Thankfully, Luke's dazzling smile was enough to shore up her resolve against the doubt that was trying to trickle in.
"That's great. I was really nervous about bringing this up, but the kids are going to be so excited to meet you."
"Me?"
"Yeah, they've all watched your show. They give me a hard time about my answers to your interview questions. The second your videos get posted to the Storm's site, the text messages start pouring in."
"Ah. So this isn't a nice perk, this is revenge," she joked, before downing the last sip of her own beer.
"You caught me. Gotta keep those little punks in line or they'll be out of control before you know it."
"Ooh. You're such an authority figure. That's actually kind of hot."
"What can I say? It's dangerous when things get out of control," he said, and the proof was in the way his eyes darkened.
"It can be," Holly agreed. She shivered as he moved closer. His leg came into light contact with hers. Her body flooded with warmth and sweetness, like she had syrup coursing through her veins. He increased the pressure of his knee against her thigh.
"You done with dinner?" he asked, and his voice was low and rough.
She licked her lips involuntarily. "I could be talked into starting the dessert course."
"I was hoping you'd say that."
* * *
THE JOURNEY TO his bedroom was a hazy, erotic blur of kissing and touching and haphazard stripping. Now he was standing shirtless beside the bed, marveling at how damn sexy Holly looked in her pale-pink lace lingerie. He watched with slack-jawed appreciation as she crawled onto the mattress, giving him a perfect view of her incredible ass.
God, he'd never seen her in anything but sensible white cotton, and the idea that she'd picked the sexy lace out just for him was blowing his mind and his restraint. And that was before she rose up onto her knees, her back still toward him and sent him a coy glance over her shoulder. She reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, tugging it off in the most delectable little peep show he'd ever seen.
Shucking his jeans and boxer briefs in one move, Luke joined her on the mattress, pulling her against his chest. He nuzzled at her neck, kissing the curve of her soft shoulder. She turned her head to grant him easier access, raising her arms to run her fingers through his hair. The movement made her breasts lift, and Luke couldn't resist the pretty sight. She sighed her pleasure as he ran his hands up the smooth skin of her torso and cupped her breasts.
He pressed his erection against the small of her spine and she pressed back, as if she was testing how ready to go he was. She wouldn't be disappointed.
"I want you," she said.
Luke wanted her, too. He loved her abandon, the way she went after what she wanted, be it the answer to her question, or his body.
Her breath came in soft little pants, and he reveled in how responsive she was to every brush of his fingers, every kiss of his lips. He ran his palm down the front of her stomach, his fingers flirting with the elastic of her panties. She leaned back against his chest, encouraging him to explore. He accepted her invitation, sliding his fingers down to find her wet and ready for him.
"Jesus, Holly. I want you, too. So damn bad."
Her throaty, sensual laugh made his hips jerk. "So do something about it," she challenged, reaching forward so that she was on her hands and knees in front of him. She wiggled her ass, looking back at him over her shoulder.
Luke let himself take what he wanted. With a growl, he yanked her underwear down her thighs and, anchoring his hands on her hips, plunged into her.
* * *
OH, GOD. She'd never felt anything like this.
Holly had to remind herself to breathe, the pleasure was so intense. What was it about this man that could take her so high, so fast? She'd released the beast, and there was something so empowering about making a man known for his steely control lose all sense of restraint. He was stroking her G-spot with every thrust of his hips, and the sensation that was building inside her was all-consuming.
She dropped down to her elbows, almost screaming with pleasure as the angle changed. Heat streaked through every nerve in her body, culminating in a tingling starburst of bliss that moved through her body like a wave. Luke was only a few strokes behind, and she could feel him pulsing inside her as he joined her in the most intense orgasm she'd ever experienced.
Sweaty and satisfied, she flopped onto her side. Luke lay down beside her, gathering her close so that her cheek rested against his shoulder. She reached out to trace her finger around his nipple, loving the way his pec jumped at her touch. "So much for your curfew."
"What are you talking about? I was in bed by nine."
She laughed. "You always play this fast and loose with the rules?"
"Rules were made to be broken."
She snuggled up closer to his big naked body. "After that deft display, I can't help but agree."
He ran his hand up and down her arm, and the soft, rhythmic stroking made here eyelids flutter closed.
"I'm glad you're coming with me tomorrow."
"Mmm. Me too."
"Are you falling asleep?"
She smiled as he shifted, pulling the blanket from the end of the bed up to cover them. "Maybe."
He pressed a sweet kiss to her forehead. "'Night, Holly."
She wasn't sure if she answered or not as she drifted into the best sleep she'd had in ages.
9
SINCE SHE'D STAYED the night, they'd ended up getting a much earlier start than they'd anticipated-despite the fact that their tandem shower had turned into an hour and a half of fun distraction that had necessitated another shower.
Luke grabbed the bag he'd packed, and they swung past her place so she could throw some weekend supplies into a small suitcase. One more quick stop at her brother's house-Holly needed to pick something up, and Luke was nice enough to indulge her in the last-minute errand-and they were on their way out of town.
In a scant hour and twenty minutes, they pulled up in front of a house that was small but cozy. The kind of house that any kid would be lucky to grow up in. It boasted big trees that were perfect for climbing, lots of driveway space, which, considering two hockey stars had grown up here, had probably hosted its fair share of ball hockey grudge matches and an attention to detail-potted flowers, freshly painted trim-that said the owners cared.
The idyllic scene made her a little wistful. She couldn't remember even a handful of family memories that could match the cheerfulness of Luke's childhood. She bet he could think of hundreds without trying.
Luke slipped the keys from the ignition and unbuckled his seat belt, but he paused after that, staring at the house for such a long time that Holly didn't know what to make of it.
"Luke?"
She'd startled him, but he tried to cover it with a smile. "Sorry. Lost in thought." He scrubbed a hand across his stubbly face.
Despite the question she'd asked him the day they'd met, Holly was glad he wasn't growing a proper play-off beard. That whole "lumberjack chic" look that was sweeping the magazines didn't do much for her.
He sat there for another long moment, as if he was psyching himself up to go inside. When he finally turned to her, his smile was dimmer than she was used to and it didn't quite ring true. "Ready?"
Holly did her best to seem peppy and normal, ignoring the part of her that wanted to wrap her arms around him and soothe the pain she hadn't expected to find in his eyes. "Ready," she agreed.
She followed Luke into the small bungalow where he'd grown up. She'd never considered meeting the parents to be the big deal everyone else seemed to make it, but suddenly her stomach seemed to think it was on a roller coaster.
"Holly! It's so nice to meet you!"
She found herself caught up in a hug that blindsided her. It took her a moment to relax into the other woman's maternal embrace. She couldn't remember the last time a woman had hugged her-really hugged her-as opposed to the cursory, two-second greeting hugs that were all the rage these days. It was...a little unnerving, actually.
"Thank you, Mrs. Maguire. It's great to meet you, too."
The tiny dynamo of a woman flicked her fingers, shooing away the notion. She was casually dressed in jeans and a yellow T-shirt with flowers on it. Her short brown hair was streaked with gray and cut in a no-fuss style that suited her kind face.
"Please. I'm just me. You're the famous one! I watch all your shows on the internet. Luke gave me an iPad for Christmas. I even saw your interview on Good Morning Portland. And we don't stand on formality here. Call me Cathy. This is my husband, Ross."