Chapter 6

SOPHIA

It was bad enough that I lost my keys, and my damn keychain, but being trapped inside an enclosed space speeding through the night with the man who haunted my damn dreams nearly had me at my limit for what I could handle.

That I was horny as hell and still pissed off about missing my ‘date' with Jacob only made me want to poke the bear in the driver's seat even more.

Good idea? Probably not. Fun? Hell yes.

I let out a long sigh.

Of course, Max Vaughn being the man he was, took the bait and asked, "Something else bothering you other than the music?"

I shifted, bringing my knee up so I could rest my chin on it and said, "Maybe."

"Maybe? Sounds like it's more than a maybe."

The corded muscles of his forearms flexed as he turned left, and my poor horny soul nearly swooned before I realized it. Eyes forward, Soph. Ignore the arm porn and stay on task. "Missing out on a hot date kinda makes a girl sad. Keys, song, date. All the disappointments." I ticked each one off a finger. "All dressed up and no one to take it all off for."

Max let out a sound that suspiciously reminded me of a growl.

"That's twice, Coach Grumpy Pants."

"Twice what?" he asked through gritted teeth.

I bit my lower lip before responding. "The growling thing. Parking lot and just now."

"I didn't growl."

I barked out a laugh. "Oh, you absolutely did. Twice. For no apparent reason."

The muscle in his jaw ticked, and not for the first time I wondered how far I could push him before he broke. Not that I wanted him to.

I didn't want anyone. At least, not anyone who could break my heart. Safe was better. And despite his ‘safety first' excuse, Max Vaugh was anything but safe.

Safe meant nothing broke, or shattered, or had to be put back together.

Safe meant meaningless fun without the risk of losing yourself.

Safe was the lumbersnack, who thought he was devastatingly handsome, hadn't fully pushed away the phantom of the night Max and I spent together. I doubt anything ever could. Which meant he was most definitely not safe or anyone I needed to let into my life. But he didn't need to know that. Playing with him, however?

Amusing enough. Maybe reckless. Definitely worth torturing him, for all the sleepless nights and dreams I woke up from, horny as fuck and wrapped up in my bed sheets from twisting and tossing and turning. A little revenge never hurt anyone.

Sometimes, poking the bear could be fun.

He ground out, "You're not taking anything off."

"Well, now I'm not. The poor man was tortured at practice by his tyrant of a coach. But," I said in a conspiring tone, as if we shared a secret, "I think the recovery time for someone his age is much better than someone…older?"

"I recovered just fine, Sunrise. Every time."

I nodded. "Yep. That was growl number three."

Max let out an exasperated sigh. "We're entering the post season. Tyrant or not, my job is to get us there."

"By cockblocking me?"

He parked the car in front of my building, hitting the brakes a little harder than he had to. Oddly fascinated, my eyes locked on the muscle in his jaw as it twitched, teeth grinding. Once. Twice. Mouth opened. Closed. "I didn't cockblock you, Sunrise."

And there it was again. Steal your heart, Sophia Elizabeth. No feels. Fun. All the fun. Remember the promise we made ourselves.

And now I'm talking to myself in third person.

Knee to my chest as I pivoted to stare him down, I asked, "Are you worried he's better than you, Max Vaughn?"

Eyes narrowed in on me, and suddenly, the air felt heavy, the inside of the car too small for his frame as he leaned closer. The scent of his cologne hit my senses, memories flooded like the teaser trailer of some steamy romance scene of a Hollywood blockbuster. One night, yet the memory replayed so many times in my head that I could remember every detail. In vivid technicolor.

"Nothing to worry about, little girl. Lie to yourself all you like. But I know your body. How you respond to me. Every gasp, moan, tremble…plea. No one else will ever know you like I do." Eyes that caught every change in my breathing and hell, probably noticed my pulse quickening at my damn neck.

Hear my ragged breaths or the pounding of my heart.

Dear God, it isn't like I'm Little Red Riding Hood, for fuck sake.

All the better to hear you with, my dear.

Sweet ever loving baby Jesus forgive me, for I have gone insane.

"Deny it, but we both know the truth. Even if you run from me, try to date someone else," he ground out, "or lie to me when your body screams the truth, I know. Understood, Sophia? And if my job is to make sure my team is ready for the playoffs and just so happens to remind you of that, then that's a win in both columns. For both of us."

Stunned and slightly speechless, I shifted, because damn him, the reminder flipped my switch. All my switches. Max gave me one last perusal down my body and back up as much as he could in the enclosed space, and climbed out.

Leaving me breathless, turned on, and lied to myself all over again

"Do not disappoint Daisy, Soph," Jules teased and cajoled. Minutes after I unlocked my apartment door, I jumped into the shower in an attempt to wash away any lingering Max-induced fantasies.

Spoiler alert. It didn't work. In fact, all that happened in that damn shower? The most intense self care session and an orgasm that rocked my damn core.

Literally. Ten minutes later, I dragged my knees wobbling booty out of the bathroom from where I collapsed on the shower bench. Face aflame and my head trying to convince my heart to not let anything Max said weasel its way inside.

My mind raced back to the moment Max found out his little sister, and my best friend, had been secretly seeing his rival for months.

I couldn't believe I just said that in front of everyone. To Max fucking Vaughn, the big brother of my best friend. Even if he was in the wrong about Kas' hit on the Pens goalie that started their damn rivalry. Especially since I saw the look in his eyes when he caught his baby sister kissing his former rival.

The low growl that came from him right before he backed down that no one else heard because I had become so attuned to where he was so I could avoid being alone or too near or even letting my thoughts stray to all the memories my body refused to forget.

Yes, I pushed and teased. Tiptoed close to the line because a small part of me wanted him to react. And from the look he gave me, he was close to doing what I both craved and feared. His reaction, the mere thought of it, made me hot and fidgety and needy with want all at once.

It wasn't feelings. Nope. No feelings. Pure lust.

"Sunrise."

Max's growl snuck up behind me as I fled down the darkened hallway. My legs kept going despite my pussy begging for just one touch.

"Stop."

The command shot to the place in me he found the first time he touched me, and fuck if I didn't stop just like he said.

His breath fell on the back of my neck like a prayer and God, I wanted to kneel. But I didn't. I couldn't let him know how much he affected me.

How dangerous his touch was to the carefully constructed walls I'd erected.

Fuck. It was supposed to be one damn night, and nothing more. How much longer could I keep lying to myself? To him?

"Thank you." His voice licked along my spine, melting my resolve. I shut my eyes against the onslaught of desire threatening to throw all my defenses out the window.

"Sometimes we can't see what is right in front of our face because we feel too much at the moment." The words, meant for him, lingered like a beacon on a storm ridden night, because the moment they slipped out, I regretted them. Not because I didn't mean them. But because they held a kernel of truth. And right now, I clung to the lies my heart tried to tell us both.

His hand, warm and so fucking familiar that a bolt of need trailed to my core, grasped the nape of my neck. The other gently turned me as the heat from his body assaulted me. My nose filled with the scent I remembered more than I cared to admit. Ice. Spice. Male.

"Sunrise," he sighed, the nickname he gave me tickling my lips. "Open your eyes for me."

Once I did, he drew me in closer, and his lips claimed mine. Hands groping, bodies clashing in a desperate surrender of want and need. Desire. Things I craved from his touch, and need so fucking badly.

The heart that just told all those lies leapt in my chest, and that was all it took for me to pull away before I begged him to fuck me right there against the wall where anyone could come upon us.

"I can't," I whispered before I turned and ran down the hall.

Away from the one man who saw me and knew how to make me fall so hard I would never recover. And I couldn't let that happen again.

No more dark corners at the arena, with searing hot kisses or frantic groping or me climbing him like a goddamn tree.

Phone balanced precariously between my cheek and my shoulder, I let out a sigh. "You don't play fair! You can't throw Daisykins and her feels at me and expect me to say no," I whined. Normally, I'd jump at the chance to head over to Jules and Kas' place, but after the ride home and my shower tremble fest, facing Max lined up after watching a baseball game while eating pineapple pizza on my list of to-do's tonight.

I hated baseball and pineapple pizza, and they never gave me the best damn night of my life.

Without a doubt, Max would see right through my sass induced ignore-Coach-Grumpy-Pants-slash-sex-god facade, and read shower-orgasm-caused-by -intense-car conversation.

"Take out from Hari," she teased in a sing-song voice. "And, there's going to be plenty, because I ordered extra. Between Max and Kas, I ordered off the damn party menu."

Dammit. Daisy and butter chicken? Or fire chicken? I knew I smelled curry. And naan bread.

"Please? And, you can watch Max in his uncomfortable glory with Kas and Daisy!" She giggled, and I couldn't stop the giggle from escaping, too.

I huffed out a breath. "Fine. But, do not expect me to play nice."

"Zero expectations. And Kas asked you to get over here sooner rather than later because-." Kas' muffled response reminded me of the old Charlie Brown movies. Jules translated in a hushed, "He can only try to not grab my ass for so long."

"Fine. But don't blame me for anything I say or do," I warned. "And if you and Kas sneak off for a quickie, vengeance will be mine."

She laughed. "Don't give Kas any ideas! Now get over here."

Great. Daisy. Indian yumminess. And the man I just had a one-handed adventure with myself to get off thinking about in the shower. Fabulous.

And to think, I could've been having drinks with Mr. Lumbersnack Jacob Hale instead of trying to talk myself out of dinner with my best friend and her older brother who just happened to be the best damn sex I'd ever had. Even if it was supposed to be a one-night stand. Of course, I'd miss out on the solo orgasm, which, I hated to admit, had been a long time coming.

Ten minutes later, I stood in front of Jules' door, a five minute make-up job and wet hair piled on the top of my head. The dress? My favorite one, and I was most definitely not wearing it because of the other dinner guest over at Jules.

Liar, a tiny voice whispered in my ear.

The door swung open just as I was about to knock, and I nearly fell forward into the subject of all the feels swirling around in my belly…and other places. Max easily steadied me, hands hot against my bare skin as he gripped my forearms. Electricity shot straight to my belly as I lamely tried to regain my balance and my composure.

Well as much as I could, at any rate.

"Couldn't stay away?" he said, voice husky and warm and doing all the things I swore I wouldn't let it do.

Fuck this. I straightened. Free of his touch, I smiled sweetly and ignored the heat rising in my cheeks. "Seems I have no self control, Coach Grumpy Pants."

He leaned in, calling my bluff. "What happened to Iceman?"

"Wouldn't want anyone to see behind the curtain, now would we?" I breezed past him, proud of the self control and composure. Hmm, maybe orgasms were more effective than I thought at curbing the Max appeal. "Where's my girl?"

Max snorted as Daisy mewed and scampered from her hiding place on the couch, purring madly and dancing around my legs in an infinity pattern until I picked her up. I ignored him, and walked into the kitchen area where Jules stood before the island. Food from Hari's, my favorite Indian Fusion restaurant, covered almost every square inch.

"See? Plenty of food!" Jules handed me a plate as Kas piled on the butter chicken with a grin. "But, I can't guarantee Kas and Max won't try to eat it all. They've somehow turned dinner into an eating competition. But Daisy and I have just been ignoring them, haven't we? Silly men," she murmured as she scratched the fluff ball of kittyness in my arms as I sat her down before Kas scooped all the good stuff onto his plate.

"Hey, buddy, don't take it all. A girl's gotta eat. Especially if I have to put up with you-know-who over there." The one boring holes into my back, as if searing his name into my skin.

Nope, not gonna happen.

Jules nudged Kas out of the way, and added the fragrant deliciousness to her plate. After a pointed look, Kas sighed and went over to the table and sat down. Max, being Max, snatched a plate, and proceeded to pile it high. But not before he made sure I took what I wanted.

My skin buzzed with energy from his nearness as the tingles invaded my senses. Though I fought it, I liked that he made sure I took as much as I wanted before he dove in.

"Max, go so we can have girl talk," Jules said with a playful jostle of her shoulder against his. Her eyes twinkled, and she added, "I want to hear all about Jacob and his adorable beard asking you out. Was it dinner…or dinner and dessert?"

I paused, mid fork on its way to my mouth as Max nearly choked on a growl.

Jules jerked her head to glare at him. "Go away, Max. Before I tell Sophia all about your Bridger-"

"Woah, let's not pull out the big guns when a guy almost chokes," he muttered. With one last look at me, he turned and went to the table.

"I swear, just when I think his overprotective streak has been tamed, out comes-"

"Coach Grumpy Pants." I rolled my eyes as I said it louder than I should have. Jules giggled as Max glared at us. I grinned and shrugged, which only darkened his gaze. "I only speak the truth."

"Did he lean when he asked yesterday, or was it kinda blush and stutter? Ooh, I bet it was in between, am I right?"

"There was a little lean, but he's so..nice. And polite. He knew that I've been wanting to try out that new coffee place that turns into a fusion restaurant at night?"

"Ooh, Le Cave!"

I nodded as I made my way to the table. Max glared as he watched me slowly lower myself into the chair. For the next hour, I reveled in the way Max not only had to listen to how Jacob asked me out and all the sweet things he said and did, but that Daisy insisted on torturing him only as she could. Pouncing on his leg with her teeny razor sharp claws, then scampering to Kas because she knew the two had a tenuous truce. Or when she hissed at him because his leg brushed mine and she was curled up by my feet.

It was all fun and games until he started giving me those looks. Searing. Hot. Seductive. Full of promise and dark intent. The ones I clearly recall from when he had control of my body while he choked me with his cock. The one that declared how much he owned me. When he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, revealing not only that damn watch and his hand tat, the stupid corded muscles of his forearms flexed and teased me.

Well, two can play that game, Coach Grumpy Pants, I thought with a grin.

Let's. Go.

Kas and I, being the torture-Max-partners-in-crime that we were, then took every opportunity to toss in a sexual innuendo about things I'm sure Max would rather not know. Or pick on him about being on the defensive side of things, since Kas was one of, if not the best, offensive lineman in the league.

"Wait, isn't your older brother on Saauter's line in Montreal?"

I nodded, swallowing the last bite of naan dipped in the butter chicken sauce off my plate. "Yep. Mason. And I give him shit for it all the time. My other brother, Brett, coaches, and Noah, my youngest brother, will probably go in the draft this year. Goalie." Paused for effect. "Like Jacob."

His warning glare would've made any other woman rethink her next words, but I was definitely not like other women. Eyes narrowed, he titled his head to the side, daring me to go on. To challenge him. The smirk that followed told me he knew I would. That I would never back down.

But he already knew that from our one night together. How I loved a challenge, but loved how he pushed my limits even more.

A small smile played on my lips as I rested my elbows on the table. Jules cleared the plates, refusing to allow either of us to help. Kas stood and followed her into the kitchen. The open floor plan didn't afford any real sense of privacy, but Kas was so wrapped up in Jules that the two of them paid us little notice. Max's gaze dropped to my cleavage with all the heat and command only Max could have over me. I purposefully pushed my arms closer, just enough.

Ding, ding, ding. There's the buzzer, folks.

His tongue darted out to moisten his lower lip, and I had to fight the urge to shift to alleviate the aching between my thighs. Teasing Max started out as fun. Seeing how far I could push him with my games, but the way my body responded to every glare and heated glance made it a double edged sword. I was so damn ready to run home and use my never let me down buzzing boyfriend, but if I left early, Jules would want to know why, and I wasn't ready for that conversation.

"Good call on the Hari's takeout, Coach," Kas called from the refrigerator before he turned and kissed Jules.

"I figured it would be somebody's favorite," he returned, eyes locked on mine. Like he was making sure I knew exactly who that somebody was.

Fuck. The feels were creeping in where they had absolutely no right to. That was ending as soon as I could make my escape. If I couldn't see Max, then the feels would just stop and my body would behave and stop making me insane. With any luck, the two crazy-for-each-other people lurking in the kitchen would help with the whole flee before the feels really sank in plan I hatched in my head.

The way the two of them were giggling in the kitchen, though, just might be the excuse to leave I hoped for. I gave them ten minutes tops before they kicked us out.

Right this second, though, I needed to escape Max's heated gaze. His damn dark chocolate sin-filled eyes were tempting me to do things I shouldn't and wouldn't do. To ignore my brain and listen to my damn pussy scream how much it wanted his cock.

Then, he had the nerve to brush his damn leg against mine. Slowly, like a lover's caress. My cheeks heated and it took everything I had not to squirm in my seat.

Nope. No way, I chided myself. We agreed no feelings, and no extracurriculars with anyone who made our heart do that damn pitter patter thing, remember?

The chair groaned in protest as I stood abruptly, and mumbled an excuse about using the bathroom. Daisy meowed her own protest at being suddenly evicted from her place on my lap where she had snuggled up once Kas joined Jules putting away the leftovers.

Ice cold water from the Arctic couldn't cool down the fire smoldering in my body. "Damn you, Max Vaughn." I scolded my reflection, as if the man stoking the fire stood before me. "Damn you and your tattoos and your forearms, and that stupid sexy grin. And your cock, that I missed every damn night. One night, and now all I can think of is the damn orgasms and how I still felt you for days after. Fuck!"

There was no way to get out of here without my face giving me away. If I was lucky, Jules and Kas would be so ready to do the two person tango that they wouldn't notice how flushed I suddenly was.

But they weren't the ones I was worried about.

Max Vaughn was going to be the death of me.