Nikki Worrell - The Enforcer (NHL Scorpions)

Tugging on Jody’s hand she led him to the door. “Let’s go.” He reluctantly followed.

Due to their playtime with Izzy and their bout of flirting at the house, they were a little late getting to the rink. The party was already in full swing. The whole team was there with their families, so it was pretty crowded. “Wow, I forget how many players there are on the roster, not to mention the behind the scenes people.”

“There are actually a couple of players here that I haven’t officially met yet. I do see some guys that I’ve beat up, though.” Grinning like he actually enjoyed it, he added, “And a couple who have handed me my ass on the ice. I’d really like to have another go at Gunderson, but I guess that’ll have to wait until we’re not on the same team again, eh?”

Chase “Gunner” Gunderson was a center that the Scorpions acquired from Philadelphia. He was a typical Philly style player. He hit hard and wasn’t afraid to drop his gloves. He wasn’t just a dominating physical presence either; he had some mad skills at the same time. Last year, he was third in the NHL for total points and total ice time.

After lacing up their skates, Jody and Lacey made their way over to the ice. Ian intercepted them and gave Lacey a peck on the cheek-which had Jody tightening his grip on her … really? “Have you guys seen Vlad? I thought he’d be here by now.”

Jody gave him a quick breakdown of Lacey’s situation (which she didn’t overly appreciate) and told him that Vlad wouldn’t leave Zoe.

“Those two are destined for heartbreak,” Ian said. “What a crappy situation they’re in, but Vlad really needs to let her go.” Even though Zoe had tried to keep her feelings a secret, Vlad was similar to Jody, meaning he wore his heart on his sleeve.

“I don’t know Ian,” Lacey told him. “There’s got to be a way to work it out. I’m telling you, Zoe has never felt this way about a man. She’s a love ‘em and leave ‘em type of girl, and she hasn’t had a real date in a long time. She met a great guy about a week ago, but now she won’t return his calls. I agree that it’s a crappy situation, but I think they should find a way to make it work.”

“Well, I hope they can.” Spying another new member of the team, Ian asked Jody, “Have you met the new backup goalie yet? That’s why I was looking for Vlad.”

Jody had not met him yet, but he’d certainly heard a lot about Cage Booker. Cage was a twenty-five year old hothead. He got in trouble on and off the ice. He’d even been arrested once for a bar room brawl, but his saving grace was that the kid had tons of potential – if he could learn to control himself. Jody certainly understood that control could be difficult, but this kid was just too damn cocky for his own good.

Lacey looked over to where they were looking and gasped a little. Thankfully, Jody didn’t notice. Cage was hot! His hair was a bit on the long side and shaggy in a way that made him look like he’d just had some girl running her fingers through it. His five o’clock shadow made a woman want to have whisker burns everywhere. To add to the overall image, he had a look on his face that just reeked of bad boy attitude.

Ian’s wife walked up and saw where Lacey’s gaze was directed. “I know, right? More eye candy for us.” Ian laughed and tugged on her ponytail, but Jody didn’t see the humor.

Lacey knew Jody was pretending he couldn’t hear the girls commenting on Cage while he was talking to Ian. Since Lacey wanted the night to be perfect, she pretended not to notice he was listening in and said, “He’s not too bad on the eyes, but he’s got nothing on Jody. Jody’s ten times hotter than Cage.” Lacey winked at Kathy, and she smiled back at her in understanding. It was so easy to stroke a man’s ego. Besides that, she meant every word. Cage was hot, but Jody, well Jody just made her weak in the knees.

The skating party dragged on, and Lacey noticed Jody frequently looking up at the clock. She was as anxious as he was to get out of there. Finally, around eight o’clock, she’d had enough. She walked up to Jody, put her arm around him, and said, “Are you ready to go? I can’t skate another second. My feet are killing me.”

Jody’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Hell yes, let’s go.” They said their goodbyes and walked out to the truck. The sexual tension when they got into the truck was off the charts. Jody couldn’t last another second. He pulled Lacey over to him and slid his fingers into her hair. “I can’t believe we lasted that long in there. When I get you into my bed, I’m not letting you leave for hours.”

“That’s not fair. What if I want a change of scenery? Like the shower? Or the kitchen table?” Lacey knew she was playing with fire. She wouldn’t put it past Jody to try to start things up right there in rink’s parking lot.

“Angel, I will take you on every available surface in my house, but first, I want you beneath me in my bed. I want you to want me as much as I have wanted you these past couple of weeks. You have no idea how far I’m willing to go to have you begging for me.” Jody wanted her to be desperate for him to be inside of her.

Lacey knew Jody was more than ready to have her in his bed, but wow – he was intense, and she loved every word he spoke. She was already close to begging him, and if that’s what he wanted, then that’s what she’d give him.

When they got back to his house, she immediately made to go upstairs. Pulling her back, Jody said, “Whoa, where do you think you’re going?” Then he pushed her back up against the wall and claimed her lips with his. It was no romantic, coaxing kiss. As soon as his lips descended, he parted her lips and licked the inside of her mouth. He’d never get enough of her taste.

Lacey whimpered and tried to get closer to him. When he pulled her thigh up to his hip and placed his other hand under her ass, she lifted her other leg so she could wrap both legs around him. She could feel that he was already rock hard. He ground into her, and she yanked on his hair in response. He loved it.

Remembering her plan, she put her legs back on the floor and pushed him away. With both of them breathing hard already, they stared at each other for a second. “Jody, I want to get a shower and put something on for you. Can you give me about ten minutes?” Lacey was so excited to get naked with him.

With a heated look, he said, “If I have to. You can use my shower, and I’ll use the guest bathroom. Don’t take too long, though, Lace, or I’m coming in after you.”

Lacey got into the shower and lathered herself up with lavender soap. That was truly one of her favorites. It reminded her of massage parlors, which always smelled relaxing, but stimulating at the same time. After a quick shower, she put her hair partially up to keep it out of the way. There were plenty of wisps of hair left down to flow around her face. She also brushed her teeth and refreshed her makeup.

The last thing to do was put on her LaGrange jersey. She was about to open the door when she heard his voice. It seemed deeper and raspier than usual. Lacey felt a shudder of desire roll through her. “Lace, are you ready to come out because I’m more than ready to see you.”

Lacey opened the door and stuck her head out. “I picked out my lingerie specifically for tonight. I hope you like it. Oh, and it seems like once again, you’ve caught me without panties.” She knew her ‘lingerie’ probably wasn’t what he expected. Taking a deep breath, she walked out.

“Holy shit, Lace.”

That’s all he said. He didn’t even take a step toward her. “Um, is that a good holy shit or a bad holy shit? Feeling a little insecure here …”