Page 75 of The Big Puck

LAINEY

One week, then two, go by in a blur, and the team is doing well, second in the division behind Boston, but Spence is so busy we only see each other briefly in the morning when I give him coffee and a bag of cookies, and then again at night. Aunt Hildie rarely stays up unless I beg her, saying she doesn’t want to get in my way. Sometimes, Krissy is still up, and he holds her, and I watch him, my heart swelling more and more each time because I know he misses her, that he’s torn.

It’s the last day before another road trip and my last chance to see him. Even though Spence is worried that Gavonza will make something of it if he sees me at the rink visiting, I decide fuck it. Today, I’m visiting.

If Tina is with us, then her daddy can’t complain, can he?

We go to lunch, and she tells me she got a letter from the attorney with their opinion about her dad’s status with the team.

She hands me the envelope. “I can’t bring myself to read it. You should give it to Coach—Spencer.”

I nod, and we walk to the arena to see Spence in his office. As soon as I knock on his door, Tina excuses herself. My heart pounds at the sight of him, and I wonder if I’ll ever get over this spark or if it will continue to get hotter and hotter every time I see him. His hazel eyes run over me, turning me inside out as I barely acknowledge Tina’s departure.

“Where’s Krissy?”

If he’s surprised to see me, he doesn’t show it, and I hold my breath, hoping he won’t turn me away. When he invites me into his office, I don’t waste time taking advantage of his rare hospitality and close the door. Behind me. All thoughts about the envelope evaporate.

“She’s sleeping in a portable crib in Aunt Hildie’s bedroom. She has it under control and insisted I go out.”

“Is that why you’re all dressed up? You have a hot date?” He’s trying to be flip, but he’s not smiling. He’s actually troubled that I might be meeting some guy.

“Yes.” His face tightens, and his Adam’s apple bobs. “With you. I dressed up for you, of course.”

He actually laughs. He’s been smiling and laughing more often, and I like it.

“You know a visit to my office is anything but hot, right?”

“I don’t know. I’m feeling a little warm right now.” I wander closer to him. He’s leaning against his desk, and I step directly between his thighs, pushing them aside like I have a right to, like I belong there because my instincts have taken over, and I’m enjoying the hell out of giving them free rein because why shouldn’t I?

“What are you doing, Lainey?” His voice is deep and low, and his breath savory and delicious as it fans my face so that I want to open my mouth and breathe him in, nibble on his lips and—

“Don’t look at me that way.” He growls the words with more heat of the sultry kind than the angry kind.

I laugh softly, feeling his dick go from semi-hard to granite without stopping at go. I lean to whisper in his ear. “What are you going to do about it?”

I challenge him with my eyes to push me away. I’m sure he won’t. He swallows hard as I stare at him, a not-so-innocent gaze cutting into him like I want to own him.

His gaze spears me. “This time, it won’t be spontaneous. Or a mistake. Or because I’ve been without for too long. This time if I kiss you, it’ll be because I want you, because I’m willing to take the risk to have you. And because I’m willing to overlook the fact that you’re young enough to be my niece.”

I laugh, feeling giddy because he told me exactly what I hoped he would. I wrap my arms around him, ready for his kiss.

What he does next is very purposeful, and it surprises me. Grabbing my ass cheeks, he lifts me, and I hold on as he carries me around his desk to a table. He clears it off with a sweep of his hand, relieving it of papers and office debris, and sits me on top.

Now, he’s standing between my thighs and looking like a feral sexy version of the man I know as Spence. My heart stutters then goes into overdrive, pounding loudly in my years. My eyes are latched to his, and I couldn’t look away if a nuclear bomb went off outside the door—or even inside, for that matter.

“What are you—” I don’t finish my question because he shows me what he’s going to do, capturing my words and swallowing them. I feed him my tongue and let him take it, take everything from me, every corner of my mouth, every nibble of my lips, as I moan with glorious abandon.

His hands slide up under my sweater and cup under my breasts as his mouth trails kisses down my jawline to the sensitive shell of my ear.

“I want to do everything to you and mean it, so neither of us can possibly think of this as a mistake, Lainey. No blaming this on getting carried away, no claiming that I never meant to touch you this way, to tease your nipples with my thumbs.”

“No—I mean, yes.” I give up trying to speak and moan, his words causing a delicious melting sensation deep inside me, the kind I don’t remember ever being this intense.

His hands slide down to my skirt, under the hem, and skate to the tops of my thighs, and glory be, he finds the one throbbing spot at the exact center and pushes with his thumb over my tights. I spasm hard.

“Oh my God…” I say loudly in his closed office, and he covers my mouth with his.

“Keep it down, sweetheart,” he says into my mouth, and I can feel his smile. His eyes are like golden balls of fire, and I need him to torch me right now.