The Sport of Romance: A Multi-Author Box Set

by Cari Quinn

  Tim nodded, not so much because he understood the drama—Mom didn’t tolerate that kind of nonsense when their large family got together—but he’d had to take a few steps back from hopeless situations. During Dean’s dysfunctional marriage there had been times Tim’s inability to help his brother left him feeling drained and useless. When he could finally do some good, like letting his niece Jami stay with him while Dean was swamped with work, his relationship with his brother had improved.

  “You obviously aren’t as big on sharing family secrets as I am, so why don’t we discuss the matter at hand.” Madeline hopped up on a barstool like an eager girl, flashing him another of her challenging smiles before addressing the bartender. “This man seems to think your beer will make me rethink my preference for foreign lager. Please start me with your best local brew.”

  The bartender, a man their age with a shiny bald head and pale eyebrows, smiled at her, completely charmed. After determining whether she preferred a light beer or a dark malt, he fetched two heavy glass mugs and a bottle of Kentucky Brunch. “Lady, I think you’ll like this one.”

  For the next few hours they tried all Tim’s favorite beers and several he’d never had before but sampled on recommendation from the bartender. The foreign brews Madeline asked for were rich and full-bodied, some better than anything he’d ever tried before, but the real win was Madeline admitting at the end, in a slightly slurred tone, that he had good taste.

  Warmth filled him with her approval, along with the alcohol in his blood, and he laughed out loud as they strolled down the street. He wasn’t trying to be cocky or anything, he was just…so damn happy. He couldn’t remember the last time a date hadn’t felt like a job interview he was trying to pass. With Madeline, it hadn’t even felt like a date. They were simply together, enjoying one another, with nowhere else they wanted to be.

  He wanted more time like this, more time with her. The sky lightening reminded him that they’d be back on the plane in a few hours. She’d leave with them, but after that…He had no idea where she lived. Or even how long she stayed in any one place.

  These were things he should have asked her already. Instead, he had to start thinking about getting her to her hotel. And going back to his. They both needed to sleep. One day off before two games at home and Coach Paul would probably want to schedule a team practice.

  “You’re thinking awfully hard, Tim.” Madeline drew his arm around her waist and rested her head on his chest. “You didn’t comment about our reaching the beach. Didn’t see how beautiful the moon looked on the water before the clouds covered it. You’re so far away.”

  “I’m here. I’m just wondering where you’ll be tomorrow.” He followed her gaze. High above them, white clouds ghosted across the huge, pale gold moon. Waves lapped at the sand only a couple of yards from where they stood. The ocean breeze was crisp, almost cold, but the air tasted as fresh as it did back in Nova Scotia. Which had him wondering where she called home. “Do you live in Georgia or—”

  “I have a condo in New York, but I’ve been renting it out since I got the job with the airport in Halifax. I just got a lease for a nice little house not far from Dartmouth.” She cocked her head and peered up at him. “So you don’t have to worry that I’ll disappear from your life after tonight.”

  “Good, because I enjoyed this. I’d like to take you out once we get home.”

  “We’re out now, Tim.” She slid her hand to the small of his back, under his shirt, as though she craved the contact with his bare flesh. His lips curved as she tilted her head, inviting his kiss. The rich flavor of the beer sweetened her lips, and he savored the faint traces of coffee and whiskey in the last brew as he slipped his tongue past her soft, parted lips. She teased him with her own tongue, letting out a soft moan as he held her firmly against him and deepened the kiss.

  Her breasts swelled over the top of her shirt as they were pressed to his chest, and he had to pull away before he was tempted to cup them in his hands, free them right here like he had every right to. He wanted his mouth and his hands all over her, but not yet.

  “I should get you back to your hotel.” He rested his forehead on hers and tried to slow his racing pulse. No woman had even set him off-balance like this. He questioned his every move, went from being completely comfortable to awkwardness in a breath. Women preferred men who led the way, who knew what they were doing, but for some reason Madeline took him out of his element.

  “What if I ask you to stay?”

  The answer is yes!

  No. He pressed his eyes shut. If he spent the night with her, he had no idea which side of him she’d get. He’d seen how she’d responded to Dean. That was what she needed. And Tim wasn’t sure he could give it to her.

  This was how he’d felt the few times he’d let his brother talk him into going to a play party. Tim had been raised to accept lifestyles different from the norm, so his brother casually mentioning he was into BDSM wasn’t shocking. Tim’s own reactions to the atmosphere in the kink clubs however…that was disconcerting. He’d always been “the nice guy” in high school, dating the shy girls, being the boy they had no problem introducing to their daddies. Meeting his first Domme had been quite the experience. Hot sex and a few hours to let go and simply do each and every thing she asked of him.

  When he’d returned weeks later, he’d expected to have another night of servitude, but the Domme had hooked up with another submissive man. Tim ended up sitting at the bar nursing a beer and talking about the game with the chatty bartender. A sweet, young submissive woman with platinum blond hair had joined them and something in his head had just…clicked. He’d turned to her, and the way she’d lowered her eyes…

  Topping her for the night under the supervision of one of the experienced Dommes had brought out a confidence in him that he’d never known he possessed. The Domme had explained to him, once all was said and done, that he was definitely a switch.

  At the club, he could usually tell whether the night would lead to him playing a Top, or a bottom, to the right woman. But beyond that, he could never be sure. He’d dated vanilla women and easily read the kind of man they needed him to be. More often than not, they expected a gentleman in public and a beast in the bedroom.

  He could give them that for a while, but then his inner balance would shift the other way and he’d crave a powerful woman who could return to him all he gave. Direction, pleasure, control.

  Work and life had kept him from the clubs. Madeline had made him forget how much he needed to maintain that balance. This was less about being a gentleman now than it was a way to prevent disappointing her and ruining a good thing.

  Because they had something good. Something worth taking their time with. Maybe if he found a club and a powerful Domme, spent a few hours on his knees, he’d get rid of those urges. But he couldn’t do it yet.

  “Tonight has been incredible, Madeline.” He kissed her forehead, then took her hand to walk with her away from the waves gently lapping the sand in the darkness. “Will you hate me if I say I can’t stay?”

  She frowned, studying his face before shaking her head. “I won’t hate you, but I don’t understand.”

  “I’m sorry.” And he really was, but if he caved, he’d ruin everything. She needed a strong, alpha male. He’d do whatever it took to become one for her. “Does it help if I promise to make it worth the wait?”

  She laughed, spinning as she wrapped her arms around his neck when they reached the sidewalk. Pressed her lips to his with a contented little hum. “Yes. Bring me to my hotel. I’ll spend the night dreaming of how you’ll fulfill that promise.”

  He chuckled and they continued to a taxi stand so he could ride with her to her hotel before returning to his own. He kissed her again before saying the words that had been on his mind since they’d left the beach. “You’ll dream of me?”

  With a wink and a sly smile, she patted his cheek. “It wouldn’t be ladylike to say what I’ll really be doing, all alone in my bed tonig
ht. Sleep well, Tim.”

  Long after she’d disappeared beyond the rotating doors, Tim let the cabbie run the meter and sat there, wishing he could get out of the damn car and go find her. She was incredible. Amazing. Dean would call him an idiot for letting her walk away.

  And he’d be right.

  But all that mattered was she’d be back. And next time the opportunity came, Tim would be ready.

  Chapter Three

  Sipping at her coffee, Madeline gazed out the window at the snow-covered walkway and the peaceful street beyond. Overnight a blizzard had blanketed everything in white, and she wasn’t looking forward to shoveling out her car, but she had to admit, the pristine stillness outside was beautiful.

  Over the past week, Madeline had managed to unpack all her boxes and make her new house feel like home. She’d had only three flights, which had given her plenty of time to spend with Tim. His schedule was a little more hectic, but he’d taken her out to dinner twice and come over once for lunch. Seeing him here had given her ridiculous ideas of the future, but the way he’d kissed her, telling her yet again to wait, had shifted those ideas to an urge to strangle him.

  Being a gentleman was one thing, but she was starting to wonder if he wanted her at all.

  When he touches me, when he kisses me, there’s no question that he wants me.

  Still, there was something…something holding him back. She’d been perfectly fine not looking deeper into the shallow relationships she’d had with men in the past, but she wanted so much more with Tim. He made her laugh, he was smart and caring, tender when he held her, looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

  Being with a man like him, a man who she could already see having a permanent place in her life, was worth the effort. She wouldn’t be stupid about this. Until she figured out what was going on with him, she’d be cautious with her heart, but she wasn’t ready to give up just yet.

  Draining her coffee, she stood and went to the kitchen to deal with the breakfast dishes. There was no game scheduled tonight. She’d be leaving Sunday for a longer flight, and he was going on a road trip with his team. She wanted to see him tonight.

  So she’d damn well call and tell him so. She dried her hands and picked up her phone.

  He answered on the first ring. “Good morning, sweetheart.”

  An involuntary smile came to her lips at the warm tone of his voice. She rested her hip against the kitchen counter. “Good morning.” The sounds of the ice came through the phone, telling her he was at practice. He didn’t usually bring his phone out to the rink. He must have been expecting her call. “I didn’t know you’d be working today. I can call back.”

  “That’s not necessary. I wasn’t sure if you’d be sleeping in, so I wasn’t going to call for another hour, but I wanted to talk to you so we could make plans for tomorrow night after the game.”

  Tomorrow night? She frowned and pushed away from the counter. “You’re busy tonight?”

  He went quiet. Spoke quietly. “Yes. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be.”

  “But I am. And…there’s something we need to discuss which might change everything. I’ll know by tomorrow. Just know I will be completely honest with you.” The sounds of the ice became muffled, as though he’d covered the phone. Then he let out a heavy sigh. “I’d take you out for lunch today, but it doesn’t look like I’ll get out of here any time soon.”

  “I could always bring you lunch. There’s leftover pulled pork from the other day.” Damn it, did she sound desperate? Pathetic? But no, she couldn’t start thinking like that. There was nothing wrong with going out of her way to see a man she was interested in. She wasn’t a little girl who needed a man to chase her to show his interest.

  He made a low sound of appreciation in his throat that quickened her pulse and reminded her exactly why she wasn’t ready to give up on him. “You spoil me, woman. There’s no way I could turn down an offer like that. Having you and your delicious food for lunch would be perfect.”

  She laughed. “If I didn’t know better, I’d wonder exactly where you intended to ‘have me,’ Tim.”

  “Not here, Madeline. As much as it tempts me to have you come down now so I could ravish you right here on the bench—stop grinning like that, White! Go practice on the face-off!” Tim snorted and she could hear White in the background shouting “Hi, Madeline!” Clearing his throat, Tim continued. “I want more for you. I’ll be able to give it to you tomorrow, if you can wait that long.”

  Again with tomorrow. She shook her head. “I don’t understand. Tim, you don’t need to plan anything extraordinary. Let what happens, happen.”

  “I know what will happen if… Look, I have to go. But I’m looking forward to seeing you at lunch.”

  There wasn’t much more she could say besides “Goodbye.” She hung up and put the phone on the charger, standing in the kitchen for a time simply giving the irritation within time to fade. She went about her morning without letting herself dwell on the conversation, watching a few of the shows she’d recorded during the week and then calling her mother to catch up on family drama. Her second youngest brother had gotten fired. Again.

  News of her brother moving back in with her parents did nothing to improve her mood. Mother would do everything for the boy and he’d laze about, taking advantage of her mother’s guilt in having been away at work most of his life. Which was unfair and had Madeline wanting to go back home just to smack some sense into the ungrateful child.

  By the time she’d finished shoveling out her car and was ready to head out to the Forum, she had half a mind to call Tim to cancel. She had to force herself to pull out onto the street and drive into Dartmouth. The streets were slick and most people seemed to have forgotten how to drive.

  There was no available parking near the Forum. She parked two blocks away and trudged through the snow, her arms full of Tupperware with enough food in them to feed the whole team. She reached the Forum and struggled to open the door. For some reason, the automatic doors weren’t working. The handle slipped from her numb fingers.

  A man in a suit stepped up to hold the door open for her. She smiled up at him, then swallowed when she realized it was Tim’s brother, Dean.

  “I didn’t realize we were having lunch catered.” Dean chuckled as he took the two largest containers. “It’s pretty nasty out. You did all this just for Tim?”

  The question made her feel like maybe she’d gone a little too far. Of course, as she’d been putting together lunch, she’d thought about White and wondered if anyone would make sure he had a good meal. Before she knew it, she’d prepared way too much food. And wasn’t about to let it go to waste.

  “I enjoy cooking. And I had extra—”

  “You were thinking about the boy again.”

  Am I that transparent? She grinned. “Yes. I’m used to feeding big boys and ended up overdoing it.”

  “I’m positive you won’t hear any complaints in the locker room.” He nodded toward the elevators and continued speaking as they descended. “But I can see why Tim speaks so fondly of you. Those boys mean a lot to him. I was afraid that would be an issue when I hired him, but he’s an amazing coach.”

  “And an assistant coach can be a bit more of a friend to the players than the head coach.” Not that she knew for certain, but it seemed likely. Tim spent more time with the players than the Cobras head coach, Paul Stanton. Whom she’d admitted to Tim she didn’t like at all. Paul was aloof with the players, and she’d seen him shouting at White on the bench during the last game. Granted, coaches did yell at the players—Tim hadn’t looked too pleased with White after the penalty he’d drawn—but it wasn’t the same.

  Dean watched her, his expression unreadable as they stepped off the elevator. “Have you only started watching hockey recently?”

  “I’ve become more interested in it, but I’ve watched it before. Why?”

  “No reason.” Dean led the way down the hall, stopping in front of
the locker room. “Tim’s whole life is the game. Not many women can put up with that. You might want to make sure you can before you get in any deeper.”

  “It won’t be a problem.”

  “Good. You’ll both have enough challenges in your relationship without your careers coming between you.” He moved to pull the door open. She reached out to stop him. His lips thinned. “I could be wrong about you. You’re pushy for a sub.”

  She blinked at him. Took a step back. “How did you know?”

  “I didn’t. I guessed. You have a way about you that reminds me of the women I play with at the club.” He gave her a slow smile as his gaze traveled over her body. “The way you go still when I use the right tone… I believe you’d kneel quite gracefully if I asked you to.”

  At one point, she’d have done so without a second thought. But not anymore. She hiked her chin up and sniffed. “You are well aware that I’m seeing your brother. Speaking like this to me is inappropriate.”

  “Is it?” He moved closer and his tone turned rough. “I could give you what you need and then we could both carry on with our lives with no harm done. Tim will do everything in his power to give it to you. And he’ll fail.”

  “I don’t understand. Do you have a problem with me, Dean? I’ve treated your brother well. We’ve only been dating for a week and—”

  “And he’s already trying to change for you. I don’t have a problem with you, Madeline.” He gave her a stiff smile. “Yet. I’ll wait and see how you handle this situation. As of right now, I believe the best thing for you both is to end things before he goes too far.”

  “He goes to the club too, doesn’t he?” She took a deep breath at Dean’s sharp nod. “And he’s not a Dom.”

  “He’s a switch.”

  Madeline wrinkled her nose. “Oh.”

  With a bitter laugh, Dean inclined his head. “Yes. Oh. Exactly the reaction I expected.”

  That was quite enough. Since the man didn’t affect her as a Dom anymore, she had absolutely no issues with putting him in his place. She smiled sweetly up at him. “Duly noted. I must say, I wasn’t aware you were so opinionated about your brother’s life. It’s admirable. Really.”