PUCK (A BAD BOY HOCKEY ROMANCE) (15 page)

“I’m good. Just chilling and living the dream,” he jokes again. Eric has a decent job and an apartment not too far from our mother. He’s a great guy and loves to have fun, but nobody’s sure if he will ever really grow up.

“Where’s the new boyfriend?” he asks. Well, that didn’t take long.

“He couldn’t make it today,” I lie, and it’s a poor one. I’m sure he senses the irritation in my voice.

“Bullshit,” Eric counters like I knew he would. “What happened?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. Short version is he wound up being an asshole and it’s over. I don’t want to ruin Mom’s day, though, so please don’t say anything.”

“Sure, no problem. Sounds like he’s not worth the worry, anyway,” he says as we turn down the street I grew up on. I love coming back here to visit. It’s not far or hard to get to, but life gets in the way and I know I don’t visit as often as I should.

“You ready to meet our possible future stepfather and stepbrothers?” Eric asks.

“Oh, his boys are here too? I didn’t realize everyone was coming today.” Although I should have known. Why would it just be my mom’s children and not his? “Have you met them yet?”

“Yeah. They seem pretty cool. One is a little older than me, and one a little older than you. They’re chill. I could see us hanging out, I guess.” Eric shrugs. “I only got to Mom’s an hour ago, so I don’t know much.”

We pull into the driveway and I smile. It’s nice to be home and I love to see my mother—especially after a morning like this one. She always makes me feel better, even when she doesn’t know I need it.

I get my things out of the backseat and walk up the path to the front door. I see Mom coming toward us. She smiles and opens the door before we even reach it.

“Hey, Ashley!” she chirps as she pulls me in for a hug.

“Good to see you, Mom,” I answer. She is glowing as she looks at me. I haven’t seen my mother this happy in a long time. “You look great. Tom must really be treating you well. I can’t wait to meet him.” I’m truly happy for her. It’s nice to see my mother so full of life again.

“Well, no need to wait any longer. Tom and his boys are out back on the deck. Let’s get the awkward introductions over with.” She takes my bag and I follow her into the kitchen. She puts my dessert in the fridge and pours me and Eric a glass of wine.

“Where’s Michael? I was looking forward to meeting him,” Mom says.

“He wasn’t feeling well this morning, so I told him not to come. I didn’t want him here if he wasn’t feeling up to it.” I hate lying to my mother, but I don’t feel like getting into the details or stealing her thunder tonight.

“Too bad. Maybe I’ll have to come into the city to meet him, then,” she replies. She smiles and heads over to the sliding glass doors.

Eric steps ahead and pulls the door open. I’m the last to walk out and I almost faint when I see the faces looking back at me. There’s an older man, who I assume is Tom, and two younger men, one of which I recognize immediately as Jayson.

That
Jayson.

I literally trip stepping onto the deck. What the fuck? How is this even happening right now? I take another look. I have to be mistaken, but I’m not. He is looking right back at me. I can see he’s also surprised, but unlike me, completely aloof and keeping himself together much better than I am at the moment.

“Well, everyone,” my mother starts, “this is Tom.” She gestures at the older man sitting at the patio table. “And these are his sons, Matt and Jayson. Tom, Matt, Jayson, this is my daughter, Ashley. Eric you obviously met earlier.” She ends on a nervous laugh.

Tom gets up and reaches out his hand to me. “Nice to meet you, Ashley. I’ve heard so much about you.”

It takes me a moment to compose myself and reply. I’m still in shock. I feel like my jaw’s on the floor where everyone can see it. “Nice to meet you, Tom. I’ve heard a lot about you, too.”

Matt smiles at me. “Nice to meet you, Ashley.” He’s a good-looking guy with a nice build. He also has a strong handshake, which I like. I wish I could focus on him instead of his brother.

Jayson stands up, as though summoned by my thoughts, and smirks at me. I know he can sense my discomfort and I get the feeling he’s enjoying it.

“Nice to meet you, Ashley” he echoes. He looks me up and down before adding with a leer, “You look familiar. Have we met before?”

My palm is sweaty as he grasps it. Despite my discomfort, I immediately feel the same electric charge when we touch as I did at the bar.

“Uh, no. I don’t think we’ve ever met,” I reply, trying to sound as light and graceful as I can under the circumstances. I might not be a player, but I still know a few moves.

We all take a seat around the table and begin chatting with each other. I don’t dare look at Jayson and instead focus my attention on his father and brother, making small talk while I freak the fuck out on the inside. I can’t believe this. How is it possible that the guy I haven’t been able to stop thinking about is now sitting across from me at my mother’s house? And his father is dating my mother? You can’t even make something like this up.

In under ten minutes I have drained my glass, so I excuse myself to go inside and get a refill. I need to remove myself from this situation for a few minutes so I can process what’s going on.

“Anybody need anything?” I ask as I get up to go into the kitchen.

“I need a refill, too,” Jayson says. Shit. He was the last person I wanted to speak up.

“Oh.” I move to take his glass, hoping to cut him off. “Well, I’ll grab you one.”

Jayson’s fingers are around my wrist before I can pull away. His eyes are smoldering. “Nonsense,” he says, the word rolling off his tongue like sweet molasses. “I’ll come with you.”

His grin is pure mischief. Great. Well, at least he’s having a good time, albeit at my expense.

Jayson stands and opens the door, gesturing for me to go inside. He is walking behind me and I can feel him checking out my ass in my skinny jeans. Knowing he is standing so close behind me is like an aphrodisiac, one I wish I could spit out, but it’s too late for that—the animal attraction has all but consumed me.

He closes the door, leaving us alone in the kitchen. I try to look busy at the counter with the bottle of wine to avoid looking at him. I know he’s waiting for me to turn around, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to see that look in his eyes. The one that drives me so damn crazy.

“I love your ass in those jeans,” he says at last. I swallow before answering.

“That’s kind of a dick thing to say to your future stepsister.”

Jayson shrugs. “Maybe. What are the odds, huh? If I was a spiritual guy I would say fate brought us together again, but I’m not, so maybe we’re just supposed to fuck.”

As much as I don’t want to, I can’t help but laugh. I know he’s just saying these things to get a rise out of me, but I have to admit, he knows how to get a point across.

“That’s not going to happen,” I say, even though I don’t fully believe it myself. Whether I want to admit it or not, I want him. Seeing him again confirms it. It may be purely sexual, but in the extremely short time we’ve spent together, Jayson got inside my head. Now I want him inside me for real.

But I can’t let that happen. He’s an arrogant, spoiled, self-centered prick. His father is also dating my mother, which makes it that much more taboo and just plain weird.

“Where’s your boyfriend tonight?” Jayson asks, catching me off guard. “I was looking forward to meeting the lucky bastard.” I stammer for a second too long before I answer.

“Michael couldn’t be here. He’s not feeling well.” Ugh, I sound so lame.

“Excuses, excuses,” Jayson says with a smirk. “I’m starting to wonder if this boyfriend exists at all.”

“Of course he does,” I snap. “I’m a big girl. I don’t need a made-up boyfriend to keep you away.” I’m just full of lies today.

“Whatever you say. I won’t stop trying, though. I don’t usually have to beg, so this hard to get act of yours is turning me on. Tonight is going to be way more fun than I expected.” Before I can retort, Jason licks his lips, flashes me another cocky grin, and then heads back out the door to join the rest of our big, happy family.

What a presumptuous son of a bitch. I’m quivering, but I’m not sure if it’s anger or lust. How am I going to make it through tonight when I can’t figure out what I want to do more: slap him, or fuck him?

I drink half my new glass of wine before I step through the door again. I force a smile and sit back down at the table, feeling a nice buzz already, which helps me relax.

The conversation carries on, everyone else oblivious to the tension building between me and Jayson. He keeps glancing over at me and smiling in the most inappropriate and lecherous fashion, and I reply by rolling my eyes. All in all, though, the rest of us are getting along famously. I try to think about how wonderful this must be for my mom.

“So, you live on the Upper East Side, Ashley?” Tom asks.

“Yeah. Since college,” I respond, tearing my eyes away from Jayson’s square jaw and defiant chin.

“And Cynthia tells me you work as a waitress?” Tom continues. He’d just full of questions.

“Yup. At a restaurant close to my apartment. I actually make a decent amount of money there, but it’s just until I decide what to major in.”

“Hey, you never know what can happen. Jayson was laid off from his job five years ago. That’s when he and Matt decided to open their own construction company. They’re now one of the top contractors for the city,” Tom says. He looks so proud.

So, Jayson is gorgeous, has the body of a Greek god, and owns a successful business. Kill me now. If only he was a decent man in general, he would be the whole package. But he’s not, and I have to keep reminding myself of that.

I take another sip of wine and try to envision him with that blonde at the bar to remind me of what a player he is. It’s working, but only a little bit. I don’t even have Michael as a buffer anymore, but thankfully, Jayson doesn’t know that.

I can’t imagine what he’d do with the information. Or actually, I can, but I’m trying
really
hard not to.

“I always tell her the same thing” my mother chimes in. “You never know what can happen. Anything is possible.”

“Sure is,” Jayson adds, tossing me a wink that makes my hips ache. “You just never know what life will bring.”

J
AYSON

W
hat the hell
? I start my day thinking I’m going to meet my father’s future wife, and an hour after meeting her, Ashley walks in—the one woman in as long as I can remember that has really got my blood pumping. Not just pumping to my dick, but to my brain. I want to get to know her as much as I want to get inside of her, which is new for me. Seeing how smitten my father is about her mother, maybe the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

She looks so hot. Even without all the makeup and short skirt, she is smoking. I almost fell over when I saw her through the patio door. I won’t ever show fear, though. That’s how they get you. Once you let your guard down and the woman thinks for she has the upper hand, you lose. I have no problem keeping up my façade if it means I have a chance of getting inside of her.

The look on her face when she notices me is priceless. I see her stumble and know that Ashley doesn’t stand a chance against me, at least in a battle of nerves. I’m going to make her squirm every chance I get. She can’t escape me tonight.

All kidding aside, I think it’s pretty strange that we met for the first time a couple of days ago and here we are sitting around a table meeting each other’s families. I feel the same spark when our hands touch as I did the first time. Her palms are sweaty which normally would be a turn off but in this case it shows her fear. If she wasn’t into me, she wouldn’t care, and she obviously cared a lot. The conversation is going well between the families. We are actually getting along and it isn’t forced. Ashley can’t look at me but I don’t mind. I know she is burning inside. Partly from nerves but more because she is hot for me. I’ve been around enough women to know and even without looking at me, it’s obvious. I smile at her whenever I see her glance my way. She rolls her eyes at me each time and it makes me smile more.

The second she tries to break away I’m right behind her. I also want to make her sweat a little more. I follow her inside and can’t help but stare at her ass as I go. I would love to see what it looks like under those jeans. I would love even more to press against it while I bury my cock up inside her. I feel myself getting hard thinking about it, but it’s not the right time for that now.

I’m known to be a bit cocky, in more ways than one, but I also enjoy a sense of humor. I think it’s a nice ice breaker even if sometimes I can be what some call ‘crass’. If she can’t take the heat, she’s just going to have to get out of the kitchen, literally. I immediately hit her with a sexual complement and see her smile. She can play nice all she wants but I know she is a dirty girl inside and she confirms it with a laugh at my next line. Oh, I am going to fuck her, I know I will. How and when are the only questions.

A
SHLEY

A
fter the initial
introductions and conversation outside, I begin to help my mother clean up and get ready to serve dinner. It’s nothing fancy, but my mom is a great entertainer, regardless.

We bring the appetizer trays into the kitchen to wash and she starts pulling pans from the oven where they were staying warm. She asks me to take a couple of salads and things out of the fridge. We work in a familiar rhythm and talk among ourselves while the men are enjoying themselves outside.

“So, what do you think of Tom?” Mom asks me. She seems eager for my opinion.

“I think he’s great, Mom,” I answer. It’s the truth. He seems nice, and I can tell by the way he looks at my mother that he is really enamored with her. “I’m really happy for you.” I turn around and see her smiling and teary-eyed.

“I’m in love for the first time since your father, Ashley. I didn’t think it would ever happen again, but Tom is amazing and he treats me like a queen. You and Eric appear to be getting along just fine with Matt and Jayson, which is also so nice to see. Maybe this is really meant to be.”

Yeah, maybe. I’m happy, for her but the thought of being forced to see Jayson for the rest of my life makes me uncomfortable. It would be creepy for me to want to have sex with my stepbrother.

Yet no matter how weird the thought is, my mind starts to wander to the forbidden. On top of all the things about him that turn me on, knowing it is taboo makes it that much more exciting.

“I wish Michael had come,” Mom says, startling me out of my impure thoughts.

“I do, too. It’s okay, though. It’s nice to spend time with just us and not have to worry about adding someone else into the mix.” I’ll tell her the truth about him another day. Tonight is not the time or the place for it.

“I guess you’re right. And if you two are serious, there will be plenty of chances to meet him again,” she tells me with a tray of roast chicken in her hands. “Now open the door and let’s bring this all outside. It’s still beautiful out, so we might as well take advantage of it.”

We step outside and the men scurry to make room on the table. Then we sit back down and enjoy the rest of the meal.

It is perfect outside. I always loved my backyard growing up, although I didn’t appreciate it as much until I left and moved to the city. Our home is on the open bay and on quiet summer nights, overlooking the calm waters brings a sense of peace and tranquility. The only sounds are that of small boats passing slowly by on their way in or out of the inlet.

The conversation flows easily. I keep catching Jayson looking at me but I pretend not to notice. The three glasses of wine are definitely helping my nerves and my confidence here. I don’t realize that I might have drank too much until I stand to help clear the table and it takes me a few seconds to balance. Everyone is getting up, clearing plates and going back and forth to the kitchen. My mother asks me to set my dessert out on the kitchen table.

As I pull my strawberry shortcake out of the fridge, Mom announces, “Oh, Ashley, my favorite! You’re so good to me.”

I set the plates on the table and take a nice piece of shortcake for myself, adding strawberries and whipped cream. “I think I’m going to sit on the deck for dessert. I don’t get to spend enough time outside at home,” I report on my way out the door.

“I’ll keep you company,” Jayson says, making his own plate and following me out.

“Great. Thanks,” I mutter under my breath. So much for peace and tranquility.

I proceed to the edge of the deck and sit on a lounge chair, lying back with my cake and taking a big breath of the night air. Jayson makes himself comfortable in the chair next to mine and puts his feet up, digging his fork into his cake and taking a heaping bite.

“Did you really make this?” he asks.

I shove a bite of my own into my mouth. “Yup.”

“A woman who can cook in the bedroom
and
the kitchen. It’s like a dream come true.”

“You have no idea what happens in my bedroom,” I reply.

“Apparently not much, if you’re relying on that no-show boyfriend of yours,” Jayson quips.

Damn, he’s good. I’m pretty drunk and I’m having trouble forming a comeback. He looks at me and dips his finger into his whipped cream, then meets my eyes as he proceeds to provocatively and suck the cream off of the end of it. If we’re playing games, I’m losing. He continues talking since I have no response.

“I’ve been thinking about you since we met the other night.” My heart stops. Is he for real, or is he playing me? Either way, it’s working. I’m so fucking hot right now and he’s barely said anything.

“Oh, yeah? I saw you with that blonde chick when I was leaving. It looks like you forgot about me pretty quick,” I say, wondering if he hears my voice wavering.

“You noticed, huh? Well, don’t worry your pretty little head over it. She was no big deal. I would have rather gone home with you,” he answers. Shit. I shouldn’t have let him know I noticed.

“I’m not into players or one-night stands. You’re really not my type—at all.”

“I hear what you’re saying, but your body tells me I am very much your type,” Jayson replies effortlessly.

“My body and my brain are on the same page. I think you’re just such an arrogant prick that you can’t understand how a woman couldn't be into you.” Finally, I sound a lot more sure of myself than I feel.

With that the patio door opens and Eric comes out, sitting himself on the bench across from us. He has no idea how perfect his timing is.

“I think I’m going to head home in a few, sis. If you need a ride to the train, I can take you,” he offers. I think I’ll take him up on it. I’ve had too much to drink and as much of Jayson as I can handle.

“I’m headed back to the city, too,” Jayson chimes in. “Mind if I hitch a ride?”

What the fuck.

“Sure, no problem,” Eric replies.

Son of a bitch!

The three of us get up and walk back inside to say goodbye. Tom is apparently spending the night at my mother’s house, which I’m sure he often does. I do a double-take when I see Matt pick up a set of keys off the counter. “You’re driving back into Manhattan?”

“No, I’m headed to West Hampton for the rest of the weekend. I figured since I was already coming this way I would crash at my friend’s house for the night,” he answers, having no idea what havoc he is wreaking on my life right now.

I’m screwed. I can’t stay here and I have no other way back. Time to put on my big girl pants and get ready for the ride home.

We all say our goodbyes and I hug my mom, promising to come back very soon. She also promises to meet me for lunch. I shake Tom’s hand and say, “So nice to meet you. You make my mother very happy. Thank you.”

He smiles at me. “Of course. She is an amazing woman.” And then he takes her hand in his. They look like teenagers in love.

The four of us head out the front door. Matt says goodnight and gets into his car and Eric, Jayson, and I get into Eric’s Jeep. I am half-listening to the small talk between Eric and Jayson while mentally preparing myself for the next hour and a half. I’m trying to conjure my best bitch persona so I can be ready for the battle of wits I am sure is coming.

_____

“
W
ell-played
,” I mutter once Jayson and I are standing in the station. Eric left us back by the entrance. I wish I’d had an excuse not to let him go.

“What do you mean?” Jayson inquires, his eyebrows raised. “You live in Manhattan, I live in Manhattan. We both need the train to get home. No game here.”

“Just don’t get any ideas,” I warn him. “I don’t even want to sit next to you right now.”

And I don’t. I want to sit on his lap, naked, and ride him the whole way home, but that’s not going to happen, ever. I won't let it. I erase the thought from my mind when I hear the train coming down the tracks.

“Easy, Ashley. I’m not as evil as you think,” Jayson says, sounding just a little bit hurt. Does he have feelings, after all?

The train comes to a stop, the doors open, and we board. There are very few people headed west this time of night, so it’s pretty empty. I choose a seat and place my bag down next to me, assuring Jayson can’t sit there. Instead he makes himself comfortable across from me. Now I have to look at him for the whole ride. Maybe this was a bad idea.

We sit in silence for the first several minutes. I feel awkward, so I pull out my phone and pretend to be very interested in it. I see a text from Rachel asking how it’s going. I answer,
Talk tomorrow.
There’s no way to begin explaining how tonight was going.

I see a text from Michael also.
Sorry, Ash. I never meant to hurt you.
I just erase it. There’s no point in dwelling on our relationship, I don’t forgive cheating.

“You are so beautiful,” Jayson says, startling me. I look up and he is staring right at me. “There are so many things I want to do to you.”

“I’m sure there are, but it’s not going to happen. Do you even know how to have a normal conversation?” Seriously, does he? He only speaks to me in sexual innuendoes.

“Of course I do, but something about you makes me want to forget everything else. I’m actually a really nice guy.”

“I have a hard time believing that,” I snark.

“It’s true. But I like teasing you. You’re different,” he says.

“How?” I ask, and I really want to know. What makes him think he can talk to me like this?

“I know you think I’m hot, but I also know you’re not going to make it easy for me. You’re beautiful and witty, and if you really thought I was an ass, you would have slapped me when I dropped that first line on you at the bar—which, by the way, I would never have used if I couldn’t tell that all just by looking at you.”

Jayson tells me this with the confidence of someone who thinks they know everything. He actually hit the nail on the head, though, so maybe at least when it comes to women, he does know a lot.

“You seem to think you know me pretty well. But I’m still not convinced even part of you is a nice guy,” I reply.

“I can be a very nice guy,” he insists, looking into my eyes. I am entranced and I want to hear more, but say nothing in return. He continues, “If I were so lucky as to be given the chance, I would take you out for a nice dinner at one of my favorite Italian places. We would order a nice bottle of wine and enjoy some good conversation—you know, the kind where we talk and laugh and get to know each other better. We would share a sweet dessert and by the time we left, we would be walking hand in hand.

“I would take you back to your apartment, and before we said goodnight, I would slowly run my hand over your cheek, grasp your chin, lean closer, and kiss you on your sweet lips.” His description has me melting into my seat. I can almost taste his lips on mine.

“Then what?” I ask, not realizing I am saying it out loud until I hear it myself.

“Then I would part your lips with my tongue and kiss you while I ran my hands down the curve of your back. I would pull you into me so our bodies were pressed together and slowly start kissing your neck, letting you feel how hard I get just from kissing you.”

His description makes me feel like I am right there with him. He hasn’t looked away from my eyes for a second. I lean toward him, wanting him to make it real. I don’t care what I thought before I got onto this train. All I know now is that I want Jayson. I need him. Now.

He leans in and runs his fingers through my hair and rests his hand on my cheek. Our lips touch, and without any hesitation, we kiss. My hands find their way up to his neck and I’m rubbing the back of it and pulling him closer into me. The heat between us is deep and primal. Our tongues are twirling in rhythm as he runs his hands through my hair, kissing me deeply and passionately. It feels like the kiss lasts for hours, but when we hear the call for the next station we are startled back into reality.

I lean back into my seat, and him into his, and we just look at each other. What the hell is happening? I can’t fall for another player—a bad boy. He talks a good game, and fucking-A, he can turn me on, but I just got caught up in the moment. This isn’t going anywhere. I’ll just be another notch on his bedpost. I can’t let myself fall for him like this.

“That was even better than I thought it would be” Jayson says, breaking the silence.

“It was nice,” I say softly. That’s all I can give him.

He quirks a brow. “Nice? I can think of much better ways to describe it. Guess I’ll have to work on my moves.”

“You don’ t have to. I don’t think that will be happening again.” I sound cold. Which is a feat, because I’m still hot from that kiss.

“Why not? I thought it was pretty fucking awesome, and I would love to see what the rest of your body is capable of.”

“Number one, you’re a player. Once you actually have me, you’ll move on to your next victim and I’m not looking to get into a situation like that. Number two, you’re what? Twelve, fifteen years older than me? Number three, my mother and your father are pretty serious about each other. That makes us practically related, which makes ‘us’ just weird.” The effect of his kiss is wearing off and I’m getting my bearings back.

“You shouldn’t be so quick to judge. Number one, yeah—I love the ladies and I love to fuck, but that doesn’t make me incapable of having feelings for a woman. And number two, I just turned thirty-five, and even though I’m older than you, we are both adults and can make our own choices. And number three, Miss Porter, even if our parents decided to get married and live happily ever, after we wouldn’t be living under the same roof. There’s nothing weird about it.” His voice holds such conviction.

We sit in silence for what’s left of the ride home. I can’t help think about what he said. Yes, we are both adults, but I’m still considered a teenager and he’s in his mid-thirties and a successful businessman. How would being together not seem strange?

That kiss, though. It was magical, and the chemistry between us and the heat we created was real and raw.

But the fact remains that Jayson is a player and my future stepbrother. It—we—just can’t be.