Hot on Ice: A Hockey Romance Anthology

by Avery Flynn

  To Zim’s surprise, the guy nodded. “Oh yeah! Dude, we need to get him to Philly. He deserves to play for a real team.”

  Across the bar, Cam watched the exchange, clearly amused and itching to drop a truth bomb on the Philly fan.

  Zim shook his head, grinning. He hadn’t enjoyed himself this much in, well, he couldn’t remember when. He was about to set the asshole straight about who was a real team when a flash of silver caught his eye. Zim looked over the guy’s shoulder and…holy damn.

  Four gorgeous girls strolled through the door looking like they’d just been cast in a Super Bowl commercial. They were dressed to kill but with all the subtlety of a pretty poison, not the brute force of a sledgehammer. Zim watched, dumbfounded, as they inched their way toward the bar, having completely tuned-out the guy in front of him.

  It was a shortest of the women that had him riveted.

  Ebony hair cropped just about her shoulders that swayed and bounced with her movements, she had big, bright eyes, and lips that were tailor-made for him to nibble on. She wore a sheer, white shirt over a white tank top of some kind. Camisole? Fuck if he knew, but she looked damn good. Her jeans were dark navy and fit her like a second skin. Her movements were graceful, almost delicate as she followed her friends.

  Seriously, all of them were stunning, but he couldn’t stop watching her.

  “Someone’s got your attention,” Camden said, leaning forward to follow Zim’s line of sight.

  Zim pried his gaze away from the woman, now aware that the man he’d been talking to had left. “You know them?”

  Camden nodded.

  “Who is the one in the white?”

  The other man frowned. “Ohhhh no. You best be turning your thoughts elsewhere, Red is spoken for,” Camden warned, nodding toward the group of women.

  Confused, Zim glanced back at them. The curly redhead was also wearing white. He hadn’t even noticed.

  “Not her, the brunette.”

  Camden looked again, just as the blonde in the group waved over to him, a lovely smile on her equally lovely face.

  Just what had Philly been putting in the water lately?

  “I don’t know her, but if she’s a friend of Jo’s, you’re about to meet her.”

  Zim grabbed Camden’s arm. “Don’t say anything about who I am.”

  Cam stopped, frowning. “What?”

  “Don’t mention who I am or what I do. In fact, don’t even call me Zim. Call me…Con.”

  “Con?”

  “Yeah, just roll with it.”

  “Whatever you say, Con.”

  “Cam!” The blonde, Jo, stretched over the bar and threw her arms up, wrapping the around Camden’s neck. “How are you, babe?”

  “Better, now that you’re here, lass.” He grinned.

  Zim tried not to stare at the petite brunette. A difficult task since she kept biting her lip and smoothing her hands down her shapely thighs. Apparently, she wasn’t as comfortable as her friend seemed to be.

  She looked up, catching his eye.

  He flicked his gaze away to someone behind her and tried to keep the blood from rushing to his head. Both of them.

  “What’ll it be?” Cam grinned at the curvy blonde.

  “We’re celebrating my friend’s new apartment,” Jo exclaimed, her blue eyes flashing. She pulled the brunette toward the bar.

  The poor girl lost her balance and fell forward.

  Without thinking, Zim reached out and caught her before she face-planted in his crotch. Something he almost regretted when she raised her doe eyes up to meet his. The picture she painted sent the blood rushing to his groin.

  “I’m so sorry!”

  “Not a problem,” he ground out, well aware he still had a grip on her shoulders. Zim held his breath for a heartbeat. Two. Three. And tried to will away his growing erection.

  When she leaned back, Zim released her.

  “Thanks.” Her smile was a little shy and a lot sexy. “This seat taken?”

  “Uh, no.” Zim helped her ease the stool back, careful not to touch her again. If he did, he might not be able to stop.

  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had such an immediate, physical reaction to a woman.

  “New digs, eh?” Camden set four coasters down on the bar. “First round’s on me, then.”

  “Aww, thanks, Cam! You’re a gem.” Jo took a seat next to the redhead. The fourth girl, who looked a lot like the brunette – sister, maybe? - sat between them.

  Zim grabbed his beer and took a healthy swig. It was damned hard not to look at the gorgeous creature sitting mere inches from him. He failed, taking a long, lingering glance. And he got caught, not by the brunette but by the blonde.

  She smiled, winking. “Hey.”

  Zim gave her a firm nod, tipping back the rest of his pint. “Hi.”

  “See something you like?”

  Zim nearly choked on his drink. “What?”

  His sputter got the raven-haired beauty’s attention, and she turned to look at him.

  Jo’s smile turned devilish. “This is my friend-“

  “Sue.” The brunette interrupted. “I’m Sue.”

  The blonde looked confused but shrugged. “And you are?”

  “Con,” he answered after a beat, nearly spilling his real name.

  “Hi, Con. I’m Jo, that’s Lovie,” she said pointing at the redhead. “And this is Amri, Sue’s sister. So if you have designs on her, you’d better come correct.”

  Amri and Jo laughed, Lovie rolled her eyes, but Sue…Sue blushed, and it was the sweetest, cutest, sexiest thing Zim had ever seen. Then she surprised him by meeting his eyes.

  “Nice to meet you,” she said in a voice he wanted to hear first thing in the morning after making her scream all night.

  Fuck.

  He should have left, right then.

  Cam chuckled. “Have fun, ladies, but take it easy on my mate, here. He’s shy.”

  Zim was going to fucking kill him and ship his body back to Glasgow. Fucker. He gave him the dirtiest look he could manage, but Cam only laughed.

  “You too, huh?” Sue turned back to him. “Well, we can be socially awkward together.”

  Zim could only nod, lost in her smile.

  He felt awkward. And uncomfortable. And realized he hadn’t had a one-on-one conversation with a woman he was truly attracted to in longer than he could remember.

  He raised a hand to ask, but Camden was already there with another pint for him.

  “I’ll have what he’s having,” Sue said with a teasing grin.

  He cleared his throat, which was a desert. “So, you’re celebrating?”

  She nodded, taking her first sip from her glass. It left a foam mustache across the curve of her upper lip.

  Zim wanted to lick it off. Suck on that plump piece of flesh until she moaned for him.

  Jeee-sus.

  “Just moved into my new place. Literally.” She ran the tip of one finger around her glass, her gaze following it, but her mind was clearly elsewhere.

  “New in town?”

  Sue shook her head, a tiny frown wrinkling the smooth skin of her forehead.

  “No, just,” she sighed and took another drink. “New start.”

  Zim’s lust-clouded brain cleared enough to recognize that something bad had happened to this woman, and he felt all of his senses tune into her for the slightest hint of what it was. And what he could do about it. He wanted to fix it, whatever it was. Put the smile back on her face.

  Sue glanced at him before looking away again. “It’s the classic tale of girl meets boy, boy proposes to girl, boy turns out to be a cheating douchebag, moves out in the middle of the day, and leaves a Dear John letter.

  Fuck. “Ouch.”

  Another glance from her and a smile so sad it made Zim irrationally angry. He wanted to find the idiot that hurt this woman and knock his dick in the dirt. Well, first he’d ask why the hell he’d walked out on someone so sweet, and then he’d knock his
dick in the dirt.

  “Yeah.” Another sigh, another sip, and another smile for him, this one brighter. Full of hope, somehow. “Anyway, that’s my story. What’s yours?”

  “I’m…in town for a few days. On business.” Not a lie, exactly.

  Something flashed across her features. Disappointment? Her shoulders seemed to deflate a tiny bit.

  “Ah. Well,” Sue raised her glass and waited for Zim to do the same. “I hope you have a successful visit.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Try to have some fun while you’re here, Philly’s a great town. Lots to see and do.”

  “I like what I’ve seen so far.” It was as cheesy a line as they came, but mission accomplished.

  Sue’s smile returned, accompanied by another blush. She was going to kill him with those, and he’d die with a grin on his face.

  “Hey, Cam!” Jo’s voice brought the Scot down to their end of the bar. “Can I play DJ tonight?”

  Cam grinned. “O’course, love. You know I love it when you do.”

  He handed her a remote. A few seconds later, a thumping dance track poured through the speakers, transforming the dark little pub into a dark little club as people started to move to the music.

  Two hours later, Zim found himself on a makeshift dance floor with an armful of hot, ebony-haired, Bambi-eyed vixen.

  Sue draped herself over him like a well-worn jersey, soft and way too comfortable.

  Zim was done for.

  He wanted her. Just a taste of her.

  Right the hell now.

  3

  Jesus Christ, this guy was hot. Like, I don’t care what your name is hot. Like, I don’t even care what you do for a living because I just want to climb you like a jungle gym, hot.

  Suji didn’t know what the hell the alcohol content was in the beer she’d been drinking, but she couldn’t remember feeling this mellow. Or this turned on.

  And this Con guy was sexy as hell. Tall and broad with chestnut hair and teasing, dark chocolate eyes. His mouth was wide with cupid’s bow lips and she couldn’t stop staring at them while they sat at the bar.

  Now he was grinding up on her like she was a scratch pole and he was the world’s neediest cat. Or maybe she was the one doing the grinding. It was, after all, her ass pressed against his crotch.

  Con wrapped his arm around her waist, and Suji threw her arm back around his neck. His breath tickled her neck as he spoke into it.

  “You’re driving me fucking crazy.”

  “Ditto,” she replied, though it came out more like “unnnngh.”

  It was the music, she reasoned. A thumping bass line over a tight drum pattern that made her hips move of their own volition. Damn Jo and her wicked taste in music.

  Next to them, on the dance floor they’d created by pushing several tables to the side, her sister wiggled and swayed along with Jo, and Jo’s friend Lovie. All three of them seemed to be having a blast. Especially Jo, who had snagged the bashful, young waiter and forced the poor kid to dance.

  He wasn’t suffering, by the looks of it. And Suji certainly wasn’t having a bad time herself.

  Her skin prickled, a combination of sweat and need as Con moved to the music with her. They were practically glued together, and there was no mistaking the effect it had on him.

  Lips brushed her neck, setting her blood on fire.

  “Is this okay?” He voice rumbled just beneath the sound of the bass guitar.

  Suji nodded, breathless.

  Con turned her in his arms, wrapping them around her waist. He trapped her leg between his thighs and pulled her in tight.

  Suji looped her arms around his neck. He smelled delicious, like leather, and sweat, and man.

  “Fuck,” he said when she rolled her body into his. “I, fuck.”

  “Want to?”

  Whoa, Nelly. Did she just…?

  Con slowed them down, their movements lazy compared to the frenetic pulse of the music, and of her racing heart. He leaned back to meet her gaze. His was hooded and kept dropping down to her mouth.

  “Say that again,” he demanded, licking his lips.

  “I don’t normally…”

  “I didn’t think you did.”

  “But I want…”

  “God, I need…”

  He groaned when Suji stretched up to run her nose along the column of his neck. She wanted to bite him. Mark him. Where this was all coming from, she had no idea. Nor did she care.

  She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the back of the pub.

  Jo caught her eye as they passed and gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

  Amrita arched an eyebrow but thankfully didn’t comment. Suji didn’t want to question it. She didn’t want to think. She wanted to feel.

  They got as far as the darkened hall that led to the bathrooms before he spun her up against the wood paneling and smashed his mouth down over hers.

  The kiss was brutal, unrelenting, and exactly what Suji needed to survive the apocalypse, or so she told herself.

  She had never been kissed like this. Had never been grabbed like this, like he couldn’t get enough of her body in his hands. Suji shook, trembled, quaked with need and Con hadn’t even touched her yet. Not where she needed to be touched.

  “Con,” she gasped when they came up for air.

  “Tell me what you want.”

  “You expect me to think?” Suji laughed, a sound so carefree and light she didn’t recognize the sound of it. When had she ever felt like this? When had Brian ever made her feel so wanted?

  Con slowed again, threading a hand through her hair and making her dizzy. He really knew how to use those massive hands of his.

  “I can take charge if that’s what you want.”

  Suji nodded or thought she did. Her head was suddenly spinning.

  “Look at me, sweetness.” He tipped her chin up and waited until she met his eyes, which took a bit longer than it should have. “Hey, I don’t know if this is such a good idea.”

  “I'm all right.” She thought she said. Her tongue felt thick, and her stomach began to roil and bubble. Was it super warm in the hall?

  He frowned. “I think you’re the opposite of fine.”

  Suddenly, they were moving. Panic gripped her for a moment until she felt the cool air on her face. They were in the alley behind the bar.

  “Breathe.” His voice had shifted from consummation to concern. “Do you think you’re going to be sick?”

  “I…” Now that he had mentioned it, a wave of nausea hit her. “Shit.”

  Suji doubled over.

  Con held her hair while she vacated the contents of her stomach, which were entirely liquid. Dinner, she’d forgotten to eat dinner. Suji had never been one of those people who could party on an empty stomach.

  “Stupid.”

  “Nah,” he argued, producing a napkin out of thin air. He gently wiped her mouth after she stood upright. “I’m betting you haven’t eaten much today. You said you moved into a new place, right? Lots of lifting and carrying, I bet.”

  Suji nodded and regretted it immediately. “I’m so embarrassed.”

  “Don’t be. I’m the one who’s embarrassed. I should have realized…” He trailed off, still holding her hair up off her neck. His touch was more comforting than it should have been for someone she barely knew.

  Suji became aware of just how alone they were, and how dark the alley was.

  Seeming to sense her discomfort, Con withdrew his hand and put some distance between them.

  “You ready to head back inside? I’m sure Camden can rustle up something in the kitchen for you.”

  “No, thanks. I’m going to grab my purse and head home. It’s been a long day.”

  If she’d been thinking any more clearly, Suji might have trusted her eyes more because it looked like his face fell.

  “Right.” He shoved his hands into his pockets.

  Suji hadn't realized how tall he was, at least six-foot-four, or how dark his eyes we
re. Almost black. But nothing was threatening about him. He was actually kinda…sweet. Sweet and sexy, what a combo.

  “I could give you my number if you want to…” Pick up where we left off? Suji wasn’t sure where that sentence was headed, but she needn’t have bothered.

  His gaze dropped to his feet. “Like I said, I’m leaving town in a couple of days.”

  “Oh.” Of course, he was. “Well…”

  “C’mon, let’s get you back inside.

  Con guided her back through the hall and into the bar, his arm strong and solid around her waist.

  Amrita’s head snapped up when she saw them, her eyes narrowing when she saw Suji’s face.

  Suji shook her head to let her know Con hadn’t done anything wrong. She needed to explain as soon as they reached her, or her sister would go apeshit.

  “I drank too much and ate too little.”

  Amri’s eyes widened. “Oh no! Poor baby girl. We need to get you some food.” She turned toward the bar, but Suji grabbed her arm. “Actually, I’m gonna grab a taxi and head home.”

  “Aww, man. Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, but thanks for dragging me out. I had fun.” Suji tried for a smile.

  “You’re in good hands, now.” Con said over her shoulder. “Thanks for the dance, I’m just gonna…”

  He let her go, and Suji immediately missed the contact. She watched him make his way back over to the bar.

  Amri leaned in to whisper I her ear. “What about tall, dark, and fuckable?”

  Suji shook her head. “Out-of-towner on his way home.”

  “Bummer.” Amrita hugged her. “But hey, you took a big step tonight. I’m proud of you.”

  “Thanks, sis. I’m going to go eat something and drink a gallon of water. Work’s gonna be fun tomorrow.”

  Amrita laughed. “Yeah, good luck with that.”

  Suji reckoned she’d need more than luck.

  4

  It was the smell that got to him. The deceptively antiseptic smell of sickness, fading dreams and lost hopes. That’s what Zim couldn’t stand. And after last night, he could barely tolerate the stench. No more Belhaven for him.

  Ever.

  Zim took a deep breath and tried to acclimate himself as quickly as possible. He didn’t know how anyone could work in a hospital, day in and day out. As a professional hockey player, he was used to pain. Used to blood, and sweat, and the stench of exertion. This was different. Nausea threatened to swallow him.