A Better Man (25 page)

“I always sleep better after I've worked out a lit
tle.”

“So you're going down to the gym
after
a sho
wer?”

Coming closer, he gave her a grin that said,
Nice
try
.

The towel knotted at his hip looked like it was about to slip as he stopped right in front of her. Which put her at eye level with . . . whoo
boy.

“
Not
the kind of exercise I had in mind,” he said with a chu
ckle.

Lucy squeaked when he picked her up, easily tossed her over his shoulder, and carried her into the bed
room.

As soon as they reached the door his towel slipped off and she had a perfect view of his tight and rounded gluteus maximus—­a true thing of be
auty.

Though she appreciated the visual, and though a large dose of estrogen sent her awareness into overdrive, doubt and anxiety dug in their heels. “But . . . Nicole's not asleep
yet.”

“She's all the way on the other side of the apartment.” He gently tossed her on the bed and leaned over her; completely aware he was naked, and confident with the exposure. “Plus earlier she recorded the music to her new song. And right now she's wearing the headphones I bought her and listening to the track while she's working on the lyrics. So you can moan and scream all you want. She won't hear a p
eep.”

“I won't scream.” Because she knew with him, she had nothing to fear except maybe falling for him fast and
hard.

A smirk lifted his mouth. “We'll see about t
hat.”

J
ordan wanted her with an urgency he couldn't ever remember feeling be
fore.

Maybe it was just the chase. Maybe he was being too bold to assume she wanted this. If she'd told him no instead of confirming she wouldn't scream he'd never have gone caveman. Fortunately he wasn't so far gone that he couldn't slow down or stop. It was still all about her. If tonight was a repeat of last night and he ended up taking matters into his own hand afterward, so be it. But the way her hungry eyes roamed his body and the fact that she was voluntarily staying put on that bed gave him a proceed-­until-­otherwise-­noted si
gnal.

“You want to run, L
ucy?”

She shook her head. “But tonight I do want to to
uch.”

Had she not licked her lips at the end of that statement his knees wouldn't have nearly buckled from the white-­hot flash of
need.

“Tonight it's your call.” He lifted his hands in surrender. “We do anything you w
ant.”

“
Anything?
” She looked up at him from behind her glasses. “Even if I'm not sure what I'm do
ing?”

“Baby, as long as it makes you feel good, that's all that matt
ers.”

“So I can explore all I want?” She came up to her knees and ran her soft palms up his chest. “I can be the b
oss?”

Holy
shit.

Stuttered breath clogged his lungs and every muscle in his body tight
ened.

“You can be and do whatever you want.” He threaded his hand through the side of her silky hair and pressed his mouth to hers in a tongue-­tangling, teeth-­nipping kiss. The little purr that came from her throat went straight to his head like a double shot of Patrón. “As long as it's with
me.”

Her head tilted as she dropped her gaze to his chest. “So it's okay if I do this?” With a hum of pleasure her fingertips walked down his pecs, circled his hard nipples, and gently plucked them. Her touch sent a jolt of urgency into his erection and it was all he could do to keep from taking her hand and wrapping it around his
cock.

“You're the boss,” he managed through gritted teeth. Her sensuous experimental touch was probably going to kill him. But at least he'd die with a smile on his
face.

“Oh good.” Next her fingers danced down his abs and gripped his hips. “I think I'm going to like being in cont
rol.”

He would have expressed his delight but she leaned forward and slowly licked his stomach from his belly button downward. Then her fingers tentatively touched his cock. It jumped at the contact and she ga
sped.

“Did I do t
hat?”

“Uh-­huh.” Oh good, he was reduced to muttered responses. Pretty soon the anticipation would melt him into a big needy puddle at her
feet.

She touched him again, this time wrapping her fingers around him with one warm hand while cupping his testicles in the other. His need for her was ruthless. Primitive. But with the eager curiosity on her face he knew he'd suffer to give her whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted it, and for however long she neede
d it.

If
he could manage to hold out that
long.

In a momentary break that allowed him to catch his breath, she took off her glasses and set them on the nightstand. “I've never done this before . . . of my own free w
ill.”

“I'd never force you to do anything you didn't want to do.” He cupped her chin in his hand, looked into her eyes, and captured every subtle shift and flicker of emotion. “You know that, ri
ght?”

She nodded. “I've never
wanted
to do this . . . until now. With
you.”

Jesus, she was killing
him.

He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and just hold her. Protect her. But then she surrounded the base of his cock with her fingers, lowered her head, and licked the full length. A moan rumbled from his chest and he felt her smile against his tight
skin.

For a while she touched, tested, and teased until he was nearly out of his mind with voracious need. When she finally took him into her mouth and swirled her tongue around him, he nearly exploded. Miraculously he kept his hands to gentle touches of her arms, neck, and shoulders. He didn't grab her by the hair and push into her mouth. He let her control what she wanted and how
much.

For the first time in his life he had to try and think of something else so she could explore him at her leisure. Toughest damn thing he'd ever had to do when everything male inside him wanted to push her back on the bed and bury himself between her
legs.

While he'd mentally recited the broad range of his penalty minutes over the years, she kissed her way back up his c
hest.

Being with Lucy made him feel brand-­new. Like everything they did was the first time for him. Luckily he was smart enough to realize that the way he felt had a hell of a lot more to do with his heart than with his nerve end
ings.

Even if those were about to exp
lode.

“Will you touch me now?” Her lips glistened and her eyes were dark and seduc
tive.

“Baby, anything you want. It's yo
urs.”

“Then I want
you.”

He cupped her face between his hands and kissed her. Then he slid his hands down to caress her breasts. To slip his fingers between her legs and touch her the way he now knew she liked to be touched. When he did so, her head dropped back on a long, lusty moan, exposing her pretty neck for him to kiss. The more he touched her, the more she pressed against his
hand.

He could tell she was on the verge when he whispered in her ear, “I'm going to lick you so you'll c
ome.”

“No.” She grabbed his shoulders as he began his descent. “I want you inside
me.”

Now she really had his attention. “Are you s
ure?”

She gave a quick nod. “Don't make me wait. I really need you. I want this. I want
you
.”

Relief and lust collided as he yanked open the nightstand drawer and pulled out a co
ndom.

“Let me put it on.” Her voice was eager as she reached for him. “Show me
how.”

His hands were shaking with anticipation as he tore open the package and showed her how to roll it down over his erection. Having her watch so intently was a double turn-­on. But even as much as he wanted to just push inside her and get moving, he wanted to savor every stroke. Every second. Every sigh. Every
moan.

She lay back and opened her arms for him. For the first time in his life he felt like those open arms were more than just an invitation to fuck. They felt like an invitation into her h
eart.

He leaned in and kissed her thoroughly, then he gazed into her eyes while his fingers slipped into the slick folds between her legs. His careful attention arched her back and made her
moan.

“Take me now, Jor
dan.”

To know she wanted him after everything she'd been through made his heart race. He rocked his erection against her slick opening and kissed her thoroughly while he slid slow and deep into her incredible
heat.

Not a doubt entered his mind. Being with Lucy was exactly where he wanted and needed t
o be.

T
hinking stopped and pleasure took over as Jordan slid deep into her body. Lucy had worried that she might not be able to do this. Worried that her past had left too many mental and emotional scars. His warm, clean, manly scent washed over her as she closed her eyes and just enjoyed the amazing sensation of having him inside. Whatever she'd fantasized about Jordan Kincade didn't come close to the real t
hing.

While he made love to her she filled her hands with the solid muscles of his shoulders, back, and buttocks. She felt his muscles release and contract as he surged deep inside her. She'd never experienced anything like this before, and the overwhelming emotion of it made her want to
cry.

Like he could read her mind, he captured her lips in a kiss that stole her br
eath.

“You feel so damn good,” he whispered hotly against her ear as he lifted her leg over his hip and pushed in deeper. “I'll never get enough of
you.”

The shift in position brought a new sensation that delivered an onslaught of hot tingles where their bodies were joined. It was the most incredible thing she'd ever felt. Her friend Claudia often complained that she'd never had an orgasm during actual intercourse. Lucky for Lucy, Jordan had all the right m
oves.

The more she moaned, the more he whispered dirty words in her ear. The more he whispered, the faster the pace of their lovemaking. What had started out slow and sensuous had built into a fiery passion that had them both panting. Sweating. And then the heat detonated. She shattered, clutching his back, and screaming his name. His entire body tensed and he pushed into her a final time with a shudder and a long g
roan.

Hearts pounding together, he kissed her tenderly. He did not pull out and roll off. He did not leave her feeling as though she'd been used. When he rolled, it was to his side, and he took her with
him.

And she felt l
oved.

He wrapped her in his arms, kissed her neck, and chuckled. “Told you I'd make you scr
eam.”

She smiled because she never knew sex could be so fulfilling and so much
fun.

“Okay, but next time it's my turn to make
you
scream,” she said. “If there is a next t
ime.”

He rolled her to her back, leaned over her, and kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose. “You're not getting rid of me that e
asy.”

He did get up then and disappeared into the bathroom to dispose of the condom. Moments later he reappeared and dropped down onto the bed, trapping her between his big arms and body. She laughed at the big, sexy, satisfied grin on his
face.

“And just so you know . . .” He kissed her and gently caught her bottom lip between his teeth. “
Next time
starts right
now.”

Chapter 14

G
ame two in the series between the Carolina Vipers and the Philadelphia Flyers turned out to be a free-­for-­all brawl within a hockey game. While Nicole leaped to her feet to root for the Vipers player to win in the scramble, Lucy turned her head. Especially when Jordan had been involved in a bout that had drawn b
lood.

His.

Glorified violence was something she'd never get used to—­not after what she'd experienced. Not that she wasn't willing to fight for what was right, just that she'd choose words over fists. Of course, in a hockey game, with the clock ticking, there probably wasn't much time to talk things out. And that little black puck moved pretty quick across the
ice.

The penalty box seemed a place Jordan enjoyed because he sure ended up there a lot. As she watched him in that glass-­enclosed time-­out, the intensity on his face revealed a completely different side of the man who'd whispered such passionate words while he made love to
her.

All around her people screamed his name when he rushed the puck toward the net. They screamed his name when he dropped his gloves on the ice and duked it out with an opponent. They screamed his name when he slammed an opponent into the boards. She'd known he was a fan favorite, but seeing the frenzy in person was something else. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to have such fans. To have women throwing themselves at you wherever you
went.

Not that he probably minded that
part.

Before the game the PR department had arranged a meet-­and-­greet for the fans. It had been the first time Lucy had stood near Jordan when he'd been in uniform. He was a big, muscular, tall man made even more breathtaking by the added height from the skates and the shoulder pads he wore for protection. A true warrior on
ice.

There had been little boys wearing Vipers hockey jerseys who looked up to him. Little boys who wanted to be him. There had been beautiful women who wanted him in their beds and who'd curled around him like cats while having their picture taken. They'd pressed their breasts against him and looked up at him with
good time guaranteed
flashing in their
eyes.

While Nicole beamed with pride and inserted herself into the pre-­game activity, Lucy had stood back in the crowd, taking it all in. Invisibility had its advantages, but when the shield shattered, it did it in a big
way.

One of the busty blondes who'd cozied up to Jordan in the meet-­and-­greet and had done everything in her power to grab his attention had walked up to Lucy afterward and shoved an open newspaper at
her.

“Is this you?” she'd
said.

Lucy looked down at the sports page headline and the photo belo
w it.

KINCADE HOT FOR TEA
CHER?

The photo was of them leaving the Peach Magnolia Grill. His hand was at her back and he was smiling down at
her.

Lucy felt her heart stop, then trip trying to get started again. She didn't have time to read the short article because the sneering blonde pulled it
away.

“You're not his type, you know,” she'd said. “Someone like
you
could never give him what he ne
eds.”

Nothing earth-­shattering about that. Lucy knew that fact painfully too
well.

“We've been together,” the blonde said. “Often. I'm sure if he has anything to do with you it would just be a pity fuck. So why don't you do us both a favor and back the hell away. Jordan and I belong together. And now that he's back, we can pick up where we left off. I'm sure the next headline you see will be our engagement announcem
ent.”

Stinging from the verbal assault, Lucy had watched the woman walk back toward Jordan, where she pushed aside a little girl in a hockey jersey to plant a kiss on Jordan's mouth. The smug look she flashed Lucy afterward claimed him like he was a piece of property to be o
wned.

Uncertainty again rose like smoke from a
fire.

Even if Jordan had already stolen her heart, she had to be honest with herself. The blonde was right. They'd never fit. No matter how much she wanted it to b
e so.

She was a schoolteacher who lived a quiet, boring life compared to his fast-­paced and exciting existence. He traveled for most of the year while she preferred the safety and security of home. She abhorred violence. He played a violent game and loved every second of it. Jordan was wonderful, sensual, and patient. But he'd grow tired of someone like her—­even if he'd never made her feel that way. Her life was in a small town, his was on the world's s
tage.

They were boarding a plane directly after the game to go back to Sunshine. Between his sister and the rest of his family, he had a lot on his plate. Tonight needed to be
their
last night together. As much as she wanted it to be different, her sensible side knew she had to le
t go.

Even if it broke her h
eart.

A
fter the second game of the series, the locker room was abuzz with conversation, congratulations, and the beat of Iron Maiden's “The Trooper” pounding through the sound system. With two more wins under the team's belt the Vipers had advanced toward the playoffs. The incident with the Rock had barely been a blip on his radar as the two of them worked together on the ice to create a
win.

In the midst of players removing skates and giving the media post-­game interviews, Jordan took a look around the room, and pride beamed through him. They'd been warriors out there tonight. Next week they'd come together to do it all over again. He felt damn good about what they'd accomplished. Damn good about being back where he felt the most comfortable. Even if there was still plenty to deal with, along with the promises he'd made to his family. No matter what, he intended to honor every single
one.

In the meantime, he'd chartered a jet to take him, Lucy, Nicole, and Ziggy back to Sunshine. He'd have the weekend to get caught up on what was going on at home. Then Monday he'd catch an early morning flight to Dallas, where they'd play the next series of games. If they made it through that, they'd advance in the chase for the Stanley
Cup.

Playoff schedules were grueling. With a game approximately every other day until they either moved forward or were eliminated, they had little time for rest, recreation, or private matters. Which meant he'd have a hell of a time getting back to Sunshine between g
ames.

By now he hoped Nicole understood what he did for a living and that he had no plans to leave Sunshine on a permanent basis—­even though the playoffs might make it seem that way. He couldn't take her with him on the road but he didn't want to break the momentum they'd gained in their relationship either. He'd have to find a way to be there without actually being there. Skyping seemed the best avenue if she'd agree t
o it.

And then there was
Lucy.

He'd spent the past several nights making love to her and sleeping with her wrapped in his arms. Even if she snored like a buzz saw he wanted to be right there beside her. He wanted to wake in the morning and watch her stretch like a cat before she rubbed her pretty eyes, then smiled at him like he'd given her something special. He wanted to stand beside her in the kitchen while they made coffee and scrambled eggs. He wanted to hear her singing off-­key in the shower. He wanted to see her side-­by-­side with his sister making headway on school assignments and building more than just a teacher-­student rap
port.

Somehow they'd been able to keep their relationship from Nicki, which, being in the same apartment for days, had been tricky. Especially if his sister had caught the way he looked at Lucy—­which he did as often as possible—­or if perhaps she might have heard Lucy's passionate sounds. He didn't know how he was going to juggle everything while he was on the road; he only knew that everything he had to balance was impor
tant.

“So you're heading back to Washington?” Tyler Seabrook ran a towel over his wet hair, then draped it around his
neck.

“Yeah. I'll meet up with the team in Dal
las.”

“You're pretty brave to let your little sister loose on the rest of the world while you're gone.” The comment was made with a smile, and Jordan knew the reference came from Nicki yelling at the
Rock.

He laughed. “She is fierce for such a small
fry.”

“I think Colton is going to be sad to see her go. He's been checking her out in the stands every time he skates
by.”

The rookie was twenty-­one, only a few years older than Nicole. Still, Jordan didn't want any hockey guys looking at her. Hell, he didn't want
any
guys looking at her, period. “I'll have to have a talk with him about that,” he said knowing there was no way in hell he'd let the horny kid anywhere near his si
ster.

“How are things going with your teacher?” Seabrook a
sked.

Jordan smiled. “Time will t
ell.”

J
ordan watched Nicole board the plane with her guitar case in hand until she disappeared inside the cabin. Behind her, Lucy began to climb the stairs, then turned and stopped, putting a hand on his arm. He took it as an indication that she wanted a kiss before they got on board and had to act like there wasn't anything going on between them. But when he reached for her she stepped
back.

“What's wr
ong?”

The fact that she wouldn't look at him spoke lo
udly.

“I'm so happy that you and Nicole are working things out,” she said, her hand caressing the sleeve of his ja
cket.

“It wouldn't have happened without your h
elp.”

“That's not true.” She looked down at her feet. “You'd have done just fine without me. You love her. It was only a matter of time before she accepted
it.”

“Lucy?” He tucked his finger beneath her chin and forced her to look up. “What's wr
ong?”

“This has been fun, and I'm so glad you asked me al
ong.”

“
But?”

“But now that you have things working in your favor with Nicole, it's time we move
on.”

“Move on?” A cold chill pricked the back of his
neck.

She nodded. “Not that I don't appreciate everything. But I guess I never really believed anything would ever happen between us
and—­”

“But it
has
happened,” he reminded her. “And it's gr
eat.”

“Maybe on the surface.” She pushed her glasses up with her index finger, and the shuttered look in her eyes sent another chill up his
back.

“On the surface. Between the sheets. Wherever you want to take this, Lucy. You can't deny we're good toget
her.”

“I agree it's been nice
but—­”

“
Nice?
Is that what you want to call
it?”

“Be reasonable, Jordan. You and I both knew this was tempor
ary.”

“It doesn't feel tempor
ary.”

“But it's what's reasonable,” she said, like repeating the word would make more sense. “Do you really think you're the type to carry on a long distance relations
hip?”

She tilted her head and gave him a moment to think about that. A few weeks ago he'd have said a big hell no. But now 
. . .

“You have a busy life to get back to. And so do I,” she said. “Between your family, your sister, the trouble with the winery, and your career, you already have way too much going
on.”

“And you think I won't have enough time for
you?”

She turned her palms upward. “Why would you want to add one more th
ing?”

“News flash. You're not a
thing
. You're a woman I'm very interested
in.”

“For now. But we both know distance does not make the heart grow fonder. It makes it more difficult. So isn't it easier to say good-­bye now before things go any furt
her?”

“Why do you think we'll say good-­bye at
all?”

“Isn't it obvi
ous?”

“Not to me.” He slammed his hands down on his hips. Now she was pissing him
off.

“We're too different,” she said, sidestepping his remark. “We run our lives completely the opposite. And . . . it's also a good idea to keep our time together just between
us.”

“Why?” And now she didn't even want anyone to know? What the hell? “Do I embarrass
you?”

“I'm thinking about Nicole. After all, I'm her teacher. It might make things uncomfortable for her if anyone at school found out. And your sister is already going through eno
ugh.”

“And that's the
only
rea
son?”

“No.” Her jaw twitched. “Other than you, no one in Sunshine knows anything about my personal life. I'd like to keep it that
way.”

“Seeing me has already thrust you in the spotli
ght.”

Her lips tightened. “No one in Sunshine is going to read a paper from all the way across the coun
try.”

“The paper has an Internet site, and I'm sorry for that. But I don't see why it should make you doubt
us.”