Page 105 of Icebound

She leaps from the stool and launches herself at me. Nina wraps her arms around my waist with so much force that I stumble back into some painting. “I'm so happy for you, Rhode. That's amazing!”

One of my favorite things about her is the way she throws her whole body into a hug. I squeeze her tight against my chest, twisting her in my arms. I think she’s more excited about this sponsorship than I am.

After a moment, she pulls back, but all the happiness seems to have drained from her face. “So that means you're renewing your contract next year?”

I grimace at the thought of entering my sixteenth hockey season. Sixteen. Yeah, the top players stay in the League for more than twelve years, but the average NHL career only lasts five or six seasons.

I can’t admit this to anyone, but I can say this to her. “I don’t know. I’m not sure hockey’s what I want anymore. I’m thinking about retiring, but I don’t want to let my team down. They need me.”

“It’s a big decision, and I can’t tell you what to do, but I think you really need to think about what you need. Talk to one of your sports therapists or something. You’ve still got a whole life outside of hockey.”

I brush my thumbs around her waist, staring into those stormy eyes of hers. “Yeah, I’m starting to realize that, but I still think I need to renew my contract. I’d feel lost if I didn’t play hockey. What would I do with my life?”

“You could go to the national cross-stitch convention.”

There’s an idea. “Huh, maybe you’re right. It’s always during the season, so I never get the chance.”

“See? You’ve got options.”

“Yeah, but I still feel like my team needs me, so I’ll probably renew if they give me a shot. I hate letting people down.”

“That makes sense…” She lets out a big sigh, like she’s about to face off with whatever she’s about to say. “What are we doing, then? Because I'm leaving in two months, and I don't want to hold you back from your career when it's important to you.”

If I were a stronger man, I'd call this off, but I'm weak when it comes to her. We only have two months, so I want to spend them together.

I cradle her cheeks in my hands. “You want to fuck? I'll fuck you good. You want to eat? I'll take you out. You want to stay up all night talking? I'll listen to every word. I'll do whatever you want as long as I get to be yours until you get on that plane.”

The gold seems to flare in her hazels, but she bites her lip like she’s trying not to speak. Her teeth leave an indent on her skin, and I want to be the one to leave that mark.

Damn her rule.

I've waited so long to kiss her that the back of my neck starts sweating every time I think about it now. It's got to be the best kiss of her life, but I don't know how much longer I can wait.

I swipe my thumb along her bottom lip, tugging at the soft skin. “I'm starting to hate your rule.”

She gazes up from beneath her eyelashes. “It's really more of a guideline.”

My back goes rigid. Holy shit. Does that mean I can kiss her now? Her lips part, and I slide my thumb deeper into her warm mouth. She swirls her tongue around my thumb the same way she sucked my dick, and now I'm so hard it hurts.

I need to fucking kiss her.

Leaning closer, I brush my stubble against her cheek. “How hard is this guideline? Think I could break it?”

She releases my thumb with a wet pop. “You could definitely break it. It's pretty flimsy.”

My pulse quickens at the thought of pressing my lips to hers. It's like I'm back in high school, and I'm as nervous as hell, but I do my best to cover it up with a stiff smirk. I grip her chin, tilting her head up to mine.

She cocks her head like she’s waiting for me to get my shit together, but I'm worried this will only make me want more of her. Except, I can't go another second not knowing what it's like to kiss her, so with a hammering heart, I swipe my tongue along her bottom lip, teasing her. Tasting her. Nina moans against my mouth.

That's all it takes for me to lose every shred of my self-control.

“Fuck me,” I growl against her lips. “Why’d I wait this long?”

I grip her waist, pushing us back into a table, and a jar of paintbrushes clatters to the floor. She sucks in a gasp, and I take the opportunity to slide my tongue deeper into her hot mouth.

I cup my hand around the back of her neck, pulling her against my body so I feel her warmth pressed against me. She digs her hands into the rim of my jeans like she needs me as close as I need her. Nina wraps her legs around my waist, and our teeth knock together as I suck her tongue.

I'm normally more controlled than this, but all I can focus on is how I'm hungry for more, and she's the only thing that can satisfy this craving.