Once Upon a Power Play

by Jennifer Bonds

  After they completed the obligatory introductions and hand shaking, they settled into their seats to watch the game. Ryan was totally invested in his team’s play, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, eyes tracking every movement on the ice. She watched quietly for a while, following the cheers of the others in the suite, but eventually it became painfully obvious she was going to need an actual explanation of the rules.

  “All right,” she said, poking Ryan in the ribs. “You’re going to have to explain it to me because I don’t have the first clue what’s going on down there.”

  Incredulous didn’t even begin to describe the look on his face when he finally wrenched his eyes from the ice, as if he couldn’t fathom someone not being an expert on his life’s passion. “Explain it? Explain what exactly?”

  Might as well have some fun with it. Chloe waved her hand. “All of it.”

  He groaned. “Why don’t you start by telling me what you know and I’ll fill in the gaps?”

  Oh, this was going to be good. She beamed at him. “All I got so far is a bunch of brutes slapping a Hostess Ding Dong around and trying to slip one past the goalie.”

  Judging by the look on his face and the crimson flush making its way down his neck to disappear into the collar of his shirt, it was entirely possible his head was going to explode. And not in the good way.

  “Are you fucking with me?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

  Chloe burst out laughing and patted his chest. “Little bit. But seriously, what the hell is offsides?”

  To his credit, he explained the basics in under five minutes, giving her a much better idea of what the heck was going on and when to cheer. By the middle of the second period, she felt like a pro, screaming right along with everyone else when two of the players dropped their sticks and started slugging it out, tearing at one another’s jerseys and throwing punches.

  “Does that get you off, princess?” Ryan asked, leaning in close, invading her space and leaving only a sliver of air between them.

  She glanced down at her hand, which seemed to have a mind of its own. It was the only explanation for why she was rubbing his inner thigh like a horny teenager, and in a room full of strangers no less. Before she could withdraw it, he grabbed her wrist, holding her in place just inches from his cock. The place she would have unwittingly gone if he hadn’t stopped her.

  “I should have known.” The corner of his mouth crept skyward in that irritatingly sexy way of his. Her pulse thundered, drowning out the sounds of the game, the crowd, and even rational thought. “Meet me in the bathroom.”

  For once she had no snarky reply, only a dry mouth and a shit-ton of nerves. He couldn’t be serious. No way was she going in there with him. It was a bathroom for God’s sake. Eww. Then again, it was a bathroom, in a very public place, with a captive audience right outside. It was dirty, inappropriate, and damn if she didn’t want it. Bad. Forget the Mile High Club, she wanted Ryan to bend her over the sink and make her scream.

  A quick scan of the suite confirmed everyone was engrossed in the game. Would they even notice their absence? Doubtful. And even if they did, they’d probably assume she’d gone for another drink. She chugged her beer. Yep. Definitely time for a refill.

  Ryan stroked his cock, praying Chloe wasn’t about to leave him hanging. He was so fucking hard he’d probably lose it as soon as he slipped inside that tight little pussy of hers. Seeing the look in her eyes as she’d watched that fight, he’d known then and there they weren’t going to make it back to her place. She was ready to go.

  The door clicked open. Chloe slipped through and locked it behind her, looking decidedly sure of her decision. Wearing a plain black dress and minimal makeup, she’d done her best to appear conservative. Only there was no taming those wild curls of hers. Like her personality, they were larger than life. His eyes flicked to her feet. And those shoes. Those fucking gold snakeskin heels. They’d been taunting him all night, silently begging him to unleash his most burning desires. Well, the time had finally come.

  He seized her hips and lifted her in the air, spinning her around and sitting her on the edge of the counter. Wedged between her knees, he gripped her ass and pulled her body flush to him. He scraped his teeth over her jaw, losing himself in her sweet scent. Then, twisting his fingers in her hair, he exposed her neck, continuing the rough exploration of her body.

  She mewled with satisfaction.

  “For the record, there’s nothing conservative about these shoes.” He spread her legs and stroked her left calf, massaging her taut muscles all the way down to the offending gold shoe.

  “Yeah, well, I’m not really into boring.” She wiggled her hips in a fruitless attempt to get closer. “What’re you waiting for?”

  “This is going to be fast and hard,” he warned her, shoving her skirt up around her waist. “Think you can handle it?”

  She raised a brow. “Can you?”

  “Princess, I’ve been dying to feel you wrapped around my cock from the moment I last saw you.”

  “There’s a condom in my purse,” she said, handing him the little gold clutch that matched her shoes. She went to work on his belt, dropping his pants in record time and taking his erection in hand, squeezing the base and rubbing her thumb over the head. When he was ready, he shoved her panties aside, revealing her smooth entrance. Chloe silently guided him in, wrapping her legs around his waist.

  “Hold on to the counter,” he ordered, planting a deep kiss on her lips before he drew back and thrust into her.

  “Oh,” she moaned, burying her face in his shoulder.

  Christ she was wet. Which explained her willingness to follow his lead, having sex in a highly inappropriate place, consequences be damned. He shoved the thought aside, pumping into her hard and fast as promised. Her body tightened around him, creating such an intense friction he knew he’d better work quickly to deliver his partner an O. Licking his thumb, he wedged his hand between their bodies and stroked her clit. She bit down on his shoulder. Apparently she was closer than he’d thought. Good. They were coming together or not at all. He tilted his hips, angling for the spot that would give her the most intense orgasm. Her back arched. He clamped his mouth down on hers, swallowing her cries of pleasure as his own orgasm shot through him, leaving little shudders of pleasure in its wake. Her body sagged against him, her head resting on his shoulder.

  “We should go,” she mumbled, not moving.

  He lifted her head and kissed her, soft and languid this time. “We should do this again,” he suggested, pulling out and discarding the condom.

  “Yeah, like every week,” she agreed, adjusting her underwear. She slid off the counter and pulled her dress down. “I’ll bring the shoes, you bring the condom.”

  Chapter Eight

  Chloe scanned the always-crowded Starbucks, spotting Olivia at a small table wedged in the back corner. As usual, Liv was hard at work, head down and typing on her iPad. And Chloe was late. The upside of being late? Olivia had already grabbed her a calorie-heavy Pumpkin Spice Latte it would take an hour on the treadmill to burn off. If she could find the time. The work with Garden of Dreams was keeping her busy and just finding time for coffee had been a struggle.

  Shimmying between tables, she made her way toward the back of the restaurant and dropped unceremoniously into the seat opposite her friend.

  “You’re late,” Olivia said, tapping her screen a few more times before sliding the tablet into its case and looking up.

  “And you’re wearing the Crown-freaking-Jewels!” Chloe blurted out, unable to tear her eyes away from the obscenely large diamond on Olivia’s left hand. “Sweetie, that thing’s going to blind someone. And oh-my-God! You’re engaged! Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She jumped up from the table and threw her arms around her best friend, giving her a tight squeeze. No one deserved happily-ever-after more than Liv, and she was thrilled her workaholic friend had found her Prince Charming.

  “I wanted to tell you i
n person.” Olivia scrunched up her nose. “Besides, last week you said you were too busy at work for coffee, remember? What is up with that anyway?”

  Chloe winked. “That man of your is a slave driver. But if I’d known you had such big news, I’d have found the time. Let me get a good look.” Grabbing Olivia’s hand, she brought the ring up for closer inspection. “It’s beautiful. Seriously, Liv. I am so excited for you. Tell me everything.”

  The glazed eyes and blissful smile on Olivia’s face as she relayed Cole’s proposal at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade spoke volumes about their relationship. In all her life Chloe couldn’t remember ever seeing a woman so in love.

  “It’s so unfair.” She gave her friend a playful smile. “You guys haven’t even been together a year. I’ve spent the last four years relentlessly searching for Mr. Right and I’m still stone-cold single.”

  “Really?” Olivia tilted her head and pressed her lips into a flat line. “Not according to Page Six.”

  The groan was off her lips before she could stop it. “Not you, too.”

  “What’s the deal with you and Ryan Douglas anyway?” Liv asked. The look of hope on her face was soul crushing. “Have you been keeping secrets from me?”

  “Hardly. Things with Ryan are just…” She wrinkled her brow searching for the right word. Fuck-buddies seemed a little crass, especially for broad daylight at Starbucks. “Fun.”

  In the blink of any eye, Olivia’s hope shifted to concern. “You? Just for fun?”

  “We are not dating. We just hooked up a couple of times. It’s no big deal. It just sort of happened.” Chloe shrugged, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. “Once in the kitchen. Once in the owner’s suite at MSG. Once—”

  “I don’t need details,” Olivia said, raising her hand and cutting her off mid-sentence. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt. A pro hockey player? Seems like the kind of guy who checks all of your ‘no-go’ boxes. Cocky. Narcissistic. Entitled,” she finished, ticking them off on her fingers.

  “I’m fine. Really,” Chloe insisted, waving off any further discussion of the potential for future heartbreak. She didn’t need a reminder that Ryan was a walking deal breaker or that nothing could ever happen between them. She was acutely aware of the situation. “Actually, I’m better than ever. Things at work are going well and for the first time in forever, my life is free of boy drama. Being single has never felt better. If I could keep my face off Page Six and the Blueshirt hockey blogs, I’d be a freaking rock star.”

  Olivia shook her head, her eyes dancing with laughter. “I never thought I’d see the day when Chloe Jacobs wanted less attention, not more.”

  “Tell me about it. Seriously, though?” she said, happy to have someone she could trust and confide in. It felt like ages since she and Liv had sat down for girl time. “I used to love reading the gossip magazines, but I swear I’m canceling all my subscriptions. I mean, surely people have better things to worry about than who I’m screwing? Or rather, who Ryan’s screwing.” Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a wrinkled copy of The Post. “And they can’t even take a decent picture. Look how big and frizzy my hair is! Does it really look like that from the back?”

  Olivia chuckled. “Your hair is fine.”

  Lady Gaga’s Telephone blasted from Chloe’s purse. She rolled her eyes. “Not again.” Fishing the phone out of the bag, she confirmed what she already knew. Dave. Or, as she’d come think of him, Dave the Douche. He’d been blowing up her phone for days, and she was getting tired of dodging him. “Hang on,” she told Olivia, holding up a finger. “Let me just see what he wants.”

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Chloe. How’ve you been?” he asked, doing his best to sound casual, although they hadn’t spoken since their broken date. Too bad the tremor in his voice gave him away. Talk about fifty shades of awkward.

  “Never been better.” Which was actually the truth, she realized, a smile curving her lips. “What do you want, Dave?”

  “Listen, I’m sorry for canceling our date last week. Something came up.” He paused. Ha! It didn’t take a genius to figure out what had come up: a better prospect. “Anyway, so I was thinking maybe we could give it another try this weekend?”

  Was he for real? No one could be that self-involved and arrogant. But apparently he was. Her temper started to build, hot and angry, churning in her belly. Stupid asshole. He’d had the balls to dump her with a text message and now that he’d seen her face on Page Six, he wanted to give it another go? Did he really think she was that desperate and pathetic? She’d eat glass before she’d date him again. Or any guy like him—including Ryan. With herculean self-control, she swallowed the angry rhetoric nanoseconds before it exploded from her mouth, earning her a lifetime ban from Starbucks. No way in hell was she giving up her Pumpkin Spice Lattes for Dave the Douche. The man needed a hefty dose of karma. And she was happy to oblige.

  “Actually, I’m free Saturday night if you are.”

  “Really?” The man must’ve been smarter than he looked because he actually sounded surprised.

  “Sure. Why don’t we meet at Zero Sum at eight o’ clock? We can grab a few drinks and see where the night takes us.”

  “Great. I’m really looking forward to it.”

  “Me, too,” Chloe lied with only a twinge of guilt. “Gotta run, but I’ll see you Saturday.”

  Olivia eyed her as she tucked the phone back in her bag. “Did you really just make a date with another man when you are banging that sexy hockey player?”

  “Not one I plan on keeping.” She snorted and sipped her latte. Sadly, Dave wasn’t even the first ex to come crawling out of the woodwork. Just the most recent. Her phone had been ringing off the hook since the article in The Post, which was why she’d started moving all her exes onto the same ringtone. One that reminded her they weren’t worth her time. The past was the past for a reason and she had no desire to look back. “Trust me, Dave is an enormous ass. I guarantee the only reason he called is because he saw Page Six. Last week I wasn’t even worth a phone call.” She rolled her eyes and tucked her hair behind her ear. “How ironic is it the guy I’m screwing for fun is the one making other guys take notice?”

  Ryan watched his teammates as he strapped on his shin guards. He was so fucking tense he wanted to hurl. A scan of the circular locker room revealed he wasn’t the only one battling elevated emotions. It was his first game back, and while it was a regular season game, this wouldn’t be just any faceoff. They were playing the Flyers, one of their top rivals and the team that had put him on IR. Tensions were high and The Garden was sold out. The crowd was expecting a hard-hitting game and they were going to get it tonight. There was no love lost between the teams, especially after the nasty injury to his calf. The fans would also be riding high and extra security had been brought it to manage the unruly crowd.

  Hell, he couldn’t wait to get back on the ice. The rush of the game, the lights, the crowd—he hadn’t realized how much he had missed it. Hockey was a part of him. It was who he was. And he relished the opportunity to get back out there and show all the haters he could face the adversity and come back stronger than ever. He wasn’t a quitter, could never be one. Despite Kelsey’s parting shot as she walked out the door.

  Ryan sucked in a deep breath and stretched his calf, rubbing the scar that stretched from the back of his knee down toward his ankle. The past was the past. It was time to bury the pain and focus on the game. As a captain, the weight of expectation fell heavy on his shoulders. His team was counting on him. Despite all the press, all the doubt, he knew they had his back. They always did. He felt confident and prepared, but that didn’t mean things would go their way tonight.

  They needed the win. Not just for the standings, but to confirm they were one team again, strong as ever. That was the whole reason he’d stayed upstate at the training center for the last week. To rebuild the team. Not that he didn’t need the extra time with the coaches and trainers. He sure as hell d
id. And every bit of it was paying off. Maybe he wasn’t quite one hundred percent, but he was damn close. Tonight that would have to be good enough.

  The only downside to bunking at the training center was the fact that it was a testosterone fest. Which had done nothing to temper his thoughts of Chloe’s lush little body. The sex was un-fucking-believable, and he’d jerked off more times than he cared to admit just thinking of her. The way she came alive when he touched her was a real turn-on. Unlike some of his teammates, he hadn’t been with many women, but he’d definitely never been with one as responsive as Chloe. The woman was an untapped frontier of sexual exploration. Not only was she open to it, she delighted in it.

  Things with Chloe were totally different than they’d ever been with Kelsey. Even in the beginning, things with his ex had felt like work. Had he booked the right restaurant? Worn the right shirt? Bought the right gift? Hell, Chloe was a breath of fresh air with her sarcastic little mouth and lack of expectations. Living in the here and now, just having fun in the moment, was exactly what he needed.

  “Yo, Ry. What the fuck are you doing over there?” Jordy threw a balled up sock at him. “Get your head in the game, man. Warm-up’s in five minutes.”

  He glanced down, realizing he was far from game ready. Grabbing his jersey, he slipped it over his shoulder pads. Jordy was right. He needed to table all thoughts of sex and get his head in the fucking game.

  After? Well, that was a different story.

  Chapter Nine

  Chloe shepherded her rambunctious little charges from the Garden of Dreams to their seats, doing everything in her power to keep the kids moving in an orderly fashion. She’d been flattered when Becca, the Garden of Dreams liaison, had extended the invitation for her to join them at the game. Spending time with the kids was proving more fulfilling than she could have imagined, and it would give her an opportunity to see the crowd’s reaction to the new Garden of Dreams campaign firsthand. Her belly twisted in knots. The new spot was scheduled to run on the big screen right before the game. Although she was proud of the work they’d done, it was impossible to predict how people would react. For the kids’ sake, she hoped positively and with open checkbooks. Especially since there was a call to action inviting the crowd to text donations before the puck dropped. Seeing Ryan’s comeback game live was just an added bonus.