Breakaway (Beyond the Play, #2)(16)
“Your place or mine?” he asks.
“Now.” I gesture across the ice; we’re alone, with no one to interrupt us. “There’s a supply closet down the hall.”
I’ve surprised him; I can tell. He blinks, a smile growing on his face.
“Didn’t take you for a rule breaker, Red.”
The nickname makes warmth bloom in my chest. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
He glances around to check we’re alone before leaning in, his mouth a mere inch from mine. So close to a kiss, yet so far. “Come on, sweetheart. Show me.”
When we reach the supply closet, I ease the door open and flick on the light. It’s not exactly a prime location, but it is private. I check my gut one more time, but despite my nerves, I don’t feel any hesitation. I know I could be smarter about this than choosing a guy on my dad’s team for my first hookup, but it’s not like he’s ever going to find out. And well… hockey players have always been my type.
Cooper shuts the door behind us. He looks bigger in an enclosed space like this; his chest is deliciously broad, his arms thick with muscle. There’s a tattoo on his arm, some sort of sword, but I’m too busy looking him over to make out the details. I know that if he took off his shirt, I’d see the hard lines of his abs. He’s staring at me with languid interest, like a panther lounging in a tree branch, observing prey. I reach out and drag my nails down his shirt.
He catches my palm in his, squeezing. “This is your show, Red,” he says. “What do you want to do?”
I gather all my courage and lean up to press a kiss to his lips.
For half a second, he doesn’t respond, but then he wraps his arms around me, dragging me closer, his mouth hungrily exploring mine. I gasp at the scratch of his beard against my skin. He bites my lower lip, sucking gently. When I need air, I barely take in a full breath before kissing him again. It’s been years since someone has kissed me, and I knew I missed it, but not quite how much, until now. I like having a guy pressed up against me, his big hands on my waist, feeling him breathe.
When we break away, he puts his chin on the top of my head. “Come on,” he coaxes. “There’s something you want, I can tell. But I’m not a mind reader.”
I laugh, squeezing his arm. Being so near him is already making my body burn with want. He’s right, I do have something on my mind—the first item on The List. Something I’ve wanted for ages but haven’t had the courage to seek until now. I adore kissing him, so I can’t even imagine what it would be like to feel his beard against my sensitive inner thighs.
He gives me a moment, not pushing or getting impatient, but continuing to touch me, his fingers teasingly tracing down my back, his lips brushing against mine from time to time. Something about him puts me at ease. Maybe it’s that he hasn’t laughed at me about any of this, even if I am doing something slightly ridiculous. Maybe it’s his reputation for being a player; I can’t be the first girl to proposition him with an agenda in mind. Whatever it is, I know, instinctively, that he’s going to give me a good time, and I hope I can do the same for him.
I look up. His eyes are blue like mine, but so much deeper. The sky instead of a sheet of pale ice. I swallow down the rush of anxiety and say, “I want you to go down on me.”
He grins crookedly, brushing my hair behind my ear. “You want me on my knees?”
“I’ve heard you’re generous.”
He strokes my cheek with his thumb, then presses it right against my lips. I bite down gently, pleased to see the heat in his gaze. “So I’ve been told.”
Keeping his eyes on me, he sinks down to the floor. His hands settle low on my waist, gripping tightly enough I feel it. That self-assured smile is still on his face, and I’m sure it’s because the moment he switched our positions, I started shivering with anticipation.
“Show me your panties, Red,” he says.
I do as he says, inching my leggings down. My breath catches in my throat as he rubs his thumbs against my bare skin. He licks his lips, sending a spike of heat straight to my core, and tugs my leggings to my ankles. He glances at my panties—and then presses a kiss to the bow at the top.
“Cute,” he says. “Blue looks good on you.”
I swallow down a whimper. “You can take them off.”
He doesn’t, though, instead running his finger down the middle, parting my folds through the fabric. My toes curl in my boots against the dirty floor. Part of me wants to pull up my pants and flee before he sees me, but the larger part wants to stay rooted to the spot just like this, allowing Cooper Callahan to explore my body. Eventually, he inches down my panties bit by bit, like he’s unwrapping a gift he knows is going to be good. I can feel my wetness, know he’ll be able to see it the moment my panties are off all the way. When they join my leggings around my ankles, he kisses me again, this time against my bare skin. I dig my nails into his shoulder, surprised to feel his beard against such a sensitive place.
His gaze flicks upward. “Are you going to be a good girl and give yourself to me?”
A strangled whimper escapes my mouth.
“Because I can tell,” he continues. “You need it bad. I need it bad too, sweetheart. My cock is fucking aching just looking at your gorgeous pussy. But I work best when I know my girl trusts me to take care of her.”