Garrett (Cold Fury Hockey 2)

"How about a lift?" I ask her, even as one hand comes to rest very close to a breast and the other grips her outside leg just under the hem of her shorts. The feel of her skin against my fingertips is amazing, and I flex my fingers a bit, pressing her in closer to me.

Olivia giggles and says, "So gallant."

I jog up the remaining steps, and when I reach the top flight, I set her down gently on her feet, her body sliding along my own, and I almost convulse from the electric feel of her against me.

Sucking in a deep breath, Olivia places her hands on my chest and looks up at me through heavy eyelashes. "Thanks for the ride."

"Anytime," I murmur back, and can't help that my hand lifts to stroke along her jawline.

I watch, entranced, as her eyes flutter closed and a tiny smile bends those generous lips. Leaning down, I graze my mouth against hers, which immediately opens.

Skimming my fingers to the back of her head, I grasp on to her and pull her face forward until our lips are mashed. A low moan of approval seeps out of Olivia, and that's all I need to push my tongue in so that I can kiss her the way I've been fantasizing about all evening.

God...better than earlier because she steps into my body, plastering her soft curves to my frame and there is no holding back the instant flow of carnal blood that flows through my groin. While one hand keeps her head firmly in my grip, the other travels around to her lower back, where I press my fingers into the flesh at the top of her ass to bring her in closer to me.

Instant sizzle of lust. Straight through me when she presses up against my cock, and I shove a groan into her mouth. She gobbles it up, furiously moving her tongue against mine. When she rolls her hips against me, my knees go weak and I have to lock them back tight.

The sound of feet pounding up the steps filters into my brain and I pull my mouth from Olivia just as a group of people round the lower floor landing to walk up our way.

I don't release my hold on her, though, but rather pull her in closer as we step away from the door, letting the people pass. Olivia's chest is mashed up against me and its quick rise and fall lets me know that she is as turned on as I am by that second but more nuclear kiss.

As the people walk by I hear one whisper, "Holy shit...that's Garrett Samuelson."

Olivia lowers her forehead to rest against my chest, giving a slight giggle, and I quickly kiss her on the top of the head.

"Come on," I murmur with my lips against her soft hair. "Let's get you home."

She nods and pulls back from me, dropping her hand to link again with mine. She gives me a tremulous smile, and I know the one I give her in answer is full of uncertainty.

Because really...where in the fuck do I go from here?

--

I pull up in front of Olivia's apartment and turn the car off. The silence is deafening compared to the running banter that had been going on as we drove from Raleigh back to Chapel Hill. Easy, light talk because there was no way we were going to talk about that kiss. The nervous tension between us is palpable.

I learned a little bit more about Olivia's mom, Maryana, and she sounds like a true piece of work. Olivia said her mother is idealistic and lives in la-la land half the time, but is the best mom in the world. Her voice was wistful when she talked about her and a little sad...and I assume it's because she misses her.

She asked me about my family as well, and it's no hardship talking about them, because I miss them a lot too. I was born and raised in a small town just outside of Minneapolis. My parents, Randy and Jessica Samuelson, embody everything about the Midwest. Friendly, open, and big on traditional family values. We sat down to an amazing family dinner every night because my stay-at-home mom was an amazing cook and could stretch our food dollars. Dad would tell us all about his day at work at a plant that manufactured small car parts, and my siblings and I would talk about our day at school. We didn't have a lot, but it never seemed to matter.

"We're here," I say hesitantly with my hand on the door handle, completely unsure of where we stand.

"We're here," she agrees quietly.

I get out of the car and walk to her side to open the door. She sticks a long, bare leg out and I swallow hard. Images of me dragging my tongue up her smooth skin assault me and I shake my head. Offering her my hand, she takes it and steps out. I close the door and we walk up the stairs to her apartment.

She releases her hold on me briefly to reach into her purse for her key. Once she unlocks the door and pushes it open, she turns to me and asks, "Want to come in for a cup of coffee or something?"

To my surprise, I say, "I probably should go. I have that early prac--"

Olivia launches herself at me, both of her hands coming to my face. She rises on her tiptoes at the same time she pulls me down toward her. Her lips meet mine in a fiery clash, and my own hands come up to frame her face.

The kiss is like lightning, lighting me up from within, and my entire body goes tight with need for this woman. I push her backward, walking her into her apartment, our hands only gripping onto each other more desperately. When we clear the door frame, I kick the door shut with my foot and spin her around, pushing her back into the door. Back to where our first kiss started.

Pulling my mouth away from hers, I tilt my head and skim my lips across her jaw and then down to her neck. She shudders, and I groan at her response.

So fucking hot.

Releasing her face, I take her hands in mine and raise them above her head, pinning them against the door with one hand. I move back to her mouth and kiss her again deeply while I press my body into hers, pushing her all the way back against the door. Olivia tilts her pelvis, melding it against me, and my cock spasms in appreciation over the touch.

She's so soft...so responsive, and my blood roars through my body in desperate need to have more. I can't ever remember wanting something as much as I want her underneath me...writhing, squirming...begging. It's like every other desire or want in my life fades away, and all I see and feel is her here before me. So willing right this very minute...so ripe for the taking. Then it will be done...finished. She'll be forgotten like the rest.

That thought causes a viselike pain to pulse in my chest, and I rip myself back from her. Her arms slide down the door as she watches me with fevered eyes and swollen lips, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"What's wrong?" she asks, her voice low and raspy.

My eyes quickly rake down her body...so fucking beautiful and so fucking ready for me right now. The tight buds of her nipples poking hard through her T-shirt, just as my erection hammers at my zipper to get free.

Scrubbing my hand through my hair, it pains me to say, "Maybe we should wait. You know...until like the third or fou

rth date. Or even the second," I finish off lamely.

"Wait?" she asks quietly. "But I thought you..."

Her words trail off and her gaze drops to the floor in confusion.

I step back up to her, and with a finger under her chin, I raise her eyes back to me. "Thought I wanted to fuck you? I do, Olivia...more than anything. But you were also clear yesterday...no sex. I just don't want you to do something you'll regret."

"Regret," she says with a humorless laugh. "It's funny you should say that."

"Why's that?"

"Because I've been thinking a lot about that lately. And I sort of figured out I didn't want to live my life with any regrets haunting me." Her voice is melancholy and it scrapes at me hard for some reason. Puts me on the defensive.

"I don't want you to regret it if we fuck tonight," I tell her in a firm voice.

"And I don't want to regret not fucking tonight," she fires back at me. "I mean...if I let you walk out that door with only that kiss we just shared between us, and you were to die tonight...I would be regretful for not having felt you inside of me."

Oh, those words slam into me hard, but I try to keep her on the right path.

"I'm not going to die tonight," I tell her softly. "And we can go out again tomorrow night, and the night after that if you want. We can take it slow."

A bark of a laugh comes out of her mouth, but it's not a happy sound. Her eyes look bleak for just a brief moment, and it scares me. But then something sparks deep within those green orbs and heat sizzles through her gaze. She steps into me, pressing her body back against mine. Her voice is feminine and husky at the same time. "Life is frail for all of us. We don't know what tomorrow holds, or the day after, or the day after that. And besides...whether we go on a second or third date, we're going to end up fucking eventually. And I'm very much wanting that right now. No, wait...that's not right. I need it right now."

Oh, God...I'm a goner. Her words are so sure...so fucking hot. Laced with desire and thick with lust.

I frame her face with my hands once more, skimming the pads of my thumbs over her cheekbones. I lean in closer to her, peering into her eyes as if they hold all the answers I need to hear right now. "Are you sure, Olivia?"

She doesn't answer me right away...just looks back at me with a yearning that claws its way deep into my soul. Then she tells me the words that make it all okay. "I'm sure."