Wicked Games (Denver Rebels) (8 page)

“What happened?”

“None of your business,” she retorted, leaning back against the counter as he moved to stand beside her. “By the way, thanks for telling him where to find me.”

“He caught me off guard,” Nelson said defensively. “I pick up the phone, and there’s Reid Holden on the other end asking for my sister’s number. I was shocked. And he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Nadia shot him a skeptical look. “Did the word ‘no’ even leave your mouth?”

“Of course,” Nelson insisted. “I told him you aren’t into athletes. But he didn’t care. He was persistent as hell.”

Nadia took a sip from her glass. She knew all too well how persistent Reid could be.

“I meant to give you a heads-up that he was coming, but I got sidetracked.” Nelson grinned, dark eyes gleaming behind his glasses. “You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had. For starters, my editor was blown away when he read my column and saw that I got a quote from Reid. He called me on my way to work to ask how the hell I did it.”

Nadia froze, staring at her brother. “I hope you didn’t tell him.”

“I didn’t. I knew you wouldn’t want me to.”

“Hell, no.” She’d die if her name ever got leaked to the public. Becoming sleazy tabloid fodder was the last thing she wanted or needed.

Nelson’s grin widened. “I won’t lie. I didn’t mind taking credit for the quote. Now Corrigan thinks I’m some sort of jock whisperer—like I’m a natural when it comes to connecting with athletes. He’s even thinking about reassigning me to the hockey beat permanently.”

“Really?”

“Yup. Either way, I’m covering the Rebels until Garrett gets back from Texas—”

“What was his family emergency?” Nadia interrupted.

Nelson grimaced. “His dad had a stroke.”

“Oh, no,” Nadia said sympathetically. “How awful.”

“I know. Corrigan says Garrett’s pretty shaken up. But his dad is expected to make a full recovery.”

“That’s good.”

“It is. Definitely.” Nelson paused, looking appropriately solemn before he continued speaking. “So get this. The AP picked up my story with Reid’s quote.”

“Are you serious? The Associated Press?”

Nelson nodded, beaming. “I couldn’t believe it. People have been calling all day to congratulate me.”

Nadia grinned, bumping her shoulder against his. “That’s awesome, Nels. Congratulations.” Despite her earlier annoyance with him, she couldn’t help sharing his excitement. He was her twin. His good news was her good news.

Turning toward the counter, Nelson picked up the bottle of Moscato and swigged from it.

“Hey!” Nadia protested, swatting him on the arm. “How many times have I told you to stop doing that? I don’t want your backwash in my wine! Ew!”

Nelson laughed, moving out of her reach. As she glared at him, he chugged down the rest of the wine, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and let out a satisfied burp.

Nadia wrinkled her nose in disgust. “You’re really feeling yourself, aren’t you?”

“Yup. It’s been a damn good day. The only thing that would make it better is having my name mentioned on
SportsCenter.
” He grinned, setting the empty bottle down. “But enough about me. What happened when Reid showed up at the college fair tonight?”

Nadia frowned, peering into her glass as if checking for cooties. “He asked me to have dinner with him.”

Nelson’s grin widened. “Really?”

“Really.” She took a sip of wine.

“So what’d you say?”

She sighed. “I proposed a compromise.”

“Which was?”

“Just coffee.”

Nelson raised an eyebrow. “So you had coffee with him?”

“Yes.”
And a whole lot more.

Her brother eyed her knowingly. “I was right. You
do
like him.”

“Oh, please,” she scoffed. “I don’t even know him.”

“Then why’d you agree to go out for coffee?” Nelson challenged.

Her cheeks warmed. “Like you said,” she grumbled, lifting her glass to her mouth, “he can be very persuasive.”

Nelson laughed.

“Baby,” Bianca called from the living room, “they’re talking about hockey now!”

“Oh, snap.” Nelson grabbed Nadia’s hand and raced out of the kitchen, tugging her along behind him.

Back in the living room, Bianca had turned up the sound on the television. Two sportscasters were sharing their predictions on which NHL team would take home the Stanley Cup this season.

Nelson plopped down next to Bianca while Nadia sat on the loveseat. Sipping her wine, she half listened as the talking heads droned on about team stats and standings and likely playoff scenarios. Things she knew absolutely nothing about.

Just as her eyes started to glaze over, a picture of Reid suddenly appeared in the top right corner of the screen. She sat up straighter, her heartbeat quickening as she stared at the television.

There he was.

The man she’d just made out with in a public parking lot.

The man who’d nearly made her come just from a kiss.

“…Perhaps one of the biggest stories heading into this season is the news that Denver Rebels defenseman Reid Holden has apparently called a truce with the media. According to the Associated Press, after the Rebels’ practice last night, Holden broke his long silence to take questions from a reporter at the
Denver Dispatch
. Say what now? Say who?”

The other sportscaster snickered. “You heard right, folks. A paper most of us have never even heard of before scooped
The Denver Post
, the city’s biggest newspaper. By opening up to the
Dispatch
, Holden has definitely put those folks on the map.”

“Hell, yeah!” Nelson hooted, grinning from ear to ear.

“Well, whatever prompted him to end the stalemate with the media,” the first anchor said, “let’s just hope it lasts so we can finally get some good sound bites out of the All-Star blueliner. As one of the most electrifying players of this era, Holden has consistently led the NHL in total points by a defenseman. Last season, he led defensemen in scoring with 47 goals and was second in assists with 55. He looked great in preseason and seems poised to have another monster year.”

“That’s right,” the second sportscaster enthusiastically agreed. “Barring injury, Holden’s on track to score his three hundredth career goal this season. That means the race is on to see if he can break the top scoring record held by Ray Bourque, whose 410 goals remain the most by a defenseman in NHL history. If Holden stays healthy and plays just two more seasons, he could very well surpass Bourque and set a new scoring record for NHL defensemen. So, yeah, with The Rocket chasing history, we’d definitely love to hear more from him. Major props to the
Denver Dispatch
for giving us hope
.
”

As the sportscasters moved on to the next story, Nelson let out a triumphant whoop and jumped to his feet.

“See that?” he crowed to Nadia, pointing to the television. “
You
did that!”

Her face heated with embarrassment. Ducking her head, she mumbled, “I didn’t do anything.”

“Are you kidding?” Nelson exclaimed in disbelief. “
You’re
the one who made all this happen! Reid was so taken with you that he went to the trouble of tracking me down at work so he could get your number. And now that you’ve gone out with him, he’ll probably give me an exclusive interview.” Nelson grinned broadly. “Face it, kiddo. You’re my secret weapon.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

Bianca shook her head at Nelson. “You’re making her feel like a pawn.”

“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to.” He looked shamefaced. “I guess I got a little carried away.”

Nadia raised an eyebrow. “A little?”

He grinned sheepishly. “What can I say? It’s not every day that a famous hockey player has the hots for my sister. Sue me for using it to my advantage.”

“Uh-huh.” Nadia knocked back the rest of her wine.

“Well, I don’t know about you, Nadia,” Bianca drawled, “but I’d probably lose my mind if I had Reid Holden chasing after me. That white boy is fine as
hell
.”

“Hey!” Nelson protested. “I’m standing right here.”

Bianca laughed. “Sorry, baby, but he is. And Nadia thinks so too.”

She laughed. “Uh-uh. Leave me out of this. In fact,” she said, pushing to her feet, “I’m gonna take a shower and hit the sack. It’s been a long day.”

“Goodnight,” Nelson and Bianca chorused.

After stopping in the kitchen to put her empty glass in the sink, Nadia headed to her room. When she got there, she found a pink gift bag sitting on her bed.

Curious, she walked over and removed the white tissue paper sticking out of the top. Then she reached inside and pulled out a hardcover book.

She gasped with pleasure. It was an autographed copy of the most popular novel by Tananarive Due, one of her favorite fiction authors. She opened the cover and read the inscription:
To Nelson’s phenomenal sister Nadia. Thanks for being a fan!

“Oh my goodness,” she squealed.

“Thought you might appreciate that,” Nelson said from the doorway.

She turned around and beamed at him. “I can’t believe you got this for me!”

He smiled, leaning against the doorframe. “I remembered you mentioning that Tananarive Due was coming to town for a special book signing. Since you had to work tonight, I figured I’d get her autograph for you.”

“Aww. That was so sweet, Nels.” Nadia hugged the book to her chest, touched by her brother’s thoughtfulness. “I’m going to cherish this forever. Thank you so much.”

He shrugged. “I realize I can be a selfish asshole sometimes, but you know I’d do anything for you.”

She smiled, her throat tightening. “I know.”

He nodded toward the gift bag. “There’s something else at the bottom.”

“There is?” Puzzled, she reached back inside the bag, rummaged through more tissue and then pulled out another book. When she saw the title, a wry grin curved her mouth.

Hockey For Dummies.

“I picked it up while I was in the bookstore,” Nelson said.

She lifted an eyebrow at him. “Why?”

His eyes twinkled. “Something tells me you’re gonna need it.”

6

T
he next morning
, she was awakened by the buzzing of her phone.

Groggily she opened her eyes and lifted her head off the pillow. Her satin scarf had come askew and was pulled over to one side of her face. She tugged it back into place, then rolled over and fumbled her phone off the nightstand.

She had a text from a strange number.

Good morning.

She blinked several times and then froze, staring down at the simple greeting.

Reid?

Omigod! Reid!

Instantly she was wide awake and alert, her heart pounding with excitement. She sat up in bed, an impish smile curving her lips as she texted back:
R u stalking me?

She could almost hear the low, sexy rumble of his laughter before he responded:
Not yet.

A shiver ran through her. Shaking her head, she typed:
Should I be worried?

Pause.

I think I’m the one who should be worried.

Intrigued, she texted back:
Why?

A few seconds passed before she got a response:
Because I can’t stop thinking about u. It’s game day and I woke up with u on my mind.

Her breath caught at his words. She leaned back against the headboard, her pulse thudding as she stared down at her phone.

Before she could stop herself, she shared her own confession:
I went to bed thinking about that kiss.

Me too.
I can still taste u.

The provocative words set off a heated ache between her thighs. She bit her bottom lip, feeling deliciously naughty as she texted back:
Do I taste good?

Better than anything I’ve ever tasted. I want more.

Another surge of arousal streaked from her breasts to her sex. God, how she wanted to give him more. But she knew better. And because they were dangerously close to having phone sex, she decided to change the subject.

Do u have any special pregame rituals?

She imagined Reid blinking at the non sequitur, then chuckling before he wrote back:
I see what u did there.

She grinned like a Cheshire and then texted:
Don’t u have practice this morning?

Morning skate on game days
, he explained.
Practice on off days.
But yeah. Leaving soon.

Nadia felt a pang of disappointment. She was enjoying their conversation way too much.

He sent another message:
Come tonite.

He was talking about the game, but her body reacted as if he’d just parted her legs and thrust himself inside her. As her clit throbbed and damp heat trickled from her sex, she bit back a groan and squeezed her thighs together under the covers.

Will u come?
he persisted.

She stared down at the screen for a long moment. Then she made a decision, one she would probably end up regretting.

Yes,
she acquiesced.
I’ll come.

Seconds passed.

Wish u could see my face right now.

So do I
, she thought.
I’d like nothing more.

Are u smiling?
she asked him.

From ear to ear.

So was she. She was smiling so hard it was ridiculous.
Kick ass tonite
, she told him.

Will do
, he promised.

Nadia put her phone down on the nightstand, then settled back against her pillow with a dreamy sigh of contentment.

Closing her eyes, she found herself reliving the feel of Reid’s lips against hers, his silky tongue sliding in and out of her mouth. As her body heated, she reached down and lightly touched her small breasts. Her nipples peaked against the soft fabric of her T-shirt. She rubbed them slowly, wondering what it would be like to have Reid caressing her like this, running his callused palms over her breasts, her hips and her thighs. Did he have a gentle touch? A slow hand?

Aroused by the thought, she reached under the covers and slipped her hand into her cotton boy shorts. The flesh between her legs was hot and slick. Biting her lip, she eased two fingers into her wetness, shivering as her womb contracted and her toes curled.

She began stroking herself, imagining Reid’s fingers down there in place of hers. She imagined him pressing deep inside her, finding her most sensitive spot while his thumb teased and circled her pulsing clit. As a moan slipped past her lips, she arched back on the bed. Her skin was flushed and tingling, thighs trembling as she fucked herself with her fingers while picturing Reid’s face above—

“Nadia? You up?”

At the sound of Nelson’s voice, she yanked her hand out of her underwear like a guilty teenager who’d been caught masturbating by her parents. Which, thankfully, had never happened.

“Yeah, I’m up.” Her voice was shaky with embarrassment.

“I’m heading out early,” Nelson called through the door. “See you later.”

“Okay. Have a good day.” As his steps retreated down the hall, she called out, “Oh, hey! Wait!”

He came back and cracked the door open to peer at her. “What?”

She hesitated. “I changed my mind…about the game. I’m going.”

“For real?” Nelson looked surprised. And pleased. “What made you change your mind?”

Her cheeks warmed. “I just did.”

“Cool.” Nelson grinned. “Why don’t you invite Jess, and I’ll see if Bianca wants to come so we can all hang out in the press box. Garrett usually brought two or three friends to the season opener.”

“Sounds good,” Nadia agreed.

After Nelson left, she lay there debating whether to finish what she’d started. But the mood had been totally killed. Besides, she needed to hop in the shower and get to work so she could sneak out early. Since she didn’t have any high school visits or campus tours scheduled, she planned to spend the day in her office updating her prospective student database and catching up on other paperwork. And maybe she’d skim through a few chapters of
Hockey For Dummies
so she wouldn’t be completely lost during the game.

She’d get herself off later, she decided, climbing out of bed. After seeing Reid tonight, she knew she’d be hot and horny by the time she got home.

Since she had no intention of sleeping with him, self-service would have to do.

“You are shitting
me.”

Those were the first words out of Jess’s mouth when Nadia finished telling her everything that had transpired with Reid. She’d left out no detail, not even the panty-wetting kiss in the very public parking lot.

Leaning back in her chair, she grinned at Jess. “I’m not shitting you. Trust me.”

“Wow.” Perched on the edge of Nadia’s desk, Jess shook her head incredulously. “You and Reid Holden. I can’t believe it.”

Nadia chuckled. “There
is
no ‘me and Reid Holden.’ I mean, it’s not like we’re dating or anything. We’re just…”

Jess lifted a perfectly sculpted brow. “Just what?”

“Flirting. We’re flirting.”

Jess snorted. “Girl, please. Flirting is something you do with a cute delivery guy or the buff trainer at the gym. You and The Rocket have shot right past flirting and gone straight to foreplay.”

“We have not,” Nadia protested, glancing self-consciously at the closed door of her office.

“You haven’t?” Jess challenged. “Well, let’s see. In less than twenty-four hours, you and Reid have gone out on a date, played tonsil hockey in public and started off your day sexting. Sure sounds like foreplay to me.”

She had a point.

“Technically it wasn’t a date,” Nadia argued. “We just went out for coffee.”

“You had food too. So, technically, that counts as a date.”

Got her there too. Damn.

“I can’t believe you didn’t call me on Tuesday night after you met him,” Jess accused.

Nadia shrugged. “It slipped my mind.”

“Seriously? One of the most popular players in the NHL comes on to you, and it slips your mind?”

“It could happen,” Nadia said, plucking a speck of lint off her gray pants. “Besides, I didn’t want to distract you from studying for your theory test.”

Jess, who worked in the college’s admissions office, attended grad school at the University of Colorado. After Nadia earned her master’s degree in counseling last year, Jess had been inspired to do the same. Like Nadia, she’d chosen the Higher Education and Student Affairs concentration. She had one more year left in the program.

“Since you don’t have class tonight,” Nadia said, “why don’t you come to the game with me? Nelson gets three guest passes for the press box, and he’s bringing Bianca. I don’t want to be a third wheel.”

“Sure. I’ll go. Should be fun.” Jess grinned. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and catch the eye of one of Reid’s hot teammates.”

Nadia chuckled. “I could definitely see that happening.”

With her fair complexion, hazel eyes and long curly hair, Jess was a knockout. Whenever Nadia went out with her and Emily, she always felt like the world’s biggest Plain Jane. Not surprisingly, guys gravitated more to her friends than her.

At the thought of Emily, Nadia glanced across the room at her coworker’s empty desk. Emily had called in sick today. When Nadia called to check up on her, she hadn’t answered her phone. She hoped she was all right.

“Have you Googled him?” Jess asked.

“Who? Reid?”

“Duh. Who else?”

“No, I haven’t Googled him.” Not that she hadn’t been tempted.

“Well, what’re you waiting for?” Jess scooted off the desk, nudged Nadia out of the way and pulled up the search engine on her computer.

Nadia gave her an exasperated look. “I’m trying to work here.”

Jess ignored her, manicured nails clicking rapidly across the keyboard as she entered Reid’s name into Google. Over thirteen million results popped up. He was mentioned in a plethora of articles, press releases, hockey fan forums and top-ranked player lists. There were YouTube videos dedicated to his greatest hits on the ice, as well as Tumblr pages created by fawning fangirls.

Jess clicked on a
Sports Illustrated
article featuring the highest paid NHL defensemen. Reid was number two.

“He signed a thirteen-year $98 million contract,” Jess read from the piece, “so he now earns about eleven mil a year with the salary cap. That doesn’t include the $3.5 million he makes annually in endorsements.” She whistled. “Girl, you’d better sink your claws into this man before someone else does.”

Nadia smirked at Jess. “Gold digger, much?”

“Not gold digging. Sound investment planning, as my wise aunt likes to call it.” Jess clicked on the Google link for images.

“Holy shit,” she breathed, her eyes widening at the photographs that filled the screen. “He is so fucking hot. Look at those eyes. Wow.”

Nadia hated that her pulse raced as she stared at the collection of photos. There were action shots of Reid gliding across the ice with his stick, checking opponents into the boards, firing slap shots from the blue line and celebrating goals. Off the ice he was shown grinning boyishly in a Detroit Tigers baseball cap, sporting a full scruffy beard, signing autographs for young fans, holding up the Norris Trophy that he won and posing for magazine spreads. There were also a number of photos of him with various bimbos on his arm.

“Do you think he’s ever dated a black woman before?” Jess speculated, scrolling down the page.

“I don’t know.” Nadia sighed. “Judging by those pictures, probably not.”

“Hmm. Well, that’s okay. You can be his first.” Jess grinned wickedly. “You know what they say. ‘Once you go black…’”

Nadia’s face heated. “I’m not sleeping with him.”

Jess snort-laughed. “Of course you are.”

“No, I’m not. Seriously, Jess. I can’t.”

“Why the hell not? You’re both adults. He’s sexy as hell, and the two of you are already in lust with each other. What’s the problem?”

“The problem is that he’s a jock, and you know how I feel about jocks.”

“Yes. I know.” Jess’s expression softened. “Maybe Reid is different.”

Nadia frowned at a picture of a tall blonde suctioned to his side. “I seriously doubt it.”

“You’ll never know unless you give him a chance.”

Nadia grumbled, “You’re just saying that ’cause he’s gorgeous and rich.”

“Well, there’s that,” Jess admitted with a grin. “But I also think you should give him a chance because you seemed to really connect with him. That doesn’t happen every day. In fact, it almost
never
happens.”

Nadia said nothing.

Jess closed out of Google and leaned her shapely hip against the edge of the desk. “So what’re you wearing to the game?”