Never Say Never: An Enemies-to-Lovers Secret Identity New Adult Sports Romance (Western Wildcats Hockey Book 4)
Chapter 22

I give one final wave to Colby’s parents as they disappear around the corner. Only then do I spin and whack him on the chest. “I can’t believe you told them we’re married!”

“Ow.” He lifts a hand to rub the injured area. “Why not? It’s the truth. We are married.”

“Not for long,” I say with a grunt, stalking to his truck parked down the street.

“TBD,” he says, trailing after me.

My clenched fists land on my hips as I swing around and glare. I’m seriously going to throttle him.

The grin he flashes does nothing to soften my stance.

Well…almost nothing.

Damn him.

He clicks the locks on his truck before opening the passenger side door in one smooth movement. “Your chariot awaits, madam.”

I flatten my lips, refusing to allow them to tremble. I get the feeling that if I give Colby an inch, he’ll take a mile.

After pulling into traffic, he throws a glance my way. “Should we talk at your place? I’m sure it’ll be a lot quieter than mine.”

I jerk my head into a tight nod.

Tonight I’m pulling the plug and ending this sham of a marriage.

Ten minutes later, I shove the key into the lock and push open the door to my apartment before flicking on the lights. As he strolls into the entryway and then the dining/living room combination, his gaze bounces around the space as if trying to absorb everything at once. It makes me wish that I’d taken the time to hide some of the more personal objects that had been left lying around. I’d assumed we would talk at a restaurant.

After a long stretch of silence, his gaze settles on me. “You live here alone?”

“Yup. When I applied to Western in the summer, I didn’t know anyone.”

He nods, gravitating to a credenza before picking up a silver-framed photo. My palms dampen as he studies it.

His gaze flickers to mine. “Is this your family?”

“Um, yeah.”

“How old were you when this was taken?” With a tilt of his head, he scrutinizes it. “About eight or nine?”

“Probably around there.” I force my feet into motion, closing the distance between us before plucking the frame from his hands. Relief rushes through me when he doesn’t ask any more questions.

As I set it back on the table, he beelines toward the couch and picks up the guitar.

Damn it.

Why didn’t I put the instrument away instead of leaving it out?

He strums a few cords. “You play?”

I jerk my shoulders, trying to shake off the growing tension that fills every muscle. This guy is making me twitchy. “A little.”

“Wanna play something for me? We can open this conversation with a song.”

It’s not a question I have to think about. “Nope.”

“You sang to me on the airplane,” he reminds, voice turning cajoling.

“Only because you were in distress.”

The slow smile that spreads across his lips sends a punch of arousal straight to my core. “Would you believe I’m in distress at the moment?”

It takes effort to swallow past the thick lump wedged in my throat. “Not a chance.”

Having Colby here is like being responsible for an overactive child in an art gallery. I need to keep a close eye on him, or he’ll rip the place apart and be into everything.

I’ve invited a few friends over since moving in, but I try to keep entertaining to a minimum. I’m also careful to hide anything that could potentially tie me to my old life.

It’s taking every ounce of self-control not to leap at him and rip the instrument from his hands.

I’ve never allowed anyone to touch or play with it.

Not even my siblings.

Instead of acting on the rush of emotion coursing through me, I settle on the couch in the hopes he’ll do the same.

I just want to get this over with.

Anxiety leaks from my muscles when he follows my lead and drops down beside me.

My fingers tap an insistent beat on my jean-clad thigh as I force myself to remain calm. “We need to end this now.”

There.

I said it.

Even though he appears outwardly calm and collected, the unnerving way he stares tells me he’s anything but. It’s enough to have another round of nerves detonating at the bottom of my belly.

“What’s the hurry? Why are you so opposed to the idea of spending a little time together to see if this could work?”

I wait for him to flash a charming smile or chuckle. Something that will show me that he’s joking around.

It never happens.

Instead, his gaze stays pinned to mine.

A beat of silence passes.

Then another.

Oh shit.

That’s when I realize he’s serious.

My mouth dries as my brain cartwheels.

I shake my head, not understanding why he’d want to bother.

There’s no way that Colby McNichols is interested in being tied down.

To me. A girl he barely knows.

Unable to stand the intensity of his gaze for another second, I rip mine away. “Why delay the inevitable? It won’t work between us.”

“Why not?”

I open my mouth, grappling for a response.

There are a million reasons.

The biggest one being that I’m not who he thinks I am.

I swallow down my anxiety and attempt to remain calm. “Because we’re two different people moving in opposite directions.”

He scoots closer before reaching out and placing his larger hand over mine. My pulse skitters when he toys with my fingers. “How can you be so sure? We’ve barely gotten the chance to know one another.”

My attention falls to the place we’re now connected, and my heart skips a painful beat before thudding into overdrive. “Colby…”

“What?” His voice deepens as he slants a look my way.

The fire that flickers in his ocean-blue depths is almost enough to have me going up in flames. My brain tumbles back to Vegas and the night he pressed me against the glass before sliding deep inside my body. The glittering lights of the city stretched out below us had only heightened the intensity of my orgasm.

“We shouldn’t,” I whisper in a voice that barely sounds like my own.

He inches closer before cocking his head. “Shouldn’t what?”

“Sleep together.” There’s a pause before I tack on, “Again.”

One brow slinks upward as if the thought had never crossed his mind. “Oh?”

“It’ll only confuse matters.”

He has to understand that, right?

“Actually, I think it’ll help clarify them for both of us.”

Before I can collect my thoughts and come up with another reason why us having sex is a disastrous idea, his hand slips around the nape of my neck before tugging me forward. His grasp isn’t so tight that I couldn’t pull away or put a stop to what’s unfolding, but there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to.

The sex we had in Vegas was amazing, and I’m dying to confirm that I overembellished it in my memories.

It’ll make walking away that much easier.

When I don’t protest, a smile curves his lips seconds before they crash into mine. I open, allowing him entrance before he can sweep his tongue across the seam.

That simple caress is all it takes for me to go from zero to a hundred.

One hand stays wrapped around the back of my neck as the other slips beneath my sweater and drifts upward until he can cup my breast. A groan rumbles up from deep within him. The guttural sound makes everything inside me clamor for more.

He pulls away just long enough to mutter, “I’ve been thinking about these all damn week.”

With that, he yanks the soft pink cashmere up my body and over my head before tossing it to the floor. It’s my favorite sweater, but at this moment, I don’t give a damn what happens to it. All I can think about is the way he’s touching and kissing me. His hands are strong and possessive, and he knows exactly what to do with them.

As loathe I am to admit it, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him either. A couple of days ago, I was jolted out of a sexy dream and ended up rubbing one out because I was so damn achy. There was no way I was going to fall back to sleep without replaceing a little relief. It only slams home the realization that Axel never turned me on to this degree.

He pulls back as his gaze rakes over my chest. “Fuck, baby. You’re so gorgeous. As sexy as this bra is, it needs to go.”

His hands slip around my back to unfasten the hooks. It takes him less than fifteen seconds before the band around my ribcage loosens and the silky straps slide down my arms. The cups shielding my nipples from view fall away. The tiny buds tighten as the cool air of the room wafts across my skin.

His gaze stays pinned to my chest as he reaches out to palm my naked breasts. “They’re just as perfect as I remember.”

When he tweaks one stiff peak, a gasp works its way up my throat before slipping free.

His attention flickers to my face. “Do you like that?”

“Yes.” There’s no point in lying when the truth is obvious.

There’ve been a few men in my past, but not as many as people assume. My mother was always at my side, chasing off the ones who came sniffing around. She made sure that my focus was on the empire we were attempting to build.

He pinches the other one and elicits the same response.

With a growl, his mouth collides with mine as he presses me against the cushions and settles on top of me. His thick erection nestles against the vee between my legs. The way he grinds against my clit, bumping it at the perfect angle, is dizzying. I can’t stop myself from shifting, silently begging for more of the addictive sensations that reverberate throughout my body.

He pulls away long enough to growl, “You drive me fucking crazy, you know that?”

It’s precisely what he does to me.

His gaze stays fastened to mine as he nips my lower lip, tugging it before setting it free. And then he’s delving in for more. There’s the scrape of teeth and the slide of tongues. Just when I think I’ll come from this alone, his mouth drifts to the point of my chin before grazing my jawline.

It’s not a conscious decision to bare the column of my throat. More like instinct. The need to feel his touch everywhere. Another round of arousal detonates in my core as he sucks at the delicate flesh. Impatience spirals through me as my nipples brush the cotton of his sweatshirt. I want to feel his chiseled muscles pressing against my softness. My fingers drift to the hem before giving it a tug. That movement is all it takes to capture his attention.

“You want it off, sweet girl?”

“Please.”

Another rumble escapes from deep within his chest as his eyes darken. “Fuck but I love the sound of that word on your lips.”

He rises just enough to tug the thick material over his head before tossing it aside. My gaze dips to the tantalizing sight of sun-kissed abdominals.

The T-shirt is the next to get shed until he’s just as bare chested as I am.

There’s no doubt about it. His body really is perfection.

As stunning as a statue you’d admire in a museum.

There’s a whirl of golden blond hair on his chest that arrows down his eight pack before disappearing beneath the waistband of his jeans. It’s tempting to flick open the button and shove them down his lean hips and thighs.

I’m dying to get another glimpse of his cock.

It can’t possibly be as thick and beautiful as I remember.

“Are you done checking me out yet?”

I slant a glance upward. Both heat and humor simmer in his ocean-colored depths.

“For now.”

With a smirk, he lowers himself until he’s fully stretched out on top of my body. His naked skin feels so good against mine. The kiss that unfolds between us is surprisingly less frenzied than the one that came before it. It’s like he was afraid I might say no and now understands there’s no need to rush. We can take our time and enjoy the moment.

Deep down, I realize this is a bad idea, but there’s no stopping it. I’ll deal with the ramifications tomorrow.

Tonight, I want to feel him buried deep within me until I have no other choice but to shudder around him.

Just like in Vegas.

His tongue slides inside my mouth to mingle with my own. It’s the slow brush of velvet with the light scrape of teeth.

My arms tangle around his neck to draw him closer.

“So damn greedy,” he whispers before licking at my lips.

And then he’s dipping lower to my chest. His hands drift to the outer sides of my breasts before pressing them closer. He licks one pert tip before sucking it into the warmth of his mouth.

Pleasure blooms inside me as I arch, only wanting to get closer.

He’s right about being greedy.

When I’m with Colby, my brain clicks off and I stop thinking about what my future will look like and the tough decisions I’ll be forced to make. I’m only able to focus on the delicious sensation that careens through my veins.

For better or worse, everything else gets blotted out.

He releases my nipple before zeroing in on the other, giving it the same ardent attention. He sinks lower until he’s eye level with the waistband of my jeans. His gaze flicks to mine as the fingers hover over the metal button.

I jerk my head into a tight nod before the question can leave his lips.

“Thank fuck,” he mutters, attacking both the button and zipper.

He makes quick work of the thick denim, tugging it down my hips and thighs. The jeans meet the same fate as the sweater until I’m left in a thong. He sits back and allows his hungry gaze to rove over my nearly naked length. Everywhere it touches, heat ignites as if it’s a physical caress.

“Have I mentioned that you’re gorgeous?”

My lips bow at the compliment. I’ve been given thousands of them over the years, but for some reason, it means more coming from Colby.

“Pretty sure that you did.”

“Well, I’m saying it again, because it’s one hundred percent the truth. I could stare at you for hours.”

His words arrow to the very heart of me before exploding on impact. It takes effort to stomp out the riotous emotion attempting to break loose inside me. “I think you’re just horny.”

“Oh, I’m horny all right,” he agrees. “For my wife.”

A bolt of electricity sizzles through me at the reminder, leaving me breathless.

His fingers slip beneath the band of my underwear before he slides it down my legs. A tortured groan escapes for him as he removes the tiny scrap of silky material from my body.

His hands drift up and down my calves, almost as if strumming the flesh. “Now, be a good girl and open your legs wide. I’ve missed seeing my wife’s pretty little pussy.”

My heart skips a painful beat as I do as he asks.

His gaze drops to the vee between my thighs, and he stares until I’m squirming beneath the intensity of it. Until heat floods my core and I know I’m slick with arousal from the possessive way he watches me.

“So fucking gorgeous.”

The first brush of his fingertips across my delicate flesh has a moan breaking free. Even though I got myself off a few days ago, it wasn’t nearly this delicious. He caresses me a few more times before shouldering his way between my thighs until the warmth of his breath ghosts over me. Anticipation rushes through my veins as air stalls in my lungs.

I don’t have to wait long.

The first touch is almost enough to have me coming off the couch. My fingers tunnel through his thick hair to hold him in place. Or maybe it’s to keep me tethered to the earth so I don’t float off into the atmosphere.

Just like our previous kiss, there’s nothing frenzied about his movements. Instead, each one seems calculated to elicit the most pleasure. His tongue strokes across my center before circling my clit. When he spreads my lips wide, my eyes almost roll to the back of my head.

I can’t help but squirm, trying to get closer.

When a whimper breaks free from me, his gaze locks on mine. “So damn greedy,” he repeats.

It won’t take much more of this exquisite torture before I’m an incoherent mess.

If I’m not already.

His tongue dances around the little bundle of nerves until it throbs with a life all its own. Only then does he thrust his tongue deep inside my pussy.

“Are you ready to come for me?”

So ready…

When I shift, only wanting to feel him deep inside my body, he taps my clit with the tips of his fingers. I gasp as the area is flooded with a potent concoction of pleasure wrapped in pain.

“Answer the question.”

“Yes,” I groan. “I want you to make me come.”

A smug smile flashes across his face. “I know you do. You’re practically crying for it—for me.”

Oh god…

It’s true.

The only other time I’ve been this turned on was⁠—

Another garbled sound escapes from me as he buries his face against my softness. His tongue strokes across my skin before he nibbles at my clit.

“So, so sweet.”

This time, he attacks me. One scrape of teeth against my sensitive flesh and I lose all control. A moan falls from my lips as my back bows off the cushions. Every muscle turns whipcord tight.

It’s only after the last tremor racks my body that I force my eyelids open and replace him watching me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything sexier in my life than Colby’s blond head between my spread thighs, his sharp blue eyes searing mine.

A shiver skitters down my spine.

Unsure what to say or how to break the intensity of the moment we now replace ourselves in, I whisper, “Thank you.”

The smirk returns full force. “Oh, don’t thank me just yet, sweet girl. I’m nowhere near done with you.”

With that, he scoops me up into his arms.