Defensive Daddy: A Bad Boy Hockey Romance

by Kincaid, Cass

  An animalistic growl fell from my lips as I thrust harder, in and out. I palmed her breast, pinching her pert nipple between my finger and thumb. She moaned, arching her back as I pushed deeper inside her wetness.

  I couldn’t hold myself back anymore. My hands gripped her hips hard enough that she let out a whimper, and I paused, afraid I might have hurt her. But, with the rolling of her hips, and her grinding herself desperately against my cock, I knew she wanted more. Needed more.

  Gripping her tighter again, I lifted her hips up further, meeting each thrust, getting as deep as physically possible. I pulled her up and down along my erection, over and over, and she met every aching thrust with just as much desperate desire.

  As my release built within my body, I could no longer hold it at bay. I emptied myself deep within her, letting out a guttural moan in unison with her own orgasm that bounced off the bedroom walls.

  Still connected to one another and completely out of breath, I lowered myself onto her and rolled over, pulling her on top of me. Her breasts rested against my chest, and I brushed the hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear as the smile she wore grew wider.

  “Jesus, that was amazing,” she whispered.

  “We really outdid ourselves that time.” I laughed softly.

  She brought her head down to my shoulder and gently pressed her lips to it as though she could heal its injury with her love. “Round two?” She bit down mischievously on her bottom lip.

  Not only have I awakened the beast within her, I seem to have met my match.

  CHAPTER NINE

  SAMANTHA

  It probably wasn’t the most romantic pillow talk after making love to each other, but in the muted shades of gray that shadowed the bedroom, surrounded by the quiet stillness of the evening, Cooper explained everything he could possibly think of that he felt might need explaining. From the beginning, starting with how surprised he’d been to see Zoey standing on his doorstep.

  “She doesn’t have a key,” he promised me. “But the superintendent knows her, so he probably let her in, believing whatever lame excuse she gave him.”

  “You don’t have to tell me all of this,” I whispered, my fingers tracing small circles along the smooth contours of his chest.

  “I want to. If only because I never want to give you a reason not to trust me again.”

  Each word only made me feel worse for being so angry with him in the first place. Hell, I’d slapped him. “I should’ve trusted you, I know that.” I tilted my head so I could see beyond the hint of scruff on his jaw to his dark blue, sincere eyes that stared into mine. “I’m not making excuses, I swear. But it was hard for me, seeing the resemblance between her and I, Cooper. And it’s really hard to put your heart in someone’s hands after its been so broken and bruised by someone else.”

  “If there’s a resemblance between you and Zoey, I don’t see it, Samantha. I can guaran-fucking-tee you of that. There isn’t anyone on this planet that can compare to you.” He leaned forward to kiss my nose, a gesture which eased the tension in my shoulders substantially—which was good, because two rounds of sexual escapades with Samantha had left my shoulder aching dully from the overexertion. “As for how hard it is to trust after being betrayed by someone, you’re preaching to the choir, pretty lady.” Cooper’s hand came up to cup my face in his palm.

  “I know you’ve been through your own personal hell with Zoey, and I’d never minimize that. I guess you’re just dealing with it better than I am.”

  “Am I?” He gently lifted my face toward his, and I saw the skeptical look he wore. “You think I’m not scared as hell that you’re going to change your mind about me?”

  It was the first time I’d noticed the glint that shone in his eyes. It was faint, and well hidden, but it was there.

  Fear.

  “If you’re scared, you contain it well.”

  “Just because you don’t see it, Samantha, doesn’t mean it’s not there.” His voice held no edge, but there was an assertive quality I couldn’t ignore. “That’s my biggest fear. That you’ll decide this isn’t what you want. That me and Tommy aren’t what you want.” His thumb caressed my cheek tenderly. “But I can’t let that fear dictate my relationship with you, or I’ll never really have the chance to show you how good we can be. How good we already are.”

  I leaned into his palm, a wave of guilt washing over me. “I’m sorry,” I choked out. “I should’ve never told you I was taking Levi elsewhere to be babysat.”

  “You wanted to protect him, that’s all. But, I promise you, Samantha. I’m not someone Levi needs to be protected from.”

  “I know that.” And I did. Cooper wasn’t Ethan, and it wasn’t fair of me to transfer the distrust and hurt I carried because of him to the man who’d done nothing but try to help me and my son move on.

  “You don’t need to be protected from me, either. I’d never hurt you, Samantha.”

  “I know that, too.” I smiled warmly at him. “I also know that I want to meet Tommy, Cooper. I want Levi to meet him, too.”

  “Good.” He leaned in and kissed my forehead, the corners of his mouth upturned. “There’s nothing I’d love more. One big happy family.”

  I kissed him, soft but passionate. “You really are too good to be true, aren’t you?” I chuckled softly.

  “Nah,” he said, his smile widening. “Just good. Real good. Which I plan on reminding you of for a long time, Samantha.”

  ***

  The knock on the door came about a half hour earlier than I expected the next morning. I’d forgotten to unlock it, but thankfully both Cooper and I were both showered and dressed already.

  “Damn it,” I cursed under my breath, scurrying to the door. I pulled it open. “I’m sorry, Levi, I must’ve forgot to unlock it when I got up!”

  “Hi, Mommy!” He dove for my knees, hugging me tightly. “Is Cooper here yet?”

  Just as quickly as he asked the question, the little boy headed back out the doorway, obviously intent on banging on Cooper’s apartment door.

  I grabbed him by the hood of his jacket to stop him. “He’s already here, buddy,” I assured him with a chuckle. Then, my eyes rose to meet Ethan’s gaze. He stood in the doorway, silent. “He just got here,” I added feebly, but it was obviously an afterthought.

  Levi kicked his shoes off and careened around the corner into the kitchen, where cheering and laughter sounded at his reunion with the man he believed was Superman.

  “I’ve heard a lot about this Cooper guy,” Ethan said coldly. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “I thought he was just a friend, Samantha.”

  “He is.” I did my best to sound defiant, but dread wafted over me, making my throat constrict.

  “You didn’t tell me he’s also the nanny.” He spat out the last word like it left a bad taste in his mouth. “What else aren’t you telling me?”

  I should have known Levi would gush about Cooper while he was at his father’s house. “That’s the thing about breaking up. I don’t have to tell you a damn thing.”

  Ethan’s eyes were bright with fury...and shock. We both knew how many times I’d ever talked back or defied him throughout our time together...very few. But lately, that’s all I’d been doing. Standing up for myself, calling him on his crap.

  And he didn’t like it one bit.

  “If it concerns my son—”

  “You keep forgetting,” I goaded him. “I’m here in this apartment because of the choices you made. I met Cooper because of you. So, for that, perhaps I should be thanking you.”

  For a moment, silence floated heavily between us, a silent war. When Ethan spoke again, he no longer tried to keep his voice hushed. “Tell me, Samantha, just who the hell is Cooper? You’re having a fling with the next-door neighbor? Leaving him alone with my son while you go out and play corporate business woman during the day?”

  I scoffed, immediately pissed off. There were so many insults strung together in that little fit of
anger that I didn’t even know where to start. “You have no right—”

  “Hey, Ethan, right?” Cooper appeared around the corner, his hand already reaching out toward my ex-fiancé. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Cooper Henley. Everything okay here?”

  Ethan looked affronted, completely taken aback by Cooper’s appearance and forwardness. He stared at his outstretched hand like it was a gesture he didn’t understand. “Heard a lot about you,” Ethan advised through clenched teeth. His hands remained at his sides.

  “Likewise.” Cooper smirked darkly as he lowered his hand, choosing instead to place it on my back. “Everything okay?”

  I knew I needed to diffuse the situation, and fast, but Ethan beat me to it. “Look, Cooper, I don’t know who you think you are—”

  “Cooper Henley,” he interjected. “That’s who I am. The hockey player, who happens to live down the hall. You’d know that if you’d let me introduce myself properly.”

  “Wise guy, huh?”

  Ethan stepped forward, and I immediately tried to take a step back. But Cooper’s hand on my back kept me rooted in place.

  “I’m not here to start trouble,” he explained to Ethan.

  But Ethan wasn’t listening. “You walk in here and start playing Daddy Daycare with my son, and House with my ex, and you think that’s not going to start trouble?”

  “Your ex needed a babysitter, and I had services I was more than happy to provide her.”

  I sent a glaring look at Cooper, knowing damn well the innuendo was on purpose. “You both need to calm—”

  “I’ll bet you were,” Ethan sneered. He was close to Cooper now. Too close. “Well, I’ve got news for you, neighbor. My son already has a father, and Samantha—”

  “Samantha’s a big girl,” Cooper snapped. “She can make her own decisions. Just like you made yours. You had your chance with that beautiful woman,” he said, pointing at me with his free hand. “And you blew it.”

  Ethan laughed. Actually laughed. “You think I give a damn that you’re getting your rocks off with my—”

  Cooper was away from my side in a fraction of a second. He pushed Ethan up against the back of the door, his forearm pressed tightly against his throat.

  “Cooper!” I gasped. “Let him go!” I stared back toward the hallway to confirm Levi was nowhere close by, then tried to pull him off Ethan.

  “I think it’s about time someone taught you some fucking manners,” Cooper hissed, his face only inches from Ethan’s. He was only a few inches taller, but had more muscle than his opponent, even with his shoulder injury, and he knew how to use it. “If you think for one minute I’m going to stand by and let you disrespect Samantha in front of me, you’re wrong. Dead wrong.”

  The venom in his voice sent chills down my spine.

  “As for Levi,” Cooper continued, his tone raw and menacing, and edged with a malice I’d never witnessed from him before. “Yes, I’m his babysitter. I spend every day I can with him, five days a week, since I’m not currently playing hockey. If that bothers you because you think I’m trying to fill your shoes, you don’t need to worry. Your shoes are too damn small for me, anyway.”

  I pulled at Cooper’s arm again, and this time he let me lead him away. “C’mon, enough,” I pleaded, but he’d already taken a few steps back, pulling me with him.

  The deadly glares both men wore could have melted steel, and as I turned from one murderous face to the other, I realized I was the one who’d had enough.

  “Where’s Levi?” I asked Cooper.

  “In his bedroom. Door’s closed.”

  “Good, because what I have to say to both of you isn’t something he needs to hear.”

  Neither of them so much as stole a glance at me.

  “Stop it,” I demanded. “Both of you. Now, Cooper knows how our relationship ended, Ethan. If you don’t like that, that’s not really my problem.”

  I turned to Cooper, intent on keeping my ex from responding with some vile retort. “And you, I know you’re just trying to help, but you need to cool your jets. We’ll never get anything solved this way.”

  Ethan’s eyes widened. “He’s a—”

  “A what, Ethan?” I snapped, rounding on him. “A godsend? A man who stepped up and helped me when I didn’t think I had anyone left to be helped by?” I jutted my finger out, pointing vehemently at Cooper. “That man makes me happy. That’s not what this is about, but I need you to know that. He makes me happy. But you know what? He makes your son happier than he’s been in ages, too, Ethan. Because he’s someone Levi sees every day, someone who dotes on him, and someone who lets him be a kid. He’s not just around for a few hours, who turns the TV on for him while he goes off and talks on the phone or pours over files and reports.”

  I knew I was being harsh, but the words flew off my tongue so fast I couldn’t rein them in. I’d held so much hurt and anger inside, for so long, once the dam broke, I couldn’t stop it. “So, you’re going to have to excuse me if I don’t stand by and listen to your territorial bullshit,” I continued. “You’ve been a part-time father at best up till now, Ethan, spending more damn time cheating on your family than being a part of it. Now, there is no more us and you’re pissed about it?” My eyes burned with the blazing fire that his outburst had ignited within them. “You don’t have a right to be angry with me, Ethan. You’re right, Levi is your son, and I’ll never deny you of that. But be damned if I will sit back and let you have a problem with the man who makes your son happy, especially after the way you tore our family apart.”

  Dumbfounded—that’s what Ethan was.

  A fleeting glance in Cooper’s direction proved that he was just as shocked by my rant.

  I blinked back tears, bound and determined I wasn’t going to cry after making it through my speech without so much as a sob. My breath caught in my throat. Maybe that’s the only reason I heard the barely audible sigh escape Ethan’s lips.

  “Samantha...” Defeat coated his tone, something I’d never heard from him before. His fatigued voice didn’t match the cool, confident, tailored suit he donned. “Samantha,” he said again, stronger this time. “I’m sorry.”

  “For which part?” I asked quickly.

  “For the fact that I never apologized for any of this before. For what I did. To you. To Levi. To us.”

  I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. A weight I hadn’t known I’d been carrying. Jesus, had I really gotten through to him? “I’m sorry for that, too,” I offered. “But you chose to move on, Ethan, and now I am as well.”

  He seemed to mull that over. From the corner of my eye, I could tell Cooper hadn’t moved a muscle, and his gaze was set firmly on me.

  “I’ll do better,” Ethan said finally. “For Levi.”

  “Like I said, I’ll never keep your son from you,” I promised. “But I can’t keep you from keeping yourself from him.”

  He blinked rapidly. It was like a punch to the gut once I realized he was trying desperately to keep his emotions in check. In silence, he nodded at me, then did something I never thought I would witness.

  Ethan held his hand out toward Cooper, waiting.

  Cooper obviously hadn’t expected the gesture, either, but after a moment’s hesitation he reached out and shook the man’s hand.

  Then, Ethan left us both standing in a room filled with silence, with only the soft click of the door closing to announce his departure.

  “You didn’t have to defend me, Samantha.”

  Cooper’s voice met my ears just as I wiped the first tear from my cheek. “Yes, I did.” I turned to him, my glistening eyes finding him amidst my blurred vision. I felt more for the man before me now than I ever thought possible.

  Cooper stood before me, looking sheepish and disappointed in himself. “I shouldn’t have roughed him up. I’m sorry I got so angry. It’s just that—”

  A lot of emotions washed through me at that moment, but despite my muted outward reaction, I had to admit, disappointment wasn�
��t one of them. “You have nothing to apologize for. You defended me, too.”

  His mouth twitched slightly at that, but he didn’t smile. “Of course I did. I’ll never stand by and let someone speak to you or about you like that, Samantha.”

  He spoke with such conviction, it made my throat tighten.

  Then, his gaze sharpened. “Why did you defend me?” he added, as though it was the most convoluted idea in the world.

  “Because it’s about time I defend the right man, the one who’s beside me, instead of pushing him away.”

  He curled his arms around me, pulling me into him. “You haven’t been pushing me away.”

  “Believe me, my head’s been telling me I should be,” I admitted wryly against his chest. “But my heart had other plans.” I tilted my head upward. “And you’re damn persistent, I must say.”

  A cocky but adorable grin crossed his face. “Is that the politically correct way of telling me I’m a pain in the ass, but you love me, anyway?”

  His use of that word didn’t shake me the way it once might have, and I laughed softly. “And you said you didn’t do political correctness very well,” I joked.

  “I don’t, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand the concept,” he said, still grinning. “You’re avoiding my question.”

  “You want to know if I think you’re a pain in the ass?” Laughter bubbled within me when he squeezed me tighter, dramatically tucking me between the wall and him, tilting my chin upward so I’d meet his gaze.

  “I know the answer to that already.” His voice was soft, and suddenly more serious. “What I want to know is that you love me, the way I already love you.”

  I stretched up, kissing his lips tenderly at first, then with more passion than I should’ve allowed with my son only the length of a hallway away. When I pulled back, his eyes were dark and glistening. “I think you already know the answer to that, too,” I whispered.

  His mouth twitched, his eyes searching mine. He must’ve found what he was looking for in them because he lowered his mouth to mine again, gentler this time. “I love you, too, Samantha.”