A Better Man

by Candis Terry

  Jordan Kincade was a man with a will and a mind of his own. And that was only a part of what made him so darned sexy.

  Time to step out of her comfort zone.

  Again.

  Chapter 16

  After his talk with Nicole, Jordan spent a couple of hours with Ryan in the bottling room, learning about the new vintner arguments on corks versus screw tops. He didn’t have an opinion either way. But to him, it just didn’t seem right to open a bottle of Dom Pérignon with a screw top.

  Nine-­year-­old Riley tagged along, scuffing her tennis shoes and sighing with boredom so often that Jordan told Ryan they’d talk about the subject another day. He needed and wanted to learn the business, but family came first. And with the circumstances what they were, Riley needed her father’s attention more often. Just one more reason that solidified Jordan’s decision.

  No one felt like making dinner so he’d picked up burgers in town at Mr. Pickle Buns and they all ate at his parents’ kitchen table.

  During the course of the meal the house had been intensely quiet and the glaring absence of their parents had been painful. Ordinarily his mother would be fussing about preparing food or working on a project for one of her favorite organizations. His father would have been rambling about fixing this or that or talking about a new blend for the wines. All of them at the table felt the void but no one said a word. They all knew—­like it or not—­it was an aching emptiness they were going to have to learn to live with. The realization did nothing to ease the knot in his stomach.

  He’d cried for his parents. Lost sleep over the visions of the horrific way they’d died. And now he knew he had to honor them by doing what was right for the family.

  Once they’d finished dinner, Jordan strolled around a section of the several hundred acres that made up Sunshine Creek Vineyards. With a fresh eye, he noticed things he’d forgotten from his youth. Like the peaceful sound of the creek bubbling over rocks, sand, and the occasional waterfall. Or how the deer came down to the pasture across the creek to graze on freshly sprouted grass. He noticed how much property stood vacant and available for the possibility of expansion while still maintaining the integrity of the serene surroundings.

  When he finally got back to his grandfather’s cabin he showered, threw on a pair of sweatpants, and grabbed a bottle of Naked Blonde Ale from the refrigerator. Mulling over the ideas he’d come up with for the vineyards, he turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. He finally stopped on Tombstone where Doc Holliday was once again stealing the show with his huckleberry line.

  The sudden pounding on the door came as a surprise. Figuring Ethan had decided to come over for a beer, he opened the door.

  Not his brother.

  Instead Lucy stood there in a knee-­length buttoned-­up sweater and black boots. Her hair fell in loose curls over her shoulders and her dark eyes behind those dark-­framed glasses took a slow ride over his body.

  “Oh good.” She settled her fingers on his chest and pushed him back into the room. “You’re already half naked.”

  Jordan’s heart jumped when her hands were suddenly all over his bare chest and shoulders. They dipped provocatively beneath the waistband of his sweats and sent a hot shot of lust straight to his dick.

  “Not that I don’t like what you’re doing,” he said, sliding his hands to her hips and holding on, “but what are you doing here?”

  Head slightly tilted, she looked up at him and her luscious lips tipped in a beguiling smile. “Seducing you.”

  “Sweet.” He pulled her against him. “But I have to warn you that you probably won’t have to work all that hard.”

  “Maybe you could pretend.”

  “I don’t think so. You feel what’s going on beneath these sweatpants?”

  Her hand slid south and she gave him a squeeze. “Feels like a promise of good things to come.”

  “Oh, it’s a promise all right. But I’ll try to behave and let you take control.”

  “Or . . .” While one hand stroked him, she slipped the other soft hand around the back of his neck and pressed her firm, plump breasts against his chest. “You could be bad and still let me take control.”

  “I like the way you think, schoolteacher.”

  “That’s good. But do you like the way I do . . . this?”

  She lifted to the toes of her boots and kissed him.

  Slow.

  Wet.

  Delicious.

  She tasted like butterscotch candy and desire. Then her soft, moist lips traveled to the side of his neck, where she sucked the flesh into her warm mouth, and a hot mass of tingles shot through his blood. He couldn’t remember ever being seduced. He’d always been the one who made the moves. With Lucy, he was enjoying the hell out of the other side. For a woman who’d seen her share of misery, he liked knowing she felt confident enough with him to be assertive. It was a hell of a turn-­on.

  He moaned. “I love the way you do that.”

  Her palms flattened against his chest as her lips moved downward. Kissing. Tasting. Licking.

  He wanted to touch her so bad it hurt. But he’d promised to be good. Then again, she’d told him it was okay to be bad. He hooked his hands around her waist, pressed her back against the wall, and leaned in for a kiss that went from hot to scorching in 0.2 seconds. Their tongues tangled and danced. Swept, withdrew, and plunged. And then she reversed their positions. Suddenly he had his back against the wall.

  When he reached for her she stepped away, licked her lips, and looked up at him from beneath those thick, sooty lashes. He didn’t know exactly what she had in mind, but he was game for anything.

  Her fingers went to the top button of her sweater and unbuttoned it. Then slowly she made her way down to the rest of the buttons. It soon became clear that his sweet little schoolteacher was completely naked beneath that prim and proper garment. She held out her arms and shrugged the sweater off. As it pooled on the ground, his woman stood before him in nothing but sweet-­smelling skin and a pair of black high-­heeled boots.

  “Damn, baby. You’re making me so hard I can’t think.”

  “Good.” She came closer. “I don’t want you to think. I just want you to touch.” She took his hands and placed them on her breasts.

  Almost out of his mind with an aching need to have her, he caressed those perfect breasts and lightly pinched the nipples as her head dropped back and she sighed her pleasure. Then her head came back up and she licked her lips again.

  “That’s good,” she whispered. “But not nearly enough.” She tucked her fingers beneath the waistband of his sweats, pulled them down his legs, and helped him step out of them.

  She looked up at him as she slowly ran her hands first up his calves, then his thighs. On her way up she took his erection in her hand, sucked him into her warm mouth, and stroked him with her tongue. It felt so damn good he saw stars.

  What started out slow shifted into a sense of urgency. It wasn’t enough that he was receiving unbelievable pleasure, he wanted to give it in return. With his hands cupped over her smooth shoulders he urged her up to her feet.

  “I want you.” His voice came out rough and breathless. The words caught with the pounding of his heart. “More than I’ve ever wanted any damn thing in my life.”

  “Then it’s a good thing I came prepared.” She came up with one last slow lick, then reached into her boot and pulled out a condom. “Magnum, right?”

  All he could do was nod as she tore open the packet and rolled on the condom. Then she took his hand and placed it at the apex of her firm thighs. “Touch me.”

  Kissing someone never unbalanced him. It was a simple thing—­the touching of lips, mingling of breath, a rush of blood, a beginning to increased awareness. Kissing Lucy as he slipped his fingers into her slick heat, and found the spot he knew made her go a little crazy, filled him with hunger for m
ore.

  The scent of her skin, her long sigh, the feel of her silky hair against his chest, completely rocked his control. He stroked her until her breaths whispered through her lips in pants and moans.

  “Take me,” she pleaded. “Take me now.”

  Changing places, he eased her against the wall, hooked his hands beneath her butt, and lifted her. She locked her high-­heeled boot–­covered legs around his hips, and at last he plunged into her with a satisfied groan. He looked down between them and watched as his cock moved in and out of her. This wasn’t making love slow and easy like they’d done before; this was unleashed passion and hunger. He thrust deeper and faster until, groaning his name, she came hard and his own climax bulleted through him. Panting, he leaned into her, holding her firm against the wall as their hearts beat together and their bodies pulsed where they were joined.

  A minute later he chuckled. “I don’t know what got into you tonight—­”

  “You did.”

  He chuckled again, lifted his head, and kissed her. “Well, I sure as hell liked it.” Reluctantly he withdrew, but figured they’d have another go-­round as soon as he recovered. She unlocked her legs and he let her feet touch the ground. Needing to dispose of the condom he said, “Give me a second.”

  When he came back into the living room she’d put her sweater back on and had it buttoned up all prim and proper again. Trouble was, on her it looked sexy as hell. Especially since he knew she was naked under all that finely knitted cotton. He grinned, thinking of the possibilities. “Do I get to take that off next time?”

  “What makes you think there will be a next time?”

  Lucy’s heart had never plunged so far as it did with the way he looked at her, dark brows colliding over intensely sharp blue focus.

  “What?”

  “I try not to associate with quitters,” she said, trying her hardest to remain calm and sound like the stern schoolteacher. Right now she couldn’t talk to him as his lover. She needed to be tough so—­if Nicole was right—­he’d realize the mistake he was making. “So this will be the last time we’re together. I wanted it to be memorable. And it was. I thank you for that.”

  He folded those muscular arms across his wide chest and looked down at her with what she now knew as his intimidation glare. An angry naked man was quite intimidating indeed. But probably not in the way he might imagine. Her imagination, however, was running at full speed.

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I’ve heard rumors that you’re quitting hockey. Tell me I’m wrong.”

  “How the hell did you know about that?” He grabbed his sweatpants, shoved his legs inside, then dropped his hands to his hips.

  “Nicole. She came to me earlier and begged me to talk to you because she thinks you’re quitting hockey right now when you could be skating toward the Stanley Cup. Something you’ve dreamed of your whole life. Why doesn’t that make sense to me?”

  “You don’t understand, Lucy. I’ve always put hockey first. Now it’s time to put my family first. Nicole was mouthing off about not going to college and moving to Nashville and I need to stick around to make her see that the choices she makes now are going to affect her for the rest of her life.”

  “Kind of like the choices you’re making now are going to affect you for the rest of your life?”

  When he didn’t respond she knew she’d made him think.

  “Nicole said she’d feel horrible and guilty if you gave up what you love to do for her. She’s seen you play. And she knows how much the game means to you. I have to agree.”

  “I can’t be a brother if I’m never here. And I already have a fifteen-­year track record of not being a good brother. I don’t even know my own twin anymore. We used to be so close. And now . . . all I know is he’s great at making money. The first time I walked into my parents’ house after their funeral I noticed the photos they have around the house. All of them are group photos. The only one with me is my roster photo from last year. I’m not in any of those candid family shots. None.”

  Her heart ached for him. She knew he was in a tough spot. She also knew it wasn’t easy living with regrets. Any way he turned he was going to have some kind of guilt, whether it was giving up hockey or continuing to play and leaving his family once again.

  “How much longer is left in the season?”

  He shrugged. “Anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks.”

  “And you don’t think your family will understand if you take that time to complete what you’ve started? What are you teaching your sister if you quit?”

  “That family’s important.”

  “Wrong. You’ll teach her that guilt overrides giving up a dream. And if that’s the case, why should she bother having a vision for her life whether it’s obtaining a master’s degree or signing with a record label?”

  “It’s more than that, Lucy. Something happened before our parents died and I told her I’d try to help her figure it out.”

  “And you will. She knows you’ll be there for her.”

  “If she leaves as soon as school’s out that gives me no time.”

  “She’s not going to do that.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Let’s just say that I think I understand her. I know she’s searching for herself. But I’m pretty sure she really doesn’t want to do it alone.”

  He glanced away. “I don’t know.”

  “Look. Everyone I know quit on me and I even gave up on myself many times. I won’t let you give up on you. No one expects you to give up everything for them. Talk to your family. I’m sure you’ll see that they support you and your career a hundred percent. You’ve worked all your life for this opportunity. Take it. Everyone will still be here when you’re done.”

  Because she could say no more, because she was silently begging him not to quit on her, and because it was breaking her heart to stand there and see him so torn up inside, she knew she had to leave.

  “Don’t quit on Nicole,” she said in parting. “Be her champion by giving her guidance, even if it’s from miles away. Show her what hard work and determination can accomplish. And let her know that love doesn’t have time or space limits.” She kissed his cheek and headed for the door.

  “What about you?”

  She turned. “What about me?”

  He crossed the floor and stopped in front of her. The masculine scent of his warm body, soap, and sex drifted up like a wonderful perfume that made her head spin.

  “If I don’t quit, will you still be here when I’m done?” he asked.

  “In the beginning, everything inside of me told me to run. That you would only hurt me again. That a man as perfect as you would never truly find anything special about someone like me. But I took a chance anyway. As much as I tried not to, I’ve fallen in love with you. So prove to me you’re not a quitter and yes, I’ll still be here.”

  She reached for the door and he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

  “Promise me,” he said. The haunted look in his eyes verified it was important for her to do so.

  “I promise. Now you have to prove it.”

  Before she could change her mind, she opened the door and walked out.

  She just hoped it wouldn’t be forever.

  Chapter 17

  Sleep came in short spurts. Jordan finally got up at six o’clock after looking at the clock radio for what felt like every hour on the hour. All night his mind had whirled with the dilemma. No matter which way he turned, he’d end up letting someone down. Whether it was Nicole, Lucy, his brothers, his teammates, or his fans. And he had no one to blame but himself.

  Trying to work things out in his head, he went for a run, then to the gym. Then he busted all his hard work to hell by stopping at Sugarbuns and satisfying his sweet tooth with an apricot-­almond breakfast pastry. Halfway
through his workout Ryan had called another family meeting, so he also picked up a dozen donuts but only managed to make it home with eleven. Somewhere along the way a glazed old-­fashioned had disappeared.

  When he walked into his parents’ house, the place was silent. He set the donut box down on the kitchen table and wandered back into the living room, once again looking at the endless array of group photos and the solitary photo of him. One day he’d change that.

  Sooner than later, he hoped.

  As a start he took his picture off the mantel and shoved it into a side table drawer. He’d rather not be there at all than be there alone.

  Ethan and Declan came into the kitchen as he was making a pot of coffee.

  “Don’t take this personally, Jordy.” Declan snatched a coffee mug off the counter. “But you look like ten miles of a bumpy road in hell.”

  “Too much stress.” Jordan snapped the lid closed on the coffeemaker. “No sleep.”

  “And now another family pow-­wow,” Ethan said, grabbing his own coffee cup.

  “Yeah. Hopefully Ryan has some good news.”

  At that moment Ryan and Riley—­still in her footie pajamas and looking sleepy—­strolled into the kitchen. Ryan handed his daughter a donut on a napkin, gave her a kiss on the forehead, and sent her off to the den to watch cartoons. Judging by the look on Ryan’s face, Jordan figured the news was going to be anything but good.

  “This couldn’t have waited until later?” Jordan asked. “Riley still looks half asleep.”

  “Yeah.” Ryan glanced toward the doorway his little girl had disappeared through. “She’s not too happy with me right now. But things need to be discussed so we can start moving forward. And since everyone has lives to get back to, it needed to happen.”

  Jordan agreed, but his heart still went out to little Riley. Admittedly, until he’d come back home he’d never put much thought into his niece other than she was adorable and she’d gotten the shit end of the stick when her mom took off.

  Jordan saw her in a whole different light now. She was a sharp little cookie with a sweet smile that melted his heart. He’d never thought much about having kids. He’d just figured someday they’d come along when he finally decided to settle down. Now he could picture himself with a couple of cute little brainiacs that looked just like Lucy.