Offside (26 page)

So that he could love her.

She opened beneath him, her mouth hot and
wet, and a shiver rolled over his skin as she moved against him.
His fingers shook from the intensity of his feelings and he
realized he was nervous.

Him. Logan Forest.

But damn, he wanted this to be better than
good. Better than before. He wanted it to matter.

She tasted just as he remembered, hot and
spicy but with a hint of something sweet. He kissed her long and
hard as if he could somehow convey the confused emotions he felt
with his lips. His hands sought her breasts, his fingers like silk
as he worked his way through her buttons until he was able to cup
her fullness in his palm.

It was several minutes until he was able to
tear himself from her mouth and lick the pebbled nipple that sat
there, waiting for him.

He drew her into his mouth, pulling hard and
grazing the edge of her nipple with his teeth. He loved that she
hid nothing from him. She gasped and yanked on his head, pulling
him closer.

“Are we going up to your bed-” she started to
say, though she yelped when he nipped the underside of her
breast.

“I can’t wait,” he said hoarsely.

He paused for a second, his chest tight, his
thoughts and emotions overwhelmed with the need he felt for this
woman. The craving. The absolute desire to possess her. To give her
pleasure and know it was him that had given it to her and no one
else.

“I can’t wait to see you,” he finished.

Logan slipped her blouse over her shoulders
and deftly unclipped her bra—which was a miracle considering he was
all jittery, like a damn teenager. And he knew he needed to keep a
cool head because this was different. This night. This moment.

He couldn’t explain exactly the why or how of
it, it just was.

The lamp in the hallway bathed Billie in a
swath of light that fell over her skin in an ethereal wash. She
didn’t say a word. She just stood before him, breasts bared, the
nipples hard and wet from his mouth. Her hair fell in ripples over
her shoulders and the sight of her like that, half dressed, body
bathed in shadow and light, lips bruised from his own—was something
he didn’t think he’d ever forget.

Her fingers were at the snap of her jeans but
he pushed her hands away.

“No way, Barker, this is all mine.”

He tugged on her zipper—eyes widening—hell
they nearly jumped out of his freaking head when he saw the
surprise inside. She was completely naked.

Holy. Hell. Commando had never looked so
good.

He kneeled and rolled her jeans down her hips
and past her knees, where they bunched around her calves, his eyes
fastened to the hot opening between her legs. If she moved she
would fall and her hands fell on his shoulders for support.

Before she had a chance to steady herself his
mouth opened over the part of her that she’d teased him with the
night before—that sweet spot between her legs that had looked so
damn hot via Skype. His tongue swept over her and when he reached
around and cupped her sweet ass, she moaned and leaned into
him.

She tasted like heaven, a womanly, heavenly
musk that made him even harder as he inhaled her sweetness—her
desire for him. When his teeth scraped the hard, swollen nub
between her folds she would have fallen if not for his hands
holding her in place.

He tasted her for the longest time, enjoying
the sounds she made, and when he sank his tongue deep inside, when
he slid a finger into her hotness, she groaned—and then came,
shuddering into his mouth. That sweet sound she made at the back of
her throat nearly did him in.

“Oh, Logan,” she breathed. “I can’t feel my
legs.”

He couldn’t speak. Looking up into eyes that
told him she was just as affected by him as he was by her, undid
him. It tightened him up—everywhere—inside and out.

Logan ran a hand through his hair as he tried
to calm his racing heart. He wanted her on the most basic level
that a man could want a woman, but it was so much more than that.
It wasn’t just about sex and the need to be inside her so badly it
hurt—it was all the other stuff to. The need to matter. The need to
be selfless.

The need to love.

He stood in one fluid motion and grabbed her
up into his arms. With several strides he was in the family room.
Soft light fell inside from the bay window and when he placed her
over the edge of the sofa, the groan he let out pretty much said it
all.

Her ass, that perfectly sweet and fine ass,
was tipped up toward him and with her legs spread slightly, the
soft, moist treasure between them glistened for his eyes
only...

She kicked off her boots, her jeans following
suit while he dropped his jacket and pulled his T-shirt over his
head.

“I have never wanted anyone the way I want
you, Barker.”

His jeans were next and he glanced across the
room into the mirror, hung floor to ceiling and opposite the
leather sofa. Her large eyes were half closed and she rolled her
hips suggestively against the leather armrest, a soft moan escaping
her lips as she locked her gaze onto his.

“Then do something about it Logan because I
feel like I’m going to come apart if you don’t—”

He was inside her before she could finish,
settled between her legs, cock buried as deep as he could go. For a
few moments, he did nothing. He took the time to enjoy the feel of
her around him. Her heat. Her tightness. Her amazing ass grazing
his lower abdomen as she slowly rocked against the sofa.

His hands splayed across her roundness and
she gasped when he kneaded her lower back.

And then as she watched him in the mirror,
her mouth open slightly, eyes wet with emotion—he began to move.
Slowly. With long torturous strokes that drove him crazy—because
all he wanted to do was pump fast and hard and relieve the pressure
that had built all week. But he wanted this to last, so when she
tried to control the rhythm he bent over, hands like vise-grips on
her hips, and whispered.

“Payback’s a bitch, sweetness.”

She moaned. “Logan, I need it,” but she
couldn’t finish and began to move beneath him, her hands down
between her body and the leather that she was bent over.

“What? What do you need?”

“You,” she said simply and his heart rolled
over.

“Open your eyes,” he said hoarsely. “I want
to see you.”

She obeyed and met his gaze in the mirror. As
Logan increased his rhythm, she arched her back, she gasped and
cried out. He’d never seen anything as hot as Billie, totally in
the moment.

Totally with him as he approached the
cliff.

When he couldn’t stand it anymore, when his
control had reached the point of no return, Logan slipped his arms
around her and held her tight. He panted and groaned, as he
shuddered into her.

For the longest time he held Billie, her back
flush to his chest, her body shivering as the aftershocks of her
orgasm rolled through her.

When he finally stepped back, she turned and
immediately wrapped her arms around him.

“I missed you,” she whispered. “So much.”

Logan’s heart swelled and he kissed the side
of her temple, his mouth slowly making its way down to hers. He
parted her lips again, but this time his touch was gentle, almost
as if he was tasting her for the first time.

He could spend hours just kissing this woman,
and when he had done a good and thorough job of it, he paused and
glanced to the side. “Son-of-a-bitch.”

She followed his gaze and swore. “You’ve got
to be kidding me.”

They had an audience. A furry, purring little
thing, who flicked a crooked tail back and forth while holding out
a paw to be licked.

A cat with one eye. An eye for porn.

It was nearly three in the morning when
finally Billie snuggled next to Logan in his king size bed. Her
body had been thoroughly loved—more than once—and as she lay
against him, listening to his steady heartbeat, she couldn’t
remember, ever, feeling this content and happy.

Sure she’d had some highlights in her life.
Competing in the Olympics came to mind, but this was a different
high. It was different and scary.

She traced his tattoo and sighed.

“You can’t be ready for another round.” His
voice rumbled against her cheek and she giggled, resting her chin
on his chest so that she could look up into his eyes.

“Why? You’re not?”

A slow grin spread across his mouth as his
hands twirled a piece of her hair. “Woman, I’ve got the stamina of
a race horse but even I can’t make miracles happen.” He shifted a
bit and encircled her with his arms. “So,” he said casually.
“What’s your news?”

Her brows furrowed. “Hmm?”

“Your news. The text?”

“Oh!” She squealed. “I made a life altering
decision while you were gone.”

“You did?” he murmured against her hair.

Billie paused, bending her head to the side
as he massaged her scalp. His fingers were full of magic. There
could be no other explanation.

“I did. I made a decision about my
future.”

“I see,” his fingers were at the base of head
now, his voice low and husky. “Are you planning on being my sex
slave for life?”

She smiled as his fingers moved down to her
shoulder, where he continued to work his magic. Shit, if he kept
this up she’d fall asleep before she could share her good news.
“Well, that is pretty high on my list of things to do, but,
no.”

“Damn,” he retorted. “Guess I’ll have to take
out another ad on Craig’s List.”

She nipped his pectoral. “Bastard.”

“Seriously,” he murmured. “What’s up?”

She’d kept this news close to her chest all
week, only sharing it with Bobbi and Herschel. Would he be as
excited for her? Was it even that big of a deal?

Suddenly shy, she bit her lip and looked away
from him.

“Don’t do that,” Logan said.

Her eyebrow shot up. “What?”

“Bite your lip.”

“I didn’t bite my lip.”

“Yes you did and every time you do, it makes
me want to kiss you. And that will lead to expectations.”

She smiled. “Expectations?”

“Yes,” his fingers slide along her jaw.
“Sexual expectations and my batteries are running low at the
moment. So don’t be expecting anything for at least”—he glanced at
the clock on the table beside his bed—”another twenty-two
minutes.”

“Twenty-two minutes,” she repeated
softly.

“I could maybe get started at the twenty
minute mark, but I can’t promise anything spectacular until I at
least hit twenty-two.”

She laughed softly. “Okay,” she said. “Got
it. Twenty-two is your number.”

“Twenty-one might work.”

She punched his arm.

“And your news is?” he prodded.

“I’m going to open my own hockey school.” The
words came out in a rush, tumbling one after the other until she
was nearly out of breath.

Billie explained how she had run the session
with Kendall’s team and how much she enjoyed it. She told him how
the coaches and the trainer had expressed interest in hiring her to
work with the team and word had spread. By Wednesday night she had
interest from an entire roster of girls and boys, ranging in age
from five and up.

“I looked into ice time and there isn’t much
available for the coming season at the new twin pad, but then Mr.
Talbot called in a favor with the Mayor and as long as I’m willing
to pay to have ice installed in the old arena, then I can use it
for now until I decide what to do.”

“But that must cost a fortune.”

She nodded. “It’s not cheap but here’s the
thing. You don’t even want to know how much parents are willing to
pay to have someone with my experience teach their kids everything
I know about hockey, plus, I have money set aside that I can use if
I need it. A good friend who’s runs his own school out in Colorado
is willing to fly out and help me get things organized and Bobbi
has already volunteered to help out on the business end of
things.”

Billie twisted until she sat up, too full of
excitement and nervous energy to lie still. Logan’s opinion
mattered.

“What do you think?”

“I think you’re amazing.”

Logan sat up as well, his broad shoulders set
against the headboard as he studied her for the longest time
without saying anything. The nightlight plugged into the wall
beside the bed threw shadows across his square jaw, and half of his
face was hidden. With a day’s worth of stubble and the serious
glint in his eyes, he looked sexy and dangerous and…pensive.

Alarm hit Billie, square in the gut.
Something was wrong. But what?

“Logan?” Her mouth went dry. “What’s going
on?”

“We need to talk,” he said carefully.

Billie’s mouth went dry. Her stomach rolled
and a cold sweat beaded across her flesh. She grabbed the blanket
and pulled it up to just underneath her chin.

How could she have gone from ecstasy to this
cold, awful, feeling in so little time?

She pushed a tangle of hair behind her
shoulder and stared at Logan, not really sure how to proceed.

“Okay, what’s up?”

She retreated a few inches from him and
waited, not able to read the look in his eyes or judge his body
language.

Logan ran a hand over his chin and blew out a
long hot breath.

“Billie, these past few weeks have been…”

[i]
Oh my God, he’s breaking up with
me
[i].

“Incredible.”

[i]
But can we break up if we’re not really
a couple
?[i]

“You are the most interesting…”

[i]
Interesting
?
That’s
bad
?[i]

“Sexy, kooky, pain-in-the-butt lady I’ve ever
met.”

[i]
I miss him already
[i].

“You know, when we first got together I
didn’t know what to think. I mean, here was this woman, someone I’d
always thought of as a kid, and you weren’t—”