Defending Dani

by Kat Mizera

  “Okay?”

  “Oh, fuck, Sergei, it feels like everything back there is going to break open. Shit.”

  “We can stop.” He started to pull away but she was shaking her head.

  “No, just, slow down…please. I don’t want to stop.”

  “Whatever you want.” He rested against her, letting her adjust to this massive intrusion in a place that had never been touched. He’d fingered her asshole a few times, but nothing like this, and he wished she hadn’t been in such a hurry to try, but that’s who she was. Anxious to try anything and everything when they were together; one of the many things he loved about her.

  “More,” she whispered.

  He poured more lube between them and rubbed it in, gradually pushing deeper and deeper into her. When his hips were finally rubbing against her backside, she gasped out a breath, fingers digging into the blanket.

  “Oh, fuck, oh shit, it’s so much…pressure. What do I do?”

  “Not everyone likes it,” he soothed. “We don’t have to keep going.”

  “I kind of do and kind of don’t…just…ahhh…” Her voice changed when his fingers found her clit.

  “There you go.” He’d used a nice shot of lube and was swirling it around the engorged little nub. “Does that help?”

  “Yes…oh, wow…Sergei!” Her hips jerked and she pressed back against him. “Fuck, yes, yes, yes!”

  “Easy, honey.” He kept his rhythm slow and steady. “Next time we’ll use a vibrator on your clit, and you’ll be so distracted by that you won’t care what I’m doing back here.”

  “Just keep your finger…ooohhh…oh god.”

  “That’s it, honey.” Each time he withdrew she moaned and when he thrust back in she would gasp. Over and over until he nearly lost his mind with need. She was so tight, so hot and wet, he was on the edge of losing control.

  “Sergei, please, now… Oh fuck!” Her head reared back and she screamed, her hips thrashing against him as he picked up speed and shot into her with more force than he’d ever managed before.

  “Dani! Fuck…” He kept moving, his finger still stroking her clit, loving the way she would clench and spasm with each jerk of his cock. She was an absolute wet dream and he never wanted to stop pulsing inside of her. So he didn’t. Until they finally couldn’t take any more and collapsed, their breathing labored and a light sheen of sweat covering them both.

  He pulled out slowly and got up to dispose of the condom and wash his hands. He hurried back to her, hauling her into his arms and pressing soft, sweet kisses all over her face.

  “You’re amazing,” he whispered. “I never… Shit, no one ever let me go at them like that from behind. Sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen, baby.”

  “My butt hurts,” she giggled, nestling deeper into him. “But I never came so hard. That was intense.”

  “I can’t believe you let me do it.”

  “You’ll always be my first everything.”

  “And your last too, I hope.”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “We still have about fourteen positions left from that book...”

  “Then we’d better get started, huh?”

  He laughed and drew her closer.

  Epilogue

  Dani arrived at the house in Anchorage three weeks after winning the gold medal at the Olympics. Sara, Anastasia and Niko were waiting for her when the cab dropped her off and they immediately hugged and kissed. Though she’d only lived there about five weeks, it felt like home. She couldn’t wait to put her things in Sergei’s room and sleep in his bed tonight. Their bed. He was on his way home with the team, so he’d be home late, but she didn’t mind waiting up for him. They still had so many things to do and decisions to make but it could all wait until they had a little down time. He wanted to spend time with his mother before she headed to Las Vegas for a week and then went home to Moscow.

  “Mommy, can we play Candyland?” Niko demanded after dinner.

  “One game but then it’s bath- and bedtime.”

  “Okay.” He ran to get the box.

  “I am very pleased to spend this time with you,” Anastasia said softly. “Maybe I do not come to America again, but these moments are special.”

  “You’ll come when Sergei and I have more children,” Dani responded, squeezing her arm. “And maybe for the wedding.”

  “Sergei has married two times and Toli once, but I am not there for any,” she said sadly. “I would like very much to see the wedding of my son.”

  “We’ll talk about it and see what we can do.”

  “Have you guys set a date?” Sara asked.

  “God no, but probably this summer. Why would we wait?”

  Sara nodded. “Sounds reasonable. I can’t wait to start planning everything.”

  “Me too,” Dani couldn’t help letting out a giggle. The thought of marrying Sergei made her a little delirious every time she looked at the magnificent diamond on her left hand.

  “This makes me happy,” Anastasia said quietly. “Sergei has been alone too long. Even with Tatiana, sometimes he was alone. Life was difficult and I want only for him to find happiness.”

  “I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make him happy,” Dani said shyly. “He and Niko are everything to me.”

  “Will you have more babies? Niko needs brothers and sisters.”

  “Not yet,” Dani grinned. “I want more, but I want to work a few years.”

  “And Sara, what will you do now?” Anastasia asked her. “Where will you go?”

  “Nowhere,” Dani grinned. “She’s going to take care of Niko while I’m at work. She’s still in college, so she’s not leaving until she finishes her master’s.”

  “This is important, yes?”

  “I think so,” Sara nodded. “I won’t stay forever, but for now, I want to help with Niko.”

  They chatted amiably until bedtime and then Dani crawled into bed to wait for Sergei, who’d texted he was on his way home.

  In the meantime, her phone buzzed with a text from Hailey.

  Guess who I hooked up with again last night?

  Jack the Ripper?

  Very funny.

  Kane?

  Yup. After the Boston game.

  And?

  He’s pretty amazing, but he lives in Anchorage and I’m going to law school in Boston.

  Are you going to see him again?

  He said we’ll keep in touch, but who knows? He’s really great, though. I wish things were different.

  You never know—look at me. I never dreamed I’d be living in Anchorage.

  Maybe I need a summer nanny job! Ha ha.

  That’s not a bad idea. We’ll work on it.

  Okay, have to run. See you later.

  Dani closed the text program and smiled to herself. It would be great if she could convince Sara and Hailey to both live in Anchorage. It probably wouldn’t happen but it was a nice thought. She closed her eyes and the next thing she knew Sergei was in bed beside her, his naked body warm against hers.

  “Hi,” she murmured sleepily. “When did you get home?”

  “A few minutes ago. Go back to sleep, baby.”

  “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too.” He pulled her close.

  “I think I found a wedding dress.”

  He chuckled against her ear. “Already? What happened to the tomboy I fell in love with?”

  “She’s sleepy.”

  “Me too.” He pressed a trail of light kisses along her shoulder. “We can talk about the wedding in the morning.”

  “Mmm, okay.”

  “Welcome home, sweetheart.”

  “Thank you.” She nestled deeper into his arms. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” He kissed her once more as she drifted off to sleep.

  If you enjoyed Defending Dani, please consider leaving a review at your retailer of choice. In the meantime, check out an excerpt from “Holding Hailey,” Book 2 in the Alaska Blizzard series,
on the next page.

  Excerpt from “Holding Hailey” (subject to change).

  Hailey Dobson shoved her suitcase in the door and dropped her mail on the coffee table, shutting the door to her apartment and sinking onto the couch in exhaustion. It had been a long seven months since she’d been home and as she looked around, it appeared that things were different. Her roommate’s boyfriend had moved in while Hailey had been gone and they’d definitely made changes. Though the couch, coffee table and chair were the same, the walls had been painted a different color, there was actual artwork on the walls and… why was there a stack of boxes in the corner with her name on them?

  Getting up slowly, a bad feeling coursing through her, she opened the top box and peered down at picture frames that normally sat on the dresser in her room. Why had Jean packed up her things? She’d just talked to her a few days ago, telling her she would be home, and Jean hadn’t said a word about wanting her to move out.

  Turning on her heel, she strode down the hall to her room and flung open the door. A gasp escaped her as she stared at what used to be her room. Her bed had been disassembled and her mattress was on its side, up against the wall. More telling, however, was the crib in the corner. Why was there a crib in the apartment? Was Jean pregnant? What the hell was going on?

  The sound of a key in the front door snapped her out of her confused reverie and she stood up to her full five-foot-eight-inch height. Not allowing herself time to change her mind, she strode into the living room prepared to find out what was going on. Jean and her boyfriend, Clay, stood there looking shell-shocked.

  “I thought you said tomorrow,” was all Jean said.

  “I’m pretty sure my text says the 16th,” Hailey said, pulling out her phone. As she scrolled through texts, she held out the phone showing their last communication. “I texted you on Saturday and said I’d be home on the 16th, which is today.”

  Jean swallowed, one hand unconsciously traveling to her protruding stomach. “I, um, I guess I misunderstood.”

  “Look, Hailey, we were going to tell you but it was the Olympics and then you were on the media tour…” Clay held up one hand in a what-are-you-gonna-do motion.

  “You could have given me a head’s up when we talked last week,” Hailey snapped. “I’m exhausted and now I have to sleep on the fucking couch? What kind of bullshit is that? I have nowhere to go, Jean. What were you thinking?”

  “You don’t have to leave right away,” Jean said hurriedly. “We just, I mean, the baby’s coming soon and we didn’t know what else to do…”

  “Given me some warning?” Hailey threw up her hands. “I wasn’t planning to have to come up with security deposits and stuff. I don’t have a job yet or anything—this was really selfish, Jean.”

  “I’m sorry, Hailey.” Jean’s lower lip started to tremble.

  “Come on, don’t be a bitch,” Clay grunted. “She’s eight months pregnant. You could be a little more understanding.”

  “I’m being a bitch?” Hailey gaped at him.

  They glared at each other until a knock on the door broke the silence.

  * * *

  Kane “Hattrick” Hatcher rode in the Uber car that had picked him up thoughtfully. He’d planned his surprise for the woman he’d been dating carefully, getting enough information about where she was and what she was doing without giving away his plan. They hadn’t known each other long, but they’d been introduced online by mutual friends and had been pen pals for a few months before they’d met in person at the Olympics. The chemistry between them had been off the charts and the sex had been intense. They’d spent about thirty-six hours together and it had been hard to say goodbye. He’d been looking forward to seeing her again but now that he was about to pull up to her apartment building, he hoped she wanted to see him just as much.

  Hailey wasn’t like anyone he’d met in a long time and he’d been thinking about really getting to know her despite the geographical distance between them. If things went as well in Boston as they’d gone at the Olympics, he’d been planning to ask her to go away with him once hockey season was over. The Blizzard wasn’t making it to the playoffs this year, so he’d already begun making summer plans.

  The car stopped in front of her building and he grabbed his bag, waving to the driver as he jogged up the stairs to the second floor. Her address listed it as apartment 219 so he walked around several corners until he found it. He hesitated briefly before knocking, wondering what he might be walking into. Hailey was sweet, sexy and smart, but they’d only been together that one time. Now that he was here, he couldn’t stop a mild wave of panic. What if she didn’t want to see him? What if he was intruding? What if she had a boyfriend or something she hadn’t told him about?

  Shaking his head, he refused to believe it. The woman who’d set them up was the fiancée of one of his teammates; she wouldn’t have done that if Hailey was involved with someone else. Besides, they talked almost every day. He might not know everything about her, but their time together in Seattle had been intense. They’d been completely immersed in each other, physically and emotionally, unlike anything he’d ever experienced before and he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since he’d left Seattle.

  He knocked abruptly, anxious to see her and stop worrying.

  A man answered the door with a scowl on his face. “What do you want?” he demanded.

  Kane refused to be intimidated. “I’m here to see Hailey.”

  “You invited someone over?” Clay demanded, his gaze darkening as he looked at someone over his shoulder.

  “No, but—” Hailey broke off with a happy squeak and ran to Kane, throwing herself into his arms. “Hi! What are you doing here?”

  “Surprise?” He looked down into her face.

  “I’m definitely surprised.”

  “Not really a great time for company, Hailey,” Clay muttered.

  “Last I knew, I still lived here,” Hailey shot back, glaring at him. “If you’d given me a head’s up about all this, I’d have been working on making other plans.”

  There was an awkward silence that caused Kane to instinctively wrap his hand around hers.

  “We didn’t know there was a baby right away,” Jean whispered. “And then you were gone and we had to figure out what to do…”

  “But why didn’t you tell me?” Hailey asked sadly. “I thought we were friends. How could you hang me out to dry like this?”

  “I didn’t want to upset you while you were training for the Olympics and then I was eight months along and now you’re here.”

  “With nowhere to go, no job and limited funds,” Hailey said dryly. She turned to Kane in frustration. “I’m sorry if this ruins your surprise.”

  “It’s fine.” He kissed her forehead. “I still get to see you. Pack some of your stuff and let’s get out of here. We can get a hotel room.”

  “I have a suitcase full of dirty laundry and I’m exhausted.”

  “You can do laundry,” Jean interjected.

  Hailey seemed hesitant but Kane squeezed her hand. “How about you throw in a load of laundry while I get on your computer and book us a hotel room? Then we’ll blow this popsicle stand.”

  She blew out a frustrated breath. “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “You’re the best.”

  * * *

  Two hours later they sat in the hotel restaurant, a bottle of wine between them. She’d been uncharacteristically quiet since they’d left her apartment, but he was determined to cheer her up, one way or another.

  “You okay?” he asked after the waiter had taken their orders.

  “I feel like I should apologize but I’m so glad you’re here. I was on the verge of a meltdown.”

  “What can I do to help?”

  “Nothing. I guess I’ll call my dad tomorrow and see if I can borrow money for an apartment.”

  “I could lend it to you.”

  She smiled but shook her head. “We hooked up for tw
o days at the Olympics—I’m not taking money from you.”

  “It would be a loan,” he pointed out, “but I’d like to think I was more than your Olympic hook-up.”

  She met his gaze across the table. “You are, but you know what I mean.”

  “Do you have any money at all?” He felt weird asking, but he couldn’t help if he didn’t have all the facts.

  “There’s about a grand left in my savings account and the money from when I sold my car, but I don’t want to touch that because I’ll eventually need another one. I haven’t worked since the end of August, when I left for Olympic training, but I’d worked two jobs last summer and saved up. I’d planned to pay my half of the rent for the seven months I’d be gone but then Clay moved in and Jean said not to worry about it. I paid off some bills with what I thought was extra money but I figured I’d have a job before I had to start thinking about apartment and roommate hunting this summer. Jean knows I had no way of making money while I was training, so this came out of nowhere.”

  “Clay seems to be in charge over there,” Kane murmured.

  “Always,” she responded. “But this is really going to screw things up for me. I can’t afford an apartment by myself. I’m getting loans, but not enough to pay for tuition, books and an apartment of my own. I can’t believe she’s doing this to me.” She rested her elbows on the table and her chin on her clenched fists.

  Watching from across the table, Kane itched to do something—anything—to ease the tension on her face. She was special, different than anyone else he’d dated, and he’d been looking forward to exploring more with her. That would never happen if she was across the country working two jobs over the summer and going to law school in the fall. An idea took root and he spoke up before he could change his mind.

  “What if you moved to Alaska for the summer?” he blurted out.

  “What?” Her eyes snapped to his.

  “Move to Alaska, find a part-time job and live with me until it’s time for school to start.”

  “But…” Her voice trailed off. “You’re kidding, right?”