Seductively: Playing for Hearts Book 2 (Crimson Romance) (10 page)

Whatever had made her panic when he kissed her at the condominium was no longer there when he gave her the small peck during halftime. Whether she’d been putting on a show for the females in the stands or she’d forgotten that she’d sworn against starting a relationship with him, he had no idea.

He had to convince her they were two consenting adults. He never mentioned anything about love. Not once had he asked her to love him or made it a prerequisite to the job. Hell no, he wanted to have old-fashioned wild sex with her.

Sex and love were two different scenarios. Sex left everyone feeling good and satisfied. Love was a different sport, and not for him. To shoot for love, he’d have to believe it existed. The way women threw themselves at him, he had a feeling females were worse than males when it came to putting sex before love.

The locker room door swung open. Fresnick led the remaining players out. He lifted his chin. “Good game.”

Fresnick knuckle bumped him. “Are you coming to Julia’s for a beer?”

“No. I have something else to do. I’ll catch you next time.” He took their good-natured shots at his sex life with a wink and a smile, and then headed in the opposite direction.

In the bag he carried, he’d shoved a pair of skates from the front desk that he’d borrowed before the game. He wanted to spend time with Diana, and thank her for all her help. Tonight’s game had gone well, and even the coach noticed he wasn’t as distracted. He’d kept his head in the game, and shot two of the three points the Sharks earned. He gave her all the credit that he played a good game.

She kept the fanatics in line on and off the rink. With her by his side, he could concentrate on his playing. Everyone was happy, and now it was time to make every effort to impress. He wanted her, and he’d do anything to prove how exploring their attraction together would be good for both of them.

He stopped inside the arena and scanned the area. Diana sat midway up the stands in the home team section. He opened the swinging door and glided out on the ice, skating to the middle of the rink.

He knew the moment she lifted her gaze and spotted him. The frown smoothed and she stood, jogging down the steps toward the board.

Motioning for her to come his way, he skated ahead and opened the referee zone’s door. He stepped off the rink and pointed to the seat in front of him.

“What’s up?” She approached him and sat down.

He tossed his bag on the floor beside her. “I’m taking you skating.”

“On the ice?”

“That’s the only place to skate.”

“Get out.” She laughed. “I can’t skate. There’s no way I could even stand up without falling.”

“I’ll teach you.” He kneeled down and unzipped his bag. “It’s easy, once you get some practice.”

“I’ll fall.”

He smiled. “I’ll catch you.”

“I don’t have skates.” She sat down and crossed her legs. “If you want to practice more, I’ll sit here and watch you.”

He pulled out a pair of white practice skates. “Problem solved. Now you can go out on the ice.”

“You’re crazy.” She sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t think this is a good idea. I’m not the athletic type. It’ll hurt when I fall, and what if I sprain my wrist and have to go to the hospital? My medical card is at my hotel room back in Cottage Grove.”

“Then I’ll pay the doctors to make you better,” he said.

“Hey, the skate fits.” She peered down at her foot. “How did you know what size I’d wear?”

“Lucky guess.” He slipped off her other boot and smiled at the toe socks with the word Sexy splattered all over her foot. “I like you the way you are … socks and all.”

He quickly laced her skates before she could come up with any more excuses. Then he stood and held out his hands. “Main thing you need to remember is to relax from your waist down. Go with the flow. If you tense, your upper body will make you lose your balance.”

“Great, I’m already doomed,” she muttered. “Living with you makes me tense.”

“Yeah?” He stepped closer, still holding her hands. “I can help relax you before we go out on the ice.”

She pushed him as her ankles careened to the side. “Whoa … ”

“I’ve got you.” He squeezed her hands, wishing the gloves she wore were gone and he could feel the warmth of her skin. “Baby steps. Don’t stomp. Glide.”

On the ice, her legs went one way and her upper body the other. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, taking the weight off her legs. Her heart raced against him, clear through his shirt. She gazed into his eyes, seeking the security he could give her, and in that moment, he wanted to be the man she could depend on.

“I told you. I suck.” She clutched at his shirt. “I’m not athletic … at all.”

It would’ve been fine with him if they stood there the rest of the night with her in his arms. “Let’s try something different. I’ll stand behind you and hold onto your hips.”

She inhaled and wrinkled her nose. “Just don’t let me fall.”

“Trust me.” He slid into position. “I’m right here. You’ll be fine.”

Even with his sweatshirt covering her to her knees, he knew what was under the bulky clothes. He spanned his hands on her hips and pulled her snug against him. She molded against him, using him for support.

“Loosen your knees,” he whispered into her ear. “Let me do all the work.”

Slow at first, he pushed her across the ice. Halfway around the rink, her hips relaxed and he picked up speed. One full lap, she turned to gaze over her shoulder at him and lost her balance.

“I’ve got you.” He kept going. “Have you ever roller skated?”

“Uh huh.” She placed her hands on top of his. “A long time ago and I sucked at that too, but I could at least stand on my own.”

“Ice skating uses the same movements. Push off with your right foot, glide, push with your left foot, glide. To start out, don’t use your muscles. Just go through the motions, and I’ll make sure you move forward.”

“Okay.” She pushed and her feet went in the opposite direction.

He lifted her by the waist, and set her back on her feet. “Again.”

Again and again, she struggled to find the rhythm. He widened his stance, giving her room to move her skates. After a while, he gave her more space, never letting go of her hips. Her shapely hips. Hips that had his fingers itching to pull her back against him. Hips that teased him every time she walked across a room. He wanted more than anything to bury his head between those hips and have her scream his name.

“I’m doing it.” The excitement in her voice snapped him out of dreaming about laying her down on the ice and tasting her.

He chuckled. “I knew you could.”

“Okay. Okay. Hold my hand.” She waved her arm out to the side. “I want to skate myself, but don’t let go. Promise me.”

He skated out from behind her, and linked his fingers with her gloved hand. “You’re doing it by yourself, I only helped a little.”

She glanced at him, wobbled, and he lifted her hand in the air until she got her balance back. “This is so fun. Let’s go faster.”

“Why don’t we go slow.” He kept her from leaning forward.

“My legs are shaking.” She laughed. “I’m so out of shape.”

“No, not my sweetcheeks.” He squeezed her hand.

“You’re so lucky I’m on the ice or I’d chase you down and make you take that back.” She stared at the ice, concentrating on each step.

He skated out in front of her, skating backward, still holding her hand. “You can try. I’m right here. Come and get me.”

She lifted her gaze to his, determination etched on her face. Her tongue popped out between her lips as she tried to go faster. The sight of her lips, shiny and red, caused an ache in his body. Too tempting to think about what he was doing or what he was risking, he leaned forward without hesitation or paying attention to where he was skating and kissed her.

“What are you doing?” she sputtered. “I’m going to fall.”

“No you won’t.” He slowed down, letting her catch him, and he stole another kiss.

The adorable wrinkle between her brows grew and he couldn’t help but laugh. Lust filled his brain, because it wasn’t her declaration for him to stop that filled him with happiness. It was the way she puckered her lips, waiting for the next kiss when he grew close.

“You want me.” He swooped in and kissed her. Longer this time. He took the extra couple of seconds to soften his lips against hers. He never gave a thought to where he skated. The rink branded in his head, he could move around the area with his eyes closed and know exactly where he was located.

“This isn’t funny, Dom.” She gasped.

He raised his brows and shook his head. “No. It’s serious. I want you.”

Before her rebuttal, he caught her with her mouth open. He kissed her again. Wrapping his arms around her back, he kept them moving and held her securely in his arms. The tip of his tongue teased hers, until she was hanging around his neck.

She kissed him back with the passion he knew she had simmering below the surface. He moved his hand upward and buried his fingers in her curls, underneath her cap, securing her head. Nothing could make him stop tasting her. Addictive and exciting, he explored her mouth with the intensity of a new game plan.

Then she demanded her own most amazing thing in a very long, very wet, very demanding way. His balls ached. His head spun, and he gave himself over to her kiss.

She moaned and he swallowed the sound, letting her pleasure fill his chest. He closed his eyes, wanting to remember every mew, nudge, and lick. His body hardened and the pressure built inside of him, threatening to burst.

Then he did burst. Right against the edge of the rink, into the boards. His feet slipped out from under him. With her in his arms, the momentum threw him off his game, and he went down. Hard. On the ice. Whether it was landing flat on his back or the weight of her body pressed on top of him, he lost his breath.

Diana stared into his eyes. Her vision blurred with crazy passion she’d tried so hard to ignore. She wanted him.

All of him. The adorable self-confidence he displayed on the rink. The out of this world ego that made her laugh. The determination. The strength. The funny way he tried to make her laugh with his silly nicknames.

“Please tell me to take you home and make love to you all night long.” He panted underneath her on the ice.

She nodded. “I’ll drive.”

It seemed to take forever to get their skates off. Her fingers shook. Dominic was having his own hard time of getting them out the door and home if his constant touching her were any indication. He kissed her outside, kissed her after he helped her into the driver’s seat of the Porsche, and kissed her when they’d pulled into the garage at the condominium.

Just when she had all the assurance to make love to a famous athlete, and allowed herself to relax and go with what was happening between them, he pulled back. “You understand what is happening between us, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Sex, sweetheart.” Standing in the garage, he held her an arm’s length away.

She shuddered at the huskiness in his voice, the warmth in his gaze. “Dom … ”

“We’ll be safe.” He stepped forward and nuzzled the sweet spot on her neck. “It’ll be good. You’ll see.”

“I know.” She sighed and rested her cheek against his chest.

He had no plans for her after tonight. Sure, he wanted her to finish her job, but as a girlfriend? She was just another woman in his list of lovers.

The warmth of his breath heated her skin. She’d had sex before with no strings attached. She could do it again. Besides, he lived a different lifestyle than her, and she had goals of her own that didn’t involve traveling around and supporting a hockey player.

She looked up at him and smiled. “I want you too.”

He swept her up and carried her into the house, down the hallway, and into his bedroom. She stretched out on the bed. His knuckles brushed her cheekbone, and brought her back to the moment. She was in bed with him. Clothed, but hopefully naked soon.

He slowly pulled her scarf out from around her neck. She shivered as the soft material skimmed her nape in the most delightful way. How could he not touch her, and have her almost begging for his hands on her body?

She leaned forward, letting him strip the sweatshirt from her. He slipped his hand into the waistband of her jeans and pulled her toward him, kissing her hard and fast. “You make it impossible to go slow.” He paused. “I’ve wanted you ever since you ignored me in Cottage Grove, and it feels like punishment to take my time. You’ve been in my head for months, sleeping across the hall for days, and all I can think about is sinking myself inside of you and staying.”

Validation of what they were doing came swiftly. The unsteadiness inside her vanished. “You drive me crazy.”

That was the truth. She hated him for how he made her react to him. It was a constant fight to keep from falling at his feet like all the other women, but she couldn’t lower herself to being like all the rest. She had to believe that this was real. There was no denying the air sizzled between them, and the way her body warmed when he was near.

He regarded her thoughtfully. “This is special. You know that, right?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “And if you don’t do something right this minute, I’m going to scream.”

He chuckled. “I don’t want you screaming … yet.”

His lips brushed hers, but a wayward curl caught in her mouth. She reached to push it back and fell back flat on the mattress. He undid her jeans, and tugged them from her body, along with her panties and socks. Too hot to care about her nudity for the first time in front of Dominic, she undid the front clasp of her bra and wiggled her arms out of the straps.

He stood at the end of the bed. Without taking his eyes off her, he pulled his shirt over his head. The wide expanse of his chest left her sucking in air. Everything about him was big. Big arms, big shoulders, big chest, big thighs — she gazed down — God, those thighs.

“Too many clothes,” she managed, rising on her elbows and propping herself up to watch.

In one move, he took his jeans and boxers off. She rose to her knees. Oh. My. God.

His hardness jutted out below a flat muscled stomach, proud and a little daunting. She sucked in her lower lip and clenched it between her teeth. The whole man package left her vibrating and wanting.