Hockey Holidays Read online

  His lips quirk at the side. “I’ll take the blame, any and every day.” He sets down the dome before taking a step closer to me, reaching his hand out to hold mine. “Grace, I want you to be mine.”

  “Yours.”

  “Mine.”

  My heart is beating out of my chest as his eyes bore into mine. No one has ever talked to me like this without getting in my pants first. I don’t know what to say or even what to do. I swallow hard as I gaze up at him. “Are we talking in a girlfriend/boyfriend kind of way or a BDSM kind of way?”

  He tries not to laugh, but his eyes give him away. “I want the first option, but I’m pretty open to the second one too.”

  I bite my lip. I don’t know what I am doing. I thought we were just hanging out, getting it on, but this has morphed into something more. Do I even want this? Before I can question myself anymore, my mouth is moving without my brain’s consent. “Okay.”

  Damn it, heart! We gotta stay locked down!

  James blinks, swallowing hard. “Okay?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be yours.”

  The most glorious smile comes over his face before he gathers me in his arms and presses his lips to mine. I fall into the kiss, feeling every single inch of him against me as his heart pounds with mine. He holds my face, drinking from my mouth, and I feel consumed by him. When he pulls back, his eyes are glittering with excitement, and I hope mine mirror his.

  “James.”

  “Yeah, baby?”

  Be still, heart. We’re in uncharted waters, and let’s be honest, this won’t last. He’s too good, and you’re too unlovable. He’ll see it. He’ll find your flaws and hate you for them.

  I close my eyes as I lean my forehead into his chin. I hate thinking like that, but I know it to be true. No one has ever loved me, outside of my family. When I open my eyes, he’s watching me with that hooded look, his eyes dark and beautiful. “Is everything reheatable?”

  His eyes dance. “I didn’t add the biscuits yet. I wasn’t sure how many you wanted.”

  “Three is the norm.”

  “Come on, Grace. You’re anything but the norm. I guessed you’d want five, but I figured I’d let you decide. I bought an extra bag just in case.”

  I gotta lock down my heart, or it will fly out of my chest and into his. “You aren’t wrong.”

  “I figured,” he says with a small smile. “Why? What’s wrong?”

  My heart is in my throat as I gaze up into his sweet eyes. “I want you to take me to bed.”

  Something flashes in his eyes, maybe lust, as a small, slow smile curves his lips. “I would really love that.”

  “I would too.”

  He moves his hands up my back as he drops his mouth to mine, his lips only a whisper from mine. “But first…”

  I’m breathless as I press my body to his. “Yes?”

  “What’s the safe word?”

  It’s easy to say we don’t make it to bed for a solid five minutes.

  Because we can’t stop laughing.

  May 3rd

  “I cannot believe he brought Jackie or that he is still with her.”

  James’s lips move along my ear tantalizingly with each word he says. It makes my skin break out into gooseflesh. He knows my hot spot. He’s a fast learner, so it’s only reasonable that I want nothing more than to find the nearest spot to get him naked. I happen to really, really enjoy sex with him. Since that first night together when we ate chowder between sexcapades, I haven’t stopped wanting him. We spend more time in the bedroom than we do out of it, and I’m not complaining.

  As long as we’re doing it, I don’t have to think about any of these feelings that are trying to blossom inside me. I can keep this strictly physical. Now, James, he’s a sweet talker, but I know guys like that. They get what they want and leave. James is very passionate, in and out of bed. But deep down inside, I know it’s not real. It can’t be. Guys like him don’t exist. So my heart has to stay in its box, while my body enjoys everything James does.

  I stroke my fingers along the lapels of his tux as I roll my eyes. “I can’t either. I mean, it’s been like two months. That’s so unusual.”

  James nods. “You think they’ll stay together?”

  I shake my head. “No, but I’m pretty sure she sucks the skin off his dick, which is why he hasn’t dumped her yet.”

  “Wow, vivid image.” James shakes his head as if to clear it, and I grin.

  “I’ll show you once we get home,” I say against his lips.

  He presses his nose to mine, running his hands down the sparkly black evening gown I’m wearing. My hair is in a side bun with little tendrils falling around my face. My makeup is dark with winged eyeliner that James has said he likes a lot on me. My lips are glossed—well, they were until James got ahold of me. “I am counting down the seconds,” he whispers.

  I smile against his lips before he kisses me thoroughly and sweetly. When we part, he holds me close as we dance to slow country music.

  “Thanks for coming to this with me,” he says as we sway. “I know these charity things can be a little boring. With all the stuck-up rich people—”

  “You’re rich—”

  “I’m not stuck-up.”

  “You aren’t. Continue.”

  He gives me a dry look, but he’s holding back his laughter. “As I was saying until I was interrupted—”

  “You aren’t surprised.”

  “I’m not,” he chuckles, nipping at my chin. He grins as he moves a tendril behind my ear. “Last time, I came alone, and I was so bored.”

  “Please. I don’t believe for a second you came alone. All the girls want a piece of you.”

  He scoffs. “No. Remember, I’m awkward? Girls don’t dig it.”

  I do. “I think it’s charming.”

  “That’s why you’re so special.”

  He kisses my nose, and my eyes fall shut as we sway. I try to shut out his sweet words and love affirmations. They are just too good to be true. He’s too good to be true, and to be honest, I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. He saw Shea and me get into a fight the other day, and I fully expected him to hightail it out of there. Instead, he played the neutral party. He talked us through the problem—Shea ate my last box of KitKats. Shea apologized, and then James made us hug it out. Afterward, James took me to buy a bulk supply of KitKats. When I told him I was going to get fat, he told me he didn’t care as long as I was happy.

  Who the hell says that?

  “I love this song,” I say as Tricia Yearwood sings “To Make You Feel My Love.” I sigh dreamily. “I love the movie too.”

  “What movie?”

  “Hope Floats.”

  I feel his brows pull together. “This wasn’t in that.”

  “Yes, it was. The Garth Brooks one, though.”

  “Oh, you’re right. I think I dig this version better.”

  “Me too,” I agree, moving my nose along his jaw. He tightens his grip on me as we sway. I love the strong beat of his heart.

  “You make this party, and this place, ten times better. Pretty sure you are the most gorgeous person here.”

  I flash him a wide smile as I shrug. “I don’t know. Jackie is giving me a run for my money in that two-piece evening gown. I didn’t even know they made those.”

  He doesn’t look away, even though Jackie is near us. He could turn and drink in her beauty, but his eyes stay on me. “She doesn’t come even remotely close to you.”

  I slide my hands up his arms, wrapping them around the back of his neck. “Awkward, my ass.”

  “I don’t feel awkward with you,” he admits softly. “I feel good.”

  He leaves me breathless, and it makes me so mad that I can’t control it. Again, my heart speaks from inside its box before my brain can stop it. “Me too.”

  We stare into each other’s eyes for what seems like forever. When his hand comes up, cupping my cheek, I lean into it, a contented grin on my face. He draws in a deep breath and then whi