Delay of Game
Page 9
“So the reason you haven’t squealed and assaulted me with your lips is because of money?”
That was what Jason had to assume she was getting at when she listed off professions and not qualities to look for in a person. Part of Hope’s appeal was her naiveté and the feeling he got when he thought about how she needed protected from the world that was out there waiting to take advantage of someone like her. There were times that naiveté could be annoying and it appeared they were diving into one of those times.
“It’s not the only reason, but you have to know that most people will see me as someone out to get your money. I don’t think I’ve heard any great love stories about a hockey player falling for a bartender.”
“I guess it’s a good thing you’re also a baker.”
The conversation was starting to annoy Jason. Kate hadn’t agreed to marry Jason until he’d signed his pro contract. Jason had never really thought about it, but after the debacle that was their marriage, it seemed pretty clear she’d been holding out until after he was making over a million dollars.
Since they’d been attached at the hip since high school, Jason had thought he’d known her pretty well. Reflecting over the year of their separation had given him plenty of time to think of all the different times she lied to him about something or had ulterior motives. There was a time when it hurt to think about what he’d lost, but that quickly became hurt because he was so blind.
Jason hadn’t done any background research on Hope, but he didn’t think she was a con artist like Kate. He hadn’t been able to figure that out about his ex-wife until it was way too late, which was why he had promised himself that he wouldn’t date again. Being around Hope changed how he felt about that. She made him willing to take a chance.
“I’m serious, Jason. We are two completely different people. How in the world do you think it’s going to work between us?”
Rather than answer, since words weren’t doing a lot of good, Jason surprised Hope by placing his lips on her neck. He would’ve preferred going right for her lips, but he had trouble stopping when their tongues interlocked. As it was, he knew a cold shower was going to be in his future.
Hope instinctively tilted her head back and moaned at the simple touch. The noise made Jason growl and pull her up into his lap so he’d have better access. It was dangerous to have her body on him, but he needed to feel more of her.
Running his tongue along her neck brought the whimpering sounds he’d heard during their first kiss. She rocked her body into his, causing enough friction that his hips bucked into her. He bit down softly on her neck as a warning she needed to be careful with her actions.
Someone needed to smack him upside the head to make it clear that he was the one driving the show, and it was his actions that needed to be kept in check. He couldn’t help it, though. He wanted Hope and his body was making it very clear.
She didn’t seem to be afraid of what the front of her jeans bumped into repeatedly as Jason started sucking on her neck to ease the sting of his bite. He was careful not to draw too much blood to the surface. The idea of marking Hope in some way only made it harder to control his actions.
His hands had settled on her hips, and the feel of fabric under his hand when there was skin so close wasn’t good enough. Jason took both of his hand and snaked them under the flannel and the shirt she wore underneath it to feel the warm skin waiting for him. He groaned and bucked against her again when he felt the delicate skin of her stomach.
They were getting dangerously close to a point where he didn’t think he’d be able to turn back. If she said no, he knew the brakes would come on, but her body movements told him she wasn’t going to be the one to push him away.
“Please,” she murmured. “Please.”
Jason couldn’t handle begging. He should’ve just kept using his words to make her see that her hold ups on money meant nothing to the chemistry between them, but she wasn’t getting it.
Her pleases didn’t stop as he laid her on the couch with his body over hers. It didn’t matter that Hope hadn’t been with anyone before. Her body was responsive and knew exactly what to do, and all it seemed to want was more friction.
“Shh,” Jason said as he stroked her hair. “I’ll fix it.”
He reached between them and unbuttoned her jeans. His movements were slow, thinking maybe she would stop him from the action, but she only lifted into his body as she kept moving her body to be closer to his.
His lips had moved up her neck, so as he fit his hand down into her underwear, he locked them on hers. He thrust his tongue in her mouth when his fingers made it through her soft curls and found a little button that was in desperate need to be pushed.
She screamed into his mouth and ground against his fingers. She was so wet that there was a little slipping and sliding, but Jason found a rhythm they could play with. The way she responded to his touch was like a little slice of heaven, which was one of the oddest thoughts Jason remembered ever having during sex.
Hope’s breathing had already been erratic. The huffs that were coming out as she got closer to her climax worried Jason about her oxygen levels, but it didn’t stop him from his stroking. He did decide to let her breath out of her mouth, returning his lips down to her neck.
With her mouth free, she started chanting, “Oh God,” over and over. The words came out amongst harsh intakes of breath.
It wasn’t long before her body started shaking. It started with her legs twitching violently, but Jason could feel it as she moved her head and body around his. She grabbed on to his shirt with a grip Jason wasn’t expecting as her body seized up and a scream reverberated out of her chest and into the air.
Jason kept moving his fingers once her body relaxed and continued twitching. He wanted to wait for her to tell him to stop, but lifting his head up he saw that her eyes were closed. The smile of pure bliss on her face told him she’d checked out to cloud nine and may take a little while to come back. There was satisfaction in the fact that he could do that for her.
Before pulling his hand out, he let his fingers venture in a little further to explore. He wanted to stick his fingers inside of her to prep her for something more, but he was content letting Hope know how he could make her feel.
Taking his fingers out of her pants, he worked to get her buttoned back up. She had to get ready for work, so there really wasn’t time for him to push things further.
“What about you?”
Jason had been focused on straightening Hope back up and hadn’t noticed she’d rejoined reality. He smiled and leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose. The look of bliss had been replaced by confusion.
“I wasn’t planning on taking things that far, Hope. I just wanted to explain to you, the only way I seem to be able to, that your worries about who I should be with are silly.”
Rubbing his face along the side of hers, Jason moved his lips close enough that he could whisper in her ear.
“Right now, the only person in this world I want to date, is you.”
Chapter Ten
Days went by for Hope in a daze. She remembered what had happened on Jason’s couch and him forcing her to eat a few slices of pizza before sending her off to work. Three days later, she couldn’t remember what happened between that point and the next. She went through all the motions of doing her jobs and dealing with some restless sleeping, but nothing really stuck.
Jason had two road games in Canada that called him away. It was a little inconvenient when Hope had a million questions running through her head, but he was nice enough to call her each night from his hotel room so they could chat between her two jobs. He claimed it was probably better that they weren’t in the room together after what had happened the last time they’d been close enough to touch.
Knowing how his touch felt, Hope didn’t agree with the sentiment. Standing at the counter waiting to help customers wasn’t the best place to remember those sensations, but Hope hadn’t been able to stop herself from flashing
back to that night.
“That look isn’t going to help me in my quest to win over your mother.”
Hope smiled when she heard his voice, surprised she’d been so spaced out that she hadn’t felt his presence when he walked in the door. Jason had bypassed walking straight up to the counter and was looking at the pastries in the display case. His head was down, like he was lost in making his decision and hadn’t spoken.
“I wasn’t expecting you back until later.”
Jason straightened up and met her eyes. Hope’s heart skipped a beat when she saw his eyes. There was something in them that had complete control over her. She’d never felt that way about another person and it terrified her. At the same time, there was a part of her that liked the feeling.
“I caught an earlier flight than the rest of the guys.”
Lazily strolling over to the counter, Jason drummed his fingertips along the glass of the display case. The gently thumps were all Hope heard in the moderately crowded bakery. Before he showed up, Hope could still hear the mixer her mom was operating in the kitchen and the trails of conversation going on around her. Jason had a way of making it so she couldn’t hear anything else, which Hope realized wasn’t going to work out too well for her choice of occupations with him around.
Jason leaned across the counter, putting a hand behind her neck to pull her forward for a quick kiss. When his lips left hers, Hope nibbled on her bottom lip.
“Careful. If my mom catches you, she’ll kick you out of the store.”
“I thought you knew by now that I liked to live on the dangerous side.” Jason winked as he teased her. “I know I probably should’ve let you know I was stopping by, but I had a sweet tooth and I thought one of those doughnuts would hit the spot.”
Hope glanced over at the case he’d come from and looked at him sideways. Her mom’s doughnuts were pretty amazing, but she had a feeling they wouldn’t help with the cravings she saw in his eyes.
“Did any particular doughnut catch your eye, or are you still looking?”
“I thought I made it clear the other night that I’d made my decision.” Jason’s eyes looked away for just a second and Hope saw him take a deep breath. “Good morning, Mrs. Nacin.”
Hope had to stifle a groan. As far as she knew there weren’t any cameras in the back, so her mom must have smelled trouble brewing. Work hadn’t exactly been hostile, but the vibes Marie gave off were thick enough to cut through.
“Mr. Miller.”
The coldness didn’t surprise Hope, but the use of his last name did. She hadn’t told her mother exactly who Jason was, just promised her that she had her eyes open when it came to his intentions.
Jason looked over to Hope before he said anything. Hope shrugged her shoulders, trying to let him know she hadn’t spilled the beans.
“My man of mystery status seems to have disappeared. Judging by the look on your face, and some intel from your daughter, you don’t approve of us dating.”
Hope could feel her mother’s eyes drilling into her back. She’d listened to her mother list all the reasons she should push Jason away, so she hadn’t thought it necessary to let her know things had changed.
“Dating? Just a few days ago you were in here telling me about your divorce and your unwillingness to let anyone into your life.”
“I’m going to go ahead and stop this conversation now. Jason, I’m excited that you’re back in town, and if you’re home in a few hours, I’ll stop by your place.”
Hope turned to make sure her mother got her next words loud and clear, noticing that some of the customers she remembered sitting in the bakery had disappeared. The scowl marring Marie’s face hopefully matched the one on her daughter’s.
“Mother, you said it the other day, I’m an adult, and I don’t need any criticism from you right now. You also happen to be breaking the number one rule of the bakery – no fighting in front of the customers.”
Marie’s eyes narrowed at Jason before she huffed and walked back into the kitchen. The lack of comment wasn’t reassuring. Hope still wasn’t sure exactly what had gotten into her, but the fact that she knew who Jason was probably had a hand in it.
“The look you gave me makes me think you weren’t the one who told her who I was.”
Hope sighed and looked back to see Jason staring after her mother. It was a good idea for him to keep an eye open in case Marie had gone back to get a knife or something. Her mother had never displayed homicidal tendencies, but she really didn’t like Jason. It was still a mystery exactly what her problem was. She hadn’t liked him before knowing who he was and finding out didn’t seem to help matters.
“I have said very little to her about you and us in general. I was surprised how quickly you whipped out the fact that we’re dating. Last I checked, we hadn’t technically finished that conversation.”
Jason stopped looking for his impending death and smiled as he returned his gaze to Hope. His dimples weren’t as noticeable as they were for some of his smiles, but he still looked like he was up to trouble.
“We must have interpreted the conversation a little different then. I’ll have to refresh your memory when you come over.” He lifted his hand up to his lips and blew Hope a kiss. “Bye, Mrs. Nacin.”
The customers who hadn’t inhaled their food and left when things had gotten icy were already watching Hope and Jason, so his raised voice didn’t change anything. No one seemed surprised when a response didn’t follow.
“I’ll see you in a little bit.”
Jason waved as he walked out and a new customer came in. It was a little magical that no other new customers came in looking for something while he was there for his visits. Of course he timed them pretty well so the morning rush was already over and the only people coming in were looking for substance after shopping in the stories around them.
It only took Marie a second to reappear after Jason’s departure and Hope was through helping the new customer. Hope didn’t want to hear whatever wisdom her mother had to share. Aside from a talk when Hope turned fourteen, they hadn’t ever discussed Hope’s dating life. That was more than likely because Hope had never shown an interest in any guys. It didn’t really matter what the reason was, she was an adult and had to eventually start living her life.
“He disrupts the customers when he comes in.”
Hope didn’t doubt that Jason disrupted the customers everywhere he went. When they’d gone out shopping together, she saw how people looked at him. Mostly it was like the looks from women she saw every night at the bar, but one little kid came up to him and asked for his autograph. It was pretty clear his dad standing in the background had pushed the boy, but Hope had gotten a small glimpse into what it was like to be recognized.
At the time, she hadn’t really thought anything of it. They were just supposed to be friends, something she thought was only going to be a passing thing for Jason. The shift in direction he’d pulled changed how she felt about the experience.
“I bet we could get a ton of people in here if we propped him up by the front door.”
The idea made Hope laugh. Jason would absolutely hate the idea, not to mention his agent would probably decide he needed to be involved and charge a fee for the appearance.
“That’s not funny, Hope. I’ve been trying to warn you about him. Guys like him can’t be trusted.”
Hope refused to look at her mother, who stood next to her in front of the cash register. She was praying for a new customer to come in so she wouldn’t have to listen to her.
“You obviously figured out who he was, but that doesn’t mean you know anything about him.”
They were both speaking calmly. Hope saw a few glances out of the corners of eyes from people who’d been there when the fireworks were going off. With Jason gone, they didn’t seem as interested, but they were still busybodies.
“There are three million search results that come up when you type in his name and add hockey to it. Are you telling me none of those pages know
what they’re talking about?”
“I’m telling you his ex-wife is probably behind most of those pages. If you’ve read up, you know their divorce was the topic of gossip mongers for the entire time he refused to sign the papers.”
“And you’re sure he’s signed them? I’ve read that it’d be a cold day in Hell before he gave his wife what she wants.”
There was a reason Hope hadn’t got too lost down the rabbit hole of searching for information about Jason on the internet. Marie must have spent every hour she wasn’t working finding dirt. Hope could only imagine the things a person would find if they went through enough pages.
“He told me he did, and I have no reason not to believe him. How in the world do you know who he is?”
“He also told you he just wanted to be friends and look where that’s got you.”
A growl escaped Hope’s throat as she turned to look at her mother. The woman was doing her best to piss her daughter off, and Hope wasn’t sure why her mom couldn’t just be happy that her daughter was seeing someone.
“Where exactly do you think that’s got me? I’m not an idiot, Mom. I have no grand illusions that he’s going to marry me someday. He may have decided he wants a girlfriend, but I don’t see a wife in his immediate future.”
“Exactly. It was one thing to have a fling or two when you were in high school, but you’re an adult now and should be thinking about your future and finding someone who’s going to be in it.”
Hope’s eyes rolled up as her brain processed the words. At least they were agreeing again that she was an adult, which should’ve meant her mom had no business trying to tell her that her choice in men sucked.
“I guess I’m just a late bloomer. I know you and Grace were married by the time you were my age, but I still have some life to live before I settle down, Mom.”
“He’s not right for you, and one of these days you’re going to get your heart broken. Any mother would try to spare her child that.”