time and she was trying not to be any longer. Trying to be the self-rescuing princess, the heroine who propels her journey. First with her mission to get back to the top of her game, next with her love life.
“You seemed surprised.”
He groaned. “Only because …” The words petered out replaced with guttural moans, and now she was no longer interested in conversation either, only the physical and the now. The sight of the leaking fluid from his cock shouldn’t have been so arousing, but she couldn’t help her body’s reaction. Heat flourished through her, settling between her legs, calling for some kind of action.
In seconds, he was coming in ropy bursts across her stomach and breasts, a long moan erupting from his throat followed by her name. A surge of desire rose up inside her, the peak still slightly out of reach. She didn’t expect him to recognize the need, but he did. Those clever, rough fingers found that sweet, sensitive spot and tortured her clit for a few lovely strokes, teasing a corresponding climax from her sensitive flesh.
His mouth swept over hers and they kissed for an age, nuzzling and nibbling, getting to know each other better. She felt it with each kiss, another piece of information exchanged, another moment recognized. Another beat of her heart toward danger.
The man who shouldn’t mean a thing had suddenly become the man who meant everything.
They ate the sandwiches after, then cuddled up on the sofa and gave Gordie Howe the attention he’d been lacking during the last hour. Despite the physical closeness, Cal sensed something was off, a distance she was putting between them. He’d overdone it with the candlelit lunch and that was why she’d pressed the reset button and made it clear that sex was her primary reason for being here.
Not that the sex wasn’t amazing—it was—but he was finding himself craving more. The quiet moments, the spaces in between.
“Everything okay?”
She nodded against his chest, snuggled in closer.
“You’re happy with your Team USA news, aren’t you?”
“Of course. It’s exactly what I wanted.”
“Vadim’s over the moon about your spot.”
“I know. You are finally where you are meant to be.” Her impression of Vadim’s accent was flawless.
“He also warned me off you.”
“What?” She raised her head, her eyes wide.
“Just made sure I remembered that you were his kid sister. He’s protective. Understandably.”
“Why would he warn you? Did you say something?” She didn’t sound too pleased about the notion Vadim might suspect.
“No. But he saw me skate back over to you and he probably wonders if we’re getting close. He wants you to be happy and he likes to control things. He’s always felt bad he didn’t know you when you were younger.”
“I get that. The billions of rubles he gave me are proof that he feels bad. I didn’t even want that money.” She’d donated a ton of it to sports activist causes, especially ones that promoted girls and LGBT youth participation in sports.
“He can’t help it. I was there when he found out about you. That you needed his help.” Cal smiled, recalling Vadim’s reaction to learning about Mia. “The second he knew he was on a plane to see you. No hesitation. He’s been crazy about you ever since.”
“I know and I love him, too.” There was a sadness in her eyes that was soon evicted by determination. “But he needs to stop smothering me. If he ever found out about this, he’d be pretty mad at you.”
“Probably.”
She paused a moment then spoke, her words tentative. “Does that scare you? His reaction?”
“He’s a friend. I wouldn’t want to lose him as a friend.” If this was the no-strings fun she wanted then Vadim didn’t have to know, which is why what Cal said next made no sense at all. “But I don’t let other people run my personal life.”
Would you care if he knows, Mia? Would you stand up for me if he did, like I’d stand up for you?
He waited for her response, praying she’d give him a hint about what she’d like to see happen between them. The more he so obviously wanted.
“I wouldn’t want to come between you.” And there it is. He’d provided the out and she took it. “But to be honest, I’m a big girl and Vadim can just deal.”
“Just deal?” This felt important, a step toward recognizing this thing had legs.
“He needs to understand that he has no say over who I’m with. If he doesn’t like this, then he certainly won’t