Slap Shot(35)

“The police will pick her up.” I wrung my hands and shifted my feet. “Then it will all be over.” Fury was blazing from him and his anger infiltrated the hallway as if it were another physical presence. He was so damn big and I didn’t want to get in the way if he was about to lose it.

His hands stretched open and he leaned forward and placed them flat on the wall. Hung his head down and became utterly still. “Shit,” he muttered after several long seconds. “What if she had hurt you today? I would never have forgiven myself.”

I stepped up to him and placed a hand between his sharply angled shoulder blades. “But she didn’t, I’m fine.” I ran my palm down to the small of his back. A thrill wound through me as I remembered doing the same thing the night before when his taut skin had been laced with sweat from our exertions. “I’m fine, she didn’t hurt me, just scared me, and I’ve been scared before. I’ll be okay.”

He released the wall and straightened, forcing me to lift my hand from his back. “That’s just it,” he said, gently pinching my chin between his index finger and thumb. “I don’t want you to be scared, harassed or worried even for a millisecond because of me. I just want to make you feel good.”

I smiled. “Like you did last night?”

“Yeah, like I did last night.”

With relief I saw a shift in his expression as memories of last night moved through his mind.

I wound my arms around his waist and squeezed up against him. “Do you have to go back for practice?” I asked softly.

He frowned. “And leave you alone? Hell, no.” He pulled me tighter. “Luckily I wasn’t on the ice when you called. I was in a meeting with Fergal and just about to head down to the locker room and get changed, otherwise it would have taken me even longer to get to you.”

“So that means,” I twitched my brows, “we can enjoy celebrating the rest of your birthday together, here, now.”

“Some fucking birthday. We’re under house arrest.”

I pouted. “What did you say to me last night about turning negatives into positives?”

One side of his mouth twitched and his eyes brightened. “So you were listening.”

“Of course, now come on, let’s grab a coffee, then you can have your present.”

His lips touched mine. “Mmm, I like the sound of that.”



There were doughnuts in the fridge so I set them on a plate. Rick sipped coffee and made a call to Fergal as I munched a Krispy Kreme.

Rick finally clicked shut his cell, just as the intercom system buzzed.

“Hopefully that will be your stuff,” he said, pacing from the room.

I heard his voice in the hallway then the front door opened and shut. He was back within two minutes, just as I was licking frosting from my fingers. He popped half a doughnut into his mouth and, chewing, touched the crease of my lip with his thumb. A tremble of desire went through my body. Just the simple act of him removing sugar from my mouth was enough to create a spark of lust.

What is it about this guy? He’s a goddamn walking aphrodisiac.

“You want to head upstairs?” I asked, trying to keep the desperate need out of my voice. “For your present?”

He swallowed and shook his head. “Not upstairs.” His eyelids were heavy as he dropped his gaze down my body.

I nodded at the marble over his right shoulder. “I’m not fancying that much,” I said. “A bit cold and hard.”

“Not what I was thinking either,” he said in a deep, rumbling tone, setting his half-eaten doughnut on the counter.

I raised my brows. “The spa?”

“Mmm, might keep that in mind for later.” He grinned wickedly, his dimples digging into his cheeks.

I tipped my head. “So what were you thinking, Captain?”

He linked his fingers with mine and lifted my knuckles to his lips. He hesitated, then, “I want you to dance for me, Dana.”

Dance!

My heart rate trebled and, phew, it had been thudding pretty fast anyway. “I…I don’t know, Rick, it’s been a long time. So long…too long.”

He swept his tongue over his lips. “The girls were sweet yesterday but the thought of you, my own private dancer performing is one hell of a turn-on.” His voice lowered. “I can get hard for you then make love to you afterward, and that, wild thing, is one hell of a fantasy.” His lips brushed my knuckles again. ”Which you could realize…on my birthday.”

My mouth went dry and my stomach churned. I shook my head. “It’s not who I am anymore. I left that part of my life behind. I told you, I’m a new person now.”