Power Play: A Reverse Harem Hockey Romance Read online

  He bit my neck, making me gasp. He whispered into my ear in a low growl. “Yes?”

  “Hell if I know,” I murmured and turned to feast on his mouth.

  His hands stroked up and down my back, each touch spreading sparks and need. One hand slipped under my sweater then and drew circles on the bare skin of my back. As much as I wanted to push it further, I couldn’t.

  This wasn’t like me. Not that I was a stranger to sex, but I liked to know where the relationship sat before speeding forward. I’d had a few one-night stands in California and hated them.

  Ken and I weren’t a couple. We hadn’t even had an official date. I didn’t want this to be a one-and-done scenario — or to ruin our fragile friendship.

  Then his arm fingers hit my bare skin, underneath my breast. My mind short-circuited.

  His other hand slid to my front and cupped my breast, his thumb rubbing my nipple through the fabric. I couldn’t contain my moan, but my mind raced.

  I didn’t want to be a friend with benefits. And I didn’t want to sleep with him while I had a pending date with one of his best friends.

  Nathan. Crap.

  “Wait,” I gasped.

  Ken’s hands froze, but his hot lips brushed over my jaw. “Something wrong?”

  “We can’t… not tonight…” My words refused to form a complete sentence, but I leaned back and looked into his eyes. I squirmed a little, feeling wet between my legs.

  He took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah. It’s okay.”

  I started to slide off his lap, but he caught me.

  “No, I mean, hang on.” He tucked my wild hair back behind my ears. “I guess we’re on different levels, huh?”

  “I kind of thought we were just friends.”

  “Is that all you want?” he asked seriously.

  “I thought it’s what we were,” I repeated.

  “I’d rather be whatever allows me to kiss you and snuggle the fuck out of you,” he said, his eyes glittering. “And maybe more, if and when you’re comfortable.”

  Oh. My. Waves of heat washed over me. “I think I’d like that too, but that doesn’t mean we should… do more tonight. Maybe we should wait.”

  “I get that. I’ve waited years for this. I can wait a little longer.”

  I traced his smile with my fingertips, reeling with disbelief. “Maybe we need to have a talk or something, because you’re coming way out of left field. This is such a surprise.”

  “Ah. A sports reference. I guess you’ve popped a blood vessel,” he teased.

  My head fell back, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Spend the night?”

  “I just said—”

  “After practice tomorrow we’ve got our game, then tomorrow we fly out… it’ll be three days, if not more, before I can see you again.”

  “Oh.” Three days did seem like a long time. I bit the inside of my cheek.

  “You can have my bed. No mischief, I promise.” He held up his pinkie. “I swear.”

  It seemed reckless, but truthfully, I was feeling too edgy e to drive. My apartment was clear across town. I curved my pinkie around his, and sure enough, I was shaking. Too much excitement for one night.

  “But I’d rather stay on the couch,” I reasoned.

  “It gets cold out here, and I’ve got a code of honor that requires that I never let a woman sleep on my couch when there’s a bed available.”

  “Fair enough.” I stood, and he took me by the hand and led me to his room, the first door off the living room. I stared in awe at the massive king-sized bed. I could curl up in a corner and probably still have room to do a snow angel. Whereas Ken would have to fold himself in half to sleep on the couch, then wake for practice in the morning and his game.

  After kicking my boots off, I climbed into the middle of the bed and crooked a finger at him.

  “No mischief, but we can share the bed. I wouldn’t want you to play with a messed-up neck or something from sleeping on that couch. Your team would kill me.”

  He grinned and yanked off his shirt, revealing the killer muscles and six-pack that until this moment had been my fantasy. The faintest trail of dark hair disappeared into the waistband of his sweatpants, and I drank in the V of muscles that framed his lower abs.

  I gawked. Openly. “That’s not fair,” I whispered, not meaning to say it aloud.

  He laughed and flipped the light switch. As my eyes adjusted I felt the mattress bounce and he tackled me to a pillow.

  “Maybe just a goodnight kiss before I leave you alone?” he growled.

  I giggled softly and pulled him into my body. Ken was an excellent kisser, and as he slowly nipped at my bottom lip, I shivered.

  “Cold?” he murmured.

  “Far from it.” I licked his bottom lip. “You’re quite tempting, you know that?”

  “As are you.” He kissed me again, then pulled back. We were lying side-by-side and he smoothed my messy hair away from my face. “I sense your hesitation, though. And I don’t want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with. So, come here.”

  He drew me close to his chest and firmly wrapped his arm around me. Within moments, he was breathing deep, and I realized that he must be physically exhausted from practice.

  As I lay in the dark in his arms, I drifted off, feeling protected.

  I could get used to this.

  4

  I woke to the sound of rustling, and for a split-second forgot where I was, sitting up with a start and a gasp.

  This was probably the strangest night I’d ever spent with a guy, because even though I wanted to fuck Ken, we hadn’t done anything but cuddle and sleep in each other’s arms.

  And that made me like him and want him even more. Still, something held me back. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

  I glanced toward the sound of the rustling. Ken was in the corner of the big room, digging through his dresser and looked back at me.

  “Morning, beautiful.”

  “Hey.” I combed my fingers through my hair, wondering how wild I looked this morning. Pulling the blanket to my neck, I searched the floor. At some point during the night I’d yanked my bra off because I couldn’t get comfortable, and now the morning chill in the air was obvious because my nipples poked through my T-shirt.

  “I’m gonna take a shower. Help yourself to the kitchen. Coffee’s on, and whatever breakfast foods you like, they’re somewhere in there.”

  I nodded, and just as I crawled out of bed my stomach growled. I still didn’t see my bra anywhere, but I didn’t want to ask him about it. Crossing my arms, I glanced at the closed door of the room. “Bathroom?”

  “Right across the hallway. I pulled out a new toothbrush for you—you officially own the purple one.”

  I hid my grin as I scampered to the bathroom and quickly made myself less scary.

  “All yours,” I called, heading to the kitchen and following the aroma of coffee.

  The coffee pot was full, and I poured myself a cup and leaned against the counter, stifling a yawn. I searched the countertop and fridge for sugar and creamer, and eventually found both.

  Satisfied with my extra sweet morning necessity, I climbed onto a barstool facing the kitchen island. Now that I was no longer distracted by Ken and being alone with him, I took in my surroundings. The kitchen was nicer than I’d expect for a bachelor.

  I loved to cook, but most guys I met preferred fast food to a dinner that required patience. Glancing around, I imagined what it would be like to cook for Ken. During the season he did his best to eat clean—wings aside—and healthy food was my specialty.

  I could work miracles with a chicken breast and brown rice.

  Footsteps down the hall made me turn. “That was quick.”

  “Huh?” Josh asked, walking past me to the coffeepot. He wore a thin white t-shirt and baggy grey pajama pants.

  “Oh!” I looked down the hallway again. “I thought you were Ken.”

  “Nope. He’s still hogging the s
hower, as is Alex.” He sighed and poured himself a mug of coffee. “You sleep one minute over, and you miss the hot water.”

  “Uh…”

  “Good morning, by the way. Didn’t expect to see you again so soon,” he said with a grin.

  I gawked at him with big eyes. "You guys live together?"

  Why hadn’t Ken said anything?

  “Yep.”

  “Is that really normal?” I blurted out. “I mean, this is a big house and everything, but you guys can afford your own places, I assume.”

  Josh chuckled and ruffled a hand through his short auburn hair. His meadow green eyes twinkled as he shook his head at me. “No. It’s not quite normal. But we’re traveling so much during the season, having one house saves us money and time.”

  “I didn’t think men wanted to share space after college,” I mused.

  He shrugged. “We don’t crowd each other. Besides. These guys are like my brothers.” He shifted his stance and my eyes drifted to the front of his sweatpants, drawn to the subtle outline of his cock pressed against the thin fabric.

  Blinking and pretending to focus on the swirly pattern of the tile floor, I subtly pinched my arm to see if I was dreaming. I wasn’t. Questions overwhelmed me about the concept of a house full of sexy bachelors, but I didn’t want to seem nosy.

  Besides, I couldn’t control my eyes, and the last thing I needed was for Josh to catch me checking out his package. Clearly, I’d gone too long between boyfriends. Maybe I should’ve slept with Ken last night.

  I finished my coffee and hopped from the stool. Josh’s eyes trailed over me and I remembered that I was broadcasting how cold I was. My nipples weren’t just pebbled, they were stone peaks through my shirt. Awesome, I groaned internally. I rinsed my mug and set it in the sink, but I froze in my steps.

  Alex appeared in the kitchen. His damp brown curls were sticking to his temples and his bare, muscular chest still had beads of water clinging to it. I shivered just looking at him, and he noticed, giving me a mischievous grin.

  “Hey,” I said softly.

  "Hey, beautiful. I didn't realize we had company." He gave Josh a look and leaned against the island. "Glad to see we didn't scare you off last night."

  I tried to stay calm and not reveal how my heart was pounding. If they could be calm and chill, so could I, though I was surprised they hadn’t made any comments about me spending the night.

  Wasn’t that something guys did? I expected high fives. I expected to have to defend my honor and insist that nothing had happened. But if they weren’t going to inquire, I wouldn’t go down that path.

  I tucked my hair behind my ears and smiled. “Why would I be scared?”

  “Most women can’t handle all of us,” Alex responded. The way he said it seemed to carry more meaning, but I didn’t catch it.

  I tilted my head.

  “You should definitely hang out with us more often,” Josh added. “Diffuse the testosterone. Plus having you around will probably keep Alex and Nathan from bickering like children.”

  I laughed. “Some rivalry there?”

  “It’s not a rivalry,” Alex interjected, his russet-brown eyes twinkling. “Just friendly disagreement regarding the fundamentals.”

  “Of hockey?” I asked.

  “Of everything,” Josh said before Alex could respond.

  I heard the bathroom door creak open and peered around the corner. “I should go check on Ken.”

  “Wait.” Alex stepped in front of me as I went to leave. “You said you wanted to get out more, right? See what was beyond downtown?”

  “Yeah.”

  He gestured to Josh. "Come hiking with us sometime?"

  “Hiking?” I glanced between the two men. “In this weather?”

  "Yeah. And it’s supposed to warm up. But you should bundle up, California girl.” He grinned adorably. “There are some easy trails that stay open year-round.”

  Last night I’d mentioned that I wanted to get away from the computer and spend more time outdoors. I was surprised they’d even remembered, between the joking and the dozens of wings. “That sounds fun. But won’t you guys be too busy?”

  “We’ll be free Sunday afternoon, if you are.”

  Getting to know the guys seemed like a great idea, so I nodded. And it wasn’t like I had a full social calendar.

  “Sure. Let’s do that then. Uh… I guess I’ll text you when the team gets home Saturday?”

  “Sure.” Alex stepped aside and let me pass. “By the way, I’m about to make breakfast. You like scrambled eggs?”

  “Scrambled eggs? That sounds awesome,” I breathed. My stomach growled, agreeing with me.

  “They’ll be here when you’re ready,” Alex promised.

  * * *

  “This was under my pillow somehow,” Ken said holding out my bra and shooting me a conspiratorial smirk.

  I snatched it from his hand and eyed him suspiciously. “Somehow?”

  He shrugged.

  “Turn, please.” I twirled my finger.

  He covered his eyes with a hand while I quickly donned the bra and readjusted my shirt.

  “Done,” I called out. “Thanks.”

  “Eh. You looked better before,” he teased.

  Rolling my eyes, I sighed. I was sitting on his bed and he was leaning against his dresser, and we were both avoiding what we needed to discuss. I’d never been the best at starting awkward conversations, but breakfast was waiting, and then the guys would all leave for practice.

  “Did you mean what you said last night?” I asked. “About wanting to be more than friends?”

  “I did.” His brow creased, and his joking expression became serious. “By the way things were heading I thought you were feeling the same way.”

  I looked down and fidgeted with the blanket. “Yeah.” I shook my head, tired of reverting to the shy girl I spent most of my life running away from. “Look. I’ve always wanted to be more than friends with you. Probably from the first day we met. Last night was a dream come true. Which is probably why I didn’t want to have sex.”

  “That’s okay with me. I can take things slow. What’s the problem?” he asked.

  “Why now? And what does it make us? I mean… do you even have time for me?” Before I said it aloud, I hadn’t really thought about it, but I meant it. Ken lived a crazy busy life and I couldn’t see myself always having to wait around for him.

  “When you contacted me last year it was like being reminded of a part of myself I’d lost. Honestly, I was surprised at how much you’d changed yet you were still the same in the ways it mattered. It’s like you became the best version of yourself, and I felt at a loss for not being around for that.”

  “Ken…”

  “I don’t play around. I used to, but I got tired of that life. If you want to try this, I’m all in.”

  I looked up at him.

  He’d crossed his arms and seemed to be studying me. “My schedule’s busy, but if it’s meant to be, and everything works out, you’d never be alone. I promise.”

  “But how… I mean, you travel more in a month than I have in my entire life.”

  He nodded. “I know it doesn’t seem to make sense, but trust that I wouldn’t want you to be hanging around an empty house.”

  “That’s a hefty promise.”

  “I know. And I also realize this is probably happening too fast. I thought I could keep my cool a little longer.” He grinned and his eyes raked over my body with a heated gaze. “You bring out the horny teen in me. It’s not cool, but it’s the sad truth.”

  I ran my hands through my hair and tried not to hyperventilate. My dream guy, the one I’d pined over for years, wanted to be with me. Wanted a serious relationship with me. Yet I was hesitating. Why?

  Because I was no longer the desperate math geek. Part of me was proud of myself. The other part wanted to drag Ken to bed and ride him until all my pent-up lust was a distant memory, consequences be damned.

  “It really is
fast,” I said finally.

  “Take the rest of this week, the weekend, I guess, think about it?” he asked. “And know that I’m not going to drop our friendship if you decide you don’t want to try. Granted, I probably won’t give up that easily, but I won’t wreck everything just to get my way.”

  My upcoming date with Nathan loomed in the back of my mind, pushing its way forward. It gave me an idea. “I will think about it, but also, maybe we should have a real date?”

  “Of course. I guess… Sunday night? That’s the soonest—”

  “Uh, Alex and Josh wanted to go hiking that day, but I guess we’d be done by night.”

  He arched a brow and I wondered if I had overstepped. What if he wanted me to be friends with his teammates, but not actually hang with them? I prepared for a jealous fit.

  A little smile played on his lips. “Okay, yeah. You’ll like that. I’m not the hiking type, but they go nuts for it. I’m sure wherever you go you’ll be back in time for dinner.”

  It seemed a little odd that he was so casual about me going hiking with Alex and Josh. I assumed most guys in his situation would be a little jealous.

  “Hey, why didn’t you tell me that you guys all lived together?”

  Ken’s brows knitted together. “I thought I did. Didn’t I? On chat? Or at the restaurant last night?”

  I shook my head.

  “Weird. I guess I somehow assumed you knew. They love you, by the way. And I’m glad they do.”

  There wasn’t a trace of jealousy in his voice. Maybe I’d found the most enlightened hockey player in all of America. I grinned at Ken, then walked to where he was standing.

  “Can I get a hug?” I whispered.

  He wrapped his muscular arms around me. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  5

  I stared off into space while I marched in place two feet from my desk. I’d buried myself in work all day since coming home from Ken’s. My legs felt numb and my eyes were red and felt like they’d been scrubbed with sandpaper.

  Mercifully, the company I worked for finally caved and hired a second designer, another remote hire. The new guy would be my assistant eventually. For now, he had to prove himself. Until then, it was me and the screen for long hours at a time.