Just when Carter needs a change of luck, his teammate sets him up with Sydney Carroway, a famous romance author who likes to play games of her own. And after a blind date gone wrong, the dark-haired beauty has him wrapped around her finger. Sydney tortures Carter with her dirty words and pictures, thrives off the steamy conversations that give him a never-ending case of blue balls. Carter knows it. But he can’t get enough.
It might be Carter’s job to protect the net when he’s on the ice, but when it comes to Sydney, he needs more than a killer glove save to defend his heart.
SYDNEY
Carter Donovan has no idea I am messing with him. I bet he thinks I’m an evil witch, toying with his dick along with his emotions. Maybe I am, or at least to some extent, but damn him for shaving his beard. I’m still pissed about that. When I walked into Tyler Kane’s house last weekend, he was dressed in gym clothes and had only a tiny bit of facial hair. I was disappointed, to say the least.
I was hoping to kick things off with his face shoved between my legs and that stubble rubbing against my skin. Over the past two days, Carter has called non-stop. He even sent flowers and gifts to my apartment. To be honest, I was shocked to receive such lavish presents from him. The Chanel sunglasses were a bit overboard, but at least I know he has good taste. And that’s an important quality in a man who I am considering dating.
Flipping through a magazine on my couch, I wait for Carter to knock on the door. He’s twenty minutes early again, same as last time. I didn’t even have a chance to hop in the shower before he said he was almost here.
Part of me wants to take him into my bedroom and have my way with him. The other part of me, the side that likes experimenting with the opposite sex for research purposes, tells me I should make him wait a little while longer. After all, our relationship could make for good writing material for my next book.
As the author of all things smutty and over-the-top, I draw a lot of my inspiration from experiences. Carter just doesn’t know that yet. Poor guy. Kennedy and I did the same thing with Tyler Kane when they had first met. He fell for that shit hook, line, and sinker. Now, the two of them are living together and practically married. There’s a method to my madness.
I fix my dark curls in the mirror on the wall next to the door and double check my makeup before opening it. Drool just about runs down my chin as I take in the sight of Carter. He’s one sexy hunk of man candy. With those big, strong arms that are more suited for boxing than hockey, I want him to grip me up in them and do bad things to me.
Carter smiles so wide it reaches up to his soulful brown eyes. “Hey, baby.”
“Don’t hey, baby, me,” I shoot back, feigning interest. But this is all part of the game.
He leans in to kiss my cheek, because I promised him one kiss, his fingers grazing my bare shoulder as he touches me, fiddling with the strap of my tank top. “You look beautiful, as always, Sydney.”
My willpower almost crumbles with his lips sending shockwaves down my spine. His big hand is dangerously close to my breast as he slides it the rest of the way down my arm. If he were a character in one of my books, I would say the hell with self-control and throw myself at him, allow myself to become consumed in his manly scent and intoxicating sex appeal.
“Thanks, big guy.” I tug on his forearm in an attempt to pull him into the apartment. He’s so big I can hardly move him an inch.
After Carter shuts the door, he surprises me by shoving me up against the wall. I do my best to get away from him, but he makes it difficult with his size. Carter is used to defending the net when he’s on the ice. He sure as hell proves that right now as he blocks my entire view of the living room with his body.
Bending down to my height, he breathes against my neck and ignites a fire beneath my skin. Heat rushes from my cheeks to my toes as he presses his lips to my neck. I move my head to the side to give him better access, my inhibitions lowering along with my guard. The walls I have built up to protect myself come crumbling down in an instant.
My panties are damp. No, more like they are soaking wet. Each kiss Carter plants from my neck to my shoulder is more painful than I can bear. We can’t do this. Giving in to Carter before we even have our first date was not part of my plan.
Plus, his beard…There’s nothing rough scratching my skin as he continues to make his way to my breasts. And I want the full Carter Donovan experience. I will wait for the man with the hot as puck facial hair just so I can get a taste of what it feels like against my pussy.
In a tight, low-cut tank, my girls are out on display and Carter is about to dive head first into them. Before he can make a crash landing into my cleavage, I grip a chunk of his hair in my hand, so his gaze meets mine. His eyes are intense, the passion behind them so fucking sexy I want to rip the fitted shirt from him.
“You like it rough, baby? Is that what you want?”
As much as I want to say, Fuck me up against this wall like one of your puck bunnies, I don’t want him to treat me like one of them either. Carter has earned a reputation as a ladies man over the years, and I have an image to protect. I cannot get sucked into a scandal. Though I can’t help but wonder if one involving Carter would help sell more books. Or at the very least, it may even give me new things to write.
“No, Carter. I would like you to stop touching me.”
I am the biggest liar on the planet. One minute of heavy petting with Carter and I already have to make up an excuse so I can go into my bedroom to change my underwear. My juices are threatening to spill down my leg any second. In a short, tight skirt, I’d rather keep this bit of information to myself.
Slipping from his grasp, I slide my back against the wall to get away from him. We need to put some distance between us before I rip my shirt off like the Hulk and leap into his arms, begging him to fuck me.
“Did I do something wrong?” His tone is defensive.
I shake my head, doing my best to maintain some distance between us. “No, you didn’t do anything. It’s not you, it’s me.”
He narrows his eyes at me, confusion scrolling across his handsome face. “Don’t use that line on me.”
“Don’t get your boxers all twisted up in a bunch. Good things come to those who wait. I promise you that I will make it worth every second.”
Carter lets out an exaggerated sigh. “Whatever. You’re driving me fucking crazy, woman.”
“You made a promise. Remember?” I stroke his chin with my fingers to make sure I have his attention. And I do. “You said you would tell me more about your tattoos. I want to know something personal about you. We can start with something small.”
“That’s not something small,” he says, irritated. What I wouldn’t give for Carter to go back to the sex-crazed animal he was two seconds ago. “You have no idea what you’re even asking me.” Gripping my ass in his hands, Carter picks me up and slams my back against the wall, this time more forceful than before. “If you want me to tell you more, I expect the same from you in return. No more fucking around.”
I’m debating whether I should give into his request. “Fine,” I say and pull the shirt over my head. His eyes fall to my red lace bra. As he licks his lips, I take his hands and cup my breasts with them. “Is this what you want, big guy?”
He nods. “Yes, this is a good start.”
I take his left wrist in my hand and kiss the dark tattoo in black script writing that says, Lux in tenebris. “What does this one mean? I want to know more. Tell me all your secrets, Carter. You give, I give. It’s a win-win.”
He frowns, lowering his head to the ground. “I told you before. It means light in the darkness.”
“I get that, but what does it mean to you? You know you can learn a lot about a person from their tattoos.”
He raises an eyebrow at me. “Is that so?”
“Yup. I dated this guy who got a tattoo every time something significant happened in his life.” Carter looks away from me, biting the inside of his cheek. “Did you do the same thing? Is that why you have so many between all the tribal markings and lines of script?”
“Yes,” he breathes, now staring into my eyes. “I guess you could say I did the same thing. My tattoos are like a life road map if that makes sense.”
“Perfect sense.” I run my fingers along his skin, feeling his tattoos. The more I touch him, the more I realize there’s scar tissue beneath the ink. “What are you hiding underneath this road map? Did you have an awful case of acne or chicken pox?”
“No.” His voice comes off like a growl. “A lot worse.” Carter leaves it at that.
“You can trust me.” And I mean it. “We all have things in our past we want to hide. Would you be surprised that I dated my English teacher for most of high school? I lost my virginity to him.”
He scowls. “I wish I could say he was a lucky guy to have you, but he took advantage. That’s just wrong. When I was in high school, I was lucky if I could get a girl to glance in my direction.”
My plan and the truth worked. Now, I need to keep digging. “What were you like in high school?”
He shrugs, then, lets go of my breasts, his hands dropping down to his sides. “I was weird. Overweight. High school was rough for me. I hated it.”
I’m in awe of Carter’s revelation. “I can’t imagine you being overweight or weird.” I grab hold of his arms and lock onto him, getting his full attention. “You’re so fucking sexy you make my panties melt. I’m sure you had the same effect on the girls at your high school.”
“If I make you so wet, then let me help you out with your problem, Princess.” He bends down to suck on my neck, leaving a trail of kisses on my skin as he clutches my waist, dragging me into his chest. “You promised me a kiss. I want to kiss your pussy and see for myself how wet I make you.”
“Carter,” I moan as he unhooks my bra, the straps sliding down my shoulders. “You still haven’t told me what your tattoo means. Just give me that one, and I will leave you alone. At least for now.”
He stops kissing my breasts just long enough to peek up at me. “Why is my past so important to you? There are some things I don’t like talking about, and the past is one of them.”
I tug at the waistband of his pants, sliding my hand far down enough that I can tell he manscaped for me. My fingers brush up against the tip of his erection. I want to do a more thorough inspection, but I know I need to stop myself from going any further.
“For once, I want to know the man I am having sex with on a more intimate level.” That statement catches his attention, and he perks up a little bit. “I like you, Carter, and if I’m right about you, this could work out between us. We’re both closed off in our own ways. I have secrets, and you have yours. But we’ll never get to know each other if we don’t give in a little and open up.”
“I’m not ready to do that. Sorry.” He takes a step back from me.
Now, that I’m standing here topless, with my girls out on display and a dripping wet pussy, aching for Carter to touch, I have no idea what to do next. I want something more intimate. And Carter apparently wants meaningless sex.
“I guess I was wrong about you,” I say, deflated.
“No, you weren’t wrong about me. I like you, too, Sydney. Otherwise, I would not have put up with these games all week. If all I wanted was sex, I could’ve called up any of the girls in my Contacts and had them over to my house to use however I want. It’s not that hard for me to find pussy when I want it.”
I snort. “I’m sure it’s not. They want the monster cock.” I want it, too. But, not yet, not until he opens up to me.
Taking charge, Carter wraps his arms around me, plastering my breasts against his chiseled chest. His cock is so hard and big it presses into my stomach. Gazing into my eyes, he says, “You’ll have to give me more time. All right? I’m not ready to do what you what.”
I nod, about to speak, when he plants a soft kiss on my lips, sucking on my bottom lip before he shoves his tongue into my mouth, using so much force it takes me by surprise. The aggressive side of Carter turns me on so much my panties are drenched. He’s breaking my rules. But I don’t care.
A kiss on the neck or my breasts was all I had planned to allow before he kissed me, making me powerless. He commands power over my body, and with each second, he strips me of my willpower. Except, he forgets we’re still playing a game. I gave him something in return for the small piece of information he shared with me.
Separating my lips from his, breathless and disoriented, I stagger back. “That was…” I can’t even finish the thought because he rocked my body and mind with that kiss. “You see how this works now, big guy?” It’s a question, not a statement.
“Got it, Princess. But you will have to be patient.”
“Patience is not a virtue I possess,” I deadpan. “But I’ll take what I can get and so will you. Are we clear?”
He blows out a puff of air that causes a piece of my hair to fall on my face. “Crystal.”
I tuck the hair behind my ear. “Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page.” Then, I spin on my heel and walk toward my bedroom to change my panties.
After the number Carter just did on me, I cannot possibly sit here like this for the rest of the night. I should let him take care of what he started, but he needs to finish the conversation before I give him more.
“You’re crazy woman, you know that?” He calls out from behind me.
His comment brings a smile to my face. Of course, I know that. “While that may be true, you cannot get enough of my extra special brand of crazy.”
He grunts in agreement, and I laugh to myself as I enter my bedroom, wondering how long it will take him to grow back his beard and start opening up to me. Let the countdown begin.
Carter Donovan has no idea I am messing with him. I bet he thinks I’m an evil witch, toying with his dick along with his emotions. Maybe I am, or at least to some extent, but damn him for shaving his beard. I’m still pissed about that. When I walked into Tyler Kane’s house last weekend, he was dressed in gym clothes and had only a tiny bit of facial hair. I was disappointed, to say the least.
I was hoping to kick things off with his face shoved between my legs and that stubble rubbing against my skin. Over the past two days, Carter has called non-stop. He even sent flowers and gifts to my apartment. To be honest, I was shocked to receive such lavish presents from him. The Chanel sunglasses were a bit overboard, but at least I know he has good taste. And that’s an important quality in a man who I am considering dating.
Flipping through a magazine on my couch, I wait for Carter to knock on the door. He’s twenty minutes early again, same as last time. I didn’t even have a chance to hop in the shower before he said he was almost here.
Part of me wants to take him into my bedroom and have my way with him. The other part of me, the side that likes experimenting with the opposite sex for research purposes, tells me I should make him wait a little while longer. After all, our relationship could make for good writing material for my next book.
As the author of all things smutty and over-the-top, I draw a lot of my inspiration from experiences. Carter just doesn’t know that yet. Poor guy. Kennedy and I did the same thing with Tyler Kane when they had first met. He fell for that shit hook, line, and sinker. Now, the two of them are living together and practically married. There’s a method to my madness.
I fix my dark curls in the mirror on the wall next to the door and double check my makeup before opening it. Drool just about runs down my chin as I take in the sight of Carter. He’s one sexy hunk of man candy. With those big, strong arms that are more suited for boxing than hockey, I want him to grip me up in them and do bad things to me.
Carter smiles so wide it reaches up to his soulful brown eyes. “Hey, baby.”
“Don’t hey, baby, me,” I shoot back, feigning interest. But this is all part of the game.
He leans in to kiss my cheek, because I promised him one kiss, his fingers grazing my bare shoulder as he touches me, fiddling with the strap of my tank top. “You look beautiful, as always, Sydney.”
My willpower almost crumbles with his lips sending shockwaves down my spine. His big hand is dangerously close to my breast as he slides it the rest of the way down my arm. If he were a character in one of my books, I would say the hell with self-control and throw myself at him, allow myself to become consumed in his manly scent and intoxicating sex appeal.
“Thanks, big guy.” I tug on his forearm in an attempt to pull him into the apartment. He’s so big I can hardly move him an inch.
After Carter shuts the door, he surprises me by shoving me up against the wall. I do my best to get away from him, but he makes it difficult with his size. Carter is used to defending the net when he’s on the ice. He sure as hell proves that right now as he blocks my entire view of the living room with his body.
Bending down to my height, he breathes against my neck and ignites a fire beneath my skin. Heat rushes from my cheeks to my toes as he presses his lips to my neck. I move my head to the side to give him better access, my inhibitions lowering along with my guard. The walls I have built up to protect myself come crumbling down in an instant.
My panties are damp. No, more like they are soaking wet. Each kiss Carter plants from my neck to my shoulder is more painful than I can bear. We can’t do this. Giving in to Carter before we even have our first date was not part of my plan.
Plus, his beard…There’s nothing rough scratching my skin as he continues to make his way to my breasts. And I want the full Carter Donovan experience. I will wait for the man with the hot as puck facial hair just so I can get a taste of what it feels like against my pussy.
In a tight, low-cut tank, my girls are out on display and Carter is about to dive head first into them. Before he can make a crash landing into my cleavage, I grip a chunk of his hair in my hand, so his gaze meets mine. His eyes are intense, the passion behind them so fucking sexy I want to rip the fitted shirt from him.
“You like it rough, baby? Is that what you want?”
As much as I want to say, Fuck me up against this wall like one of your puck bunnies, I don’t want him to treat me like one of them either. Carter has earned a reputation as a ladies man over the years, and I have an image to protect. I cannot get sucked into a scandal. Though I can’t help but wonder if one involving Carter would help sell more books. Or at the very least, it may even give me new things to write.
“No, Carter. I would like you to stop touching me.”
I am the biggest liar on the planet. One minute of heavy petting with Carter and I already have to make up an excuse so I can go into my bedroom to change my underwear. My juices are threatening to spill down my leg any second. In a short, tight skirt, I’d rather keep this bit of information to myself.
Slipping from his grasp, I slide my back against the wall to get away from him. We need to put some distance between us before I rip my shirt off like the Hulk and leap into his arms, begging him to fuck me.
“Did I do something wrong?” His tone is defensive.
I shake my head, doing my best to maintain some distance between us. “No, you didn’t do anything. It’s not you, it’s me.”
He narrows his eyes at me, confusion scrolling across his handsome face. “Don’t use that line on me.”
“Don’t get your boxers all twisted up in a bunch. Good things come to those who wait. I promise you that I will make it worth every second.”
Carter lets out an exaggerated sigh. “Whatever. You’re driving me fucking crazy, woman.”
“You made a promise. Remember?” I stroke his chin with my fingers to make sure I have his attention. And I do. “You said you would tell me more about your tattoos. I want to know something personal about you. We can start with something small.”
“That’s not something small,” he says, irritated. What I wouldn’t give for Carter to go back to the sex-crazed animal he was two seconds ago. “You have no idea what you’re even asking me.” Gripping my ass in his hands, Carter picks me up and slams my back against the wall, this time more forceful than before. “If you want me to tell you more, I expect the same from you in return. No more fucking around.”
I’m debating whether I should give into his request. “Fine,” I say and pull the shirt over my head. His eyes fall to my red lace bra. As he licks his lips, I take his hands and cup my breasts with them. “Is this what you want, big guy?”
He nods. “Yes, this is a good start.”
I take his left wrist in my hand and kiss the dark tattoo in black script writing that says, Lux in tenebris. “What does this one mean? I want to know more. Tell me all your secrets, Carter. You give, I give. It’s a win-win.”
He frowns, lowering his head to the ground. “I told you before. It means light in the darkness.”
“I get that, but what does it mean to you? You know you can learn a lot about a person from their tattoos.”
He raises an eyebrow at me. “Is that so?”
“Yup. I dated this guy who got a tattoo every time something significant happened in his life.” Carter looks away from me, biting the inside of his cheek. “Did you do the same thing? Is that why you have so many between all the tribal markings and lines of script?”
“Yes,” he breathes, now staring into my eyes. “I guess you could say I did the same thing. My tattoos are like a life road map if that makes sense.”
“Perfect sense.” I run my fingers along his skin, feeling his tattoos. The more I touch him, the more I realize there’s scar tissue beneath the ink. “What are you hiding underneath this road map? Did you have an awful case of acne or chicken pox?”
“No.” His voice comes off like a growl. “A lot worse.” Carter leaves it at that.
“You can trust me.” And I mean it. “We all have things in our past we want to hide. Would you be surprised that I dated my English teacher for most of high school? I lost my virginity to him.”
He scowls. “I wish I could say he was a lucky guy to have you, but he took advantage. That’s just wrong. When I was in high school, I was lucky if I could get a girl to glance in my direction.”
My plan and the truth worked. Now, I need to keep digging. “What were you like in high school?”
He shrugs, then, lets go of my breasts, his hands dropping down to his sides. “I was weird. Overweight. High school was rough for me. I hated it.”
I’m in awe of Carter’s revelation. “I can’t imagine you being overweight or weird.” I grab hold of his arms and lock onto him, getting his full attention. “You’re so fucking sexy you make my panties melt. I’m sure you had the same effect on the girls at your high school.”
“If I make you so wet, then let me help you out with your problem, Princess.” He bends down to suck on my neck, leaving a trail of kisses on my skin as he clutches my waist, dragging me into his chest. “You promised me a kiss. I want to kiss your pussy and see for myself how wet I make you.”
“Carter,” I moan as he unhooks my bra, the straps sliding down my shoulders. “You still haven’t told me what your tattoo means. Just give me that one, and I will leave you alone. At least for now.”
He stops kissing my breasts just long enough to peek up at me. “Why is my past so important to you? There are some things I don’t like talking about, and the past is one of them.”
I tug at the waistband of his pants, sliding my hand far down enough that I can tell he manscaped for me. My fingers brush up against the tip of his erection. I want to do a more thorough inspection, but I know I need to stop myself from going any further.
“For once, I want to know the man I am having sex with on a more intimate level.” That statement catches his attention, and he perks up a little bit. “I like you, Carter, and if I’m right about you, this could work out between us. We’re both closed off in our own ways. I have secrets, and you have yours. But we’ll never get to know each other if we don’t give in a little and open up.”
“I’m not ready to do that. Sorry.” He takes a step back from me.
Now, that I’m standing here topless, with my girls out on display and a dripping wet pussy, aching for Carter to touch, I have no idea what to do next. I want something more intimate. And Carter apparently wants meaningless sex.
“I guess I was wrong about you,” I say, deflated.
“No, you weren’t wrong about me. I like you, too, Sydney. Otherwise, I would not have put up with these games all week. If all I wanted was sex, I could’ve called up any of the girls in my Contacts and had them over to my house to use however I want. It’s not that hard for me to find pussy when I want it.”
I snort. “I’m sure it’s not. They want the monster cock.” I want it, too. But, not yet, not until he opens up to me.
Taking charge, Carter wraps his arms around me, plastering my breasts against his chiseled chest. His cock is so hard and big it presses into my stomach. Gazing into my eyes, he says, “You’ll have to give me more time. All right? I’m not ready to do what you what.”
I nod, about to speak, when he plants a soft kiss on my lips, sucking on my bottom lip before he shoves his tongue into my mouth, using so much force it takes me by surprise. The aggressive side of Carter turns me on so much my panties are drenched. He’s breaking my rules. But I don’t care.
A kiss on the neck or my breasts was all I had planned to allow before he kissed me, making me powerless. He commands power over my body, and with each second, he strips me of my willpower. Except, he forgets we’re still playing a game. I gave him something in return for the small piece of information he shared with me.
Separating my lips from his, breathless and disoriented, I stagger back. “That was…” I can’t even finish the thought because he rocked my body and mind with that kiss. “You see how this works now, big guy?” It’s a question, not a statement.
“Got it, Princess. But you will have to be patient.”
“Patience is not a virtue I possess,” I deadpan. “But I’ll take what I can get and so will you. Are we clear?”
He blows out a puff of air that causes a piece of my hair to fall on my face. “Crystal.”
I tuck the hair behind my ear. “Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page.” Then, I spin on my heel and walk toward my bedroom to change my panties.
After the number Carter just did on me, I cannot possibly sit here like this for the rest of the night. I should let him take care of what he started, but he needs to finish the conversation before I give him more.
“You’re crazy woman, you know that?” He calls out from behind me.
His comment brings a smile to my face. Of course, I know that. “While that may be true, you cannot get enough of my extra special brand of crazy.”
He grunts in agreement, and I laugh to myself as I enter my bedroom, wondering how long it will take him to grow back his beard and start opening up to me. Let the countdown begin.
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