Once Upon a Power Play (9 page)

A hand clapped him on the back, and he turned to see Miller at his side. The kid had just been traded a few months ago. He seemed nice enough, but he was still finding his place on the team. Tonight he reeked of alcohol, suggesting he’d had a few too many drinks.

Miller grinned up at him like they were old friends. “See you traded in the supermodel for a spinner.”

Something dark and ugly rolled through him. For the second time that night, he had the urge to put his fist through another man’s face. He gripped the edge of the table, keeping his hands steady. The kid was lit. Probably didn’t even know what he was saying. Despite the baser urges insisting he defend his woman, he needed to respond as Miller’s captain, not Chloe’s lover. That didn’t mean he couldn’t put the kid in his damn place.

“You’ve had too much to drink, Miller. Why don’t you go home and sleep it off before you start something you can’t finish?” He cut his eyes at the younger man. “And the next time I see you out, show a little fucking respect.”

Without another word, Miller vanished into the crowd. Ryan returned his attention to Chloe. Purple shirt was within striking distance now. So close he could probably smell the sweet lure of her perfume mixed with the musky scent of the crowd. The way his eyes were fixed on her ass, there was no doubt he’d be rubbing his greasy body against her any minute, assuming that she was alone and looking for company.

No fucking way that was going to happen. The guy was about to find out just how wrong he was.

Chapter Eleven

T
he strong, steady beat of the music washed over Chloe, the seductive notes circling her like a lover’s embrace, sweeping away coherent thought. On the dance floor she didn’t have to think or even care. She could just be. There were no exes, no paps, and no pressure. It felt glorious to let go and lose herself in the vibrations of the music, melding into the rhythmic motions of the crowd.

A hand latched onto her waist. She twisted around, slipping free of the unwanted contact. When it returned seconds later, skating over her midsection, it was clear a more direct approach would be required. Fixing a smile on her face, she turned to the guy with the roving hands. He wasn’t unattractive and clearly had confidence to spare, judging by the purple satin shirt he wore. Still, she wasn’t interested.

“I prefer to dance alone.” She removed his hand, hoping he’d get the message.

“Really?” he asked, his mouth twisting into a less than sincere smile. “Because it sure as hell looked like you were in the mood for some company.”

“Back off,” she warned, crossing her arms over her chest and staring pointedly at his junk. “Unless you want to spend the rest of the night speaking soprano?”

He studied her, no doubt wondering if she was serious, before raking a hand through his hair and taking off in search of new prey.

Chloe returned to her dance, letting her eyes drift shut as the pulsating crowd swallowed her once again. She relished the anonymity the club afforded. There was nowhere else could she be this free.

She sensed Ryan’s presence before he touched her, his fingertips brushing the swell of her hip. Testing. Teasing.
Tempting
.

Her eyes shot open. And there he stood, a fantasy come to life, undressing her with those crystalline eyes. His long hair framed his face in that irritatingly sexy
I’m-hot-without-even-trying
look it would take her hours of styling and two tons of product to achieve. But when he stared at her like she was the only woman in the club? She couldn’t even pretend to be annoyed.

A new kind of warmth spread through her already heated body, fanning out from the spot where his fingers stroked her bare skin, blazing a trail toward her center. The man was intense, she’d give him that. Desire coiled low in her belly. Wrapping a powerful arm around her lower back, he claimed her. Their bodies crashed together, forcing the air from her lungs. Ryan remained frozen, awkwardly immobile in the fluid crowd. Apparently he wasn’t much of a dancer, so why the hell was he on the dance floor?

“What are you doing?” she demanded

“I could ask you the same thing,” he returned, cutting his eyes at the dude she’d just chased off. “Who’s your friend?”

“Jealous?” She didn’t believe it for a second, but it seemed like a natural question. Why else would he have abandoned the comfort and security of the VIP section?

“Just wanted to make sure you didn’t get into trouble,” he replied, dodging her question. Typical.

“Well, as you can see, I’m perfectly fine.” She lifted her chin and pressed her hands to his chest, pushing him back and giving herself just enough room to maneuver. “And as I’m sure you heard, I’m not looking for a dance partner.”

“Hate to break it to you, princess, but it looks like you found one all the same.”

“Who? You?” she asked, not bothering to hide her disbelief as she took in his rigid stance. “Think you can keep up?”

“Can you?” he asked, no doubt knowing her stupid pride wouldn’t let her walk away from a challenge.

Channeling her inner sex-kitten, she spun around, raking a hand through her hair as she brought her backside to his pelvis. She glanced over her shoulder and winked at him, rotating her hips and rubbing his cock with her barely covered ass. The growl that rumbled from his lips only solidified her resolve. Forging ahead, she tipped her head and slid down the front of his body, dragging her back over his growing erection. The feel of his hardened cock gliding up her body was sinfully delicious, like a too rich dessert that would never be conquered. That was okay. She fully intended to push the limits of decency if that’s what it took to make him back down. Did he have any idea how erotic and sexy a simple dance could be?

Ever so slowly, she rose to her full height, skimming her palms over the soft fabric of his dress pants. The sculpted muscles that lay beneath called to her, a reminder of the thousands of hours he’d spent on the ice. Unfortunately, being a damn near perfect physical specimen wasn’t a guarantee of rhythm. He remained stiff, unable or unwilling to succumb to the pulse of the music, completely separate from the beat driving Chloe’s every move. The only change was the cadence of his breath on her ear. She reached back over her shoulder and tangled her fingers in his hair, caressing his cheek and neck as she continued the rhythmic assault, letting the music rock her body without a care in the world.

That’s all it took for Ryan’s restraint to crack. He gripped her hips, fingers digging into the flesh with unchecked hunger. Their bodies began to move in unison, like they’d done this hypnotic dance a thousand times before. The friction his thigh created as it rubbed against hers? It was bordering on orgasmic. Chloe closed her eyes, reveling in his touch.

“Open your eyes.” Ryan tipped her chin toward him with rough hands. It was a command, not a request. “You’re going to keep your eyes open and look at me while we are dancing. And tonight when I take you back to my place? You’re going to keep them open while I’m fucking you—first with my tongue, then my dick— so you can see just how much I enjoy pleasuring that sweet little body of yours.”

Her mouth went dry. What could she possibly say to that? Yes, please? Two O’s sounds great?

“And I’m going to watch you the whole time. Do you know why I’m going to do that, princess?”

She shook her head. As long as he was giving out orgasms, she didn’t care why.

“I’m going to watch you so I can memorize the look on your face when I make you come. That look?” He rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip, leaning down and closing the distance between them. “It’s going to get me through the next road series. I’m going to go back to my hotel every night and remember what it’s like to bury myself between your thighs, while I stroke one off.”

“Wanna get out of here?” she asked, suddenly less interested in dancing and more interesting in getting naked.

Grabbing her hand, he led her back to the table where the others were still whooping it up. Jordy’s shot glass collection had grown considerably while they were gone. It was a wonder the dude was still standing. Then again, like Ryan, he was a giant so he could probably drink a whole damn bottle and still walk the line. She said good night to Becca, checking to ensure her friend had a safe escort home.

Once again, she thanked the guys for their generous donations to Garden of Dreams and congratulated them on their victory over the Flyers. Jordy wrapped her in the mother of all bear hugs, nearly crushing her lungs. Then and there she made a mental note to never accept a drinking challenge from a professional athlete again, even if he did need to be knocked down a few pegs. Before he let go, he whispered a warning in her ear. “I’ve never seen Ryan dance—
ever
. Not even with Kelsey.”

Fuck. She followed his gaze, confirming what she already knew. Kelsey was sitting on Bash’s lap, giving her a good old-fashioned death glare, which meant she’d probably be even more pissed off when she saw them leave together. Talk about kicking the hornet’s nest. “Looks like puck bunnies are the least of my worries.”

C
hloe stood at the door to Ryan’s apartment, nerves tugging at her belly. Which was stupid. She and Ryan had hooked up lots of times. And thanks to Page Six, the whole world knew it. What difference did it make where they did it? His place was as good a place as any. No big deal. She couldn’t very well expect him to come to her tiny apartment every time could she? Especially after his last visit. She grinned. He was probably afraid she’d cuff him to the bed,
Misery
style, and never let him go. The sex really was
that
freaking amazing.

Ryan opened the door and stepped aside so Chloe could pass by. The second he closed the door to the apartment, her mouth was on him, devouring his lips with unrestrained passion. He must have liked it because that naughty tongue of his was doing dangerous things as he thrust it in her mouth, peppering her with little nips from his teeth. His cock responded to her immediately, pressing against the soft denim of his jeans. She gripped his front pockets and gave a tug, pulling his hips tight against her belly. He swallowed a groan.

What the hell had come over her? It was like she’d thrown all her inhibitions out the window, acting on impulse alone. First the game, now this? On second thought, as long as he kept those punishing kisses coming, she didn’t care if she’d jumped feet first into the
Twilight Zone
. The feel of his erection pressed to her stomach had her body firing on all cylinders. It felt damn good.

Right up until Ryan pulled away, taking those addictive lips with him.

“Hey!” Chloe protested.

Pressing a finger to her lips, Ryan silenced her. “My house. My rules.” To emphasize his point, he ducked down and wrapped his arms behind her knees, hoisting her over his shoulder. Chloe giggled. “Princess, there’s nothing funny about what I’m going to do to you tonight. I meant what I said back at the club. You are going to watch every lick and thrust so you can remember who it is that makes you come so hard.”

“Less talk, more action,” Chloe quipped, her sarcasm earning her a swat on the ass. Ryan’s hand cracked against her backside, echoing through the silent apartment. It stung, but it was nothing compared to the ache she felt when he reached under her skirt to massage her bottom, his fingers toying with the edge of her underwear, skating oh-so-close to her aching center without actually making contact. Damn. She needed to feel him inside her. Right-
freaking
-now. Wiggling her bottom, she tried angling her body for sweet relief.

No such luck.

Ryan withdrew his hand, wrenching a tortured sob from her lips. This was clearly another test of wills, and he was hell-bent on punishing her. He’d proven he could dish it out, but could he take it?

Pausing at the end of the hall, he flipped on the bedroom light. Then he dropped his shoulder, his hands skating over the curves of her body. A shiver ran straight up her spine as he lowered her to the floor. Her feet landed on a plush white rug that would have turned ten shades of filthy in her own apartment. She scanned the room, taking in the masculine decor that was all Ryan. The slate gray walls were a stark contrast to the white linens. And that bed. It was a monster. Of course, Ryan was a giant, so that part kind of made sense.

Which reminded her, it was time to take back the control she’d had at the club. Giving herself some breathing room, she strutted across the room, dragging a finger along the edge of the dresser as she passed. She wiggled her ass for good measure, knowing it would drive him wild, reminding him of their earlier dance. When she reached the bed, she kicked off her heels. First the right one. Then the left. She climbed up on the bed, remaining on her hands and knees, shamelessly flashing Ryan her red thong in the process. Twisting around, she blew him a kiss over her left shoulder.

That was all it took. He was on her in an instant. Grabbing her around the waist, he flipped her over and pinned her to the bed, the soft down comforter surrounding her as his massive weight pressed down from above.

“You are a very naughty girl,” he said, toying with her hair.

“So I’ve been told. What are you going to do about it?”

“Princess, I am going to punish you all night long.” He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her slow and deep, drawing her back off the bed. She circled her hips, pushing them against his hardened cock. Once. Twice. She moaned, loving the feel of him between her thighs. “And you’re going to enjoy every second of it.”

Ryan pushed up off the bed and dropped to the floor. Pulling her hips to the edge of the bed, he settled between her knees. Chloe’s legs shook with anticipation. There was a very real possibility she’d be on the floor with him before he was done. Ryan leaned close, licking her inner thigh with a slow, lazy scrape of his tongue. He moved north, kissing his way to the V between her legs. Blistering heat tore through her body as he licked her, sucking hard on her clit through the lace that separated their bodies.

“Take them off,” she begged, desperate to feel his mouth on her. “Please take them off.”

“When I take these tiny little panties off, I’m going to fuck you with my tongue,” he said, pulling them down to her knees and pausing. “And you’re going to watch me. Understand?”

She moaned again, unable to help herself. Her head rolled to the side as she twisted her fingers in the comforter. When he put his tongue on her again, she was going to come. No doubt about it.

“Look at me,” he ordered, biting the inside of her thigh as he dragged the thong down over her feet. Chloe sat up, locking her gaze on him, legs quaking with anticipation. “That’s my girl.”

Ryan’s eyes never left hers as he spread her legs wide and devoured her. The moment his tongue touched her, she spiraled toward release, her body clenching tight as he circled her clit, working her to the brink of madness. Staring straight into his eyes, she called out his name, her body rocked by the intensity of her orgasm.

Laying boneless in his bed with her feet dangling over the side, she wondered if there was another orgasm in her immediate future. After all, back at the club he’d promised her two good ones. It didn’t take long to get her answer. Ryan stripped off his T-shirt and jeans, standing before her naked as the day he was born, and she knew that sinful body of his would send her flying again.

He moved to the nightstand and retrieved a condom from the drawer. Figuring she might as well look her fill while he had his back turned, Chloe rolled onto her side and admired his ass. She couldn’t remember ever seeing it bare before, and it wasn’t the kind of thing she was likely to forget. Hell, if she had that ass, she’d run around commando, too.