by Lily Harlem
“Hey,” he said, reaching out with his good hand to steady me. “You all right?”
“Yes. No. I’m not sure.”
A waiter walked past with a tray and Raven indicated for him to swap my empty glass of champagne for a fresh one.
“Thanks,” I said, taking a sip.
“You want to get out of here?” Raven asked.
“We only just arrived.”
“So.”
“We can’t just leave. We haven’t even seen the baby yet.”
“We can do whatever you want to do.”
“Well, maybe we could just sit down for a minute. These heels are killing me.” They weren’t, they were a faithful pair of comfies, but I needed a minute alone with Raven. My head was spinning. Had I been just a shag? A bit of fun to help him forget someone else?
“Come on, this way.” He pressed his hand into the small of my back and led me out of the room. In the corridor directly opposite was a wooden door with Snug written on it in black lettering.
Raven pushed it open to reveal a small wood-paneled bar area with low lighting and soft music. The chairs were plush and cushioned and only a third were occupied.
“Let’s sit in here for a minute. I’m not in the mood for crowds,” he said, directing me to the corner of the room, away from the few glances of recognition he’d received as we’d stepped in.
Instead of sitting facing me, he sat close on a deep sofa. His wide thigh pressed up against mine and his delicious aftershave wafted around me. The same sizzling sensation I always got when he was near tingled over my skin.
He took off his shades and stared at me—a dark, penetrating gaze that left no room for me to hide. “What just happened in there?”
“Nothing, why?”
“Because you went from being all giggly on Todd’s arm to looking like you were about to vomit.”
“Well, I, it’s just…”
“Just?” His face softened. “Please, tell me.”
“Who is Tyler?” I blurted.
“Ah, Tyler.” He gave a slow nod. “What did Todd say?”
“Nothing, it was Carly. Carly and Dana.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Okay, what did Dana and Carly say?”
“That you were licking your wounds after your breakup.”
He huffed. “Seems I’m not only a physical wreck in their eyes, but an emotional one too.”
“No, no, I am sure that’s not what they meant. They were just concerned about you.”
“Well, they needn’t be. I’m fine, and I’m certainly not moping around thinking about Tyler.”
There was a long silence. My heart was pounding, my mind racing. “So what happened between you?” I asked eventually.
“Nothing dramatic. Our relationship came to a natural end. She moved to New York to open a shop and the distance didn’t do our relationship any favors. We started to bicker when we were together, like we’d built up the week or weekend to be more than it was.
“After a while we decided to call it a day. Dana and Carly are just pissed because they were friends with her. But that’s not my fault. I’m not going to stay with a woman just because they like her, am I?”
“I guess not.” I sipped my drink. “And did Todd like her too?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did you ever, you know, share Tyler the way you did me, this morning?”
“What does it matter?” He rubbed his fingers over his forehead.
“I don’t know, I just… I just got the feeling you both knew what the other was doing. Like it wasn’t the first time you’d done it.”
He sighed. “Yeah, we did, several times, to start with for a laugh and then because it completely blew her mind, and I was all about seeing her happy.”
“But didn’t you feel jealous, if she was your girlfriend and someone else was, you know, fucking her?”
He shrugged. “No, not really, it was just sex. Plus I didn’t see Todd as a threat. He’s a great-looking guy and he likes to fuck, but he’s not big on the monogamy thing or settling down. Tyler knew that too.”
“What do you mean?” His words were little seeds of doubt dropping into my brain.
“Fiona, Todd likes sex, a lot, but he has the attention span of a gnat. He loves the chase, the thrill of the catch, but I’ve never known him to date the same person for more than a few weeks. It’s like there is something out there he’s searching for but can never quite find.”
“Oh, I see.” Now my heart was really pounding. My eyes stung with tears and I blinked rapidly to reabsorb the moisture. Of course I should have guessed that such a gorgeous guy who could have his pick of women was not really going to want to hang ’round with me for long.
But still, having it spelled out by Raven was painful. As was realizing that none of the other girls had bothered asking me about myself for a reason—they didn’t think I’d be on the scene for long.
“Pumpkin, please, don’t be sad. It’s how he is. He’ll never change so you might as well know it.”
“I just thought maybe I was a little bit special, because he asked me over here, to Orlando. He took me out, seduced me—”
“You are special, very special.” He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “Todd adores you, I can tell. Nothing he does is out of malice. All I’m saying is enjoy him for what he is, don’t expect any more than what you see.” He brushed his lips over my cheek.
The feeling of Raven’s body touching mine and his hot breath washing over my neck was enough to make me lose myself to time and place.
“And as for seducing you this morning,” Raven went on, “I like to think that I had a hand in that as well.”
“Yes,” I said breathlessly, thoughts of Todd slipping to the back of my mind as Raven’s lips found the corner of my mouth and his tongue caressed the seam. “Yes, you’re right, you did. It was so good.” So this was the soft side of Raven Todd talked about. I adored it, he was sweet and gentle and, instantly, I felt a whole heap better about everything. This side of Raven could well and truly stay.
“Huh-hum.”
Raven flicked his head around and I looked up. Carly stood next to us, her arms crossed over her chest and a half-smile twitching her lips.
“Phoenix is looking for you,” she directed at Raven.
“Right, okay.” He stood and his body heat leaving was the same as a sudden cold draft. “I’ll be right back,” he said, dropping his shades over his eyes.
I nodded and felt a full-on furnace attack my cheeks. Wriggling on the seat, I looked down at my glass, pretending to be fascinated by the popping bubbles.
“Are you coming back in?” she asked. “They’re handing out cake. It’s delicious.”
“Er, maybe in a minute.”
There was an awkward silence.
“Can I?” She gestured to the space next to me.
“Sure.”
She sat on the edge of the sofa and crossed her long legs. She wore neat black pants, silver stilettoes and a low-cut red top. “I thought you were with Todd,” she said quietly.
“I am.” And that is as much as I will discuss, I added silently.
“But you’re in here, with Raven?”
I knocked back the contents of my glass. “We were just chatting. He’s a nice guy.” I didn’t know Carly, the last thing I was going to do was start discussing my love life with her. Who I was with was no one’s business but mine.
There was a pause, then she said, “Mmm, Raven is a nice guy when he’s in a good mood, which he’s not at the moment.”
“What do you mean?” Okay, so I was happy to chat about Raven and whether or not he was okay, that was safe territory. I was his health professional, after all.
“He’s been an asshole to everyone since he got back on the ice from his leg injury,” Carly said. “It’s like it’s still bothering him. I hate seeing him that way. We all do.”
“I’m helping him with that.”
“That’s great news. Like,
really great, it’s what he needs.” She tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth and her eyes narrowed. “I admire you, you know.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, one hockey player is all I can handle. If you’ve got two on the go, Fiona, then I take my hat off to you. Go girl.”
My scalp prickled with embarrassed discomfort. Seriously? Carly really thought we would have this conversation? “It’s not like that. You’re mistaken.” I tightened my lips and sucked in a breath. There was no way I was going to admit it or enter into a discussion about my threesome situation.
She rested her hand over mine, smiled. “Don’t worry. I won’t say anything to anyone. There are a few guys in there, and I won’t name names, who’ll spot the signs ’cause they’ve been there, done that.” She shook her head and sighed with fond exasperation. “Hockey players, honestly.”
Suddenly the expression on Brick’s face flashed across my mind’s eye. Was Carly saying that Brick had a penchant for threesomes? Did she too?
“But on the whole,” she was saying, “if you play it cool in public you’ll be fine. Just watch out for any journalists. There were a few out front of the hotel. You don’t want to be photographed walking in somewhere with Todd and out with Raven.”
My mouth felt dry, my tongue stuck to my palate. If only the ground would open up and swallow me, I would be a grateful lady. “But I’m Raven’s physiotherapist. It’s a professional relationship, so of course I’m going to be seen with him.”
She patted my hand and stood. “Of course. Silly me. Forget I said anything.”
Chapter Seven
“Hey, sugar, how you doing?” Todd slung his arm over my shoulder and pulled me close. His breath smelled of beer and he leaned his weight on me a little too much.
“I’m fine, a bit tired. Maybe it’s time to go.”
“Go? But the party is just starting,” he said. “We’re heading downtown, to a private club. Do you want to come?”
My body was weary, my feet ached for real. I was longing for some quiet time, away from all the new people I’d met. My tolerance for polite conversation had been just about used up. “No, I think I’m ready to flop.”
“Come on, it will be fun,” Dustin said, brushing his hand over his closely cropped black hair. “We can dance all night.”
“I’m going to take Fiona home,” Raven said, narrowing his gaze on Todd. “I’m not in the mood for a club and I don’t think she is either.”
“She’s my date,” Todd said, puffing up his chest and banging his bottle on the table. “And I want to take her to a club.”
“She’s my physical therapist,” Raven grunted. “And she doesn’t want to go to a club with you.”
“Ah, yes of course, and whatever you say goes, plus you’re no doubt due some treatment.”
Raven made a low, growling sound. His nostrils flared and he leaned over Todd. “You’re out of line. Go drink some coffee.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Todd looked at me, reached out and took my hand, pressed his lips to my knuckles. “Are you okay going back with Raven? I feel I should take you.”
“No, don’t be silly. We’re going the same way, for heaven’s sake.”
His eyes sparkled and his mouth curled into that sexy-as-hell, cute-as-a-button smile. “Yeah, I guess, but I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
We took a cab back to Raven’s place, and when I stepped into the silence of the hallway, I let it wrap around me like a silken sheet.
Raven didn’t speak. He went into the kitchen and, after abandoning his sling, set about making coffee.
I leaned against the table and watched the graceful way he moved. For such a big guy, he held himself lightly and I was pleased to see his spine and shoulders were relaxed. It was a sign the new exercises, hydrotherapy and acupuncture were working. But I had one more trick up my sleeve.
“I’m going to blend some healing oils and give you a sports massage,” I said. “Let them do their work on your muscles and tendons overnight.”
He turned to me, a dark expression on his face. “That sounds like a promise,” he said in a low rumble.
My belly fluttered in anticipation of carrying out my plan. “It is. You go do those stretches I showed you this morning and then come up to my room. But don’t be too long.”
One side of his mouth curled and his eyes flashed. He turned back to the task of making coffee.
With supersonic speed, I raced through the shower, slathered yummy new coconut body cream over myself and let my hair down so it fell in a riot of wild, red kinks over my shoulders. Brushed my teeth and applied a slick of lip balm. I put on a lacy black bra and panty set and wrapped a robe around my body. I hoped Raven liked black lace.
My next job was to dim the lamps and light a dozen scented candles around the bedroom. I wanted the ambience just right to give Raven the best damn massage of his life. He deserved to be cared for. From what Carly had said, he’d been battling alone and in pain for too many months. Not just physical but also emotional. That shouldn’t happen to anyone, least of all someone who couldn’t sleep at night unless they knew the people he cared for were happy and content.
Shadows on the desktop flickered as I concocted the perfect oil to rub into his aching muscles. A mixture of lavender, chamomile and fennel.
No sooner had I shaken the bottle and set it by the bed than the door swung open.
His wide shoulders almost touched the doorframe as he stood there, silhouetted. My heart thudded, my pussy clenched and my breath caught in my throat. He was wearing just his pants and they sat low on his hips. The shimmering light in the room caressed his chest. His abs were taut and etched a wall beneath his flesh.
In that moment my heart swelled. He was tough and big. He’d been mean and infuriating. But he was also a man struggling to get his career and future back on track, and suddenly, all I wanted to do was make him feel good. And make him see that he had something other than hockey in his life.
I wanted him to make me feel good too. And I did, when he touched me, looked at me. When he was with me, I felt like everything was right. It had switched from wanting to shake him to wanting to lick him all over. I felt quite delirious, quite dizzy with the turnaround.
“Lie on the bed,” I said, “on your stomach.”
“Yes ma’am.” He shut the door and sauntered in, his presence instantly changing the vibe of the room to one of sexy masculinity.
“And strip down to your briefs.”
He shucked his pants off as he walked, revealing snug black Armanis. He lay down on the bed, carefully resting his arms down by his sides and turning his face on the pillow.
My iPod was ready to go on a series of mellow classical tracks, so I hit play then dropped my robe to the floor.
His attention was on me as I went to the side of the bed and reached for the oil.
“It smells good in here,” he said, dropping his gaze down my body.
“It’s the candles, they’re vanilla.”
“You look good too,” he said, starting to shift toward me.
“No, stay still. We need to do this first.” I held up my palm.
“You’re such a stickler for the rules.”
“My rules are making you feeling better though, right?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Good, now close your eyes and let me do my job.”
Touching him is my job. Boy, am I a lucky girl.
His mouth tightened and for a moment I was sure he was going to disobey me. But then he shut his eyes and sighed.
Straddling his upper thighs, my legs folded and my crotch just below the bottom rise of his buttocks, I rubbed my hands together to warm them. Though it probably wasn’t necessary, I was feeling pretty damn hot. Having two hundred pounds of hard hockey-player muscle between my legs was clearly good for my circulation.
“You ready for the oil?” I asked.
Grunt.
Carefully I dripped the clear liquid down the length of his spine. The
little puddles pooled and sparkled in the candlelight.
“I’m going to touch you now,” I whispered, tipping forward and resting my palms on his scapula.
I felt a long, low breath leave his lungs before they refilled deeply. I began to sweep and spread the oil over his acres of perfect skin. Careful of his shoulder and being sure not to put any undue weight on the joint, but at the same time, smoothing the oil into every horse, wolf and bird on his tattoo.
His breathing remained steady as I worked my way down his spine, the calming effect of the oil settling my nerves too, as I inhaled its sweet scent.
When I reached his legs, I shuffled to the side of him. Paid attention to his left leg and then his right. It was when I touched the back of his right that I noticed his spinal column tense.
“This where it bothers you?” I asked quietly.
“Yeah,” he muttered, not opening his eyes. “But not all the time, just when I twist.”
“How come you didn’t say anything to your medics or coaches?” I was busy feeling the tendons and muscles. There was possibly some inflammation laterally but nothing major.
“Because it’s pathetic. It should be better by now.”
“People heal at different rates. You’ve got some strapping big muscles down here and when your cruciate tore, it ripped against itself. Stands to reason it was a worse injury than someone with puny muscles.”
I noticed his fists relax. “I knew you’d understand.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, when I first met you, back in Cardiff. It was just the way you were, professional and calm and nonjudgmental.”
“Why would I judge a sport injury that’s taking its time to recover?”
“Because it’s me, Raven Starr, best damn defenseman in the league. I had to prove that I still was and that meant getting back on the ice damn quick and doing my stuff quicker and better than everyone else.”
“Mmm, well, it didn’t do you any favors, keeping quiet like that. But I think this oil will help and the hydrotherapy exercises definitely will. They’ll build the muscle back up to the strength it was before the repair if you stick with them.” His legs were so thick and solid, long too. The oil had slicked his body hair down and made his beautiful golden skin glow. “And some more acupuncture tomorrow. It all adds up and hopefully we’ll get you back on the ice feeling one hundred percent fit within a month or so.”
