29. Taran

As I wait for Emma to reply to my daring question, my heart hammers in my chest. I'm nervous as fuck, but I don't think she has noticed yet. I'm about to make a real fucker of myself if she doesn't say something soon and beg her to call this a date. I need it to be. I need her.

My gaze locks with hers, and I see her searching for an answer in the depths of my hopeful eyes. She opens her mouth, then closes it, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips – playful, hesitant, and bloody irresistible.

"Sure," she says eventually. "We can call this a date."

"In that case, can we take this date somewhere a bit more private?" I ask, leaning closer, my hand resting on her thigh as I do my fucking best to attempt to shield her from the arseholes with their phones up who can't, for one fucking second, let me have this moment with the girl of my dreams.

"And where would you suggest we go, Fraser?"

There's a tease in her voice that has my blood racing in ways that should be illegal. I lean in closer, lowering my voice so only she can hear. "Back to my place. Nothing shady, just a drink and chance to chat without a camera going off in our faces every two fucking seconds."

I can hear the growl in my voice at my irritation, and she does, too. She looks over her shoulder and raises an eyebrow when she looks back at me.

"You're causing quite the stir."

"We both are."

"Please, no one here knows who I am."

"Oh, they do," I murmur.

She chews her lip. "Back to yours?"

I nod.

"No nookie?"

"Not unless you want to," I say with a slow smile.

She giggles. "You're smooth, you know that."

"I try." Sitting back to give her some space to make an informed decision, she sighs.

"Sure, let's go."

I grab her hand and lead her out of the bar to yet more photos and videos. Stepping into the sunshine of the Scottish summer, I guide her quickly but not rushing down the street towards my penthouse apartment.

She's quiet and suddenly pulls me to a stop not far from my building. My heart plummets, thinking she is about to bail on me, but she pulls out her phone. "I'd better tell Anna, my friend, where I'm going."

Nodding, I give her the address and pointing it out, and she taps it into her phone.

Then she looks up at me with a soft smile. "Fancy. They pay you well at the Arrows."

Snickering as we carry on walking, I shake my head. "No. My family has money. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'd do all right without it, but I like luxury."

"Who doesn't?" she murmurs.

"Emma?"

"Yeah?"

We stop again and despite my better judgement, I ask her, "Are you sure you want to come up?"

"Yeah," she says without hesitation. "You're right that it's distracting out here." She points over my shoulder, and I turn to see more fans on the other side of the road. I wave as they shout my name and then turn back to Emma. "Let's get inside, quickly."

Grabbing her hand, I tug her towards the front doors of the building and lead her through the foyer to the private elevator. I flash my key card, and it opens. Stepping inside, I smile at her and push the button. We go up in silence, and when the doors ding open, we step directly into my apartment, which overlooks the river.

"So," she starts, breaking the silence with a wry smile. "Do you always take girls back to your penthouse on first dates?"

Giving her a serious stare, I shake my head. "No. Never."

"Never," she scoffs. "I don't believe you."

"No woman has ever crossed the threshold, except for you," I say, trying to keep it light.

"Oh, really," she says. "Well, then I'm honoured."

I can tell she still doesn't believe me, but it's the god's honest truth. "Emma," I say as we sit on the white leather couch and make ourselves comfortable. "I'm glad you agreed to go out with me tonight. You need to know something about me. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not some playboy arsehole who will use you and dump you. To me, you are worth more than a quick shag or a one-off date. I fancy the hell out of you, and it's been that way since the first time I saw you on social media."

Her blue eyes widen a touch, and she leans back, studying me with surprise and curiosity. "That's quite the declaration, Fraser."

I chuckle nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. "I realise it's a bit heavy, but with you, it feels like I should be upfront. You deserve to be treated like a princess."

She laughs. "I appreciate the honesty, but how do you know all this about me?"

"Like I said, I've been following you for some time. Since I first heard the rumour, you were coming up here to take over the Warriors. I've delved into your life, Thornton, professionally speaking and whatever I could get from your Instagram. It sounds creepy, maybe it is, but it's not…" I trail off, thinking this sounds a fucking lot like stalking.

Her eyes narrow, and she purses her lips. "Stalking me, have you?"

I chuckle and hold my hand up, index finger and thumb millimetres apart. "Maybe a little. But not in a creepy way."

She giggles again. "Okay, you're not making this sound any better, Fraser."

"You're not leaving, though, are you, Thornton?" My voice drops lower, seductive. I know she didn't come here for sex, but I'll be damned if I let the opportunity pass if she offers it.

Taking a deep breath and sinking back into the couch, she shakes her head. "No, not leaving. Convincing me you're different from the others, that's your next challenge."

I nod slowly and sidle closer. "Challenge accepted." My gaze drops to her lips and then back up to her eyes.

She bites her lip—an action that nearly does me in—and says teasingly, "You're quite the charmer, Fraser. Good at hockey and sweet-talking?"

Leaning in, I whisper against her ear, "I've got a few more talents up my sleeve." Then I pull back quickly, giving her space again.

"So, you grew up filthy rich, did you?" she asks. "Why go into hockey then and not the family business?"

I shrug, feeling the weight of a thousand family dinners in that question. "I've been skating since I could walk. Hockey's in my blood. The family business..." I let out a small huff, "Let's just say it's not my passion. Goals, assists, the sound of the puck hitting the back of the net—that's what makes me feel alive."

She nods thoughtfully, her gaze lingering on mine. "And here I was thinking you were just another arrogant jock with a fancy penthouse," she teases.

I laugh softly. "Yeah? Well, there's more to Taran Fraser than meets the eye."

We lapse into a comfortable silence, me trying not to stare too hard at the way the light catches in her hair, her perhaps pondering her next move in this little game we seem to have started.

"So, tell me about Emma Thornton," I say after a moment. "What drives you? You are an enigma. You know nothing about hockey, that I can tell, and yet you upend your life to come here to take over when your dad retired. Why?"

Her lips curve into a playful smirk, the gleam in her eyes suggesting she's enjoying this exchange as much as I am. "Well, Fraser. I could give you the PR-friendly answer about legacy and carrying on the family torch." She pauses, biting her lip again—which is starting to feel like a personal challenge to my self-control—and then continues. "But the truth is that I couldn't let my dad down. Not when he needs me the most and not when he has been so supportive of me, even when I left Inverness for the bright lights of London, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it."

"But I'm scared," she admits quietly, and I feel a great honour in her telling me this. "I'm not just some clueless hockey heiress playing at business. I want to earn the respect of every single sceptic out there." Emma's chest rises and falls with fiery passion, and I find myself drawn to her fire.

I lean in closer, captivated by her. "For what it's worth, you've already earned my respect."

Emma's cheeks flush with a soft pink hue, and she looks away for a second before meeting my gaze again and then moves in closer. She leans forward and brushes her lips against mine. My cock jumps to attention as my hands go to her waist, pulling her onto my lap. She straddles me as we kiss, and I can feel the heat between us igniting. Her hands tangle in my hair, and I'm lost in the sensation of her lips moving against mine. The softness of her body pressed against mine is intoxicating, and all thoughts of playing it cool fly out the window.

She pulls back slightly, breathless, her eyes shining with mischief. "So is kissing one of those talents you've got hidden up your sleeve?" Her voice is husky, teasing.

I grin up at her, my hands itching to inch up her dress. "You saying I'm a good kisser?"

"Mm."

"Not so bad yourself."

"You've had lots of practice, I'm guessing."

"I haven't kissed anyone in several months," I admit with a smile.

"Liar," she pants as she shifts and feels my hard cock pressed against her.

"Not lying. I knew I wanted you, and I waited."

My revelation floors her. Her mouth drops open, and she leans back to look at me, disbelief painted across her pretty face. "You're shitting me."

I shake my head and chuckle. "No bullshit. You've sort of been under my skin. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

Her laugh rings out, clear and light, filling the room like music. "Well, Fraser, you're full of surprises."

I run a hand up her dress, now unable to stop myself, feeling her shiver under my touch. "What can I say? I like to shock people."

Emma's eyes dance with her fiery spirit, and she leans down to whisper in my ear, "I think I'm going to enjoy discovering all of your hidden talents."

That's all the encouragement I need. My lips find hers again in a searing kiss. Her fingers dig into my back as she kisses me with an urgency that tells me she really wants this as much as I do.

As we break for air, she murmurs against my lips, "This is crazy. We shouldn't be doing this... should we?"

I gently nipped at her lower lip before replying, "As far as I'm concerned, you being you and me being me isn't a problem. Not if we like each other."

With a mischievous grin and an eagerness in her eyes, Emma responds by grinding down over my cock, sending a jolt of pleasure coursing through me. "I definitely like you, Fraser."

Cupping her face, I rub my thumb over her bottom lip. "You are a dream come true for me, Emma."

She gasps lightly and crushes her mouth to mine again, and I feel like a champion, more, a god, when she flicks the buttons on my shirt open to run her hands over my chest.