Текст книги "Major Misconduct"

Автор книги: Kelly Jamieson

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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

Chapter 7

Marc walked into Eddy’s, the last to arrive as usual. He’d been pissed off when he was the only one available to the media after the game, everyone else hiding in the screening room, even their veterans, Hallsy and Pauly. Yeah, he was sick of the same questions from reporters and the same tired answers, but so what? That was part of the deal. He’d stomped to the locker room and yelled at them to man up and get their asses out there. Yeah, they kept playing like shit and losing, but that was not a reason to hide out. Fuck that noise. They got paid the big bucks and they were accountable to the media and their fans and they damn well had to own their shitty play and hold their heads up and talk to people.

Going up to see those sick kids in the suite afterward had chased away his black mood, though. How could you be down when they were so excited to be there, pumped about the game even though the Aces had lost. These kids were battling things way more important than a fucking hockey game. It helped him keep things in perspective as much as it helped cheer them.

Now seeing Lovey perched on a high stool at a table laughing made that hard knot of disappointment in his gut loosen even more. His feet slowed in their progression through the crowded restaurant/bar, and he actually stopped to watch her for a few seconds. She was all bright light and warmth, dazzling him, making him want to go stand near her and see if she could illuminate the darkness that was threatening to fill him up again.

Spouting the same old platitudes to the media was getting painful. Talking to one another after every loss about what was going wrong was excruciating. But she was…radiant.

Then he saw the big blond guy she was laughing with and his gut clenched again. Damn. He forced his feet to move him toward the table, still watching Lovey as she turned to a woman beside her, a pretty brunette, and said something. Then the woman turned to Army, next to her, also said something, and Army burst out laughing.

Army laughing was good. He too had been pretty black in the dressing room after the game, the mood there bleak and quiet. Marc arrived at the big table with people crowded around it. “Hey,” he said.

“Duper!” Stoykers shouted. “At long last you arrive! You the man tonight, Super Duper!” He raised a hand in a high five, which Marc returned with a wry grin and a shrug.

“We still lost.” His two goals were meaningless if it didn’t result in a win.

He accepted congratulations and fist bumps, ordered a beer, then let Army introduce him to Lovey’s friend.

“This is Jillian,” Army said. “Lovey’s lesbian lover.”

Every male head at the table snapped to attention.

Marc’s throat closed up and he wheezed. “Uh…whut…?”

“Yeah, she’s the reason things didn’t work out with Lovey’s ex,” Army continued.

Marc’s mouth dropped open as he watched Lovey slide her arm around Jillian’s waist, lean in, and kiss her cheek.

He swore every guy at the table groaned. Duncan looked strangely gleeful.

What the ever-loving fuck? Lovey was no lesbian, that was for damnfuckingsure.

Or…? No. No fucking way. Marc narrowed his eyes at the two women. But damn, they made a pretty picture together. No wonder every guy was hurting. Fucking hell.

Okay. He needed to stop cursing, get his mind out of the gutter, and drink a beer. Or ten.

Lovey laughed. Her eyes sparkled. She and Jillian exchanged amused glances.

Did Army fucking seriously believe she was a lesbian? Jesus, he was an idiot. Marc shook his head.

Lovey looked at him and their eyes met. Her luminous smile pulled at him and he moved toward her and leaned down to speak into her ear. “Lesbian lover?”

She beamed up at him, eyes twinkling. “You don’t believe it?”

“Not a chance. What the hell is he talking about?”

She rolled her eyes. “He was lecturing me about who I date again, so I told him I was dating Jillian.”

He stared at her for a minute. Then he couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing. “Christ,” he gasped. He laughed more, then he shifted position to look at Army. “You’re an idiot, man.”

“What?” Army frowned.

“Your sister is not a lesbian.”

“I know that. But these guys don’t.” He gave a satisfied smile. “They’ll leave her alone now.”

“Are you kidding?” Marc shook his head. “Every guy is now fantasizing about a threesome with Lovey and her friend.”

Army’s jaw dropped. He sent a scowling glare around the table. “Shut the fuck up.”

Marc shook his head, unable to stop chuckling. “Dude. You had to expect that.”

Army’s face got red, like his blood pressure had risen rapidly. “There will be no threesomes,” he said in a quiet, tight voice to Lovey.

She was laughing too, holding on to the table to keep from falling off her stool. “Oh my God, Duncan. You are hilarious. Would you just butt out of my sex life?”

“Did someone say butt sex?” Rupper spoke from behind Lovey. “Didn’t know you were into that, Armdog.”

Army’s face now became purple. “I’m not!”

Lovey patted her brother’s cheek, still chortling. “It’s okay if you are. Your sex life is your own business.”

Marc laughed again. Christ, he hadn’t had this much fun in…well, he wasn’t sure. His abs actually hurt from laughing. And that was when he realized that cold hard knot was…gone.

“Okay, okay, everyone,” Lovey called, holding up her hands. “Jillian and I are not lesbians.” She paused. “That doesn’t mean a threesome is off the table, though.”

Army clenched his fists and growled as everyone laughed.

Marc slapped his teammate’s back. “You need another beer, Army. I’ll buy.”

It wasn’t long before Marc regretted that this Corey dude knew Lovey was into guys, because he was hitting on her big-time. This pissed Marc off. He listened to them talk about hockey.

“Are you kidding?” Lovey said. “Bennet is totally underrated. The offensive guys get all the attention because they score goals, but he’s good—always in position, blocks all kinds of shots.”

Corey gave her an amused look. “You sound like you actually know what you’re talking about.”

Lovey froze, then tipped her head. “You did not just say that.”

“Uh…”

Her eyes narrowed at him. “You think because I’m a girl I don’t know what I’m talking about?”

“I…uh…didn’t mean that…”

“Yeah. You did.” She shook her head.

“She’s right, man,” Marc said to Corey. “Bennet is better than people think. He’s a quiet guy, he plays in a quiet way. He’s smart and he’s a good skater. We notice the things he does, even if everyone else doesn’t.”

Lovey met his eyes. A slow smile curved her mouth and it felt like a kick to his heart. “Thanks. Excuse me. I need to use the ladies’ room.”

Heh. She was good. Damn good. A strange feeling of pride swelled inside him.

Hell. What the fuck was he proud about? She wasn’t his.

But he wanted her.

There. He’d admitted it. He wanted her to pull him into that circle of light and warmth she seemed to create everywhere she went, to ease his pain and frustration, to make things seem good again. But he couldn’t have her. He knew that. Army would hurt him if he touched her. He had no intention of touching her. He’d just have to ignore guys hitting on her and her flirting with them.

When Lovey returned, she ended up talking to Stoykers and Hughie. Marc grinned. That Corey dude was done. What an idiot.

But then she was flirting with other guys.

Marc would be driving, so he couldn’t drink the ten beers he wanted. Too bad this wasn’t a night he’d let Duncan drive. After watching Lovey flirt for a couple of hours, Marc had had enough. “Gonna head out,” he said to the others, sliding off his stool. He reached for his jacket, which was hanging nearby.

“I’m ready to go too,” Lovey said. “Can I get a ride home with you?”

He hesitated. He glanced at Army, who just shrugged. “How about you, Jillian? Need a ride?”

“That would be great,” she said. “But I could take a taxi.”

“No problem, I can drive you. Where do you live?”

She gave him her address in Streeterville, just a short detour out of their way, and he nodded and headed out with the two women.

“No threesomes!” Jared called as they walked out.

Marc shook his head, grinning.

Lovey and Jillian chatted all the way to Jillian’s apartment, mostly about Hakim, and Jillian’s plan to see him the next afternoon to go skating at Millennium Park. They dropped her off, and then it was just Lovey and him in the vehicle. He turned up the music—Arcade Fire.

“Great song,” Lovey said. “Love their new album. You like indie music?”

He nodded.

“You played great tonight,” she said. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you that at Eddy’s. I saw you go behind the net, just like you were talking about, and I knew you were going to score.”

“Yeah?”

“Yup. You were really playing hard, especially in the third period. Too bad the rest of the team wasn’t. And that bad call against Olaf cost you the game.”

“Nah. We can’t blame the refs. One call doesn’t lose a game. We should’ve played better.” They were a team. They didn’t win or lose a game because of how one guy played or because of one shitty penalty. He couldn’t blame anyone else for the loss. At least, not out loud. Inside his head, though, he was concerned about a couple of the guys. “I try to get them going by playing the best I can.”

“That’s why you’re the captain.”

He shrugged.

“Do you practice tomorrow?”

“Nope. We get the day off.”

“That’s nice. What are you going to do?”

“Eh…dunno. Haven’t planned anything. Work out, probably.”

“Skating at Millennium Park sounds like fun.” She paused. “But then, skating is work for you, I guess.”

Was she asking him out? Did she want him to ask her out? It couldn’t happen.

Tempting as it was to picture them skating together, laughing…Nope. Couldn’t happen.

But heat shimmered in the interior of his SUV, the faint sweet vanilla cake and icing scent of her teasing him, the sincerity of her praise for his game warming him inside. He said nothing and tried to focus on navigating the snowy streets.

“Were you thinking about a threesome?”

His head snapped around and his jaw went slack as he gaped at her. “What?”

She smiled. “You said every guy there was thinking about a threesome with Jillian and me. Were you?”

“Uh…” He choked a little. “Uh, no, of course not.” He was not entirely lying. Sure, the idea had popped into his head, he was a guy and that was a very pleasant fantasy. But if he was really honest, he’d mostly been thinking about a twosome—him and Lovey. He swallowed a groan of frustration.

“I saw how you were looking at me.”

Fuck. Once again, he had a hard time finding words. “Looking at you?”

“Yes. C’mon, Marc, admit it. There’s some kind of spark between us.”

“No. No, there isn’t.” The words rushed out of his mouth. His heart picked up speed though, and desire surged through his body.

He pulled into the underground parking garage beneath their condo and found his space near the elevator. He stopped with a sharp tap of the brakes that jolted the vehicle, slammed it into park, and jumped out. He rounded the vehicle to open Lovey’s door, even though he wanted to bolt for the elevator. She leaped lightly to her feet and he flung the door shut and followed her toward the elevator, bleeping the locks over his shoulder.

In the enclosed space of the elevator, she studied him, for a change not saying anything, but he saw the heated interest in her eyes, and the full curve of her bottom lip made him break out in a sweat. Jesus, he wanted that mouth.

She apparently knew, and he realized he’d given himself away by staring at those lush lips when she dragged her tongue over her bottom lip. His dick thickened and lengthened and he shifted his feet on the elevator floor, willing it to travel faster and the doors to open so he could make his escape and barricade himself in his bedroom. Heat built between them as they watched each other, and he dragged his eyes off her and stared at the elevator buttons as if they were about to shoot sparks at him.

The doors slid open and he let her exit before him into the hall. She had her key out and used it to open the door, flicking the light switch right inside. She strolled into the living room, unzipping her jacket and unwinding her scarf.

“This view is amazing,” she said. “Look at it at night. With snow out there it’s even more sparkly.”

“Yeah.” He hung his jacket in the closet and took off his boots. “Okay. G’night, Lovey.”

She turned to face him, pulling her jacket off. So pretty. Her eyes were big and shadowy in her pale oval face, her lips shiny. The big loose sweater obscured her body, but he knew exactly what was hidden under it. Or almost exactly. Her little cami and panties that morning hadn’t hid much.

His hands itched and ached to touch. It was all he could do to stop himself from reaching out to take hold of her, pull her up against him.

“You’re going to bed.” She stated it, her voice quiet.

“Yeah. See you tomorrow.” And he started forward.

She stepped in front of him. He pulled up, leaning back from her so far he almost lost his balance. She set her hands on his chest, then slid them up, curling her fingers around his neck. His body zoomed onto high alert, every nerve ending sizzling, his cock hardening. The feel of her soft, warm fingers on the sensitive skin of his neck made his skin tingle everywhere. Fuck. Fuck, he was going down.

“Marc,” she murmured.

Every muscle tightened to the point of pain as he tried to resist the lust that burned through him. “Lovey,” he croaked. “Don’t do this.”

“Why not?” Her fingertips rubbed the back of his neck and she stared up at him with parted lips and heavy-lidded eyes. Fuck, he wanted to taste her mouth, wanted his tongue inside her, wanted to crush her up against him.

Army. Army would kill him. He’d cut off his balls and shove them up his nostrils. Even that thought did nothing to make his dick soften. His hands somehow landed on Lovey’s hips. Somehow her body was touching his. He stared at her mouth, his breath tightening in his chest.

Then she went on her toes, her eyelids drifting down, her mouth coming closer. He couldn’t stop his arms from circling her. Fuck, she felt fantastic, all soft curves, silky hair, and warm skin. A groan rumbled in his chest as her mouth touched his.

He lost his mind.

He wrapped her up and pulled her tighter to him, almost lifting her off her feet. He tilted his head and met her mouth, and Jesus, she was sweet and soft. She made a muffled little sound in her throat that was hot as hell, her arms winding around his neck, fingers sliding into his hair, pulling herself up against him so her soft breasts were crushed to his chest and, fuck, that felt good.

He opened his mouth on hers and she opened too, deepening the kiss. His mind fogged with lust, and flames burned beneath his skin. His dick was so hard now it hurt, throbbing with need, her softness pressing against it and making him crazy. Yeah. Oh yeah.

His hand slid up the center of her back, into her long hair, and he twisted his fingers in it. The silky strands wrapped around his hand and he gave a gentle tug, then gathered the hair all up in a fist at the back of her head. Her soft moan made his blood run even hotter.

His other hand slid lower, over the curve of her ass, pulling her tighter against him. Yeah. That ass. He’d watched her little butt cheeks twitch as she’d walked away that morning and he’d been dying to feel them, palm them, squeeze them. Now he had his hand on her ass, but it was over her jeans, and he wanted more, wanted skin. His hand delved up beneath the hem of the sweater, then pushed down inside her low-rise jeans. Really low-rise. It wasn’t far, but her jeans were tight and his hand was big. Still, he managed to fill his palm with smooth, warm flesh.

He slid his tongue inside her mouth, groaning again as he did so. He angled his head to kiss her deeply, desperate. What was it about her that made him this crazy? He was out of his fucking mind to be doing this. He was going to stop…

She whimpered so sweetly into his mouth, practically climbing his body.

“You are so not a lesbian,” he muttered, and her mouth curved against him and she shook a little with laughter.

“Captain Codger.” She brushed her lips over his cheek. “I do believe you just made a joke.”

He smiled too before he took her mouth with his again, a long, wet, hot kiss. He couldn’t get enough of her…her taste, her smell, the feel of her in his arms, his hands…

Oh right. He was going to stop. He had to stop.

His body was on fire, especially his dick. Excitement pounded through him. He’d never felt so reckless and out of control, willing to just throw good sense out the window, scoop up Lovey, and carry her to his bed.

The scratch of a key in the lock reached his ears. It took seconds to process the noise through the pounding of his blood in his ears, but when it finally sank in, adrenaline flashed through him and he shoved Lovey away from him. She stood there blinking, lips swollen and wet, eyes dazed, hair a tangled mess.

“Army,” he muttered as the door opened. He took several long strides across to the kitchen, yanked open the fridge door, and grabbed a bottle of water. He had the cap off and the bottle to his lips when Army walked in. Lovey, fortunately, had clued in and ran her hands through her hair, moving to the couch.

“Hey, you’re still up.” Army dropped his keys on the small console table inside the door.

“You didn’t stay long after us,” Lovey commented, her voice a little huskier than usual.

“Nah. I was done. Gonna hit the sack.” He paused and gave Lovey a look. “Did you get some flannel pajamas?”

She blinked. “No.”

“Then you sleep in my room.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ll sleep in my leggings or something. You don’t need to sleep on the couch.” She cast a glance Marc’s way. “Unless you guys are staying up late. Because I’m ready to go to bed now.” Another quick look at him from beneath her lashes.

Fuck.

“Nah, I’m going to bed right away. Just need one of those.” He nodded at Marc’s water bottle.

“I was going to turn in too,” Marc said, making his escape. “Night.”

He hoofed it down the hall, into his room, and closed the door.

Sacre bleu de Tabarnak!

That had been close. Too fucking close. That could not happen again.

Briefly he contemplated moving out. He was planning to get a place of his own eventually, but after Marissa had dumped him and he’d moved in with Army, he’d been procrastinating. He was comfortable there. Until now. This could be the time. But damn, he and Army got each other and got along great, and the other guys liked hanging out there too. Living on his own would likely mean he’d have no social life.

Nah. That was stupid. He’d still hang out with Army and the boys. He really needed to get his own place.

He also needed to use the bathroom. He cracked the door open. He could hear Lovey and Army talking in low voices—no doubt arguing over who was going to sleep on the couch. He zoomed into the bathroom, did what he needed to do, and then trucked back into his room.

He let out a long breath. He set his hands on the back of his neck and stretched his spine. Some bruises and sore muscles twinged and reminded him of a few hard hits into the boards earlier, but mostly his body still pulsed from kissing Lovey. Holding her. Fuck.

He pulled off his suit jacket and tossed it over the arm of the chair. It wasn’t like him to leave his clothes lying around. He normally hung everything up or put it in the laundry hamper as soon as he took it off. Tonight, he couldn’t wait to get into bed and jerk off.

Naked, he climbed into bed. With a long exhalation he slid his hand down to his aching cock. He closed his eyes in the dark room and stroked himself. Lovey’s face appeared. He imagined her scent, remembered the feel of her tits against him and the taste of her tongue in his mouth. The warm glow that seemed to transfer from her to him, making him feel like anything was possible.

A soft click reached his ears but it took him a couple of seconds to react. His hand jerked away from his dick, his head snapped up, and his eyes opened. What the fuck?

A faint light flashed as the door opened and closed. He sat up, covers falling to his waist, peering into the darkness. A faint rustle sounded. Someone was walking across the carpet.

He recognized that shape and the way she moved. Lovey approached his bed, silhouetted in dark and shadow. He gripped the covers.

“Lovey,” he whispered roughly. “What the fuck are you doing?”