by Anna Sugden
He’d never wanted with such ferocity before. He nibbled at her shoulder.
They’d only been together a few hours. After a few days, this urgency to make love with her would surely subside.
Her foot rubbed against his calf. His erection twitched.
Then again, maybe not.
His fingers trailed over her breasts, edging lower to her stomach, her hip and the top of her thighs. Maggie murmured and shifted again.
He teased, played, dipping into her moist heat, not quite reaching her nub of desire.
She moved restlessly, urging him.
He resisted her demands, wanting her to be ready for him.
Her eyes opened, dark pools lit with golden flames.
“Jake.” Her voice was husky with arousal.
Slipping his finger into her slick core, he stroked the hidden bud with his thumb.
Maggie arched with pleasure. “I want you. All of you.”
And he wanted her. All of her.
Grabbing a condom, he sheathed himself, then sank deep into her hot wetness. Her muscles tightened around him, claiming possession. He was a willing captive.
In moments, Maggie cried out her release. He followed immediately after.
Definitely something new.
Something he could want...for the rest of his life.
* * *
JAKE WAS A much nicer wake-up call than a ringing phone, Maggie thought as she surfaced from sleep a second time. She squinted at the clock.
Eleven-thirty!
Well, her sleep had been disturbed. Heat filled her cheeks as she recalled how passionately she’d been disturbed.
Oh, my God. She’d been wanton. She sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest.
Jake raised himself on one elbow and glared at the phone. It stopped ringing. He leaned over, smoothing a curl from her forehead. “Sorry if that woke you.”
Her heart skipped. “I can’t believe I overslept.”
“You had a very late night.” Fire smoldered in his gaze. “Or a very early morning.”
Heat raced through her body, making it tingle and ache. Her womb tightened with need.
Again? She couldn’t believe it. Sex had always been pleasant. Nothing special. Nothing earth-shattering. Until last night, when the earth had definitely shattered.
And she’d discovered an insatiable craving for Jake.
Maggie forced her mind to ignore her need to lick her way down his broad chest...again. “You could have answered.”
“They’ll call back if it’s important.” He shrugged. “What are your plans today?”
“Emily’s staying with a friend, so I’m free.” She paused, not wanting to sound too forward. “Unless you have other plans.”
He grinned. “Practice is at two. Until then, I’m yours. What do you want to do?”
Her mind shouted several decadent suggestions. But before she could answer, Jake’s stomach rumbled loudly.
“Looks like we’re having breakfast.” He smiled wryly. “What’s your pleasure—in bed or at IHOP?”
She leaned back against the pillows, licking her lips slowly. “Breakfast in bed.”
“Your wish is my command.” Aqua sparks leaped in his blue eyes.
“Now, there’s a thought.”
His head dipped toward her lips, only to be halted by his growling stomach.
He moaned. “I’ll be back shortly.”
He got out of bed. Maggie savored the play of smooth skin over taut muscles as he pulled on a pair of jogging bottoms.
When he’d gone, she rushed to the bathroom to freshen up. She groaned as she looked in the mirror. She’d hoped for sexily sleep tousled, not “dragged through a hedge.”
She’d barely hopped back into bed when Jake appeared with a breakfast tray.
He looked chagrined. “It’s not a great selection—the refrigerator’s bare because I was on the road. I had enough milk for your tea, though.”
Maggie wrapped her hands around the steaming mug and sipped. Just how she liked it. She was touched he’d remembered—Lee had never bothered. “Perfect.”
Jake drew her attention back to the tray. “Muffins, peanut butter, cheese, bananas and strawberry jelly. In any combination you like.”
The phone rang again.
He frowned. “I’d better get this, in case it’s one of the Cats.”
“Of course.” She nodded, then selected a banana.
Maggie realized pretty quickly that the caller was JB and there was a problem.
Jake’s frustration came through as he covered the mouthpiece. “I’m sorry. I forgot I insisted the kid moves in today. I could put him off, but...”
“It’s okay,” she cut in, smiling. “I understand.”
“Are you sure? I’ll be done in time for our date, but I had other plans for today.”
“You’re pouting again.” She touched his lower lip. “Why don’t I stay and help? We can have our date after.”
With a grateful look and a swift, but delicious, kiss, Jake returned to his conversation.
She was impressed by his personal commitment to helping JB and the way he’d taken responsibility for the rookie’s future. Jake would claim it was for the good of the team, but she thought it went deeper than that.
“You’re doing a good thing,” she said as he hung up.
He shrugged. “I can only do so much. The rest is up to him.”
“With you guiding him, he can’t fail.”
Despite her earnest tone, Jake’s expression became bleak. “I’m not the best example for him to follow.”
“Your experience makes you the perfect person to help him through this.”
“I suppose...” His voice trailed off. He shook his head, as if to clear it. “Anyway, this isn’t getting you breakfast.”
Maggie allowed the change of subject. Then she decided to distract him.
Dipping her finger into the peanut butter, she sucked it into her mouth. She took her time licking her finger clean.
Flames leaped to life again in his eyes.
“Not bad.” She swirled her banana in the peanut butter, then bit into the fruit. “Mmm. This is my new favorite.”
“Damn it, Maggie.” The tray hit the floor with a crash.
It was a while before they ate breakfast.
* * *
THE BADOLETTIS AND Jelineks celebrated Thanksgiving the way they did everything—loudly, surrounded by friends and with mountains of food. Jake had rarely been able to return to New Jersey for the holiday; he was usually with the team in a hotel on the road. Dallas last year, Anaheim the year before.
This year was different—they didn’t play until Saturday afternoon, at home—and he was relishing every minute. Even the tradition of the men cleaning up after the meal while the women relaxed.
He carried a stack of dishes over to the sink where Tru and Ike were washing up.
“Looks like the kid’s being loaded with leftovers.” Tru inclined his head at JB, who was packing a couple of grocery bags with foil-wrapped packages.
“The moms love fussing over him.” Jake grinned. “Beats eating his own cooking, for sure.”
“So it’s working out okay?” Ike dried a large baking dish. “I know he’s settled down recently, but he hasn’t completely lost his arrogance or his quick-fire temper.”
“That’s what gives JB his edge.” Jake slotted knives into the dishwasher’s cutlery basket. “He’s doing fine.”
JB had turned over a new leaf since Tampa. He was also playing better and scoring more consistently.
“Let’s hope he can keep it up.” From Ike’s expression, he wasn’t convinced.
Jake shook his head at his friend’s cynicism and wandered back to the din
ing room for more dishes. Maggie’s giggle rang out from the next room.
Emotion swelled within his chest. Despite the shaky start, after the Tampa incident they’d spent as much time as they could together, alone and with Emily. Laughter-filled days and passion-filled nights.
Once, spending so much time with one woman would have been his cue to start working on his exit strategy. He’d have already started to feel hemmed in, aware that the relationship had run its course, and begun to pull away.
Not this time. Not with Maggie.
Buoyed by the way his play had improved in parallel with their relationship, he’d found himself wanting to spend more time with her. Instead of shying away from the fact that they were a couple, he wanted to shout it from the rooftops. To make it public knowledge. He wanted everyone to know that he was serious about her.
The holiday had reinforced those feelings. The cozy atmosphere, the warmth and love, made him determined to take their relationship to the next level.
Thanks to the Ice Cats’ PR department, he had the perfect opportunity to do so.
He deposited the last few dishes with the Jelinek brothers, then walked into the living room, where the women were slouched in chairs, engrossed in a holiday movie.
“Do you want to go for a walk, Maggie?” he asked.
“That’s a good idea.” His mom smiled indulgently.
“We’ll look after Emily.” Aunt Karina’s eyes twinkled. “Don’t hurry back.”
Jake rolled his eyes at their blatant matchmaking.
“That would be nice.” Maggie rose. “Thanks.”
They’d barely turned the corner before he pulled her to him. “It’s been too long since I tasted you.”
“About eight hours.” She nipped his bottom lip.
A flash of heat speared his groin. “Way too long.”
A car honked as it drove past, making them draw apart. Her reluctance pleased him and gave him the boost he needed.
“I’ve been thinking.” He slung his arm over her shoulders, steering her toward the park.
“Is that allowed under The Code?”
“Funny. Any more wisecracks and I’ll resort to tickling.”
“No! Anything but that.”
They laughed together. It felt good. Right.
They snuggled close on a bench beneath an old maple. The pale, wintry sun did little to warm the damp, chilly air.
He inhaled deeply, enjoying the way Maggie’s soft scent added a subtle sweetness to the smell of wood smoke and autumn leaves. “I want you to come to the Ice Cats Gala Charity Evening with me.”
He groaned inwardly. That was really romantic.
She stiffened. “That’s the team’s major event of the season.”
“You’ll love it. They hire out a fancy ballroom and invite season-ticket holders, investors, sponsors and anyone associated with the organization to spend a crazy amount of money per plate to have the team serve their dinner.”
“It must get a lot of media coverage.”
Surprised by her subdued response, Jake played up the event’s glamour. “Yeah. The Cats always manage to get a bunch of celebs to come.”
Instead of impressing her, his words seemed to unsettle her more.
“Sounds like a fun evening.” She twisted her fingers in her lap. “Perhaps another time.”
He frowned. Most women would jump at the chance to go to such an important function with him. He’d never asked anyone before, preferring to go stag than give the wrong idea—it wasn’t an event where you brought a casual date.
“Besides, we’ve only been dating a few weeks.”
“And this is the logical next step.” Logical? What the hell was he saying? “I mean, it’s the perfect opportunity to show everyone the wonderful woman I’m dating.” Damn. He should have worked out what to say beforehand. “I want people to know how important you are to me.”
Why did she look like he’d asked her to sacrifice her firstborn?
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m not sure I’m ready for that kind of function yet.”
Had he misjudged her feelings about him? “I thought things were good between us.”
“It’s been wonderful.” She raised her eyes to his. The warmth in the dark brown depths was encouraging.
“So what’s the problem? You don’t want people to know we’re together?”
“This isn’t about our relationship, Jake.”
“What is it about?” He shook his head, confused.
“A high-profile party with massive media exposure. Being thrust back into the public eye, dodging the press and the paparazzi. Having my picture and my life splashed everywhere again.”
“It’s not that big a deal,” he backtracked quickly. “Hockey events don’t get the same coverage as the NFL. There’ll be plenty of famous faces for the media hounds to salivate over. We’ll be lucky if one picture of us makes the cut.”
Maggie shot him a disbelieving look. “You’re a guaranteed headline. I’ve seen the media attention you get.”
“Used to get. Other than the Tampa thing, I haven’t graced their pages in months.”
“Which is why they’ll focus on your latest bit of arm candy.”
“You’re way more than that.” Irritation sparked within him. “Attending the gala evening with you sends that message loud and clear. Once they know things are serious between us, they’ll back off. There’s no story in a steady relationship.”
“It doesn’t work that way, especially for someone like you. It’ll whet their appetite for more.” She sighed wearily. “I’ve been through this before. I was the wife of a sports star who loved the glare of the media spotlight. I’ve only just escaped the circus surrounding my divorce. I’m not sure I’m ready to face it all again.”
He’d chosen the wrong tack. He’d have to do some sharp skating if there was to be any chance of her going with him.
“I don’t want the attention anymore, either. But this isn’t just a social function. It supports the team, and local children’s charities benefit. Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from the piranhas.”
“I’m sure you’ll try, but you won’t be able to keep a low profile.”
He hated that she was right. “Once I’ve fulfilled my commitments for the Cats, I’ll make sure we enjoy the rest of the evening undisturbed.”
“You know it doesn’t work that way.”
Frustration bubbled inside. She wasn’t giving him anything to work with. “It can if we want it to.”
“Something always goes wrong.” She shook her head sadly. “Despite the promised good intentions. Whether it’s because of the free-flowing booze or the larger-than-life egos or the exclusive-desperate media, there’s always trouble and it always escalates until it’s blown up out of all proportion.”
“I take it you’re talking about the jerk again.” His lip curled.
Maggie nodded. “In the beginning, I loved those kinds of events. The glitz, the glamour, the famous people, the fabulous clothes, even the publicity. But I grew to dread them.” Her eyes darkened at the painful memory. “Lee was always at the center of the trouble and I always bore the brunt of the fallout.” Her voice faltered on the last word.
Jake’s fingers curled into a fist. He wished he could make her ex suffer. Instead, he smoothed a curl from Maggie’s forehead. “From what you’ve said, he chased publicity. And trouble. This will be different. I’m different.”
Surely she knew that by now. Doubt twinged his chest.
“I know you’re not like him.” Maggie laid her hand on his.
Jake twined their fingers together, breathing a sigh of relief when she didn’t pull away.
“That doesn’t mean trouble and publicity won’t court you,” she continued. “When it does, beca
use I’m with you, it’ll rebound on me.” She paused. “It’s not just myself I’m worried about. It’s Emily. I don’t want to do anything that will catch Lee’s attention.”
“I thought he’d been quiet since that last crazy demand. He didn’t even take up your offer to Skype with Emily.”
“I’d like to keep it that way. I can’t risk anything that gets him thinking about the custody agreement again. Em’s been through too much already.”
“I promise I won’t let anything happen that could hurt you or Emily.”
Maggie’s tense gaze searched his face. She must have been slightly reassured by what she saw because her expression eased a bit. “I’m sure you’ll do your best.”
“So, you’ll come to the gala evening.” Jake started to relax, his mind already rushing ahead to how he could make the evening special.
“I need some time to think about it.”
Her response stopped him in his tracks. He tamped down his impatience. “It’s a few hours one evening. How bad could it be?”
“Maybe we could wait until another function, later in the season,” she hedged.
Desperation rose, threatening to choke him. He searched frantically for a way to convince her. “There isn’t another function like this unless we win the Cup. Even then, that won’t be until June.” He didn’t want to wait that long.
“Then maybe we could attend one of the other team events. Something a little lower profile. Don’t the wives and girlfriends get involved in the coat drive and the food drive?”
“Sure, and I’d love for you to be part of those, but the gala evening is special.”
“Jake, please.” Her imploring tone caught his attention.
He was pushing too hard again. Jumping to his feet, he paced as he tried to rein himself in. “You’re worrying about something that may not happen. I understand why, but hiding from the world isn’t the answer.”
Maggie bristled. “That’s not what I’m doing.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No. I don’t see what’s wrong with needing a little time to make sure I do the right thing for me and my daughter. I don’t see what the rush is.”
“I want to show you how important you are to me, damn it.” He thrust his fingers through his hair, then stopped in front of her. “I may not be handling it the way you’d like, but I’ve never wanted to get serious with anyone before.”
