BREAKAWAY (The Dartmouth Cobras) (22 page)

"I have to tell you something."

"
Ooo-kay
." Akira frowned and fiddled with her straw. "What is it?"

"Luke's not
really
gay."

Akira took another sip and scowled at Luke. "So you and Sebastian—"

"We're just teammates." Luke draped his arm over Jami's shoulders. "You have nothing to worry about, though. I like you, and I'd do you if you showed any interest, but I've got my sights set on this one and it's just not classy to do your girl's friend—
unless
they're into that."

"We're not." Akira eyed Jami as though making sure. When Jami nodded, she took a deep breath. "You know, this really sucks."

Luke blinked. "What?"

With her lips in an amused slant, Akira shrugged. "I've always wanted a gay friend. You were so perfect, I thought all my dreams had come true."

Jami laughed and leaned over to hug Akira. "So you're not mad?"

"No, I get it. And to tell you the truth, I was only fooled until I saw you two together on the dance floor. After that, I wasn't worried about him coming on to me. He was so focused on you that he didn't even see that drunk chick flash the crowd."

The bartender came over to see if they wanted a refill. Luke waved him away and leaned closer to Akira. "Which chick?"

"The bouncer dragged her out." Akira shook her head. "And maybe I was wrong about you. Why are you still looking when you've got her?"

Biting her bottom lip, Jami took Luke's hand and gave it a little squeeze to let him know she got it. It would be wrong for her to expect him not to look when he knew she was with Sebastian. For fuck's sake, Sebastian had told Luke before they left his house—he couldn't come with them because his cousin was coming down early to attend the team's first playoff home game—that if he and Jami wanted to do anything, Luke had to call and ask first. If Akira didn't have an issue with men she wouldn't have blamed Luke for wanting to go home with her. She would have hated it, but that was selfish beyond words. He had too much pride to ask Sebastian's permission to fuck her.

But Luke shook his head and slid his arm around her waist. "I'm not looking. Not anymore. I play real loose, but when I want a woman, all I see is her. And, right now, all I see is Jami."

His statement obliterated her filter and she spoke without thinking. "Lovely. Do I get to be the rebound?"

Luke let his arm fall to his side. His hand drifted up to cover the scar on his lip as he spoke. "Guess you heard about my breakup."

Jami winced. She had heard. The Ice Girl locker room was full of gossip, and most of the girls were all worked up about Luke's 'available' status. But she'd assumed the breakup was something he'd wanted.

"That was really thoughtless of me. I just . . . I mean, everyone talks about how quick you find a new girl. Apparently this was your longest relationship ever. I should have considered that she was special."

"She wasn't." Luke took a step back. "All right, finish up your drinks ladies, I want to see Jami dance to a few more songs, then I'm requesting the one you guys have to do during the auditions. She can move now that she's got the stick out of her ass. Maybe the routine won't be so hard anymore."

On the dance floor, Jami managed to lose herself to the music once again. And when Luke requested the audition song,
I Know You Want Me by
Pitbull
,
she did every move perfectly. But she wasn't as into it as she could have been. All she could think of was Luke's last words.

'She wasn't'.

Luke was lying. That girl had meant something to him. And Jami had ruined the night by bringing her up.

Or maybe not. He didn't seem to have
her
on his mind when he led Jami in a slow dance as the club was about to close. And all Jami could think of as they left was how his body responded to hers.

All that was on her mind as they directed the cab to drop Akira off at her apartment was that this man wanted
her.
And maybe, just maybe, that made her special to him.

She hoped so anyway. Because he'd showed her she could do what she'd thought was impossible. She could surrender to the music, loosen up just enough to be graceful, and beautiful. To forget who might be watching. There were so many ways she could give up control with no regrets.

But she regretted what she'd said. And hopefully, he'd give her a chance to take it back.

* * * *

Luke wandered out to Jami's balcony, only four floors up, but perfectly situated for a clear view of the Bedford Basin, all sparkly with the city lights of Halifax reflecting off the night darkened water in the distance. His place with Tyler and Demyan actually wasn't too far from here, but he hadn't been looking for a great view when he'd signed the lease. His biggest priority was having a landlord who let him out at a moment's notice. Setting down roots in any city was a sure way to end up traded—which sounded weird, but had been proven too often for him to take chances. Sharing the apartment made that less of an issue, but he kept to the traditions of never having more stuff than you could pack up quick.

Jami's place looked well settled into even though she'd only been here a couple of weeks. And it was so . . .
her.
A funky patched up sofa, multicolored shag rugs, an eclectic collection of graffiti style art. Sometimes, he went to a chick's place and was afraid to touch anything, but Jami's place was fun. Welcoming. Comfortable.

He smiled as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I thought you were
gonna
hide in the bathroom all night."

Jami pressed her forehead against his back and he felt her shaking her head. She had been awfully quiet since they'd dropped Akira off at her apartment on the other side of Dartmouth. Something was eating at her.

"Hey." He turned and eased her back as he leaned against the balcony railing. She stared at his socked feet, so he tipped her chin up with a finger. "What's up? You nervous about tomorrow?"

"No, it's just . . . ." She scraped her bottom lip with her teeth and gazed up at him. "Are we cool?"

Her question caught him off guard. He blinked at her. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"I shouldn't have said that about being a rebound. That was stupid."

"Damn, Jami! Is that all?" He laughed and gave her a one armed hug. "I forgot about that like two seconds after you said it. You're a girl, of course you'd be worried. I'm not sure what to tell you though '
cept
that if I was looking for a rebound, it wouldn't be with a girl into another guy."

Letting out a snort, Jami drew away and shook her head. "
I'm
not the only one into him."

"Hey, start with that again and we
won't
be cool."

"Whatever. Guess that's between you and Sebastian."

"I'm more interested in what's between you and me." He brushed her hair away from her face with one hand and curved his fingers behind her neck. "When we were dancing, all I could think about was taking you home so that I could touch all those sweet curves. You drove me nuts the way you moved once you relaxed." He dipped down to taste her lips, hot and sweet from the two rum and cokes she’d earned. "I want you. I don't care right now if I have to share you with him."

"But, you have to—"

He kissed her to shut her up. "I know what I have to do."

She stared at him as he pulled out his phone. As he dialed Seb's number. And it looked like she was holding her breath as he spoke.

"I take it you know why I'm calling?"

Seb didn't say anything for a bit. It sounded like he was moving to another room. A door clicked shut over the line and Seb spoke quietly. "Yes. And I'm impressed. I thought your pride would have you seducing her without a word to me. You did not look pleased when I gave you my instructions."

"Well, it's not every day I have to ask permission to be with a woman." Luke shifted, the hard-on that had been plaguing him all night throbbing painfully, already wet at the tip. "Fuck, I hate that she's yours. I hate having to ask. But she's worth it."

"You're both mine. Admit it and you'll never have to ask again."

The sea sweetened air thickened as Luke slowly inhaled, absorbing that word that shouldn't mean anything.
Mine.
Shouldn't feel good having a man say that. Not when he wanted Jami. His lips parted and he almost told Seb what he wanted to hear.

But he caught himself just in time. "No. The way I see it, if you're good with sharing, I'm good with asking."

"I see." Seb went quiet. His tone was neutral when he spoke again. "Enjoy your night, semental. Tell Jami I will call her tomorrow."

Luke stuffed his phone in his pocket and stared out at the horizon. The muscles in his jaw ticked. He forced out a laugh. Then reached back to drag Jami in front of him. He fisted both hands in her hair and kissed her, far more gently then he thought he'd be able to, but the softness of her lips made his restraint worth it. He slanted his mouth and traced the crease of her lips, diving in as they parted, enjoying each delicate flick of her tongue. He didn't release her until her nails clawed his chest and she let out needy little whimpers.

"Right here, boo." He kissed her throat as he turned her to face the railing. "Right here looking out at the bay. Hold on to the railing. Don't let go."

"Someone might see us." She wrapped her fingers around the railing and threw her head back as he peeled her panties down and let them fall around the top of her boots.

He plucked a condom from his pocket and tore the wrapper with his teeth. "Does that bother you?"

 
"No. I've just never done this before—and I've done a lot."

"So I get to be the first at something with you?" Luke unzipped his jeans, then rolled on the condom. His own hand tested his endurance as he positioned himself between her thighs. "Anything else you haven't done, my dirty girl?"

Jami gasped as he slammed in. Her inner muscles tensed, making her so tight he held still and pictured
Ingerslov's
hairy ass so he wouldn't embarrass himself by coming too fast. The backup goalie was a cool guy, but damn ugly. Which he bragged didn't stop him from getting as many bunnies as any guy on the team. Luke had seen him take two at a time to his hotel room, so it was the truth.

He grinned as he regained control of his body. He'd have to tell the man about his trick. He'd get a kick out of it.

"Luke . . . ." Jami squirmed and thrust her hips back against him. "Please!"

"I like hearing you beg." He ground into her slowly and scraped his teeth down her throat. Her long hair clung to the scruff on his cheeks, and a light breeze teased him with the scent of fresh fruit and flowers that always drifted around her. Mouthwatering. Every fucking inch of her. "Tell me what else and I'll keep moving."

"Damn you, I don't know." She hissed as he slid his hand between her thighs and pressed on her clit with the tip of his finger. "Ah!"

"Think about it, Jami." He pushed in deeper and his balls bumped her thighs, held close together since her panties were keeping her from spreading her legs. "I've got all night."

Jami groaned and lowered her forehead to the railing. She mumbled something he couldn't make out.

"What was that?"

She spoke through her teeth. "Anal. I've never done anal."

"
Mmm
." He rewarded her with several long thrusts, slamming in so hard the smack of flesh on flesh echoed into the night. "So you've never been with two guys at once before me and Seb?"

"I have . . . ." She moaned and her pussy clamped down on him, telling him she was close. "I've done some nasty things. Just no . . . anal."

He chuckled as he pressed his lips to her hot cheek. “Are you blushing?”

“No.”

“Good, I’d hate to think I’d embarrassed you.” He brought one hand to her chest, pulling the top of her dress down with her bra to expose her breasts, each barely big enough to fill his hand, but nice and soft and sensitive. The cold air brushing over them made her hiss and tighten around him even more. He licked a fingertip, and used it to wet her nipples. “What kind of nasty things?"

She let out a little growl as he circled his hips and teased her entrance. "Two men—once three—" Her words became soft, breathy. "Taking turns. One in, then out, then the other taking his place." She gasped as he filled her, inch at a time. "Or one after the other . . . I was a complete slut."

"Yes you were." Luke quickened his pace, breathing hard. "But I've been a slut too. I love that you're so into sex. We wouldn't be doing this now if you were a shy little prude."

"No we wouldn't." She panted, bracing every time his pelvis hit her ass, then threw her head back. Her lips parted. She shook as her insides tightened like a fist around his cock. "Oh—!"

 
He covered her mouth with his hand and dropped his head to her shoulder, his cock throbbing as he came. It happened so fast the pleasure hit him like an aftershock, so fierce his knees buckled with the onslaught. His brain hadn't been fully functional while he'd fucked her, but as the blood washed up into his skull he held her tight, suddenly, insanely possessive. He didn't want anyone else touching her. Not Ford. Not his friends. Not anyone that didn't see how amazing she was. The crude words might get her off, but she wasn't a dirty slut. She was hot and passionate and beautiful. She was . . .

She was all his, but only tonight.

Hugging her against him, he drew out carefully and kissed her hair. "I want to take things slow next time, boo. I want you on your hands and knees, naked on your bed, in fifteen minutes."

A soft groan escaped her and she clenched her thighs as she watched him remove the condom. "Fifteen minutes?"

"Yeah. Can you wait that long?"

"Hmm. I don't know." She pushed him away and bent down to work her panties over her boots. Then she tossed them in his face. "I'm ready to go now. You mind if I get started without you?"

Roaring out a laugh, he chased her inside, paused in the kitchen to toss the condom in the trash, then met her in her bedroom, and tackled her on her bed. Already his dick was swelling a bit. He'd never met any woman who could go again this fast. Or made him want to go again so soon. He almost wished he hadn't come so they wouldn't have to wait. The things he wanted to do to her—he grunted as she rolled him over, then straddled his hips.