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‘Are you having a good time?’

Astrid jumped. She’d been so absorbed in her chat with the girls and her relief that Bella was finally communicating again, that she hadn’t heard Preston approach. But now the GM was standing over her, his overly potent aftershave making her nose wrinkle.

‘The best.’

Which was the truth. Flying to Massachusetts with the team, checking into their swanky hotel in Springfield, and being swept straight back out again by the twins for a tour of their old haunts had been equal parts fun and fascinating. Not to mention Blake, all the Blake.

And news from Bella had been the cherry on top!

She just knew in her gut that Paige and Bella would be okay… whether Paige and Olly would be, that was another question entirely.

‘I’m glad to hear it. The management team are heading out for dinner this evening since we don’t have to suffer the same constraints as this lot’ – he gestured to some of the team members milling about in the grand marble foyer – ‘you’re welcome to join us. It’s an exclusive restaurant run by…’

Preston was still talking but she was no longer listening. Across the way, through the flurry of guests, she’d locked eyes with Blake by the lift. He flashed his room key…

‘I’m actually quite full after today’s tour of the sights.’ She was already on her feet, pulling her handbag over her shoulder and slotting her phone inside. ‘And I have some work I need to be getting on with. Thank you though.’

She gave him the dazzles for good measure.

‘Of course. Right. Yes. Well, if you change your mind…’

Not likely. ‘I’ll let you know.’

‘I thought you needed rescuing,’ Blake murmured as he ushered her into the lift with several other passengers and she smiled up at him. They’d spent most of the day in each other’s orbit but never alone, and not being able to touch him, to kiss him… torture!

‘This is us,’ he said as the lift came to a stop and he urged her out.

It wasn’t ‘us’, it was ‘him’, because her room was on an entirely different floor, two levels up. She’d been in it to freshen up on arrival and not seen it since.

He took her hand as soon as the lift doors closed behind them. ‘I’ve been dying to do that all day.’

She scanned the sleek and modern hallway. ‘Surely there are cameras…’

‘I’m talking about holding your hand, Twinkle Toes, nothing X-rated.’

She laughed as he unlocked his door and pushed it open.

‘Though now you mention it…’ He tugged her inside and kissed her, his mouth hot and urgent as his tongue swept against hers and her knees gave out. Thank God he had her pressed up against the back of the door!

‘I’ve wanted to do all of this from the second I saw you get on the coach this morn.’

She gave a breathless laugh as he tugged her shirt from her jeans and swept his hands beneath, his palms rough and tantalising against her skin.

‘I think the entire coach would have had something to say about that.’

‘Let them talk, I don’t care.’

But she cared. If news broke before she had the chance to tell Sissi, the girls…

‘Don’t you think we should keep this on the down-low for now?’

‘Whatever you say, baby,’ he rasped beside her ear, his hot breath shooting a shiver up her spine. ‘So long as I get to do this…’

He pulled her top over her head, his head dropping to her breasts, his teeth surrounding one puckered nipple through the lace and she bit into her lip to stop from crying out, her hands burying into his hair.

‘You’re like an addiction, Twinkle Toes.’

Funny how that godawful pet name felt so very different from his lips.

‘I just can’t get enough.’

He dragged his sweater over his head, his T-shirt too, and her eyes dipped over him.

One day her pulse wouldn’t spike the second she laid eyes on his tattooed chest, his glorious pecs, the V-shaped abs that disappeared into the low-slung jeans…

One day, lust would hit its expiry date.

But that day was not today.

‘If you bite any harder’ – he tugged her bottom lip from her teeth with his thumb – ‘you’ll draw blood.’

‘You know you’re the perfect male specimen?’ She dragged her gaze back up his chest, her hands smoothing down it, goosebumps prickling in the wake of her touch until she covered his need with her palm.

He hissed through his teeth. ‘You make me sound like a science project.’

‘A very… sexy… science… project.’ With each syllable she pulsed her grip around him. ‘I’m not kidding though. I’m struggling to accept that this is real, that you are real.’

He gave a gruff laugh, his cock thickening against her. ‘Oh, this is real, baby. Let me show you.’

He slid the straps of her bra down, her breasts springing free. Fuck , they ached. Her nipples, painfully pert as they pleaded for his attention.

‘Are you just going to stand there?’

He gave her that cocky grin she was coming to adore. ‘Just returning the favour, baby.’

He reached around her and unfastened the clasp, letting it drop to the floor, everything about his gaze lighting her up inside. The fire, the tease, the… emotion?

What was that?

He trailed his hands down the side of her body, lightly sweeping her curves and she sucked in a breath… the question burning with her rising need.

‘But I know what you mean, about the whole real thing…’

He cupped her breasts, his thumbs stroking her nipples as his eyes stayed fixed in hers. The heat of his hands nothing on the heat of his eyes… that look . She hadn’t seen it before. She hadn’t felt it before. But she was feeling it now and she… no , she couldn’t go there.

‘Too slow,’ she breathed, forking her hands into his hair and pushing it all out with a tongue-tangling kiss, urging him back towards the bed where she sent him down with a bounce.

He gave a tight chuckle. ‘And I thought it was just me who was desperate.’

‘Are you complaining?’ she demanded as she mounted him, claiming his lips once more. Fear driving her as much as need now. Fear of what he was feeling, of what she was feeling, of what this was, and what it couldn’t be. Or could it?

‘I wouldn’t dare.’

* * *

Astrid wouldn’t stay still long enough for him to worship her body like he wanted to. Every time he tried, she took over once more. And this wasn’t like before, where they’d both been wrestling for control, this was on another level. Fierce. Fast. Feral even.

Though he wasn’t complaining. After twenty-four hours of abstinence, he wasn’t just happy to be inside her again, he was relieved.

And he let her take what she needed. What he needed too.

Her body tightening around him, the pulse of her climax milking his own.

He threw his head back into the pillows with a groan, uncaring of their neighbours as he lost himself to it. To her.

She sank down over him, slick with sweat and he gave a tight chuckle.

‘What’s so funny?’

‘As much as I loved you whooping my ass on Street Fighter , I think this beats it.’

‘Me riding you is the equivalent of Street Fighter ?’

‘I was referring to your ability to sort out my pre-game jitters, but now you mention it…’

She dug him in the ribs. ‘Oi!’

‘Just saying it how it is.’

He grabbed a tissue to dispose of the condom and she started to roll away. ‘Oh no you don’t,’ he said, tossing the tissue-wrapped rubber with precision into the bin and pulling her back into his side. ‘I’m not done with you yet.’

‘Won’t your team wonder where you are if you don’t head down soon?’

‘Nah, most of us hit the sack for a nap in the afternoon.’

‘It’s hardly the afternoon any more.’

‘And I missed my nap, so I’m catching up.’

‘ This isn’t napping.’

‘Give me a minute and I will be…’

She nestled into his side once more and his heart settled with her. He wasn’t ready to let her go. Everything felt right when she was just there. The world seemed to calm, the noise in his head seemed to hush. For the first time in his life, he felt at peace.

So at peace it took him a while to register a buzzing. A phone. He peeked through one lid. ‘Is that you or me?’

She looked at her bag abandoned next to the door and grimaced. ‘Sorry, I think it’s me.’

‘It’s okay.’ He stretched out with a yawn – he hadn’t been kidding about the nap. ‘Get it if you need to.’

‘Nah, they can leave a message.’

But no sooner had it rung off than it started again.

‘Okay, I’ll get it else you’ll get no sleep.’

He highly doubted that and tried to murmur as much to her, the murmur becoming a sleepy grumble as she eased away, and his body protested the cold that replaced her.

She’d be back he told himself, rolling over and taking the pillow with him.

* * *

OMG.

The bad boy really was a freaking pussycat, hugging the pillow in her place, making her wish it was still her…

She stared at him, her bag in her arms, her body immobilised with the desire to return… until her phone started to ring again . She hurried to pull it out. What on earth could be so urgent that?—

Sissi?

She frowned at the flashing blonde avatar with huge baby blues. Why would Sissi be calling her numerous times over when they were getting together tomorrow? Unless… Bella and Paige… shit .

She swiped the call to answer and dived into the bathroom, pulling the door closed with a gentle click.

‘Honey, what is it? Are you okay? Are the girls okay?’

‘Yeah, yeah, everything’s good,’ came her friend’s hushed lilt over the bustle of the diner in which she worked. ‘Well, as far as I know. But you’re not gonna believe who’s just rocked up in the bar across the street?’

Astrid frowned, her post-orgasm brain slow to piece anything meaningful together.

‘ He’s here.’

‘Who’s here?’

‘Rick. Their father !’

Astrid straightened like a meerkat. ‘You’re kidding?’

‘No, he’s just rolled into town, acting like he’s never been away. I have no idea how long he’ll stick around for, or what he’s doing here, but if you want to see him, now’s your chance. I doubt he’ll be leaving that bar any time soon.’

‘If he’s only just appeared, surely he’ll stick around a bit?’

‘No idea, but I don’t fancy swinging by to ask him his plans for the next twenty-four hours.’

‘No, no, of course not. I wouldn’t expect you to.’

‘He might be rolling through to the city for the game but I’m not sure that’s the setting you want for this conversation. Or if you’ll even spot him in the crowd.’

Her friend was right. She’d dug up enough pictures of him to know what he looked like, but there would be almost 20,000 hockey fans milling about come tomorrow. He’d be a needle in a haystack.

She eased the door ajar and looked at Blake. Could she go?

Leave a note saying she had to work, and she’d see him tomorrow.

Should she wake him up and tell him?

And risk him talking you out of it?

Which he would do. She was sure of it.

Or worse, he’d insist on accompanying her and that was the last thing he needed. To come face to face with his father the night before a game.

No, she couldn’t let that happen either.

This was work. And Blake was… she didn’t want to think about what Blake was just yet. She was still reeling from what she’d glimpsed in his face, what she’d felt.

She closed her eyes like it could somehow shut it all out and took a sanitising breath.

Getting their father’s side to the past was important. There were many sides to a story, a rule she worked by and one she should have stuck to in her personal life, too. Before raining hell on Chase. Before launching an attack on Aiden.

The twins’ father, however… the personal tried to overrule the professional and this time she wasn’t letting it.

‘I’m on my way.’

* * *

Waking up to a note didn’t fit with Blake’s plans…

Plans that centred around room service and Astrid. Not necessarily in that order.

He checked the note again as he called for the elevator.

Need to work, I’ll see you tomorrow,

Sweet dreams, pussycat ;-)

Pussycat! Who did she think she was calling ‘pussycat’? And what did she mean tomorrow? Surely, she was staying with him, or vice versa. He didn’t care which room so long as she was in it.

The elevator pinged open on her floor and he stepped out, shoving the note in his jeans pocket as he went.

‘Hey Blake.’ Harry came out of the room across the hall. ‘If you’re looking for Astrid, you just missed her.’

Blake paused mid-rap on her door. ‘I did?’

‘Yeah, she was hurrying into a cab when I got back from my run.’ Harry pulled a hoody over his head, mumbling against the fabric. ‘I figured you twins had scared her off.’

A cab? What kind of work involved getting a cab? They’d already taken her around their old haunts. The only thing left was Ashbury Falls and it would be a cold day in hell before they ventured there.

‘I was only joking!’ Harry blurted when he clocked Blake’s expression. ‘Well, about you scaring her off, not the rushing, she was definitely rushing.’

‘Do you know where she was heading?’

‘Beats me, but V was chatting up one of the women on the concierge desk the entire time I was out. He might have heard something.’

‘Thanks, buddy.’

He started to move off and Harry called after him. ‘V was still in the lobby last I checked.’

‘Great.’ He hit the stairs; no elevator was worth waiting for, not now. He had a bad feeling about this. A bad, bad feeling.

‘V!’ he hollered when he saw him at the bar across the lobby, sneaking a shot. The guy tensed, choking it up until he saw who it was.

‘Blake, dude , thank God it’s you.’ He gave him a lazy grin as he leaned back against the polished surface. ‘You joining me for one?’

‘Do you know where Astrid went?’

‘Well hello to you too.’

‘I’m serious, V. Harry says she got in a cab.’

‘Yeah, she got the concierge to sort her one, said she was in a hurry, money no object. Poor move if you ask me.’ He crooked a finger at the bar staff for another drink. ‘Bound to get ripped off.’

‘And?’

‘And what?’

‘Did you hear where she was heading?’

He shrugged. ‘Might have done.’

‘ Might have done?’

‘I was distracted.’

‘Think, buddy, think !’

He screwed his face up. ‘Something Falls? Ashton, Ash?—’

Blake’s gut rolled. ‘Ashbury?’

‘Yeah, that’s the one.’ He nodded, all smug now. ‘Ashbury Falls.’

Fuck! Why would Astrid go there without telling him? Why not mention it that day when they were out together? What possible reason could she have to keep it a secret? Unless…

Dad.

No-no-no-no-no-no. He needed a car and he needed one now.

‘You coming to dinner with us? Larsson’s chosen some?—’

Blake was already racing away.

‘I guess that’ll be a no, then,’ V muttered into his fresh drink. ‘Bloody women, they’re more trouble than they’re worth.’

This one wasn’t… and he didn’t want her within a mile of that man without him there to protect her.