the tree sat in the center of the mantel with a little green-and-white mini hockey stick decoration dangling from one of the arms.

He gave her another hug and a kiss. “Okay, going off, but I have to say just knowing you’ll be here when I get back is perfect.”

“So you don’t regret my being your babysitter?” she asked.

“Nope because now you’re with me. I got you back, and I’m never letting you go.”

“Well, that’s good because I’m not letting you slip through my fingers ever again. Now go kick some ass!” she ordered.

He left knowing that his life was all the better for having her back in it. He wasn’t going to screw up this second shot at love with Ava or fail his team ever again. There was too much to lose, and Brice played to win. Always.

Loose Id Titles by Selena Illyria

Thawing Ava

* * * *

The BLOOD CLAIM Series

Trapped

Prelude

Tainted

Selena Illyria

Multi-published author, part vampire, part pixie, Selena Illyria was born with a need to write and enable. Her imagination takes her into the paranormal, sci-fi and fantasy genres and all sorts of mischief. When not writing she enjoys catching up on her TBR pile, watching some of her favorite programs, and listening to her favorite music, as well as teasing people with posts on decadent food and plot bunnies.

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Loose Id Titles by Selena Illyria

Selena Illyria