Underneath It All (Storm Series) (29 page)

“I promise
to let you have a nice nap.”

She chuckled. “
What a sweetheart you are.”

They packed up then cleaned the place before finally heading to Rob’s house. Once there
, they fell into bed and Rob rolled Alaina under him.

Frowning, she asked, “Are you sure? I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“You’re very concerned about me reinjuring myself all of a sudden…”

“Of course I am. If
you got hurt doing something with me,” Rob smirked and she glared before continuing, “I’d never forgive myself.”

“Don’t worry so much, baby. Wrap those pretty legs around me instead.”

Reluctantly, she did, and he balanced on his forearms. “See? I’m fine. I’m hoping to play in a month. If I can’t manage this, I’m in big trouble.” Leaning down, he teased her mouth open with the tip of his tongue then pushed inside, holding onto her hair as he kissed her.

She kissed him back, pouring all the emotion of the day into his mouth.

His erection lengthened between them and he pulled away, panting. “Shit, that hurts,” he said, reaching down to adjust himself.

“Then take your pants
off.”

“Aren’t you getting saucy?
”

She shrugged with one shoulder. “I know what I want.”

Sliding to the side of the bed, Rob rid himself of his belt before popping the buttons on his jeans. “Ahh.” Glancing back at her, he asked, “And what do you want?”

“You. Now take off your clothes and get back here.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He did before crawling back toward her, raising one eyebrow. “Last I knew it was pretty hard to do what I think you want to do if you’re still wearing all
your
clothes. Come on, get ‘em off.”

Giggling, she
rose from the bed enough to shimmy off her jeans and panties and then sat up to remove her sweater and bra as Rob’s gaze wandered hungrily over her body. When she tossed the bra to the side, she asked, “Better?”

“Much,” he ground out, already reaching for a condom.
He sheathed himself in record time then drew his fingers through her wetness, groaning. “So ready for me.”

“
Mmm,” she answered as she ran her foot up the back of his leg.

Rob slid inside easily and groaned again, dropping his forehead to her shoulder. “You feel so good.” He began a slow, torturous slide in and out of her.

“Rob, oh God…”

“Hold onto me. I’ve got you, baby.”

And he did.

“More,” she begged him.

“Uh-uh.” He shook his head. “Slow.”

The exquisite torment continued unabated for long moments, with him pushing in slowly then dragging back out over her sensitized tissues. She tried to raise her pelvis to meet him, but he calmed her, keeping her on the bed with his weight while he murmured sweet words to her. Alaina had never seen this side of Rob. Sure, especially in the past weeks
, they’d taken time to come together in something more than a frantic meeting of body parts, but this was different. Rob was truly making love to her.

Finally, seeming to understand her unspoken plea, he sped up
, and she cried out in response as her core contracted once around him.

“Come for me.”

Alaina bit her lip as her back arched. “I’m trying. I want to. Yes, God, yes.” Her words sounded like a mantra, and Rob grunted, pulling out and scooting down her body.

He took a long lick and her hands landed on his head, pulling at the short hairs.
Rob kept up his slow torture for several moments as Alaina began to move in pure agitation. Her orgasm was so close, but not quite within reach. Then he slipped two fingers inside her and she exploded, planting her feet on the bed and lifting her pelvis.

“That’s it, baby, let go,” he crooned as he pushed her, extending the pleasure-pain spiraling through her.

As soon as she’d calmed enough to once again lie on the bed, he rose over her and pushed inside once more. “Tight.”

His teeth were clenched
, and Alaina would’ve bet he was in pain but for the gasps and moans Rob released as he moved within her. Scant seconds later, he threw his head back, pressed inside until she could swear she felt him all the way into her belly, and let out a loud cry, holding himself locked deep within her.

Alaina loved watching him like this, all those corded muscles straining to wring the most possible pleasure from
both of their releases, his mouth open and his eyes closed. Her heart soared knowing she’d done that to him.

He collapsed on top of her but quickly rolled to the side. She didn’t miss the slight wince as he moved his shoulder, but decided not to comment
. Rob had already told her he could take care of himself, and she had a feeling if she kept at him, he’d react with anger. Instead, she tucked herself under his good arm, laying her flushed face on his sweat-slicked chest.

“Let me clean up,” he mumbled, but she shook her head.

“I like you like this. You’re sexy.”

“Sweat is sexy?”

She looked into his eyes and nodded.

“You are definitely a keeper.”

Alaina couldn’t help the comical way her eyes widened, and he looked away for a moment before returning his gaze to hers, his eyes intense and smoky. “I love you. I know I told you I was falling in love with you. I lied. I’m
in
love with you. And that has nothing to do with this,” he waved a hand down their bodies. “I’d love you even if we were never together. Not that I’m advocating that, of course.”

He loves me. Me.

Rob lifted his head and asked, “You okay? Did I totally freak you out?”

“No, no. I’m all right.”

He sat up, and she rolled onto her back. Once he’d taken care of the condom, Rob returned to her side. “Are you sure? Was it too soon?”

“Oh, hon. Not at all.” She glanced down and took a deep breath. Meeting his gaze once more, she said, “And I love you.”

“You don’t—”

Placing her fingers over his mouth, she said, “I want to.”

“I wish we could do that all over again, right now. I said my loving you had nothing to do with the sex, but I feel so close to you when we’re in bed. I’ve never experienced anything like this before, and it’s damn addicting.”

“I
sense the difference with us too.”

“I felt like a totally mushy idiot saying that, so thank you for not laughing at me.”

She grabbed his face. “I would never laugh at you. Well, unless you were being goofy, which, let’s face it, does happen.”

Now he smiled. “
Me? Goofy? Never. I guess I’d better let you get that nap I promised.”

“Hmmm. Suddenly I’m not the least bit tired.” Alaina’s hand trailed his abs then stroked lightly over him. “Maybe you
made a good point when you said we should do this again. But first, a shower.”

“Who says we can’t do both?”

God, she adored this man.

As Alaina left school a few days after the fundraiser, Kyle stopped her on the playground. He hadn’t mentioned the gift card and neither had she, as if by mutual unspoken agreement. He was friendly but not overly solicitous, and Alaina was convinced she’d misread his intentions with the unexpected Christmas gift.

“I heard about the fundraiser. That’s awesome. Good job.”

“I didn’t really do much. The planning was mostly done by my boyfriend.” Why she felt the need to mention Rob to the man, she wasn’t sure, but the fleeting expression of irritation on his face gave her pause.

“Ah yes. The hockey player.” There was a definite sneer in his tone and her eyes narrowed.

“He’s a good man.”

“Uh-huh.
Those professional athletes are real decent people—getting arrested, cheating, using performance-enhancing drugs. Anyway, good for you.” Kyle turned on his heel, and she was left staring at his back, shaking her head.

Without another word, she walked to her car and left.

At dinner
with Rob that evening, her curiosity got the better of her. “I, um, I have a question, but I’m not positive it’s appropriate to ask.”

Rob sat back.
“Now I’m intrigued. Shoot.”

“Do you ever have people who put you down
to your face because you’re a hockey player?” The words ran together as she forced them out around a tight throat.

“What do you mean? Like out in the general world?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Sometimes.
You did, but you were more subtle than most people.”

She winced, recollecting her initial impression of him. Given that, she could see how Kyle would think all professional athletes were jerks. That had been her assumption.

“Why do you ask?”

“Well…”

Rob straightened. “Someone made a comment about me to you.”

How the hell did he guess that?
“Sort of.”

He threw a doubting look her way. “How can someone ‘sort of’ say something derogatory about me?”

For a second, she considered making a joke about his use of derogatory but then realized that would be exactly the same as what Kyle had said. Plainly Kyle didn’t think much of the players, though whether he felt they were lacking intellectually or morally she really couldn’t say. “That guy Kyle, the student teacher?” Rob nodded, his mouth set in a thin line. “He stopped me as I was leaving and congratulated me on the fundraiser.”

She pushed her veggies around on her plate for a moment before swallowing and continuing
, “I told him I didn’t have much to do with the fundraiser, that it was all you. He kind of smirked and said something like, ‘Oh yeah, the hockey player.’ He said a few other things, and they didn’t sound, er, like they were meant in a respectful way.”

“I like this Kyle even less the more I find out about him. Maybe I’ll
seek the lad out when I’m at school later this week.”

“No, no, don’t do that.” Placing a hand on his forea
rm, she said, “Please. I’m sure he’s just a jerk.”

“Sounds more like he’s trying to turn you against me
, worm his way in.”

Alaina smiled softly and picked up his hand, kissing his knuckles. “It would take a lot more than one stupid comment to do that.”

“I should hope so,” he grumbled. “But I’m telling you, that guy wants you.”

Removing her hand, she began to eat once more. “Like I
said, maybe he’s a troublemaker, but I can handle that. You told me not to worry about your shoulder. Afford me the same courtesy and don’t worry about Kyle.”

“Those are two entirely different situations.”

She shrugged, not wanting to argue. Alaina had made a mistake bringing up Kyle’s off-handed comment and should’ve known better. Luckily, Rob took the hint, and with a disgruntled noise, started shoving food into his mouth once more.

Rob, not surprisingly, came down with a cold as he began to really push himself on and off the ice, trying to get back into game shape. Alaina cooked some chicken soup then brought it over to him. He was curled up on the couch, shivering despite having dragged the comforter off his bed.

She frowned.
“Are you sure you don’t need to go see a doctor?”

“I’ll be all right. I need to rest.” The last words came out with
Ws in the beginning, and Rob made a face. “I hate having a cold,” he groused, and of course, cold sounded like “code.”

If he didn’t look so miserable she would’ve smiled, but instead she ran her fingers over his forehead
, checking to make sure Rob indeed had a cold and not something that involved a high fever. “Do you think you can eat? You know what they say—feed a cold, starve a fever.” Rob said nothing and she coaxed, “Come on, baby. Can I heat some up for you? Can you at least try?”

“You sound like you’re talking to one of your kids.
I’m not five.”

Now she
understood fully how miserable he must be feeling. Normally he’d never make a crack like that, and she let it slide.

“
But yeah, I’ll eat.”

A few minutes late
r she brought the soup back and set the bowl on the coffee table. “I couldn’t find that tray we used before. Do you want to eat here or in the kitchen?”

“Here’s fine.” He slid off the couch and pulled the comforter around himself once more. “You don’t need to stay. I’ll be okay. I’m going to watch a movie and take a nap. Not exciting company.”

“You don’t have to entertain me all the time, baby. Isn’t that what you told me after the surgery? Well, that goes the other way too.” She sat on the recliner a few feet away. “I’ll stay for a bit, see if you need anything else.”

“Even though I’m sick and gross, I love you.”

“I love you too. Try to eat for me.”

Rob ate a bowl and a half of soup, plus a couple of pieces of bread, and she was satisfied. Alaina left the rest of the soup in the fridge then went back to the living room. Her man was fast asleep. Leaning down, she brushed her lips over his forehead, smil
ing faintly as he scrunched up his nose at the contact, and then left.