He looks so damn peaceful and gorgeous, like a model that should be on the cover of a magazine. I want to snap his picture to preserve the memory of last night and this morning. This is a dream I never want to end.
“Are you staring at me?” Julian asks with one eye open.
A smile tugs at my mouth. “Maybe.”
He rolls onto his back, giving me the perfect view of his toned body and his very long and very hard cock.
“Well, good morning to you, too,” I say with a wicked smirk.
He curls his fingers around my bicep, lifting me up and onto his chest in the process. He kisses me hard and fast, his length digging into my thigh. “We have to check out soon,” he says against my lips, his breath sending a chill down my arms. “Do you want breakfast or sex?”
I press my index finger to my lips and pretend to think over his question. “Can I have both?”
He laughs. “You can have whatever you want.”
In one swift motion, he flips me over and onto my back, making room for himself between my legs. He nods at the phone on the bedside table.
“Call room service. Order one of everything on the breakfast menu.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Everything?”
“Yeah. Just do it.” He clutches my thighs in both of his big hands, his mouth dangerously close to my aching clit. “Call now, Bri.”
“While you’re doing this?” I barely choke out.
“Yes,” he says with an evil grin on his lips. And then he rolls his tongue over my sensitive skin.
“Julian,” I groan.
“Do it now,” he growls.
His breath on my skin sends a rush of heat up my thighs.
“You’re such a bad boy.”
He winks from between my legs and continues to eat me like I’m his breakfast.
With my heart hammering against my chest and my pulse pounding, I reach over and hit the Room Service button on the phone. I feel like I’m about to spontaneously combust by the time a woman answers on the other end.
“Hi, I’d like one of everything on your… Oh, God… Yes… Um, I mean. On your breakfast menu.”
Julian laughs against my wet, swollen skin, making it harder for me to keep my shit together. He doesn’t stop exploring my body. As I confirm the room number with the poor woman on the phone, he slips his tongue between my folds, ripping a scream from my lips as I slam the phone down.
“I’m going to…” I start to yell until my head falls back and a ripple of intense pleasure washes over me.
“You were saying,” he says, and then gives me a few more tentative licks.
“I’m going to kill you,” I finish but not without panting the words.
“Uh-huh,” he says, and each time he speaks against my skin it takes me closer to the edge.
“Julian,” I moan, taking his black hair in my hands, gripping it so tight his tongue slides further inside me. “Oh, my God,” I scream. “Mmm…” My toes curl, the pressure within me wound so tight, I feel like I could snap in half if I don’t find my release.
Seconds later, I come undone. Heat courses through my veins, sending a brush of fire throughout my body. My hold on Julian’s hair intensifies as I ride out my orgasm, and when he tries to move, I maintain my death grip on him, my thighs holding him like a vise. Once my body stops trembling, I lean my head back against the stack of pillows.
“Damn, girl,” he says, his lips glistening with my juices. “That was an all-star performance.”
He laughs, teasing my wetness with the tip of his cock. Chills roll down my arms from his torturous movements, and before I can tell him just to fuck me already, he leans over to grab a condom from the nightstand. He doesn’t waste another second and slams into me so hard and fast I don’t have time to prepare for his size. A hiss escapes his lips as he moves his hips, sliding deeper and deeper inside me. Biting my bottom lip, I stare into his emerald irises that are so bright I can’t stop looking at them.
He cups the side of my face, stroking my skin with his thumb. “I love you, Briana. I always have and I always will.”
His words tug at my heart, producing an aching in my chest I haven’t felt in years. Before I can answer, he presses his lips to mine and slips his tongue into my mouth. He kisses me softly this time, slowing down his pace so that our movements match. Our bodies work in unison, our thrusts meeting the others. Julian kisses me like he means every word. Like he needs my last breath to survive.
We kiss until we both find our release, our lips finally separating. Out of breath, we look at each other for a long minute.
“I love you, too,” I whisper. “I never stopped.”
Julian smiles in response.
He kisses me until room service arrives with more trays than I can count. We sit at the dining table surrounded by dozens of plates. The entire breakfast menu included everything from scrambled eggs and Western omelets to Belgian waffles and heaping plates of pancakes and breakfast meats. We have carafes of coffee, hot water for tea, orange juice, apple juice, and milk. This still feels like a dream. Girls like me don’t end up with guys like Julian Rivers. He’s too good to be true. All of this is like a fairy tale. I’m afraid if I close my eyes I’ll wake up in my dorm room and all of this will have been a dream.
After I finish eating, I crawl back into bed and lean against the headboard, rubbing my full stomach over the cloth robe. Julian joins me, equally stuffed from sampling all of the food.
He looks over and smiles. “I can’t remember the last time I was this happy. And it’s because of you.”
“Me, too.” I squeeze his hand. “I haven’t felt this way in a long time.”
Since the last time we dated.
“Also, don’t ever let me order this much food again. I have regionals this weekend. I shouldn’t have eaten all of this junk.”
I laugh at his comment. “I gain weight just by looking at food. You’ll probably burn it off by tomorrow.”
His hand moves from the mattress to my thigh. “I love how you look, Briana. Not every man wants some skinny twig. I like to have something to grab onto when I fuck you.”
Julian winks, and then continues his slow exploration of my body. Running his finger down my leg in a sensual way, he causes tiny bumps to dot my skin. He cups my breast in his hand, and even with the size of his hands, he still can’t grab all of me.
“And this,” he says, massaging my breast. “I like to have a nice pair of tits to shove my face between.” As he says this, he does exactly that, grabbing both of my breasts in his hands. He flattens his tongue and drags it along each of my breasts, taking his time with each one as he rolls his tongue over my nipples. “I love all of you. Even the parts you hate.”
He knows how insecure I am about my weight. I have monster boobs, thick thighs, and arms that I usually hide with T-shirts and hoodies. But Julian has never looked at me like the slightly overweight girl. Even Sadie tells me I’m not fat, but it’s hard to hear their words when the voice in my head tells me otherwise. Compared to Julian and girls like Sadie, I will always feel out of place. Like I don’t fit in. Not good enough. Not worthy of their love.
Dr. Saxon has been addressing this issue for years. Which reminds me… I skipped my last two appointments with her. Ever since The Player Auction, I’ve been so preoccupied with Julian that I let our therapy session’s lapse. I need to call her office.
After Julian finishes his praise of my body, he hugs me hard against his chest, resting his chin on top of my head as I curl my body into his. “Will you come to my game this weekend?”
I can’t help but laugh. “After what happened last time, I’m not so sure I feel safe coming to your games.”
“I figured you’d say that. It’s just… I haven’t played that good in years. Knowing you were watching me from the stands motivated me to do better. I haven’t had a hat trick since sophomore year.”
I roll onto my back to look at him. “Since you were with me?”
He nods.
“You're my lucky charm.”
“But you’re not mine,” I joke.
His smile turns into a frown, and then I realize how my words must have sounded to him.
“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that. Okay?”
He nods again, his expression still grim.
“I’ll come to your game, but if I get hit in the head, don’t ask me to come ever again.”
A tiny smile tugs at his mouth. “Deal.”
“What time does it start?”
“It’s an afternoon game.” He bites his lip and then adds, “It’s also in Allentown. So, Ramon will have to drive you.”
“I have to switch my work schedule around. I can’t afford to miss a shift. But I’m sure I can swap with someone.”
He flashes one of his boyish smirks that make my heart pound, and then he kisses me, filling me with his love and warmth, reminding me why I fell in love with him the first time.
Chapter Twenty
Julian
With less than five minutes left on the clock, we’re down two goals. We haven’t played like a unit all day. Most of the guys on my team have one last shot at another Frozen Four, and we’re getting our asses handed to us. Go figure.
The last time Briana watched me play I was on fire, fueled by my need to impress her. But after I saw my dad enter the arena, my skin started burning. My anger shakes through me, the sight of him alone enough to produce an intense rage inside me, like a volcano ready to erupt. Why is he even here? He only shows up when he wants to ruin my life in some way. Otherwise, he keeps his distance and lets his spies keep him informed.
I have to maintain my focus. If I can’t keep my head in the game, we will lose. This is my last shot. I’m not as good as some of the other players on my team. My dad isn’t a famous hockey player who taught me and encouraged me every step of the way.
I started playing at boarding school because of my anger issues. The headmaster thought channeling my energy into a physical sport would do me some good. Hockey got me through some rough times with my dad and even harder times with and without Briana. My dad hates hockey, which makes me want to play even more.
So, why am I falling apart when my team needs me?
Snapping myself out of my thoughts, I skate down the ice, coming up on the side of my opponent. He moves his stick back to take the shot, and luckily, I react in enough time to block it.
After we score, I skate back to the bench, with sweat dripping down my forehead and into my eyes. I strip off my helmet and glance over my shoulder to look for Briana. Instead, I find my dad, who’s watching from the front row with an evil grin that makes me shiver.
What the fuck?
I have his dark hair, green eyes, and olive skin. We look so much alike, with the same strong jaw and Roman nose. He’s pushing sixty now, but you can’t tell by looking at him. He doesn’t have a single speck of gray hair on his head. His skin is almost entirely free of wrinkles. At least I know I’ll still look good when I’m his age. But I fucking hate him. I hate the sight of him and everything he represents.
I turn back around and wait until the buzzer sounds. With one period left of play, I follow my teammates into the locker room and wave to Briana as I pass her row. She smiles back and returns my gesture. I wish she didn’t have to see me suck this hard. At least she didn’t get shit thrown at her this time. So, that’s a plus.
As I scan the people in the stands, I find a few of my teammates’ girlfriends. Alex Parker, Tyler Kane, and Carter Donovan are sitting with their wives. I idolized Alex Parker in high school. I wanted to be like him. Seeing him in the crowd makes me want to do better. My dad is missing. Thank God. But my celebration ends the second I near the locker room.
Dressed in a black Gucci suit, black wingtips, and a white oxford paired with a red tie, my dad leans against the brick wall. I take a deep breath and prepare myself for this fight. That’s all we ever do. He wants to tell me how much of an embarrassment I am to the Rivers name. That hockey is a waste of time, and I’ll never go anywhere.
I stop in front of him and rip off my gloves. “What are you doing here?”
His mouth twists in disgust. “I’m your father.”
“Lucky me,” I snap. “So, what do you want? You’re not here because you want to watch me play.”
“No,” he grunts. “And judging by how you’ve played this game, I can see my money is being wasted on this silly sport.”
I wipe the beads of sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand and sigh. “And which sport do you find suitable, Father?”
“Whichever one makes me the most money,” he counters, fixing the lapels of his jacket. “Speaking of things that are suitable…”
Here it comes. I’m already bracing myself for whatever shit he’s about to throw at me.
“The girl you’re seeing. She has to go.” He says this with a straight face, unaffected in any way.
I shake my head. “No, she doesn’t. I love her. She’s not going anywhere. You won two years ago. You got your way. I’m not letting you come between us this time.”
“Do you want to live like your charity case?”
My blood boils from how he speaks about Briana. I’ve never looked at Briana that way. She’s just a girl who’s had a shitty life that was forced on her because of horrible circumstances.
I narrow my eyes at him, confused by his question. “What are you talking about?”
“Your trust fund. I can take it away. You won’t ever see a penny of it.”
“I don’t care,” I snap. “I’m so sick of this shit. You’ve been threatening to take it away for years. Either do it or don’t. But stop using it as a tactic to get me to do what you want.”
He crosses his arms over his chest, staring me down with hatred in his cold green irises. “I always get what I want, Julian. You know this better than anyone. If you force my hand, I’ll take drastic measures.”
Stepping closer, I get in his face. “Like what?”
He pushes his hand between us to create some space. “You’ll find out soon enough.” After I move back against the opposite wall, he adds, “You’ll never make it to the NHL. You should give up now and come back home and work with me. You’re not as good as your teammates.”
My body trembles from the anger rocking through me. I know he’s right. But that doesn’t mean I want to hear it from him. Every part of my body wants to charge forward and beat the shit out of him. I stop myself because I could get in a lot of trouble for fighting in the arena. Coach Bryant would have a stroke and probably bench me for the remainder of the game. Not like my contributions have helped us in any way, but still…
“I’m not letting Briana go,” I say after a long pause. “Nothing you can say or do will change that.”
He shakes his head, shoving his hands into his pockets as he moves closer to me. “I own you, Julian. You’re mine. My property. You either do what I want, or you’ll pay.”
He sounds like Abby Gale, so cold and distant and with no human emotion. They’re both cyborgs. Briana is smart and beautiful. She’s kind and compassionate, even though nothing in her life has ever been easy. How can so much love come from someone who’s been shown so little? My father has everything, and because of him, so do I. But he’s the worst person I know. His money has changed him. It’s become his biggest asset but also his greatest weakness. He’s so afraid of losing his power that he can’t stand to see me happy. No matter what he says, I won’t let him control me.
“I don’t need your money,” I spit back, and then walk into the locker room.
He yells something I mentally block out, leaving him in the empty hallway.
Chapter Twenty-One
Briana
Julian looks deflated when he skates off the ice. Unlike the last time I watched him play, he seemed off for some reason. Even when he raises his hand to wave on his way into the locker room, he looks bummed out. I feel bad for him. Knowing how much this game means to him and his team, I keep my fingers cr
ossed that they win.
They’re down by a few points, and according to Bex Bryant, ‘Sucking major ass’. I like her. She’s unrefined, kind of like me. Bex yelled in my ear the entire first two periods of the game, screaming about plays and who knows what. Most of what she said was like Greek to me.
After Julian’s team exits the rink, Bex taps me on the arm. “Do you want to get something to eat before the final period starts?”
“I’m starving,” Jemma says, patting her pregnant belly. “Can you get me a hot dog… and a pretzel? Oh, and a bottle of water.” The pretty redhead with a growing baby belly reaches into her purse and hands me a twenty-dollar bill.
“Yeah, sure,” I say. “What do you want on your hotdog?”
“Mustard, ketchup, and relish.” Jemma licks her lips. “I swear these babies need to eat every hour. By the time I give birth, Trent will have to roll me to the hospital.”
Bex laughs. “That’s because you have Trent’s babies in your belly. I can’t imagine what it will be like to push them out of you. You’re so tiny.”
Jemma groans. “Don’t remind me. I swear my body isn’t built for twins. They’re growing so fast.”
“Do you know the sexes yet?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Not yet. I’m hoping for one girl and one boy.”
Jemma said she wasn’t even looking for a boyfriend before she met Trent let alone a family. But she’s embracing her new situation, and so is Trent. He’s huge, built like a brick house and about as tall as Julian. Well, I think Julian might be taller. But still, looking at Trent and how fast Jemma’s stomach is growing, she must be carrying some big babies.
I climb the stairs with Bex and follow her as we navigate the crowded hallway toward the concession stands. Bex seems like she knows this place well. She’s the daughter of a hockey coach, so I guess that comes with the territory.
Most Desirable Player Page 13
