Line Brawl: The Dartmouth Cobras #8

by Bianca Sommerland

  “Which makes the idea of White playing with her pretty fucked up.”

  “You think?” Pearce quirked a single brow, his lips slanted. “From what I’ve seen, he’s not ready for more.”

  “I disagree.” Time to turn the tables. There was nothing he could do about the situation with White at the moment, short of heading over and creating all kinds of drama. Which wasn’t Shawn’s style.

  Giggles from behind the bar created the perfect distraction. He grinned, tonguing his bottom lip as Ford’s sweet girl, Akira, kissed one of her Ice Girls while Ford and Demyan watched.

  Well now, what’s going on here?

  He approached the bar slowly with Pearce, nudging the man as he got an idea of the game being played. “You are aware that I won’t let you hit Ford.”

  Pearce’s lips thinned. “Fair enough. But I don’t think it’s me you need to worry about.”

  After a long, very hot kiss, Akira put her arm around the other girl’s shoulders, letting her hide her red face against her neck as Akira shot Ford a challenging look. “Your turn.”

  Ford’s face went crimson. “That ain’t fair. He’s done this before.”

  “So?”

  “Shorty, this isn’t American Pie.”

  “Chicken.” Akira hopped up on a stool and shrugged. “That’s fine. You lose.”

  Sitting up on the bar, Demyan tipped back yet another shot, his shoulders shaking with laughter. “Honey, you’ve got a mean streak. Leave the poor guy alone. Ford, you don’t gotta—”

  Ford’s eyes narrowed as he jerked Demyan down by the collar of his shirt, almost pulling him right off the bar. His lips slid into a cold smile as he met Demyan’s eyes. “I don’t lose.”

  Ouch! Shawn winced as Ford slammed his lips down on Demyan’s so hard, it was like he’d been challenged to an endurance test, rather than a kiss. But Demyan took over quickly, framing Ford’s jaw with a hand as he whispered to him. He flicked his tongue over Ford’s bottom lip, teasing him into a soft, sensual kiss that had Shawn’s dick straining against his leathers.

  Akira and the new girl cheered them on.

  Which, naturally, gave Cort plenty of time to cut across the room, looking ready to rip Demyan limb from limb.

  “Are you fucking stoned, Ford?” Cort was restrained just out of reach of the two men. Because Mason was on his fucking game.

  And, quite frankly, not stupid enough to miss how quickly this situation could get out of control. Not that the girls, or Shawn and Pearce were stupid, but none of them could have stopped Cort.

  Ford seemed to be in a strange mood. He curved his hand around the side of Demyan’s neck, stopping the other man from pulling away. “You know I don’t get stoned anymore. I’m just playing, Cort. Why? Jealous?”

  Cort blinked. Then shook his head, pulling away from Mason, who’d loosened his grip when Cort had visibly calmed. “We ain’t discussing this here.”

  “Cool.” Ford bent closer to Demyan and then glanced over at Cort like he was surprised the man hadn’t left yet. “Anything else?”

  Rubbing a hand over his face, Cort looked from Ford to Akira—who was biting her bottom lip, guilt tightening her features—then stormed off, shoulders hunched, hands shoved in the pockets of his black jeans.

  “Damn it!” Akira hesitated by her friend’s side. Then met Shawn’s eyes. “If you hurt her, I will kill you. Got it?”

  “Me?” How the fuck am I the bad guy here? Shawn watched Akira rush after Cort, glanced over at Pearce, who’d motioned for Demyan to get off the bar, then focused on the sweet little thing, all on her own now.

  Her big, blue eyes trapped him. Damn, she had shy and innocent written all over her. Typically red flags, but the curiosity in her level gaze had him wanting to push beyond his status quo. Hair a soft, tawny brown, in loose, long flowing waves. Taller than Akira, and just as fit, but the snug black dress showed off all her beautiful curves. The deep V neckline showed the pale swell of her breasts, which weren’t enhanced by a pushup bra. Or any bra at all. Holy hell, just a glimpse of her nipples pressing against the tight material had his dick standing at attention.

  You’re staring, asshole.

  He shifted his gaze, but her hesitant smile was no less fucking alluring. Almost as though that alone said she wanted to dive into his world, but hadn’t a clue where to sample her first taste of the forbidden.

  He could show her.

  You shouldn’t. It would be so very wrong. She needs safe. Gentle.

  Easy.

  I can give her easy.

  He shouldn’t, but something about her made him want to prove he could give her that taste without being all that she’d been cautioned to avoid.

  He approached her, holding out his hand and waiting patiently as she tried to compose herself. The club was almost too much for her. Kissing Akira had probably smashed any intention she’d had to take things in slowly.

  She was still blushing and ducking her head. And it was too freakin’ cute.

  You don’t do cute.

  Cute was risky. Cute was new. And untouched. And vulnerable.

  But most of his rules had been broken already. Why not add another to the jumbled mess?

  “I am everything they warned you about. Likely much worse. But I’m in a good mood.” He winked at her. “So I’ll play nice.”

  She put her hand in his and took a deep breath. “I hope so. Because I’m not sure I can play at all.” She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. “Akira just kissed me.”

  He grinned. Damn, adorable had never been this tempting. “Did you enjoy it?”

  “It was…okay. Do you think it will be weird tomorrow?”

  I’m going to hell. Save me a spot. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb and she trembled. “No. Akira’s probably forgotten it already. She was just having fun. Were you?”

  The girl ducked her head, her cheeks flushed. “I liked watching Ford and Scott kiss. So it was worth it.”

  “That wasn’t an answer, Röschen.” He touched her cheek, red as a rose, and decided that was the perfect pet name for her. If she’d allow it. But first he had to see if she even wanted to stay. “Had you discussed kissing her before you came here?”

  “No!” The girl shook her head. “I came to meet you, actually.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah…” She looked down at her hand, still in his. “I’m Justina.”

  “And I’m Shawn.” He motioned for her to sit on the stool across from him. For some reason, keeping her off balance didn’t appeal to him. Not yet, anyway. She wasn’t ready. And he wasn’t in a rush. “I’ve not seen much of the Ice Girls, but I think I’ve watched you perform.”

  “Cool! But…can we talk normal stuff here? I figured I either needed to be ready to do a scene or leave.”

  You should make her leave. With the wrong Dom, she would be in a lot of trouble.

  But she wasn’t with the wrong Dom.

  She’s with you. Even worse.

  Not necessarily. As he’d mentioned, he was in a good mood. “Do you want to do a scene?”

  The color faded from her cheeks. Not so fast that he felt the need to escort her out of the club—or get her medical attention—but enough for him to tread carefully.

  “Let me re-word that. Don’t assume you must do the scenes that you’ve seen. You’re curious, yes?” He waited for her to nod. He wouldn’t force her to speak. Yet. “You came with friends. And stuck close to the bar. Kissing Akira was different. But you tried it for fun.”

  “Yes.” She took a deep breath. “Kissing isn’t so bad.”

  Fuck me, why does it sound like kissing is something new? Back away slowly, Easy.

  He ignored the paranoid voice in his head and studied her, enjoying the mix of innocence and wonder in her eyes. “Did I just witness your first kiss?”

  “I’m almost twenty. Of course not.” She hiked her chin up in a defensive way he took note of. Her inexperience was a sore spot. She’d probably accepte
d the kiss from Akira just to prove she could. But she didn’t often explore her own desires just for the hell of it. Something her friend likely wouldn’t have picked up on, but Shawn couldn’t help notice.

  He wouldn’t play with an inexperienced sub—and damn, if this girl wasn’t a sub, he’d retire from the game, on and off the ice—while they were trying to prove themselves to others. But she had no one to impress at the moment.

  Aside from him.

  “So you’ve kissed many men and women. That’s quite remarkable for one your age. Though maybe it shouldn’t be. Girls do all kinds of freaky stuff in college.” The edge of his lips inched up. “Is this yet another thing you’d like to explore? All the kinkiness you’ve read about?”

  She frowned at him and squared her shoulders, pulling away and fisting her hands at her sides. “I read a lot. I hear a lot. I’m curious, but I want to see what I’m getting into. People tried to scare me away from you. Because you’re so wicked and dangerous. And I decided to see what you’re all about for myself. Not because you fit what I’ve read in any book—you really don’t.” She grinned and ducked her head again in that cute way she did that made walking away impossible. “You’re everything I’m told to avoid. I need to know why.”

  “Sometimes, when you’re warned about something, you should listen.”

  “I know.” She inhaled slowly, looking down at the hand he’d held. “Should I this time?”

  “Yes.” He took her hand again, needing to touch her. He should be warning her off himself. Give her the speech. Do whatever it took to scare her off. Instead, he drew her closer. “But let me give you a reason not to.”

  Chapter 18

  There was a reason for original sin. Justina imagined the first woman hadn’t hesitated at all to take that bite.

  Not if the devil had looked anything like Shawn Pischlar.

  Good girls didn’t fool around with men like him. They might like the attention, the flirting, but a good girl wanted a good, solid man. One that made promises. That would sweep them off their feet and have them thinking of a pretty picket fence future.

  Maybe she wasn’t the good girl everyone thought she was.

  He sees more. And that’s…pretty awesome.

  No man had ever looked at her the way Shawn was now. Heat spread over her flesh as she took him in. All that hard muscle, not thick, but sleek and solid. His scent was a mix of leather with a hint of cinnamon. The silk of his black shirt was cool under her hands, but everything else about him was damned hot. The plug in his ear, not something she’d ever found sexy before, but on him? Totally bad-ass! His hair, shaved close to his scalp on the sides, but long enough to run her fingers through on top, gave his features a hard edge. But the dimple in his chin, his crooked smile, and his eyes…oh god, his eyes would haunt her dreams at night.

  Beautiful, piercing, entrancing. Having his focus on her made any doubt that a man could want her fade away. He wanted her, but the lust in his steady gaze didn’t scare her. It pulled her in, and her pulse raced as arousal stirred deep in her core.

  She’d felt this way before. Over a sexy movie star, or a hot scene in a book, but never for a person within reach.

  This could happen. Right now. All she had to do was say the word.

  Yes. It’s not hard. Say it!

  Only…it was. She needed to know what she was getting into. She inhaled a slow, quiet breath to get her body to calm down a little. Her brain was all over the place, and that scared her.

  “What exactly do you want from me, Shawn? One night? A scene?” She pressed her teeth into her bottom lip. “Doing something light would be okay, but…well, I can’t have bruises or anything that will mess with my performance tomorrow.”

  “I’ll respect any limits you have, Justina.” He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, the tender gesture making her wonder if more than her body would be sore tomorrow. “You’re a virgin, aren’t you?”

  He just had to ask, didn’t he? She considered lying. Her inexperience was already painfully obvious. He’d probably get bored with her if she kept this up, and that would be worse than the idea of him using her.

  She didn’t expect flowers and long walks in the park. Sweet words and romance.

  The experience. Wild passion she’d never forget. That was what she needed.

  But if she lied to him, he’d know. Guys had their ways of figuring that out, right? And while she didn’t think he’d lose respect for her after one night of pleasure, no one appreciated dishonesty. What if he thought she’d tricked him to make him feel guilty?

  Best to be straight with him from the start. She put some distance between them and folded her arms over her breasts. “Yes. But it’s not a big deal.”

  Shawn shook his head, putting both hands on her shoulders. “It is. But I have a feeling you believe my opinion of you will change. A good man would probably leave you alone, but I’ve never been accused of being one.”

  That made her laugh. “Strangely enough, I was just thinking a good girl would stay far away from you.”

  “Ah, so you plan to be naughty?”

  “A little? Maybe?” She looked around the club, surprised that no one had come to save her from herself. The club was full, with plenty of people whose good intentions would spoil all her fun. But between the loud music, the scenes, and the drama, everyone was distracted. Which left her free to make all the bad decisions she wanted to. “I’m not sure I know how to be naughty.”

  “I’m almost positive you don’t.” Shawn chuckled in a way that made goosebumps rise all over her skin, sliding his arm around her and brushing his fingers along her throat. “But you will.”

  As he led her away from the bar, she expected him to take her to one of the few empty sceneing areas. Instead, he took her to a small lounge area with three cushy leather sofas and a long table. He motioned for her to sit on the sofa then settled down on the edge of the table, facing her.

  This was much more relaxed than she’d expected. She’d totally braced herself to be spanked within the first hour. What time was it? Maybe she still would be?

  “Now that was an interesting thought. Your face hides nothing. I like that very much.” Shawn smiled at her in a way that made her press her thighs together and pray wearing this short, black dress she’d borrowed from Sahara hadn’t been a mistake. He glanced down and put a hand on her knee. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  The room abruptly heated so much, the leather under her thighs became almost as damp as her panties. She was going to have to send this dress to the dry cleaners.

  Thinking of dry cleaners was much easier than answering Shawn’s question.

  He didn’t speak again. Simply gave her a level look, making it clear he was willing to wait as long as it took.

  “Do I have to answer?”

  “No. But if you don’t, we’ll be sitting here all night. Which is fine, if you’re not comfortable discussing how fucking wet your pussy is. Or how much you’d love for me to bend you over my knees and smack that cute little ass.” His lips quirked slightly when she wet her bottom lip with her tongue. “Would you rather discuss my stats? Your favorite cookies? My mother’s recipe for gaisburger marsch?”

  Oh hell. His accent was sexy, but when he spoke German? Her panties might need to be burned. “What is…that last one?”

  “A kind of stew. Maybe I’ll make it for you one day. My mother refused to let me leave her home until I proved I could feed myself.” He winked at her. “I think she also hoped being a man who could cook would be an asset.”

  “She was right. But play nice. I know I can’t keep you!” She grinned, but he didn’t seem to find her words as funny as she’d hoped. His smile faded. She swallowed hard, reaching out to take his hand. “I won’t say no if you want to cook for me one day. But…well, to answer your original question, I was fully prepared to be spanked.”

  His brow lifted. “When? As soon as you walked in the door?”

  “Maybe?”

&nbs
p; He laughed, shaking his head. “That’s not a bad idea. I should suggest it to Richter. A spanking right after coat check might discourage those coming in here, expecting to fuck their favorite player because, well, naturally if you’re kinky, you’ll fuck anyone.”

  “They don’t really think that?” Of course, she’d come here, hoping to get the attention of the hottest player on the team. She couldn’t judge anyone. She wrinkled her nose. “I guess I’m not much better.”

  “Oh my sweet girl. If you came here intending to fuck anyone, I’d be shocked. Sex might have occurred to you, but not in any serious way. The spanking however? Yes, I believe you were prepared for that.” He cocked his head. “Are you still? If I asked you to lay across my lap, would that frighten you?”

  “No.” But the fact that she didn’t think twice freaked her out a little. She hardly knew him. Akira would be fuming if she could hear this conversation. But Sahara had spoken fondly of Shawn. He’d been there for her. He wasn’t a bad guy. Just a player. And Justina was ready to play. “Do you want me to?”

  “More than I can say. But not yet.” He rose from the table, standing over her as she leaned back into the sofa, her pulse quickening as he placed one hand on the sofa beside her and the other on her cheek. “First, I need a taste.”

  A soft brush of lips and then…then her head was spinning. Saying she’d been kissed before might as well have been a lie. She’d never been kissed like this. He took everything from her with the press of his lips. Control, resistance, all ability to form words. His mouth was hot, and he teased her gently with the tip of his tongue, raking his fingers into her hair and easing her head back so he could take more.

  All her senses narrowed to the feel of him tasting her. He tugged her bottom lip with his teeth, then licked it, making a soft sound of approval when her tongue touched his. He tasted like cinnamon, spicy and sweet, and she couldn’t get enough. She moaned into his mouth as he lifted her off the sofa, pulling her into his lap as he sat.