Page 84 of Hockey Halloween
Wow, this might actually be easier than I thought.
And then he shifts, pressing his hips against mine.
Or rather… harder than I thought.
The little Wonder Woman skirt he’s wearing is not doing him any favors right now. But it’s definitely benefitting me. That thought sparks a nervous laugh from me, and Gunther takes a subtle step back, his dark eyes scanning my face like he’s trying to read my every thought. I risk a glance at the mirror. My cheeks are flushed, eyes wide with want and maybe something more.
“You okay?” he asks, voice low, rough around the edges.
I take a fast moment to consider exactly what’s happening here. The truth is I’m a woman. He’s very much a man. A veryhotman in his prime. And bodies, when pressed together like this, tend to react. It doesn’t necessarily mean he’s into me… but what if this moment—this insane, bold plan—is the spark that makes himseewhat we could be?
“I’m good,” I say, sounding steadier than I feel. “I just… I want to get this right.”
I pucker my lips and flutter my lashes. “I mean, who knows when I’ll get another chance, you know?”
He lets out a sound that’s somewhere between a grunt and a sigh. “Yeah. I know. We leave for Dallas on Monday.” His grip on my hip tightens, his eyes flicking to mine. “I get it.”
“So… we need to be comfortable. With touching. With intimacy.”
His jaw flexes hard, muscles rippling under the skin like he’s waging a silent war with himself. I start to second-guess everything. Maybe I’m pushing too far. Maybe I should back off. I’m about to push away, but stop when his hand slides up, skimming along my hip… the side of my breast. Every nerve ending lights up.
If he looks down, he’ll seewhat he’s doing to me. The thin fabric of this dress isn’t hiding much, and my body’s broadcasting every secret loud and clear. A small, breathy sound escapes me, completely involuntary, completely revealing.
If he didn’t know before, he must now.
Is this where he stops? Where he pulls away and tells me we’ve crossed a line?
But instead, his hand rises to the back of my neck, fingers threading through my hair, warm and steady. Possessive. Here we go. I tilt my face toward him, heart hammering. He leans in slowly, eyes locked on my lips, his breath warm and uneven across my skin.
“How’s this?” he murmurs, voice deep and rough with something that feels suspiciously like need.
My hands find his back, fingers curling into solid muscle. I presscloser, and I knowhe can feel the frantic rhythm of my heartbeat crashing into his chest.
This is it. We’ve passed the point of no return.
“This…” I whisper, breath shaky, “…this is perfect. No one will question it.”
His lips drift closer, heat pulsing between us. “If we’re going to do this,” he begins. “We’re going to do itright.You know I’m competitive. I don’t half-ass anything.”
My breath catches. “What… what do you have in mind?”
His mouth is barely a breath away now. “Kissing,” he says, like a promise.
I shrug casually, even though there’s a storm raging inside me. “I mean… we should probably get used to it. Who knows if we’ll have to do it… out there.”
The moment the words leave my lips, his mouth is on mine. No hesitation. No warning.
Just heat.
His lips move over mine, slow at first, soft and searching, like a secret shared in the dark. My brain stutters, then shuts off entirely. When I let out the faintest moan, a groan rumbles low in his throat, and his tongue finds mine, tangling, teasing, tasting.
Holy God.
I shift closer, hips shamelessly pressing into him, needing more. Needing everything. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I register that I might be moving too fast. But if he gets uncomfortable, I’ll just claim total commitment to the plan. Method acting. Emotional urgency.Whatever works.
His hands slide down.
Lower.
