Page 93 of Pucking the Team
Brick laughed. “He better learn to smile or he’ll scare the poor kid.”
“Are Raven and Fiona here?” I asked, looking around for Fiona’s bright-red hair.
“No, they had somewhere to be. His family, I think,” Dylan said.
“Oh, that’s a shame, I like Fiona.”
“We’ll get them round for a meal, then you can have a girly chat.” Dylan pointed to the right. “Mae is over there, and Gina, you know them, and there’s others you should meet.”
“Ah, yes, perfect.” I squeezed Matthew’s arm. “I’ll catch up with you again in a bit.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The party went on until late. The players didn’t seem to care that they had practice the next morning. The crates of beer took a beating, and just before midnight a load of pizzas were delivered.
I flopped into bed alone. My head was spinning from fizzy wine and gossip from the wives and girlfriends I’d met. They were all so friendly, fun, and down to earth. They were all beautiful, too, independent, lively, and I enjoyed feeling part of the gang even though there had been questions about which brother I was with and why did Dylan keep looking at me as if he was stripping my clothes off with his eyes.
Much to my relief, no one brought up the photograph of Eduardo and I. So I hoped that meant it hadn’t been as widely circulated as Steven had made me believe.
I sat, winced when my head complained, and swung my legs over the side of the bed. It was then I realized why Dylan had kept setting his drilling concentration on me. It was Saturday, I’d promised to spend the night with him, and he’d promised to teach me things I didn’t even know existed.
What the hell?
Damn it, right now I felt a wreck. I wasn’t up for much more than a shower then tea and toast, let alone kinky time.
I padded downstairs in my shorty pajamas. The house was empty of people but not empty of mess. Theo’s Jeep keys had gone from the hook, so I reckoned he and Ben had managed to get up and out for practice despite their partying.
The clock showed eleven-thirty. How long had they been gone?
The tea kettle was cold, so I guessed a while.
As the water boiled and my bread toasted, I dropped a few pizza crusts in the bin. There was a green scarf on the sofa I recognized as Carly’s, Brick’s wife; she must have forgotten it. But that was okay, I’d take it next time I went to watch practice or a game.
I stilled. Wow, I really was getting my feet under the table here. Next time I went to a practice or game. But far from feeling wrong or weird it felt nice. I’d felt so close to Theo yesterday, and I’d shared Ben’s relief that his results were all normal. He’d held me tight, in the corner of the room, and thanked me for going to the clinic with his brother. Told me I was good for him.
The flowers Eduardo had bought me were in need of water, so I filled a jug to top them up. Eduardo was so thoughtful and generous, preempting what I might need, and he was damn sexy with it. I still wanted him as much as I’d wanted him when we’d shared the kiss outsideCiao!Would I get the chance to spend the night with him before this bubble of sexy deliciousness I was living in popped? I hoped so.
I hunted out a painkiller for my head and wondered again about my upcoming night with Dylan. I couldn’t deny a few nerves. Dylan unleashed in all his raw, erotic maleness wasn’t something I could quite imagine. I was sure it would be something I hadn’t experienced before either.
Would I be able to handle it?
Sucking in a breath and ignoring the mess, for now, I went upstairs with my tea and toast. I was sure I’d packed some sexy red underwear, suspenders, stockings, and heels for my honeymoon. Too bad for Steven. He wouldn’t be seeing them, but a sexy hockey player would get to feast his eyes and indulge his kinky fantasies with me wearing them.
Eight o’clock came, and I knocked on Dylan’s door, fidgeting with my dress. One of the neighbors I didn’t know was having a grill in their backyard. There were several peopleunloading food and drink from an SUV, and two young children were kicking a ball on the lawn.
I’d left Eduardo, Ben, and Theo snoozing in front of a movie; their hangovers were lingering. They’d given a half-hearted wave when I’d said I’d see them the next day, but Eduardo’s gaze had lingered, as if he was trying to imagine what I was wearing beneath the plain black Prada dress. It was a relief when there hadn’t been any judgement. They knew where I was going and who I’d be with and they accepted it.
The door opened, Dylan standing in the shadows of his hallway. He was dressed in black jeans and a black polo, his chest hair peeking from where the buttons were undone.
“In,” he said, his voice low and sexy as hell.
I stepped inside, my heels clicking on the tiled floor, and set my purse on an occasional table.
The door closed, the evening light leaving us, and I found myself instantly surrounded by hot, hard muscle.
His mouth captured mine in a ravenous kiss, and he backed me up against the cool wall, knocking a small picture on its hook. My heart rate rocketed. His hunger for me was undeniable, and he wasn’t hiding it.
He clasped my wrists and dragged my hands over my head, elongating my arms and torso. His chest was heavy on me, and his breaths came fast and urgent.
