Chapter 7

HUGE apologies for the delay in updating but so many thanks for everyone who read and reviewed and nudged this along. Thanks also for the well wishes, I'm feeling much better!!

Mostly, thanks to Meredith who carries these chapters the distance. You're the bees knees, lady!

Uh.. about this chapter... it HAD to be done. Excuse me while I run for cover.

I'd lost track of the time but it was probably much later than any of us should have been out considering the insanity of the road game schedule. 

Whatever I'd been drinking had me floating enough that I didn't really care where we were or how we got here. The air was close around us and the design of the space we were in was as intimate as the heavy bass vibrating from the hidden speakers. 

I was sitting sideways on Cory's lap, only half paying attention to the conversation he was engaged in with some guy from another team who was laughing heartily at whatever Ginger Lou was rambling about. I really had no idea what the hell they were talking about, goalies were… different… and half the time that they tried to make me laugh I just ended up patting them on the cheek and then wandering off in an attempt to get those minutes of my life back somewhere else. 

Really, I should probably stop drinking. Of course as soon as that thought drifted through my fuzzy head a fresh drink was pressed into my hand. Slowly I glanced around and saw the outline of Kess's back as he moved further away and knew he was responsible. At least I didn't need to worry about being drugged by some random stranger. None of the boys would ever have to resort to such a tactic with me; in the month I'd been with them I think they understood every wish of theirs was my command. 

Absently I wondered if I could find a Genie costume at a discounted rate since Halloween was long over. The thought of parading around dressed like Barbra Eden made me chuckle since arenas were not exactly the warmest places on earth and they seemed to be where I spent most of my time. Perhaps it was something I should mention to Holly, though. Maybe specialists should have uniforms – sexy little numbers in their team's colors. 

Of course my alcohol compromised brain decided that I should call Holly immediately to share my brilliance and I leaned back, reaching for where I figured my purse should be, only to nearly flip myself right off my human chair. Cory caught me easily with his superhuman reflexes, laughing and set me upright again.

Whatever he said to me was lost in the music and I just shrugged at him and looked around for a fresh source of amusement since whatever idea had prompted me to attempt a back-flip dismount was already long forgotten. 

Cory had returned to his conversation so I returned to my drink, inordinately proud of myself for not spilling a drop. The liquid was cool in my throat, a delicious contrast to the heat in the room. I raised my head and there, directly across from me, was my new entertainment. 

Chris was sitting at the back of the long table, head cocked to the side, staring at me as he toyed with the label on the beer in front of him. We weren't really that far apart, the VIP section we'd taken over wasn't very big, but there was no chance of conversing over the level of noise. Though to be honest, there wasn't much he could tell me with words that he wasn't saying with his eyes. 

His gaze held mine long enough for me to get the point that he was genuinely trying to express an actual message.

Despite my buzz, I could read him loud and clear. 

He lowered his eyes to my mouth and they narrowed slightly when my tongue came out to wet them. I could feel his gaze lingering there almost as if it was an actual kiss, could feel the way his lips would move across my jaw and my head tipping back a fraction as the sensation slid down the side of my neck. 

My breathing came quicker and I shifted on the perch of rock hard muscle beneath me, Cory's arm a secure weight around my waist, making sure I didn't make another unwise attempt to pitch myself to the floor. It's a good thing. I wasn't far off making a leap onto the table in front of us. 

Actually… the idea had merit. 

But then those sexy sky blue eyes were back on my mouth again, another kiss, another sweep across my lips that were parted softly to receive it. He blinked slowly, his lids heavy and the caress moves further south, along the ridge of my collarbone, pausing at the point where I'm sure my pulse was visibly demonstrating the effect his attentions were having on my heart rate. 

Then his gaze dropped lower and as sure as if his fingers were making the journey instead my nipples were suddenly solid points of acute aching. Everything inside of me was clenched tightly at the imagined pleasure of Chris touching me, the roughness of his calloused hands exploring the softness of my skin.

I rubbed my thighs together, shifting against the want that has my pussy literally throbbing and he was only fucking looking at me. 

His jaw clenched as I moved, obviously recognizing my action and his eyes were roving again. It isn't until I let my eyes stray that I realize his hand was wrapped around the bottle in front of him, his fingers loosely gripping the glass, sliding slowly up the neck and then back down to the base. 

Holy shit.

I watched him do it three times before I could tear my gaze away. His lids were half lowered but he was so in tune with everything he was doing to me that he caught every hitch in my breath, every flutter of my lashes, and every time I swallowed reflexively as his thumb brushed the mouth of that damned bottle. 

My hips rolled and his head fell back against the wall behind him, his eyes clenched tightly shut for just long enough for me to feel deprived. But then they opened again, and beside the obvious heat, there was something new, something I'd never seen from him before. 

Acceptance, appreciation and, finally, temptation. 

He released the bottle and his hands slipped out of view below the table. I knew without question what he was doing just as plainly as I knew in five seconds I was going to be on the other side of the table doing it for him. 

The music changed, it was louder, the lights were suddenly brighter and if I could only get my goddamned legs to hold me, I was going to take Chris up on the invitation still telegraphed as clear as a billboard in Times Square. 

But the music was getting louder still, no longer a sexy vibration through the air but a sharp, shrill, tinny rendition of a song that was seriously overplayed, or at least, it had been back in the early 90's when it had been a hit. Which was strange since I couldn't imagine a current DJ slipping it into the rotation of today's number ones. It was also a huge coincidence that I had programmed that same song into my phone as Ryan's ringtone since it suited him so well. 

I found myself glancing around to see him and was shocked to find no one else there. Even Cory had managed to slip out from beneath me without my noticing; which was impossible. 

Confused, I turned back and was relieved to see Chris still on the other side of the table but the volume of the music was increasing and I struggled to read his lips as he mouthed something at me. 

"What?"

He smiled softly and shook his head, repeating the words. 

"WHAT?" I tried again, trying to stand, trying to get closer to hear him. 

Then Chris was suddenly there, right there, and his lips were pressed to my ear. "Penny, I.... "

The music stopped unexpectedly and everything was quiet. I was instantly sober and Chris continued to smile as he lowered his head to mine... 

I still had the image of his face in my mind when I woke abruptly to the sound of my cell phone announcing a text message. 

What the fuck! 

The adrenaline of being shocked awake quickly cleared the lingering sleep from my mind and flung out a hand to grab for the phone on my nightstand. I stared at it for a moment and then thumbed the screen into action where a message popped up instantly. 

*ANSWER YOUR DAMNED DOOR!*

Kess.

I was gonna kill him. Only Ryan Kesler could interrupt the best sex dream I'd ever been in the middle of.

With a growl I threw my legs over the side of the bed and reached for the plush, oversized robe I'd left on the floor. The phone rang in my hand, Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative" letting me know that he was calling again and I answered it as I navigated the stairs to the lower level. 

"What?" I hissed, nearly stubbing my toe as I reached the last stair.

"You sleep like the dead. Open the fucking door already, our arms are breaking."

I flipped on a couple of lights as I reached the front door since the winter weather had made the daylight darker than usual. I hadn't checked the time but it couldn't be that early, we'd arrived at the airport just after midnight and it had been a long exhausting trip. 

I turned the lock and yanked the door open, glaring at the two idiots on the other side, my mood less than the friendly Penny they were used to. "This is a secured building. How the hell did you two get up here?" I didn't suffer mornings well.

Clearly unfazed, Ryan hung up the phone in his hand and shifted the box he was carting back into a manageable position. "The concierge is a fan." He jerked his head, motioning for me to step back. "Move."

He shouldered past me and Kevin followed behind, grinning wide, though he paused to steal a quick kiss. "Nice jammies."

Flustered I glanced down and realized my robe was open to reveal the tight tank top that was two inches shorter than the waist of the light pink boy-cut panties I'd worn to bed. I considered belting it tighter but figured remembered there was nothing they hadn't seen, and touched and tasted and fucked the stuffing out of, already. 

The two of them went directly to the dining area to dump their goods on the table. I detoured to the kitchen and frowned when I realized I had forgotten to program the coffeemaker the night before. Damn it. 

I had just finished filling the reservoir when strong arms came around me from behind and I relaxed back against the hard chest at my back. "Your timing sucks."

Kes hummed. "You on the rag?" His breath came out in a grunt when I elbowed him sharply and he released me with a grin on his face, reaching for the mugs in the cupboard. "Well I know you're not usually a ray of sunshine first thing but you're especially touchy today. I figured you're hormonal or something."

My eyes narrowed dangerously as I watched him. "Two things," I held up my fingers and counted off. "One; don't ever say that again. Two; don't ever say that again."

He waved me off over his shoulder and I made myself comfortable on one of the stools tucked along the island in the middle of the kitchen. "Don't get me wrong, Kes, you know I'm good to go 24/7 but we literally just got home."

"Uh-huh,"

"Sooooo?" I let the obvious question hang as he dug into the fridge for a carton of cream. He sniffed it cautiously and then shrugged as he deemed it still within the expiration limits. 

"'Sooooo', what?"

I sighed and tried not to be impressed when he found the sugar bowl without my assistance. "Soooo, what the hell are you doing here besides trying to get me killed by your wife?"

"She's not that bad," he rolled his eyes and then grimaced when I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Okay, she is but I'm a grown man. I make my own decisions."

Faintly amused, I planted my elbow and propped my chin in my hand. "She kick you out?"

"As soon as she heard me tell Mikayla about the princess crown you bought her." He came over and braced himself against the opposite side of the island and hung his head with a chuckle. 

I winced in sympathy and reached out, threading my fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry," I said softly. "I shouldn't have done that. I don't mean to cause any more trouble for you than you're already having." In all honesty I wasn't supposed to have any contact with any player's offspring but in the short time I'd been with the team I'd heard so many stories about all of their kids that I felt like I knew each and every one of them and couldn't help buying little trinkets that brought them to mind. 

"Don't worry about it, Kess can handle Andrea," Juice said, appearing around the corner with a grin that was just a little too big, a little too happy and he had one hand behind his back. 

 

"Whatchagot?" I asked, reaching for his arm but his professionally honed reflexes were too quick and he deftly danced out of my reach. "Kev...," I growled, a warning tone in my voice that had a little to do with not having had my coffee yet and a little to do with being so rudely yanked out of such a good dream. 

"We saw you mooning over the stuff in that store in Carolina," Kess began. 

"So we brought you some decorations," Kev finished for him and produced a sprig of mistletoe from behind his back and dangled it over my head. I looked up at the green leaves and white berries and then down at him and couldn't help but smile. "Merry Christmas Penny," he added more softly, reaching out to snake his arm around my waist and pull me against the solid warmth of his body. His lips poured over mine like warm maple syrup and I tasted chocolate and coffee on his tongue as it swept over mine. 

"You went for coffee and didn't bring me any?" I whined and both men laughed, 

"Yeah that's what Lou bought you that fuckin' expensive espresso machine for," Kess pointed out and then went back to making me something frothy and hot while Kev guided me to the table where he'd left his burden, a box overflowing with Christmas ornaments. I took a couple from the top, brand new, still in the box, shiny coloured glass balls. 

"You guys shouldn't have," I sighed, taking the next box out, an old fashioned Father Christmas with a pipe in his mouth and tiny real looking metal rimmed glasses. "I don't have anything to put them on." 

"No fake in the closet?" Kev asked, actually sounding crushed that he'd have nothing to hang them on immediately. 

"No," I shook my head as I ran my fingers over the rosy cheeks of the elf with a tiny wooden hammer. "I never get a tree." 

"No tree?" Kess almost shouted. I turned and shrugged. 

"My family...we just didn't really do Christmas," I explained without going into the lurid details of how my parents, both tendered professors at UBC, didn't believe in telling their only child fairy stories or encouraging me to believe in a fabled jolly old elf who shimmied down the chimney once a year to fill a stocking.

"Well we'll fuckin' fix that," Kev snorted, reaching for his phone. 

"Fuckin rights," Kess added, his thumbs already working on his phone, "one Christmas tree comin' right up."

____________________________________________________________________________

I was worried my neighbors were going to call the cops we were making so much noise but I couldn't get the grin off my face as I watched the steady stream of guys arriving at my door. Someone's iPod was plugged in blaring carols that the guys were singing tunelessly along with and there was a fair amount of swearing and pounding as all the decorations started going up. 

Ginger Lou had brought a wreath, a real one with fir boughs and holly with bright red berries that he was hanging on my door. Hansen had brought an angel mobile that he was hanging over the island which was pissing Mason off because he was rolling out dough and cutting sugar Christmas cookies out to bake. Hank and Danny were putting red and green tinsel garland on anything that didn't move and Eddie was putting together the tree stand. 

"Will someone give those two assholes a call and see if they've gotten lost?" Hammer called out from the kitchen where he was pouring rum into mugs of eggnog. 

"We did not get lost," a voice called from the hallway. "Move Schneidie, make room." Everyone turned toward the sound of Lappy's voice but all we could see was the tip of a tree being shoved through the door.

"More to the left," another voice called from somewhere behind the tree and I felt a little thrill run up my spine. Chris. 

"My left or your left?" Lappy snapped and I heard an irritated growl erupt from Chris's throat that sent another shiver straight down my spine and into my panties. I'd changed into a pair of jeans and the most festive sweater I owned, a red one with tiny white Christmas trees on it. I might never have "done" Christmas but I did have a few seasonal sweaters tucked away. 

"Girls, girls, there's no need to fight," Kess chuckled as he got hold of the top of the tree and helped them guide it into the room and towards the tree stand that Eddie had only just finished setting up. 

"Well he wanted to buy a blue spruce and I said that she would want a grand fir and then he wanted a Charlie Brown tree because he thought her place wasn't big enough for this one," Lappy grinned proudly as they held the tree up while Eddie tightened the screws. 

"No, left! Your other left," Chris grumbled, aiming a thunderous look towards Max who just kept grinning at his teammate as if he didn't notice. 

"You spent this whole time looking for a tree?" Hammer asked, handing Chris a mug. Higgy sniffed at the contents and then, making a face, handed it back. 

"Someone didn't want to come out and play," Max tattled and every set of eyes in the room turned towards Chris, who looked sideways at me and then hung his head. 

"I was tired," he mumbled. The grin I'd been wearing was immediately erased, like I'd been handed a cupcake that he'd just licked all the icing off of. I turned and headed into the kitchen where I didn't have to see him. 

"Can I help?" I asked Macie. He looked up from carefully placing a star shaped cookie on a cooling rack. "I know I said I'm no good at baking," I added before he could say what was in his eyes, "I just need something to do right now." He narrowed his eyes at me but didn't question me further. As one of the guys in the doghouse with the coach Raymond had gotten pretty good at keeping his opinions to himself. 

"You can mix the icing if you want," he offered, nodding his head towards a set of bowls with icing already in them. I frowned and he sighed. "Add the colour, mix it in," he explained slowly, like I was stupid and pressed a packet of food colouring into my hand. "A couple drops, no more," he added with a grumble, and then went back to carefully sliding his creations onto the cooling rack. 

I did as I was bid and carefully mixed the colours until they were dark enough not to be pastel but not so dark that they looked like something from the Simpsons. Macie handed me a knife with instructions not to slather it on too thick but not to skimp either. I was grateful for the chance to keep my head down and my hands and mind occupied so I didn't have to watch Max and Chris arguing over the lights on the tree when it was so obvious that he didn't want to be here...didn't want to be near me.

I wanted to yell at him for ruining what had started to be a really perfect day. Being an only child that never had Christmas, having a bunch of brothers decorating my place had filled me with a girlish sort of happiness that felt like bubbles bursting in my chest but now there was just a lead weight sitting on it. The one guy I wanted to want to have here couldn't stand to be near me and as much as I tried to ignore it, I couldn't. 

"Penny for your thoughts?" I groaned and rolled my eyes, aiming an unhappy look at Mason who didn't even look up from carefully cutting out his next batch of cookies. 

"I'm not thinking about anything, just concentrating on this," I lied and he snorted.

"Yeah and I love having Coaching V tell me I'm useless," he grumbled, shaking a tree shaped piece of dough gingerly into the palm of his hand. "C'mon, you were all bouncy and singing carols and as soon as the tree shows up you go quiet. What gives?"   

"You don't wanna know," I sighed, scooping more icing onto a cookie and then just taking a bite out of it. Mason looked up at me with his big blue eyes fringed by long dark lashes most women would kill for and levelled me with a stare that made it clear he wasn't going to let me get away with that. "Ok fine...Higgins hates me and it's really uncomfortable for me to have him here when he can't even look at me." 

Mason turned and looked over towards the tree where Max was currently undoing a string that Chris had just finished tucking into the tree and tipped his head to one side. "Higgs is a really nice guy, I'm sure he doesn't hate you." 

"He does actually, told me so himself," I added, taking another icing filled bite. 

"What did he say?" Macie asked, keeping his voice low as he cut out another cookie shaped like a snowman. 

"Oh, y'know, that I'm a total slut and I disgust him," I paraphrased and Mason's hand slipped, the snowman's head came clear off. 

"Fuck off," he hissed, grabbing the dough and wadding it up in a ball and before grabbing a rolling pin and beginning to smooth it out again. "I mean not all guys partake or whatever," he continued but then stopped and looked over at me. "Really?" I nodded and he shook his head. "Well that's fucking bullshit."

"Right?" I sighed, grabbed another cookie, slopped a bunch of green icing on it and then took a huge bite out of it. 

"Well maybe he was just having a bad day." I stopped mid chew and stared at him. "Well it's possible right? I mean...take him a cookie, thank him for coming, it's Christmas, you never know." I opened my mouth to argue and then shrugged and slid my chair back, grabbed two cookies and took a deep breath.

"They're supposed to be deeper into the tree," Chris insisted and Max just ignored him and kept draping the lights near the edges of the branches. 

"He's right," I agreed, standing beside Chris and holding a cookie out towards Max. "Why don't you let Higgy do that and come have a cookie?" Max grinned from ear to ear and stopped what he was doing immediately and reached for the tree shaped cookie. 

"Thanks," Chris muttered and started to reach for the string of lights Max had just let drop to the floor.

"I have one for you too," I said, holding a star shaped cookie out toward him. He looked at the cookie and then away. 

"No thanks," he muttered. I felt my heart sink. 

"Eat a cookie Higs," Max growled. Chris ignored him and started to stuff the lights into the centre of the tree.

"I'm not hungry," he growled back.

"Eat the fuckin' cookie Higgins," Kess snapped, appearing at my side, his voice making it clear that there would be no argument. 

"I said I'm not fuckin' hungry," Chris snarled back and turned his gaze on the assistant captain. His eyes blazed the kind of white hot blue that looked dangerous. 

"It's...it's okay," I stuttered and started to turn away but my exit was blocked by the twins who had silently come up behind me. 

"No, it's definitely not," Hank said slowly and calmly but the expression in his blue eyes made it very clear if Chris thought he was going to argue with Ryan, the captain was not going to be argued with. "Penny brought you a cookie, she iced it herself. This is her house. You should have one." 

 Chris's gaze faltered and then dropped but when he reached for the cookie his eyes met mine and he was less than happy.

 ___________________________________________________________________________

"No, I can't...I'm going to explode," I groaned and pushed away the cookie being offered. 

"Oh well, we can't have you no fitting into the elf costume at the kid's skate," Hank smirked and put the cookie back on the plate and settled back into the couch, his hand sliding up my leg and coming to rest just above my knee.

Everyone else had already left, the party had fizzled out pretty quick after the great cookie debacle, and I was being pampered back into good cheer. 

"Elf costume?" I asked. Hank grinned in that way that made the lines around his ice blue eyes deepen. 

"Sexy elf costume," Danny added from my other side, pressing a soft kiss to my shoulder. I heaved a sigh.

"Oh great, because Andrea doesn't hate me enough," I groaned. The twins laughed in unison, like so many other things they did at the same time. 

"You and Katie will look cute as Santa's little helpers," Hank promised with a wide grin. I raised an eyebrow.

"Cute? You think I'm cute?" I asked, running my foot up Henrik's thigh. 

"Sometimes, ja," he replied, laughing and then squirming as he tried to scoot back and away from my questing foot, except there was nowhere to go. He was right up against the arm of the couch. The only place to go was the floor. Not that we hadn't been there already. 

"Oh sometimes I'm cute?" I teased and then tossed the blanket we had draped over us onto the floor and crawled toward him. "And what am I the rest of the time?" I settled myself onto his lap and ran my fingers up over his perfect six pack, his pale skin coming up in gooseflesh wherever I touched. 

"Beautiful," Danny said from behind me as he brushed my hair from the back of my neck and pressed his lips to my shoulder, the curve of my neck, the oh so sensitive spot behind my ear. I closed my eyes and leaned into Hank's arms, my mouth blindly finding his as he gently lifted me up over him, guiding my hands to his shoulders. I kissed him slowly, languidly as I lowered myself progressively down until I felt out bodies meet. Hank was perfect this way, the upslope of his cock slipping into me effortlessly from this angle, just as his brother's ruler straight cock screwed gently into me from behind. 

I'd thought I wouldn't like it, that I wouldn't care for it at all. They'd proved me so, so wrong.

I gasped as I felt them sliding over one another inside of me. I whimpered when they began to slowly thrust in unison, their upswing and downswing a perfect match without a single instruction needed. All I needed to do was hold on. They would do the rest. 

Danny's breathing would get shallow first but Hank's fingers would tighten on my thighs at the same time. I could feel our captain's heart racing beneath my fingertips and I could also feel his twin's pulse in his thigh as I reached back to hold onto him. 

Danny's hand fisted in my hair and he dragged my head back to take my mouth just as Hank pushed up into me as hard as he could. I came, as I always did, just before them, crying into his mouth, my body shuddering around theirs and then, with a shared groan, they emptied into me, their supple muscular bodies bowing with release.

Sandwiched between them, cuddled so protectively, I tried to catch my breath with my cheek pressed to Hank's sweat dampened chest. I drifted off with a smile on my face, all thoughts of Chris tucked deep and far away.