The Penalty Box (Vancouver Wolves Hockey #3)(68)

“Yeah, Charlie. Put it on,” Mica spoke from beside me in an easygoing tone. Was I the only one who could read the intense energy that crackled behind Mica’s relaxed response?

With shaking fingers, I lifted the necklace out of the box.

“Let me.” Andrew stepped forward. He took the necklace from my numb fingers. “Turn around and lift your hair.”

I turned and looked up at Mica, who stared down at me with hooded eyes. An easy smile played on his lips, but my husband was not impressed. Not with Andrew. Not with me. Andrew’s fingers lightly grazed my neck, but I felt nothing but complete dismay over the gift.

I turned around, my hand on my new necklace. “Thank you. It’s beautiful, Andrew.”

Normally, if a neighbor dropped by to wish us a Merry Christmas, I would invite them in for a drink, but I gave Andrew a tight smile. “We should get back to our guests. I don’t want to be rude.”

“Of course.” Andrew smiled. He leaned forward and did the double-cheek kiss thing, which normally would be innocent and safe, but tonight, as my huge husband towered over us, Andrew’s face lightly touching both of my cheeks felt like a mad intimacy that I didn’t want and was forced to receive.

Andrew opened the door and smiled. “See you on one of our walks, Charlie.”

“Have a great night, Andrew,” Mica said in a flat tone.

The door shut.

Mica gave me a look that I couldn’t read, but without speaking, he moved back to the kitchen to rejoin the guys.

I walked back into the living room and sat beside Yelena.

She leaned over and inspected the necklace. “Is that from your neighbor?”

“Yes.” I touched the necklace, feeling stupid.

“Not the most appropriate gift, is it?” she said dryly.

My eyes lifted to Mica, who stood in the kitchen, his dark gaze on mine. There was something in his look that spoke of possession and made me shiver in response.





*



The party raged on. The vodka came out, and the laughter and talking got louder. I set out some midnight snacks and worked alongside Mark to put out bowls of pretzels, popcorn, baking, and small slider buns with cranberry sauce and leftover carved-up turkey.

I moved to the pantry to find some cranberry juice, and the door shut behind me.

Mica stood, filling the small space.

“Hi.” I sounded breathless, jumpy. “I’m looking for juice.”

He stepped up to me and stared down at me. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, showing that he wasn’t sober.

“Why’d Andrew give you that necklace?” His voice was calm and even, but his words made my heart race.

“I don’t know,” I stuttered. “I didn’t want to accept it.”

He stepped closer and reached up to capture the necklace in his hand. “You know what I promised if you cheated on me.”

He smelled so good, and my body responded with surging desire. “I’m not cheating on you.”

He yanked the necklace hard, snapping the thin chain. It now hung broken on his fingers, no longer around my neck. His possessiveness made my knees weak with lust, because in some fucked-up way, it showed that he cared.

He gently grabbed my face and lifted it so I was looking up at him. “I think my wife needs to be reminded who she’s married to.”

My throat felt so parched. I swallowed convulsively. “How are you going to do that?”

His eyes traveled over my face. He leaned closer so his lips were against my ear, causing a deep shiver to wrack through my body. “I’m going to make you come so many times, you’ll beg me to stop.”

My entire body reacted to his words. Every hair on my body stood up, my nipples hardened, my stomach tightened, and something flushed hot and wet between my legs.

I really wanted to be reminded who I was married to. I couldn’t wait.

“You’re so bossy.”

“You don’t know what bossy is,” he promised.





*



The rest of the night passed in a blur, with singing, laughter and a lot of drinking, but every time I looked up and my eyes landed on Mica, he was watching me with that dark, unreadable expression. The intensity of his gaze promised things to come and made me shiver. Why did I love how possessive he was? It made my heart thud with anticipation.

When our last guest said goodbye, I headed into the bedroom, desperate to change and climb into bed. I washed up and stripped down to only my skirt and camisole. I opened the bathroom door to see Mica, sitting on the bed’s edge.

His eyes traveled from the top of my head down to my bare feet.

“Get naked.” His voice sounded like a low growl.

“Mica.” My voice sounded shocked, but it also trembled in anticipation.

“Take your clothes off now.”

Finally. This is what I want. This is what I’ve been waiting for.

With shaking hands, I tore off my camisole and shimmied my skirt down over my hips. He sat forward, as if he didn’t want to miss a second of the show. I reached behind myself and unclasped my bra, letting that hit the floor, and then I hooked my fingers under my thong and slid it down my legs.

I stood before him, naked and unabashed. His eyes feasted on me, and his thick throat moved as he swallowed.