“Nothing.” He shrugged, looking embarrassed. “Just felt like it, is all.”
“Oh.”
“I really do want you to get to know Megan better, though. Maybe tonight isn’t good, but soon. Okay?”
Jenny shifted on the sofa, curling her legs under her and studying her brother. Really studying him. “You really like her, huh?”
“Yeah. I do.”
“Good. I’m happy for you. Even if you are a big goof.”
“Yeah, love you too kiddo.” He took another step, hesitated, stopped once more. “Jenny-Benny?”
“Yeah?”
“Whatever it is, whatever happened back home—you can talk to me when you’re ready. Okay? That’s what I’m here for. I—I just want you to know that.”
Jenny nodded, unable to speak around the lump in her throat. Did Jason see the tears welling in her eyes? God, she hoped not. He wasn’t that observant.
Then again, maybe he was.
But he didn’t say anything, just gave her a lopsided grin and disappeared down the hallway. She sat there for a long time, staring into nothing, trying to figure out why she felt so sad at his parting words.
And wondering if Jason would be as understanding as he claimed if he really knew what had happened back home.
Chapter Eleven
“Stay the night.”
Jenny tilted her neck to the side, her breath coming out in a sharp gasp as Tyler’s mouth trailed a hot path along her sensitive skin. She tried to say something but the words came out as a soft moan when he bit down on the corded muscle between her neck and shoulder. Not hard—no, he knew just how much pressure to use, knew exactly how she liked it.
How she liked…everything.
But how? How had he learned what turned her on so quickly? He shouldn’t have, not in only a week. He just…knew. Just like she knew. As if their bodies were so completely in tune together that they needed no other communication.
Look but don’t touch.
Had she really thought she could do that? No, not when touching brought her such pleasure.
She shifted again, rolling her hips against his searching hand, sighing when his fingers teased the sensitive flesh between her legs. His mouth caught hers, his tongue sweeping in and tangling with hers. Warm, slow, as if he had all the time in the world. As if she was the only thing that mattered in his world.
He broke the kiss, dragged his mouth along her throat, then shifted so he was leaning above her. Dark eyes, smoldering with heat, caught hers. “Stay the night.”
Jenny opened her mouth to answer, to say yes, absolutely, there was no place else she’d rather be. She caught the words before they tumbled out, replaced them with a sigh instead.
“I can’t. I have Jason’s car. I’m supposed to pick him up later.”
Tyler growled and pressed a quick kiss against her mouth. “Let him find another way home.”
“I can’t.” But oh, how she wished she could. She wanted nothing more than to stay here with Tyler. To feel his body pressed against hers. To feel the hard length of his cock filling her, stretching her, shattering her.
To fall asleep in his arms after making love and—
Okay, stop. Just stop.
She was getting carried away when she shouldn’t. Placing more importance on the sex than she should. It was just sex. Nothing more. Astounding, amazing, toe-curling sex, yes, absolutely. But still nothing more than sex. A distraction. A mutual distraction, one they both needed. One they both wanted.
She reached up and cupped Tyler’s face, the stubble on his cheek scratching her palm. Tingling. She traced his lower lip with her thumb. Her breath hitched in her chest when he pulled it into his mouth and sucked, his teeth gently nipping the tip. Her body pulled tight, the smoldering fire deep in her belly erupting as hunger filled her.
She moaned, shifting against him, her hips automatically seeking his. Hunger. Need. Want. They swirled and mixed deep inside her, burning. Demanding. She moaned again, the sound nothing more than a deep sigh, and pushed against Tyler’s shoulder until he rolled to his back.
Jenny straddled him. The hard length of his cock teased her ass, pushing against her warm flesh. She leaned forward, caught his mouth with hers, nipped his lower lip before sliding down his body.
Taut. Lean. Flesh pulled tight over hard muscle. She ran her hands over every inch of him, studying each dip and curve of his hard body with her mouth, tongue. The breadth of his chest, smooth and hard. The tight peaks of his flat nipples, the way he moaned when she pulled one into her mouth. The dip and valley of defined abs, the flesh hot under her touch. Lean hips and the faint line of hair trailing down, down…
She wrapped her hand around his swollen cock, stroking him from the base all the way to the glistening tip. Hard. Long. Thick. He groaned, the sound filled with pure hunger as she dipped her head and twirled her tongue along the tip. Licking. Tasting.
She shifted, straddling his leg, rubbing against the hard muscle of his thigh as she closed her mouth around him. Sucking. Tasting. All tangy male. All pure Tyler.
Her hips rocked against his leg as she sucked him. Harder. Faster. Deeper, the tip of his cock teasing the back of her throat. He groaned again, his hips thrusting as his hands fisted in her hair. Holding, guiding.
Harder. Faster. Over and over as she sucked and licked. She reached down and cupped his balls, teased the sensitive underside with the tip of one nail. He groaned again, the sound pure male, filled with urgent need. Jenny pulled his cock deeper into her mouth, hard, then slowly released it. Her tongue swirled around the swollen tip then she raised her head, catching his burning gaze with her own.
“Let me taste you, Tyler. All of you.” Awareness flashed in his eyes, quickly followed by a primal urgency. Her gaze held his as she took his cock in her mouth once more, taking all of him in.
“Jesus. Fuck.” Tyler’s eyes closed as his head fell back, the strong muscles of his neck and throat bulging. His hands fisted in her hair, holding her in place as his hips moved, fucking her mouth. Thrusting. Deeper. Faster. Over and over until his back arched off the bed and his climax ripped through him, filling her mouth. Jenny swallowed, never stopping, never slowing, not until he tugged, pulling her off him. She sighed, the sound filled with need, and straddled his hips.
His lids fluttered open, his warm gaze capturing hers. Hot, needy, sated. She reached up and grabbed her breasts, rolled the tight peaks of her nipples between each thumb and forefinger. Pulling, squeezing. His hungry gaze dropped to her hands, watching her with an intensity that fired an even deeper hunger inside her.
He reached down, slipped one hand between them, his finger stroking her clit. “Fuck. You are so fucking wet, Jenny.”
“Am I?” Her voice was rough, throaty, filled with just a little teasing. His gaze shot to hers, a small grin curling the corners of his mouth.
“Feel for yourself if you don’t believe me.”
She hesitated, not sure if he was only teasing, or if he really wanted to watch her. He reached for one of her hands, gently guiding it down, down further until their fingers tangled together against her clit. He held it there for a long second, silently telling her what he wanted, then released her hand and propped up on his elbows.
Watching her with those darkly intense eyes.
Jenny’s hesitation disappeared, replaced with desire and excitement. Her finger stroked the hard nub of her clit, her hand moving faster as Tyler watched. His tongue swept across his bottom lip, his gaze growing darker as his cock pressed against her ass.
“That is so fucking hot.” His voice deepened, the words rough and hoarse, hiding nothing. Her gaze shot to his, caught and held it for a trembling second. Then her head fell back, her eyes closing as sensation swept over her body.
Heat. Need. Hunger. Tightening. Coiling. She braced one hand behind her, leaning back, opening herself even more to his gaze as rough words of encouragement seared her.
Her finger moved faster, stoking the flames o
f hunger as she touched herself, played with herself. Hot. Wet. Over and over, faster, her body rocking in its own rhythm. Searching. Seeking.
Winding tighter and tighter. Curling, reaching. Her hips thrust against her hand, the pressure increasing. Inside and out, building, moving closer together. Closer. Closer still before swirling, spiraling, crashing together.
Climax swept over her, tearing a breathy scream from deep inside as her body rocked and shuddered. Lights exploded around her, flashing, blinding. Bright, so bright in the darkness as her body slowly stilled, growing limp against the hardness of Tyler’s body under her.
Another flash of light, and another. Jenny frowned, her hazy mind struggling as she slowly righted herself. She sucked in a deep breath, forcing her lungs to fill, and opened her eyes.
Another flash blinded her, her body freezing as horror washed over her. Tyler was pointing his phone toward her, the soft clicking of the camera echoing like a shot in the silent room as yet another flash exploded in front of her.
“No! Stop!” Fear filled her voice, an echo of the fear that paralyzed her—but only for a second. She scrambled off Tyler, her hands searching for the sheet, a pillow—anything she could use to cover herself. “What are you doing? You can’t do that. Please—”
“I just wanted—”
“No. Please.” Panic laced her voice. Horror clawed at her, shredding her heart, her lungs. She wrapped the sheet more tightly around her, blinking back the tears burning her eyes. “Please. You can’t. Get rid of them. You have to—”
“Jenny. Hey, easy. It’s okay.” Tyler reached for her. She brushed his hand away, pushed against him as he neared her. Her body trembled and she struggled to climb from the bed. One leg buckled under her, too shaky to support her weight, and she collapsed back onto her knees on the edge of the mattress. Cold fear filled her, turning her limbs to useless blocks of ice as she huddled near the edge of the bed.
Slut.
Whore.
And oh God, it was going to happen again. Why? Why would Tyler do that? Hadn’t she learned her lesson? Didn’t she know better? Memories of the past year flashed through her mind. Burning humiliation. Anger. Regret. An overwhelming sense of helplessness, knowing there was nothing she could do. Hopelessness and sorrow. So many emotions, battering her from all sides, making her collapse in on herself.
Tyler was talking, his voice low and fast, almost frantic. But Jenny didn’t hear the words, didn’t care, knew they didn’t matter. Nothing mattered, not when she knew what would happen. It was Viktor all over again—
“Jenny. Jenny, listen to me.”
She blinked, looked at Tyler, saw him reaching for her again. She didn’t move, couldn’t move as numbness stole over her. Maybe not enough, because she flinched when Tyler’s hand settled on her shoulder. He jerked away, letting his arm drop.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I—”
“It doesn’t matter.” Her voice was flat, cold and emotionless. Resigned. She dropped the sheet, forced her body to move and climbed from the bed. Her clothes, she needed her clothes. Needed to get dressed and go home and—
“Jenny, wait. What are you doing?”
“I—I need to leave. Need to go back home.”
“No, not like this. Not before—”
“Please don’t show them to anyone until after I leave. That’s all I ask.”
“Show them? Show what? Jenny, what are you talking about?” Tyler’s hand closed over her arm but she shrugged it away. The blessed numbness was wearing off already. Emotions tore through her, shredding, painful. She sucked in a deep breath, willed her body to stop shaking, willed her mind to think. She needed to think, dammit. To find her clothes and—
“Jenny, talk to me. What’s going on? Don’t show what?”
Her eyes darted to his, skipped away before she could look too closely. Before she could see intent in his gaze. “The pictures. Please—”
“The pictures? Why would you think…” His voice trailed off, but not before she heard the anger lacing the words. She turned away, still searching for her clothes, fighting off the panic that threatened to take over.
“Jenny. Stop. Listen to me.” Hands tightened around her, turning her around until she was facing him. But she couldn’t look at him. Wouldn’t look at him.
“I wouldn’t do that. Ever. They—” Tyler swallowed, took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “You’re beautiful. I just wanted…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken them.”
Jenny didn’t move, not even after he released her. An odd sense of detachment fell over her as memories assaulted her.
Jenny knelt on the bed, laughing. Her hands roamed across her body as she posed for the man standing at the edge of the bed.
Her hands wrapped around her breasts, squeezing them together.
Click.
Her fingers teased her nipples, pinching and pulling.
Click.
Her fingers spread wide, sliding down along her stomach. Down further until she rubbed her clit.
Click.
Another laugh, this one deeper. Fuller. An accented voice murmured words of encouragement, a mix of Russian and broken English. The man leaned closer, aiming the camera at her busy finger as he reached out with one hand and spread her lips apart.
Click. Click—
“Jenny!”
Another voice called her name, this one smoother, carrying no trace of an accent. She jerked back, confused and disoriented as her gaze met Tyler’s. She blinked, nothing more than a slow lowering of her lids, and stared at the phone he held out to her.
“Here. Delete them. All of them. That way you know they’re gone.” His voice was soft, low. Thick with sorrow and regret. She stared at him, at the phone in his outstretched hand, her mind struggling to make sense of the words.
Tyler placed the phone in her hand and gently closed her fingers around it. “Delete them.”
She looked down at her hand, her mind still struggling to make the connection, still not understanding. “You don’t want to send them to your friends?”
“What?” Shock laced his voice. An expression of horror crossed his face, quickly replaced by a mask of disbelief. “No. Never. That’s not why—” His mouth snapped closed, a muscle ticking in his strong jaw. “Delete them.”
She hesitated, her gaze moving between Tyler and the phone in her hand. The screen was unlocked, opened to the photo gallery. Another second of hesitation then her fingers moved across the screen, selecting and deleting each picture. She handed the phone back to Tyler, unable to look at him.
“Thank you.”
He said something, the words too low for her to understand as she turned away, searching for her clothes. She snagged her pants from the floor and hurried into them, not worrying about underwear. Bra, sweater, boots—
“Jenny.”
She froze, her heart slamming into her chest at the agony in his voice. “I need to leave—”
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Who?”
She almost pretended she didn’t understand the question. Almost. It didn’t matter, she could pretend all she wanted but something told her Tyler would know better.
She fastened her bra and pulled the sweater over her head, reaching back to yank her hair free from the soft material. “Nobody you know.”
Which was probably a lie. There was a good chance Tyler might recognize the name. Not that it mattered, because she would never tell him. She would never tell anyone.
Slut.
Whore.
She stiffened as strong arms came around her from behind. Warm, comforting. Jenny held herself still, fighting the urge to sink against his hold. She couldn’t let herself do that, couldn’t let herself be lulled into that false sense of comfort. Hadn’t she let that happen once before? Hadn’t she learned her lesson?
But Tyler slowly spun her around, holding her close, murmuring soothing words of reassurance in her ear. Apologizing, over and
over.
For what he’d done. For what had already happened.
Jenny squeezed her eyes shut, felt her body relax against her will. Warmth fell over her, pushing away the agony and humiliation and pain of sins past. No, Tyler wasn’t Viktor. She knew that. But she couldn’t forget what happened, couldn’t forget lessons learned the hard way.
That didn’t stop her from leaning into him. Didn’t stop her from accepting the comfort he offered. Didn’t stop her from wanting more, from wondering if maybe, just maybe—
No. That was foolishness. She barely knew him. They were just having fun. He was a distraction for her, just as she was nothing more than a distraction for him. Hadn’t he said as much at dinner their first night together? A distraction for both of them, that was all this was. As long as she remembered that, she’d be okay. They were just having fun together, nothing else. Maybe he wasn’t Viktor, but he was still her brother’s teammate.
“I’m sorry.” Tyler repeated the apology again, his mouth warm against her ear. She tightened her arms around his waist and nodded, not knowing what to say. He pressed a kiss against her cheek then stepped back, concern etched on his face.
“Do you still need to leave?”
Yes, she did. But not for the reasons he thought. “I should.”
“But not just yet, right?”
Jenny glanced at the clock on his nightstand then slowly shook her head. “No, not just yet.”
“Good. Then you’ll stay? For just a little longer?”
She hesitated, chewing on her lower lip. Should she? Or should she be smart and say no?
Tyler didn’t wait for her answer. Or maybe he took her silence as a yes, because he grabbed her hand and tugged, leading her back to the bed. But he didn’t try to remove her clothes, didn’t try to pick up where they had left off. Instead, he settled her beside him, his arms pulling her close, and just held her.
Offering her warmth and comfort she hadn’t realized she needed.
Chapter Twelve
Thwap.
Thwap.
Thwap. Thwap. Thwapthwapthwap.
Tyler focused on the rubber balls, his gaze following each one as he bounced them off the wall. Caught them. Bounced them again. Faster.
Playing For Keeps: A York Bombers Hockey Romance (The York Bombers Book 3) Page 9
