"It doesn't hurt, honest. I don't even feel it."
She gave him an odd look, like she didn't quite believe him, then tugged her hand from his and stepped back. Randy immediately regretted telling her the truth, not if meant she was going to pull away from him. "But it would probably feel better if you kissed it."
Alyssa laughed, the sound clear and musical, then stepped past him and moved to the kitchen.
Idiot. He couldn't believe he said something so juvenile. What the hell was wrong with him? He was a grown man, not some lovesick teenager.
"Did you want a beer or something?" Alyssa opened the refrigerator, leaning over just enough to that the back of the jersey pulled up on her thighs, damn near to the gentle swell of her ass. Randy swallowed and shook his head, then realized she couldn't see him—which was probably a damn good thing.
"Uh, no. Thanks."
She pulled something from a shelf then closed the door, turning around with two bottles of water in her hand. She moved around the small island and hoisted herself onto one of the stools, holding one of the bottles out to him. Randy barely noticed, because he was completely focused on the way the hem of the jersey slid up her legs to the top of her thighs. Another inch—no, less than an inch—and he'd be treated to a sight of paradise.
"Randy. Did you want this?"
God yes, he wanted it. He shook his head and met her amused gaze, saw her still holding out the bottle of water. Damn, he was so busted. And damn if he didn't think she knew exactly what she was doing, too.
He closed the distance between them, not stopping until mere inches separated them. He took the water bottle from her hand and placed it on the counter, his gaze never leaving hers.
"So, about those lessons."
Alyssa's head tilted back, her lips slightly parted. "What lessons?"
"For your next game. So you know what's going on." Was it his imagination, or did a flash of disappointment cross her face. He bit back his smile, his gaze steady. "I think we should start with some of the different penalties."
"We should?"
"Definitely. I tend to get a few of them, here and there. Playing defense and all, you know." He settled his hands on her shoulders and gently squeezed, then ran his hands along her arms until his fingers threaded with hers. He stepped back, pulling her from the stool.
"Let's start with fighting."
"Fighting? That doesn't—"
Randy placed his mouth against hers, the kiss warm but quick. "In fighting, it's important that you get your opponent's sweater up and off before he gets yours." He reached behind her and tugged at the hem of her jersey, bunching it in his fists and slowly dragging it up. His knuckles grazed her soft skin, her soft, bare skin, and he swallowed.
"Sweater?"
"Jersey."
"But why is it called a sweater?"
Randy silenced her with another kiss. Damn, didn't she know what he was trying to do here? Looking down at her, at the soft amusement in her eyes, he figured she knew exactly what he was trying to do. He grinned but didn't stop tugging at the oversized jersey, pulling until it was over her head.
"I'll explain that later. Now, when you have your opponent's sweater over his head, he's at your mercy. Like this." Randy kept his hands fisted in the material, keeping the bulk of it over her head as he leaned forward and closed his mouth around one nipple. The peak tightened as he circled it with his tongue then gently grazed it with his teeth. Alyssa sagged against him, her soft sigh muffled in the bulk of the material as he moved to the other breast. He forced himself to move away, to pull the jersey completely off and toss it on the floor.
Alyssa stood before him, completely naked, the soft light from above the stove casting her flushed skin in a gentle glow. She cleared her throat, her eyes glazed as she looked up at him.
"Y-yes. I can see."
"So can I." Randy grinned then leaned forward, his mouth gently closing over hers. She leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck as his tongue swept into her mouth, her spicy sweetness igniting a fire inside him. He groaned and pulled away, not missing her sigh of disappointment.
"And then there's a body check."
Something flared in Alyssa's clear gaze, something that stoked the fire within him even higher. "What's that?"
"That's when a player uses his body to block another player. Like this." Randy stepped forward and gently pressed his body against hers, driving her back until she was up against the counter island. Her eyes widened and a small smile lifted one corner of her mouth as she pressed herself tight against him.
"I think I like that one."
"It's, um, usually a little harder."
Alyssa ran her hand down his chest, down past his waist, and palmed his heavy erection through the zipper of his jeans. "It feels pretty hard to me."
Randy groaned then dipped his head, crushing his mouth against hers with a fierceness that nearly undid him. He felt the shaking tips of her fingers graze his skin as she worked the hem of his shirt up between them, and he pulled back just enough so she could pull it over his head.
"God, Alyssa, I need you." He closed his eyes and let his head fall back as she ran her mouth along his jaw, down his throat to his bare chest.
"Show me how you score."
God, she was killing him. Didn't she know what she was doing to him? He took a deep breath, let it in a ragged sigh. "I play defense, I don't score."
"But you did tonight." Her teeth nipped at his flat nipple, sending even more blood south. He took another deep breath, the sound harsh to his ears.
"That was a fluke."
She trailed soft kisses along his chest, her teeth gently grazing his other nipple. "Bet you can score again tonight."
Randy teetered on the edge of control, barely holding on, wanting to do nothing more than completely lose himself in the promising warmth of the woman in his arms. But not yet. Not yet.
He gripped her shoulders and forced himself to take a step back, only a little surprised at the harsh sound of his breathing. She did this to him. This, and so much more.
"Alyssa, wait. Not yet."
Her head tilted back as she looked up at him, passion glazing her beautiful eyes, her mouth swollen from his kiss. God, he wanted her. Needed her. He cleared his throat and forced himself to not move.
"I don't want to just score. Not tonight, not any night."
"I don't—"
"I want more than sex, Alyssa. I've been wanting more than that ever since that first night I kissed you in the parking lot."
She blinked, once, twice. Her tongue darted out and swiped along her lower lip, the motion like a punch to his gut. "You mean that night when you didn't even know my name?"
"I knew your name. I was just having a brain fart."
"Liar."
He leaned forward and pressed his mouth against hers, hard and fast. "No. I knew then I wanted more than just sex."
She opened her mouth again, no doubt to argue some more, but he silenced her with another kiss. "I want you, Alyssa. All of you. All of it. I know we haven't had what you'd call a regular relationship, and that's my fault. I haven't done a very good job of letting you know what I want, and Lord knows I've fucked up a lot of things these last few months. But I'm letting you know now. I want you, Alyssa. Not just sex. Do you think...I mean, is this something..."
Randy's voice trailed off, and he wondered if maybe he had said too much. Or maybe he was saying all the wrong things and fucking this up, too. Again. He racked his brain, trying to find the right words, trying to figure out what else he could say to let Alyssa know what he wanted, how he felt. He opened his mouth, but this time it was Alyssa who stopped him with a kiss. Then she tilted her head back and smiled, a smile so sweet and reassuring that Randy actually felt his heart stop for a few beats.
"Did you know that you're the first thing I think about when I wake up, and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep?" She stepped closer and pressed herself against him, her skin soft and warm
against his. "I can't see the future, Randy, nobody can. But I do know that I want more than sex, too. I want you. All of it, everything."
Randy let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, then pulled her to him, his mouth gentle on hers. He was too afraid to actually name what he felt, but he thought that maybe Alyssa could tell, that their bodies were communicating what their hearts felt without letting words get in the way.
Alyssa pulled away first, her face flushed, her lips swollen. She gave him a small smile then reached down and grabbed his hand, tugging as she walked backwards down the hall.
"You haven't finished your lesson."
"What lesson?"
"The lesson where you show me how to score."
Randy smiled and followed her to the bedroom, already knowing that this would be one lesson he'd have to repeat. And if he was lucky, she'd let him repeat it over and over.
Epilogue
Seven Months Later
Alyssa stepped back and eyed the feast with a smile, and more than a tinge of pride. Lou stood beside her, his hand patting her shoulder in reassurance.
"It looks wonderful as usual. You outdid yourself." He placed his other hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her toward the swinging doors. "Now go. This is time to celebrate, not work. You should be out there with everyone else."
Alyssa looked over her shoulder and tried not chew on her lower lip. "I know but—"
"No buts. We will handle this. Now go, have fun." Lou opened one door then gently pushed her through, waving one finger at her before letting the door close. Alyssa stared at it, knowing he was right. Her staff was great, Lou was the best. There was no need for her to dally in the kitchen, micromanaging.
Strong arms came around her waist and tightened. Alyssa automatically tilted her head to the side, giving free access to the warm lips caressing her neck.
"Hmm. I love the way you smell."
"I smell like food."
"No you don't. You smell warm and spicy and delicious." Randy nuzzled her neck for a few more seconds, then stepped back and turned her in his arms. She looked up at him, smiling at the paler skin of his freshly-shaved jaw.
"Is everyone here?"
"Everyone's here, and Val has the champagne opened and poured and ready to go." Randy caught her hand in his and tugged her through the crowd. The restaurant was closed tonight for a private party, filled with hockey players and managers and their families. They had pushed most of the tables against the walls to open the floor, and brought in extra chairs to accommodate the crowd. Looking around, Alyssa worried that they might need more. Granted, not many people were sitting, but that would change later on. Another thought froze her in place with a startled exclamation. Randy stopped and looked down at her, his brows lowered in concern.
"What's wrong?"
"What if we don't have enough food?"
Randy laughed and pressed a reassuring kiss against her forehead. "Trust me, there's enough food back there to feed a small army."
"Yeah, but this is a big army. I've seen how you eat, remember? What if there's—"
"Relax. There's plenty. Besides, it's not the food everyone's waiting for. Now come on, I told them we couldn't start until you got out here." He pulled her through the crowd, not stopping until they reached the bar. Alyssa finally saw the huge cup sitting in the center, and felt a little tinge of awe at the sight. Gleaming silver, it stood almost three feet tall, a magnificent centerpiece surrounded by the polished dark wood of the bar and what looked like hundreds of crystal champagne glasses filled with pale bubbling liquid.
"Wow."
"Impressive, isn't it?" Alyssa looked over at Randy, saw the smile that lit his face and danced in his eyes. Like a little kid on Christmas morning. No, he was even more excited than that. She squeezed his hand.
"Just think, you get a chance to do it again next year."
Randy looked down at her, his smile just as bright. "Yeah, I do."
She laughed at his pretend grimace, even though she knew the two-year contract extension meant more to him than he wanted to admit. She squeezed his hand again then faced the bar, watching as Jodi and Renee busied themselves with opening even more champagne bottles.
Val pushed her way toward them, her eyes darting to the cup every few seconds. "Oh my God, can you believe this? Isn't this great?"
"Yeah, it is."
"I think I've taken a gazillion pictures already. And—I even touched it. I touched it! How cool is that?"
"Wait, you already got a chance to touch it? That's not fair! I haven't had a chance—"
"Don't worry, you will." Randy leaned closer and nuzzled her neck, his breath warm against her skin when he spoke. "This party is just the beginning. It comes home with us tonight."
"Seriously? I thought you were joking when you said each player gets a day with it."
"Oh no. We don't joke about this. Never about this." Alyssa almost laughed at the seriousness in his voice, then stopped when she realized he really was serious. She squeezed his hand a final time then followed Val behind the bar.
Staff worked quickly, passing around trays of champagne and sparkling cider to the crowd. Alyssa nodded at Randy, who moved behind the bar with a few of his teammates. They took the open bottles of champagne, then stepped up onto the platform so they were standing above the cup. Cameras and phones flashed and whirred as they poured the champagne into the cup until it overflowed.
Alyssa knew that the team had already drank champagne from the cup, right after winning the last game. But this was something Randy wanted to do, this party just for the team and their friends and families. He looked out over the crowd, his dimple in full view as he smiled.
"Okay, we all know I was sweating it this year." Chuckles and good-natured teasing erupted from the crowd. "So this one's definitely special. But there's one person who's made this even more special. Alyssa, come up here."
Alyssa stopped, feeling her face heat at suddenly being the attention of the crowd around her. It didn't matter that she knew most of them, the feeling was still unnerving. But Val pushed her from behind, and JP jumped off the platform then offered her his hand, steadying her as she climbed up to stand next to Randy.
Emotion was clear in his hazel eyes, emotion that filled Alyssa with a simmering warmth each time she saw it. He wrapped one hand around hers and pulled her closer, his mouth closing over hers in a quick kiss.
"It's been a crazy year, but you've been with me every step of the way. I couldn't have done it without you. I want you to have the first drink tonight."
"Randy, no. This is supposed to be—"
He interrupted her with another kiss, which brought more cheers from the crowd around them. "I love you, Alyssa. And today's my day, and I want you to drink first."
Alyssa melted, right there in front of everyone. She didn't think she'd ever tire of hearing those words from his lips. She pressed her lips against his. "I love you, too. Always. But there's no way I'm going to do this. Randy, I can't even lift it!"
"Yes, you can. We'll help." Randy motioned to JP and Mat, and together the three of them hoisted the cup until all she had to do was tilt her head forward. Bubbles tickled her nose as the sweet dryness of the champagne filled her mouth. She swallowed, then leaned forward and pressed her mouth against Randy's, her tongue darting in and swirling around his, sharing the taste with him. His arms closed around her, holding her tightly as he deepened the kiss.
She looked up at him, smiling at the heat in his eyes. Then she leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "No more. Champagne affects me worse than wine."
Randy turned to her, mock horror etched on his face. "Well, in that case." He grabbed the cup and drank, his strong throat working with each swallow. Laughter and applause erupted around them as he passed the cup, then stifled a small belch. He looked over at her again, smiling.
"I really do love you, you know. More each day."
Alyssa cupped his face with one hand, leaning closer. She wou
ld never be able to get enough of this man, no matter how long they were together. "I love you, too. Always."
The crowd applauded and cheered even more, raising glasses and toasting to them, to each other, to a winning season.
Yes, the cup was there, proof of the winning season. But looking into Randy's eyes, feeling the warmth of his love, Alyssa knew that they were the biggest winners here.
*****
Other titles by this author:
Emeralds and Gold: A Treasury of Irish Short Stories (anthology)
Finding Dr. Right
Silhouette Special Edition
Crossing the Line
(The Baltimore Banners, Book 1)
Game Over
(The Baltimore Banners, Book 2)
Blue Ribbon Summer
(The Baltimore Banners, Book 3)
Time To Heal
Coming Soon:
Break Away
(The Baltimore Banners, Book 5)
Delay of Game
(The Baltimore Banners, Book 6)
About the Author:
Lisa grew up with an overactive imagination, strong encouragement from her parents, and an insatiable infatuation with the Peanuts gang. That infatuation—along with an impatience she has yet to outgrow—jump-started her love of writing. After all, why should she be forced to wait a whole week to read the stories of her favorite characters when she could create stories for them whenever she wanted?
That love of writing continued to grow, along with all those voices in her head, even during her assorted careers: first as a firefighter with the Baltimore County Fire Department, then a very brief (and not very successful) stint at bartending in east Baltimore, and finally as the Director of Retail Operations for a busy Civil War non-profit.
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