Chapter 4: Chapter 4

KATE

I woke up with a pounding headache the following morning. Groaning, I rolled out of bed. I licked my dry lips and swore I could still taste Tyler.

His lips on mine had haunted my dreams all of the previous night, along with the way he pressed his body against mine, holding me tight. I groaned again, needing him to leave my thoughts.

I’d figured I’d forget the kiss once sober, doubting it was as amazing as I had made it to be the previous night. I was wrong.

The moment I began making coffee, the buzzer chimed. I pressed the button to speak to the doorman. “Ms. Martin, there’s a Piper Bellencourt here to see you.”

“Mmm okay. Send her up. Thank you.”

I had just finished making my coffee when the elevator doors slid open and Piper strode in. She wore a smile, jeans, and an NYU sweatshirt.

She jumped up to sit on the kitchen island, and I hastily climbed onto the counter across from her. “Morning,” I croaked.

“Morning?” she asked. “Kate, it’s two in the afternoon.”

I whipped my head around to see the time on the stove. ~Holy hell~. I hadn’t slept that late since I could remember. “So that’s why you’re waking me up.” I laughed.

“Actually, I need to look through your closet. My parents are making me go to a fundraiser tonight and I need a dress to wear.”

I continued sipping on my coffee, watching over the rim. “All my nice dresses are still in Paris. I have to get them packed and sent back here. But I’ll go shopping with you.”

She ran her hand through her hair. “If I had money to go buy a sexy fundraiser dress, don’t you think that would have been my first option?”

I waved a hand at her. “Let’s go. I’m taking you shopping.” I chugged the rest of my coffee. “Just let me shower first.”

She followed me to my room, arguing with me. She didn’t want me to spend money on her, but I repeatedly ignored her. I wasn’t going to take no for an answer, Piper was my best friend.

Hot beads of water cascaded down my body. I leaned my head back, letting it splash across my face. I turned the knob to ice cold for a second to wake up. In turn, it woke me up too much.

I stumbled to reach the knob under the breathtakingly cold water and finally turned it to piping hot. The door to the bathroom creaked open,

Piper plopped herself down on the toilet seat. “Your phone just rang.”

“Can you check it for me?” I asked. “It’s probably one of my uncles.”

When she didn’t respond, I poked my head from behind the stone shower wall. There wasn’t a curtain; it was a large open shower, but the toilet was on the other side of the room.

Piper was typing on my phone. “I already checked it and responded. You’re welcome.”

I dropped my hands to my sides. That girl was impossible. “Who was it?” I feared I already knew the answer.

“Your boyfriend,” she said in her sing-song voice.

“Jesus, Pipe. What’d you say?”

I turned off the shower. I couldn’t leave her alone with my phone for a moment longer. I wrapped a towel around myself as my phone chimed one more time.

I stormed toward her, grabbing it from her hand. She had already replied to his text.

Tyler

So last night…

Kate

Mmm hello to you too, sexy 😉

Tyler

You left me hanging. I know you want more too. Dinner tonight?

I lifted my gaze from my phone to my best friend. I tried to keep an angry expression, but her small smile that said ~I’m sorry~ made me laugh. I walked past her back into my bedroom.

As much as I wanted to see Tyler, I knew it was bad timing.

Kate

Sorry. I really don’t have time

I expected a quick response like the one before, but nothing came. I looked at my phone every thirty seconds like a crazy person. Finally, I dropped it on my bed and threw some clothes on.

I only had a small selection to choose from, but jeans and a pea coat would have to do. I ignored Piper while I put on makeup, but she didn’t seem to mind.

She was lying on my bed texting Ben from her own phone.

Brushing my hair, I heard a chime indicating a text message. I ran to my bedroom, grabbing my phone before Piper could.

Tyler

Don’t have time tonight? Then tomorrow.

I paced my bedroom floor, thinking of what to say. Piper’s eyes were glued to me, so I filled her in.

“Seriously, Kate. Give him one night. You have time for an orgasm, stop being boring.”

I continued pacing. Unable to get his face off my mind, I knew I should see him and get it over with. It’s not like I wouldn’t enjoy it. Also, I hated when Piper called me boring, and she knew it.

I didn’t want to become the businesswoman who had no time for fun anymore. “Fine. Fuck it,” I said.

“You’re right.” Piper clapped on my headboard and I texted Tyler before I could change my mind.

Kate

Something just cleared up. I can do tonight.

An immediate response came in.

Tyler

Looking forward to it, Kate the great ;)

Tyler and I agreed he’d cook dinner at his apartment. I would have been okay even if it was just boxed mac and cheese, because if I was honest, I loved that stuff too much.

I didn’t know how to cook without burning things, so I was intrigued that he did. Especially since he didn’t look a day over twenty-one.

I’d never been with a younger guy. I was enticed and nervous all at the same time.

Piper’s attitude was cheerful the entire shopping trip. She couldn’t wipe her smile off her face, and only some of that had to do with that Ben guy.

She planned on meeting with him that night after the fundraiser, and she wanted to keep the same dress on for both occasions, hence her need for a sexy new outfit.

She found a brilliant red dress that was much too short for a fundraiser but perfect for pleasing a boy toy.

It hugged her body, which had curves I was jealous of, and looked incredible against her dark hair and eyes. We picked a pair of black heels that made her legs look a million bucks.

“You’re going to take his breath away,” I said.

“I don’t want to take his breath away unless it’s in bed.”

I rolled my eyes. Too distracted kissing a stranger, I hadn’t even gotten a look at Ben. Piper had good taste, so I doubted he was anything less than Tyler.

Her taste was quite random though; she’d sleep with anyone—male, female, it didn’t matter. But they were always beautiful.

Piper and I parted ways after shopping, and I returned home to get ready for my ~date~.

Nicolette was rummaging through the cabinets in the kitchen. She turned to glare at me before facing the cupboards again. “There’s no food in this damn house,” she spoke without looking at me.

“Order something to eat then.”

“With what money?” she quipped. “You know, because you have it all.”

I sighed loudly, hoping she caught my annoyance. “I had nothing to do with that, Nicolette.” She moved on to the fridge, still avoiding eye contact with me.

I knew I’d end up screaming at her if I stayed there. I had to leave. “I’m going out. Here’s some money.”

I reached into my purse and dropped ten one hundred dollar bills on the kitchen island. A thousand dollars would shut her up for at least the day. I then stormed out of the penthouse.

I’d be early to Tyler’s but didn’t care at that moment. Hopefully, he didn’t either.

The doorman hailed a cab for me while I waited impatiently. I was furious at Nicolette and couldn’t do anything about it.

I gave the cabbie the address Tyler had texted me and leaned back against the seat. I almost regretted not changing before I left, but then I put a positive spin on it.

I didn’t have the time to impress Tyler, and if he didn’t like my jeans and boring V-neck tee, then I didn’t care. Well, maybe I cared a little.

The cab pulled up in front of his building, which was modern and nice inside. He had to be making a decent living to be living on the upper west side of Manhattan.

I immediately knew I didn’t want to talk business or work with him. Men had a tendency to get weird when their women made significantly more money. So I had no desire to tell him anything about my newfound success.

The doorman, Scott, or so his nametag indicated, led me to the elevator. He tipped his hat to me and pressed the button for the 28th floor.

I rode up in silence, goosebumps peppering my skin. ~Why am I nervous?~

The elevator opened to a wide hallway with black marble flooring. Making my way to his apartment, I hit my knuckles against the mahogany door.

When it pulled open, I entered an undecorated living room. It looked as if he had just moved in. Boxes sporadically littered the apartment, and the walls were bare.

Tyler had backed up a few steps, making space for me to walk in. His hair was wet, like he’d just stepped out of the shower. A pair of jeans hung low on his hips, and he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

He was in perfect shape, with sleeves of colorful tattoos covering both arms. Intricate designs covered his abdomen and shoulders too. I wondered if any inch of him wasn’t inked.

I struggled to pull my eyes up to his face. His smile only grew wider as he witnessed me checking him out.

“You’re early,” he noted, looking at a non-existent watch on his wrist.

“I know,” I replied. “I’m sorry, I got in an argument with someone and figured I’d just head here now.” His grin never faltered. “I can leave and come back if you need to… um… get ready.”

My gaze drifted to his stomach again. His voice brought my eyes back to his. “I actually like seeing you this way,” he said. “Drooling over me.”

I laughed, a blush of embarrassment spreading across my cheeks. “I’m not drooling!”

“Maybe, but you like what you see.”

I dropped my purse on top of a brown box and walked closer to him. I remained confident, so I didn’t lose myself talking to him.

“I like your tattoos,” I said, then slid past him making sure to rub my breasts against his arm. “Just moved in?” I asked.

“In the process of,” he replied.

He wasn’t interested in small talk either, unless it was small talk involving taking my clothes off. His hands slid around my waist from behind.

His warm breath spread across my neck, making my body tingle all over. I pulled away before his lips could grace my skin.

He laughed, walking into his kitchen. “What would you like for dinner?”

A pad of paper lay on the floor with a dragon sketched on it. Oranges and yellows shot from the dragon’s mouth, showing incredible power.

Oddly enough, seeing him as some kind of artist made me like him more. I lifted my eyes to his. “I didn’t come here for dinner, Tyler.”

He raised a brow and looked at me. The bright lights overhead added a sheen to his tanned, slightly wet skin. “But you ~are~ hungry.” His implication didn’t involve food.

“I suppose you could call it that,” I replied, running my hand over another cardboard box.

He sauntered over to me, never breaking eye contact. “Oh, I’ll fill you right up.”

I gulped and, against my better judgment, jumped into his arms. His hands squeezed my butt, holding me tight against his body. I threw my head back as he moved his lips around my neck.

He moaned into my ear, “I knew you wanted this.”

“Oh, shut up.”

I pressed my lips against his. He moved, holding me against a bare wall, and I found my hands pulling his gleaming brown hair.

He walked us to yet another bare wall, his dark eyes boring into mine. Eventually, we made it to the bedroom where he tossed me onto his bed with ease.

I was surprised there were sheets on it, given the naked state of the rest of his apartment.

“Tyler? This is a one-time thing, okay?”

He grinned. “Just once…”

He unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down along with his boxer briefs. I caught my breath when all his glory sprung free. I smiled like only a devil would, and he pounced on top of me.

Hours later, out of breath and completely drained, he rolled on his side and grinned at me. “Well, that was better than dinner.”

“We can definitely agree on that,” I panted.

We stayed quiet for a few minutes, both trying to get our bearings straight. I sat up, ready to put my clothes back on and leave his apartment, but he spoke up.

“Who were you arguing with?” he asked. I turned back around. He was moving his fingers over his sheets, looking down at their crumpled state.

“What?”

“Earlier,” he began. “You said you came here when you did because you were arguing with someone.”

The last person I wanted to talk about was Nicolette. She could ruin anyone’s good mood. “My sister,” I said. “Just normal family drama.”

He shrugged. “I have two brothers. Trust me, I know how siblings can be.”

Tyler and I were treading dangerous waters talking about our families. This was supposed to be a one-time thing; we didn’t need to divulge information about our families to one another.

I assumed he felt the same when he rolled on top of my body.

“Round four?” he asked, grinning like a fool.

The morning came too quickly. Tyler had kept me up most of the night, and I was too tired to leave once we were done exploring each other. We had barely gotten two hours of sleep.

We didn’t bother with more small talk other than that little bit about our siblings, but I knew enough about him to tell you his favorite sexual positions in detail.

Not to mention, that boy had stamina, another sign he was younger than me. Most of the men I’d been with in the past were older, in their thirties, sometimes even forties.

That was the typical age of someone who could match my status in the business world. It seemed I had always been with older men until the drool-worthy Tyler had waltzed up to me in that bar.

His phone blared an obnoxious alarm, and I reached over to him to wake him up. His eyes fluttered open, still full of desire.

He kissed me softly on the lips before rolling over to grab his phone. He mumbled something under his breath, then kissed me again.

I was surprised at the morning-after affection and wasn’t sure if I should enjoy the elated feeling in my chest or run away fast.

“As much as I don’t want to get out of bed with you, duty calls.”

I smiled at him, annoyed with myself for not wanting to leave him. The previous night, he had made me feel things I never thought I’d feel. I hadn’t even known sex like that existed.

He was rough, yet passionate. Demanding, yet giving. All I knew was I wanted more. A lot more of him.

I glanced at his phone to see the time. It was eleven in the morning. “Shit!” I jumped out of his bed, throwing on my clothes from the night before.

“I was supposed to meet my uncles half an hour ago.” I stumbled, jumping into my jeans, and ran my hand through my messy hair.

I ran into his bathroom, grabbing a piece of toilet paper to wipe off the makeup my night of amazing sex had smudged.

Tyler walked up behind me, turning me around to face him. His head leaned down to kiss me. He pushed himself into my body, the same way he’d done the first night I’d kissed him.

“Well, Kate. I hope you have an incredible day,” he said, quoting his line that had started the whole rendezvous between us.

I smiled and ran to the hallway, barely remembering to take my purse on the way. Tyler followed me out, wearing nothing but a smile. I looked at his body up and down.

“Thank you, Tyler. For the best night I’ve had in a long time.”

“Kate?” His voice was quiet. I looked up at him. “I know we said just once, but this is going to happen again, right?” he asked.

No way. “I promise it’ll happen again.”~ ~Shit.~ ~

He winked before I let his apartment door close behind me.

I hailed a cab outside his building, the freezing November air making me shiver. I instructed the driver to take me to the Garden where I was to meet my uncles.

I had received multiple texts from them the night before, informing me of the time of the meeting.

I was going to be introduced to the players. They had been made aware of my father’s untimely death, but they weren’t sure what would happen with his share of the team.

I could have sold it to my uncles, but if there was only one of my father’s businesses I wanted to keep, it was the New York Blades.

“You’re late,” John said as he ushered me through the building.

He opened a door leading to a conference room and sat me down beside Fred.

I was less than pleased when my cousin waltzed inside, his reddish hair messy from the wind or perhaps from his lack of styling abilities. The latter, more likely.

“Long time no see,” Kevin’s words carrying his fake excitement echoed through the room.

“Nice to see you, Kev,” I lied.

We all sat around the table, with Kevin going on and on about the free agent we’d acquired. I stopped listening to his overtly confident voice, allowing my thoughts to drift to my Tyler-filled night.

He wasn’t the typical man I usually went for: covered in tattoos and with a naughty mouth, a real bad boy. He was a far cry compared with my past dates who would answer phones to discuss work over dinner.

One man I dated, Philippe, went on a sexist rampage while we ate crepes in my hotel room. He complained women didn’t belong in boardrooms, and that menstruation rendered us incapacitated to make educated decisions.

I threw water in his face and told him where he could shove it—quite an educated decision, if you ask me.

Every man I’d met over the last few years had me appreciating Tyler’s raw honesty all the more.

The way his hands and mouth ran across every inch of my body… I was getting excited just thinking about him.

“Kate, are you even listening?”

I looked up to see Kevin glaring at me. “Hm?” He shook his head in annoyance. “Yes, I’m on board with that.” It was a shot in the dark.

I had no idea what he was talking about, but apparently, my response worked, because everyone stood up from their respective chairs.

Kevin had gained a good thirty pounds since I’d last seen him. He was slightly older than me, but acted like a damn fifteen-year-old. And he thought he was better than~ everyone~.

He placed his hand on the small of my back, ushering me out of the room. I shuddered, pulling away from him, and rushed ahead to stand between my uncles.

John was my favorite; he’d always held a soft spot for me. My uncle Fred adored me as well, but he was Kevin’s father and wasn’t oblivious to the unspoken rift between my cousin and me.

Julian waited for us outside of the locker rooms. The frosted double glass doors behind him made it impossible to see inside. I smiled at the large ~NYB~ and two hockey sticks behind it, the Blades’ logo.

I leaned in to kiss his cheek, his large smile warming my heart. “I told the boys that they’re to be on their best behavior because their new owner is about to walk in,” Julian said in a hushed tone.

“I can always count on you,” I replied, while he shook the hands of my uncles and cousin.

Julian held the doors for us, and I stepped in first, being the only female. My eyes darted around to take in the massive amount of testosterone sitting before me, covered in pads, ready to skate.

My own sharp inhale actually scared me when I laid eyes on the hockey players, one in particular. Dark eyes bored into mine as if they were ready to hunt, strong, powerful, and fearless.

I was officially in a panther’s cage.