Page 24 of Rookie’s Redemption (Iron Ridge Icehawks #5)

Chapter Fifteen

Ryder

W e're quick to check in and the elevator to the penthouse honeymoon suite feels like it takes forever, even though we're only going up three floors.

Mia's pressed against me, her back to my chest, and I can feel the heat radiating off her body through that sinful dress.

"You know, when you said you had an idea, I was thinking maybe a private dinner. Or a movie."

She leans back into me, her ass pressing against my hardening cock, and I can feel her smile even though I can't see it.

"And where's the fun in that?"

The friction she's creating makes me grip her hips tighter, pulling her closer. My lips find her neck, and I nip at her collarbone.

"Fuck, Mia. You keep moving like that and we're not making it to the room."

The elevator dings, and the doors slide open to reveal a hallway that looks like something out of a luxury magazine. Thick carpet, crystal sconces, and only one door on the entire level. Oh yes. We're getting the full VIP treatment tonight.

Mia pulls out the key card and she swipes it across the reader, my cock already straining against my jeans at the idea of having her all to myself tonight.

I'm not exactly sure how I got here, but here I am. With Mia. My one true love, the woman I've fought tooth and nail to win back after being such an ass for way too long.

I stand back and let her push the door open. And when she does, my fucking jaw drops.

"Holy shit, Mia."

This isn't just a hotel room.

This is a full-scale romantic fantasy brought to life.

Enormous windows frame Iron Ridge like a postcard come to life, the city sprawled beneath us in a blanket of twinkling lights. I can see the arena in the distance, with the Icehawks logo at the entrance burning bright green and silver against the night sky.

Tonight's victory still hums through my veins like electricity, but somehow, standing here with Mia feels like the bigger win.

My two worlds—the one I dominate on ice and the one I'm desperate to build with her—colliding in a perfect panorama.

I move deeper into the room, towards a massive stone fireplace that is already lit, flames dancing like they're performing just for us. In the center of the room has to be the most inviting king-size bed I've ever seen. Deep crimson rose petals are scattered in a pattern too perfect to be random.

On the nightstand, a silver tray gleams in the firelight, loaded with strawberries dipped in chocolate that look almost too perfect to eat.

Almost. Next to them, a bottle of expensive champagne sits nestled in an ice bucket, condensation sliding down its neck like it's just as turned on as I am right now.

The whole room screams "I'm going to ruin you for all other hotel rooms for the rest of your life."

But the thing that really catches my attention?

The private balcony. Visible through glass doors that open the room right up, it's complete with what looks like a steaming hot tub overlooking the mountains.

"Mia," I breathe, turning to stare at her as she closes the door behind us. "This is..."

"Completely over the top?" She's grinning, and goddammit she looks right at home in this kind of luxury. "I know. I just... after tonight, after everything you did for me, I wanted to do something special for you."

I pin her against the closed door, my hands braced on either side of her head, and lean in until our lips are almost touching. "You being here is special enough."

"Good answer," she whispers, rising up on her toes to kiss me.

The kiss starts soft but explodes into desperate need within seconds. My hands tangle in her hair, messing up whatever careful styling she had done before we got to Ridgeview.

She moans into my mouth as I press my body against hers. I can feel every curve through that midnight blue dress, the way her breasts push against my chest, how her hips fit perfectly against mine.

My cock throbs against her stomach, and she rolls her hips deliberately, making me groan.

"So... I'm thinking hot tub first," she gasps against my lips, her hands already working at the buttons of my shirt. "I have to see this body naked and covered in bubbles."

Jesus Christ. The way she says it, with so much damn confidence and heat. This is the kind of woman that makes my cock strain painfully against my jeans.

"Then we better get these clothes off," I growl, spinning her around so her back is to me again.

We stumble across the room as my hands find the zipper of her dress, and I pull it down slowly, revealing inch by inch of smooth, creamy skin. I'm surprised there's no bra beneath, and when the dress pools at her feet, I have to bite back a groan.

Those panties.

Black lace, delicate and sheer, hugging her hips like a desperate lover. A tiny golden heart sits just above her waistline, drawing my eyes to the perfect curve of her ass. The lace cuts low, and I can see the soft swell of her cheeks, making my mouth water with the need to taste every inch of her.

"New ones," she says over her shoulder, catching me staring. "As promised."

I press against her back, my lips finding her neck as my hands span her waist.

"They're perfect," I murmur against her skin, my cock pressing against her ass through my jeans. "You're perfect."

God, I want to drop to my knees right here. Want to worship that gorgeous ass, taste her until she's shaking.

She turns in my arms, completely comfortable in her near-nakedness, and starts working on the rest of my shirt buttons. Her fingers are warm against my chest as she pushes the fabric off my shoulders, and when she reaches for my belt, I catch her hands.

"Mia..."

"What?" She looks up at me, those hazel eyes dark with want.

"I just need you to know... tonight, everything that happened at the game, it wasn't about getting you into bed."

Her expression softens, and she reaches up to cup my face. "I know that. But Ryder? Right now, I really, really want to be in bed with you. Or a hot tub. Whatever works."

She finishes with my belt and jeans, her knuckles brushing against my length as she pushes the denim down along with my boxers. The contact makes me hiss through my teeth, and she smiles like she knows exactly what she's doing to me.

"Hot tub," I decide, lifting her up and carrying her toward the steaming water. "Definitely hot tub."

The balcony is private, enclosed by frosted glass panels that block us from any potential neighbors. The hot tub is massive, easily big enough for six people, and the water steams invitingly in the cold mountain air.

Before we get in, I kiss Mia and hook my thumbs in the waistband of her panties, slowly dragging them down her legs as she steadies herself against the edge of the tub. When they hit the deck, she's completely bare, and the sight of her makes my mouth go dry.

Her pussy is already glistening and I want nothing more than to bury my face between her thighs and make her scream my name.

"Fuck, you're beautiful," I breathe, letting her take the three steps up before I step into the water behind her.

The heat hits like a full-body kiss, making us both gasp as we sink into liquid luxury. Steam curls up around us, creating this intimate cocoon where the outside world ceases to exist.

Nothing else matters.

Literally, nothing.

I've spent years chasing adrenaline rushes on the ice, but none of it compares to the high of having her naked in my arms right now.

Mia settles onto my lap, straddling me as the bubbles take off at the push of a button. My hands find her hips, gripping tight as she settles over my hardness, not taking me inside yet but letting me feel how wet she already is for me.

"Champagne?" she asks, reaching for the bottle that she's smuggled out of the room without me noticing.

I watch her pour two glasses, mesmerized by the way her perfect breasts move as she hands me a flute. Water droplets cling to her nipples, and I want to lean forward and taste them, but she holds the glass between us and looks deep into my eyes.

"To second chances," she says, raising her glass.

"To the most incredible woman I've ever known," I counter, touching my glass to hers.

We drink, and the champagne is crisp and perfect, but I'm more interested in the way Mia's lips curve around the rim of her glass. The way her eyes never leave mine as she takes a sip.

"You know what I was thinking about during the game?" she asks, setting her glass aside and moving closer on my lap.

"What?"

"The other night. At your house." Her hands slide up my chest, nails scraping across my skin. "The way you touched me. The way you made me feel."

My cock twitches against her core, and she rocks her hips slightly, her slick heat coating my length.

"I've thought about it every night since then." She leans in, her lips brushing my ear, her breath hot against my skin. "About your hands on me. Your mouth. The way you said my name when you came inside me."

Fuck. My hands tighten on her waist as she grinds her hips against me, teasing us both as I force myself to take another sip of champagne.

"I've thought about it too," I admit, swallowing hard. "How perfect you looked underneath me again."

She pulls back to meet my eyes, and there's something different in her expression. Something bold and determined that makes my pulse race.

I forgot about this side of her. Mia's clearly a strong person, her work at the shelter proves that.

But in the bedroom? This is a woman who knows what she wants.

"Well," she says, wiggling her hips, positioning herself over my throbbing cock. "Tonight… how about I get to be on top."

Before I can respond, she reaches between our bodies, diving beneath the surface of the bubbling water to grip my cock. My body ignites at the touch and she bites her bottom lip and moans, guiding me to her entrance as she takes me inch by inch until I'm buried inside her tight heat.

We both freeze, overwhelmed by the sensation, by how perfectly she fits around me.