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“These truly are stunning.”
Vivi lay beside Justin, propped on one elbow as she ran her fingers over the ink on his chest.
She’d turned the bedside light on so she could see them better and was examining them like they held hidden secrets she could decipher if she looked long and hard enough.
“I can’t take any of the credit. My brother’s the amazing artist.”
“The detail is incredible.”
Smiling up at her, one arm under his head, the other curved around her, his hand splayed on her back, he shook his head.
“I’m starting to think the only reason I’m in your bed is because you really wanted to see my ink.”
The smile she aimed at him held more than a hint of wickedness. “Oh, that’s definitely part of the reason. Of course, the hot bod doesn’t hurt.”
His cheeks burned and he wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to Vivi speaking whatever was on her mind. But he’d sure love the chance to try.
“You know, I’d really love to photograph these. And I don’t just mean the tatts. I really want to photograph you. Stay right here.”
In the next second, she’d jumped up and walked naked out of the door.
He watched her beautiful rear end as it disappeared out the door and barely noticed the tattoos on her back. Who could blame him for not seeing them when the rest of that body was naked. Vivi took his breath away.
And when she returned, he barely noticed the bulky black camera she held in her hands because, holy crap, she was amazingly beautiful.
Holding up the camera, she looked at him.
“May I?”
Since he was covered from the waist down, he shrugged and she lifted the camera and began to snap away.
He watched her, bemused but curious.
When she lowered the camera, she gave him a look he was starting to recognize. She wanted him to do something for her.
He raised his eyebrows and waiting.
“Can I just...”
She set her camera on the bed, then grabbed his left arm and rearranged it on the bed beside him, pulled the covers down, exposing more of his belly but not his groin, and then pushed his chin until he was looking away from her.
“Don’t move,” she said.
He couldn’t see her but he heard the camera clicking as she took photos and heard her moving around.
“Am I allowed to talk?”
“Sure.”
“What are you doing?”
“Taking pictures.”
Smart-ass. “I get that. Why are you taking pictures?”
“Because you’re too yummy not to.”
That one made his brain stutter to a halt for a few seconds. “Um. What are you planning to do with them?”
“Nothing at all. I just couldn’t resist. I saw you lying there and I knew I had to take the shot.”
“Does this happen a lot?”
“Sometimes, yeah.”
“Can I see them?”
“Of course. They’re yours, not mine. I’ll delete them if you want me to. I just wanted to capture the moment before it was gone. Here. Look.”
She held out the camera so he could look at the screen on the back.
“Whoa, Viv, this is really good.”
He wasn’t lying. He didn’t see himself in those photos. He saw a man’s body framed by the bedsheets, his ink standing out against the white sheets. Jeez, even the shadows seemed deliberately placed, even though he knew that couldn’t be true.
He looked up in time to see her shrug. Like her talent was no big deal.
“I just like to take pictures. Just messing around.”
“This doesn’t look like you’re messing around. This looks professional. Have you done any magazine work?”
Her smile widened. “Are you telling me you want me to submit this to some tattoo magazine? They never take my stuff.”
“Have you tried before?”
“A few times but not for a few years. It’s a waste of time.”
He sat up and started to flip through the photos stored on the camera. “So...what? You just take photos and don’t do anything with them?”
Her eyebrows rose, as if challenging him. “They’re just for fun.”
He heard so clearly what she wasn’t saying, which was “Back off.” But he didn’t want to back off.
“I thought you told me you didn’t want to work waiting tables in bars all your life. Viv, these are amazing. You should be trying to sell these.”
Her expression clearly told him she didn’t want to talk about this but, for the life of him, he couldn’t understand why.
She didn’t seem like the kind of person to fail once and not get back up.
“It takes a lot of work and time to make a career out of art. Not every dream can become a reality.”
“But shouldn’t you at least give it a shot?”
“Is that what you’re doing? Giving it a shot?”
He couldn’t tell if she was pissed off at him for pushing or just didn’t want to discuss the subject anymore so she was turning it back on him.
“Hockey is all I’ve ever wanted to do. All I’ve ever been good at. So I work at it every day. I’m still working at it. Some days it takes more effort than others. Some days it just downright sucks. But I haven’t given up.”
“And some people just aren’t good enough to get to your level. Some people know their limits.”
He opened his mouth to argue with her but she leaned down and cut him off with a kiss before he could, taking the camera out of his hands and putting it on the side table.
“How about we discuss this later? Right now, I have other plans that don’t involve talking.”
Then she crawled back into bed beside him and pulled the sheet away.
And he shut up.
*****
“Hey, you hear about Straka One? Out for three weeks. Lower body. Heard he sprained the ligament in his knee. Lad got called up.”
Justin glanced over at Derek, who was already laced up and ready to hit the ice. He’d been late getting to the arena for practice and most of the guys were already out on the ice.
“Seriously? No, I hadn’t heard.”
Derek’s grin made Justin roll his eyes even before he opened his mouth. “Guess you were too busy to watch the game yesterday.”
Justin ignored Derek, methodically lacing his skates so he could get out on the ice.
“So Will spent the night alone. Good for you. I like Vivi. She’s cool.”
When he stood, so did Derek.
Instead of responding to Derek’s goading, he said, “How’d Brody take the news about Lad?”
Derek’s expression tightened as he shook his head. “Not great. I mean, the guy’s never in a good mood to start so who knows? Maybe he doesn’t give a shit. But this probably stings.”
True, Justin thought as he followed Derek out to the ice. Brody had been sent down for conditioning, but the guy had been with the big club for the past two years. He probably hadn’t expected to spend more than a game or two with them. And now someone else had gotten a position he could’ve filled.
When they got to the ice, Justin skated a few rounds with the rest of the team but stopped beside Brody to listen to Coach lay out practice for the day.
He and Brody had played well together the past couple of games. At least, Justin thought they had. Brody hadn’t said anything either way.
“Your face okay?” Brody nodded in Justin’s direction, their gazes connecting for a brief second before Brody looked away.
“Yeah. Your shoulder?”
“Good.”
And that was the end of that conversation as they started drills.
Justin committed his concentration to practice. Playing with Brody definitely upped his game. The guy was a gifted defenseman, but Justin could tell he was still having issues with his injury. He favored his left shoulder and he was a left-handed shot.
And he could tell it was bothering the hell out of the guy.
Since Vivi was working late tonight, Justin decided to ask Brody if he wanted to come out to dinner with him, Will, Derek, and Jake.
He didn’t figure the other guys would mind. Much. And frankly, he wasn’t sure Brody would want to.
So he was kinda shocked when Brody nodded and said, “Yeah. Sure. Thanks.”
Which is how he found himself having a few drinks in the Bomb Shelter around eight o-clock that night and watching a couple of drunk frat guys hit on Viv.
He hadn’t planned to end up here, didn’t want Vivi to think he was stalking her, but Brody had mentioned the place as being close to their apartments and one of the only bars in the area open on a Monday night.
She’d smiled when she’d caught sight of him after they’d walked through the door, waved on her way to a table with a round of drinks then disappeared back behind the bar. He’d only been in here once or twice before and he hadn’t been impressed.
Now he was looking at it with different eyes and he was even less impressed.
“Flaherty says that’s your girl.”
Brody had to speak up to be heard over the music, classic 70s rock with lots of guitar and drums.
“We just started dating. It’s not serious.”
Which didn’t seem right because he’d fallen for her months ago. Okay, more like a year. Like from the first second he’d seen her. Everything about her had made him sit up and take notice
Now, he watched her smile at drunk guys who leaned too close and brushed up against her like they hadn’t known they’d done it. Which was total bull. They knew exactly what they were doing.
She handled them like a pro, keeping a smile on her face at all times, but his hands had clenched into fists while he watched and he had to make a conscious effort to release them.
Because if they touched her anywhere other than her arm—
“Yeah, right.” Brody huffed out what sounded like a laugh. “You look pretty fucking serious at the moment.”
Damn. Tearing his gaze away from Vivi took an effort, but he forced himself to look at Brody, who looked at him with veiled amusement. And found Jake and Derek staring at him with pretty much the same expression.
“What?”
“Dude, you are so screwed.” Derek laughed at him outright. “But, hey, I think Vivi’s great. You and her just make kind of an odd couple.”
Jake reached over and smacked Derek on the back of the head. “Ignore him, Perry. He is ass.”
Since Jake hadn’t said much all night, everyone turned to stare at him. Justin had hoped to get Jake alone later and find out how he was really doing. Jake had been on the IR for months but was almost ready to play again and they hoped to have him back in the lineup by the end of the month so he’d be there for the playoff push.
But with Lad called up, Justin had wondered how Jake was going to handle that. The two of them had been attached at the hip for years, linemates and best friends.
“Well, shit, you do still talk.” Derek’s grin grew. “Good to know.”
Jake shook his head as Will said something to Derek, who said something Justin didn’t hear because he’d gone back to watching Viv.
“You have been lusting after her for long time. Is good you finally get chance to be together.”
Justin sighed and leaned back in his chair, leaning closer to Jake so he didn’t have to yell. “I like her. A lot.” Then he shrugged. “We’ll see how it goes. You okay?”
The abrupt change in the conversation didn’t cause Jake to miss a beat. “I am fine. Ready to play again.”
“Good. We need you.”
Jake’s expression didn’t change but Justin felt the guy stiffen for a few seconds before he relaxed. “Team has been doing fine without me.”
Yep, the guy was definitely doing the pity thing. “Yeah, but we’ll be better with you.”
Finally, he got a brief smile out of Jake. “If you were not taken, I would totally date you.”
Justin cracked up, laughing so hard, he started to cough.
Which was when Vivi came over to the table.
“Looks like you guys are having a good time. Hey, Justin.”
Her fingers clasped his shoulder tight and the smile she gave him made his gut clench with desire.
He wanted to drag her onto his lap and kiss her but he figured he could get her fired so...
“Hey, Viv.”
Her smile widened as he felt the blush on his cheeks burn brighter.
“Let me know if you need anything tonight but Tommy’ll take good care of you.” Then she leaned down and whispered directly into Justin’s ear. “And I’ll take care of you later. Can you come over after practice tomorrow? I’ll make you lunch.”
He nodded. “Sounds good.”
She straightened, smiling down at him, her fingers brushing against his bare neck. She blew him a kiss, which made the guys laugh, then gave them a little wave and a smile as she went back to work.
And he spent the rest of the night wishing it was tomorrow afternoon.
*****
Sweat dripping from his forehead, her right thigh in one hand and his other planted by her head, Justin pumped into Vivi hard and fast.
The tight grip of her pussy as he thrust back inside her made him groan and he dropped his forehead to hers.
Viv tilted her head back to kiss him and their lips melded together.
They’d gotten good at this over the past week. So damn good she was afraid she might be getting addicted to this man.
His kiss acted like a drug, making her body melt into the bed even as electricity snapped through her. She couldn’t catch her breath and didn’t care. Every time he buried his cock deep inside her, she wanted more. And more. And more.
Her arms tightened around his shoulders, her fingers digging into his skin until it had to hurt. But Justin never flinched.
And she came around him, crying out into his mouth, which triggered him to come, pulsing deep inside her.
Collapsing over her on a huge exhale, Justin nuzzled his nose against her neck, making her smile at the sheer adorableness of it.
She wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let him out of her bed.
“Thank you for lunch.” His voice rumbled against her skin. “Again.”
She laughed at the seriousness of his statement and felt his lips curve against her neck.
“You’re very welcome. Thank you for making me come again.”
Sliding to her side, he wrapped one strong arm around her waist and pulled her into the curve of his body, her back to his front.
“Best part of my day lately.” His tone held the utmost sincerity, which made her sigh. “I’m gonna miss our lunch dates this weekend. Damn work for getting in the way.”
“Now, I know you don’t mean that.” She stroked her nails along his arms, feeling goosebumps rise. “You love hockey.”
He paused and she could practically hear him thinking about how to respond. She had no idea what he had to think about.
“Justin?”
“Yeah. No, I love to play. You’re absolutely right. But I also love to play with you.”
Her heart skipped a beat, though she knew he hadn’t meant he loved her. They were good in bed, but she knew that didn’t always mean anything about how well a couple did out of bed.
Still, she and Justin had been managing just fine. More than fine, actually.
So far, she’d managed not to think about that too closely.
“And I like to play with you. But I know how important your job is to you. I don’t want to get in the way of that.”
“You’re not getting in the way. So were you able to switch your shift?”
The game was home tonight and he’d asked if she could attend. She really wanted to but...
“No, I couldn’t. I didn’t want to leave Papa Tsoukalous short-staffed. Not with Sophie going to the game.”
She felt him sigh against the back of her head, his breath warm. “No problem. Just wanted to know if you’d need a ticket.”
He didn’t say anything else and long minutes later, she knew he was asleep.
Slipping out of bed carefully so she didn’t wake him, she pulled on yoga pants and grabbed his t-shirt from the pile of clothes on the floor. She held it to her nose and inhaled before she tugged it over her head then rolled her eyes at herself.
Looking over her shoulder to make sure he hadn’t seen that, she grabbed her camera.
He’d gotten used to her taking pictures of him. No rhyme or reason to what he was doing, just whenever the mood hit her.
He’d become her favorite subject and the photos were amazing. He was amazing.
And right now, sprawled on her bed asleep, he looked good enough to eat. Maybe that’s how she’d wake him up, just put her mouth on his cock and suck until he got hard then ride him until she couldn’t move. He could save his strength for the game tonight.
Grinning, she lifted her camera and snapped a few shots. After checking those photos, she opened the curtains just a little so a strip of light hit him across his abs.
If he didn’t need this nap before the game, she’d be jumping his bones right now. He took her breath away and made her core ache.
Three hours later, she sat in front of her computer, editing the photos she’d taken over the past few days. She was so engrossed, she didn’t hear him come down the stairs and startled when he put his hands on her shoulders and bent to kiss her neck.
“Jeez, Viv, those are really amazing.”
She turned to smile up at him. “Thanks. I had a pretty cooperative subject.”
“Probably because your subject was asleep.”
Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”
He cut her off with another one of those mind-blowing kisses. “I just meant that if I’d been awake, I probably would’ve been too self-conscious for you to get decent pictures.”
She relaxed under his hands and turned back to the computer screen.
“Not true. I’ve got some great ones of you awake.”
“That’s just ’cause you’re a great photographer. I bet if you showed some of these to Jess, she’d hire you to do work for the team. The photographer they hired this year made us all look like idiots.”
Her immediate response was to dismiss his suggestion, but she bit it back because she knew Justin would tell her not to sell herself short. He’d been telling her that all week. Not flat out, all the time. Subtly. Without enough of a push that she could ignore it.
But this idea... This one made her pause and think. Because these pictures were good. And that wasn’t just her ego talking.
Usually she was really hard on herself about her work. But she knew these were something special.
“I don’t... I mean, don’t they already have a team photographer?”
Justin shrugged as he slouched into the easy chair next to her. “I guess. But I know Jess has been looking for someone to help her with promotional stuff. She had an intern but I don’t think he’s around anymore. And with Jess scouting in addition to doing her public relations stuff, she’s probably looking for help.”
Thinking about it, Vivi did remember Jess grumping about her intern the last time she’d seen her at one of the games.
“You want me to say something to her?” Justin said. “She’s always at the games and I usually see her floating around beforehand.”
Vivi thought about it for a second.
Say yes.
She knew she should but it went against every fiber in her body. She’d always taken care of herself. Gone after what she wanted on her own. Her parents had constantly wanted to strangle her as a kid because she was so independent.
Her mom used to say she’d tried to run before she could walk and spent more time flat on her face because of it. But that was just who she was.
Besides, if she got a job because of Justin, it wouldn’t really be her victory.
Which is really stupid.
Maybe she was growing up.
“No, but thanks for the offer. I’ll say something to her the next time I see her. Maybe I’ll talk to her at the game Sunday. Not really sure what she’d need or if it’s something I’d want to do.”
The team had a game in New York tomorrow night, but they were back in town Sunday for a five o’clock start. She didn’t work so she’d been planning to go. She’d think about it a little more and decide if she wanted to talk to Jess then.
Justin looked like he wanted to say something else but after a couple seconds, he nodded. “Okay, sure.”
She appreciated the fact that he didn’t push. Her parents would’ve hounded her. Her sister would send her texts full of pros and cons.
Justin trusted her to do what she wanted on her own. Unlike her ex, who’d wanted her to be something she wasn’t so he could be proud of her.
“I appreciate the heads-up, though.”
“They’d be lucky to have you. And it’d be something you enjoy.”
Her chest got tight as her heart began to pound out a harder rhythm.
Getting up from her chair, she straddled his lap and put her arms around his shoulders.
His grin spread as he put his hands on her waist then let them slide down to cup her ass.
Leaning forward, she rubbed her nose against his then leaned down and bit at his bottom lip.
“You know what else I enjoy?” she asked.
“I don’t want to take anything for granted.” He urged her closer until her sex rubbed against his erection, already hard. “Why don’t you give me a clue?”
“I’ll give you more than a clue.”