A Better Man

by Candis Terry

  “I can’t leave Ziggy.”

  “Ziggy can come along.” His warm hands slowly caressed her arms. “I know you don’t owe me anything. And if I weren’t so worried about Nicki, I wouldn’t ask you to drop everything to help me out. But my sister means everything to me. And right now there’s something going on with her that I can’t figure out. It might help if she had a woman to talk to.”

  “You’re a very hard person to say no to,” she admitted.

  “Then please don’t.” He flashed her a cheesy grin. “Pretty please? With chocolate-­covered Rice Krispies treats on top?”

  Want, need, guilt, and a dash of excitement warred within her heart. She agreed that taking Nicole with him was a good idea. Also, it might help the girl if she had someone objective to talk to. But if held at gunpoint, Lucy would have to admit those weren’t the only reasons she was giving his request some consideration. “Give me a couple of hours to arrange things.”

  “So you’ll go?” A hopeful smile tilted those masculine lips.

  “I’ll go.”

  Relief flashed through his eyes just before he lifted her off her feet and kissed her senseless.

  What the hell was he doing?

  Strapped in the seat of a charter jet across the aisle from Lucy and Nicole with Ziggy stretched out at their feet, Jordan questioned his decision to bring the whole gang with him back to North Carolina just so he could play a couple of games.

  The awkward silence on the plane was deafening and he scrambled to figure out what to say, what to do, and how the hell to make this work.

  The only thing in his favor was Lucy—­a careful, brilliant woman who no longer made rash decisions despite the fact that she’d taken a leap of faith with him. Having her in his corner gave him a lot more confidence in the situation than he’d have if he was handling it alone.

  For over an hour Nicki had sat silently with her arms folded and looking out the window. Lucy had kept herself busy reading a book about character traits. Maybe she was trying to find a way to figure him out.

  He couldn’t believe she’d agreed to come, but he was beyond grateful. Helping out with his sister while he was at practice would be a huge relief. And since he planned to have them both attend the games, he wouldn’t worry about them.

  But that wasn’t his only reason for wanting Lucy along.

  Last night they’d jumped a hurdle when she’d opened up and talked to him about her marriage. He’d appreciated that she trusted him enough to share. That confidence had made him like her even more. He didn’t want to be gone for a few days, weeks, or longer and put a dent in what could be developing between them.

  As if she could feel him watching her, Lucy looked up. She pushed her glasses up her nose and smiled. A hot arrow of lust shot through him. Why he found that simple gesture so sexy he had no idea. But it made him realize he was probably in deeper than he’d initially thought.

  She deserved to have a man treat her like a queen. A man who’d love her and make her his top priority.

  Could he be that man?

  He didn’t know.

  But the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to be.

  She smiled again, and, not that he didn’t love his sister, but he suddenly wished he and Lucy were alone. He could teach her a hell of a lot about the art of seduction at thirty thousand feet.

  “Are we almost there?” the baby dragon asked.

  “Almost,” he said. “Think by the time we land you can find a smile?”

  She flashed him the most forced, scary-­looking grin he’d ever seen.

  “Well, that’s a start.”

  Across from him Lucy took his cue, put her book aside, and leaned in to engage Nicki in a conversation about the upcoming prom. It took a few minutes before Nicki warmed up to the discussion. When she finally did, she amazingly still managed to flash him the death glare.

  All he could do right now was close his eyes, wish the jet had booze on board, and pray all the way to North Carolina.

  Lucy followed Jordan and Nicole into Jordan’s high-­rise apartment. While the place was nice, with everything in rich dark wood, black leather, and granite, it wasn’t overly extravagant like she’d expected. She’d have thought he lived like a spoiled superstar in a huge house with useless rooms he never bothered to visit. He certainly portrayed that image when the paparazzi captured him leaving a celebrity event or fancy restaurant with a gorgeous blonde on his arm.

  The furnishings were definitely masculine, so it seemed almost comical to imagine him standing in a Home Goods store selecting the delicate rose and lily centerpiece in the middle of the big black dining table or the modern pieces of art and mirrors on the walls. The fact that the place was spotless led her to believe he had help come in and clean.

  “I only have two bedrooms,” he announced as he parked Lucy’s suitcase by the sofa. “Nicki, I’ll put you in the one down here.”

  Lucy followed as he led his sister down the hall and into a nice-­sized room with a queen-­sized bed and a private bath. Again, the room had a masculine flair, but Lucy didn’t think Nicole would mind. She might protest loudly, but Lucy couldn’t help thinking the young girl was more than a little excited that her big brother had seen fit to bring her along.

  “It has a smart TV with every cable channel you can think of.” He tossed her bag on the bed. “If there’s something specific you want to watch, just order it on Netflix.”

  “Whatever.” Nicole rolled her eyes.

  “Yeah.” He sighed.

  As Lucy followed him back out into the hall, she wished she could resolve the reason for Nicole’s anger. No doubt the girl was complex. Alarmingly, it seemed the girl couldn’t push past her anger enough to be able to grieve the loss of her parents. Maybe Jordan was right. Maybe with a little time together, Lucy could at least begin to understand.

  “I’ll put you in my room,” Jordan said to Lucy, grabbing her bag from the living room floor.

  “But where would you sleep?”

  “On the sofa.”

  “Don’t be silly. I can’t push you out of your bed. You have to be at the top of your game over the next couple of days.”

  When they reached his room—­the epitome of black leather manliness—­he stopped and turned toward her. The way his lips curled up at the corners and the glimmer in his eyes sent a rush of warmth from her heart down through her core. She barely resisted a lusty shudder.

  “So you’re saying you’re willing to share a bed?” he asked.

  “I . . . uh . . .” she sputtered.

  “It’s a king-­sized bed. You won’t even know I’m there.”

  “You’re a little hard to miss.”

  He set her bag on the bed and moved so close she could smell his clean, manly scent. “I could keep you warm if you got cold.”

  The idea of having his big, warm, muscular body wrapped around hers sounded very appealing.

  “There’s nothing to eat in here.” Nicole’s shout rattled from the kitchen throughout the apartment.

  “Try the top shelf in the cupboard. It’s where I keep the forbidden food,” Jordan shouted back to his sister, then his attention zeroed right back in on Lucy. Strong arms surrounded her and drew her against his hard-­muscled body.

  “You keep thinking on my offer.” He lowered his head and delivered a sweet and deadly kiss that was way too quick for Lucy’s liking. “It won’t be the last time you hear it.”

  “What about the teenager in the other room?” Although Lucy liked the way he staked his claim because she’d never had a man do that before, she had to bring up the obvious. “I’m her teacher. I need to set a good example.”

  “You’re an excellent example. And she’ll have to find her own snuggling partner,” he said. “Maybe I should get her a cat.”

  At their feet Ziggy swept his tail back
and forth.

  “What do you think about that, Zigmeister?” Jordan asked her dog, who gave a growly bark in response. “Unless he eats cats.”

  “The only things he eats are Frisbees, Beggin’ Strips, and the best brand of dog food on the market. Which obviously does not help his wind problem.”

  “Ah. So you’re one of those pet mommies.”

  “Yes. I spoil him. Is there something wrong with that?”

  “Nope. Just trying to figure out how to get in line for some of that spoiling.”

  She grinned. “All you have to do is sit and lie down when you’re told. Don’t chase your tail. And warm my feet when they get cold.”

  “Done.” He grinned back. “And as a bonus I’m already housebroken.”

  “You’re a strange and funny man.”

  “I can show you a whole different side of me.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Preferably a naked one.”

  “We’ll see.” Playful really wasn’t her thing. Neither was flirting. But she decided to give both a go. “It all depends on how well you perform your tricks.”

  His responding grin told her she’d hit a home run.

  “Lucky for me I’ve got a bagful.”

  With a playful wink he told her to go ahead and use whatever drawers she wanted to put away her things, use as much space in the closet as she needed, then pointed to the adjoining bathroom for her to put out her toiletries. And then he slipped from the room to help Nicole, who complained loudly that forbidden food did not include all-­natural granola bars with no sugar.

  Lucy stood in the middle of the room surrounded by his massive bed and his personal items. It smelled like him—­delicious, clean, and manly. This was where he bathed, dressed, slept, and God only knew what else. Yeah. She wasn’t even going to think about that. She did not want to think about him in that big bed wrapped around the perfect body of one of those gorgeous blondes she’d seen photographed with him in the magazines.

  Lucy carried her toiletries into the bathroom and inhaled the delicious aroma of his trademark aftershave. When she walked back into the bedroom, she looked at the bed again. Unsure of exactly what he expected from her, she knew one thing and one thing only. Jordan looked like a man who knew how to give a woman what she wanted and needed. Lucy was a woman who’d never wanted or needed before.

  Until now.

  Chapter 11

  Over two weeks had passed since Jordan had walked into a locker room. He expected to feel like an outsider. To be given the cold shoulder. After all, he’d let his team down.

  Letting people down seemed to be the thing he did best.

  If anyone doubted his expertise in this area, all they had to do was ask his sister. She’d verify it in a red-­hot second.

  “Good to see you, man.” Center Tyler Seabrook stood and shook his hand the minute he walked into the locker room. Likewise did defenseman Beau Boucher, goalie Jack Riley, and forward Scott O’Reilly who’d recently married the nurse who stitched him up when he’d busted his face on the boards.

  They asked about his family. Gave him their condolences. Apologized for not being able to attend the funeral. And proved, once again, they were good men off as well as on the ice. Of all the players on the team, the four of them were his closest friends. They partied, shot pool, played poker, and golfed together. Until two weeks ago they’d had everything in common.

  Seabrook pushed a hand through his hair and scratched at the beard stubble on his jaw. “You up for a couple of beers after practice?”

  “Wish I could. I brought my kid sister back with me. She’s been having a pretty tough time since our parents died.” Jordan shrugged. “She’s seventeen and full of attitude on a normal day. But right now she’s breaking my heart. I didn’t feel good about leaving her behind.”

  “Maybe while she’s here I could have my cousin Bridget give her a call. She’s seventeen too, a little nerdy, and kind of a genius. But she’s really nice.”

  “I like smart girls.”

  “Oh yeah?” Seabrook grinned. “Since when?”

  Jordan shoved his jacket inside his locker, opened his duffel bag, and pulled out his practice jersey. “Since I was a punk-­ass kid.”

  “What happened to your passion for long-­legged blondes with IQs smaller than their bra size?” Seabrook asked.

  “My tastes have recently changed to glasses-­wearing brunette schoolteachers.”

  “Every man’s fantasy.”

  “Yeah, but this one’s mine.”

  “Does she know that?”

  “I’m working on it.”

  “What?” Seabrook laughed as he slipped his jersey over his shoulder pads. “You have to do more with this one than snap your fingers?”

  “It’s complicated.” Jordan pulled out his skates and set them on the bench in front of his locker.

  “I think I’m looking forward to meeting this mystery schoolteacher.”

  “Yeah. Well, hands off when you do.”

  “Oooh. This just keeps getting better and better.” A grin that had women falling at his feet spread across Seabrook’s face as he grabbed his stick. “Good to have you back, buddy. Hope you can still pass the puck.”

  “Ha.” Jordan hoped so too. He’d never gone so long without strapping on his skates before.

  While he finished putting on his gear he noticed that not everyone was happy to see him back. The vibe he picked up from the Rock was more than just a passing state of pissed off.

  Not that Jordan didn’t understand the man’s frustration.

  The team had needed him to help them toward winning the Cup and he hadn’t been there. And now they were falling short of what they needed to go all the way. But enough was enough with the dark glares burning holes in his backside. Jordan had his own frustrations. Like his grumpy little sister who currently sat in the stands above the locker room tunnel, and Lucy who was in such foreign territory she almost backed out.

  When he finally shushed out onto the ice it was like he’d never missed a beat. He looked up and gave Lucy and Nicki a wave just as the Rock gave him a big shove. Had Jordan not been prepared for it, he would have gone flying. Because his sister and Lucy were watching he ignored the vicious push, skated to his position, and readied for the warm-­ups.

  “Nice to have you back.” Coach Reiner gave him a friendly nod that contradicted the harsh texts he’d sent just a day ago.

  At the other end of the line the Rock stood with at least twenty guys between them. However, with each relay the big man with an angry, battle-­scarred face only a mother could love, drew closer. By his aggressive glare Jordan knew his teammate was looking for a fight.

  By the time they got around to practicing shots and passes, Jordan ignored the heat coming his way and focused on his job.

  Forward Scott O’Reilly passed the puck on a long drive toward the blue line. Jordan got in position to slap the puck into the net. The next thing he knew he was flat on his back and the Rock was standing over him.

  “Get up, you backstabbing fucker,” the Rock snarled.

  Backstabbing?

  Jordan had been called many things. Most had been appropriate. The Rock’s slur was not.

  The stress and the frustration of the past two weeks blew wide open like a lit box of TNT. Jordan came up off the ice, dropped his gloves, and grabbed the Rock by the front of his jersey. The Rock grabbed back but couldn’t get a good grip.

  A scream reverberated through the arena and Jordan snapped his head around to find Nicole pounding on the glass.

  “Get your filthy hands off my brother, you ugly dipwad!”

  At the moment Jordan had the advantage with one hand wrapped in the Rock’s jersey and the other fist pulled back ready to deliver a haymaker. Misplaced or not, pride burst through his chest that his temperamental little sister wanted to come to his defense.


  The Rock turned his glare back to Jordan and sneered. “You pussy. You have to have a little baby bunny save your ass?”

  “Not this time.” Jordan delivered the punch and knocked the Rock off his skates.

  “Yeah!” Nicki shouted.

  Jordan winced as he heard his sister yell. When he looked up to the stands, Lucy had her hand over her mouth and his sister was doing some kind of crazy touchdown dance.

  As he stood over the Rock, who was laid out on the ice grabbing his sore jaw with an ungloved hand, Jordan pointed a finger. “Enough. If you have a legitimate complaint with me, you bring it to me like a man. Not like some backyard brawler waiting to catch me off guard. I’m sorry that it inconvenienced you when my parents were burned alive in a helicopter crash, but my family comes first. You don’t like it, too fucking bad.”

  Heart pumping, Jordan skated off to rejoin his team.

  “You done?” Coach folded his arms and lifted a brow.

  Jordan nodded.

  Seabrook leaned over and chuckled. “Really fucking nice to have you back.”

  Standing on the ice with his team felt great. Jordan had missed it. But as he looked up into the stands one more time and found Lucy and Nicki with their heads together, obviously talking about what had just happened, Jordan knew he’d give up everything to make things right.

  “Did you see that?” Nicole was practically bouncing out of her Ugg boots.

  Lucy wondered at the enthusiasm Nicole displayed over the violence. As she gave a simple nod, it worried her.

  “That was badass.” Nicole flopped down into the seat next to Lucy.

  For obvious reasons Lucy hated violence. She hated confrontation of any kind. Oh, she had no problem standing up for herself these days, but that didn’t mean she liked to engage unless it was absolutely necessary. She’d watched the big man push and taunt Jordan, and she knew Jordan wasn’t the type of person to take it for too long. When the man had used his stick to whack Jordan across the chest and knock him off his skates, like Nicole, she’d felt a needy rush to retaliate. Instead she’d closed her eyes and prayed he was okay.

  Fighting was a huge part of what he did for a living.