Page 02
He didn't waste much time being surprised though. Lifting his hands, he grasped her waist and rested his head back against the couch. Hilary squirmed slightly until she found a comfortable spot, laughing at his pained expression. A moment later she felt the reason for his look.
"Are you sure you won't be making your injury worse?" she asked and grinned when he narrowed his eyes at her.
"At this point, I wouldn't care if it did," he growled and cupped the back of her head.
Hilary leaned close, going with the pull of his arms and sighed as his lips touched hers. He was hesitant at first, only lightly brushing their lips together. Resting her palms on his chest, she shifted closer and sucked in a breath when she felt him swell beneath her. His kiss turned insistent at her indrawn breath and she felt his hand tunnel deeper into her hair. Tilting her head to one side, Hilary parted her lips and smiled against Mark's when she felt his tongue slide inside.
He kissed her hungrily, making some noise at the back of his throat that had Hilary pressing into his chest. She circled his shoulders with her arms and pressed her breasts against him. Feeling his fingers dig into her waist where he held her, she squeezed her thighs and smiled when she heard the responding groan.
"You're evil," he groaned, pulling away from their kiss.
Breathing heavily, Hilary kept her face close to his and grinned. "I could be," she replied softly and leaned forward again. She put her lips right next to his ear before speaking again. "If you want me to." She combined her words with the gentlest of hip thrusts but it was just enough for Mark to grab her hips with both hands.
"Oh God," he moaned and threw his head back as she did it again. "I think you need to get undressed. Now."
Hilary didn't mind the hoarse order, but she didn't want him to think he was entirely in charge. Sucking his ear lobe into her mouth, she nibbled it before moving back. Keeping her eyes on his, she moved her hands down and lifted the edge of her shirt. His eyes flicked downward and he frowned as she teased him by barely lifting the hem. In the next second he grasped it in his hands and yanked it over her head.
"Tease," he growled at her and drew her close again for more intoxicating kisses.
Hilary felt the heat creep up her neck. She was beginning to feel flushed all over and Mark's hands moving over the bared skin of her torso was making her even hotter. She shivered as his fingertips skimmed the sensitive skin of her ribs, just under the elastic of her bra. Once again he broke their kiss to pull back and look into her face.
"What?" she asked, uncomfortable with the hooded look in his brown eyes.
"I want you naked," he murmured.
Hilary felt her body ignite all over. The heat suffused the surface of her skin everywhere while an unmistakable moisture gathered between her thighs. Slowly Mark reached up and pulled the straps of her bra down her arms. She tried to grab them but he was too quick, scooping out one breast and covering her taut nipple with his mouth. All reason fled and Hilary found herself clutching his shoulders to keep from tumbling backwards off his lap.
Mark's mouth was hot on her skin as his tongue laved her nipple in lazy circles. His hands pulled at the back of her bra, dragging the fabric down her ribs until it was wrapped loosely around her waist, leaving her exposed to his kisses. He moved his mouth to the other nipple and sucked hard on it for a moment before moving again, trailing hot, moist kisses up to her neck. There he sucked on her pulsing vein and Hilary gasped for breath, feeling the tingles all the way to her toes.
"You're still not naked," he grumbled against her neck.
Laughing breathlessly, Hilary tried to respond but it took her several long moments to work through the fog that had once been her brain. "You won't let me up," she replied.
In an instant, his hands fell away and he leaned back, resting his head on the couch. "There," he said, his tone implying that it pained him greatly to let her go.
Giggling, Hilary stood up carefully, unsure if her own legs would support her. It didn't help that Mark watched her with hungry eyes as she unhooked her bra and tossed it aside. Her fingers fumbled with the button on her jeans and Mark sat forward, reaching for her.
"I'm not done," she protested halfheartedly but Mark only brushed her hands aside to release the button and slide the zipper down. Hilary watched his hands and thought he'd sit back once he was done 'helping' her. But he didn't. Instead he began to push the edges of her jeans over her hips.
She glanced into his face but he wasn't looking at her. He had a look of such fierce concentration on his face that she couldn't help but smile. His lips were pursed and he had a cute little line bisecting his forehead. His hair was so dark and messed up, less messy-on-purpose and more messy-because-I-don't-care. Before she knew what she was doing, Hilary lifted her hand and ran it through the short locks. His eyes finally lifted from his work at undressing her and he met her wondering gaze.
Biting her lip, Hilary met his eyes only briefly before glancing away again. She raised her other hand and ran all her fingers through his unruly hair. His eyes drifted shut as she did it but his hands kept moving on her. Her jeans pooled at her feet and she stepped out of them. Mark moved his hands up the outsides of her thighs, lifting goosebumps in her skin as he did. Then his fingers were clutching the edges of her panties.
She leaned forward, one of her hands dropping from his head to shove at her underwear. His eyes flew open when he felt her hand over his and he grinned at her, that wicked, sexy grin that had her shivering all over. Her panties came down quickly after that and Mark was sitting back on the couch, hauling her into his lap. She went willingly, touching her lips to his as she did. His warm hands went around her body, holding her close and she sank against his chest. She felt the coarse exterior of his shirt and frowned, breaking their kiss. Now it was he who sat back and asked, "What?"
"You need to get naked," she told him and yanked at the bottom of his shirt before he had a chance to reply.
With a laugh, he held his hands over his head and helped her remove his shirt. She tossed it aside before she dragged her hands across his shoulders and down his broad chest. He was firmly muscled and Hilary loved the feeling of his skin beneath her palms. It also gave her a little thrill to feel the tremble that swept across his body as she circled his nipples. Slowly she moved her fingertips over every inch of him, paying special attention to the swirling lines of his tattoos.
"These are beautiful," she murmured, dropping her eyes to take in the shape of the design around his right shoulder.
He scoffed at her but held still as she continued to explore. There was another one down the inside of his right bicep, a fancy scripted word; 'Family.' Down the other arm was a third one, another word; 'Faith.' She was completely fascinated by all of them.
Never in her life had she considered getting a tattoo. She had a sister who'd braved their parents' displeasure and had a dragonfly tattooed on her hip. Hilary didn't understand the appeal. Now though, with Mark shirtless and tense beneath her fingers, she thought she might begin to understand.
Suddenly Mark grasped her wrists and wrapped her arms behind her back; evidently he'd grown tired of her exploration. He made a low growling noise before leaning forward to capture his lips with hers. His tongue plunged inside her mouth, ruthlessly tangling with hers. She sighed and kissed him back, lifting her tongue to meet his strokes head on. She jerked her hips forward for good measure, almost crowing with delight when his grasp on her wrists tightened and he made a strangled sound deep in his throat.
"Let me go," she murmured against his lips and he did, letting go of her wrists to clutch at her bottom.
Hilary reached between them and moved her body back so she could reach the fastening of his jeans. Releasing the button, she laughed out loud when she saw that he wasn't wearing boxers.
"What's so funny?" he demanded.
"Not a thing," she replied, keeping her eyes on the prize. "Lift your hips," she ordered a second later and he did. Together they managed to get his jeans down to his knees.
"Come here," he growled at her, reaching for her.
She went gladly, settling against him and sucking in a sharp breath when she felt every hot, rigid inch of him against her damp center. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she kissed him, rocking her hips against him as she did. He groaned and dug his fingers into her upper thighs. Their tongues met and danced as he slid his fingers between them to toy with her. She cried out against his lips and arched her body closer, aching for more than the simple teasing touch of his fingers.
He seemed to sense her need and withdrew his hand a few seconds later. She felt his hands slide around her thighs to lift her and then she felt the head of his cock pressing at her entrance. With a sigh, she pushed down, swallowing his groan of pleasure as he slid all the way in.
He felt so good, so snugly settled up inside of her that she couldn't stop the immediate instinct to rub herself against him. He responded, lifting his hips to meet her. Together they rose and fell and kissed as their bodies grew sweaty with exertion.
In the back of her mind, Hilary was screaming with shock and delight at this amazing turn of events. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought she'd be in Mark Gaines' lap, riding him like a prize stallion. But she was and he was driving deeper with each thrust.
She lifted her head, gasping for air and he closed his lips on her chin. He licked his way from her chin to the underside of her ear and Hilary clung to his shoulders, rising with each powerful thrust of his hips. Their bodies met roughly with each movement and she exhaled sharply each time.
"God, you feel good," Mark murmured into her hair. One of his hands slid up her back from her waist. He slid his palm over her shoulder blade before cupping the top of her shoulder from behind.
"You too," she managed to get out between frantic breaths.
Turning her head, she met his lips again, running her tongue over his bottom lip. Groaning, his pace increased and he drove himself into her faster. Their lips brushed together and slipped apart with each hurried push of his hips. His fingers tightened on her waist and shoulder and she dug her nails into his arms.
Oh God, she thought, throwing her head back and sucking in great lungfuls of air. Oh God, he's going to make me...
Her thoughts scattered as he did, sending her careening into an orgasm that made her see spots. He growled in her ear, his fingers tightening almost painfully on her body before he exploded inside her.
For a long while, she lay draped over top of him, both of them breathing hard. As she caught her breath, Hilary felt his warm hand slide up her back to brush through her long hair. He lifted the honey-colored locks and moved them aside, piece by piece until he could plant a kiss on her neck. Smiling, Hilary tipped her head to one side to give him all the access he wanted.
"How's your ankle?" she asked after a minute.
"What ankle?" he replied lazily, still planting soft kisses to her skin.
Laughing, Hilary wrapped her arms around him for a hug. What ankle, indeed, she thought and let her eyes slide shut of their own accord, sleep coming swiftly.
The next day Mark still couldn't believe his good luck. In spite of the fact that Hilary had left sometime during the night while he dozed on the couch, he was almost euphoric. His ankle still hurt in the morning, but it was dimmed to a dull ache instead of an insistent throb. He whistled as he maneuvered his way around his small apartment, making breakfast. It wasn't until later, as he watched the highlights from the previous night's hockey games that he realized she'd left without leaving a way to reach her again.
"Dammit," he muttered, throwing the remote control onto the cushion beside him. Then his face lightened when he saw his team take to the ice against the Thrashers in Atlanta.
The game was close most of the night apparently but then his good friend Anatoli managed to step up and score an extra goal that ended up being the deciding factor. The anchors on the highlights show then went on to say that the Capitals would be heading to Florida for two games in four nights against the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mark would have known that anyway; since hurting himself, he'd memorized the schedule of games that he'd be missing.
Leaning over, he lifted the remote to mute the TV and then he picked up his phone. He called his teammate Anatoli, or as he was affectionately known around the locker room, 'Obie.' The big Russian picked up after three rings.
"Hello?"
"Obie, it's Mark," Mark said with a smile.
"Gaines! How are you? Staying off your foot?" Anatoli asked.
"Mostly," Mark replied honestly.
Anatoli laughed and Mark grinned. "You see the game last night?"
"I didn't watch it but I've been watching the highlights this morning," Mark said, lifting his eyes to the screen as the sportscasters began to discuss another game.
"What were you doing that you couldn't watch the game?"
For a second, Mark didn't respond. Apparently that was enough for Anatoli to figure it out. He hooted with laughter and Mark laughed along with him, practically giddy after the amazing night he'd had.
"What's she like?" Anatoli asked. "Is she pretty at least or did you drink too much?"
Mark laughed again before answering. He didn't really say much about Hilary beyond vague facts though a thought occurred to him as he spoke. "Hey, can I get Lena's phone number from you?" he asked.
"Lena's? Why?" Anatoli asked.
"Well..." Mark scrambled to think of an excuse. "I just thought since I'm stuck here while you guys are away, maybe I could meet her for coffee or something."
"Man, you're not supposed to be going anywhere, especially with my woman!" Anatoli said this with a laugh but Mark could hear the underlying, unspoken threat.
"Oh please," Mark scoffed. "I don't think I can last another day in this place. I need to get out."
"No, you don't."
"Fine. Then I want Lena's number so I can make her feel sorry for me and bring me a coffee," Mark replied.
Anatoli laughed at that and relented. He recited Lena's phone number to Mark, who scrawled it onto the back of his hand since he couldn't reach any paper and they chatted for a short while longer before hanging up. Mark stared down at the number on his hand and smiled.
She can't get away so easily, he thought.
Then he thought that this was perhaps one step shy of becoming a stalker but at this point he didn't care. He'd had a good time with Hilary last night, great sex aside and he wanted to see her again.
"As long as I'm stuck at home alone, she can keep me company," he muttered to himself and turned the phone over to dial the new number.
Hilary thanked her lucky stars that she got home without Lena noticing. When she crept into the apartment near dawn the morning after leaving Mark's apartment, she'd been terrified of facing her friend. Not because she thought Lena would judge her for it, but because Hilary didn't feel like talking about it with anyone. It was still so new and surprising. She didn't want to fall into the trap of thinking it was more than what it was - a one-night stand - but she couldn't help recalling the look in his eyes as they made love and the way he'd melted under her touch.
Even as she woke up late the following morning to the sound of a ringing telephone, she couldn't keep the immediate smile from spreading across her face. She exhaled gradually and rolled onto her side, pressing one hot cheek to her cool pillow as the recent memories swept over her. A minute later, she heard a gentle tapping on her bedroom door.
"Hil? You awake?" Lena's voice called softly from the other side.
"Yeah," Hilary replied in her hoarse morning voice. "You can come in."
Lena poked her head in, a strange smile on her face. Then Hilary spotted the phone in her hand and lifted her eyebrows in a silent question. Carefully holding the mouthpiece of the phone, Lena crept across her room.
"It's a guy asking for you," she whispered. "He says his name is Mark."
Hilary felt color steal over her cheeks and she sat up quickly, hoping to cover her surprise with the movement. Lena handed over the phone and turned to go, that same knowing smile on her face.
"Hello?" Hilary spoke into the phone, watching her friend retreat. But at the door Lena froze and spun around to stare at her.
"Mark?" she mouthed, her eyes wide.
Hilary frowned at her and waved her hand, trying to get her to leave the room. But Lena wasn't having it. She hopped from foot to foot, clapping her hands and laughing out loud.
"Hilary?" Mark's deep voice filled her ear and Hilary blushed all over again.
"Hi," she replied softly.
"Did I wake you?"
"No, the phone ringing did," she said and pressed a hand to her fluttering stomach at his answering laugh.
"Well, good," he said. "I was wondering if you had any plans for today."
Hilary glanced up at her roommate who was standing by the open doorway, still staring at her. Lena was grinning from ear to ear and she pointed at Hilary with one hand while trying to hold in her laughter with the other.
"Hilary?" Mark's voice came through the phone again.
"Uh, can you hold on a second, Mark?" she asked.
"Sure."
Hilary put the phone in her lap, covering the mouthpiece. "You have to get out, now!" she hissed at her friend.
"You and I are going to talk," Lena replied instead, using her firmest tone.
"I'll tell you anything you want to know if you just leave me alone now," Hilary pleaded.
Laughing, Lena did as she asked, backing out of the bedroom and closing the door behind her. Taking a deep breath, Hilary lifted the phone back to her ear and apologized to Mark.
"I just had to... take care of something," Hilary said and blushed deeper.
"It's all right," Mark replied. "So are you free today? Do you want to come over?"
"I have to work later," she told him even though she wasn't positive when her next shift was. Since she'd agreed to go out with Lena and Jane last night, she figured she must have at least been off for the whole morning.
"Oh, all right. What about tomorrow then?" he asked and she laughed.
Damn, he's sure persistent, she thought and shook her head even though it pleased her to no end. "How did you even get my number?" She asked.
"I called Anatoli and he gave it to me," he told her.
"Oh my God," she breathed, heat flooding her face and entire body. "You... you told him? About... about last night?" Oh God, if he told Anatoli, then the whole team would know by now... the thoughts raced through her mind in the seconds between her question and Mark's reply.
"What? No!" Mark exclaimed and laughed. "Of course not. God, no."
Hilary was relieved to hear that. She flopped back onto her pillows and chewed on her lower lip. "So how did you get him to give you our number?" she asked.
"I told him I wanted to talk to Lena and ask her to take pity on me in my invalid state," Mark explained and she couldn't help but smile. "He bought it but he told me in very clear terms that I wasn't to touch his 'woman.'"
Hilary smiled. While she was somewhat confused about Mark's own reasons for not telling his friend about last night, she was pleased to know that her friend's boyfriend was so protective of her. She'd had her doubts when Anatoli had first come into Lena's life but over the many months, Hilary had come to like the big hockey player.
"So you really only wanted to call me so I could take pity on your injured self?" Hilary asked, feeling playful now. "Bring you ice and such?"
Mark laughed, the deep sound sending shock-waves through Hilary's body. She sternly told herself to settle down.
"You can bring ice if you want," he replied. "Really, I just want to see you again."
Well, Hilary just didn't know what to say to that. Her mouth opened and closed a couple times but she couldn't think of anything to say.
"Hilary?" Mark broke the silence. "Are you still there?"
"Yes," she managed to say.
"So..." he spoke again, letting the word hang there for a moment.
"So you want to see me again?" Hilary replied.
"Of course," he said. "Don't you want to see me again?"
Did she? She'd had a lot of fun with him, before they'd even gone back to his place and there had definitely been sparks when they'd arrived at his apartment. But did she really want to risk seeing him again, getting to know him better, liking him even more?
"Hil, you gotta stop doing that to me," he groaned over the phone and a giggle escaped her before she could stop it. "A-ha! You are still there!"
"I'm here, you crazy gimp," she replied.
He laughed and Hilary could picture his smile as he did it. She exhaled, ignoring the humming in her blood. "All right," she agreed. "I'll come over tomorrow."
"Awesome. Come over before the game starts and we can watch it," he said, not even skipping a beat.
"The game?"
"The Caps-Panthers game," he said in a tone that suggested she was slow for even asking.
"Oh, right."
"We'll pop some popcorn, drink some whiskey and watch the game."
"Interesting combo," she commented but agreed to all of it.
After hanging up the phone, Hilary stared at it in her hand for a minute before she threw her covers back and stood up from her bed. Walking across the room, she barely had time to reach the door before it was swung open before her.
"OK, you have a lot of explaining to do, missy," Lena announced, blocking her exit from her bedroom.
Rolling her eyes, Hilary smacked the phone back into her friend's hand before brushing past her. "Can I go to the bathroom first?" she asked. "I promised I'd tell you everything."
Lena gave her a stern look but she was still smiling. She nodded and walked down the hallway towards the living room. "Coffee's on," she called over her shoulder.
Hilary sighed in relief. She'd need some coffee to get through the day for sure. A few minutes later she was inhaling the potent fumes and settling down on the couch beside her roommate. Lena had her own steaming mug of coffee but she wasn't drinking it; instead she was watching Hilary like a hawk about to swoop in.
"Well? Aren't you going to ask me questions?" Hilary asked.
"I hardly know where to begin," Lena replied loftily.
Hilary laughed and reached out to smack her friend on the arm.
"I thought you didn't even like him," Lena said after a moment, getting right to it.
"I didn't know him," Hilary replied. And she hadn't. She still didn't, even after the conversations and amazing sex at his place.
"And you know him so well now?" Lena asked, as though reading her mind.
Flushing, Hilary shook her head. "No. Don't be silly."
"But you gave him your number?"
Her color deepening, Hilary shook her head again.
"Then how did he get it? Why was he calling you first thing in the morning?"
Hilary glanced at the clock over the stove and looked back at her friend.
"OK, why was he calling you first thing midday?" Lena rephrased the question, drawing laughter from both of them.
"He said he got the number from Anatoli," Hilary said.
"Ah, I get it," Lena replied with a nod, her smile taking on that special look that she got whenever she thought of her boyfriend. "So why was he calling? You guys couldn't have been talking all that long. I mean, Jane and I had only played one round of pool before you disappeared."
Hilary didn't reply right away. She sipped her coffee, hoping she could hide her embarrassment. Lena knew her too well. She took one look at Hilary and her eyes flew wide open.
"Hilary Margaret Winsome!" she exclaimed, using her full name and making Hilary laugh. "Did you go home with him?!"
Laughing and blushing and still trying to hide behind her coffee mug, Hilary managed to nod in the affirmative.
"Oh. My. God."
"It's not as bad as it sounds," Hilary protested.
"So you didn't sleep with him?" Lena sounded almost hopeful.
"Oh, well... uh, not... no, not exactly," Hilary stammered.
"You did! Oh my God, you slept with him!"
"Jeez, Lena, I don't think the entire building heard you," Hilary hissed at her, lowering her mug and swatting her friend's leg. "You want a bullhorn so you can try again?"
Lena met her gaze and then dissolved into giggles. "I'm so happy for you, Hil!" she exclaimed a moment later.
"Happy for me? Why?" That was certainly the last thing Hilary had expected her friend to say.
"Because you've moved on," Lena explained. "Scott was a jerk and you deserve better. Mark is a great guy and I know Anatoli really likes him."
"I haven't exactly moved on, Lena," Hilary protested. "It was one night."
"But he called you today," Lena countered. "He must like you."
Rolling her eyes, Hilary took another sip of her coffee. She refused to get her hopes up; he was a hockey player, after all. "Sure. He liked me enough to have sex with me since he's stuck in D.C. while his team is off playing games in other cities."
"Oh, don't give me that, Hil," Lena said. "Not all hockey players are like that jerk you dated in college."
Hilary shrugged, silently informing her that she was reserving judgment until a later date. Lena frowned at her.
"Mark's one of the good guys," Lena added when Hilary still didn't say anything.
They fell silent for a few minutes and Hilary picked up the remote control to turn on the television. Together they watched the noon meteorologist report on sunny skies with cool temperatures for the rest of the afternoon.
"So what was he calling for?" Lena asked, breaking the silence.
"He wants me to come over tomorrow night," Hilary answered, knowing she'd have no peace until she told her friend everything.
"Hilary! That's great!" Lena exclaimed.
Hilary looked over to see her roommate beaming at her. She smiled in reply only to appease Lena. "Don't get too excited, Lena. We're not dating."
"Not yet," Lena replied. "Oh, this is so exciting. We can go on double dates now and go to games together..."
"We already go to games together," Hilary interrupted. Lena just waved her off and kept talking about all the things they could do together. "Lena, stop. Please, just stop." Her friend looked over at her and closed her mouth to hear what Hilary wanted to say. "Listen, I know you think this is really great but I'm not in a relationship with Mark. We just had one night and yes, I know he just called me, but that doesn't mean this is going to be... something. So can you hold off on telling the world? Please?"
Lena studied her face for a long moment, a small frown creasing her forehead but then she nodded. Hilary let out a breath and nodded before leaning forward to embrace Lena. "Thanks, Lena. You're such a great friend to listen."
"I know," Lena agreed and they laughed together.
In truth, Hilary was scared to death of feeling anything for Mark. He was nice, sure, and an amazing lover but they were in no position to start dating. Hilary had been burned too many times before. She'd go to see Mark the next night and she would keep things light and she'd keep herself from falling for him.
Mark was struggling with pouring the popcorn into a bowl while balancing on one foot with his crutches tucked under his arms when the buzzer for his front door rang. He promptly dropped the popcorn and bowl on his foot - at least it was a plastic bowl - let a crutch fall and had to grab the counter to remain upright. As he stood there, holding on for dear life, the buzzer rang again and he hobbled over to the speaker to answer it.
"Hi, it's Hilary," her sweet voice came through the speaker.
"Come on up," he replied and buzzed her in.
Then he turned back to his kitchen, wondering if he could possibly clean everything up before she reached his front door. He was just trying to crouch down and pick the bowl up when a knock sounded at the door. Startled, he fell sideways, smacked his elbow on the cupboards and cursed viciously.
"Uh, Mark? You OK?" Hilary's voice floated through the door.
"Yeah!" he called back and hauled himself back to his feet. In frustration, he chucked the other crutch to the floor and hopped across the kitchen on one foot to answer the door. He met her gaze and smiled but she took one look at him, bracing himself against the wall, his bad foot held above the floor and her eyebrows went up.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded.
Blinking, Mark hopped back to let her in. "I'm good, how are you tonight?" he asked instead.
"Don't be an idiot," she replied. "You're walking around without your crutches. What, you don't want to get back on the ice as soon as possible? You thought you'd challenge yourself a bit more?"
"Whoa, you don't even like hockey so what's the big deal?" he asked, closing the door behind them and following her into the apartment. She'd stopped next to his kitchen and was eyeing the mess.
"I never said I don't like hockey," she replied as she took her jacket off.
He lifted his eyebrows at her and smirked. She scowled at him.
"Do you want some help cleaning this up?" she asked after a moment.
"You don't have to help me," he replied.
"Oh, please," she said. "You've obviously lost what little sense you have and you need a maid."
He chuckled at her playful tone but he liked her suggestion. "Are you offering to be my maid?" When she didn't reply, he tried again. "I think I could find exactly the right kind of uniform for you."
She flipped him a nasty look and he just laughed, hopping into the kitchen after her. She bent over to pick up his crutches and he caught them against his stomach as she tossed them his way.
"Oof!" he gasped and leaned on one of them. "Why are you so mean tonight?"
"I'm not mean," she replied. "You wanted me to come take pity on you, right?" She tossed him a look over her shoulder as she picked up the bowl. "Well, this is me taking pity on you."
He smiled as he watched her, swallowing hard when she bent over to start scooping the popcorn back into the bowl. "We're, uh, not going to... eat that, are we?" he asked, nodding his chin at the bowl in her hand.
"Of course not," she said. "But how else am I supposed to clean this up?"
Wincing, Mark set his crutches down and moved towards her. "Stop, Hilary. You don't have to clean it up."
"Who else will do it?" she asked, continuing to grab handfuls of popcorn and place them in the bowl.
Mark leaned down to grasp her by the arm. "I'll get my French maid to clean it up."
She laughed but straightened under his hand. Setting the bowl on the counter, she lifted her hair off her shoulder and pushed it back from her face. Looking into her deep blue eyes, Mark felt something shift inside him and his groin began to tingle as he recalled the look in her eyes from the other night. She must have seen something in his face because she flushed and tried to move away. He kept a firm grip on her arm though and shifted on his feet just enough so that he had her pinned against the counter.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice soft.
"Balancing myself," he replied huskily.
She smirked at him but leaned back, arching her front against him. He stifled a groan and slid an arm around her waist to hold on to her.
"You need me to balance?" she asked.
Her words filtered slowly through his lust-addled brain and he smiled. "For now," he said a second before covering her mouth with his.
She gasped into his mouth and he tightened his hold on her, pressing himself against her. He felt her hands land on his biceps, her palms heating his skin through his shirt. Skimming the line of her lips, he silently thanked her when she parted her lips. He swept inside, swirling his tongue around hers and groaning when the hot moisture of her mouth sent all his blood immediately to his groin.
He couldn't believe he wanted her so badly. He wasn't the guy who got attached to women. He wasn't a womanizer, really. Just because he had the tattoos and the hair, most people assumed he was but he wasn't. He was just a guy who loved hockey and dated occasionally. No different from most other guys.
But here he was, completely at the mercy of a soft set of lips and bottomless sapphire eyes.
Wrenching himself away from her lips, he yanked her shirt off over her head. She made a sound of protest but he leaned back in, claiming her lips. Stroking her tongue with his, he felt her surrender once more, sinking into his arms, her hands sliding up to the back of his neck. Little frissons of sensation shot down his spine from where she touched him. With another strangled groan, he drew back just enough to start pulling frantically at the button of her jeans.
She gave a light laugh and moved her hands down to do the same to him. Though she abandoned that quickly in favor of running her fingertips along the skin of his abdomen. He froze, distracted utterly by her soft touch. Lifting his face, he met her dark gaze and watched, mesmerized, as her white teeth captured her swollen bottom lip. He leaned close, kissing the mark she left behind by her self-conscious bite and she licked his lips.
That brought him right back to his original intention. With renewed meaning, he jerked the button of her jeans free just as she hauled the hem of his shirt up from his waist. Growling in frustration, he leaned back just enough to pull his shirt off and watched with eager eyes as she pushed at the waist of her jeans. He helped her, pulling down on her jeans and panties together until she was standing with only her bra on.
"That has got to go," he ordered in a husky voice.
Hilary giggled and pointed at the electric blue garment with an innocent expression on her face. He nodded, reaching for the straps. She batted his hand away though and turned slightly, her hip pressing against his straining erection. It was then Mark realized how hard he was breathing. He watched the rise and fall of Hilary's chest and was slightly comforted to see she was at least as affected as he was. Then he saw her undoing the clasp of her bra and she peeled it off with taunting slowness.
He followed the movement of her hand discarding the item and felt his desire take hold again. He grasped her hips and turned her right around so she was facing the counter. In the back of his mind, he knew he might pay for this in the morning; or rather, his ankle would pay the price. Still, he wanted her and he was too far gone to stop now. Reaching up, he cupped her breasts and gave them a gentle squeeze. One of her hands lifted to cover his and he jerked his hips against her as her soft fingers slid in between his.
Balancing himself as best as he could, he moved one hand back around to undo the fastening of his pants. He wiggled his hips to get his jeans down over his hips and then he heard her suck in a sharp breath as his cock slid against her buttocks. She pushed back just enough that he felt the heat from her body seep through his skin.
With one hand still on her breast, he moved his other hand down to feel how ready she was for him. When all he encountered was silken heat, he groaned, burying his face in her shoulder. Her soft honey-colored hair tickled his nose but he didn't care. He was taking hold of himself and guiding his erection to her opening.
As he pushed himself in, he felt her tense. His mind was too far gone to even wonder what she was thinking so he pushed again, sliding even deeper. She gave a shudder, moaned and then shoved her body back against him. He took that as a good sign and slid one hand to her hip, digging fingers into her luscious skin as he began to move back and forth. She still held his hand against her breast though her grip had tightened. With each thrust into her welcoming body, he felt her fingers tense around his.
Chuckling, he turned his head and blew her hair off her neck, resulting in the most delightful shiver all through her body. He felt it in his groin and pushed harder, moving his other hand down and around her thigh until he was stroking her clit. Opening his mouth on her skin, he sucked on her neck and laved the raised tendon along the side. She groaned, tilting her head to the side to give him better access. All the while, her hips moved back against him in time with his thrusts.
They were just hitting a beautiful smooth rhythm when she gave a startled cry and arched. Her lovely breast filled his palm even more but she dropped her hand from his, slapping a palm against the counter as she came. He rocked against her, loving the tightening of her body around him. As she gasped and moaned through her orgasm, he moved his hand down from her breast to grasp her hip. With mostly steady footing, and a firm grip on her body, he began to thrust faster, harder until they were both panting.
Then she was reaching back, cupping his ass cheek with one hand before grazing his skin with her nails. Feeling that, coupled with the fluttering of her body around his cock, he came, growling inarticulately into her shoulder as he did. He pushed and pushed until he was almost afraid they'd fall right through the counter.
After what felt like an eternity, Mark felt Hilary give a little laugh and he forced himself to lift his head. "What?" he asked, almost sure he'd heard her say something along with the laugh.
"The counter is digging into my stomach," she murmured.
Cursing, Mark withdrew from her and hopped back a half step so she could move. She did move, sliding around in front of him and circling his shoulders with her arms. Standing on her toes, she kissed him softly.
"Do you still need me for balance?" she asked with a smile as she moved back.
He gave her a lopsided smile and shook his head. "I don't think I'll ever feel balanced around you again."
Much later, as they lay entwined on his couch, and after she'd made sure his ankle wasn't too sore, Hilary replayed his earlier words, wondering what he could have meant by them. Then she gave herself a mental slap, telling herself she was turning into one of those silly females who try to read too much into things. Mark was a nice guy and dynamite in the sack; although she had to admit they hadn't even made it to his bed yet, a thought that had her blushing uncontrollably.
"Why the color?" Mark asked and pressed a kiss to her overheated cheek.
"I'm hot," she lied and laughed as he threw off the blanket they were sharing. "Well, now I'm cold!" she complained.
Sighing in mock annoyance, he hauled the blanket back over their naked bodies and moved his leg higher between hers. This he did as he moved a hand down her abdomen until he was teasing the curls at the juncture of her thighs. She sighed happily and let her body relax in his arms. He took the cue and slid his fingers between her thighs, stroking her and stoking the fire yet again.
After the 'balancing' act in the kitchen, they'd made love on the couch again before ending up in their current positions while watching the end of the hockey game she'd originally come for. Not that she was complaining; the Caps were winning and she could feel Mark growing hard against her ass again.
"You're an animal," she groaned as he gave her a subtle squeeze with gentle, skilled fingers.
"And you're my prey," he growled in her ear before nipping her neck.
