where she stood with him.
Unfortunately, that left her deflated, because she found herself wanting to get to know the man underneath the Armani suit a whole lot better.
When he’d told her he wanted women to do exactly as he said during sex, she’d been surprised. His need to control seemed to clash with his easygoing personality. When she’d asked why, his eyes had grown dark and troubled before answering the question.
During the Kingsnakes game, she’d seen a different side of him. There, he’d been ruthless and competitive out on the ice.
From what little she’d witnessed of his fight with Anderson, the Chicago player, he’d been downright intimidating, pummeling the man and knocking him to his knees in retaliation.
Zoe stepped into the glass shower stall. After turning on the faucet, she adjusted the massive showerhead and stepped under the hot spray. Her muscles were tight and achy, and she suddenly felt very tired.
How would things turn out after tonight? Would she see him again? Would he want to see her? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answers to her questions yet. The night wasn’t over, and questions would have to wait until tomorrow.
***
Ryder popped the top off his beer and settled back on his leather recliner. He would never have guessed his night would end like this.
All he had wanted to do was come home, call one of his women and spend the evening getting off. Easy breezy. No emotions, only physical release.
Instead, he’d taken someone’s virginity. He tipped the bottle back and took a long swallow of beer.
The cold realization of Zoe’s inexperience hit him hard. He’d been trying to think of various ways to fit her into his life. Away from the darkness of his SUV and back to reality, it seemed completely impossible.
She was too innocent, and he was way too jaded.
Lately, sex with his regulars wasn’t challenging anymore. What normally worked to get him off had stopped being effective.
He’d increased the amount of women he slept with, and dove into some more adventurous things he’d always wanted to try, but the result was the same. Something always seemed to be missing.
The chemistry between him and Zoe had been blazing hot. What happened between them had been honest sexual need. Not just a means to an end.
It had been ages since he had experienced pure desire for a woman. When he hooked up, both he and his partners knew what to expect before getting down to business.
He approached sex like he did hockey. He got into a mental zone and performed. It was ritualistic, with one goal in mind: to score.
With Zoe, all of that got shot straight to hell.
For him, the thrill of different scenarios he played out with his partners was what excited him, rather than the women themselves. If he found a woman reasonably attractive, that’s all that mattered.
Tonight, he’d needed only one thing to get excited. Zoe.
No gimmicks. No scenarios. Just straight up regular sex with a regular woman.
It left him feeling off-balance, with too many things weighing on his mind.
The squeaky faucet let him know Zoe had shut off the water. His thoughts drifted to her hot, tight little body, wet and naked in his shower.
He took another swallow of beer.
Jesus. He was acting like a horny teenager.
Zoe exited the washroom a few minutes later. She’d pulled her damp hair back into a ponytail and removed her makeup. A visible spray of freckles dotted her nose, making her appear younger than her twenty-five years.
His blue Kingsnakes t-shirt hung above the bottom of her ass cheeks, and he could see her sexy black panties peeking out underneath.
“I guess you don’t have any shorts do you?” she asked, tugging on the shirt.
“None that would fit you.”
Zoe sat on the opposite couch and stretched. She seemed relaxed and peaceful.
“Do you want something to drink?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I’m fine, thanks.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, suddenly irritated.
Zoe picked at the stitching on the bottom of the t-shirt. “I wanted it to happen. I explained this already.”
“Your first time shouldn’t have been with a random guy, Zoe.”
She plucked a throw pillow from the opposite end of the couch and hugged it. “Why? Because society says so? Because I’m supposed to be in love, and doing it in a hotel bed on prom night?” She waved her hand dismissively. “Mr. Right hasn’t come along. Why not Mr. Right Now?”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?” The casual dismissal of her virginity irked