Playing for Keeps/Body Check (Rules of the Game)

by Heather Peters

  Mia tilted her head. "Is this a date, Quinn?"

  He took the towel from her and dabbed her forehead and face gently. "Call it what you want. You have to eat." He shrugged. "I have to eat. Come on gorgeous, you know you want to."

  He planted a small kiss on her pouting lips, tasted a hint of mint. "I want you all to myself tonight. What do you say, Mia?"

  She huffed and shook her head. "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you, Rafferty?"

  He smiled, knowing he'd won her over. "I never do. So don't let me work for it."

  She hesitated and Quinn thought she'd refuse him. Then she smiled and caressed his cheek, her touch making him want more.

  "What if I said no?"

  He smiled, sensed she was teasing him. "I'll meet you outside in ten minutes."

  CHAPTER FOUR

  After deeming every dress in her closet inappropriate for the fundraiser, Mia decided to go shopping. Her close friend, Elena Collins, agreed to join Mia for breakfast so they could spend the day shopping and catching up.

  Elena was bright, outgoing and never turned down the chance to shop till she dropped. The petite woman with the chin length, jet black hair also possessed the golden hands of a gifted chiropractor, and had treated Mia and members of the Thunder from time to time.

  Meeting for breakfast before their shopping expedition, Elena, as usual, was early, and had already ordered coffee and juice for both of them.

  Mia knew she could tell her closest friend anything. Elena was a straight from the hip kind of woman and Mia felt this was a good time to confide in her good friend, who would give her an honest, no nonsense opinion of Quinn, and how a relationship with him would affect her.

  After exchanging hugs and trivial niceties, Mia settled across from her raven haired friend, and took a welcome sip of morning brew, savoring the nutty flavor. They ordered breakfast from the young, affable waiter, then faced each other across the table and shared recent events while they waited for their food.

  "So, where do you want to start? Bergdorf? Saks? You want to dazzle and show off your beauty and allure, don’t you?" Elena joked, then took a small sip of coffee.

  Their breakfast set down before them, Mia shrugged and speared a cube of melon with her fork, then waved it at her friend. "How about that new boutique down on Broadway and Water Street. They carry Vera Wang and Stella McCartney."

  Elena nodded, her brows raised, as she took a bite of scrambled egg. "Sounds like a plan."

  They ate and spoke of everyday issues, Mia's job, Elena's practice.

  Two cups of coffee later, Mia watched Elena narrow her gaze.

  "What? Is my mascara smeared or something?" Mia made a grab for her mirrored compact.

  "How long have we known each other, Sinclair?"

  Mia laughed. "Too long."

  Elena nodded. "Ok then, why don’t you tell me if the rumors are true."

  Uh oh. "What rumors?"

  "Oh, I don’t know. The rumors about you and a certain, gorgeous, sexy, six foot five goaltender with the sexy stubble and the blue eyes of a hockey god, hmm?"

  Mia tilted her head, then met Elena's dark gaze. "You got me. I have ulterior motives to shop until we drop today."

  "Well, talk Sinclair, what's going on? I see the way he looks at you when I come to a game, and how long has this been going on?"

  "I went out to dinner with him last week."

  Elena gave her friend thumbs up. "Ah, finally, putting Goyette to rest. I'm going to kiss that Rafferty right on the mouth when I see him."

  Mia nearly spit out her scrambled egg. "Ok, don’t get excited, Collins. It was just dinner. And…"

  "And what, come on, tell me, I'm dying here."

  Mia shrugged, "I'm going to the fundraiser with him."

  Elena nearly cheered. "Ok, I owe him two kisses." The petite woman straightened. "Seriously, sweetie, I'm so happy for you. It's obvious the man has had it bad for you for a long time. Put him out of his misery and get laid already."

  "I'm not ready, Elena. But when I'm with him, I'm so conflicted. The job, the team, what I went through with Andre and…."

  "And your father." Elena nodded. "Look, take it slow, and let nature take its course. If you like Quinn, just follow your heart. You can't keep yourself closed away forever, honey."

  "Look Elena, I'm sick of sparring with Dad. I'm twenty-nine years old, and he's impossible. He still thinks he can run my life."

  Elena dabbed her mouth with her linen napkin, then placed the fabric next to her plate. "Look, I don’t know Quinn that well, but anyone has got to be an improvement over Andre the snake."

  "I guess what it all comes down to is being hurt again."

  Elena placed a generous tip on the table, then grabbed Mia's hand.

  "Mia, honey, are you content to lock yourself up from men forever? You're young, gorgeous, and Quinn obviously wants you. He can't use all that testosterone to just stop pucks. "

  Mia opened her mouth to speak, when Elena interrupted. "Don't talk, listen. You want my advice, well, here it is. Go with him to the dinner, have a great time, and let nature take its course. Not all jocks are alike, especially not the ones who look like Rafferty."

  "If you weren’t already a chiropractic genius, you could go into business as a shrink." Mia squeezed Elena's hand and smiled. "Seriously, you're a good friend, Elena. I love you, and thanks."

  "It's settled then. You'll buy an uber sexy dress for the fundraiser to knock Quinn's socks off, then you'll let me know if the elusive Adam Piersson brings a date."

  Mia laughed as they rose from their chairs and exited the restaurant. Elena had a crush on the Thunder's captain for a few months now, but it seemed that Adam was immune to Elena's charms. But if you looked in the dictionary under the word 'tenacious' there would be a picture of Elena Collins under it.

  Hailing a cab to take them downtown, Mia promised Elena she'd think about taking her relationship with Quinn to the next level, whatever that was, plus all the perks that came with dating the gorgeous goaltender.

  In the end, after an exhausting afternoon of shopping for the perfect dress, Mia was persuaded by Elena to buy a sexy gold curve hugging dress slit up the thigh, then splurged for the most sinful designer mile-high open heels and a new evening bag that cost more than her Louis Vuitton. Questioning her sanity, Mia threw caution to the wind and surrendered her credit card. She was having a fun day, and she went with the feeling.

  After a very late lunch, Mia and Elena parted ways with a promise to get together before the dinner dance. Mia caught a cab, and headed home with her extravagant parcels.

  Opening her apartment door then entering her bedroom to place her purchases on her bed, Mia quickly sank onto her soft mattress, tired but happy for the first time in months.

  She would take it one step at a time, and see where her relationship with Quinn took them. Yet she needed to be cautious and protect her heart, because she wouldn’t survive another heartbreak.

  ***

  At the same time, Quinn parked his car in front of the big six story red brick building in Staten Island with the huge bronze statue of St. Michael the Archangel guarding its gates. He smiled as he pulled three giant bags from the back of his Escalade, then walked through the double magnetic doors.

  This was one of the perks of being a celebrity athlete. And the one he enjoyed most.

  He stopped at the front desk, and was greeted by the familiar jovial security guard.

  "Hey Quinn, you and the team played great against Boston."

  Referring to the 7-3 win over Boston, Quinn threw a warm smile at the tall, rotund man wearing the uniform of a security guard. "Thanks, Andy, we're going for it all. We've got a great group of guys. Can I go up?"

  "Of course, they're waiting for you in the lounge."

  Quinn nodded his thanks, and took the stairs two at a time to the second floor, then followed the sounds of children's laughter as he made his way to the family lounge as he'd done dozens of times b
efore.

  St. Michael's Children's Home. The same institution he'd been brought up in many years ago after being abandoned as an infant. And now that fortune had shined on him in the form of celebrity, he could give back to the place that had saved his life. He was a newly appointed member of the board of directors, and he was proud to contribute generously to the place he credited with the man he'd become.

  This is what it's all about, he thought as he entered the room, and more than two dozen or so boys and girls of varying ages greeted him with smiles, hugs and cheers.

  He sat on the floor in the midst of them all, and began doling out hugs and high fives, then opened up the packages he'd brought with him, and handed them to the boys and girls who were his extended family.

  Quinn never thought about having kids, but every time he visited these beautiful children, he thought immediately of Mia, and knew he'd love to have children with her. He realized he was getting way ahead of himself, and he was going too fast when it came to Mia, but damn it all, he cared about her, and would do anything to make her happy.

  Two hours later, Quinn left the beautiful hill top orphanage on the Southern tip of Staten Island, and drove a mile to the area known as Princess Bay. Located near the water, he drove to the barren piece of land he'd recently purchased, parked his car and walked to gaze upon the site where plans had already started to build a home after the season ended.

  Quinn loved to work with his hands, and also planned on making some of the furniture to fill that home. Growing up at St. Michaels, he was fortunate to have a good education, and even though lonely at times, his teachers taught him not only how to grow up to be a viable part of society, but he loved building things. Starting with bird houses, he eventually moved on to small pieces of furniture and from there, discovered a talent for building more intricate furniture fashioned from wood.

  He lived at St. Michaels, never fortunate enough to be adopted, and stayed till the age of eighteen. He applied to Staten Island Community College and got side jobs busing and waiting tables, then selling sports equipment, where he eventually fell in love with all sports, but hockey attracted him. Joining a local ice hockey league he soon discovered he was adept at stopping the puck rather than scoring with it. Urged by teammates to try goaltending, he found he enjoyed the challenge of facing opponents, and preventing them from putting the rubber behind him.

  He instinctively touched the gold St. Michael's medal he always wore under his shirt, close to his heart. He loved the children of St. Michael's, enjoyed bringing them sports equipment, not only hockey sticks, but baseball items from his friends who were members of the New York Stars, not to mention footballs and helmets donated by the New York Knights. Quinn was fortunate to be associated with such talented athletes who shared with those less fortunate.

  Looking out at the bay, Quinn continued thinking of Mia, and to their date this weekend when the team's charity dinner dance would be held at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan.

  The fundraiser was an annual event, and attendees often numbered near a thousand. An elaborate dinner would start off the evening at five hundred dollars a person, followed by a celebrity auction, where past and present members of the Thunder would present their prized personal mementos, offering them to the highest bidder.

  Happiness filled him when Mia agreed to attend the dinner as his date. He knew it was difficult for her to date again after her bad experience. Sweet, sexy, funny, he loved being with her. His childhood often filled with loneliness, Mia filled that void in his heart that he'd been missing all these years.

  He'd never had parents that loved him, no siblings, although the children he grew up with at St. Michael's were his substitute family.

  Now, at the age of 29, he was ready to love, with all his heart, with all he was.

  He wanted all that with Mia.

  Back home in his apartment an hour later, Quinn threw his keys on a nearby table, turned on the lights and grabbed a remote to turn on the huge wall screen, and tuned in to Sports Scene.

  He stripped on his way to the shower, his mind and body focused on Mia.

  The past few months had been murder on his body, but he was a disciplined athlete, and controlled his frequent hard on, putting all his energy into playing hard and winning games.

  But as he turned on the shower, stepping under the huge nozzle, allowing the spray of water to hit him hot and hard, he found he wanted her more and more every day.

  Grabbing a tube of body wash, Quinn lathered himself, rubbing the smooth, fragrant substance over his head, under his arms, down his chest, to his flat abs, and below.

  The soap and hot water engulfed him in a humid fog. He thought the heat would relax his muscles. Instead when he slid the suds over and under his stiff erection, he wished she was here, sharing the shower where he would wrap her legs around his waist. He'd devour her, taste her, touch her and listen to her cry out his name in pleasure.

  Her past relationship had ended in a mess, and Quinn wanted nothing more than to help her heal, help her to know a lover who would treat her like a woman should be treated.

  They would be together. If she needed a little push, Quinn thought as he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, he was just the guy to do it.

  And in the interim, prove they belonged together.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  New York Thunder Fundraiser/Auction

  March 11 - Waldorf Astoria Hotel

  Mia had agreed to meet him here at the hotel, but she had yet to make an appearance. She'd been running late and told him she'd meet him at the dinner. She was almost an hour late. Where was she? Why wasn’t she here yet?

  He realized he couldn’t sit still and excused himself from the table. He walked out of the room, greeted teammates and acquaintances, then headed toward the front entrance.

  She was just walking through the door. In a dress that made his mouth water.

  He forgot how to breathe as his eyes took her in and devoured her as if he were a starving man. To say she was stunning was a gross understatement. Gorgeous, sexy, alluring, all described what he was thinking at that second.

  He also knew something else. He wanted his hands on her.

  Quinn was utterly, completely, crazy about her.

  She saw him, and her smile widened.

  In a long column of gold bearing a seductive slit up her thigh, with thin, almost invisible straps and a black wrap shot through with threads of black and gold, she was a vision.

  Long, sparkling gold earrings swung from her ears as she walked. Her heels were so damn high he wondered how she maneuvered in them. But that didn’t matter. Her hips swayed, her breasts gently bounced, her thick waves framing her face and spilling down her back.

  Quinn itched to thread his fingers through her hair, pull off that gown and make love to her in nothing more than those tall, skyscraper shoes.

  As she came closer, he grew hard as stone. Her perfume swamped his senses and pulled him closer to her.

  "Hi." She approached him, almost standing eye to eye, a result of her height and her heels.

  "Hi." He took her hand, and then leaned in to sample the softness of her lips.

  "If you wore that dress to drive me insane, it worked. You look incredible and smell like sin, a very lethal combination, Miss Sinclair." He tucked her arm in the crook of his own.

  Her soft chuckle stiffened him further. "And you look quite dashing in your tux."

  "Uh-huh. We goalies clean up well, I'm told."

  He led her to the table, pulled out her chair, and after she sat, settled himself next to her. "Champagne?" She nodded her thanks as he poured for both of them.

  Mia greeted the other players and wives at their table, and accepted a soft kiss on the cheek from Adam Piersson. It appeared the Thunder's captain had attended the function alone, and Mia mused that Elena would find the news very interesting, indeed. Pouring himself a glass, Quinn lifted it to her, tapped it with a clink, and whispered in her ear. "If at any time y
ou find yourself bored with this party, I can promise you a better time at my place later. Interested?"

  Her eyes held the slightest hint of doubt. She took a sip, her gaze never leaving his. "You're pushing again, Rafferty."

  "No I'm not," he protested half heartedly.

  Mia placed her glass on the table. "I feel your footprints all over my back."

  "And a beautiful back it is, too."

  He'd cornered her, and he knew it. So Mia did what she always did when he pushed. She changed the subject.

  "Dance with me."

  He exhaled, then held out his hand and led her to the dance floor, wrapping her in his arms. Her legs were long, and their thighs touched. "Just how long do you plan to make me suffer?"

  "Look Quinn, I agreed to come with you. Let's just have fun, ok?"

  He raised his eyebrows. "We'd have more fun if we were alone and I could see what you're wearing under that dress."

  When he said things like that to her, Mia didn’t know whether to ignore him or kiss him.

  Holding her in his arms, having her so close, dancing with the houselights dimmed, Quinn swallowed hard and attempted to rein in his reaction to her. "Do you have any idea what I want to do to you?" he whispered in her ear, feeling her shiver as his hand settled over her back, just above her rear.

  She looked up at him, her eyes wide and unsure. "Yes."

  That single word nearly brought him to his knees.

  It was going to be a long night.

  ***

  "Oh look, the auction's about to begin. That's your cue, Rafferty."

  Quinn smiled at her, winked, then left their table to go up on stage. He was handed a jersey that he'd worn his rookie year when he won the Rookie of the Year Trophy as premiere goaltender in the League.

  Now he was auctioning it off for charity.

  Mia watched him as she sipped her wine, wondering as to the character and personality of this man who'd decided he wanted her in his life.

  Quinn was moving a little too fast for her, but she couldn’t help it, her attraction for him was growing, and the fact that they saw each other all the time, didn’t help matters. The truth was, he made her feel beautiful and wanted.