Hard Lines & Goal Lines (Fast Ice Book 2)

by Stephanie Julian

  Her normal practicality deserted her whenever Tim was around.

  “Of course.” She turned to her brother Brody’s girlfriend, whom she’d been talking to for the last few minutes. “Excuse me, Tara.”

  Tara nodded, her assessing gaze going from Tim back to Gabby. If it’d been any other reporter, Gabby would’ve made more of an effort to hide her feelings. But she’d known Tara long enough now that she trusted her implicitly. She also considered Tara a friend.

  “No problem.” Tara’s lips curved in a smile that said Gabby would be facing a few more questions later. “I’ll just go see what Brody’s up to.”

  “Why don’t we go in the hall for a few seconds.” Tim’s voice caressed her from the inside out. “Quieter out there.”

  And no one could overhear them.

  She followed him with a nod, trying not to look guilty as hell as they walked through the door. She didn’t look back. Didn’t want to know if anyone was watching them slip away like secret lovers. Which they totally were.

  Tim stopped several feet away from the door, where they could still hear the low hum of conversation from the crowd gathered there, but no one should be able to hear them. Her parents had invited a few other people to this impromptu gathering, including Dwayne Reid and his wife and Ollie Andersen, the youngest player on the team, who’d only just turned nineteen. He and Sunny had broken off a little while ago, though Gabby didn’t think Ollie had much to say. He’d pretty much stared at Sunny the whole time. Sunny had talked enough for the two of them.

  Which couldn’t be said for Sunny’s older brother. Tim didn’t say anything as Gabby stared up at him, standing close enough that all she had to do was lift her lips and he could bend down and kiss her. Which she totally wanted him to do. Right now.

  His eyes narrowed and she wondered if he could read her mind. And maybe he could because he leaned down. Her breath caught in her throat as his lips stopped a hair’s breadth from hers.

  “This is going to suck.”

  She smiled as he pulled back, though she was disappointed when he didn’t follow through on that kiss. Even though she knew they shouldn’t. Anyone could walk out at any time.

  And would it be awful for people to know?

  “What’s going to suck?”

  His gaze remained on her mouth, making her heart race. “Well, my mom and sister are here for the next month, at least. I’m glad to have them but…bad timing.” He lifted one hand and let his thumb barely graze her chin, sending a shiver through her that she didn’t bother to hide. “I want to spend the night in a bed with you.”

  His voice lowered even further until it barely registered as sound. She still heard every word.

  “I’d say come over after they go to bed tomorrow night, but you have a game Sunday. And you start.”

  His lips kicked up at the corners. “If anyone else said that, I’d think they were trying to blow me off.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You know I’m not.”

  “Yeah, I do.” He bent his head a little closer, barely enough to make a difference. Definitely not close enough. “We could skip out now for a quickie in the bathroom. Do you think anyone would miss us?”

  She had to work hard not to laugh too loudly. “Yes, I think they would. Especially Sunny. She knows about us, by the way. Did you say anything to her?”

  “No, I didn’t. She’s just too smart for her own good. But she won’t say anything to anyone else. She’ll just torment me.”

  “I like her. She’s sweet.”

  “And nothing like me, huh?”

  “You’re sweet in your own way.”

  “I’m really not, but you can think that if you want.” His gaze dipped to her lips again for a few brief, searing seconds. “So, I promised Sunny I’d take her to New York to see the Rockettes. I was thinking maybe we’d go up on the twenty-third. Wanna come?”

  Yes sprang immediately to her tongue but she bit it back. She wanted to go, wanted to spend the time with him because he wanted her to go. But…

  “Your mom and Sunny probably don’t want me to tag—”

  “Trust me. They will not be upset if you come with us. But I’ll understand if you don’t want to publicize our…relationship. Yet.”

  Yes, she should care how it would look for her to go on a trip with Tim and his family. Her job was all about optics, and that optic was definitely not the image she should be projecting. But she might have a solution for that.

  “Would you mind if I brought my mom, too? I know that’s a huge imposition—”

  “Hell no. That’s a great idea. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it. Definitely. Ask your mom.”

  Her smile couldn’t be contained, and his gaze narrowed, got more intense. Which wiped away her smile and made it much, much harder to breathe. Her nipples tightened, her lungs expanded, and her core clenched.

  “Fuck it.”

  He muttered the words under his breath, and it was all the warning she got. He leaned closer and covered her mouth with his, sealing their lips together and stealing every last shred of her common sense.

  Not caring if anyone saw them, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer, going on tiptoe to press her breasts against his chest.

  Tim groaned, his arms crushing her against him and sliding his tongue between her teeth to tease her tongue into playing with his. She never forgot that they were standing outside a dining room, where almost anyone would walk by and see them. Right now, she didn’t care. Not one damn bit.

  Obviously Tim felt the same because his hands moved to her hips and he lifted her until her feet left the floor and she had to tighten her arms around him.

  Time spun out until finally, some noise from inside the dining room caught her attention and she drew back reluctantly. Tim let her go, but not without a final kiss that left her wanting so much more.

  “Not fair.”

  Those two words did not in any way express her level of frustration. His smile had a wicked curve that made her want to repeat that kiss, except this time they wouldn’t stop until they were naked. And probably arrested for public nudity.

  “What’s not fair is that I have a hard-on and you can walk back into the room like nothing happened.”

  She couldn’t help herself. She looked down. Her turn to grin at him.

  “Now that’s playing dirty.”

  His voice lowered to a growl, making her thighs clench. She was going to need to change her panties when she got home. She’d much rather have him take them off.

  “We should go back in.”

  He nodded. “You go ahead. I’ll be there in a few seconds.”

  She felt stupid, leaving him in the hall and slinking away like they were doing something wrong. They weren’t. She just wasn’t sure what they were doing.

  “Tim…”

  “Unless the next words out of your mouth are ‘please fuck me against this wall,’ I don’t want to hear them.”

  An image of him doing just that flashed in her brain and she could barely breathe. “You play dirty.”

  “Only with you. You like it.”

  No reason to lie. “I do.”

  He lifted a hand to brush back the few strands of hair he’d mussed earlier.

  “Good. I’ll call you later tonight when we’re both alone.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  She finally got her legs moving.

  “I’ll be fucking aching.”

  She hoped she had her smile under control by the time she walked back into the dining room.

  “So you gonna tell us what’s going on with you and Tim, or you just gonna front like nothing’s happening?”

  Since Gabby had been expecting the question, she was prepared Saturday morning when RJ asked her at brunch. Sitting across the booth, RJ stared at her with raised eyebrows, looking like he expected her to be surprised.

  “No, I’m not. Now, we need to figure out what we’re going to get Mom and Dad for Christmas. We’re real
ly late this year and—”

  “Wait. Gabby and Tim?” Brody stared at her like she’d grown another head before he looked at RJ. “Seriously?”

  RJ snorted. “What? You didn’t notice they both disappeared from the restaurant at the same time last night? I mean, they tried to play it off like nothing happened but…”

  Brody’s face screwed up in a frown. “Damn. How’d I miss that? Yeah, well, I guess it makes sense. They’ve always had a thing for each other.”

  “I know, right?” RJ nodded at Brody. “Can’t believe it’s taken them this long.”

  With a sigh, Gabby crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Brody as she shoved her elbow in RJ’s side. Her cheeks burned and she knew if she didn’t shut them down soon, it’d devolve into a battle of two against one and her brothers would harass her until they got an answer out of her.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Oh hell, she didn’t even sound convincing to herself. “Now, if you two are finished gossiping, maybe we can figure out what we’re doing for Mom and Dad this year.”

  “Umm, have you met your brothers?” Tara grinned from across the table. “I swear all they do is gossip. They’re like teenage girls. But this time, they’re kinda right. I’m not sure everyone noticed, but…I’m pretty sure everyone noticed.”

  Gabby rolled her eyes. “Damn it, Tara. Not you, too. Why are you siding with them? We women need to stick together or these idiots will run right over us.”

  Tara laughed, loud enough to be heard outside the damn restaurant. “You know, speaking as a reporter, you pretty much just admitted your guilt.”

  “I’m not guilty of anything.”

  “Yeah, that pretty much seals the deal.” RJ nodded, a natural grin finally curving his lips. “Hey, I think it’s a good thing. You and Tim have been circling each other for years.”

  “We have not. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “For a PR hack,” Brody lifted his arms in defense of her swat across the table for the little-brother dig, “you suck as a liar. Come on, Gabs. You can admit it to us. We’re family. We love you. We won’t give you shit for this.” He paused. “Well, not a lot of shit, anyway.”

  Shaking her head, Gabby considered her options. On one hand, they were right. Who could she trust if not her brothers? And she had the utmost faith in Tara not to spill the beans. True, she was a reporter, but Tara had the strong code of ethics most reporters lived and died by.

  “Okay. Maybe, maybe,” she held up her index finger in front of RJ’s mouth when he opened it, “Tim and I have…explored the possibility of a relationship.”

  And each other’s bodies for several hours. But her brothers didn’t need to know that.

  “But…” and now she sighed, knowing if she admitted this, she couldn’t put the genie back in the bottle, “he’s still a member of the team and I’m not sure… It’s just complicated.”

  She saw a smart-ass comment forming on Brody’s lips, but before he could really piss her off, RJ put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her tight. Smiling up at him, she leaned her head on his shoulder, appreciating how seriously RJ took his role of big brother. Even now, with all the issues he was having with the rumors and lies flying in California, he was still there for her and Brody. She knew it as sure as she knew the sun would rise that he wasn’t guilty of any of the charges those assholes in California threw at him.

  “It doesn’t have to be. I think you’re making it more complicated than it has to be. He’s wanted to ask you out for years, but he knew you’d never agree while he played for the team. So what changed?”

  She didn’t want to tell them what had happened with Rich, didn’t want them to know she’d been so stupid to date a guy like him. Neither of her brothers had ever liked him, which should’ve been a big, glowing thumbs-down sign. Instead, she’d let herself be talked into going out with him. Rich had been the “safe” option. Until he hadn’t been.

  She was worried that if she told her brothers, they’d be incredibly pissed off and decide to teach Rich a lesson. Rich would never be able to defend himself against two hockey players who worked out on a daily basis and could hold their own in a fight against the league’s toughest goons. Of course, if they dared to so much as touch him, Rich would charge them with battery and neither of them could afford that.

  “Gabby?” Brody’s gaze had narrowed. “Did something happen? Is something else going on? What—”

  “No. No, there’s nothing else going on.” At least, nothing she wanted to tell them. “I just…I think maybe we just got tired of waiting.”

  Tara snorted. “So you’ve been hot for this guy for years and never did anything about it?” She shook her head, her eyebrows arched in disbelief. “You’ve got way more restraint than I do.”

  Brody wrapped his arm around Tara’s shoulders. “You just knew you didn’t want to lose a good thing when you found it.”

  Brody’s shit-eating grin made everyone around the table groan, except for Tara, who threw her balled-up napkin in his face.

  Shaking her head at them, Gabby let her gaze narrow.

  “You know I think Tim’s one of the best guys in the world.” RJ’s lips held a grin, but his eyes were deadly serious. “Neither of you are getting any younger. If you can find some happiness, I say go for it.”

  “Hey. Sorry to call so late but—”

  “No, no. I’m glad you did. I’m not asleep. It’s only… Oh shit, well, I guess it is kinda late. You start tomorrow. What are you still doing up?”

  Tim grinned at Gabby’s response as he sprawled out on his bed. “I was hoping I’d get to see you today but Sunny and my mom wanted to go sightseeing. We did the whole deal. Walk, bus, walk some more. I didn’t realize every single house in Society Hill had a history that our guide had to tell us all about.”

  Her soft laughter made his cock stir. He didn’t bother to will his hard-on away. He’d known he’d have one just hearing her voice.

  “Sounds like you had a good time.”

  “I did. It was great spending time with them but…I was kind of hoping I’d get to see you today.”

  She paused long enough that he began to worry. Then she sighed so loudly he heard her through the phone.

  “I know. Me too. But I’m glad you called. I was going to call you earlier but…”

  “But what?”

  “But I wasn’t sure I should. I mean… I need to know what we’re doing.”

  “What do you want us to be doing?”

  “I don’t… I’m not sure.”

  “Well, I am. I know exactly what I want. You.”

  “Tim—”

  “No, wait. Just listen.”

  He wasn’t sure but he thought he heard a smile in her voice. “Okay.”

  “If we were together right now, I’d be throwing you on the nearest flat surface and following you down. I’d kiss you until neither of us could breathe and then I’d strip you naked and use my mouth all over your body. I’d wait until you were begging me and I literally couldn’t take another second and then I’d spread your legs and slide my cock inside you and fuck you until neither of us could see straight.”

  The silence from the other end of the line was deafening.

  Shit. You fucking idiot. Why the fuck—

  “Is that a promise?”

  He sucked in a deep breath. “Do you need it to be? Because then yes, absolutely.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that the next time I see you.”

  “What about Monday night? I think Mom and Sunny will be okay if I take the night off.”

  Her soft laughter made him burn from the inside out. “You know they’re adults and you’re not babysitting, right?”

  Wincing, he shrugged, even though he knew she couldn’t see it. “Yeah, I know. I just don’t want them to feel like I’m ignoring them.”

  “I’m sure they don’t. But I’ll understand if you don’t want to—”

  “Stop. I want
to do anything with you. Hell, I’ll sit through endless hours of torture if it means I get to be with you. It’s not that. It’s just…”

  He wasn’t sure how to put his feelings into words that wouldn’t make him sound like a giant asshole who thought the world revolved around him.

  “You don’t want your mom and sister to feel like you abandoned them so you could get laid?”

  He laughed, a little startled and a whole lot amused by her dry tone. “Yeah, I guess you could put it that way.”

  “I’m willing to wait for whenever you have the time. I’m not going anywhere.”

  No, she wasn’t going anywhere. But would he?

  The thought hit him from out of nowhere, random and earth-shaking. What happened if he was traded? If they didn’t renew his contract? Did he even want to sign with another team?

  “Tim?”

  “Yeah. I’m here. And no, I don’t plan on going anywhere either.”

  Her turn to pause. “I know that’s not a guarantee. I know life is unpredictable, especially in our business. But… I want to try.”

  “Then we’ll make it work.”

  “So confident.”

  “Occupational hazard.”

  “Definitely one of the things I like about you.”

  “Good to know there’s more than one.”

  He’d meant to make her laugh. Instead she went silent for a few seconds. And when she spoke, his cock went from half hard to fully erect in seconds.

  “Oh, there are so many more than just one. I like the way you look at me. I like the way you kiss me. I like the way you listen to me when I talk. I love running my fingers through your hair. And down your back. And the way you respond when I run my nails along your cock.”

  She’d stolen all the air from his lungs and his chest was so tight he thought his ribs might crack.

  “I’m going to make you pay for that.”

  “Promise?”

  “Damn right.”

  He didn’t want to hang up but he really should get to sleep.

  “See you after the game?”

  “Of course.”