A New Season: Rules of the Game Book Six Read online

  "Meg, I need a minute to talk to Nick. Do you mind going inside?" If I can avoid a confrontation with both of them, that would be ideal.

  Megan puts her hands on her hips and widens her stance. "Oh, no. I see the look on his face. I'm not leaving you two alone."

  Nick's jaw falls open and his eyes widen to nearly double their size. "If you're insinuating that I might hurt her, you're crazy."

  She taps her foot on the pavement like an angry child. "Are you really calling me crazy?"

  Nick squints his eyes closed and rubs his temples. "That isn't what I meant, Megan. What I wanted to say is that I would never do anything to hurt your sister."

  "Ha! You're joking, right?" She walks closer to him. They’re toe-to-toe. "I don’t think you realize how much you already hurt her."

  I hurry and put my hands on each of their chests and attempt to keep them away from each other. "Whoa. Come on, guys. Let's take this down a notch."

  Nick stares at me with eyes as cold as ice. "This is unbelievable. I'm leaving. I'll be gone a few days. Best if we don't talk while I’m away." He stalks off.

  His legs are too damn long and I am too slow. I go after him but it's a fruitless attempt. He turns a corner and before I know it, he’s so far ahead, I know I won’t catch up. "Wait!"

  He doesn't turn around to look at me, instead continuing his quick trek down the road. He’s going in the opposite direction of our apartment building. I wonder where he’s going.

  Hot tears sting as they fall down my cheeks. What just happened?

  Fourteen

  Nick

  The last three days have sucked.

  My heart races like I just sprinted the 50-meter dash. I knock on Lora's door, hoping she’ll let me in.

  It turns out, luck is on my side when Lora opens her door.

  Her expression is blank with the exception of one arched eyebrow.

  Raising my hands in surrender, I say, "I'm really sorry. Can I please come in?"

  She rolls her eyes.

  “Please,” I beg.

  She sighs and moves out of the way. "Okay.”

  I give her a kiss on the cheek as I walk by and she doesn't slap me. It's a good sign. We walk into the living room and Meg is sitting on a chair with her lips pressed into a line so tightly they appear to have turned white.

  Taking a seat on the couch, my favorite spot where I always sat while I was taking care of Lora, I start groveling. "Meg and Lora, I want to start by telling you both how sorry I am about my reaction the other night. While I was away, I had a lot of time to think."

  Lora's face softens slightly, the corners of her mouth turning up. Meg still looks like if there were a sharp knife around, she might use it on me.

  "Lora, I missed you." I turn my attention to Meg. "Your sister means so much to me and I want to make things right."

  Meg is still frowning. "You up and left again. That's two times. I've seen how upset she's been twice now. It's awful."

  “The jealousy I felt made me see red. I was never the jealous type, but things in my past made me this way now. I’m working it on it, though.”

  “You didn’t need to walk away,” Meg huffs.

  "I know. I've made mistakes. But what we have spans two decades. I want a relationship with Lora and I'd like to try and make it work. I'm sorry I left that way. It wasn't right of me to leave abruptly. I was really upset when you were with those guys. I was stupid and acted out. It seemed like the best thing to do would be to take myself out of the situation. I realize that was wrong. Can you forgive me?" I stare into Lora's eyes because she's the one I'm asking.

  "I don't know, Nick. My family doesn't approve. Maybe it's best if we part ways," she says, her tone weak and half-hearted.

  Bounding up out of my seat, I kneel in front of Lora and take her hands in mine. "Part ways? No. I can't do that. I'm not giving up on us. I won't. Give me one more chance and I'll prove it to you all." Tears bubble up at the corner of my eyes. I can't lose her.

  Lora's fingertip brushes underneath my lashes. "Oh, Nick."

  "I meant everything I just said. I'm ready to work on this. Work on us." Giving Meg a quick glance, I tell her, "And I'm going to continue to work on proving to you and your father how much Lora means to me. Relationships aren't always pretty or perfect, but this one is worth everything to me and I'm going to fight for it. And I don't care if we go slow and start at the beginning again. I'll do it right this time. I promise you both."

  Looking from one sister to the other, I see Lora nod. Her eyes are bright and glossy. Meg, on the other hand, won’t make eye contact.

  "Remember when we were kids? I thought you two were the prettiest girls I'd ever seen. Lora, when I picked on you, that was my way of getting your attention. I've had it bad for you for so long. Now is our time to get this right."

  "You loved to get under our skin, Nick Parker,” Meg says with humor in her tone.

  I get up and take my seat on the couch next to Lora. "I don't deny that."

  "It is sad how long the two of you have loved each other. And I don't know if you’ll end up together, but, Nick, you've proven to me that your intentions are good with my sister. If she wants this, I'll talk to our dad."

  I look up toward the ceiling and let out a long breath. "Thank you, Meg."

  "Don't thank me yet. He's a tough nut to crack, but I'll work on him."

  "Lora, will you please give me another chance?” I wrap her hand in mine and kiss her knuckles. "I promise you won't regret it."

  Her emerald eyes study my face, my heart stops beating and my mouth goes dry waiting for her response.

  "Please don't disappoint me, Nick."

  "Not going to happen." I take her hand and rest it on my chest. "Cross my heart."

  "Okay."

  That's all it takes and I crash my lips to hers. She tastes sweet and perfect.

  "Get a room, you two. Gross," Meg says.

  With some reluctance, I pull back. "To be continued." I give Lora a wink and reach into my pocket. "Come to my game. Here are the tickets. And, Lora, let me take you on a date. I want to do it right this time."

  Lora takes the tickets out of my hand and says, "Okay. Let's do this."

  Fifteen

  Loralei

  "Wow! He's got it bad for you. He even cried. Holy shit." Megan's green eyes are as wide as if she just saw a Martian leave my apartment—and not just Nick.

  Megan and I plunk down on the couch, each with a cup of tea. "I do think he cares for me. I just hope that's enough." My chest tingles. I believe in Nick and what we have, but that doesn't erase my fear of the pain I know he could cause me.

  She gives my knee a rub. “You gave him a chance. But if I were you, I’d make sure it’s the last one. He doesn’t seem like he’ll ruin it. And I know how much he means to you. I could see it when he was here."

  “Really?"

  "Oh, yeah. You two have it bad for each other. I'm sorry I didn't give him more of a chance before now, but he needed to prove himself to me."

  My heart swells knowing my sister approves of Nick and me. "What about Dad? Will he come around?" The thought of him not accepting Nick terrifies me. I respect my parents wholeheartedly and wouldn't want to do anything they wouldn't approve of, but I am an adult.

  Meg blows on her tea and takes a sip. A plume of steam rolls up from the top of her mug. "I'm going to do my best to convince him."

  She must really have confidence in what Nick told her. And really love me. To go to bat for me means everything. "Thank you. I want this to work out."

  * * *

  Sipping on a glass of delicious oaky red wine, I lean my elbows on the island in Nick's kitchen and watch him plate us each a dish with scallops and pasta. Watching a man cook for me could quite possibly be the sexiest thing I've ever seen.

  “For you, my lady." Nick sets a plate in front of me. The delicious smell of buttery garlic makes my mouth water.

  "It looks amazing. Thank you for cooking." I can barely
wait to dig in.

  Nick comes around and takes the seat next to me. "It's the least I could do. I need you to know how incredibly sorry I am that I left the club the other night without even having a discussion with you."

  Putting a scallop in my mouth, I sigh. Absolute heaven. "I appreciate that. You had nothing to worry about. The entire night, all I really wanted was for you to be there. But with the way things were between you and Meg, I thought it’d be easier if you didn't come out with us. I guess I was wrong."

  Nick finishes his bite of pasta and sets his fork in front of him, turning toward me. "I never considered myself the jealous type, but after my ex cheated on me, it seems to be the way I feel. I shouldn't have taken that out on you though. You don't deserve it."

  Poor guy. His ex really did screw him over. I can only imagine what it must've been like to catch the person you love in bed with one of your friends. A shudder runs down my spine. Must've been absolutely horrifying. "You need to understand that I won't do that to you. I'm not that type of person. And all we were doing was dancing."

  His lip curls and he wrinkles his nose. "The guy had his hands all over you. I got angry." He inhales and exhales. "It brought back a flood of bad memories. But I'm going to work hard to put those old feelings aside. All I want is you and me together."

  It's what I want, too. For both of us to get past our demons and work through them together. We both had crappy relationships while we were in college, but we deserve to be happy now. "I'd like that, too."

  Nick moves his fork around in his pasta, twirling it up, making the perfect bite. "What about your dad? How am I going to fix things with him?"

  I drain my glass and set it in front of me. "You really did win Meg over, because she is going to work on Dad for us. And I also plan to talk to him as well." My stomach sinks with the worry that it might not be enough, but I have to try.

  Nick takes my hand in his and kisses the back of it. "Good. I will, too. You mean so much to me."

  "I feel the same."

  Nick takes our plates to the sink and comes back to stand in front of me. He reaches his hands out for mine and I give them to him. He lifts me to a standing position and kisses me slow and deep. I feel the kiss vibrating all the way to my toes.

  Sixteen

  Loralei

  Everything about his touch feels right. The way his mouth caresses my lips, the gentle pressure of his tongue against mine, the way his strong hands feel pressed against the small of my back makes my heart skip a beat. I feel like I am his and he is mine.

  We make our way to the bedroom, never breaking the kiss until he sits on the edge of his bed and pats his lap for me to sit down. I straddle him and run my fingers through the silky strands of his hair. Capturing his mouth with mine, heat blooms low in my belly.

  Nick eases us backward until I'm lying on top of him, our chests press together and the feel of his hard erection pushes against my center. Moaning, I shamelessly grind my hips against him, creating exquisite friction and stoking the fire between us.

  Dragging his tongue down my neck, sweet shivers work their way up my spine. He grips the bottom of my shirt and tugs it up over my head, making easy work of unclasping my bra.

  I quickly remove his shirt, eager to have my skin pressed against his. Lying on top of him once again, I take his mouth with mine and kiss him eagerly, building the passion. My hands glide up his arms to his shoulders and down his chest. His skin is warm and smooth. Every muscle my hand caresses is taut and toned and suddenly I'm caught up in the desire to touch the rest of him. Kissing my way down his body, my mouth makes slow deliberate stops at his nipples, down his ribs, his abs, and the spot just above his waist band. I ease myself between his legs and unbuckle his shorts, tugging them and his boxer briefs down his legs. For a moment I stare at his beautiful naked body, completely captivated by him.

  Taking his length in my hand, I gently lick his tip once, twice. Nick groans, the sound so erotic that it urges me on. Gliding my tongue from base to tip, he gets harder in my hand. Teasing him with my tongue and hand, I build a steady rhythm and suction with my mouth. When I quicken the pace, Nick's hand rests on the side of my head.

  "Lora, come here, baby," he says, his voice desire-filled and ragged.

  "I've only just started." I stare up into his eyes.

  "I know. But tonight, I want to be inside you. More than anything else."

  In one quick movement, Nick guides me to my back and he's up and over me, removing my shorts and thong.

  Nick stares at me intently, taking me in. "You're so beautiful."

  His strong fingers are feather-soft as they glide down my neck, over my collarbone, onto my breasts. He takes one of my nipples in his warm mouth, sucking and nipping it, teasing it to a hard point. He does the same to the other side and I writhe under him. Warmth and intense prickles of sensation shoot straight to my core. "Please," I pant.

  "Anything for you." Nick leans over to the nightstand and pulls a condom out of the drawer. Ripping it open, he pulls it out and rolls it down his length.

  He's leaning over me, and bears his weight on his forearms. I can barely wait another second to have him. Taking his cheeks in my hands, I guide him forward and kiss him. His body is flush with mine and I adore the way the hard planes of his chest and abs feel against my soft curves.

  Nick's hands grip my hips and gently slide around to grasp my ass. "Your body is perfect," he whispers.

  "So is yours," I say, my voice breathy and low.

  With that, he slips inside me, filling me fully. I inhale sharply with the exquisite pleasure of being joined with him. We hold eye contact; his are so full of adoration and lust. I've never felt sexier or more desired in my life.

  Gripping the curve of his ass, it flexes and contracts with each thrust. We move together, in perfect sync, like we've done this a million times.

  Nick's thrusts become faster. He brings his hand around and starts circling my clit with his thumb. The barrage of sensations has me panting and clutching the sheets. "Yes!"

  Pressure builds from deep inside me, coiling so tight, winding and winding until suddenly I burst apart.

  Nick lifts my ass and pumps deeper than before, spurring my orgasm to intensify. It seems to go on and on. He bites his lower lip and groans seconds before he lets go and comes apart.

  He collapses next to me, pulling me close in his strong arms. "I love you, Lora. So much."

  Completely overcome with emotion, tears sting the back of my eyes. Neither of us have ever said that before. Even though I’ve felt love for him for years, I've never verbalized it. And I'm not certain that this is the moment that I want to say the words. Instead, I show him my love by pressing my lips to his, pouring my love into the kiss.

  Seventeen

  Nick

  The crowd roars their approval. My heart beats like a drum as Michael skates toward me and launches himself into my arms. A few other teammates join in and I'm in the middle of one giant crush of a celebration. Thank fuck, I scored. It's the end of the third and my pulse has been hammering in my neck ever since the puck dropped.

  Lora, her sister, and her parents are sitting in the stands tonight. I want more than anything else to impress them. It means something to me to make my girl proud, but tonight it's about her dad, Cole. He is a hard man to read, quiet and stoic. And I've got to win him over. Even though I'm sure he doesn't care if I score a goal or not, it can't hurt.

  No one else scores for the rest of the game. We end up beating the Toronto Cyclones by one goal. We all surround the goalie after the final buzzer and pat him on the head. Whooping and cheering all the way to the locker room, we're all so pleased to take home the win tonight.

  I wish I had more time to relax and celebrate with the guys, but I hit the showers right away. Lora and her family are meeting me out for a late dinner, and there's no time to waste.

  As I'm packing up my bag to leave, Michael pats me on the back. "Great shot tonight. You won us the game!"
/>
  "No. We all worked our asses off."

  He shakes his head. "You're being modest. Everything okay? You seem tense."

  Waves of anxiety vibrate around me. I shake my shoulders out and take a few calming breaths. "I'm having dinner with Lora’s parents tonight. It has to go well. If it doesn't, this relationship might be over before it really has a chance to get good."

  Michael leans over to untie his skates. "Just be yourself. Explain to them how much she means to you. I'm sure it’ll work out."

  That's all I can do. "Thanks, man. I've got to get going, I’m meeting them in a few minutes."

  "Good luck."

  I nod and make my way toward the door. My knees are already fucking shaking.

  For the entire thirty-minute drive to the Italian restaurant, my hands are sweaty around the wheel and I have to continuously wipe them on my pants. I can’t remember the last time I was this nervous.

  Once inside the restaurant, I find the Shaw family sitting at a table across the restaurant. The place is nice and smells like garlic, but my gut churns even thinking about eating food right now.

  Lora is sitting next to Cole, who’s wearing his scowl like a badge. When Lora notices me, she stands up and comes up to me. "You look really nervous. Take a couple of deep breaths." She kisses me on the cheek.

  "I'm okay. Do you mind if I sit in your seat? I need to talk to your father." It might be crazy of me for wanting the spot right next to Cole, but this is all I've been thinking about and being in the seat closest to him will give me the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart.

  Lora raises her eyebrows like I’ve just asked her if I should streak through the restaurant. "Are you sure about that?"

  "I am."

  "Knock yourself out," she says as she takes the open seat next to her mother.