Romance The Ice-Breaker

Kaitlyn wrestled with the urge to tell him that they didn't have to talk every night. She didn't know why she'd let Jenna's words get to her. The memory of her brief conversation with the other woman made her feel instantly guilty for treating Alex this way.

"Alex, I'm sorry," she breathed, closing her eyes and resting one hand against the kitchen counter.

"For what?" he asked, his voice soft, patient.

Kaitlyn winced. She couldn't believe she'd snapped so badly at him. "For talking to you like that. I just... I had a weird day and it's not your fault."

"That's good." He gave a soft laugh and Kaitlyn smiled. "I was afraid you were pissed that I didn't call right after the game."

"No, of course not. I don't expect you to drop everything just to talk to me."

"What if I want to?"

"You shouldn't. Our lives can't stop or turn upside down just because we're dating now. I want you to still have your routine."

"And you still want your routine?"

"Yes. Exactly."

For a minute, Alex didn't say anything. Kaitlyn opened her eyes and bit her lip, afraid she'd said something wrong.

"Alex?"

"I'm here."

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No. I didn't realize you felt that way."

"What way?"

"Like I'm interfering with your life."

She gaped, her eyes popping wide open. "I didn't say that!"

"You didn't have to."

Now he definitely sounded upset. That was the last thing Kaitlyn had wanted. "You're not interfering, Alex."

"Then why would you say that?"

"I didn't say it! You did! I only said-"

"That you didn't want me to mess with your routine," he cut her off.

"Because I thought I was messing with yours," Kaitlyn replied, unable to figure out where she'd gone wrong. Around the time you snapped at him for even calling tonight, a little voice in her head answered her.

Again, Alex fell silent.

"Alex, please. I didn't mean to say that you were messing up my life," she said. "You're not. I just had a bad day and this all started out so wrong."

"This call? Or us?"

"This call!" she exclaimed, shocked that he'd even suggest their relationship was what was wrong. Maybe she'd been so worried about herself working things out that she hadn't stopped to consider what Alex might think. Maybe he doesn't want to try anymore, either, she thought, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth.

"Alex, please say something," she whispered, tears stinging the backs of her eyes.

"What do you want me to say?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything I said. I... I'm just, I'm sorry."

"I know," he replied in a soft tone and she could hear him sigh. "Listen, it's late. You're tired, I'm tired. Why don't we just talk when I get home?"

"When you get home?" Kaitlyn repeated, her eyes flicking to the calendar on her fridge. "But that's not for three days." She knew she sounded weak and needy, but hearing Alex say anything about them being 'wrong,' worried her. She knew deep down she was still the same strong, independent woman, but she was also falling hard and fast for him. It was terrifying to think he wasn't on the same wavelength.

"I know," he said.

They both fell silent and Kaitlyn pressed a hand to her chin to still the sudden trembling.

"Have a good sleep, Kaitlyn," he said after a moment. "I'll talk to you Wednesday."

"OK," she mumbled and blinked as the phone call ended. Kaitlyn, he'd said, not gorgeous.

Shivering, Kaitlyn set the phone down and finished the dishes. Then she went to bed, pulling the covers over her fully clothed body.

Alex lay on his hotel room bed the afternoon before the game in Detroit and wondered what he'd been thinking. After talking to Kaitlyn on Sunday night, he'd been unable to sleep. It led to a sloppy practice the following day and a second restless sleep on Monday night. Now it was Tuesday, and he couldn't seem to get his mind to settle enough to nap before the game. On the bed across from him, his roommate, Cory, was out cold.

He never has a problem sleeping, Alex thought jealously. Probably because he's married and doesn't worry about her never speaking to him again.

He'd sensed right away when Kaitlyn had answered the phone on Sunday night that something was wrong. He wasn't sure if she was upset with him, or if she'd just had a horrible day. After snapping at him a bit, she'd apologized and then said they shouldn't be changing their lives to include each other.

Oh, those hadn't been her exact words but that's what Alex had come away from the conversation with.

A full day and a half later, he felt like an idiot. He felt like an even bigger idiot for suggesting they not speak until Wednesday.

How could I have thought I could go that long without talking to her? he wondered, clenching his jaw and glaring at the ceiling. Talking to her had become such an important part of his daily routine that he honestly didn't know how to fill the time now. Not that they'd ever talked for hours on end, but twenty minutes, even five, was enough to let her calming influence work on him and he'd been able to face anything after that.

Now, he was filled with doubt and regret. He wondered if she'd realized she didn't like him being out of town and that's why she'd snapped. Maybe she didn't like waiting for his call and said those things so she could start to distance herself. He'd never suspected her of being that sort of woman, but they had known each other just a few weeks, after all.

Shaking his head, Alex rolled over and hugged a pillow between his arms, closing his eyes. They might not have known each other for very long, but he knew it was enough. They'd both been tired the other night and maybe being apart from each other had allowed some doubts to creep in. He would just have to get over his hurt and apologize to Kaitlyn for his reaction.

She was just trying to be honest with me and I bit her head off, he thought, cringing when he recalled his words. She'd been instantly apologetic and before they'd hung up, he'd been able to hear the tremor in her voice. That made him feel like the biggest jackass on the planet.

The team flew back to Calgary late on Tuesday night and Alex barely slept once he got back to his empty house. After tossing and turning for an hour, he'd fallen into a fitful sleep, dreaming of Kaitlyn running circles around him. In the morning, he got up and dialed Kaitlyn's number. She didn't answer and Alex considered calling the bookstore to track her down.

A glance at the clock told him he had limited time before he had to leave for practice, so he decided to just try calling her again when he got home. He couldn't even wait that long; he tried calling her the second he walked out of the locker room at the Saddledome. This time she answered her phone at home.

"Hello?" She sounded out of breath.

"Kaitlyn, I'm so glad you're home," he replied and quickened his pace through the building. He was in a hurry now to get to his car and get to Kaitlyn's apartment.

"Alex?" she replied, sounding startled to hear from him.

He laughed as he swung a door open and started jogging across the parking lot. "You were expecting someone else?"

"No, I... I just didn't think you'd call," she said, her voice dropping low.

Alex's pace slowed and his stomach tensed. "I told you I would."

"I know."

They fell silent. It had never felt this awkward between them, even when Joel and Julia had invited themselves to dinner at Kaitlyn's house that one time.

"Can I come over?" Alex blurted, begging her silently to say yes.

"Sure," she whispered and Alex broke into a sprint, reaching his car in seconds.

"Great. I'm just leaving the 'dome," he told her. "I'll see you in fifteen minutes."

She laughed and Alex's heart lifted. "Don't you dare. It's the middle of the day and there's no way you can make it here in that amount of time without breaking numerous laws."

Grinning, Alex pulled his keys out and got in his car. "I'll see you soon, gorgeous."

They ended the call and Alex took off. He wasn't sure if he broke any traffic laws and it did end up taking him longer than he thought to reach Kaitlyn's apartment. He went back and forth between panic and worry on the drive, wondering if he'd screw this conversation up like he had the last time.

At Kaitlyn's building, she buzzed him in right away and he took the stairs, leaping over them two at a time, instead of waiting for the elevator. Kaitlyn was standing in her doorway, arms crossed over her stomach, when he reached her floor. He didn't stop, running down the hallway and sweeping her up into his arms.

She didn't pull away and Alex dropped his head, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "God, I missed you," he mumbled, breathing her in.

She laughed and her arms went around his shoulders. "Me too." She tried to pull away but Alex wasn't about to let her go. "Alex, you mind if we take this inside? I have a few nosy neighbors."

Alex released her just enough so that they could walk into her apartment. Then she led him into the living room where he pulled her close again. He kissed her all over her face before finding her lips. She hugged him back, rising onto her toes and returning his kiss for all she was worth. Groaning, Alex fisted his hands in her shirt and lifted her right off her feet as he devoured her.

I don't want to go another moment without this, he thought.

Eventually, he drew back, looking down into her face and smiling at the dazed look in her eyes. She met his gaze and blushed.

"I thought you'd still be mad at me," she whispered.

Alex put his palm to her warm cheek and shook his head. "I could never stay mad at you."

"I'm glad," she replied and drew in a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, Alex."

"No, I'm sorry," he said. "You were just trying to be honest and I was a total jerk."

She shook her head. "I shouldn't have said what I did." Her fingers squeezed his biceps and she looked earnestly into his eyes. "I don't want you to think I don't want you in my life. I don't care how much I have to rearrange to see you. I want to."

"I was stupid and thought you were trying to let me down easy," he confessed with a sheepish smile. It was remarkable how foolish his reaction had been. Standing there, his arms around Kaitlyn, her green eyes shining so brilliantly at him, he couldn't believe he'd thought she didn't want to be around him.

"I wasn't!" she exclaimed.

"I know that now," he assured her, brushing his thumb across her cheek.

"I just had a bad day and I shouldn't have snapped at you," she went on. "This girl at the store, she said she was disappointed I'd become one of those women who dropped everything for some guy."

Alex's eyes widened. He knew Kaitlyn well enough to know that she was the last woman who would ever do that. He could well understand why she'd been so snappy when he'd called Sunday night.

"I worried that I'd become that type of woman too," Kaitlyn confessed and smiled. "Then I realized I was being stupid. I wasn't like that, and even if I was-" she paused and gave a cute little half-shrug "-so what?"

"So what?" Alex echoed with a chuckle.

"Yeah. You're the only guy I've ever wanted to drop everything for."

"Kaitlyn, I don't want you to have to give anything up for me," he told her, pulling her close.

She gave him a sexy smile that had his blood pumping hard through his body. "That's exactly why I want to."

He swallowed, feeling her move against his body and wondering if she could feel how excited she made him. Her eyelashes lowered and she dropped her eyes for a second before meeting his gaze again. Now her expression was definitely naughty and Alex opened and closed his mouth a few times before he managed actual words.

"Well... good." Yes, a regular Casanova, he was.

He felt his face heating up at his inane response but Kaitlyn let out giggle and pulled his head close for a kiss.

For several long minutes, he lost himself in the kiss. She was so warm in his arms, so soft and pliable. Her fingers were teasing the hair at the back of his head and he was growing harder by the second. She pushed her hips against him and he clutched her waist with a groan, breaking their kiss.

"I have something to say," he announced, not surprised when his voice was rough.

"So say it," she replied breathlessly and pressed a hot kiss to his cheek. Then she slid her lips over his skin until she was nibbling a trail from his ear to his chin.

"Christ, Kaitlyn," he groaned, his eyes sliding shut.

"Hurry up and say what you want to say," she whispered, her warm breath now stroking the open space at the collar of his shirt.

Say? he thought, his mind cloudy. He couldn't remember wanting to say anything. All he was aware of was Kaitlyn's soft body moving against his, her tongue lapping along his collarbone, her little fingers parting his jacket and the buttons of his shirt underneath.

"Kaitlyn," he murmured, running his palm up her back. He grinned at her shudder and repeated the motion, chuckling darkly when she added a tiny sound the second time.

"Call me gorgeous," she replied, tilting her head back. As she met his gaze, her fingers continued to work the buttons of his shirt. While he drank in the sight of her dark eyes, she parted his shirt and flattened her palm against his chest.

"You have no idea what you do to me," he whispered, touching her flushed cheek. "Gorgeous," he added in a growl.

She sucked in a breath and Alex watched in fascination as her pupils shot wide, taking over nearly every speck of green in her eyes. Then he was lifting her off her feet, his arms snug around her waist.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Taking you to bed," he replied and held his lips just over hers when he added, "gorgeous."

Her delighted shiver tingled through both of them and Alex grinned. He walked them into her bedroom and laid her down, pausing just long enough to pull his jacket and shirt off. She bit her lip at the sight of his exposed chest and, though he didn't quite understand her fascination with it, he gave her the room to run her palms over his chest and down his stomach. While she was occupied with that, he grabbed her shirt at the stomach and pulled it from her pants.

"Alex," she breathed his name and laughed when he yanked the shirt up until it was covering her face. A moment later, they were facing each other again, and Alex drank in the sight of her brilliant smile. "Weren't you going to tell me something?"

"Was I?" Alex blinked, trying to recall. They'd both apologized for assuming things the other had said, and kissed soundly to make up. He didn't think he'd left anything out.

Under him, Kaitlyn squirmed, her hands sliding back up his chest to circle his arms. He glanced down and watched her eyes flicker over his shoulders and up his neck until she was looking into his face.

"Did I tell you I'm sorry?" he asked.

She nodded solemnly, her fingers stroking the outside of his arms.

"Did I tell you I never want to go that long without seeing you again?"

She started to nod but stopped herself, a rueful smile crossing her face. "Alex, you travel for work. We'll be apart again; soon, in fact."

Alex scowled and rolled to her side, propping his head on his upturned hand. Kaitlyn turned her head to look at him, letting her hands relax against her bared abdomen. "I know," he said. "OK. I don't want to go that long without talking to you again."

She grinned. "Three days? You can't go three days without talking to me?"

He shook his head and leaned down to brush a kiss across her lips. "I can't go three days without seeing you, but since my hands are tied on that one, I will settle for a daily phone sex call."

Kaitlyn burst into laughter and he grinned, watching her. She was so beautiful it made his chest ache.

"Phone sex? You didn't mention that before," she said, grinning up at him. Then, before he could say anything, she rolled them, climbing over top of him.

He rested his head against her pillows, taking in the heart-stopping view above him. Giving him a saucy wink, Kaitlyn reached behind her and undid the clasp of her bra. Exhaling through clenched teeth, Alex reached for her, circling her breasts adoringly and closing his fingers over her taut nipples. She sighed and relaxed into his hands while her lower body shifted and he felt her fingers sliding over his stomach towards his pants a second later.

Alex countered by unsnapping her jeans at the same time. She cocked an eyebrow at him and moved her body again, just enough so that she could wriggle her hand into his pants. He gasped and tried to undo her zipper to do the same, but she was quicker. He dropped his head to the pillows and groaned as she circled his engorged flesh with her hand.

With a giggle, Kaitlyn stroked him, somehow managing to work his pants lower over his hips. Coming back to himself, Alex lifted his head and grasped her hips. He rolled them, his weight and height no match for Kaitlyn's feeble protests. With her on her back again, he yanked her pants and underwear roughly, stripping her naked in seconds.

"No fair," she pouted playfully and tried to reach for his jeans.

He swatted her hands away and shucked his jeans and boxers off. Then he rolled over her, parting her legs with his thigh and kissing her lips. She moaned into his mouth and he pushed his tongue inside, his mind spinning at her taste. It had only been a few days since they'd been naked together and he hadn't forgotten how she opened so sweetly for him; how amazing she tasted and how wet she got under his touch.

Hungry for her, Alex kissed her deeply, stroking her sides and drinking in her sounds of pleasure. He worked his finger between her legs, stroking her damp heat and making her press her head back against the bed with a strangled cry. As she bucked against his hand, Alex kissed her throat, licking the jumping pulse point under her chin. He moved over her and sank deep inside her body as he clamped his mouth down on her neck.

The mark he'd made there before had faded and as their bodies began to rock together, pushing and pulling in a devastating rhythm, Alex wanted to mark her again. It was such a base, male thing to want to do but it made him feel better about having to leave her again in a few days. So he sucked on her skin, made love to her body and growled when her nails raked fresh trails across his back.

Lifting his head, he brushed her hair off her face and watched her. Her eyes fluttered open after a second, as if she could feel his gaze on her. She smiled, her face flushed with color and her lips swollen from his kisses. He ground against her with his next thrust, giving her a wicked grin when she moaned. Lowering his head, he kissed her mouth, teasing her lips apart with his tongue and sliding inside.

She was sweet and hot and fit so snugly around him. Alex groaned as he felt her muscles squeeze him, her grip on his shoulders one step short of painful. Not that he cared; he loved to draw this response from her. He loved to see her arching under him, drinking in his kisses and coming apart around him. He was so tuned into her at that moment, so entranced by her, that he came with her, sliding over the edge with a cry.

Some time later, they lay silently together, tangled in a heap on her small bed and Alex dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder. She shivered and he increased the strength of his hold, smiling against her skin when she shivered again.

"I don't know if I ever agreed to the phone sex thing," Kaitlyn announced out of the blue a second later.

Her words made Alex laugh and he propped himself up on one elbow so he could look down into her face. She was grinning impishly at him, her eyes dancing. "You won't do it then?" he asked.

"I didn't say that," she replied, running her soft palm up his arm until she was cupping his face. "I just don't want you thinking you can tell me what to do."

"Never. You're the one in charge, gorgeous."

His endearment made her shiver again and her lashes dropped low over her eyes. Alex grinned and traced the line of her lips in the silence that followed.

"I don't want to be in charge," she said a moment later.

Alex's eyebrows shot up. "No?"

"No." Her eyes opened wide again. Her expression was serious but a gentle smile still curved her lips. "I want us to be equally crazy for each other."

Alex chuckled and moved his hand so he was holding her head and stroking her jaw with his thumb. "I think I'm way past being just plain crazy for you," he confessed, his heart thudding hard once against his ribs before stuttering to a regular beat again.

Kaitlyn flushed at his words and looked away.

"Don't be embarrassed, gorgeous," he murmured, bending low and kissing her cheek. "I know it's fast but it all just feels right, somehow."

Kaitlyn brought her head back around to look at him. "I'm not embarrassed, Alex. I agree with you." She shook her head, some of her dark hair brushing his chest. "It's weird... but not weird. Do you know what I mean?"

Alex chuckled and nodded. He kissed her cheek again, letting his lips linger a moment longer than before. "I know exactly what you mean, gorgeous."

She shuddered and closed her eyes. "You know I love it when you call me that."

"I know."

A pause.

"You know I love to hear you make sense of this, of us?" Alex whispered, his voice catching.

Her eyes flew open. Alex stared at her, the world around them fading as a roaring sounded in his ears. Then she parted her lips to respond to him and every word was sweet and made him feel like the luckiest man in the world.

"You know I love everything about you?"

Alex kissed her. He kissed her long and hard and made love to her until they both saw stars. Then he pressed his face to her neck, breathing in her sweet, feminine scent - his favorite thing in the world to do.

"I love you, too, gorgeous" he whispered, his lips curving into a grin when she trembled.
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