Open Fire, page 10
“Mmm,” Mom hums, clearly amused by catching her grown daughter not needing any mistletoe to take advantage of Kris Kringle. She doesn’t bother hiding her enjoyment of the situation, but she does politely reach her hand out to Becker. “It’s nice to meet you, Becker. What made you decide to come play Santa this morning?”
“Sloan mentioned her niece was dying to meet Santa and since my pops took on a holiday shift, I had some time to make her dreams come true.”
“And turn her into a traitor,” I add.
“What’s that?” Mom asks, but Kylie changes the subject.
“Did you see, Grammy? Santa brought us tickets to see the North Pole hockey team play tonight! All the elves play on the Florida Glaze! They’re my favorite team!”
Mom takes the now wrinkled paper out of Kylie’s hand and reads it over before grinning up at Becker.
“I take it you’re part of the North Pole team.”
“Yes ma’am,” he says politely.
She levels him with a mom-look before saying, “Well played, Santa. Well played.”
I can’t help but laugh at her use of the words I just lobbed at him seconds ago.
Moving out of the entryway, Mom gestures for us to follow her. “Why don’t you come on in Santa. As one of his helpers, I assume the real Santa sent this lovely gift?”
She tilts her head toward Kylie who is watching with rapt attention.
“Yes. Absolutely. The real Santa is taking a much-needed nap right now, but he wanted me to make sure Kylie got her gift and to thank her for the wonderful cookies she made. He says they were delicious.”
“I have more!” Kylie yells. “Do you want one?”
“Mayday, mayday,” I whisper his direction and shake my head vehemently.
He doesn’t skip a beat as we make ourselves comfortable on the couch. “I’m full from all the cookie help I gave him last night, but thank you, Kylie. I’ll be sure to tell Santa what a good hostess you are. That’ll get you a jump start on the nice list for next year.”
Kylie beams and I can’t help but feel my heart melt for this man. I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get more Christmas kisses under the mistletoe, but there’s time for that. If I’m reading him correctly, and I’m pretty sure I am, we’ve got all the time in the world.
Epilogue
Becker
One month later
“Are you sure I’m not dressed too fancy?” Sloan asks for the zillionth time. It’s cute seeing how anxious she is about tonight.
Since Christmas, we’ve spent the last few weeks getting to know each other. Not just physically, although that has been quite delightful, but in all ways. Turns out, we’re a lot more alike than we originally thought.
We both love hanging out at the beach on our off days.
We’re both fans of cheesy 90’s TV shows.
We both can devour a plate of enchiladas like our lives depend on it.
We’re both hockey fans, although she still roots for Chicago. It’s a character flaw I’m determined to rid her of. With Kylie as my ally, it’s only a matter of time before she caves.
Kissing the back of her neck, making note of the goose bumps that pepper her skin, I do my best to reassure her. “I promise you are perfect. This gala raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity every year. The people who attend it are a big deal.”
She looks at me over her shoulder, one eyebrow cocked. “Inflated ego much?”
“Oh no. I’m not the big deal. I’m the eye candy to get all the hockey fans to open their pocketbook. My only goal tonight is to beat Tucker out of whatever auction item he decides to bid on this year.” I rub my hands together maniacally. I will beat him. I already have plans.
“You and your teammates have the strangest relationship.” She shakes her head at our immature ways, but at least she’s not freaking out about her dress anymore.
Not that she should be. She looks phenomenal. The flowy, light-green dress is held up by only one strap, leaving her creamy, kissable shoulder on display. The color looks amazing next to her auburn locks, which are cascading down her back. Forget the gala. I could rip this dress off her right now.
Both Sloan’s eyebrows shoot up. “I recognize that look on your face,” she jokes, even though she’s got me pegged. “Keep it in your pants, Bell. I don’t want to meet your friends for the first time looking freshly fucked.”
I grunt my frustration. “Why is this the first time you’re meeting them, again? Shouldn’t we have done this before so they wouldn’t care if you look a little disheveled?”
She turns in my arms and gives me a quick peck on the lips. “Because we’ve been getting to know each other without any outside influences, remember? Your words, not mine.”
This is one of the few times I’m actually mad at myself for wanting to build a strong foundation in our relationship before letting anyone else intrude on us. Damn me and my maturity.
“Fiiiiiiine,” I concede and pull my phone out of my pocket, checking to see why it buzzed. “The limo is here anyway.”
“Hey.” She grabs me as I begin to turn away and pulls me flush up against her. “Maybe a little disheveled is okay.”
I smile at her invitation and don’t hesitate to press my lips to hers, enjoying the feeling of our bodies pressed tightly together. Licking the seam of her lips, she opens for me, and I gently slide my tongue in her mouth, tasting just a hint of her mint toothpaste.
My hands slide down her back and grab her ample ass, squeezing it tightly and pulling her even closer. I can hardly take being this far away from her already, wishing I could be inside her.
We haven’t crossed that line yet, determined to give ourselves a minute to slow down what has turned out to be a whirlwind romance, but we’ve gotten damn close. I know from experience all I need is two minutes of my fingers inside her and I’ll be hearing those noises I love so much.
And yes, they are the same noises she made on that massage chair at the airport. Good thing I didn’t know that at the time or I would have blown a serious nut right there at Tampa International.
I begin tugging at her dress, sliding it up her thighs. I need to get to her sweet spot soon. I can’t help myself. My hips begin moving of their own accord, desperately searching for friction.
Sloan’s hands slide down the front of my tux, stopping at my zipper and I groan into her mouth.
We’re both frantic as she slides down my zipper, freeing my cock and wrapping her tiny fingers around me. I have the silky material of her dress up around her waist, my fingers playing with the edge of her panties.
Our breathing comes out in gasps, as she strokes and I stroke and—
A pounding on my door stops us.
“Yo, Becker! Get your ass out here! We’re paying by the hour!” Tiger yells.
“He is such an asshole,” I grumble against Sloan lips, making her laugh.
“Maybe.” She pushes away from me, her dress immediately sliding back into place. “But he’s right. We need to go.”
“Are you sure?” I whine, my cock still hanging out of my pants. Maybe if she sees what she’s missing, she’ll change her mind.
I lower my hand and grab on.
Sloan’s lips quirk to the side in amusement and she point at my pants. “I see what you’re doing there, and it’s not going to work.”
“Are you sure?” I ask seductively and begin stroking myself.
“Positive. You’re the one who said you were the eye candy that encourages everyone to donate. We can’t leave them hanging.”
Dammit, she’s right. She also doesn’t seem the least bit affected by my attempt at seduction and it appears I’m going to be the only one with blue balls tonight. What a crock.
The pounding on my door begins again and Tiger yells, “Put your dick away, man! We have somewhere to be!”
Sloan giggles.
I’m not nearly as amused.
“I’m on my way, jackass! And if you put a hole in my door, I’m gonna shove your head through it!” I shout back, but follow his instructions and tuck myself back into my pants anyway.
After Sloan adjusts my tie and smooths down my lapels, she gives me a quick peck.
“My hair is still in place?”
“Yep. My zipper isn’t down?”
“Nope.”
I grab her hand. “Okay. Let’s go help a charity.”
It’s no surprise that Tiger is leaning in the doorway when I open it, arms and legs crossed like he’s been waiting a while. What a drama king.
“It’s about damn time,” he grumbles and looks us up and down. “You look surprisingly unrumpled.”
“We weren’t having sex, Tiger,” Sloan says without missing a beat. He’s the only one of my teammates she’s met, and only because he has a habit of swinging by and staying a while, even when he’s uninvited. His cockblocking is no surprise for either of us.
“Not for lack of trying,” I grumble and punch my teammate in the arm.
“Ow. That was rude.”
“So is banging my door down because you don’t want to spring for a few extra minutes of a limo ride. You can afford it.”
Tiger shakes his head as we all head down the walkway to the waiting car. “You used to be so much more fun. When did you turn into an old geezer? You gonna tell me to get off your lawn next?”
“Yeah? What’s wrong with you?” Sloan jokes, getting in on the action.
She flashes a smile over her shoulder and any responses I had fly right out of my brain.
I love this woman.
I may have only known her for a few weeks, but I can’t deny it, even to myself.
I used to think insta-love in the movies was a load of crap and lazy writing. And then a beautiful redhead dropped a Christmas present at my foot, and I finally understood.
When you find the one, the other part of you, your best friend, it’s love at first sight.
Santa definitely dropped the best present in my lap on Christmas Eve.
And I don’t ever want to be on the nice list again.
* * *
The end.
Bonus Epilogue
Delaney
Walking up and down the aisles, I do a spot check to make sure everything is set up for the silent auction, my baby at this event for the last few years. It all looks good to go. That’s one major event taken care of.
I hear a ruckus as people begin filtering into the room. Turning to see who is the first to arrive, I see the man of the hour with a smile on his face. But I know my brother better than anyone except possibly Prestyn. He’s using some of his yoga breathing to keep his nerves in check.
Good. He should be nervous. Marriage is a big deal. I should know. My divorce was finalized six months ago after years of being married to a shithole. I can say that with confidence now because I tried. Lord how I tried to make my marriage work.
But ten years of secret online dating profiles, cheating, money disappearing from our accounts, finally took a toll on me and I left.
To be honest, what finally broke me was Prestyn. She was one of the women my ex tried to cheat on me with. When I called her to explain the situation, she was so kind and apologetic. Somehow, throughout the entirety of our conversation it clicked that I couldn’t blame the women. They never made a commitment to me. He did. Most of them didn’t even know I existed.
Something about that finally pushed me in the right direction. So I kicked him out, moved on with my life, and introduced my brother to the love of his life. All those choices were the best ones I’ve ever made.
And tonight, that woman who helped me more than she realized is going to become my sister-in-law. After the gala, of course.
I smile as I watch them walk in, Nick looking nervous and Prestyn with a bit of a mischievous look on her face. It’s well deserved though. She’s wearing her wedding dress in public, but since this is a formal event and everyone is dressed up, no one but her, me, and Nick know that it’s not just a beautiful white gown.
Man, she’s sneaky.
Before I can approach them, my eyes catch a glimpse of the person walking in right behind them and my breath hitches.
Anthony Studeville.
Defenseman for the Florida Glaze. Poker buddy for my brother. And the first man to make my body tingle since my ex-husband was making his best impression on me years and years and years ago.
He’s also barely twenty-four years old and at the start of his career.
Too bad my body doesn’t seem to care that he’s so young. I see the way he looks at me from across the room when we’re at functions like this. Like he wants to devour me like the Tiger he is.
What I wouldn’t do for one night to feel the passion I missed for so many years.
But now is not the time or place for this. I have two major events happening tonight. One that’s just beginning and the other that starts as soon as the auction is over. I need to concentrate.
That goes out the window when Anthony holds my gaze and runs his hands down his chest, pretending to smooth out his lapels, before his hand drops and he adjusts himself like men do. I’m not fooled though. That was him reminding me of what he’s packing in those pants.
I can’t help it. I lick my bottom lip and bite it, making him smirk in response.
And then his gaze is torn away as someone addresses him.
No matter. I have things to do, and fantasizing about a guy barely out of college isn’t one of them.
* * *
Fueling the Fire: A Brother’s Teammate Hockey Romance is coming 2023! Click here or scan the QR code for the latest information on its release date!
Acknowledgments
Phew! The Florida Glaze are getting spicy these days, and as always there are a few people I need to thank for that.
Nikki Becker and McKinnze Lopez - I can never thank you enough for always giving your honest opinions, especially when things aren’t working. It makes it that much sweeter when things come together seamlessly.
Rachel Rumble - Your name was perfect for the story. Just… don’t take Xanax with booze at the airport, k?
Gemma Brocato - Not only are you a joy to work with—especially considering edits is my least favorite part—I’m so wildly impressed by your heart for helping others. You are good people!
Alyssa Garcia - In spite of taking on a new job, you are finishing up this series with the most beautiful covers, and I’m eternally grateful for that.
Mom - Thanks for letting me us your eagle eyes again. Your intense grammar training as a child has come in really handy! Lol
My kids - You guys are why I do this. You’re why I chose a job that may only put food on the table, but gives me so much flexibility to be with you. I know it annoys you now, but someday you’ll see why I’m so grateful. I only hope you know how much I love you guys.
God - Your blessings overflow…
Also by M.E. Carter
The Florida Glaze Series: Hockey Romance
Playing with Fire
Under Fire
Trial by Fire
Open Fire
Fueling the Fire (coming 2023!)
* * *
The Texas Mutiny Series: Soccer Romance
Juked
Groupie
Goalie
Megged
Deflected
* * *
The Hart Series: Football Romance
Change of Hart
Hart to Heart
Matters of the Hart
Matters to Me
Matters to You
Matter of Time
Matter of Fact
* * *
#MyNewLife: Over 40 Romantic Comedy with a Sports Twist
Getting a Grip: Getting a Grip Duet Part 1
Balance Check: Getting a Grip Duet Part 2
Pride & Joie
Amazing Grayson
Little Miss Perfect (exclusively in the Getting a Grip Duet Complete Box Set)
* * *
Cipher Office Series: Romantic Comedy Set in the Weight Expectations Gym
(Part of the Smartypants Romance Imprint)
Weight Expectations
Cutie and the Beast
Weights of Wrath
* * *
The Charitable Endeavors Series: Romantic Comedy co-written with Andrea Johnston
Switch Stance
Ear Candy
Model Behavior
Better than the Book
* * *
Romantic Comedies co-written with Sara Ney
FriendTrip
WeddedBliss
* * *
Holiday Romantic Comedies co-written with Sara Ney
Kissmas Eve
New Year’s Steve
* * *
Paranormal written as Anabeth Carston
Panther
About the Author
My name is ME Carter and I have no idea how I ended writing books. I'm more of a story teller (the more exaggerated the better) and I happen to know people who helped me get those stories on paper.
I love reading (read over 100 books last year), hate working out (but I do it anyway because my trainer makes me), love food (but hate what it does to my butt) and love traveling to non-touristy places most people never see.
I live in Texas with my four kids, Mary, Elizabeth, Carter and Bug, who was just a twinkle in my eye when I came up with my pen name. Yeah, I'll probably have to pay for his therapy someday for being left out.
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