by Cari Quinn
“Listen, Hailey, if I’m doing anything that makes you uncomfortable—”
“You’re not,” she said in a rush, cutting him off. She rubbed her arms as though she were standing back on the ridge again. “I mean—oh, shit.”
She lowered her gaze, more focused on a loose thread on her dress than him. He held his breath, preparing for the blow she was about to deal him.
“If you’re expecting me to be the same fearless, live-in-the-moment girl I was before, then I’m sorry, Ben. I can’t be that way anymore.”
He waited for her to explain why, but when she didn’t elaborate, he did the only thing he could think of. He took her hand. “I know that. I’m not the same person, either. And in truth, I like the Hailey I see before me much more than the one I remember.”
She rewarded him with a smile so bright, he wondered if he was staring at the sun. “Do you really mean that?”
He nodded, his confidence returning. He’d never been able to tell a woman what was on his mind before now, but with her, it was as easy as talking to his brothers. Maybe easier, since all he had been able to think about these last few weeks had been Hailey. “You’re stronger, more driven, more confident now, and all that makes you even sexier than before. It’s why I’ve been so persistent, and why I’m willing to be patient.”
She laced her fingers through his and came closer. Her lips were inches from his when she said in a soft voice, “Thank you.”
“You are most welcome.” He closed the gap between them and waited for the spark that ignited in him whenever he kissed her.
Unfortunately, the waiter interrupted them when he was less than a breath away. Hailey took the dessert menu with one hand. The other, she left entwined with his for the rest of the meal. It wasn’t exactly how he’d pictured things would turn out, but he’d take it.
Once dessert was cleared, he looked down at their clasped hands and asked, “Would you like to go back to my cabin?”
She arched one brow, suspicion darkening her eyes.
“Not for that reason,” he replied before she accused him of trying to lure her there just for sex. He wished he could blame his sudden dry mouth on the wine. “I wanted to show you the progress on the highlight film and see what you think.”
That brow didn’t drop, but a dimple appeared in her cheek. “I suppose I could stop by for a few minutes.”
The moment of panic fled. She’d agreed to come, and it was a few more minutes he could spend with her, a few more minutes to convince her that he was here for the long term.
Just take it one step at a time.
Chapter Ten
Hailey followed Ben’s Land Rover up the long, curved driveway to the chalet that overlooked the valley. In the winter, it would be the perfect place to ski in and out of, with easy access to the resort’s skin runs, but here in summer, it was surrounded by fields of multicolored wildflowers that danced in the breeze under the setting sun. She stopped her truck behind him and got out. “This is your cabin?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s twice the size of my home.” She took in the massive structure with oversized windows and exposed log timbers. “I’d hate to see what you call home if you refer to this as a cabin.”
He shook his head like he was indulging a curious child, barely hiding his grin, and took her hand. “Stop gawking and come inside.”
The inside was similar to some of the other vacation homes of the rich and famous who frequented the resort. Gigantic stone fireplace big enough for four adults to stand in. Granite countertops in an oversized kitchen. Floor-to-ceiling windows offering breathtaking views of the mountains. The only things missing were the obligatory elk, moose, and bear elements to the décor. “Not bad, Kelly.”
“Come on out to the deck and watch the sunset with me.”
Of course, the deck also included a steaming hot tub that practically begged her to enter it. She closed her eyes and imagined what would happen if she stripped off her too-tight dress and slipped into the warm water. Ben would probably follow her lead, join her, and the next thing she knew, they would both be naked and entwined with each other. Her sex throbbed at the idea of him touching her there, of him sliding his cock into her and making her moan until she came in his arms.
She shivered from the intensity of her daydreams and opened her eyes to find Ben wrapping a fleece blanket around her shoulders.
“You look cold.” He moved behind to shield her from the breeze.
She was anything but cold. The heat from where his body pressed against hers had driven away any remnant of her chills. She was burning with desire, with lust, with need. She’d known she’d be playing with fire by following him here, but she couldn’t say no.
“Better?” he asked.
She leaned back into his arms, savoring the sensations he awakened in her. Her thoughts moved from the physical awareness of him to something deeper. There was something safe, something comforting with being this close to him. Almost like finding a home with him. “Much better.”
“Good.” He placed a peck on her cheek and released her. “I’ll go get my iPad.”
She missed him the second he was gone and bit back a groan. Somehow, the man she’d sworn she’d hate until she drew her last breath had managed to come dangerously close to working his way into her heart. But would he want to stay there if he knew the truth about her?
Ben appeared a moment later and started up the video. The same music played as before, but the snippets were more polished, more precise. He’d not only captured her great shots but had also managed to squeeze in scenes with her passing and handling the puck around defenders.
“I wanted to make sure the coach got a good idea of all the things you can do.” The video ended, and he turned off the tablet. “Make sure he knew you were a package deal and not just a cherry picker.”
She chuckled and came closer, hoping he’d wrap his arms around her again. “I really appreciate that.”
“You’re welcome. Consider it my penance for messing up things between us last time.”
A shard of unease pierced her stomach, spreading an icy warning through her veins. “What do you mean?”
A hint of fear drew his features tight, and he moved toward the edge of the balcony.
Hailey held her breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Was this where he told her he knew about Zach? Where he asked for forgiveness for denying that he knew them? And if he did, would she be able to give it to him?
“I only have one regret about our night together, and that was one of the reasons I carried your note with me all these years.” He rubbed his hand over the railing, gripping it until his knuckles blanched. “I made the mistake of letting you slip through my fingers. I should’ve asked for your number, your e-mail, something where I could keep in touch with you because what we shared that night…”
His voice broke off, raw with emotions she dared not name and yet still felt in her own heart.
“If I had just done one of those things that night instead of being a selfish ass and falling asleep, then maybe we wouldn’t have wasted nine years.”
Her throat choked up. All these years, he’d felt guilty for not getting her number to turn a one-night stand into something more. But she was just as much to blame. She moved beside him. “I’m the one who left without giving you any clue as to how to reach me, Ben.”
“Did you ever try to contact me once you realized who I was?”
“Yes, but by then, you were Ben Kelly, NHL superstar. Even if I could’ve gotten through the layers of people who protected you, would you have even remembered me?”
He turned around and cupped her face in his hands. “I never forgot you, Hailey. I let you get away once, but I swear, this time, I’m not going to let you go without a fight.”
It was futile to resist him any longer. Nine years ago, she’d fallen in lust with the hot guy she’d met at a hockey game. Now, she was falling in love with a man who made her feel whole once again. She closed
her eyes just as his lips brushed against hers, and she melted into his embrace.
Her breath caught as he deepened the kiss. She tasted his hunger, his passion, his restraint with every movement of his mouth. As much as he wanted her, he wasn’t going to force himself on her. Just like that night years ago, he was waiting for her to dictate how far things went, and right now, he was pleading for her permission.
She reached up and wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him closer. Her body melted against his, and even though the blanket had fallen off her shoulders, she didn’t notice the crisp, cool air. All she knew was Ben—the scent of his cologne, the faint taste of strawberries on his tongue, the low sound of his desire rumbling through his chest as he threw off the last bit of restraint. His hands moved from her face to her bottom, pressing her against the hard ridge of flesh in his pants.
A whimper rose from her throat, and she broke off the kiss, straining to catch her breath. She felt like she’d just been checked hard and knocked off her feet. The world spun around her, and she clung to Ben to keep from sinking to the ground.
He tucked her head under his chin. His heart raced under her hand, and his lungs bellowed as hard as hers did. They might be older and wiser than they were before, but time hadn’t dulled the way his kiss left her weak in the knees and wanting more.
“I didn’t bring you here to sleep with me, Hailey, but if you want to take this to the bedroom, I won’t stop you.”
Once again, it was up to her. She lifted her face and searched his for a sign. Last time she’d given into temptation, she’d ended up alone and pregnant, her Olympic dreams ripped away from her. This time was different. She’d made a promise to Zach, and she couldn’t risk the same thing happening twice.
She released him and stepped back. “I’m sorry, Ben, but I can’t. Not tonight.”
His eyes closed tightly, but not before she caught a glimpse of pain in their slate-blue depths. Her rejection had hurt him, and although part of her wanted to tell him why, she still couldn’t bring herself to tell him about Zach.
Just like she couldn’t bring herself to open her heart up completely to him. The chance of getting hurt was too high.
But instead of pushing her to know why, he simply nodded in defeat and handed her his phone. “Can I at least get your phone number, then?”
“Yes.” That she could do. There was no danger in that. She typed in her cell number and gave it back to him. “I should probably go and get some sleep before practice tomorrow.”
He nodded again, still silent.
“Will I see you there?”
A faint smile played on his lips. “Probably.”
“Good.” Her words sounded hollow, like she was making polite conversation with a stranger instead of the man who was threatening to turn her world upside down all over again.
He went back to staring out over the valley, leaving her to show herself out.
Well, what do you expect? You can only reject him so many times before he gives up.
An ache throbbed in her chest as she went out the front door and climbed in her Jeep. When she’d first seen him in town, she had been certain he’d denied knowing her after she’d pleaded for his help. But when he talked about second chances, about not making the same mistakes twice, she realized he now was the one who was pleading.
She wrung her hands around the steering wheel, her mind and heart torn. Now she was the one cutting him off. Now she was the cold, heartless one who refused to let him in. If she left him now, would there ever be another chance between them?
The onslaught of emotions squeezed her chest, driving the air from her lungs and burning her eyes. Ever since Zach had died, she’d lost herself in the game, in her promise to make the team. In doing so, she’d closed herself off completely. At first, it had helped her deal with the grief of losing her son, but now it held her back from opening up to Ben. And as much as it terrified her, she couldn’t deny that there was something between them. Something more than just sex. He was pounding down her walls, forcing her feel again, and asking her to give him a part of herself that had been locked away for so long.
She put her key in the ignition, trying to convince herself it was better this way, but her heart refused to yield. Jen had told her to listen to her heart, and right now, it was screaming at her for being a prideful coward. Beat by beat, she let the reprimand sink in. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. And if she missed this opportunity, would she ever have another one?
She yanked the key out and ran back to the house, banging on the front door. Ben answered, the confusion on his face flashing in front of her before she covered his mouth with hers. She pushed him inside, her arms greedily wrapping around him as she closed the door with her foot.
Ben pulled her hands down and broke away. “Hailey, what—”
“I changed my mind.” Then she kissed him in a way she hoped would answer all his questions about why she was back. But for good measure, she added, “Where’s your bedroom?”
His eyes lit up with barely contained excitement. “This way.”
It was the hotel hallway all over again. Their lips devoured each other while their hands roamed each other’s body. They shed their clothes as they climbed up the stairs to the loft bedroom with cathedral ceilings. It could’ve been the back of his SUV for all she cared. The only thing that mattered to her was being with him.
Her bra had gone the way of her dress, now part of the trail of discarded clothes. Ben covered one of her breasts with his hand and pinched her nipple between his fingers. A jolt zapped straight to her core, leaving her shaky and breathless.
Ben chuckled, his mouth close to her ear. “That’s one of the things I could never forget about you—how responsive you were.” As if to prove his point, he rolled the sensitive nub between his thumb and forefinger, evoking the same reaction from her.
“And I never forgot how good it felt to have you inside me.” She fumbled for his zipper, but he grabbed her hands and pushed her back to the edge of the bed.
“There will be plenty of time for that later. Right now, I’m going to do what I should’ve done last time. I’m going to take my time making you come so you’ll be too sated to move by the time I’m finished.”
He pulled her panties off in one swift movement and dropped to his knees between her legs. With reverence, he stroked her thighs, coming closer and closer to the place that longed for his touch, but his gaze never left her face. “You’re even more beautiful than I remember.”
Another shiver coursed through her, but this time, it had nothing to do with his touch. Everything about the moment aroused her, from the awe in his voice to the intensity of his stare. “Please, Ben.”
“Patience.” He bent her legs and rested them on his shoulders, leaving her most intimate areas exposed. Then he lowered his face between her thighs.
Hailey hissed in a breath when his tongue swirled around her clit. At first, she thought he was teasing her, testing her, getting her ready to accept his girth. But with each languid flick, each nibble and suckle, it became very clear that he wasn’t going to stop until she came. She dug her fingers into the sheets, her grip tightening along with the tension coiling inside her pelvis. She bit her bottom lip, fighting him, holding back, refusing to let go until she no longer could.
And then she shattered.
He braced his hands on her hips, holding her down as she thrashed against him, drawing out her pleasure with his mouth as long as he could. By the time he finished, her limbs hung like Jell-O, weak and powerless. He pulled her up to the pillows with him and removed his boxers. The stiff ridge of his erection pressed into the softness of her belly as he settled his weight on her. Any other lover might have taken that moment to plunge into her and take his satisfaction, but Ben cradled her face in his hands and covered her cheeks with featherlight kisses. “Let me know when you’re ready to continue.”
She had barely come back down to earth, but she still had enough of her wits about her to a
sk, “Do you have a condom?”
He grinned and opened his nightstand drawer, pulling out a long string of them. “I think we’re good for the night.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Feeling slightly optimistic, eh?”
He nodded and ripped one off. “I bought them as soon as I realized who you were. That way, if I ever had a second chance with you, I’d be prepared.”
“And now your patience is about to pay off.”
“I don’t mind waiting for you, Hailey. You’re worth waiting for.”
The glow from his words spread through her like a wildfire, leaving no inch of her untouched. This was what it felt like to be loved and cherished. This was what she’d always dreamed of but had been too afraid to ask for. And now she was back in Ben’s arms, in his bed, and reawakening the joy she’d once feared dead.
He rolled the condom on and positioned himself at the opening of her sex.
She spread her legs wider and tilted her hips, eager to receive him.
Ben eased into her, allowing her inner walls to accommodate him. As he came to the hilt, he squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw. “Oh, God, Hailey, you feel so good.”
“So do you.” The mild burn of pain from the stretching gave way to a hum of pleasure. He filled her completely, reaching her deepest recesses, and it reminded her just how much she enjoyed having him inside her.
“I meant what I said about taking my time. I want to make love to you slow and easy.”
Her breath caught, but it had nothing to do with the exquisite friction of him moving inside her. This wasn’t just sex to him. He wanted to make love to her, not enjoy another one-night stand. The consequences of the declaration nagged the corners of her mind, but she pushed them away. This wasn’t the time to worry about the past or the future. She’d deal with them in the morning. Right now, all she cared about was the present.
