Edge(21)

His icy blue eyes studied me and he licked his lips, looking almost nervous. “Having something extra to work for has been helping me. Knowing I’ll get a reward from you sets me on fire to score.”

Yeah, it was setting me on fire, too, but in a different way. “My offer still stands on the fantasy. Score at the next game and I’ll tell you one. I’ll even text it since I know hockey players love an impersonal touch.”

He arched his brows in a glare. “Not this one. And as much as I’d love to find out what you fantasize about, I’ve got something else in mind.”

I bent down to unlace my skates, my heart pounding. “What is it?”

He leaned his face down next to mine and his breath caressed my cheek. We sat so close on the bench that even though we weren’t touching, I felt the heat radiating from his body. I was covered in goose bumps from head to toe.

“I only want you to say yes if you’re comfortable,” he said. “I understand if you aren’t.”

“We can’t—”

“I know. This doesn’t involve me touching you. I wouldn’t even be close enough to.”

I was supposed to be relieved by that, but somehow I wasn’t. At this point, I was pretty sure the no touching thing with Luke was making me hotter than touching would.

“Let’s hear it then, Blondie.”

“Did you just call me Blondie?” he grinned. “That’s a first.”

“What do other women call you?”

I sat up, and he followed suit. I immediately missed the feel of his warm breath on my skin.

“I’ve never known a woman with enough fire to nickname me.”

I laughed and released my hair from its ponytail. “Have they all been bimbos who are screaming your name within 15 seconds of you being in them?” I gave him a few fake moans and his eyes widened. “Mmm, Luke. Right there. Oh, my God! Yes, yes, yes!”

His lips parted and he licked them quickly. “I’m trying to be offended by your suggestion that a woman would fake with me, but I’m too turned on to.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my hair out. “Please. Don’t tell me fake moaning turns you on.”

“From you, any moaning turns me on.” He leaned his face close to mine again, inches from making contact. “Tell me what you sound like when you come.”

I swallowed hard. “Um … well, it’s been a really long time since anyone’s—”

“How long?”

The truth made me feel vulnerable – like an awkward, out of practice loser. “Well, Kyler’s five, so …”

His breath hitched. “Holy Christ, really?”

“Yeah. Seriously, I’m not as great as you seem to think.”

“What do you sound like?”

I turned away, my face falling toward my lap so my hair would conceal my flushed skin. “I sound like nothing because I’ve only been screwed against lockers and we had to be quiet so no one would hear.”

“Don’t be embarrassed with me, Dell. Whoever that guy is, he’s a fucking idiot for not treating you right.”

“It was—”

“Let me see you,” he insisted. I tucked my hair behind my ear, exposing myself to his view.

“It was two guys.” I said. “Not at the same time or anything. Two different guys from my Dad’s team. One when I was 18 the summer before college and another my freshman year of college when I was interning with his team on a break.”

“I fucking hate both of them,” Luke said softly. “I hate any man who’s been with you.”

“Well, it’s just the two, so … small list.” I tried to laugh, but it died in my throat. My palms were sweating and my cheeks were flaming. No one but Sadie knew my sexual past – or lack thereof.

“If I could touch you, I’d kiss your neck,” Luke said. “All the way down to your shoulders and up to your ears and then to your chest. Slow and easy. There’s nothing I want as bad as I want to make you feel good right now.”

I glanced at him and smiled. “You have a rather kissable neck yourself.”

We looked at each other for a couple lingering seconds. Was he weighing the risks, like I was? He wouldn’t be with our team long-term, and I wanted to be as close to him as I could while I had the chance.

The alarm on my phone sounded, breaking the spell. I reached for my purse and dug out the phone, turning it off. It meant I had five minutes to get out of here, because the security guy would be doing checks in fifteen minutes and we couldn’t be caught alone in here.

“Better go,” I said, my knees feeling shaky when I stood. “But you haven’t told me what reward you’d like.”