BrickWall_Kobo (15 page)

“The seasons are shorter over there and you play fewer games but at least seven, eight months.”

He saw her search for an appropriate response, saw how she forced a smile when she realized he was watching her.

“Sounds like a great opportunity, especially if you like to travel.”

“And you don’t?”

Her smile turned bittersweet.
“Sure.
Some day.
But right now, I’ve got a job and an apartment and bills to pay.”

Ties he wasn’t sure she’d ever want to break.

Maybe that’s a sign you’re getting in over your head.

And maybe it was time he started facing his own problems instead of making new ones with a girl who was never meant to be anything more than a distraction.

He was getting his game back on track.
The team was close to clinching a playoff spot.
The parent club’s goalie coach had been down to work with him and Nate a couple times in the past month and had seemed happy with what he saw.

Now was not the time to get hung up on a hometown girl.

And what if you’re already hung up?

“Shane?”

He snapped back to attention.
Damn it.
He’d fucked this up.
Like, seriously screwed their no-strings affair to the point that he didn’t have a clue how to fix it.

But he knew one thing.

Reaching out, he curled his hand around her neck, brought her close, and kissed her until neither of them were thinking straight.

When he pulled away, finally needing to breathe, he made sure she was looking at him before he said, “I hope you got enough sleep last night, babe.
Because I don’t think you’re going to get any tonight.”

She didn’t say anything but she got that look in her eyes, the one that said she’d just accepted his challenge.

Putting her hand over his hard-on, she made sure he maintained eye contact as she went to her knees in front of him.

And proceeded to show him exactly why she had him tied around her little finger.

* * * * *

“Conrad.
Coach wants you.”

Shane’s head snapped up as Assistant Coach Novak’s voice punched through the noise in the locker room.

The guys were stoked.
Jake had scored the only goal of tonight’s game, and Shane had had his first AHL shut-out.
His face hurt from grinning but he wasn’t about to stop.

The Redtails were going to clinch a playoff spot.
He could practically taste it.

The guys planned to go to Third and Spruce to celebrate and he would be there.

And he didn’t want to go alone.
He wanted Bliss with him.

The problem was he didn’t know if he should ask her.
He hadn’t seen her since the last game, when they’d gone out to eat with her brother.

And where she’d blown his fucking mind when she’d gone down on him.

The team had been on a five-game road trip, so they’d been gone most of two weeks.

They’d texted and talked a couple of times but things had felt different.
She’d seemed distant.
Like she was pulling away.

Fuck.

“Be there in a minute,” he shouted back and watched Novak nod before disappearing out the door.

He didn’t know what Coach wanted, but the trade deadline had passed so he didn’t figure he was going anywhere.
Especially not after tonight’s game.
He’d been in the zone.
Focused.
Prepared.
He’d lived up to his nickname, Brick Wall.

He’d already taken a shower so he only needed to pull on his clothes and shove his wet hair out of his face when he walked to the office.

And froze in the doorway when he saw Mark Arrons, the team’s GM, in addition to the coach.

“Shane.
Come in.”
Coach motioned him forward.
“Close the door.”

He followed orders without a word but his heart pounded against his ribs.
“Hey.
What’s up?”

When Mark started to smile, Shane began to breathe again.

“Just got off the phone with Coach Angstadt.
You need to be in Philly tomorrow morning.
Gragnani’s hurt.
You’re backing up Stanton in tomorrow’s game.
Congratulations, Shane.”

Two thoughts flashed through his head.

Holy shit
was the first.

This was the call he’d been dreaming about since he’d been old enough to know what the NHL was.

The second…
Fuck, I don’t want to leave my team.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he took Mark’s hand then shook Coach Scott’s.

“Thank you.
Do you know how long I’ll be up?”

Coach started to grin.
“Honestly, I don’t.
I only know Gragnani’s injury is lower body.
You could be up for one game, could be up for a few weeks.
No way to know.”

Weeks?
Shit.
“Yes, sir.”

“You’ll probably be riding the bench the entire time but take it all in.
Listen.
Learn.
Watch.
Even if you don’t get to play, it’s a chance to show your commitment.
When you come back, I expect you to be that much better.
Good luck.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Coach clapped him on the shoulder.
“Now go out and celebrate.
You played a damn good game tonight.
Just don’t be late for morning skate.”

* * * * *

Bliss knew by the look on Shane’s face.
Something had changed.

She hadn’t seen him for two weeks and she tried to tell herself it hadn’t mattered.

Liar.

Swallowing hard, she sucked in a breath and forced a smile.

When he reached for her in the arena hall, she went into his arms immediately, hugging him tight before stepping away.

And if he didn’t release her right away… Well, she had to be wrong.

“You were amazing tonight.
Congratulations.”

“Thanks.
I felt…pretty damn good.”

And he’d felt pretty damn good pressed against her.
But something was up.

“Hey,” he said.
“Can we talk for a second?”

Her chest felt like someone had just stuck her in a vise and started to crank.

No, she refused to let herself get worked up over something she’d known was coming.

And this was it.
She could sense it.
He was going to tell her he didn’t want to see her anymore.
That the team had to come first and he needed to focus on the playoffs and that he didn’t have room for her.
Not now.

And she’d nod and smile and say she understood completely.
Because she did.
She’d known this relationship was going nowhere when they’d started.
She hadn’t let herself get involved so she wouldn’t be devastated.

“Sure.
Do you want to…?”
She pointed to a quiet corner away from the other girlfriends.

“Yeah.
That’s good.”

Putting his hand on her elbow, he drew her deeper into the hallway, until the only sound she could hear was the hum of the cooling units.

Then they stopped and she looked up.

And the smile on his face stole her breath.

“I got called up.
I have to be in Philly for morning skate then I’m backing up Stanton for the game.”

Time froze for one very short second while she thought about those simple words.

I got called up.

She blinked and sucked in a breath she hoped he’d interpret as surprise.
Because it was.
But it was a whole lot more.

And even as her smile came naturally, she couldn’t help but feel as if she’d been kicked.

“Oh my god.
Shane.
That’s wonderful.”

And it was.
It was amazing.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tight.
And when his arms came around her and clung, she knew why she felt like she was losing him.

Because this felt like goodbye.

Drawing back, she kept her smile pinned in place, though she didn’t have to force it.

She was so damn happy for him.
And so miserably sorry for herself.

Which totally sucked.
She’d known this affair had an expiration date.
She just hadn’t expected it to be before the end of the season.

Stupid.

“So when do you leave?”

“I have to be in Philly tomorrow for the morning skate then I’ll be on the bench for the game.
I won’t play unless something happens to Stanton.
I probably won’t see any ice time during the game but it’s a chance for me to practice with the team, get to know the coaches a little better.
I know it won’t be permanent, at least not now.
I mean, I really want to be back for the next game here.
As it stands now, the Colonials aren’t going to make the playoffs so I’d probably be back anyway but…”

“This is your team.”
She understood.
At least, she understood him.
How he thought.
In the short time they’d been together, she’d learned to read him remarkably well.

Hell, a danger sign should’ve been flashing over his head.

Can’t fall apart now.

That wasn’t the deal she’d made herself.
It’d been fun.
That’s all.
They hadn’t made promises, had never spoken about what happened after the season.
For all she knew, he hadn’t even considered it.
Just figured they’d go their own separate ways.

He nodded.
“Yeah.
This is my team.
I think we’re gonna go all the way to the Calder Cup this year.”

“Then you need to go celebrate with the team.”

His gaze narrowed.
“I want you there.”

Her heart melted at his insistence.
“Of course.
Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah.
I told the rest of the guys we’d meet them at the bar.”

She brightened her smile.
“Then let’s go and have a good time.”

He leaned in to kiss her, taking her a little off guard and taking her breath away.

“Always do with you.”

Her heart stuttered but she refused to give in to the ache that wanted to bloom.

He’d never been hers to keep.
She had to start letting him go.

Now.

* * * * *

Shane stroked inside her with that steady intoxication she was afraid she’d grown addicted to.

“Faster.
Shane, please.”

“No fucking way.”
If possible, he slowed even more.
“You’re gonna come again.”

Considering he’d already made her come twice in the past fifteen minutes, she knew it wasn’t an idle boast.

Sometimes, all it took for him to push her over the edge was a couple of words spoken in that deep, gruff way he had when he was inside her.

Digging her fingernails into his shoulders, she scraped them down his back, eliciting a groan but no increase in his rhythm.

The man’s patience exhausted her.
And his stamina… She might as well give in and admit defeat.

But not just yet.

Turning her head, she bit at his neck, a nip that made her hunger for more.

“
Fuck.
”

His hips pushed forward, pressing his cock deeper inside and making her thighs tighten against his side.

Moaning, she bit him again, this time on his chin.
He took the hint and bent his head to kiss her.

His mouth sealed over hers, stealing her breath as his tongue slid against hers, coaxing her to play with him.

Overwhelmed by sensation, she broke apart on his next thrust as he pressed against her clit.

As she squeezed around him, she felt his cock flex and throb deep inside her.

With a groan, he bent until their foreheads touched and stayed there for several seconds, breathing heavily.

When he finally seemed to catch his breath, he rolled to the side, taking her with him until she lay on his chest.
His softening cock remained inside her, as if her body was unwilling to give up any part of him.