Game Over (The Baltimore Banners Book 2) (13 page)

     Nikolai grabbed her hand and pulled it toward his lap, holding it tight against his thigh. Her fingers curled against the worn denim of his jeans but she didn't pull away. "
Moe krasivejshee
, there are other ways I can show you to release aggression."

     She laughed suddenly, her smile lighting up her face. Her hand squeezed his once, tightly, before pulling away. "I think you already have! But I want to learn how to skate and play hockey."

     "Then I will show you how." Nikolai eased the car into the far lane and maneuvered a turn in traffic, changing directions.

     "Where are you going?"

     "I am doing as you asked. I am going to teach you how to skate."

     "What? Now?" Her shocked expression made him laugh again as he drove toward the practice rink.

     "Of course."

     "But—"

     "Hush,
moe krasivejshee
. You have asked me for nothing except this one thing, and I will give it to you." She opened her mouth to say something but he shook his head. "I will not hear any arguments, so do not bother."

     He watched her from the corner of his eye, knowing that it was difficult for her to remain quiet. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and he tried to remember when he last smiled so much.

     Too many years ago.

     Yes, he played at smiling: smiling for the cameras, smiling for the fans, even smiling for his teammates when he didn't have to. But actually feeling the smile within? No, that was something that hadn't happened in many years. He wasn't sure what it was about this woman next to him, why she had such an effect on him, but she did. And he had allowed his emotions free reign with no regrets, had let himself fall for her, quickly and completely. She was a fiery light in what had become a shadow-filled life and he could feel himself grabbing onto her light with both hands.

     He had realized it the day at his agent's office, as she sat next to him, outraged for him. He had never expected her to act so blatantly on his behalf.

     And he had never expected the threat his agent had made. He felt guilt that he had allowed that dark part of his life come so close to her, and vowed it would never happen again. And then, when the shooting had happened, fear as he had never known—not even like what he experienced eight years ago—had gripped him.

     The experience shook him enough, scared him enough, that he allowed himself to tell her how he felt. It didn't matter that he spoke in Russian, didn't matter that she didn't understand. He knew it was selfish, but he still felt he had to hold part of himself back, and that was the only way to do it, the only way to keep her completely safe.

     Because he knew that if anyone found out how he truly felt about her, she would be in danger. They would hold her safety above his head and use her to threaten him even more, and they wouldn't care if anything happened to her in the meantime.

     Nikolai would not let his
krasivejshee odno
become another casualty in his life.

     He pulled into the parking lot of the practice rink, stopping under one of the two lights at the entrance before turning off the engine. Bobbi stared at him, one shapely eyebrow raised in disbelief.

     "You can't be serious. There's nobody here!"

     Nikolai got out of the car and walked to the other side, opening the passenger door and pulling her from the seat. "I am always serious. Now come, let us go skate."

     "But Nikolai—there's nobody here! How do you expect to even get inside? You can't just break in!"

     He turned to her and smiled, holding up his ring of keys and dangling them. She laughed even as she tugged on his hand, calling him crazy. He ignored her teasing as he unlocked the glass doors and quickly turned off the alarm, then locked the doors behind them.

     "Nikolai, we're going to get into trouble!" Bobbi was still laughing as he led her through the lobby and into the locker room, but her voice was quieter, almost a whisper in the hush that surrounded them. Using only the lights from the nightlights to guide them, he walked to his locker and pulled out his skates, then searched for a pair that would fit her.

     "No, we will not," he reassured her, still searching for a smaller size. His hand closed on a pair that looked like they might work, and he held them out to her. "Sometimes the players come here to practice by themselves, or to get away. That is why we have keys. Now come, let's skate."

     Nikolai led Bobbi toward the ice and sat beside her on the bench along the boards, quickly putting on his own skates before helping her. Her fingers stumbled with the laces, and he gently brushed her hands away then kneeled in front of her, pulling first one foot then the other into his lap to tighten and tie them. He heard her swift intake of breath and looked up from between her legs, worried that he had somehow hurt her. "You are okay?"

     She nodded, her teeth pulling on her lower lip as she gazed down at him, heat in her eyes. Nikolai realized where he was, felt her foot wiggle from his lap and her legs tighten slightly around him. He leaned forward, slipped his arms around her waist, and pulled her down toward him. Her lips were shy, teasing, as his hands caressed her back, pulling her more tightly against him as his mouth took full possession. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave in to his kiss, and he quickly stood, pulling her up with him. She shrieked in surprise and alarm, her legs wrapping more firmly around his waist as he reached out with one hand and pulled on the door to the ice.

     "Nikolai, stop! Oh my God, you're going to hurt yourself!"

     He laughed and shook his head, stepping out onto the ice as she clung to him. He slid effortlessly around the boards, gliding slowly until he felt her hold around his neck loosen. "Open your eyes,
moe krasivejshee
. Do not fear. I will not drop you."

     She muttered something and he could hear the disbelief in her voice but couldn't make out the words. A minute went by before he felt her body relax more completely against his, and he loosened his hold on her, letting her legs slide down along his until her feet gingerly felt for the ice. She teetered and clung to him again, slowly getting her balance as he skated with her, one small glide at a time as her ankles wobbled and adjusted. Her hands clinging to his arms, she finally looked up at him, humor, skepticism, and some deeper emotion he couldn't read in her eyes.

     "That wasn't funny. You could have hurt yourself. Then old George Toomey would have had a fit and blamed me."

     "And old George Toomey is a pompous goat."

     Bobbi laughed, then grabbed onto him as she nearly fell backwards. "Pompous? That's a pretty big American word for such an Old Country Russian like you."

     Nikolai chucked and shrugged, but said nothing. The expression in her eyes turned more serious as she stared up at him, as she let him skate her backwards around the rink.

     "Why do you do that? The whole 'Old Country' routine? I don't understand it."

     Nikolai leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose, enjoying it when her grip tightened on him. "People see what they want to see. I am only giving them what they expect."

     "Well, it's stupid and I still don't understand it."

     "Do not worry yourself over it,
moe krasivejshee
. It is not important. What is important is that you want to learn to skate, so now we will skate." Nikolai glided to a stop and loosened his hold on her waist. Her hands immediately came up to his neck as she grabbed onto him, holding herself close, and he tried not to laugh at her expression.

     "I thought we were skating!"

     "No,
moe krasivejshee
. I am skating, you are clinging to me. Mind you, I will not complain about this, but still, you are not skating." He dipped his head and gave her a quick kiss, then gently pulled away from her. "First, you must stand by yourself and turn so we are facing the same direction. Go on, turn."

     Nikolai made a turning motion with his finger, laughing at the look on her face, then placed his hands on her hips and gently turned her so her back was to him. "Relax. You must not stand so rigid or you will fall. There, that is better. Now, slide one foot in front of the other. No, don't lift—" He reached out and caught her before she fell to the ice, laughing as she tried to regain her balance.

     "Okay, I think I changed my mind. I don't want to learn how to skate anymore."

     "Nonsense. You must relax. Slide. Like this." He stepped closer to her, his arms around her waist, and pushed first one foot then the other against hers, slowly propelling them forward. "There. Follow my feet. No, don't look down, just feel them. There, that is it. You are doing it, very good."

     "Easy for you to say," she mumbled. He could hear the concentration in her voice, felt the rhythm of her body change as she became accustomed to the foreign moves. He loosened his hold around her and allowed her to move slightly away from him, still close enough to catch her if she lost her balance. Minutes went by as she moved farther ahead, and he allowed her the distance, sensing her confidence grow.

     They had completed two circuits of the rink and she was growing more confident, gaining just enough speed so that her hair was lifted away from her face. Her arms pin wheeled only once to help her balance, and she laughed as she quickly corrected her posture enough to prevent herself from falling.

     Nikolai sped up and raced by her, turning and skating backwards, staying just a few feet away from her.

     "Show off!" Bobbi laughed at him, then stumbled and whirled her arms, righting herself before falling. She frowned in concentration, then quickly smiled again. "Okay, so I need help on the coordination thing."

     "You are doing great. You are ready for a race now!" He winked at her then turned, pushing away and speeding around the boards. Her laughter rang in his ears as he flew by her, and he turned so he was skating backward again, his eyes locked on hers as he went the entire way around the ice. She stopped skating and watched him, her eyes dark in the shadows of the rink as he raced by her, turning once more so he was facing forward, building speed before sliding to a stop just inches from her.

     She didn't even flinch, just stayed there, trusting he wouldn't run into her. Her eyes locked with his as he slid his arms around her waist and began skating again. Her arms came around his neck as he pushed her once more around the ice, her body matching his smooth rhythm as they moved.

     "You're beautiful," she whispered. He looked down at her but said nothing, and saw the blush fan across her cheeks. "I mean, on the ice. There's such strength and grace in the way you move. It's...I mean...I enjoy watching you. I don't know how you do it."

     He dropped a kiss on her forehead and gently tightened his hold around her waist. "It is what I do. It is what I was raised to do. This is all I've known."

     "Maybe, but it's more than that. You love it. I don't know anything about skating or hockey and even I can see it. You're lucky. Not many people have something like that."

     "No?" Nikolai didn't question her thinking he was lucky, knowing that she wouldn't understand. Instead he smiled and gave her another quick kiss. "So tell me,
moe krasivejshee
. What is it that you have? You must have something that you love, that makes you as lucky as me."

     Bobbi looked away, her eyes lowering to his chest but not before he could see the shadow that crossed her eyes. He wanted to ask her about it, to discover what could make this fiery, laughing woman so sad, but didn't. Instead he tightened his hold on her and changed the subject.

     "So, you say you do not know about hockey, but you want to learn to play. This makes no sense to me." She laughed and shook her head, and Nikolai was glad he chose to change the subject, glad to see the smile light her face. He glided them once more around the ice, stopping next to the boards at center ice. "Before you can play, you must have lessons about the sport. Your first lesson is about this." He motioned at the box in front of them, gesturing grandly as she laughed.

     "The penalty box?"

     "Ah, so you are not as ignorant about hockey as you think."

     Bobbi laughed again and shook her head, holding onto him as he leaned back against the boards. "Yeah, I know about the penalty box. I pretty much had to learn since you spend so much time in it!"

     Nikolai gave her a wounded look. "You would laugh at me for doing my job so well?"

     "Sorry."

     Nikolai chuckled at her feigned apology and pulled her closer, leaning down and claiming her mouth in a searing kiss. His pulse hammered at her response, and his groin tightened as she pressed herself more completely against him. He finally pulled away, a smile on his face.

     "And did you know that the penalty box is also called the sin bin?"

     Bobbi looked up at him, her eyes twinkling. "The sin bin, hm?"

     "Yes." Nikolai reached behind him and pushed the latch on the door, swinging it open and stepping inside, Bobbi following him. He slammed the door shut then leaned his back against the glass, his hands moving from her waist, caressing her body as she moved against him. "The sin bin. It is very important that you learn about this."

     Bobbi's hands drifted down his body, stopping at the waist band of his jeans. The breath hitched in his throat as her fingers fumbled with the snap and zipper, as she pushed the material down low on his hips and reached inside to grab him. He threw his head back and gritted his teeth as she caressed his full length, back and forth, slowly pumping him.

     "Teach me about the sin bin, Nikolai." Her voice was hoarse, barely a whisper, and broke something inside of him. He grabbed her and turned so she was now pinned against the boards, his hands feverish as he undid her jeans and pushed them down her legs. His hand slipped between them, caressing her, finding her damp and ready. He slid a finger into her wet heat, pulling it out, sliding into her again. Her legs opened wider for him, her hands gripping his shoulders as she pressed against him. His name was a harsh breath torn from her as he continued to stroke her, her wetness covering his fingers and palm as he caressed and stroked and pleasured her.

     His lips found hers, claiming her, before he pulled away and trailed his mouth down her body, further until he was on his knees in front of her, until his mouth closed over her heat and his tongue delved and stroked. He felt her hands tangle in his hair as she pressed against his mouth, heard his name mingled with her heavy breaths as he reached down and undid one of her skates, tugging and fighting and finally pulling it off. He grabbed her jeans and pulled them lower, pushing one leg of her pants completely off as his mouth trailed down the inside of her thigh.

     He continued to stroke her with his free hand, probing and delving with his fingers as he reached up and placed her foot on his shoulder, opening her even more fully to him. His mouth closed on her once more, licking, sucking, drinking in her wet heat. She reached down and grabbed one of his hands, her fingers tightening around his as she arched against him, calling his name as her body tightened and exploded under his tongue's assault. And still he continued, not letting up, needing to feel her give in to his touch completely, needing to drink from her.

     "Nikolai, please..." Her movements became more frantic against him until she finally moved her leg and pulled away from him. She dropped to her knees and straddled him, kissing him, her mouth demanding, her touch hot and feverish as she ran her hands over him, pulling him closer to her as if she couldn't get enough of him. She tried standing up, tried to pull him with her, so he let her, only to have the breath rush from him when she forced his jeans past his hips and pushed him down on the bench and straddled him.

     Her hands closed around his cock, guiding as she lowered herself onto him, pushing against him then leaning back to take all of him in. Her tight sheath wrapped around him, pulsing, squeezing, and he fought not to pound into her, fought to let her set the pace. He grabbed her ass, squeezing, holding her as she rode him, her eyes closed, her head tilted back, her mouth slightly open, her breathing harsh.

     Her fingers dug into his arms as she raised and lowered herself, once, twice more, and again, his name torn from her lips as she exploded around him. She collapsed against him, her arms tight around his waist as Nikolai held himself still, straining against the urge to lose himself, against the call of her welcoming heat and beckoning contractions.

     "Nikolai." His name on her lips acted like a siren's call but still he fought. She finally raised her head, her eyes glazed as she looked at him, almost shyly. He held her face between both of his hands and began moving, slowly, achingly. He shook his head when she lowered her eyes.

     "No. Look at me,
moe krasivejshee
. I want to see you." He thrust upward, then pulled back, stopping when she looked away. "Look at me. Look into my eyes."

     He moved again, slowly, more quickly when she didn't look away. He kissed her then pulled back, his gaze holding hers as he rocked into her and spoke in Russian.
"You are mine, my beautiful one. My heart and my soul. I love you. More than I can ever say, I love you."

     Bobbi closed her eyes and shook her head, opening them only when he stopped moving. "English, Nikolai, please. Let me hear the words so I understand them. Please, I need to understand them, Nikolai."

     The emotion in her eyes, the pleading on her face pulled at him. He opened his mouth to tell her, then quickly shut it. He was the one who closed his eyes this time. He took a deep breath and rocked into her, then met her gaze. "I said only that I want you, that I need you,
moe krasivejshee
."