Edge (21 page)

I felt his slight flinch and groan when I leaned against his chest in the elevator.

“You’re hurt,” I said, moving away.

“I’m okay.” He gazed down at me, and I felt
adored
for the first time in my life. I was so incredibly lucky I adored him right back.

We didn’t waste time talking when we got to the room. Luke turned on a light so he could take off his suit jacket and tie and I dropped my purse on a table.

He took my face in his hands, kissed me and slipped my shirt off over my shoulders. Just as he was leaning down to my breasts, he froze.

“What’s that?”

“What?” My arousal came to a screeching halt.

He stood and looked down at me. “The marks on your shoulder. Who did that to you?”

I closed my eyes. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

“I asked who did it. Answer me.”

“I don’t like your tone.”

“Don’t fuck with me right now, Dell. Who did this?”

I sighed deeply. “John.”

Luke’s eyes darkened. He threw a fist into the wall and I jumped. Small, chalky bits of drywall fell to the floor. He’d punched a hole in the wall. Seriously stupid for a man who made his living with his hands. And it had scared the shit out of me.

“Don’t,” I said softly. “Please don’t.”

“I’m sorry.” He reached for me and I fell against him, letting his broad chest and powerful arms enclose me.

“He tried to … force me.” I said. “In the locker room. My dad came in and stopped it. John was released from the team.”

Luke’s taut muscles relaxed a fraction. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I just wanted to be with you. We don’t have much time together, and I didn’t want us to spend it sad and angry.”

“Baby, I’m so sorry. I wish I would’ve been there.” His mournful tone reached into my heart and tugged on it.

“My dad stopped it. Nothing happened.”

“Something happened, or you wouldn’t have bruises on your shoulder.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, but tears escaped anyway. “I wasn’t sure my dad was going to help me,” I said, my voice nearly a whisper. “Isn’t that awful of me? I was afraid he would just turn around and let it happen.”

“Dell.” His hoarse tone made me open my eyes and look up at him. “I love you.”

He brushed the hair back from my forehead with a thumb and then trailed it down to stroke my cheek. He loved me. I kept replaying the words in my mind. His proclamation made me feel giddy, scared and thrilled all at the same time.

“I love you, too.” The words spilled out before I’d even considered them. But it was true. I was smitten with a hockey player. In a matter of a couple months, Luke had gone from the last man in the world I wanted to the only one. I’d started out trying to get rid of him, and now all I wanted was to keep him.

“I want us to be together,” he said. “We’ll make it work. I’m relieved your dad did the right thing, but I want you to know I’ve got your back every minute of every day. I won’t let anyone hurt you or Kyler.”

His mention of my son brought tears to my eyes in an instant. It meant the world to me that Kyler was part of this. I nodded, not trusting my voice.

“What John did won’t go unchecked.” Luke’s tone was laced with a menacing promise.

“My dad stopped—”

He placed a finger over my lips, silencing me.

“It’s too late, Dell. I can’t live with that – with any man hurting you and me not showing him what a stupid fucking idea it was. I was starting to think I might be in love with you, but when I saw those marks …” He bent and placed a feather-light kiss on my shoulder. “When you told me what he did and that you weren’t sure your dad would help you, I felt it in my bones. I love you. But love is more than a word. It’s the actions we take every day. Just like I’ll be faithful to you, I have to stand up for you. I won’t be able to sleep at night if I don’t.”

My heart was overflowing. He had it all: ruggedly sexy sometimes, polished gentleman others. He could hold me down and fuck me into oblivion one night and make slow, gentle love to me the next morning. And now, the man who threw around the word ‘fuck’ as liberally as all hockey players was being sweet and eloquent.

“Okay,” I said slowly. “Just remember that he’s Kyler’s father. Don’t do permanent damage and don’t get yourself arrested.”

“No worries, baby. I know how to fuck people up without crippling them. It’s part of my job description.”

“It’s part of his, too,” I reminded him.

“I’ve got an edge.”

“What’s that?”

“Emotion. I’m pissed as fuck at him, and trust me, he’s gonna be sorry he touched you.”

“Let’s not talk about him anymore.”

He sighed and I could tell by his expression that it would take some effort to get John off his mind. I leaned up to kiss him and he responded slowly, parting his lips and letting me caress them with my tongue.

“I’ve missed you so much,” I murmured.

“Me too.” He gripped my hips and pulled me against him. “If you’re gonna be my woman, you need to talk to me about things. Everything. I want to take care of you.”

I arched my brows. “Your
woman
?”

He bent to lift me and I wrapped my legs around his waist. “Hell, yeah. My one and only since the day we met.”

“Would that make you my man?”

“That’s right.”

My body approved; hot, liquid arousal flooded my veins. Luke carried me to the bed, stopping to lay me on it when we reached the mattress.

“Turn around,” I whispered against his lips. A hum of approval sounded in his throat.

“You want me on my back?”

“Mmm-hmm.” I kissed him hard, taking his stubbled cheeks in my hands. “Sit down.”

He sat on the edge of the mattress, still holding me, and I straddled his lap, grinding my hips against his. He loved me, and it gave me a heady sense of boldness I’d never felt before.

I leaned back enough to give me access to the buttons on his shirt and undid just enough to pull it over his head. His t-shirt was next, followed by my own shirt.

His gaze went immediately to my shoulder, and his face darkened again. I put my fingertips on his chin and guided his face back to mine.

“I need you with me,” I said. “Not off in some angry place.”

His expression softened. “I’m here, baby. Promise.”

With a firm arm across my back, he held me in place and teased my nipples with his teeth and tongue through the thin fabric of my bra. I tipped my head back, pleasure engulfing me. This was what it felt like to be in love. I’d never known until now. He was the only man I wanted this with, and want wasn’t even a strong enough word. I ached to be closer to him.

He unfastened my bra and slid it off. I let out a vocal gasp from the feel of his mouth on my bare nipple. Already, just the friction between us was creating a building orgasm in me.

I moved off him, unbuttoning his pants and pulling them off quickly.

“Fuck yeah,” he said in a breathy tone. His boxers were next. I had them off in a second, my eyes never leaving his.

I backed up a step and unbuttoned my jeans, wiggling out of them and then my panties. He leaned his head up to watch, reverence etched on his face.

With a sly grin, I got on my knees and eased between his thighs, leaning down to taste him for the first time. He gave a muffled groan when I ran my tongue over his tip and then eased my lips down his shaft. One of his huge arms was sprawled over his face, absorbing his sounds of satisfaction.

Every response I drew from him made me crave more. I licked and sucked eagerly, lavishing attention on his balls and then his cock until I discovered how to handle both at once by stroking him.

“Dell.” His voice was strained as he reached for my shoulders. “Get on your back.”

Instead, I straddled him again, hovering above him and letting the ends of my hair tickle his face. “But I’m not done yet,” I said softly.

“Let me get a condom,” he said, running a hand down my back and over my hip.

“No.” I lowered myself onto him and he groaned loudly as he sank balls deep into me. “I need you like this.”

I felt full with him all the way inside me. I rocked my hips gently, letting my body adjust to him. He gripped my hips and leaned his head back on the mattress, sucking in a deep breath. I could see it was taking all his willpower not to take over and drive himself up into me.

The sight of him made me hot and eager. I sat back, hoping I could figure this out. It was my first time on top of a man, and I wanted it to be good for him.

“Help me,” I said softly. “I’ve never done this.”

His eyes radiated warmth as he softened his hold on my hips. “You’re doing amazing,” he said, his tone low. He guided me against him, setting a slow, steady rhythm, and I moaned my approval.

I wasn’t much for running the show. All I could think about was how intensely good it was. He didn’t seem to mind; he was breathing heavy as he picked up the pace, and when I looked down at him, I could see he was still forcing himself to hold back.

“I love you, sexy girl,” he said softly.

And that was it. Between his words, the muscles standing out on his beautiful body and the way he was moving himself in and out of me with such perfection, I came undone. He knew exactly how to stretch it out – harder and faster for a while, and then, slow and deep. I cried out his name and sank my nails into his forearms. I was reminding myself to breathe when he groaned loudly and drove himself up into me, forcing my hips down. He sat up halfway and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, molding us together.

It was a perfect moment. His breath was hot on my chest and we were wrapped around each other. He laid back, taking me with him, and I sighed with satisfaction.

“That was amazing,” I said. “I think that was the best sex of my life.”

Luke arched his brows. “Better than when I’m on top?”

“You did all the work, so the credit’s all yours,” I said, smiling. “It was when you said you loved me. It made me come really hard.”

“I’ll say it every time, then.” He wrapped his arms around me. I’d never felt more content.

“I wonder if the sex is better because we have to wait so long in between,” I wondered out loud.

“I fucking hate us being apart so much.”

“You just said like half an hour ago that you want us to have a relationship,” I said, laughing lightly.

“Yeah, but I’ve been … trying before I said that. Having you meet my friends, not being with anyone else. This is just making it official.”

“I didn’t realize being in love felt this good.” I ran my fingertips over the lines of muscle on his chest. “I’m so damn happy right now.”

“Me too.” Luke ran a hand down my spine to the curve of my ass. “Hey, what would you think about talking to Jean about working for my team?”

I sat up on an elbow, startled. “What? Move to Chicago?”

“Yeah. We could be together every night then.”

I knew I was looking at him like he was crazy, but I couldn’t help it. “Luke, I can’t leave my job and relocate Kyler so we can have sex every night.”

“I don’t just mean sex. We need time together. All three of us. I hate our lives being in different cities.”

I sat up and pulled my knees to my chest. “I’m only able to travel because Sadie helps with Kyler.”

“We can hire someone.”

“No!” I balked, glaring at him. “Sadie’s like family to us. She loves Kyler. I’m not hiring some stranger and letting them be alone with my son. Not to mention I can’t afford any of the above – help, a move or a place in Chicago.”

“I’ll pay for it.”

My glare intensified. “I am
not
that girl. If us having a relationship is contingent on me moving—”

He cut in. “It’s not. I know it’s soon for me to bring it up. Just keep it in the back of your mind, okay?”

“What if the owners and coaches don’t want a trainer who’s involved with a player? What if I move there and we break up?”

He reached for my shoulders and eased me back down so we were both laying on our sides, face to face. “Relax. There’s not much time left in the season. Let’s spend time together in the off season and see how you’re feeling then.”

I nodded, realization setting in. I’d planned on spending my off season with Kyler, taking him to baseball games and the park. That uninterrupted time helped make up for all my travel during the season.

“What if I rented a beach house?” Luke asked. “Would Kyler like that?”

“You mean … all three of us stay there?”

“Yeah. I know you’re hesitant to let a man get to know him, but … I’ve thought about it a lot, Dell. I won’t just be dating you, but both of you. I want him to be part of things. It’s not just a chance for you and me to get more comfortable with each other, but me and him, too. I’m not one of those men who’s willing to date you even though you’re a mom – it’s one of the things I love about you.” His eyes were pleading as he stroked his fingers over my hair. “Give me a chance.”

“Okay.” I smiled. “A beach house sounds perfect. Kyler would love it.” I kissed him and snuggled in as close as I could get.

“You tired?” he asked.

“No, just relaxed. You?”

“Not tired, but I’m starving. Why don’t I order some food and we can eat in here?”

“Okay. We can go out if you want.”

He kissed my neck softly. “We’re staying in. Have to maximize orgasms, sweetheart.”

I laughed heartily at his reminder of what I’d said to him on our first night together. Every time I was convinced he couldn’t get any more perfect, he surprised me and did.

Luke

We were all too wiped out to even talk after a grueling practice. We’d lost our last couple games, and Coach was working us hard. The guys around me unlaced their skates, dropped their pads and went straight to the shower.

“Fuck that,” Ryke muttered next to me. “That was like a high school practice, man.”

I nodded, tossed my sweat-soaked clothes and pads to the floor and wrapped a towel around my waist. As an afterthought on my way to the shower, I went back to my locker and checked my phone. There was a missed call from Dell. She usually texted, so I called her back to see if everything was okay.

“Hi,” she said in a halting tone.