8. Hunter

Tyler stiffened and retracted his hand, which made me turn to face him. Those gorgeous eyes of his had suddenly lost the lustful gaze that had my balls tightening with need moments before. My heart broke when I saw what replaced it: fear. I flipped through our conversation, trying to figure out what it was that triggered him. Then, like a bell going off, it hit: Kinsley. He feared being in bed with Kinsley. I paused, assessing him. Two moments ago, I was on cloud nine. Tyler chose to spend the night with me despite me brooding over Cal getting his undivided attention. The realization that he was more like me than I thought had my blood rushing south. Then, he was shivering under my touch, eyes dilating at the thought of a secret rendezvous with me—and I had never been more turned on in my life. Something made me think this was his first time, which only made me hotter. But now? The idea of going up to a woman, which arguably should be the least scary part of that scenario, had him looking like he was about to encounter a wild animal.

"I, uh, I think I'm going to try and get home." Tyler began to back away, eyes darting from me to my bedroom door.

I frowned and shook my head, crowding into his space on the small staircase. I know the team called it a night. Those who hadn't made it to their bedrooms crashed on the couch, so in that moment it was just the two of us. His eyes darted to my lips, then back to my eyes, his dark lashes sweeping his cheekbones. My dick throbbed as if that gaze owned me. Which wasn't the idea: I needed to own him, yet this sudden vulnerability had me doing a total one eighty. I would take anything he'd give me in that moment.

"You don't have to touch Kinsley, she doesn't have to touch you. She can just watch… or I can send her away." I watched as his eyes shifted, and I felt a pang in my gut.

Was he scared of women?

I began to wonder what happened to make him that way, and my instincts kicked in. They were protective, primal—completely unfamiliar to me. I wanted to tell myself that it was because he was my teammate, we were supposed to have each other's backs—but I knew I was kidding myself. It was because it was him...

"Hunt…" His whisper hit my lips and I sighed, pressing my forehead to his and taking in a deep breath. The rich, earthy tones that were all Tyler mixed with the smoke from the fire and the sweetness of the whiskey he'd been drinking. I was drunk on that alone. I was dying to know what his skin felt like under my fingers.

"As I said, you make the rules. If it's too much, tell me. That includes Kins, okay?" His audible gulp betrayed his nerves, adding an adorable touch to the air. This guy, normally oozing with confidence turned into someone I hardly recognized—but that I adored just the same. His gaze pierced through those dark lashes, pupils dilated as if hungry to devour the sight of me. However it was still edged with vulnerability, so I knew I had to tread lightly.

I took another step closer, bringing our bodies together. Electricity crackled between us, his hard length finding mine. I was fascinated with how responsive he was. His lust-filled eyes fluttered shut at the slightest touch. His confidence mixed with vulnerability in the way he bit his bottom lip, creating an intoxicating blend that made him even more irresistible.

"Let me look after you, baby." I let my whisper fall over his lips. He nodded his head against mine, so I reclaimed his hand and began leading him to my room on the third floor. I shook off the thought of how perfectly his hand fit in mine Tyler held onto my hand like it was a lifeline and I loved it.

On the ice, we worked together in a synchronized dance, each knowing the other's move before it was made. I was dying to see if that chemistry translated to the bedroom.

Kinsley lay on my bed naked and warming herself up. Damn, she was hot—a fucking wet dream. She looked up with lustful eyes. I could see she was just as attracted to Tyler as I was. But she sure as hell was excited to see what had me so riled up. After seeing him with Cal, we both were eager to see if he would be our third for the night.

"His rules tonight Kins, he wants me." Kinsley didn't look upset. If anything, it turned her on even more. There was something we both wanted, something we hadn't checked off our list, but I wasn't sure if my baby was ready for that yet. Kinsley nodded, reading me like only she could before leaning back against the headboard and sliding her hand between her thighs.

Tyler looked her over, mouth slightly agape, but his eyes had lost that heat once again, as if the sight of her had him questioning his decision. I hooked a finger under his chin, redirecting his attention to me. He was shorter than me, looking up through thick, beautiful lashes. My thumb ran over his fuller bottom lip and he trembled. My dick was painfully hard against my zipper. I leaned in, brushing our noses together.

"Can I kiss you?"

Lust returned with a vengeance and without an answer, Tyler took control. With that same confidence he had on the ice, he speared his fingers through my hair, clenching hard enough to make it sting just the right way, His mouth crashed against mine and he sucked the breath right out of me. I'd kissed a lot of people before—men and women—but this, this was something else.

Tyler Riley was like an animal that was finally let out of his cage. His lips tasted like whiskey and pure man. His teeth tugged my bottom lip, commanding more. I groaned, reaching around to grip that tight-toned ass in my hands. I'd spent what felt like an eternity looking at it, trying to get a glimpse, but my Aussie was shy. Though a peek in the locker rooms could never hold up to how it felt in my hands. Hard, perky… and fucking perfect.