Quick Trick (Rough Riders Hockey 1)

could hold her gaze as he thrust, her sounds of approval drove his hips harder and harder.

She pulled her knees under her and arched her back. Grant’s position and the strength of his thrusts pushed her head to the mattress. Her hands curled into the bedspread, and she used the tension created from the weight of her body to push herself back and into his thrust.

“I can’t…believe the things…I let you do…to me,” she said, panting as she rose to climax. “I can’t believe how…good it is.”

Grant couldn’t believe how sexy she was. Or how lucky he’d gotten in finding her.

As her passion rose, she pushed harder, demanding more force. Grant loved the way she gave herself over to whatever her body wanted. He released her hair and took a more centered position behind her, allowing him to thrust harder, hammer deeper, and within seconds, Faith shattered with a scream and a whimper, her muscles quivering uncontrollably through the letdown.

Wicked satisfaction swamped him. He stayed deep inside her while she recovered, stroking his hands up and down her back and hips.

When she stirred, he withdrew. He shucked his shirt and pants in seconds and sat on the bed, collecting Faith into his arms, and spreading her thighs to straddle his lap. And easily reentered her as she settled into position.

They spent long moments kissing and touching and just staring at each other. Grant had never done this with a woman, and he couldn’t get enough of it with Faith. But his body’s need soon took control of the steering wheel. And there was something different between them now. Something new, something deep. Some kind of understanding he couldn’t put words to. But he was sure they were on the same page. In fact, he’d never been more sure of anything.

And as he pulled his legs under him and used his thighs to drive into her, Faith wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressed her forehead to his, and held his gaze steadily, lovingly, until she finally peaked again. Grant let go at the same moment and kissed her as they tumbled into bliss together. He was sure he’d never felt anything more perfect in his life.

Faith rested her head against his chest, and her warm breath bathed his skin. Grant sat back on his heels and stroked her hair, her back, her shoulders. When his feet started to tingle, he kissed her head and murmured, “I’m fuckin’ crazy about you, Faith.”

She didn’t answer and a trickle of heat coursed through his gut. Alarm? Hurt? It was so foreign he couldn’t even identify it. Maybe it was just too soon to be voicing it. She really did have a lot of other things, more important things, to think about. Still…he didn’t like this feeling.

He pushed up on his knees and found her far heavier than she’d been just minutes before. He cocked his head to look down at her face and found her eyes closed. The stricture in his chest loosened a little.

“Faith?”

No answer. Not even a flicker of her lashes.

He grinned and tried one more time. “What do you think? Still want to work on that video tonight?”

He got nothin’.

The last of the unease inside him vanished. He chuckled, stroked her hair, and kissed her head again. “Don’t worry, baby. I’m here to back you now.”

And—damn—that felt so good.

11

Faith set up the last table inside the covered arena at the county fairgrounds and shook it to test for stability. The ice sculptures could weigh hundreds of pounds, and she didn’t want this year to be the first year a table gave out and ruined the contest for someone.

When the heavy-duty table held, Faith smiled and ran her hand over the wood her father had handcrafted for this event. But that brought a flurry of other thoughts and emotions. First her mind turned to Natalie and her curt call to Faith early that morning to tell Faith that since she was being so unreasonable, Natalie would forego judging for the greater good so that Holly would benefit.

“Martyr,” Faith muttered, running her finger over one of the many scars in the table. But she was still ashamed of herself for coming down to Natalie’s level. “That won’t happen next year…”

Faith trailed off, realizing next year was one big question mark. She might not be able to make the store profitable enough to hold on to. She might be somewhere completely different, starting over. Alone. No Taylor, no Caleb, none of the people from Holly whom she’d known all her life.

No Grant.

Faith sighed and started moving methodically among the tables to double-check the extension cord connections.

Her cell rang, and she smiled a little, looking forward to the sound of Grant’s voice. As she pulled it from her back pocket, their night flooded back to her. He’d slowly been edging his way into her heart since he showed up in town. But last night he’d impressed the hell out of her. How open he’d been when she’d told him about Natalie. How reassuring he’d been about his feelings for her. How receptive he’d been of her emotions.

And the way he’d made love to her after… God, it had been the most beautiful night of her life. Passionate. Loving. Intense. She’d never felt as connected to another human being as she’d felt to Grant last night, looking into his eyes.

She looked at the screen and saw Taylor’s name. Which made her think of how Grant had been gone when she woke up this morning. And made her wonder if he’d felt it too. And that it had scared him into pulling away.

“Hey,” she answered. “I thought you were going over the books with Grant.”

“I’m headed there now, but I called because—”