Cold as Ice (19 page)

“Oh, God, Carter.”

“Yeah, I’m here. I’m here.” His grip on her hips tightened. “I can’t go slow. Tell me if I’m hurting you.”

“No, I want it.”

“Fuck!” He began to rock into her with short, hard thrusts. She kept up her light rubbing motion on her clit with one hand while she held onto the table with the other. Carter slowed down again, dragging his cock back and forth with long, measured strokes. “You amaze me. I’ve never met anyone so comfortable in her own skin.” He ran his hands down her back to her bottom and squeezed. “And what beautiful skin it is.”

“Shut up and fuck me, Carter.” She couldn’t believe she’d just said that, but he was driving her crazy.

He barked out a laugh. “As the lady orders.” It only took several more thrusts, plus her own ministrations, to bring on yet another orgasm. He slammed into her one last time and came with a roar, panting and wheezing behind her. “Fuck, Eva. Seriously, one of us is gonna keel over if we keep doing stuff like this.”

She laughed and pushed up and he slowly withdrew, taking care of the condom quickly. “Why don’t you take off the rest of your clothes and we can get started on your massage? I’ll be right back.” Slipping out of the room, she went to the bathroom and cleaned up, and then sank down to the floor outside her office to collect herself before going back in.

It took a few minutes for her breathing to return to normal, and she marveled at how each man had been able to make her come, all in their own special way. While she cherished the times they spent together, she found she felt closer to each of them after having been with them separately. She’d have to keep that in mind for the future—how important it was to nurture each individual relationship as well as the whole of them.

When she got home from work she called Louisa to make plans for dinner before the game the next day. She’d rescheduled her last client so she’d have time to go home, shower, and change before the game. Afterward the guys were meeting her and Louisa at Kelly’s. Louisa was excited to meet them and see the group dynamic, which made Eva feel a little like a science experiment. She didn’t mind too much, though, and if she did have a more permanent relationship with the guys the topic of their particular kind of relationship was bound to come up time and time again. It wasn’t exactly common to meet people engaged in a ménage relationship. With her plans made, she sank into a tub filled as high as it could safely be and soaked until her fingers turned to raisins.

Chapter Twelve

The next day after work she made her way to the restaurant Louisa had suggested. SeaBar wasn’t a new restaurant, but Eva had never been there and was looking forward to trying it. They were seated, and after ordering glasses of white wine, they placed their order for sushi and then sat back. Eva looked around the place. Obviously someone had an eye for detail, as the restaurant was decorated with a simple, yet elegant flair. The sushi bar was in the front of the long, narrow restaurant with a row of small booths and another row of larger tables taking up the back area. Overall, although you wouldn’t call the place cozy, Eva liked it.

Their sushi arrived, presented beautifully on a simple, white plate so as to not detract from the food itself. They dug in, and after Eva had stuffed several pieces of sushi into her mouth in rapid succession to sate her hunger, she looked up at Louisa. “Can I ask you a question?”

Louisa’s gaze rose from her plate. “Of course.”

“Do you think it’s possible for me to fall in love with these guys? As in, all of them?”

Louisa cocked her head to the side and skewered Eva with a stare. She didn’t seem surprised by Eva’s question, which might’ve been more telling even than her response. “Are you asking me because you think you already did?”

“You know me too well,” Eva grumbled.

“Yes, I do know you well. And I think you can do whatever you put your mind to. If you think these guys are worth falling in love with, then yes, I think you can love them all.”

“It’s probably not a good idea, but I do. For me, it hasn’t been casual from the beginning. I should’ve known this would happen. I mean, it’s not a bad thing, but I’m already so emotionally invested, you know?” Eva took a sip and sucked her bottom lip into her mouth for a moment before she spoke again. “I’m just not sure how they feel about me.”

“If you need to know, there’s only one way to find out.”

“I know, I know. It’s just
—
”

“Scary as hell?”

“Yeah. I mean, what if they don’t feel the same way? I will have been rejected by three different men at once. How humiliating.”

“I doubt you’ll have to worry about it. From what you’ve told me they’re head over heels for you.”

“I’m not so sure. We’ve talked about being exclusive, but that’s as serious as we’ve gotten.” Eva shook her head to clear it of suddenly morose thoughts.

They finished dinner and walked down to the arena, stopping at Will Call to pick up their tickets. They were shown to seats only eight rows from the ice and directly behind the Intimidators’ bench, and Eva’s gaze automatically sought out her guys. They were standing together on the other side of the rink waiting for their turn in some drill in warmups. Luc must’ve felt her eyes on him, because he looked up and smiled before elbowing Jake and Carter. Both of them grinned, too, before returning their attention to the ice.

“Oh, yeah, those guys aren’t into you at all,” Louisa replied dryly. “Look at these seats!”

“They’ve gotta be some of the most expensive seats in the entire arena,” Eva remarked.

“Trust me, they can afford it. Did you know that the three of them together make over eleven million a year? I looked it up.”

“Are you serious?” Eva knew professional athletes were well paid, but that was ridiculous. Still in shock over their salaries, she sat back to watch the drills, but her gaze kept coming back to the guys. Though they did the drills and seemed to do them well, they kept looking up at her and she worried about their concentration level during the game.

* * * *

“Fuck. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea,” Jake said. “I’m more nervous with Eva in the stands than when my parents come see me play.”

Carter slapped him on the back. “You’ll live, dude. Once the game starts you’ll get caught up in it.”

“You’d better get caught up in it,” Luc warned with a level gaze directed at his teammate. “These guys are on a three-game winning streak, and that goaltender Smulinksi’s been unbelievable. We’re gonna have to bring our ‘A’ game if we want to beat him.”

“I know.” A few seconds later Jake took off down the wing with Luc and Carter behind him. They worked a three-on-two drill and then took their place at the back of the line. “I think I’m nervous because it really matters what she thinks of me. Is that weird?”

“It’s not weird, but you need to get over it. When you get distracted, you get hurt,” Luc reminded him.

“Yes, Captain,” Jake retorted, and Luc gave him a playful shove. “Hey!”

“Behave.”

“Besides, if we’re gonna stay with her, I guess I’m going to have to get used to her watching us play.”

“And no time like the present to start.”

They went back to the locker room to wait for the game to start and Luc felt a nervous flutter in his chest. He wasn’t as calm as he appeared. For some reason it was a big deal to have Eva at the game watching them. When the time came to take the ice, though, he was all business. He couldn’t afford to let distractions take him off his game. If the other team smelled even a hint of blood they’d go at him and the rest of the guys like dogs. He didn’t blame them. The Intimidators were the same way when they sensed the other team wasn’t right.

Luc lined up against the other team’s top centerman and captain. “Hey, Stonie, ready to get your ass kicked?”

Jimmy “Stonie” Stone snorted. “You and what army?”

Luc jerked his head toward his own bench. “That army. Say your prayers, cuz it’s gonna be lights-out once the puck drops.” No sooner had he finished speaking when the ref did indeed drop the puck. Luc reacted with lightning quickness and won the face-off, drawing it back to a waiting defenseman. The game was on.

He took off toward the opposing net as Jake and Carter cycled the puck around the boards. Planting his big ass right in front of Roberto Smulinski, the Carolina goaltender, he jockeyed for position with one of their defensemen. The man cross-checked him to the ice, but he got back up, spearing the guy just enough to get his attention. “There’s more where that came from, asswipe.”

“Yeah, right. Stay outta our fuckin’ crease.”

“Not likely.”

The puck careened off the end boards at a funny angle, and Luc smiled. The boards in the Barn, the unofficial name of the Intimidators’ arena, were notoriously “live” and unpredictable, which was a distinct home ice advantage. Luc pivoted and caught the puck on his forehand. He’d roofed it top shelf before half of the other players even found the puck and threw his hands up as it hit the back of the net. Smulinski let out a loud curse as Luc’s teammates surrounded him, bopping each other on the head.

He felt his chest flutter again as a wash of pride flowed through him. Luc had scored on his first shift, in the first minute of the game. He didn’t have to see Eva to know she was standing and cheering for him, and knowing he did something that very few others could made him happy. Knowing she was here supporting him was the icing on the cake.

He and his teammates skated back toward the bench. Getting a goal in the first minute of play always calmed the team down. It also inevitably deflated their opponent. Luc glided the length of the bench, tapping gloves with each teammate as he went by. When he finished he glanced up into the stands. Eva was still standing as she clapped and whooped, and he grinned. This was the life.

They all sat for a rest and were replaced by another line. Jake tapped him on the head. “Show-off.”

“Hey, I did what I had to do. We’re up, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, but scoring in the first minute was a little over-the-top, don’t you think?” Jake was smiling, and Luc knew his linemate would’ve done exactly the same thing, whether to win Eva’s admiration or not.

“You got an assist. Quit yer bitching.”

Carter shook his head at the pair of them. “You’re like two little girls, you know that?”

They returned their attention to the game and were soon sent out for another shift. Luc was run ragged defending against Carolina’s top line, but finally the puck got free and Carter, the fastest skater of the three of them, took off. “Shit!” Luc raced after him with Jake trailing behind.

Carter went behind the net and Luc joined him there, fighting for position against the defensemen. Luc worked the puck along the boards, first trapping it between his skate and the boards and then kicking it to himself the second he got free. He sent a pass Jake’s way in the slot and Jake took a one-timer that Smulinski juggled. Luc and Carter both pounced on the puck, whacking away as Smulinski scrambled to get a hold of it. Then Luc felt searing pain in both his back and his chest as he was cross-checked from both directions. He fell in a heap, and when he didn’t move, he heard the whistle blow.

Carter was the first to reach him. “Jesus, dude! You all right?”

“Wind,” Luc tried to tell him he’d gotten the wind knocked out of him, but Carter shook his head.

“Don’t talk, man. Trainer’s on his way out.”

“Don’t need…” Arguing was useless, as the Intimidators’ trainer dropped to his knees by Luc’s side.

“He got the wind knocked out of him,” Carter explained as Luc coughed.

“Roll onto your side,” the trainer ordered, and Luc did.

He glanced up at Carter. “Give Eva a thumbs-up,” he managed to choke out.

“Am I lying if I do?”