Page 5

Five

Wolf

What the fuck just happened?

I feel like I’ve been asking myself that question on a constant loop for the past twenty-four hours.

I lied to my coach and told him I had a girlfriend just to get out of that damn bachelor auction. Worse, I lied and said that Emily fucking David is my girlfriend.

I unlock my car and slide into the driver’s seat, the leather creaking softly under my weight. The SUV’s engine roars to life and I sit there, letting it warm up as my addled mind wanders.

What would it be like if Emily actually was my girlfriend? What would it be like coming home to her after a long day?

I grip the steering wheel as the fantasy unfurls in my mind. I can see her waiting for me by the door, that pretty smile on her face, her green eyes lighting up for me.

For me.

Fucking Christ, do I want that. I barely even know her, but I want that.

The thought of coming home to Emily after a long day, after a road trip, after a hard loss…it does something to me. Like it’s changing me, rearranging my DNA.

I walk through the door to my penthouse and she’s right there, wearing nothing but a silky robe. I stalk towards her, her smile turning deliciously sweet as I back her up against the wall.

“Hey, baby,” she whispers, her breath fanning over my skin.

“Daddy’s home, little one,” I say, and then I’m kissing the absolute shit out of her, drinking in her soft moans like a man dying of thirst. Her lips are soft as I kiss her fiercely, her body pliant against mine.

I can taste her vanilla lip balm and the mint of her toothpaste, and it makes me want to devour her. I lift her up, her legs wrapping easily around my waist, her tiny body pressed against mine.

“I missed you so much,” she says, and I hold her tighter, walking us toward the bedroom.

Our bedroom.

“Show me,” I growl, tossing her down on the bed. Her robe falls open and she shyly spreads her legs, flashing her pretty little cunt at me.

“So much, Wolf. I need you. Please. Daddy, please.”

“Fuck,” I grind out, shucking my clothes in record time and climbing on top of her, my weight pressing her into the mattress. “I’m gonna kiss every single freckle.” I suck one of her nipples into my mouth, making her back bow off the mattress. “And then I’m gonna kiss your sweet little pussy until you come for me, little one.” I slide my hand between her legs, finding her hot and slippery for me. “And after you’ve come on my tongue, I’m gonna make you come again with my cock buried inside your hot cunt.”

She nods, her cheeks pink. “Yes, Wolf. Take me. I’m yours.”

“Tell me how you want it,” I say, circling her hard clit.

“Slow and deep so I can feel every inch of you inside me.”

A car alarm goes off briefly on the other side of the parking garage, startling me out of my filthy fantasy. My cock is throbbing, leaking into my boxers.

Fuck. I’m so hard it hurts right now. My jagged breaths are fogging up the windows of my SUV. I shift in my seat, adjusting my erection, trying to will it away with thoughts of hockey and sad pet adoption commercials.

But it doesn’t work. All I can think about is Emily. Her smile. Her laugh. Her body. How every new thing I learn about her only makes me want more. How every time she blushes because of me, it makes me feel like a goddamn king.

I’m just about to pull out of the parking spot when my phone buzzes with a text message. My heart does a stupid little dance when I see that it’s her.

Emily: I’m done for the day, but there’s no rush. I can wait.

A grin spreads across my face as I type out my reply.

Wolf: Your timing is perfect. Practice just finished and I can be there in about twenty.

My heart is suddenly pounding with an anticipation I haven’t felt in years. I navigate the city streets, my brain buzzing, my grip tight on the steering wheel. There’s a tightness in my chest that I somehow know won’t ease until I see her.

It takes a few minutes longer to get there than I’d like because of traffic, and when I arrive, I find a spot across the street from the prestigious ballet school. I spot Emily standing just outside the front doors, bundled up against the cold. Her gorgeous red hair streams from beneath her white toque, the fiery waves whipping around her face.

I smile, heat blooming across my chest, but my grin falters when I see that she’s not alone.

A tall, slender man stands close to her—too close—and he lays his hand on her arm as he says something. Emily shifts away, nodding without saying much. He says something else and she shrugs, her shoulders stiff and high around her ears.

Whoever this guy is, he’s making her uncomfortable.

Something primal and protective surges inside me, eating me up. I feel the same rush of adrenaline I get when I line up a guy for a massive hit on the ice. The same rush when the gloves come off and punches fly.

I slam my door behind me as I exit my vehicle and stride toward them, my jaw clenched. As I approach, the man looks up, his eyes meeting mine. He smirks at me and never have I wanted to punch someone so badly in my life, and I literally get paid to punch people for a living.

I’m ready for a fight, which is completely insane because I have no idea who this guy is, or if he’s done anything beyond make Emily uncomfortable.

But the fact that he made her uncomfortable is enough for me. It’s enough to curl my hands into fists, enough to heat my blood, my muscles tense and ready for action.

Before I can do or say anything, Emily’s eyes meet mine, and I can see the plea there. I don’t know how to explain it, but I know she’s silently asking for my help. She quickly loops her arm through mine, her fingers gripping my bicep through my coat as she steps close to me.

“Here’s my boyfriend!” she says brightly, her voice laced with a sweetness that catches me off guard and makes my head swim with confusion.

I frown slightly as I look down at her. Surely she didn’t just say what I thought she did? Does she somehow know about the lie I told Coach Ferguson? But how?

She’s smiling up at me, her green eyes wide and pleading. Without saying a word, I can tell she wants me to play along. Right.

Guess I’m not the only one who needs a fake date.

I nod and tuck her against me, my entire body singing with how good that feels. She fits perfectly, her tiny frame molding against me. “Yeah,” I say. “I’m Emily’s boyfriend. And you are…” I let the question trail off, arching an eyebrow at the guy.

“James,” he says quickly, taking a step back. His smirk is gone, much to my satisfaction. His hands are raised in a placating gesture, which shows me James is smarter than he looks, because I could break him in half with one arm.

I still might, depending on what Emily says happened.

“I didn’t know she was taken,” he says, his voice pitched high.

“I told you I had a boyfriend,” Emily says softly, and I curl my arm around her waist, holding her tighter.

“Right, I…I guess I didn’t…” He swallows thickly, eyes darting between me and the road.

“Well, now you know,” I say, my deep voice laced with a hint of a growl. “And you’re not gonna bother her again, are you?”

“N-no,” he says, shaking his head. “Definitely not.”

“Smart choice,” I say.

The guy backs up, mumbling an apology before turning and walking away. I watch him go, tense and ready for a fight. But he doesn’t look back, and soon he disappears around a corner.

“Thank you,” says Emily softly, slumping against me.

I nod, my chest swelling with protectiveness, with a possessiveness I have no right to feel. I look down at Emily, my arm still wrapped around her waist. She’s looking up at me with flushed cheeks, her breath coming out in little white puffs of air.

I want to kiss her so fucking badly that I almost do it.

“Thank you,” she says again. “He was bothering me all day. He asked me out and I said no, but he wouldn’t leave me alone. I told him I had a boyfriend, but he acted like he didn’t hear me. So when I saw you, I figured I’d tell him you were my boyfriend to see if that would make him back off.”

Is it just me, or did her cheeks get pinker when she said the word boyfriend ?

“Happy to play along,” I say, swallowing around the disappointment clogging my throat that this isn’t actually real. “In fact, I have a funny story for you. Come on. Let’s get out of the cold.”

I tuck her hand into mine and lead her back across the street to where I parked. I open her door for her and help her up, resisting the urge to buckle her seatbelt for her, and then slide in behind the steering wheel.

I pull out smoothly into traffic, navigating the busy Toronto streets as I head home.

“So what’s the funny story?” she asks, rolling her neck. She must be sore and tired after her day. I should offer her the use of my fancy shower so she can ease the soreness in her muscles.

“So, every year, the team does this bachelor auction thing. It’s for charity, and I’ve done it in the past, and honestly, I hate it. It’s just not my thing, and I didn’t want to get roped into doing it this year, so…I lied to my coach and said I had a girlfriend. When he asked me who I was dating I said your name.”

She laughs softly, the sound like soft, tinkling music. I glance at her, relieved that she’s not mad. I mean, I didn’t think she would be given the lie that she just told, but I’m relieved all the same.

“You told your coach I’m your girlfriend?” she asks, her cheeks pink, her laughter ringing out in the confines of the SUV. Her green eyes are glittering as she bites her lip and I feel like I’m standing in the sun.

“Yep,” I confirm, a grin tugging at my lips. “What’s that saying about great minds thinking alike?” I come to a red light and our eyes meet, our laughter slowly dying off as we stare at each other.

“Great minds, huh?” she says quietly, and I can’t tell what she’s thinking right now. “Definitely ironic that we both thought up the same lie to get out of a yucky situation.” She lets out a soft giggle. “And here I was thinking I was dragging you into my mess.”

“I dragged you in first,” I say, glancing at her again and then returning my attention to the road as cars start to move again. Her cheeks are still flushed, muting the effect of her freckles.

Fuck, she’s so beautiful it physically hurts to look at her. It’s an ache in my bones that I can’t fully describe or explain.

“Well, then I guess we’re even,” she says with a soft smile. “Thank you again, by the way. For stepping in with James. I owe you one.”

“You don’t owe me anything, Emily,” I say, my voice rougher than intended. The thought of that creep bothering her makes my blood start to heat again.

She shakes her head, her red hair glinting in the sunshine. “No, I do. You’ve taken me in, given me a comfortable place to stay. You’re looking out for me, and I…” She swallows thickly. “It means a lot to me. So I’m happy to go along with this. Do you need me to do…anything?”

I need you to sit on my face.

The thought comes hot and fast and unbidden, making my dick press against my zipper.

I clear my throat, not fully trusting my voice. “Actually, yes. There’s a game tomorrow night, and the coach invited you to come. You’ll be sitting in a box with his daughter and fiancée.”

“Oooh, acting,” she says with a little giggle. “Not exactly my strong suit, but…I’m in.”