A Better Man (29 page)

For three years she'd been in control of her life. Of every step she took and every move she made. She'd made healthy decisions and she'd set healthy bounda
ries.

Jordan ripped all that control to sh
reds.

Not in a nasty way by any means. He did it with sweet talk, compassion, and a whole lot of hotness. She didn't fool herself for one minute, though. When it came to Jordan Kincade, she
wanted
to lose control. She liked the way he made her feel safe, cared for, even sexy. Until he'd come along she'd
never
felt sexy. Never felt beautiful. Never in her life would she have thought he'd beg her to give
them
a ch
ance.

Lifting the wineglass to her lips, she paused the Oozma Kappa
Party Central
from the
Monsters University
DVD to find a snack that wouldn't bypass her breasts and go straight to her thighs or hips. She had to step over Ziggy, who'd stretched out at her
feet.

The doorbell rang and she stopped midway to the kitchen, wondering who could possibly be at her door at this time of n
ight.

She looked down at her plaid pajama bottoms and baggy white T-­shirt and prayed to God it wasn't Jordan. He'd seen her looking bad enough. And then she remembered the avocado mask on her face. Wonderful. No time to go wash it off, she went to the door, nudging tail-­wagging Ziggy aside with her
foot.

A Kincade stood there, but not Jo
rdan.

“Nicole? What are you doing h
ere?”

The teen stood there wearing a PINK hoodie, jeans, and Ugg boots, hugging herself against the cool night
air.

“Come in,” Lucy said, and then she remembered. “Excuse the mask. I wasn't expecting comp
any.”

Ziggy did his usual happy dance and Nicole rewarded him with an affectionate stroke of her hand over the top of his
head.

“I'm sorry to bother
you.”

“You're not. Have a seat. Would you like something to drink? Maybe something hot since its cold outs
ide?”

“No thank you.” She sat down on the edge of the sofa like she was ready to
run.

Lucy could see Nicole's hands were shaking, and her concern ign
ited.

“I probably should have gone to my brothers. But . . . I really thought you'd be the one who could help the m
ost.”

Lucy sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. “Honey, what's wrong? You're trembl
ing.”

“It's Jor
dan.”

Oh dear. What did the man do
now?

“Earlier when he came to talk to me I told him I didn't want to go to college and that I wanted to go to Nashville to be a music
ian.”

“And he got upset?” The news made Lucy sad because she knew how far Nicole could go with the right education. But she also realized that college wasn't right for ever
yone.

“Well, yes. He told me how dangerous and risky it was. And he tried to tell me how hard it would be. But he didn't yell. Although he looked like he might when I told him I wasn't planning on going al
one.”

“Going with someone else didn't make him feel any bet
ter?”

Nicole scrunched her nose. “I kind of made him think it would be a
guy.”

“Oh.”

“And then I told him something I haven't shared with anyone else. I told him the reason I've been so . . . an
gry.”

As much as Lucy wanted to ask about the problem, it was none of her business. If Nicole wanted her to know she'd tell her. “And what did he
say?”

“He said he'd made a decision and family comes first.” Nicole squeezed her eyes shut for a second, when she opened them the blue was swimming in tears. “Ms. Diamond, I think he's going to quit hockey, and it's all my fa
ult.”

“Oh, honey.” Lucy pulled her into a hug even as she wanted to go find Jordan and ask him what he was up to. “If he does quit after this season it's not your fault. Your brother's a big boy who knows what he wants. Even if it doesn't make sense to anyone e
lse.”

“No. I think he's going to quit right now because of what I told him. I should have kept my mouth shut. I'd never dream of asking him to quit. It's what he does. It's what he loves. I could see that when I watched him play. I could see it at the meet-­and-­greet when he was with his fans. I don't want him to stop doing what he loves because of me. I couldn't live with t
hat.”

“That's a heavy burden for you to bear. And, sweetie, you've been through enough lately.” Lucy pushed a lock of hair off Nicole's forehead. “Did he actually say he was going to q
uit?”

Nicole shook her head. “He didn't have to. I could see it in his eyes and it was heavily implied. The determination on his face pretty much confirmed
it.”

“Then you're right, he can't quit.” The thought of the man not doing what he loved twisted Lucy's stomach up in k
nots.

“I know. That's why I came to you. To see if you could try and talk some sense into
him.”

“Why would you think he'd listen to
me?”

“Because you two have something going
on.”

Lucy felt like she'd been hit with a shovel. She'd tried so hard to be careful so Nicole wouldn't know. It would make things extremely awkward between teacher and stu
dent.

“I know you tried to hide it from me,” Nicole said. “But it's pretty unmistakable with the way you guys look at each other. Plus . . . I got up one night to get a glass of water and he wasn't on the sofa. I knew he was in the bedroom with
you.”

“Oh my God.” Lucy covered her face with her hands. “I'm so so
rry.”

“It's okay.” Nicole touched Lucy's shoulder. “I think it's pretty c
ool.”

Lucy lowered her hands and peeked over her fingertips. “You
do?”

Nicole nodded. “I think you're good for him. He needs someone like you in his life. And . . . I like you. Even if you make me do hard assignments in school.” Nicole's grin went straight to Lucy's h
eart.

“Only because I know you're very smart and can ace anything you want if you'll just
try.”

“I aced laying a guilt trip on Jordan when he first came home. I just always thought he was gone because he didn't care about
us.”

“You know he d
oes.”

“I do now. But that was before I saw him doing what he loves. And I can't let him give it up because of me. I'm selfish, but I'm not
that
selfish. I know he wants to do what's right. But staying here out of obligation isn't ri
ght.”

“I don't think he'd stay just out of obligation, Nicole. I think he loves his family and he wants to be here for you. He wants to be a part of your life. He's missed a lot over the last fifteen ye
ars.”

“You can't make up for lost time,” Nicole said sadly. “And if you give up something because you think that's what you need to do to try, it's wrong in too many ways to count. Before my parents died, quitting never entered his mind. Doesn't that tell you it's wr
ong?”

Lucy knew she was the wrong one to give out advice. Especially where a family was concerned. She didn't have one. She never really had. Her parents had quit on life way before she'd even entered high school. And for her to even try to step in and interfere with something she had no business doing scared the life out of her. But for a seventeen-­year-­old girl, Nicole made sense. And if Jordan was going to make such a gigantic decision, he couldn't do it at the risk of making everyone else feel guilty because he'd don
e so.

“It tells me he should give this a lot more thought,” Lucy said. “I think he's just looking at it the way he does business on the ice. Out there he slams, punches, and pushes his way to get what he wants or needs. He doesn't have time to think it over. He just makes an abrupt decis
ion.”

“Then will you please talk to
him?”

How could Lucy refuse the concern in Nicole's eyes? “I'll give it my best s
hot.”

Relief washed over Nicole's face. “Thank you.” She hugged Lucy, then leaned back and wrinkled her nose. “Although you might want to wash that mask off first. You're crack
ing.”

Lucy chuckled. “Story of my l
ife.”

The idea of taking the tiger by the tail and trying to convince Jordan he shouldn't do something he probably really thought he should do would be a challenge bar none. Lucy hated confrontation. Of any kind. So she needed to come up with a disarming way to approach the matter. Catch him a little off guard. Then hopefully he'd see re
ason.

Then again, she'd seen his deciphering on the ice, and Lucy knew that meant things probably wouldn't bode well for what she needed to do. And the fact that she'd never been in this type of situation before guaranteed that no one should bet on her suc
cess.

Jordan Kincade was a man with a will and a mind of his own. And
that
was only a part of what made him so darned
sexy.

Time to step out of her comfort
zone.

A
gain.

Chapter 16

A
fter his talk with Nicole, Jordan spent a couple of hours with Ryan in the bottling room, learning about the new vintner arguments on corks versus screw tops. He didn't have an opinion either way. But to him, it just didn't seem right to open a bottle of Dom Pérignon with a screw
top.

Nine-­year-­old Riley tagged along, scuffing her tennis shoes and sighing with boredom so often that Jordan told Ryan they'd talk about the subject another day. He needed and wanted to learn the business, but family came first. And with the circumstances what they were, Riley needed her father's attention more often. Just one more reason that solidified Jordan's deci
sion.

No one felt like making dinner so he'd picked up burgers in town at Mr. Pickle Buns and they all ate at his parents' kitchen t
able.

During the course of the meal the house had been intensely quiet and the glaring absence of their parents had been painful. Ordinarily his mother would be fussing about preparing food or working on a project for one of her favorite organizations. His father would have been rambling about fixing this or that or talking about a new blend for the wines. All of them at the table felt the void but no one said a word. They all knew—­like it or not—­it was an aching emptiness they were going to have to learn to live with. The realization did nothing to ease the knot in his sto
mach.

He'd cried for his parents. Lost sleep over the visions of the horrific way they'd died. And now he knew he had to honor them by doing what was right for the fa
mily.

Once they'd finished dinner, Jordan strolled around a section of the several hundred acres that made up Sunshine Creek Vineyards. With a fresh eye, he noticed things he'd forgotten from his youth. Like the peaceful sound of the creek bubbling over rocks, sand, and the occasional waterfall. Or how the deer came down to the pasture across the creek to graze on freshly sprouted grass. He noticed how much property stood vacant and available for the possibility of expansion while still maintaining the integrity of the serene surround
ings.

When he finally got back to his grandfather's cabin he showered, threw on a pair of sweatpants, and grabbed a bottle of Naked Blonde Ale from the refrigerator. Mulling over the ideas he'd come up with for the vineyards, he turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. He finally stopped on
Tombstone
where Doc Holliday was once again stealing the show with his huckleberry
line.

The sudden pounding on the door came as a surprise. Figuring Ethan had decided to come over for a beer, he opened the
door.

Not his bro
ther.

Instead Lucy stood there in a knee-­length buttoned-­up sweater and black boots. Her hair fell in loose curls over her shoulders and her dark eyes behind those dark-­framed glasses took a slow ride over his
body.

“Oh good.” She settled her fingers on his chest and pushed him back into the room. “You're already half na
ked.”

Jordan's heart jumped when her hands were suddenly all over his bare chest and shoulders. They dipped provocatively beneath the waistband of his sweats and sent a hot shot of lust straight to his
dick.

“Not that I don't like what you're doing,” he said, sliding his hands to her hips and holding on, “but what are you doing h
ere?”

Head slightly tilted, she looked up at him and her luscious lips tipped in a beguiling smile. “Seducing
you.”

“Sweet.” He pulled her against him. “But I have to warn you that you probably won't have to work all that h
ard.”

“Maybe you could pret
end.”

“I don't think so. You feel what's going on beneath these sweatpa
nts?”

Her hand slid south and she gave him a squeeze. “Feels like a promise of good things to c
ome.”

“Oh, it's a promise all right. But I'll try to behave and let you take cont
rol.”

“Or . . .” While one hand stroked him, she slipped the other soft hand around the back of his neck and pressed her firm, plump breasts against his chest. “You could be bad and still let me take cont
rol.”

“I like the way you think, schoolteac
her.”

“That's good. But do you like the way I do . . . t
his?”

She lifted to the toes of her boots and kissed
him.

Slow.

Wet.

Delic
ious.

She tasted like butterscotch candy and desire. Then her soft, moist lips traveled to the side of his neck, where she sucked the flesh into her warm mouth, and a hot mass of tingles shot through his blood. He couldn't remember ever being seduced. He'd always been the one who made the moves. With Lucy, he was enjoying the hell out of the other side. For a woman who'd seen her share of misery, he liked knowing she felt confident enough with him to be assertive. It was a hell of a tur
n-­on.

He moaned. “I love the way you do t
hat.”

Her palms flattened against his chest as her lips moved downward. Kissing. Tasting. Lic
king.

He wanted to touch her so bad it hurt. But he'd promised to be good. Then again, she'd told him it was okay to be bad. He hooked his hands around her waist, pressed her back against the wall, and leaned in for a kiss that went from hot to scorching in 0.2 seconds. Their tongues tangled and danced. Swept, withdrew, and plunged. And then she reversed their positions. Suddenly he had his back against the
wall.

When he reached for her she stepped away, licked her lips, and looked up at him from beneath those thick, sooty lashes. He didn't know exactly what she had in mind, but he was game for anyt
hing.

Her fingers went to the top button of her sweater and unbuttoned it. Then slowly she made her way down to the rest of the buttons. It soon became clear that his sweet little schoolteacher was completely naked beneath that prim and proper garment. She held out her arms and shrugged the sweater off. As it pooled on the ground, his woman stood before him in nothing but sweet-­smelling skin and a pair of black high-­heeled b
oots.

“Damn, baby. You're making me so hard I can't th
ink.”

“Good.” She came closer. “I don't want you to think. I just want you to touch.” She took his hands and placed them on her bre
asts.

Almost out of his mind with an aching need to have her, he caressed those perfect breasts and lightly pinched the nipples as her head dropped back and she sighed her pleasure. Then her head came back up and she licked her lips a
gain.

“That's good,” she whispered. “But not nearly enough.” She tucked her fingers beneath the waistband of his sweats, pulled them down his legs, and helped him step out of
them.

She looked up at him as she slowly ran her hands first up his calves, then his thighs. On her way up she took his erection in her hand, sucked him into her warm mouth, and stroked him with her tongue. It felt so damn good he saw s
tars.

What started out slow shifted into a sense of urgency. It wasn't enough that he was receiving unbelievable pleasure, he wanted to give it in return. With his hands cupped over her smooth shoulders he urged her up to her
feet.

“I want you.” His voice came out rough and breathless. The words caught with the pounding of his heart. “More than I've ever wanted any damn thing in my l
ife.”

“Then it's a good thing I came prepared.” She came up with one last slow lick, then reached into her boot and pulled out a condom. “Magnum, ri
ght?”

All he could do was nod as she tore open the packet and rolled on the condom. Then she took his hand and placed it at the apex of her firm thighs. “Touch
me.”

Kissing someone never unbalanced him. It was a simple thing—­the touching of lips, mingling of breath, a rush of blood, a beginning to increased awareness. Kissing Lucy as he slipped his fingers into her slick heat, and found the spot he knew made her go a little crazy, filled him with hunger for
more.

The scent of her skin, her long sigh, the feel of her silky hair against his chest, completely rocked his control. He stroked her until her breaths whispered through her lips in pants and m
oans.

“Take me,” she pleaded. “Take me
now.”

Changing places, he eased her against the wall, hooked his hands beneath her butt, and lifted her. She locked her high-­heeled boot–­covered legs around his hips, and at last he plunged into her with a satisfied groan. He looked down between them and watched as his cock moved in and out of her. This wasn't making love slow and easy like they'd done before; this was unleashed passion and hunger. He thrust deeper and faster until, groaning his name, she came hard and his own climax bulleted through him. Panting, he leaned into her, holding her firm against the wall as their hearts beat together and their bodies pulsed where they were jo
ined.

A minute later he chuckled. “I don't know what got into you toni
ght—­”

“You
did.”

He chuckled again, lifted his head, and kissed her. “Well, I sure as hell liked it.” Reluctantly he withdrew, but figured they'd have another go-­round as soon as he recovered. She unlocked her legs and he let her feet touch the ground. Needing to dispose of the condom he said, “Give me a sec
ond.”

When he came back into the living room she'd put her sweater back on and had it buttoned up all prim and proper again. Trouble was, on her it looked sexy as hell. Especially since he knew she was naked under all that finely knitted cotton. He grinned, thinking of the possibilities. “Do I get to take that off next t
ime?”

“What makes you think there will be a next t
ime?”

L
ucy's heart had never plunged so far as it did with the way he looked at her, dark brows colliding over intensely sharp blue f
ocus.

“W
hat?”

“I try not to associate with quitters,” she said, trying her hardest to remain calm and sound like the stern schoolteacher. Right now she couldn't talk to him as his lover. She needed to be tough so—­if Nicole was right—­he'd realize the mistake he was making. “So this will be the last time we're together. I wanted it to be memorable. And it was. I thank you for t
hat.”

He folded those muscular arms across his wide chest and looked down at her with what she now knew as his intimidation glare. An angry naked man was quite intimidating indeed. But probably not in the way he might imagine. Her imagination, however, was running at full s
peed.

“What the hell are you talking ab
out?”

“I've heard rumors that you're quitting hockey. Tell me I'm wr
ong.”

“How the hell did you know about that?” He grabbed his sweatpants, shoved his legs inside, then dropped his hands to his
hips.

“Nicole. She came to me earlier and begged me to talk to you because she thinks you're quitting hockey right now when you could be skating toward the Stanley Cup. Something you've dreamed of your whole life. Why doesn't that make sense to
me?”

“You don't understand, Lucy. I've always put hockey first. Now it's time to put my family first. Nicole was mouthing off about not going to college and moving to Nashville and I need to stick around to make her see that the choices she makes now are going to affect her for the rest of her l
ife.”

“Kind of like the choices you're making now are going to affect
you
for the rest of your l
ife?”

When he didn't respond she knew she'd made him t
hink.

“Nicole said she'd feel horrible and guilty if you gave up what you love to do for her. She's seen you play. And she knows how much the game means to you. I have to ag
ree.”

“I can't be a brother if I'm never here. And I already have a fifteen-­year track record of not being a good brother. I don't even know my own twin anymore. We used to be so close. And now . . . all I know is he's great at making money. The first time I walked into my parents' house after their funeral I noticed the photos they have around the house. All of them are group photos. The only one with me is my roster photo from last year. I'm not in any of those candid family shots. N
one.”

Her heart ached for him. She knew he was in a tough spot. She also knew it wasn't easy living with regrets. Any way he turned he was going to have some kind of guilt, whether it was giving up hockey or continuing to play and leaving his family once a
gain.

“How much longer is left in the sea
son?”

He shrugged. “Anywhere from a couple of days to several we
eks.”

“And you don't think your family will understand if you take that time to complete what you've started? What are you teaching your sister if you q
uit?”

“That family's import
ant.”

“Wrong. You'll teach her that guilt overrides giving up a dream. And if that's the case, why should she bother having a vision for her life whether it's obtaining a master's degree or signing with a record la
bel?”

“It's more than that, Lucy. Something happened before our parents died and I told her I'd try to help her figure it
out.”