by Avery Flynn
Jules gave his erection a slow, firm stroke, and he released a rough growl. Without warning, he gripped the hem of her thin nightgown and jerked it over her head. Her bare skin tingled in the cool air. Dipping his head low, he drew a taut nipple into his mouth, sucking strongly at her before moving to the next. The coarse texture of his damp tongue over her tender flesh sent a tremor of need drumming through her.
Gripping her hips, he jerked her forward until she was propped on the edge of the whirring machine. He clasped her leg and lifted it high before slowly guiding his thick shaft into her. Together they watched as he slid inside her, inch by exquisite inch.
She gasped from the incredible sensation of being filled. He paused and rested his forehead against hers.
“Good?”
She responded with a small jerk of her head, and he captured her lips for another deep kiss before thrusting deeply. Stifling another sharp gasp, she clamped her eyes shut against the intense pleasure. With her arms wrapped securely around his neck, she held on to him as he pumped fiercely into her. A soft cry escaped her, and she threaded her fingers through his silky strands.
Suddenly, his movements became slow and measured, as if he wanted to prolong the inevitable. Mason held himself still, pressing his lips against her throat and just above her collarbone before thrusting strongly into her again. She let out a throaty whimper, her need for him beyond desperate.
She cupped his face and brought his lips down to hers, swallowing his low grunts of pleasure. They devoured each other greedily as he continued to drive into her with hard, quick strokes. Spiraling closer to fulfillment, Jules locked her legs around his hips and held him close.
Without warning, the washing machine shifted to the spin cycle, and the bottom of her thighs quivered from the rapid pulsations. With one last deep thrust, she was thrown over the edge.
Wave after wave of pleasure rippled through her, and she tightened her arms around him. Mason soon followed with a lengthy groan, his fingers digging into her hips as he held her firmly to him.
As they floated down from the strength of their release, Jules leisurely ran her fingers along his back and shoulders, their sweat keeping them glued together. The machine shifted to the final rinse cycle, and the gush of running water drowned out their deep, heavy breathing.
Mason drew back, his hands moving gently up and down her waist as he studied her from under hooded lids.
“What are you thinking?” he asked quietly.
Jules smiled languidly and kissed the underside of his jaw. “That we need to do more connecting.”
8
“Madison, I saw that. Put them back, please.”
Her daughter ignored her as she proceeded to tiptoe out of the kitchen, a handful of marshmallows clutched in her small palms.
“Madison…”
She continued to sneak off, and Jules blew out a breath in exasperation.
“Queenie.” That got her attention. Her daughter froze, then turned to face her. “You heard what I said, missy.”
Madison looked at her with wide, innocent eyes. “But Mommy, I only took a little for me and Jeremy.”
“I told you it was almost time for dinner. Now give them to me.”
“Please? Just a little?”
“No.”
Ignoring her daughter’s deep pout, Jules held out her hand. Madison hesitated for a millisecond before she dropped the now crushed soft candies into her hands.
“Can we have some later?”
“No.” Jules went to the trash bin and dropped the sticky marshmallows into it.
“But why?”
“Because you tried to sneak some behind my back when I told you no the first time. You need to listen when I talk to you.”
“But you gave Jeremy some and I didn’t get any.”
“Those were his special treats, and he earned them.”
“But I’m special too. Daddy said so.”
Jules sighed. She hated when her daughter used that argument. “Yes, you are but in different ways. You’re a big girl now, and you have to do as you’re told. Understand?”
Madison nodded slowly, though Jules wasn’t convinced by her easy submission.
“Now go find your brother and wash up for dinner. Make sure you both sing the wash-up song to the end before you rinse.”
“Okay!”
Madison skipped out of the kitchen. Jules returned to the meal she was preparing when her daughter’s excited exclamation reached her.
“Daddy!”
Something in her belly fluttered with instant awareness. Since last night, their lovemaking was all she could think about. She didn’t realize how much she had missed him until she was in his arms.
It took a few minutes for Madison’s excited chatter to fade before Mason made his way into the kitchen.
“It smells good in here.”
“Thanks,” Jules said, taking the baked chicken out of the oven. “It’s baked chicken and dirty rice. Just a few more minutes with the rice and dinner should be ready.”
He came to stand behind her as she stirred the rice one last time before replacing the lid. His arms snaked around her waist, and he placed a lingering kiss against her neck, nuzzling her there.
“You smell better.”
She tried to turn and face him, but he tightened his arms around her.
“Mason?”
“We’re not done yet.”
“Done?”
“Connecting,” he murmured, a hint of amusement in his voice.
She smiled and leaned against him, her hand resting on his arm, and they stayed like that for a moment longer.
“You know, this is my second favorite part of going to counseling.”
“Yeah?” Mason murmured. “What’s the first?”
“Getting to say I told you so.” A burst of laughter escaped, and she smiled. “Admit it. We should have started it much sooner.”
“I won’t argue with that.” He gave her another quick kiss then released her.
She leaned against the counter and watched as he got himself a drink. “How’d the interview go?”
“Steven wants to look at more candidates,” he said, twisting the cap off the beer bottle. “But we should have a new assistant coach brought in before the end of the summer.”
She hoped so. Things were just starting to get better between them. She would hate for things to revert to the way they were once the preseason training started again.
“Have you heard from Guy lately? I sent flowers to him at the hospital, but haven’t heard from him.”
“Don’t take it personally. He’s recovering, but with the heart attack and forced retirement, I think he’s still trying to process it all.”
“Yes, of course.”
Mason took a drink from his beer, his gaze unusually probing. “What do you say we get away for a bit?”
“Like a vacation? When?”
He shrugged. “Maybe next weekend? We can find someplace remote or maybe take a cruise.”
Jules liked the sound of that. They hadn’t taken a family vacation in a while, and it would be nice to take a trip with her family.
“We would have to find a place that’s family friendly and—”
“I was thinking we leave the kids here and take off. Just the two of us.”
She blinked in surprise. “Are you sure we’ll be able to just go away without the kids? I don’t know if I feel comfortable leaving Carrie alone to care for Jeremy for that long.”
“It’s just a few days, and she’s great with Jeremy.”
That was true. Carrie was great with their kids and also trained to work with special needs children. A slow excitement began to build in Jules at the prospect that they could actually plan a weekend getaway.
“I would have to check with Carrie on her availability. I know she has a couple of summer trips planned.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll talk to Carrie and see what her schedule is before I book anything.”
> “Okay.” Her curiosity, however, overshadowed her excitement, and she couldn’t stop herself from asking, “What made you want to do this?”
He set his bottle down on the counter and gently pulled her into his arms again. “I want to make up for not being here with you during our anniversary. I should have handled that better. I’m sorry.”
She brushed her lips lightly across his and said playfully, “You don’t know how excited you just made me right now.”
His eyes gleamed with mischief and promise. He placed a finger under her chin and said, a hairsbreadth away from her lips, “How about you show me?”
“Mason, I know this is not what you wanted to hear,” Steven said, “but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Mason kept his grip tight around the back of the chair, stunned by the sudden turn of events regarding the incident with Harrison Stacey.
“I thought this was all resolved. Why can’t I just pay the damn fine and be done with this?”
Steven shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “The commissioner is asking you to do both. Pay a fine and attend anger management.”
Mason stared at him incredulously, then cursed. “This is ridiculous. I’m not the only coach in the league to lose his cool, and I’m sure I won’t be the last.”
“Losing your cool on the ice may fly on occasion, but taking swings at reporters just won’t cut it.”
Mason narrowed his eyes at the general manager. “Why does it sound like I don’t have a choice in this?”
“You do. I just don’t think you’d like the alternative.” Steven sighed. “Mason, you have to remember that we’re still a young team. That just won the Cup. The country may be rooting for us, but there are still some who are waiting for us to fall on our face. With you and some of the other guys running around half-cocked, it’s only a matter of time before that day comes.”
“I don’t see how forcing me into anger management will make a difference,” Mason snapped.
“It probably won’t, but it’ll show the league that as head coach, you’re willing to lead by example, that you would do what it takes to be here for your players.”
There was no question about that. Hockey had been a part of his life for over twenty years, and his players were like family. He wouldn’t turn his back on them ever—not when he had an opportunity to lead them through another championship season.
But he also had Jules and his marriage to focus on. Where the hell was he going to find the time to continue marriage counseling and start anger management? If it came down to one or the other, he already knew his choice.
“If anger management is what I need to do to keep my job, then fine. But my wife and I are in counseling now, and I won’t stop those for this.”
“No, you wouldn’t need to. These aren’t supervised sessions or anything. You would just need to enter a program and get a letter stating you are in therapy.”
“Well, the league will have to just wait until after I’ve finished counseling and made things better at home.”
Steven sat back in his seat, his eyes taking a faraway look as he contemplated the situation. “Maybe we won’t have to.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m assuming you’re seeing a trained professional?”
Mason nodded curtly. He hated discussing his private life with any boss, least of all Steven. Mason had nothing against the man, but it was hard enough opening up to Dr. Kahn—he didn’t like divulging his marriage problems to someone who had no interest in helping improve them.
“Then simply get a letter from them stating you’re seeking treatment for your…issues.”
“And that’s acceptable?”
“For them, it would have to be. I’ll even mention something about doctor-client confidentially. Just get me the letter and I’ll handle the rest.”
Mason regarded him closely then shrugged. “All right.”
He was barely out of Steven’s office before he placed a call to Dr. Kahn’s office. Apparently, his request wasn’t uncommon. After speaking with Debbie, he was assured the verification letter would be sent to him as soon as possible.
Mason ended the call, and as he neared his office, an event reminder on his phone drew his attention. He didn’t recognize it, but one of his players’ names was included in the description. It was also happening on Saturday—the same day he and Jules had planned their getaway.
When Mason reached his office, he immediately called his assistant.
“If you’re calling for the training videos, I’m having them sent to your office now,” Doug said in a rush.
“No, I’m calling about this thing that just popped up on my calendar. What’s it for?”
“What date?”
“Saturday. It has Donnelly’s name and something about a Crooked Angel in the description.”
“Oh, right. That’s Donnelly’s fundraiser in Remington. That’s in North Carolina.”
“I figured as much. Why is it on my calendar?”
“Didn’t you read the email he sent out about it?” Doug asked. “Apparently, this fundraiser is to honor Donnelly’s firefighter friend who was killed on the job. He reached out to you and the other guys on the team for support. He’s hoping if the team shows up, they can end up with a huge turnout, which will bring in lots more money.”
Mason blew out a heavy breath. Any other time, he wouldn’t mind making the trip in support of one of his players, especially for a cause this important. But he had just gotten confirmation from Carrie that she would be able to stay the weekend with their kids, and he had looked forward to spending quiet time away with his wife.
“When I checked your schedule, it was clear,” Doug added. “I thought you and Jules would be cool with going, since it’s, like, your thing.”
“The fundraiser is not a problem. It’s just that we were planning a trip of our own this weekend.”
“Do you want me to call and cancel your reservation?”
Mason hesitated, running his hand through his hair. Donnelly was one of his best players, and a genuinely decent guy. For a cause this important, Mason didn’t feel right not following through.
“No, Doug, I’ll make it work.”
Mason hung up and sat back in his seat, wondering what he was going to tell Jules about their new plans when she had her heart set on a cruise. Things had been going great between them these past few days. He didn’t want to ruin it by disappointing her.
By the time he made it home, he still hadn’t found the right words.
He found her sitting in the living room, scrolling through her laptop.
“What are you doing?” he asked, falling into the seat beside her.
She turned to him, amusement in her eyes. “I should be going over this program list Whitney sent me, but instead I’m looking up possible cruises we can take this weekend.” She turned back to the computer and muttered, “I’ll need a find a bathing suit, too.”
“Look, Jules. About that…”
She whipped her eyes up to his, her gaze probing. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Don’t worry—there’s good news, too.”
“Okay, give me the good news first.”
“Carrie can watch the kids for us this weekend, so our trip is a go.”
She visibly relaxed. “Good. Then what’s the bad news?”
“It won’t be a cruise.”
“Why not? I thought we agreed on a cruise.”
“I know, but I have to be in North Carolina this weekend for a fundraiser. One of the players invited us to it. It’s for his friend who was killed on the job. He was a firefighter.”
Her hand flew to her throat. “Oh, wow.” Then she wrinkled her nose and shoved his arm. “Why didn’t you just lead with that?”
“So you’re cool with the change?”
“Yes, of course. This is for one of your players, and it’s for a good cause. I’m sure we can find a really nice hotel to stay in that weekend.”
Mason smiled with relief. She wasn’t disappointed. He had greatly underestimated her graciousness and the fact that she felt exactly as he did about this trip—cruise or no cruise, he just wanted to spend a weekend alone with his wife.
Edging closer to her on the sofa, he leaned in as if being pulled by magnetic forces. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
She shook her head, but the smile on her face was teasing. “Not lately. No.”
“Well, I do. You are the most generous, most understanding, woman I know.”
Her eyes danced with mischief, and a simmering desire began to build in him. He let his gaze drop to her delicious curve of her mouth before he fitted his lips against hers.
They managed only a fleeting touch before a loud crash came from the kitchen.
Jules pulled away with a groan. “Sounds like your children are climbing the counters again.”
“Again?”
She nodded, then rose to her feet. “Looking for treats, no doubt. I swear they’re going to be the death of me.”
“Just a few more days, and it’s just you and me.”
“And room service,” she said over her shoulder.
9
The moment they stepped into their hotel room, Jules kicked off her shoes. She began stripping out of her travel clothes, but paused long enough to admire the large suite. It wasn’t anything like the one in Paris, where they had spent their actual honeymoon, but for a small-town hotel like the Plaza, it was certainly charming and comfortable.
And came with a very wide bed.
She wriggled out of her jeans and climbed onto it. Mason placed their luggage down and came to where she lay sprawled on the bed.
“Should we call Carrie and check in?”
Jules sat up and stared at him. “I already did. When you were checking us in.”
“Of course you did,” he said wryly, absently smoothing his palm down her bare thigh. “Everything good?”
“Yup.” Jules rose to her knees on the bed, then looped her arms around his neck. “All good. Now we get to relax and make the most of this bed.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that.”
