Mature The Ice, The Game, The Touch

Sean moved up to the cashier and ordered his drink from the Starbucks employee. Then he wandered down towards the end of the counter to wait for his coffee. As he stood there, he listened to the light chatter around the coffee shop and glanced up as the door dinged with each opening. After he received his drink, he turned to leave and stopped dead in his tracks.

There, just inside the door was Amelia, clutching her laptop case to her side and staring at him with wide eyes.

Neither of them moved for several long seconds, and it seemed to Sean that the rest of the customers in the store just faded away. His blood was roaring in his ears and his stomach was in knots.

Then her face relaxed into a little smile and Sean felt his heart stutter to life again. He walked over and she was still smiling up at him as he moved closer. Together they carefully moved out of the way of people coming and going through the door.

"You know," she was the first to speak, a pretty blush staining her cheeks as she did. "I'm beginning to think you are a stalker."

He chuckled and nodded. "I could say the same thing about you, Amelia."

"Well, you already know that I'm from Canada and I love hockey."

"You know the same about me," he added.

They fell silent, just smiling at each other.

"So I guess you're here for the game?" she said after a moment and then frowned. "God, I sound like an idiot. Of course you're here for the game. Why else?"

Sean grinned. "Are you here for the game, Amelia?"

She blushed an even deeper shade of red. It was all Sean could do to keep from pulling her close and kissing every inch of her rosy face.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't aware of the fact that you'd be in town now," she replied.

His heart leapt at her words. His eyes flicked from her face to the tables nearby and he set his coffee down on one of the empty ones. When he turned back to look at her, she had a strange expression on her face. Their eyes met and she smiled, making Sean certain about his next move.

With his hands free of his drink, he moved closer and wrapped his arms around her waist. She exhaled sharply as he took hold of her and he considered that a good sign. It didn't hurt that she wasn't kneeing him in the crotch either.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you," he confessed.

"No?" she replied breathlessly, looking up into his face.

"No, and I don't want to stop thinking about you. In fact, I want to think about you more."

She laughed and shook her head. "Shouldn't you be at practice or something?"

"The game isn't until tomorrow night," he replied. "Are you pretending to not know that much?"

"I don't..." she started then stopped and shook her head. "Sean, I-"

"I've got my entire afternoon free," he interrupted before she could say anything else. "I could sit with you here while you write or we could go somewhere; go see a movie or something. I just want to spend some time with you, Amelia."

She stared at him, her face unreadable. Her eyes shone at him and it gave Sean hope that she wasn't going to reject him outright. Then she smiled.

"I don't want to go see a movie," she said.

"Then we'll stay here..." he began but she was shaking her head before he could finish.

"I don't want to stay here either," she said and readjusted the strap of her laptop case over her shoulder.

"Uh... OK," Sean replied, feeling lost. Was this her roundabout way of turning him down?

"My hotel is just around the corner," she said.

"Your hotel?" Sean echoed, feeling his heart begin to pound furiously in his chest. She couldn't be saying what he thought she was saying, could she?

She grinned and Sean's blood began to travel down through his body, making him hard almost instantly.

"Unless you have some objection to that, young man?" she said and turned to leave, extricating herself from his arms.

"Not at all, ma'am," he replied, darting out of the coffee shop after her.

When Amelia had set out that morning, she hadn't expected to see Sean, no matter how much she wanted to. Ever since arriving in Tampa, she'd been thinking about Sean, wondering how his games were going since she was refusing to watch him play. After that night in Raleigh, she'd watched one or two of his games, lusted after his body as he rushed around the ice, scoring goals, and she'd decided she shouldn't keep torturing herself. So she'd stopped watching his team play.

Then she'd walked into the Starbucks that morning and his familiar outline had been in front of her; broad shoulders, long, well-defined legs, dark hair curling at the back of his head. And a wide grin that she knew was for her alone.

In that moment, she was done fighting. She'd decided before either one of them spoke two words that she wanted to invite him back to her hotel room.

He grabbed her hand as they hurried along the sidewalk, walking briskly away from the Starbucks. She loved the feeling of his large hand closing around her fingers and she turned her hand in his, sliding their palms together. She shivered as he gave her a firm squeeze and picked up the pace.

Laughing, she pulled back on his hand. "My legs are shorter than yours Sean," she reminded him. "I'm nowhere near the same physical condition as you."

He turned his head and grinned down at her, making her stomach flip. How could he do that? Look so young and yet so appetizing?

"What hotel are you staying in?" he asked.

She told him and shrieked in surprise when he reached down to pick her up and sling her over his shoulder.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded around her laughter. "Put me down! People are staring!" She could at least be grateful that they were in Tampa, a city that perhaps didn't care about visiting hockey players.
Instead of answering her, he addressed the people on the sidewalk who were giving them curious looks. "It's all right," he assured them with a wave of his free hand. "We're engaged! We haven't seen each other in a while."

Amelia laughed and continued to bat him weakly on the shoulder until they reached her hotel. He set her down on her feet before they entered but before he released her, he cupped her face in his hands and pulled her close for a kiss. Her insides melted and her knees went weak instantly as his soft lips closed on her mouth. Sighing, she clutched his biceps and opened her mouth.

His arms went around her shoulders and hauled her right up against his body. She felt the heat of his erection pressing into her abdomen and shivered at the sensation. She felt such relief knowing that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, breathing hard. She smiled at him and laughed when his fingers tightened their hold.

"I think we should get off the street," he suggested, his voice husky.

Amelia had to agree. They calmly separated and she took his hand, leading him into the hotel. They rode the elevator with a family of five up to her floor and she hustled Sean down the hallway to her room, leaving the family in the elevator. As she fumbled in her bag for the key card, Sean closed in behind her, putting his big hands on her hips and drawing her body back against his. She dropped the key.

"Oh God," she muttered as she pressed her palms against the door and rested her head on his chest.

He lowered his head and nuzzled her neck, sliding his lips from her shoulder to her ear. Drawing her ear lobe between his lips, he sucked on it and she shuddered, her hands closing into fists.

"I... I dropped the key," she whispered.

He chuckled, the deep sound rumbling from his chest and reverberating throughout her body. "Then I guess you'd better bend over and get it."

She laughed breathlessly and shook her head. Sean gripped her by the hips and spun her around, pushing her back against the door and pressing his lips to hers. She moaned into his mouth, savoring the delicious, masculine taste of him. He kissed her hard, with fierce intensity and she was helpless in his arms. After what felt like hours, he drew back and kissed her once more before stepping back so she could lean down to retrieve the key.

She scooped it up quickly and turned away from him so she could focus long enough to slide the key into the lock. The little light turned green and she twisted the door handle just as Sean pressed into her from behind. They both tumbled into the room with a few quick, stumbling steps and Sean caught her up in his arms as she dropped her bag on the floor.

She surrendered to this desire roaring through her body and wound her arms around his neck, delighting in the feel of his silky dark hair sliding through her fingers. He was kissing her face while his hands roamed over her body, tugging at her clothes. He spun them around and pressed her up against the door. Amelia was more than willing to let him take the lead here and she smiled as he dropped his head to kiss her throat.

All the while, his hands worked at her clothes, pulling her light cotton shirt over her head and pausing to take in the sight of her bra-covered breasts. He drew one hand from her back and lifted it to cup one breast in his palm. Amelia felt her heart pounding in her chest and clung to his shoulders as he lowered his head to plant moist kisses all along her collar bone. Then she felt his fingers sliding up one bra strap, slowly pushing until it hung limply along her arm. She shivered again as he did the same to her other strap and he followed the move with a hot kiss to her collar bone.

Suddenly she wanted to see him without his shirt. It was only fair, after all.

Reaching behind him, she yanked at the bottom of his shirt, pulling it from his pants. Then she moved her hands back around and started fumbling with the buttons on the front. She growled in frustration when another button slipped from her grasp. Laughing, Sean stopped her hands with his. He leaned down to capture her lips with his before leaning back and yanking the shirt off over his head.

Amelia sighed at the sight of his broad, smooth chest revealed to her. She dropped her hands to his chest and ran her palms over the muscles as they rippled with each move he made. He just stood there, letting her touch him. She lifted her head and looked into his eyes, dark with desire. As they stared at each other, Amelia lowered her hands over his chest, across his stomach and stopped at the waist of his jeans. She bit her lip as she released the button on his jeans and tried to push them over his hips.

With a groan, Sean lifted her up off her feet, holding her against the door. She gasped and tilted her head back as he rained kissed on her lips, her closed eyelids and her neck. She lifted one leg and wrapped it around his hip, bringing his hard length right up against her hot center. They both moaned at the contact.

Sean released her hips while she clung to him, and his hands went to the waist of her pants, hurriedly releasing the catch at the top of her zipper. She lowered her feet to the floor as Sean shoved at her pants. He pushed them down over her hips before hooking his fingers in the edges of her panties. She shuddered and shifted to lay her hands over his. His hazel eyes lifted to hers and he grinned, his entire face dissolving into that youthful expression that she adored. Smiling, she placed one palm against his cheek and held her breath as he slid her underwear down her legs. His eyes skipped away from hers and she felt him catch his breath as he saw her exposed. Well, mostly exposed.

As though remembering at the same time, he dragged his hands back up to her breasts and pushed up the cups of her bra. Her breasts fell into his waiting hands and she sighed happily when he dropped his head to close his lips around one erect nipple. She brought her hands up and tangled her fingers in his hair, holding him to her.

He lifted her off her feet again and this time, she wrapped both her legs around his waist, reveling in the heated weight she felt brush against her wet core. She held him around his broad shoulders as he reached between them, fumbling at his pants. She wanted to reach down and help but she was useless; a weak, overheated mess in his arms.

He didn't need her help anyway. Before she could suck in another breath, he drew his erection out of his pants and slid the head of his cock against her wet lips. She jerked her hips against him, panting for air. He responded, driving himself up and inside of her.

They groaned together, shuddering in each other's arms. Then Sean drew back and pushed into her again. He cupped her bottom and held her against him as he thrust again. And again.

Amelia turned her head as she pressed a palm to his cheek, drawing their mouths together. His tongue stroked hers in time with his body stroking her below and she drew him in, meeting his thrusting tongue and body with her own. It was a heady feeling, having this strong, virile young man pounding his body into her.

He pushed again and again, holding her up with his arms and his entire body. She ran her hands through his hair and over his shoulders, shivering as she felt the muscles bunching and sliding beneath the smooth skin. It was the most erotic moment she'd ever experienced.

Then her orgasm rushed through her body, making her toss her head back against the door and cry out loud. Her nails dug into his shoulders and he grunted, still driving into her with the same force. A minute later, she felt his body tensing around hers and he was seeking her lips again. She sighed at the silky feeling of his tongue tangling with hers and held him close when she felt him convulse.

It was several more minutes before either of them moved and when Sean set her back on her feet, Amelia didn't think she had strength to stand on her own. She needn't have worried; Sean scooped her into his arms and carried her into the room, laying her down on the king-sized bed.

He bent over her, kissing her tenderly and stroking her flushed cheek with his fingertips. Then he pulled back and smiled down at her, his hazel eyes looking sleepy. She smiled back and grimaced when she felt her bra digging uncomfortably into her skin. Laughing, Sean tried to help her but he couldn't manage to work the clasp.

"It's too small," he muttered as he succeeded only in snapping it against her back twice.

"Here," Amelia said and pulled it off over her head. She tossed it to the floor and reached for Sean again. "Now I think you need to catch up in the nudity department."

He happily obliged, shedding his pants and underwear before burrowing under the covers. He drew her close to his body and held her there, kissing her face all over until she drifted off to sleep.

While he hadn't started the day well, Sean certainly never expected to end up in a hotel room, with the woman who'd been haunting his every thought, naked and cuddled against him. His body reacted instantly as he recalled the very fast, very hot sex they'd had less than an hour before against the door. He swallowed and pressed a light kiss to her forehead instead of hauling her under him to repeat the entire process again.

God, she was gorgeous. Her face was still flushed high in her cheeks and he wanted to lick every bit of her. That first time had been over way too fast. He cringed inwardly, wondering what she thought of him for that. He could do better; he knew he could. The thought had him tightening his arms around her, silently willing her to wake up so he could prove it to her.

She murmured something and rolled against him, her silken thigh brushing against his hardening cock and he bit back a groan. Her dark lashes fluttered open and he smiled into her cloudy emerald eyes.

"Oh no, how long was I asleep?" she asked, her voice husky.

"Not long," he assured her, dropping a kiss onto her lips that he intended to keep brief.

But she slipped her hand behind his head and trapped him there, kissing her, her tongue sliding so lazily, so sweetly against his. He relented, reaching under her and pushing his palm down her back until he was stroking the gentle curve of her perfect ass. He felt her smile against his lips and pulled back enough so that he could look into her face again.

"Did you sleep?" she asked after pressing another light kiss to his lips.

He shook his head. "No. I just like feeling you here in my arms."

She groaned and lifted a hand to cover her face. He chuckled and tugged gently at her arm until she looked at him again, a fresh blush on her pretty face.

"Don't tell me you're shy now? Not after what we just did?"

She laughed and moved her hand from her face to swat him on the shoulder. "I can't believe we just did that."

"No? It's all I've been able to think about since I met you," he confessed.

Laughing again, she shifted in his arms, propping herself up. "Of course it was. You're twenty-one years old! And a hockey player to boot."

He frowned. "What does that have to do with it?"

"Oh come on, Sean," she said. "You guys aren't exactly known for having innocent relationships with women you meet on the road."

"Well, those are mostly rumors," he replied, feeling some of his desire fade at her words. They stung him and he didn't like how that felt. "Anyway, I'm not like that."

She studied his face quietly for a moment, a tentative smile on her lips. "I'm sorry, Sean. I didn't mean that you do this sort of thing in every city."

"What did you mean?" he asked, wondering if his tone was too sharp.

"I just meant that..." she started but stopped and shook her head, moving away from him. "I think this might have been a mistake," she said then as she rose to her feet, leaving him alone in the bed.

Her words took a second to sink in but he sat bolt upright in bed a second later, staring at her. "What? You thought this was a mistake?"

"Yes," she replied, not looking at him.

Sean scowled and tossed the bed covers back as he got to his feet. "Then why the hell did you bring me here?"

She did face him then, giving him a lost look and he immediately felt like an ass for snapping at her. "I like you, Sean," she replied quietly. "But you're still too young and I'm too old. That's why this was a mistake. Oh, and not to mention that you're an international celebrity."

God, how he hated that label.

"I'm a hockey player," he grumbled and began to gather his clothes. "I don't care about how old you are, even if you refuse to tell me your age."

Amelia said nothing as he hurriedly dressed himself. When he looked over at her again, she'd donned a hotel robe and was watching him with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Would you like to come to the game tomorrow night?" he asked.

She bit her lip and looked away. Sean's heart sank. "I don't think that would be a good idea, Sean."

"I thought you lived for hockey," he tried again, smiling half-heartedly. "You're a true Canadian girl and grew up with it."

"I do love hockey and I know you do, which is why you need to focus," she answered, turning away and pacing across the hotel room. "I'm no good for you, Sean. I'm just an older woman with a hell of a lot of baggage."

Frowning, Sean walked over to her and grabbed her shoulders. "I don't care how old you are," he repeated. "I may be younger than you but I'm man enough to know what I want. I want you; I have since I first met you. That's why I don't regret a single moment we shared here."

With that, he let her go and stalked to the hotel room door. He stopped just short of leaving and fished something out of his jacket pocket. Turning back into the room, he dropped the VIP pass on the desk and gave her one more searching look before leaving her alone in the room.

The next twenty-four hours were pure torture for Sean. After leaving Amelia, he returned to the hotel where the team was staying. His teammates razzed him about where he'd been for the past few hours and he endured it with a smile, trying not to let them see how their good-natured speculation cut at him. Later that night, he even went for drinks with some of the guys and shouted at the football game being shown on the big screens.

The next morning at practice, he wasn't feeling the ice beneath his skates and Coach yelled at him when he lost control of the puck yet again. He was lectured at length about keeping his head in the game and he nodded, knowing he deserved it and hating that Amelia had been right. She was distracting him.

As captain, he had an important job to do and later that day at their warm up skate, he proved to the coach and the other players that he was focused on the game. He pushed all thoughts of Amelia out of his mind and rediscovered the feeling of the ice and the tap of the puck against his stick.

When Sean first left her alone in her hotel room, Amelia didn't know what to do. Her body was still very much turned on by their lovemaking and her mind was muddled by thoughts of him lying naked with her. Sighing heavily, she walked over and picked up the VIP pass he'd left on the table for her. It was for the game tomorrow night and she guessed that he'd only left it as a friendly gesture; not because he wanted to see her there.

"I'm such an idiot," she muttered to herself as she tossed the pass back on the table and stalked into the washroom to take a shower.

Once inside the washroom, she felt reluctant to wash his scent from her skin. It had been such an intense encounter, one that she never would have expected from him. Or from her, if she was being completely honest with herself.

It had been a long time since any man had worked his way under her skin like Sean had and she was so confused because of it. She'd never expected to meet a man in her winter travels and she'd never thought she'd actually fall for someone.

That thought ripped through her and left her feeling breathless.

Had she fallen for him? They hardly knew each other. A couple flirty conversations and some amazing sex was all they had. And yet, Amelia couldn't shake the image of his face hovering over hers as he made fierce love to her.

She stared at herself in the bathroom mirror and smiled.

Well, she thought as she shrugged the robe off her body. There's no reason to pass up a free ticket to a hockey game.

She decided to shower after all.

The following night she made herself look as good as possible while still appearing casual. It was still just a sporting event, not a night at the opera, after all. She took a cab to the nearby Forum and walked inside.

Almost right away the atmosphere of the place invaded her senses. She smelled the beer mixed with the chill of the ice below. She watched in excited anticipation as the players took to the ice and found herself cheering maniacally for her team. Then she sat back in her seat and giggled behind her hand at the thought. My team indeed, she thought and shot to her feet again as her player scored another goal.

Later, her heart was still racing as the arena emptied of all the spectators. The box behind her emptied as well until only a few remained. Amelia began to wonder if Sean would come to the box. They'd lost the game, even with all his effort and skill, and Amelia didn't know if he'd care about coming to look for her.

Voices rose in the suite behind her and she glanced over her shoulder to see a few of the players on Sean's team wander in. She smiled and shrugged, telling herself that she might have blown it with Sean. Still, she waited in the seats out front of the box, quietly watching the Zamboni circle the ice below.

"Amelia?" Sean's deep voice broke into her silent reverie and every part of her froze except her pounding heart.

She turned her face until she could see Sean, freshly showered and messy hair tucked under a baseball cap as he walked hesitantly down the few steps to the seat she was sitting in. He looked entirely too delectable for his own damn good. Amelia looked away, biting her lower lip.

"I didn't think you'd come," he said and moved to sit down next to her.

"I didn't think I would either," she replied honestly, still not looking at him.

Neither of them said anything for a minute. Then Sean blew out a noisy breath and lifted his cap off to rub his hand through his damp hair.

"I could have picked a better game for you to see," he said, breaking the silence.

"It was a great game!" Amelia burst out, turning in her seat and catching hold of his hand as he lowered it from his head. "You were amazing. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time."

He glanced sideways at her, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. He turned his hand over so he could encase her fingers in his. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"I did," she breathed and leaned closer. "I enjoyed every moment."

"You still don't think it was a mistake?" he asked and she heard the touch of hurt in his voice. She hated herself for causing him any amount of pain.

"Oh, it was a mistake," she said as she gave his fingers a squeeze. "But it's a mistake I want to keep making until we get it right."

His head whipped around until his eyes were boring into hers. He looked so serious that Amelia thought he must have aged several years in the past twenty-four hours. Then he grinned that boyish, unbelievably sexy grin and Amelia sucked in a sharp breath.

"So you're over the age difference, ma'am?" he asked teasingly, leaning close enough that his warm breath tickled her lips.

"I am if you are, young man," she replied and leaned forward enough so that their lips were just touching.

He drew back after the slightest kiss. "If we're going to keep on making mistakes together, Amelia, I should probably know more about you."

"Like what?" she asked around a breathless laugh.

"Like your middle name?" he suggested, turning in the seat and reaching for her, hauling her over onto his lap.

She settled there comfortably and looped her arms around his neck. She gave her hips a little wriggle and was gratified by the responding swell beneath her thigh.

"It's Dawn," she told him. "Anything else?"

"Your favorite color?"

"Green," she replied and lifted a hand to cup his cheek as she pressed a light kiss to his lips. "Although I am partial to black and gold."

"Is that your subtle way of telling me you like gold jewelry?" he asked, widening his eyes in a too-innocent look.

She giggled, loving how it felt to be in his arms. "Take it as you will, Kid."

"One more question," he said after kissing her thoroughly. "Just how old are you?"

She scoffed at his question. "Old enough to know that gentlemen don't ask ladies what their ages are."

"Well, you're lucky then," he replied and his hand slid low down her back.

She moved against him, settling more firmly against the growing appendage under her hip. "Am I?"

"Yes. I'm not a gentleman," he said and pulled her head down so he could lick her lips tauntingly.

She moaned, forgetting his question altogether as his tongue sank into her mouth. His arms were snug around her and his chest was firm under her hands as she leaned into the kiss, delighting in his taste.

When at last he drew away, she felt light-headed.

"Will you tell me now?" he asked, his face still close enough that she felt his lips move against hers as he spoke.

"I'll tell you anything you want as long as you keep on kissing me like that," she replied huskily.

He chuckled, the deep sound delightful to her ears. "How old are you, Amelia? It's unfair that you know my stats when I don't know all yours."

She sighed and pulled back far enough so that she could look into his sparkling hazel eyes. "I'm thirty next July."

"Is that all? You're still young enough to enjoy it."

"Enjoy what?"

"What I'm going to do to you tonight," he replied with that sexy grin.

Her stomach flipped at his words and the darkening look in his eyes. "Just tonight?"

"Well, I'd like to repeat this 'mistake' as you call it every night but I don't want to force you to travel with the team," he told her. "Even though you would be the best looking hockey groupie there is."

Amelia rolled her eyes and pressed her hands to his chest to lever herself away from him. "Oh, you are such a sweet talker. It's a wonder you haven't already scored yourself a wife, Sean."

"I've just been saving myself," he told her and his tone was utterly sincere.

Amelia's heart melted a little bit more at his words and leaned into his chest with a sigh, tucking her head under his chin. He wrapped his arms around her and breathed deeply. She listened to the rhythm of his heart under her cheek and toyed with the sinewy forearm around her middle.

Should she take a chance like this and travel with the team so she could spend more time with him? There wasn't a simple answer, but then, this wasn't a simple situation. She had come to the game to see him. Didn't that mean she wanted to get to know him better as well?

Plus, there was all the free hockey games she'd be able to see.

Grinning, she tilted her head back and kissed the strong line of his jaw. "OK," she agreed.

He laughed and hugged her tightly. Then he dropped his chin and kissed her on the mouth, hotly, thoroughly.

Later, in her hotel room, they repeated their heated encounter from the day before, only this time, they did it in her giant bed.

It was hot, melting any ice Amelia had harbored inside herself, and the games faded into the distance, leaving them both free to simply touch one another, all over, all night long, for many, many nights.​