Offside

by Bianca Sommerland

  A gasp came from all the girls. Most skirted away from Amy—as though they were afraid to be tainted by her harsh words. Amy seemed to realize, too late, that she’d gone too far. The cameras were rolling, and she’d exposed herself as the bitch she was. Zach straightened as Sahara’s shaky hand rose to her throat. She shook her head. Her eyes hardened.

  Her fist caught Amy in the chin, knocking her right off her feet. Amy screeched and bounced back up, going for Sahara’s face with her nails. Scott and Carter lunged forward to separate the girls. Zach found himself holding Amy after Carter bodily handed her over. The woman was squirming and hissing, and her claw-like nails raked down Zach’s cheek. He gritted his teeth against the sting as Pischlar stepped up to help him hold her. Coach’s wife, Madeline—who’d come to supervise the Ice Girls—came over and took a firm hold on Amy’s shoulder.

  “That’s enough.” She snapped, nodding to Scott as he led Sahara away. She gave Amy a hard look. “The team won’t tolerate this kind of behavior. Go to your room. I’m going to suggest you be left off at the next port and sent home.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? She hit me first!” Amy shoved away from Zach and Pischlar. “If she’s getting away with this—”

  “She won’t be.” Madeline snapped. “I won’t say it again. Go. To. Your. Room!”

  After the redheaded bitch stormed off, Zach faced Madeline, careful to keep his tone level. “You heard what she said. Sahara shouldn’t be punished for—”

  “The rules for the cruise are clear, Mr. Pearce. The same goes for the men.” Madeline sighed. “But, like with the men, getting kicked off the cruise doesn’t change your contracts. Amy will still have a chance to compete for a spot with the Ice Girls. Fortunately, this also means Sahara will still be with the team. And her place is guaranteed. I believe Amy has just lost whatever support she had.”

  “Well, that’s something I guess.” Zach inclined his head as Madeline excused herself and went to deal with the other girls. He went inside, finding the hall where all the Ice Girls roomed. He wasn’t sure how Scott would handle Sahara—or if he’d really blame him if the girl needed comforting that would last the night. For some reason, he was more concerned with what it would do to Scott to offer that kind of comfort. There were times when it seemed like Scott felt he could give nothing else.

  Moments later, Scott came out, looking tired, black mascara streaks on his bare chest. He rubbed his face, stopping short when he spotted Zach.

  “I didn’t—”

  “I know.” Zach put his arm over Scott’s shoulders, giving him a firm hug. He eased back, studying Scott’s face, the taut lines around his white lips. The shadows in his eyes. It was almost as though the verbal attack on Sahara had triggered something for him, something more than him just being angry on behalf of a friend. But a direct approach wouldn’t work with Scott. So Zach focused on the young woman. “How is she?”

  “As good as can be expected, I guess. She’s tougher than she looks, but what happened is still so fresh . . . I think part of her believes that skank is right.”

  “Sahara cheated on her boyfriend with Keane?” Not that it mattered. There was no excuse for hitting a woman. Not even infidelity. Then again, he really couldn’t see Keane fooling around with the girl. Especially while offering her a position with the team. The man was too professional to blur those particular lines.

  “No way. I think Keane suspected her boyfriend was roughing her up—it might have prompted him to make her a better offer . . . she really doesn’t seem like his type.” Scott shrugged. “Either way, just wait until I catch Higgins on the ice. He’s gonna need fucking dentures.”

  Zach smiled and shook his head. This bloodthirsty side of Scott was damn sexy. His pulse quickened as he pictured Scott, dropping his gloves, fire in his eyes as he spotted Higgins, all that energy going to making the loser pay for raising his hand to a woman Scott cared about.

  He sucked in air through his teeth, moving forward and fisting his hand in Scott’s hair as he slammed their lips together. He held Scott against the wall, gentling the kiss as he explored Scott’s hot mouth with his tongue, groaning as Scott pulled him closer.

  “Get a room, boys.” The sharp sting of Tim’s slap on Zach’s back cleared his brain of the lust-filled haze. He reluctantly released Scott, knowing Tim was just looking out for him. Tim glanced up and down the hall, tone low. “I hate doing this, but people think Scott’s with Sahara. His rep can’t take the controversy right now.”

  No, it can’t. And I know better. Zach let his hands fall to his sides, wondering where his brain had gone. Pretty damn far for him to risk Scott’s career for a kiss.

  Scott eased away from Zach, rolling his shoulders, and nodding slowly. “My own fault. Sorry, Coach.”

  “Nothing to be sorry about, kid,” Tim said, smiling. “Just use some discretion. What you do in your room is no one’s business.” He winked. “It’s not an accident that you two are sharing a room. I know my players.”

  Well, fuck.

  “Really?” A blush spread across Scott’s cheeks. “Hell, I thought I had been discreet!”

  “You?” Tim’s brow rose. “Not sure you’re capable.” He turned to Zach. “But you are. I know why you ‘came out,’ and I think it was pretty damn decent.” His hand curved around Scott’s shoulder in a supportive gesture. “Keep this one in line. I don’t want to lose him.”

  Coach might know his players, but he was mistaken if he thought Zach could set Scott straight unless it was something he really wanted. And that remained to be seen. Tim probably thought Zach could take on the same role with Scott as Ramos had with Carter. Their coach was an experienced switch, yet, maybe his time in the lifestyle with his wife had him seeing Doms and subs everywhere. Scott might enjoy a bit of kink, but the firm hand of a Dom would make him balk.

  Zach had other ways to handle him though, if it came to that.

  More like when it comes to that.

  Tim didn’t need details though, so Zach simply inclined his head. “I’ll do my best, Coach.”

  They left the coach in the hall and went to their room in silence. Scott closed and locked the door. His face was flushed, his half-smile provocative. He obviously expected them to continue where they’d left off.

  Kneeling by his suitcase, Zach pulled out his pack of cigars, then went to the bar for a bottle of Crown Royal. He poured some into a tumbler, bringing the drink and his cigar out to the balcony. He settled in a chair, putting his whiskey on the small glass table. Resting his ankle on his knee, he eyed Scott, who had followed him, as he flicked his lighter.

  “Something on your mind?”

  Scott’s brow furrowed. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts. “You’re playing, right?”

  Taking a long drag of his cigar, he let the sweet smoke out languorously. “What makes you think that?”

  A flare of temper flashed in Scott’s eyes. “You know why. The way you kissed me—”

  “It’s something lovers do, Scott.”

  “Are we lovers or not?” Scott raked his fingers through his hair, then sat hard in the chair across the table. “I’m fucking confused.”

  “There’s nothing to be confused about.” Zach took another drag, resisting the urge to smirk at Scott’s frustration. Scott might not be a sub, but keeping him guessing, anticipating the next move, satisfied Zach’s needs as a Dom. “Consider this foreplay.”

  * * * *

  Akira giggled as Dominik held the chocolate-covered strawberry to her lips, then pulled it away before she could take a bite. Dinner had been nice and relaxed after their first “chat,” conversation revolving around the Ice Girl competition and the game. She enjoyed spending time with him, just like this, both of them knowing what they had wasn’t serious. She wasn’t afraid or overwhelmed with him. All she had to do was trust him to give her what she needed.

  Which was a lot easier than she’d thought it would be.

  “Stand up, pet.” Dominik g
rinned as he teased her lips with the white chocolate-dipped tip of the strawberry, bringing it out of reach as she snapped at it with her teeth. “I’d like to try something.”

  As she rose from the chair, he rewarded her with a mouthful of the decadently rich chocolate, his lips twitching at her little moan. The fresh sweetness of the fruit burst in her mouth. She let her eyes drift shut to turn all her senses to the flavor and texture. He glazed her lips with the slick juices, curving his hand along her jaw to tip her head up. Tasting her lips with the tip of his tongue, he moved closer, holding her still as he kissed her.

  She whimpered as sensations assaulted her. The heat of his mouth, the tingling of her nerves awaking under her skin as she pressed against him. So very nice. Such a surprisingly normal reaction.

  “More.” She latched on to his shirt before he could shift away, her lips parted. “Please . . .”

  “Soon, little one.” He fed her the last bite of the strawberry, then brought his hands to her shoulders, slipping one down her back to the zipper of her dress. “You will tell me if I do anything you’re not comfortable with. Use ‘red’ if you’d like, but any protest will do.”

  The searing liquid pooling in her core had her squirming as he unzipped her dress and peeled it down her body. She bit her lip as she opened her eyes and caught him watching her. Her cheeks heated and she brought her hands up to cover her breasts, feeling more exposed in her bikini with just him than she had on deck in front of half of the team.

  “Don’t hide from me, Akira. This beautiful body is mine for the time being.” He moved around her, sweeping her hair over one shoulder. He kissed the nape of her neck and she shivered. His lips slid up her throat. His hot breath caressed her ear as he spoke. “I’d like to see what I have to play with.”

  All of me. Whatever you want. Her lips moved, but he came in front of her and pressed a finger to her lips.

  “Not a word unless you need me to slow down.” His other hand framed her jaw. “Do you?”

  She shook her head.

  “That’s my girl.” His smile broadened and she found herself staring into his eyes, entranced by the gold flecks in the dark brown depths. “Such a sweet little sub.” He gave her a light kiss, then caught her bottom lip between his teeth. The slight pressure made her knees shake, and when he deepened the kiss she wasn’t sure her legs would hold her anymore. He brought one hand to the small of her back, then pressed something into her palm. “Roll the dice, pet. Let’s see how much you’ll owe me tonight.”

  Owe him? She blinked as she lifted her hand. What would the numbers mean? Should she ask?

  But no. He would explain when the time came. Besides, following his instructions kept things so simple. There was no need to worry, to think. All she had to do was let him lead the way.

  She rolled the dice onto a bare spot on the table.

  “Three. I like that.” He chuckled when she stared at him. “With a bigger number, I may have taken pity and saved a few for another time.”

  “Saved what?” The words escaped before she could stop them. She couldn’t help it. The curiosity was killing her!

  “You’ll see.” He smiled in a way that let her know he’d forgive her little slip. He took hold of her wrist and drew her toward the armchair. Sat with his thighs spread. “Lace your fingers behind your neck and sit on my lap.”

  Swallowing, she laced her fingers behind her neck. But she couldn’t go any farther. Not because she was scared, it was just . . .

  “What was that thought, pet?”

  More than a little embarrassed, she couldn’t stop the automatic answer that spilled out. “You told me not to talk.”

  His lips thinned slightly, and for a split second she wondered if he’d pull her over his lap and spank her. Actually, she kinda hoped he would.

  Instead, he shook his head. “Cheeky. I’m happy you’re feeling comfortable enough to show a bit of spunk, but now’s not the time for that.”

  “Are you going to punish me?”

  Brow arched, he studied her face. “We haven’t discussed using punishment in your training yet, but if we do, I promise you, you won’t enjoy it as much as you probably think you will. But that’s a discussion for later. Tell me why you hesitated.”

  Wrinkling her nose, she jutted her chin toward his thighs. “I’ve never sat in a man’s lap before. It seems like something—I don’t know . . . like something a little girl does with her daddy or Santa Claus.”

  She really, really appreciated the obvious effort he made not to laugh. “Will it make you feel like a naughty little girl to sit in my lap and let me touch you?”

  Well, if he put it that way . . . she clenched her thighs, wondering if her arousal would soak right through his pants. It wouldn’t take long for him to find out exactly what he was doing to her. “Isn’t that a little dirty? Being turned on while being treated like a child?”

  He shook his head. “You’re not a child, Akira. And there’s nothing wrong with anything you feel. Does my touching you make me a dirty old man?”

  “No! You’re not that old!”

  “I’m in my thirties, pet.”

  That gave her a little thrill. She knew how old he was, but somehow, the way he said it made her feel young and vulnerable. And yes, a little naughty. She tongued her bottom lip as she perched on the edge of his knee, fluttering her lashes with exaggerated innocence. “I’m okay with you taking advantage of me, Sir.”

  He threw his head back and let out a deep, rumbling laugh that echoed provocatively deep inside her. Even better, any trace of sadness that remained in his eyes was gone. He gave her a one-armed hug as he caught his breath. “You are too precious.”

  “Why, thank you, Sir.” She wiggled closer to him, resting her head on his chest. “You’re happy.”

  “I am. You have no idea how heady it is that you trust me enough to let me see this side of you.”

  “There’s no one else I’d rather let see it. Being with you . . .” She smiled as he stroked her hair. “I’m safe. I feel like I’m going to be okay.”

  “Good. Because you will be.” He leaned her back against his arm, kissing her in a way that left her so wound up she forgot where her hands were supposed to be. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he claimed her mouth, and the muscles in her stomach jumped as he splayed his fingers over her bare belly. “Damn, you’re soft.”

  A throaty gasp escaped her as his hand skimmed lower and his fingers traced the edge of her bikini bottoms. She shifted her hips, trying to show him she was ready for him to touch her anywhere. Everywhere.

  Instead, he pulled one of her hands down from behind him, whispering. “Since you didn’t keep your hands where I told you to, you can help me.”

  He brought her hand to her bikini top, curling her fingers around the edge to expose one breast. Then he lowered his mouth, flicking her nipple with his tongue. An electric jolt zipped straight down to her clit, sizzling along a taut line of current as he sucked and teased the sensitive flesh with his teeth. He guided her other hand down her belly, slipping it under the golden material so the tips of her fingers touched her moist folds.

  “So fucking wet. Can you feel it?” His tone was gruff, his lips sliding over her breast as he spoke. “You smell delicious. I’ll need to taste you soon.”

  “Ah!” She dropped her head back on his arm as he made her fingers press against her clit, then down to her slit. Her own finger pushed against her entrance and his dipped in past it, filling her. “Sir, that feels . . .”

  “Feels like what, Akira? Say it.” He sucked her nipple into his mouth, thrusting his finger in deep. Something inside her shattered. Her core undulated, so close to the brink . . . but that pressure inside her—

  “You fucking whore. I knew it. This was so easy because you wanted it all along.”

  “No!” She clamped her thighs together, struggling against the hands that held her down, shoving at a hard chest. She didn’t want this! She’d fought them so hard, but they wouldn�
�t stop. And her body had betrayed her.

  “Look. At. Me.” Dominik moved the arm holding her up, curving his hand around the back of her neck, his other hand still holding hers against her pussy, his finger still inside her, though it had gone still. His tone was gentle, but his eyes hard as he trapped her gaze with his. “Who is touching you? Who are you responding to?”

  “You!” she sobbed, wishing the other voices would go away. “You, Sir! But they—”

  “They can’t have you, pet. You belong to me.” His palm against the back of her hand put more pressure on her clit. The tip of a second finger, his finger, joined the first, stretching her. “Tell me how it feels. How you feel.”

  “Slippery. Full.” She shifted restlessly, needing to find that place again, that place where the sensations overruled everything. But to answer him? “Afraid that I can’t . . .”

  “Do you know why you’re so slippery, little one?” His cheek pressed to hers, his hot breath caressed her throat, her ear. The steady glide of his fingers slowed. He curved them slightly, finding a sweet spot within that made her eyes wide and her hips rise in jerky little motions. He smiled. “Because it’s my fingers inside you. It will be my mouth on you. My dick inside you. And you want it all.”

  Her screams scored her throat as she thrashed under the fierce onslaught of pleasure. The fiery ripples within went on and on as he dragged his fingers in and out of her. Her mind went blank, and the faces of those men were like chalk on a sidewalk under a downpour, blurring, washing away until the water cleaned away the last traces. Not for good, but they couldn’t hurt her anymore.

  Dominik wouldn’t let them.

  She shuddered as the aftershock vibrated through her muscles, causing her to clench down sporadically on Dominik’s fingers. She sobbed again with relief, burying her face under his arm. She wasn’t broken or ruined. This wasn’t wrong.

  It was . . . perfect.

  “One more,” Dominik whispered against her cheek before bringing his teeth to her throat. “One more and I’ll let you rest before you give me the last.”

  The slow, even thrusts of his fingers made her twitch as all the hypersensitive nerves sparked, but his soft, erotic whispers drew her up again. A hard, deep thrust and she came apart, shaking as he stroked the spot inside her that set her off like a stick of dynamite. This orgasm was merciless, tearing through her with crashing waves of pleasure, draining every last bit of strength from her body until she could do nothing but curl up in his arms, quivering and crying, her tears feeling like a balm over everything that had been ripped open within. She clung to Dominik as he withdrew his fingers and gathered her in his arms to carry her to his bed.