Maverick (Sin City Saints Hockey 1)

He’s just a foot from me, a dark intense hunger in his eyes as he looks down at me. Not close enough. I’m about to invite him up to my room when he quickly turns his baseball hat around so it’s backward, then wraps his arms around my waist.

The players at our table, and a few from surrounding tables, are looking at us now. We never exchanged a word while we were playing, so we probably look like two strangers randomly jumping each other.

Fuck it. I don’t care what it looks like, or who might be recording us with their camera phones. All I care about is getting closer to the man I’ve been burning for all these months. Longer, even. I’ve wished my whole life for a connection like the one I feel with Maverick.

He lowers his face to mine and kisses me. His lips are warm and he holds me tightly. I melt into him, my arms moving up to wrap around his neck. The kiss is deep and hungry, full of all the longing that’s been building between us.

“I fucking love Vegas,” someone says.

“Isn’t that Maverick Hagen?” someone else asks.

Maverick ends our kiss, both of us breathless. He leans his forehead against mine and murmurs against my lips. “Ready?”

“Yes.”

With a devilish grin, he takes my hand and breaks into a run through the MGM Grand casino. I laugh and hold on to my clutch as we weave our way past tables and people, on a mission at last.

“Hey, tall heels,” I remind Maverick, feeling unsteady on my feet.

He slows and then comes to a stop, his boyish grin making my heart race. I’m sure he’s going to kiss me again, but instead, he bends and hooks his arm under my knees, sweeping my feet off the ground. I squeal with surprise as he breaks into a run again, quickly covering the distance to the elevator.

On the elevator, I kiss each of his cheeks, the tip of his nose and his forehead. He puckers his lips and I plant one there, too. I’ve never felt happier than I do right now.

“They must be newlyweds,” an older woman murmurs to the man next to her.

When the elevator reaches our floor, Maverick barely waits for the doors to fully open before hurrying to our adjoined rooms.

“Mine or yours?” he asks.

“Yours,” I say, “and I hope you have protection, because I—”

“Yep. Enough for us to stay holed up in there for a week if we want.”

I wish. A week alone with him in a hotel room sounds like heaven, but with his schedule, all we have is tonight. He puts me down so he can get his room key out of his pocket, and right before he unlocks the door, he gives me a serious look.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. Whether in that dress or a pair of plaid pajamas. You take my breath away, Gia.”

My heart swells as he opens the door, waiting for me to walk through. Once we’re both inside, I drop my purse to the floor, the playful mood replaced by thick, sweet tension.

I’m in his arms. He’s kissing me, his hands in my hair and mine on his shoulders. My body hums with desire, knowing the long wait is nearly over. We waste no time, tugging and pushing each other’s clothes off.

Once the red dress is pooled on the floor, Maverick steps back to study me in the lingerie he picked out. His expression reveals a sense of tenderness edged with a ravenous need. We lunge for each other, his hands on my bare skin making my pulse pound.

“I’ve never needed someone like this,” he says in my ear.

“I know…me either.”

He unfastens my bra and I slide it down my arms, letting it fall away. His hands move to palm my breasts and he bends down to one of my nipples, lavishing attention on it with his mouth. I inhale sharply, the sensation overwhelming my body with arousal.

I push down his boxers, grabbing his ass and making him groan, then wrap my hand around his erection. His body is a work of art—tall, dark and carved with muscles.

“Shit,” he groans. “I haven’t come in more than three weeks.”

“So what are you waiting for?”

He dips his face, kissing my shoulder. “I want to be able to last our first time, babe.”

I shake my head. “I want you inside me. We’ve got plenty of time for more.” I moan as he slides a finger into my wetness. “I don’t think I’ll last very long, either. It’s been a long time for me.”

Stepping back, I shimmy out of my panties and slide back onto the bed. He retrieves a condom from his wallet, rolls it on and climbs onto the end of the bed, easing my thighs open wide and lowering his face to lick my clit.