Penalty Kill (Love on Thin Ice Book 4) Read online

  “Yes.” She nodded along with the word. “But I've never had someone use their mouth like you did, and it's always been in a bed.”

  The statement sunk in slowly. It was too crazy to be believable, so Vasily kept trying to come up with ways he'd misheard.

  This woman had a twelve-year-old kid and her husband had never savored the sweet and salty flavor sticking to his tongue. It was like honey with a dusting of sea salt. It wasn't fathomable that he'd been the only one to ever experience it.

  “You're telling me George has enough self-control that he's never taken you against this door?”

  Vasily had no idea whether this was the house they'd shared together. A front door was a front door, though, and Vasily had almost died making it in the house. How could someone be calm enough to make it all the way to the bedroom with Lacey?

  “He has a pregnant girlfriend, so I don't think self-control is the right word.” Bitterness was clear in her tone.

  “Fine. Then he's just an idiot, because I sure as hell wasn't waiting around to find a bed. I was lucky I even got my clothes off.”

  She still had her dress, which surprised him as he looked down at it. Why hadn't he gotten rid of it? He supposed he didn't want to tear it in two, which was about the only way it was coming off in his lust-filled haze.

  He still wanted to see her naked body under his, so eventually it would come off.

  “He left his kids, so idiot is putting it mildly.” There was anger in her eyes that quickly vanished before a timider glean showed up. “Look, I have already admitted what just happened was more than what I expected, so if you want to head out and get back to your normally scheduled life, I'm not stopping you.”

  His dick continued to stay rock hard inside of her. Whether she understood how sex could work or not, she was very much keeping him from going anywhere. He still couldn't believe that this woman in his arms hadn't experienced pleasure like what they'd shared before. It's been intense for him, but at least he had an idea of how things would end up. She seemed completely baffled by it.

  He cursed under his breath. Had she really never? No, it couldn't be, but it would explain a lot about that night. From the unsure kisses to the tentative looks until he took over.

  “Please tell me that wasn't your first orgasm.”

  He had to close his eyes to get the words out. As much as he didn't normally talk during sex, it was pretty much forbidden afterwards. Yet, there were revelations going on that had to be discussed. They didn't need to be discussed up against the front door, though, so as Lacey pondered how she was going to answer that question, he looked over his shoulder to see if there was a place to sit. She wasn't heavy, but eventually the adrenaline would wear off and he'd need to sit down.

  The room was dark, but Vasily made out the sectional in the room and grunted as he turned and walked them over to it. He should have considered the material as he turned again and sat back on the leather surface. Leather was his preferred material for living room seating, but his sweaty body would more than likely stick to it. He didn’t let that bother him as he leaned back and kept Lacey on his lap as she tried to wiggle off him.

  Her lower lip stuck out when she realized he wasn’t letting her go. He resisted the urge to bring her closer to suck it into his mouth. He hadn’t noticed how swollen her lips were. In the bar, they hadn’t been thin, but his kisses had done a number on them.

  “Are you going to answer my question?”

  As he’d been studying her lips, she’d been busy looking everywhere other than at him. He knew she was older than him, but God, she was so damn innocent.

  “I don’t think there was a question. You said please tell you something that I can’t tell you. I figure that means you don’t want to hear it as much as I don’t want to admit it.”

  He let his hold on her hips go as he raised his hand to her face. She resisted him turning her face, but he was stronger than her feeble jerks away. Her eyes still tried to avoid his until she heard his next words.

  “The next time I see your ex-husband, I’m punching him in the dick.”

  No trace of kidding lingered in his voice. Her eyes widened as she finally connected them with his.

  “You can’t do that.”

  Her voice was louder than it’d been, but it was almost a question. It seemed by the time the words were out, she wasn’t sure whether it was true.

  “I’m pretty sure I can, and he deserves it. He seriously never made sure you were ready for him? I know women don’t have to have an orgasm to be ready for sex, but you said it hurt, so I assume foreplay is a concept he doesn’t understand.”

  Vasily didn’t have many interactions with George, but he hadn’t thought he was a moron. Obviously, he was wrong about that.

  She worried over her lip again before saying, “He watched porn a lot during it. Is that foreplay?” Her head shook quickly. “We shouldn’t be talking about this. Can you just forget I said anything and move on?”

  Fat chance. Vasily was all about loving them and leaving them. But this jackass they were talking about had been her husband. He was supposed to teach her and protect her when it came to this stuff, and he’d done a piss-poor job of it.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever forget your ex-husband needs a beat down. But, we can talk about some other stuff. Do you have any food around here? I’ve worked up a little bit of an appetite and need sustenance if we’re going to keep this up all night.”

  Her eyes looked almost comical as they bugged out. He wasn’t really hungry, but he figured keeping her occupied with something else would ease the fact that he still wanted her and planned to take her at least a few more times, in between the many times he planned to make sure she lost herself. She had a lot of time to make up for.

  “All night? Aren’t you done?”

  He raised an eyebrow. She clearly wasn’t numb down there, so she had to know he hadn’t softened at all. The conversation probably should’ve eased the animal within, but it just made him want to see how many ways he could teach her. If she’d only ever been in a bed before, up against the door was just the beginning.

  “My record is four times in one night. I figure I’m at least going to tie that and make sure you have twice as many orgasms.”

  Lacey’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Her pussy pulsed around him, causing him to grit his teeth. It made the idea of her previous sexual experiences ridiculous. How in the world was it possible her other experiences hadn’t left her screaming and raking her long nails over someone?

  “I’m pretty sure that would kill me.”

  Vasily smiled as he leaned forward and snatched her lips with his. If no one had ever treated themselves to a snack from her, he guessed it was the first time she’d tasted herself. She showed no hesitancy as he pushed his tongue into her mouth. It almost sounded like a purr escaped her as she curled her tongue around his.

  He let the kiss continue for a few frenzied moments but had to cut it short. She’d started pulling up and shifting down on him, which drew him towards irrational lust. He’d already taken her hard. She deserved something a little gentler, and if she kept rocking on him, it wasn’t going to happen.

  “How about we get some food? We should really grab some carbs and protein for energy. As I’ve already promised, it’s going to be a long night.”

  Chapter 9

  Lacey had no idea what to do. A sex god was in her kitchen, frying up bacon with scrambled eggs in a pan beside it. How in the world had this happened? And more importantly, how much did it hurt to fry bacon in the nude? There was no way that some of those pops she heard didn’t hit his body.

  If she was completely blitzed from her drinks at the bar, any remaining haze had cleared. Even the sex haze was dissipating, and Lacey was left staring at the muscled back of a naked man who’d rocked her world, literally.

  It wasn’t currently in view, but Vasily didn’t have the decency to let his dick soften. She’d wondered if it ever did, but it wa
s impossible that it didn’t. Playing hockey would be a little difficult if he was stuck with that thing jutting out from his body all the time. She cringed at the thought of pucks flying in his direction. Did a cup even fit it?

  Why in the world hadn’t it deflated? George’s did almost the second he came.

  “Do you have a medical condition?”

  She bit her tongue the second she spoke. Why did she keep saying stupid things? There were so many questions floating around in her head, and for some stupid reason she couldn’t keep them in.

  He glanced over his shoulder, a wide grin on his face. It revealed a dimple in his left cheek she hadn’t noticed. As if he needed something to make him more endearing.

  “My last doctor’s appointment didn’t turn anything up. Is there something specific you think I should have him take a look at?”

  “Well, to be honest, maybe a few things,” she replied, trying to sound uninterested.

  She was going to have no lip by the time the night was over. It’d been a while since the nervous tick had made itself known, but it was in full force. No matter how uninterested she tried to be, it had to be a dead giveaway.

  “Really? Just a few?”

  He turned back to the food. Lacey had already seen the thin red streaks of scratches down his back, but she hadn’t mentioned them. She couldn’t believe she’d left them, and chances were they were from whatever pre-Lacey snack she’d thought about back at the bar. That wasn’t something a docile housewife did.

  “You might want to get the scratches on your back looked at,” she suggested.

  She couldn’t say the real reason the words had stupidly come out of her mouth. He had to know where her mind was anyway. He seemed to have a weird understanding of where her frazzled statements were going.

  “Your little kitten scratches didn’t even break the skin. You can try harder in a little bit. Anything else I should ask my doctor about?”

  He put the last batch of bacon on a plate, then dished the eggs up onto two plates. Lacey had said she wasn’t very hungry, but he put almost the same amount of eggs on each plate. Her part in all the cooking was to make and butter the toast that already sat in front of her on the center island. She’d started with four slices, but he’d quickly told her to double it.

  She’d never been worried about the size of the kitchen, since it was only ever her and the kids in it. George wholeheartedly believed the woman of the house belonged in the kitchen. He’d stopped in to get some coffee, but that was about it. When he wanted anything, he stayed in his chair and had her or the kids fetch it for him.

  Vasily walked into the kitchen like he owned it and immediately went to work. The kitchen was big enough that there was plenty of room for the two of them, but somehow he still filled it. The scent of him, with the mixture of sweat and wilderness that clung to him, hung in the air.

  Lacey got caught up in watching him and thinking about him. She saw him move towards her with plates, but she didn’t say anything, forgetting that he’d asked a question. It wasn’t until he finished bringing the food over and had his arms propped up on the countertop that she remembered she was supposed to be saying something.

  She didn’t meet his eyes. She couldn’t. Every time she looked into them, her insides twisted and turned. It wasn’t a painful development, but it added to the new and different sensations she’d felt that night.

  “Um…”

  It was as intelligent of an answer as most of the words escaping her mouth that night. Why couldn’t she keep her mouth closed? He’d even figured out about her previous experience. He definitely wasn’t the rock George was when it came to her thoughts and emotions.

  “Yeah,” he said as he grabbed a strip of bacon and took a bite. “I think I’ll keep the fact that my dick has a one-track mind tonight to myself. I’m sure you’re going to ask, so I’ll tell you now that no, it isn’t always like this.”

  His side of the center island didn’t have a chair, so he stood as he poured salt and pepper over his eggs. Having the barrier between them was a plus. Lacey hadn’t done much exploring on her own, too shocked and scared about what was happening to even think about it. After having a few minutes without her senses totally engulfed by him, her fingers itched to touch.

  “Have you had some trouble finding partners lately?”

  She looked down and started moving her eggs around the plate with her fork. She didn’t want him to see the last part of the question she’d managed to keep herself from asking.

  A hand nudged her chin. She’d fought it before and lost, so she didn’t bother. Looking up didn’t mean she had to meet his eyes. They settled on looking at his cheekbones.

  “I don’t want for partners, Lacey. And this is not the pity fucking you thought at the bar. One of your friends did not ask me to do this. If they had, I wouldn’t be here.”

  His mouth moved, drawing her eyes to it. His teeth were in good shape, which made her wonder how many of them were fake. George was more of a scorer than the enforcer Vasily was, and he had two teeth repaired after an elbow had knocked them out.

  “Then why are you here? There were plenty of other women at the bar tonight.”

  At that point, it seemed silly to backtrack. Whatever was going on with him physically, couldn’t be because of her, though, which made her curious. Eventually, he had to get tired of her saying stupid things. Maybe that would get him to realize he should’ve picked one of the other women.

  “And yet, from the moment I walked in, I couldn’t stop looking at you.” He paused and took a deep breath. “It wasn’t by chance I showed up there. I thought I’d be able to continue with this without telling you that, but I don’t want you to find out later and think this is just a game.”

  Lacey’s eyes darted up to see his bright eyes a little darker and maybe even anxious. It made him look like a kid waiting to see if he’d be punished for misbehaving. She thought the words he just said over in her head. They didn’t make sense. He’d been clear that her friends didn’t send him, but admitted he was there for a reason.

  “If Nina didn’t send you, who did?”

  There was no reason for him to tell her anything. They’d said it was just the one night, and she saw nothing changing that. Just because he didn’t have a problem in performance, didn’t mean it was something he wanted to continue.

  She shouldn’t even think about that. It wasn’t like playing house by cooking made a difference. He made her feel things George never did, but he was just like him. He’d already admitted finding partners wasn’t a problem. Tomorrow night, he’d be out playing with someone new, showing them every inch of his superior body.

  “I understand why you’re fixed on her. I’ve met her a couple of times. The other guys on the team call her the boogeyman.”

  The name made Lacey smile. Nina was worse than the boogeyman if you got on her bad side.

  “She’s been trying to hook me up with other people since she found out about George. It’s easy to imagine her sending you after me,” Lacey admitted.

  It wasn’t that the guys Nina had previously tried to set her up with weren’t good-looking. They didn’t hold a candle to Vasily in the looks department, but that wasn’t what drew her to him. If it was, she would’ve been able to walk away at the bar. Something else about him. The air around him held something that made her want to be close to him.

  “As I said, she didn’t.” He looked down and grabbed a piece of bacon, taking a bite before he continued. “He made it clear that sex wasn’t in the cards, so you can be assured that no one told me to sleep with you.”

  He? Was she that pathetic that one, or Heaven help her more than one, of her friends’ husbands set her and Vasily up? That was worse than Nina playing her usual games.

  “It wasn’t them either,” he said quickly. “Your eyes are so expressive. You know that, right? It’s easy to see where your mind wanders.”

  He’d made that clear enough, but it didn’t change how much she hated th
at fact. Others didn’t see through her like he did. All they saw was a sad woman, who evidently needed all the help she could get with dates. George had only been gone a couple of months. Couldn’t they see she needed time?

  “If it isn’t any of them, who sent you after me?”

  She didn’t feel like he’d been stalling, more reading the room before he gave up the secret. Maybe he’d finally woke up and realized the rest of the night with her wasn’t what he wanted. She couldn’t get a read on his appendage that seemed to dictate where his mind was at because of the counter but bringing up this other guy made it seem that their night would end early.

  “Seriously? I’m telling you this because I want to fuck you on this counter and I don’t want the truth coming out and ruining how beautiful that would be.”

  He came around the counter, faster than her mind could process. Had she spoken her thoughts aloud? Registering his body hadn’t changed at all, she shook her head and tried to remember if she’d babbled.

  “You looked disappointed, not hurt that someone asked me to talk to you tonight. And that’s all he asked me to do.”

  Vasily’s arms wrapped around her and pulled her body into his. She still had her dress on, but where their skin didn’t touch, her imagination made the warmth feel like they were both naked in the embrace.

  “Who asked you to talk to me?”

  She kept saying the words, but he wasn’t telling her. It wasn’t like she had a life away from the kids and the team. She’d gone out tonight thinking about finding new friends, and the proof of how well that worked out for her was in her arms.

  “Your son. He said you’ve been sad. Knowing my reputation, he thought I could charm you a little and make you feel better about things. But then I saw you. At first, I didn’t know it was you, and I’d planned on ignoring his request and taking you to a hotel for the night. Then I got a better look at you, and you took my breath away.”

  “Kevin,” she said.