Ice Hockey 101 Ch. 01

"Sure," Josh replied and Rebecca's stomach gave a little flip at his hesitant, almost disappointed tone.

They walked together to the door and Josh faced her before walking out, a half smile on his face that had Rebecca bracing herself against the doorway to keep from jumping on him.

I've never reacted to a guy like this before, she thought, feeling heat suffuse her cheeks.

"Can I call you tomorrow?" he asked quietly.

She nodded, smiling up into his sky blue eyes. He grinned and before she could react, his arms went around her. She held her breath, afraid that he was going to kiss her again and she wouldn't be able to come up with another excuse to get rid of him. But he simply hugged her, giving her a warm squeeze and she exhaled slowly.

Then he was gone, stepping away and dropping his hands from around her. He offered another half smile before saying 'good night' and walking down the hallway. Rebecca watched him go for a moment before going back inside. With the door closed, she leaned against it, reminding herself silently to just breathe in, and out.

***

Josh didn't call her the next day. He avoided all conversation with the guys at practice and later before the game if there was even the slightest hint that one of them wanted to talk about Rebecca. He tried to concentrate on skating. It worked for the most part until he played his first shift and didn't look up in time before getting pounded into the boards by one of his brothers.

They were playing his brother Eric's team that night and they were a tough team. He knew his brother wasn't trying to hurt him; his biggest hint was Eric's deep snicker before he skated away. It wasn't a hard hit and it only served to prove to Josh that he was way too distracted tonight.

After the game, he met up with his brother in the corridors of the arena. They didn't get many chances to visit with each other since the teams traveled so extensively during the year. There wasn't really a lot of opportunity for them to chat while moving back and forth across the ice. On opposing sides of the game.

"Sorry about the hit, man," Eric said with a grin as he hugged his brother.

"No, you're not," Josh replied and punched his brother lightly in the shoulder. "But it's all right. I'll get you back."

Eric laughed and they started to walk down the hall a bit. "So what's going on? You don't usually get caught like that."

"What are you talking about?" Josh scoffed but he felt his stomach drop. He had hoped no one would have noticed. That was a stupid thought since his own teammates had razzed him about it relentlessly in the locker room.

"Come on, Josh," Eric said, putting a hand out to stop his brother. "What happened? Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine," Josh replied, still trying to be casual. He took one look at his brother's face and sighed. "I met this... a girl this week."

Eric didn't respond out loud immediately. He made his reaction very obvious by dropping his jaw and gaping at Josh.

"Stop that," Josh hissed at him. "It's not that big a deal."

"Josh, come on!" Eric exclaimed. "This is huge! I never thought you'd meet a girl."

"Thanks, Eric. I meet lots of girls," Josh replied, glaring at his brother.

"None that have ever made you lose your focus on the ice before," Eric observed.

Josh opened his mouth to reply but he had nothing. Eric was telling the truth. Ever since he'd kissed her the night before, he hadn't been able to erase the taste and feel of her. She'd been surprised by his move, that much he knew. But then she'd held on to him and let him move her against him. And later, when he'd hugged her good-bye, she'd let out this little sigh that had Josh just about bursting inside his pants.

It was at that moment he'd realized he needed to get the hell out of there.

"So when are you seeing her again?" Eric asked when Josh didn't say anything.

"I don't know," Josh replied, shifting his feet uncomfortably as memories of the previous night washed over him.

"Don't tell me you're going to cut her off already," Eric said. "Man, you never date a woman for longer than a week!"

"So?" Josh snapped. "I'd rather concentrate on hockey. I don't have time for women."

"Except for this girl you brought up," Eric reminded him with a smirk. "Who seems to be affecting your game."

Josh scowled at him and shoved his hands inside his jacket pockets. "She's not affecting my game," he muttered even though it wasn't true. Rebecca had affected him. She was fun and shy and so gorgeous he wanted to cover himself with her for hours. "OK, she is a little bit."

"So what's the big deal? Give her a call and see her tonight."

"It's too late tonight."

"Are you kidding me? She probably stayed up to watch the game at least," Eric replied with a smile.

Josh thought about it and wondered if she really would have. She'd sounded genuinely interested in hockey ever since he'd introduced her to it.

"And you don't leave town for another week and a half so you have some time to spend with her," Eric added.

Josh scowled at his brother and told him not to worry about his schedule. "Focus on your own," he said.

Laughing, Eric embraced his brother one last time before heading out of the building to join the rest of his team on the bus that would take them to the airport. Josh watched him go and chewed on his lower lip. He fingered the cell phone in his pocket and wondered if he was making too much out of this.

Rebecca's great, he thought and slowly started to walk towards his car. But we just met and we're just... friends.

Though technically accurate, he didn't like the sound of the word. He felt much closer to her even though they'd only spoken a few times. She was someone he'd like to think of as more than a friend.

"What the hell?" he wondered aloud and pulled his phone out to dial her number.

Even if it doesn't work out, we'll still have some fun together, he thought with a grin, all traces of nervousness and doubt gone.

The phone rang three times before she picked up, sounding out of breath.

"Hello?"

"Hi Rebecca, its Josh," he said.

"Oh hi!" She sounded excited to hear from him, which did wonders for his ego. "I saw the game. You were great!"

He laughed though her words touched him. He hadn't expected that. Pushing the thought aside, he told her she must have been watching a different game. "I didn't play well at all."

"Like I'd know the difference," she replied with a laugh.

"Are you all right? You sound like you're out of breath."

"I had to run for the phone," she answered. "I was just having a bath."

Josh swallowed as his imagination kicked into high gear. As if he needed further proof of his attraction to her. "Well, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Oh, it's all right. I'm glad you called."

"Are you? Does this mean you want to watch another game with me?"

"Sure," she said. "But since its Sunday tomorrow, should we make plans for next Saturday?"

I can't wait that long, he thought. "We can, if you want. I guess you don't really want to do anything on a school night."

"I just have to work tomorrow," she explained. "And I don't know what your schedule is like."

"Well, I have another game Monday and then one on Thursday and on Friday," he said, thinking of the games in the week ahead. "Then another one next Sunday night."

"What about practices?" she asked then.

"Oh shoot, right," he replied, smacking his forehead with an open palm. Coach would not be pleased if he forgot every one this week. "Well, OK, I guess we can try to meet up next Saturday."

When Rebecca didn't respond right away, he thought he'd lost the call. A quick glance told him that they were still connected.

"Rebecca?"

"Uh, are you busy now?" she asked, her voice soft, hesitant.

Josh felt his groin tighten at her question. He wanted to shout 'no!' but thought that might scare her. So he settled for grinning like a fool and calmly replying, "Not really. I was just going to go home."

"Yeah?"

"Why?"

"Well, I... uh, I mean... there's still some... games on TV and... I don't know," she was stammering and Josh couldn't help but picture the color flooding her cheeks. He loved seeing her blush and during their brief time together, he'd loved to be the cause of it. "If you're not... tired, or busy... maybe, I don't know..."

"You want another lesson?" he offered, letting her off the hook when her voice trailed off uncertainly.

"Sure," she replied quickly and then laughed at herself. "I mean, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," he said and it was the truth. "I'll be there in about a half hour."

"OK. I'll make sure I'm decent when you arrive," she replied.

He choked back a groan at her words and had to lean one hand against the hood of his car as he was suddenly sporting an erection. "Sounds great," he managed to say out loud and they hung up.

He whistled along with the radio as he drove to her place.

***

Rebecca couldn't believe she'd done it. She stared at her phone for a long minute after ending the call. She'd never in her life asked a guy out and here she was, standing dripping in a towel, asking a guy to come over. Her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall.

And it's after ten! she thought and flushed hot all over.

Dropping the phone, she sprinted back to the bathroom to empty the tub and dry off. She then spent twenty minutes agonizing over what to wear. She didn't want to look too dressed up since she'd already blurted out that she was in the bath. But she didn't want to look too casual or sloppy and turn him off.

Do I even want to turn him on? she wondered then and decided on some relaxed pants with a drawstring waist and a snug but comfortable sweater. She also decided to wear her bra, figuring she might not let things go to far if she had the extra barrier.

That thought made her blush again and she covered her face in her hands. A minute later someone knocked on her door and she hurried over to answer it. Josh stood on the other side, a lopsided grin on his face and a glint in his blue eyes that she didn't know how to react to. Her body seemed to know what was happening as it heated up, starting with the area below her waist.

As she stood there with the door open, Josh's eyes scanned her body quickly before he met her gaze again. "Hmm, I was sort of hoping to catch you in the bathtub again," he murmured.

She laughed and shook her head, feeling very out of sorts. "Sorry to disappoint you," she replied softly and stood aside to let him in. "Next time I'll plan it differently."

Oh lord, she thought as Josh walked in. I can't believe I'm talking to him like this.

As she shut the door, Rebecca kept her face down, willing the color to fade from her cheeks. She didn't notice Josh stop right behind her while she locked the door. Turning, she practically ran into him and he caught her in his arms as a wicked grin spread across his face.

"Hi," he murmured to her and she shivered in his arms.

"Hi," she replied, her senses reeling from this narrow distance between them. She wondered if all guys were like this when they first met a girl.

Then she wasn't allowed to think of it any more when Josh bent his head and kissed her. She didn't fight the feelings that swept over her this time. She held onto his arms and happily parted her lips when she felt the moist stroke of his tongue. He delved inside, sweeping his tongue under hers and drawing heat from the furthest corners of her body.

After what felt like hours, he drew back and smiled down at her. She flushed under the dark look in his blue eyes and had to look away, absentmindedly stroking a fingertip over her swollen lips.

"Are you hungry?" she asked and felt like kicking herself. What kind of asinine question was that?

"Not really," he replied. His grip on her waist loosened and he gently led the way into her apartment.

They paused at the front room and Josh looked down at her, a funny look on his face.

"What?" she asked.

He merely shook his head and smiled that adorable lop-sided smile that she was coming to love. She smiled back and shivered when she felt his fingers squeeze around hers.

"Uh, is there a hockey game on?" she asked, clearing her throat.

"A game?" he repeated, sounding confused.

"Yeah. I mean, that's what I thought you were, um, I mean, I thought there'd still be a game on..." she stammered and then just gave up entirely, letting her sentence trail off. She glanced nervously up at him from beneath lowered lashes.

"We can watch a game," Josh replied and tugged gently on her hand, leading her to her couch.

They said nothing as Josh relaxed on the couch and picked up the remote control. Rebecca bit her lip to contain a laugh at the sight of him acting so comfortable in her place. She reclined beside him and watched absently as he flicked on a game from the western conference. Then she shook her head as she realized already that it was a game in the western conference. It had been only a couple weeks and she was already aware of many of the teams, as well as the two big conferences.

Well, I am a fast learner, she told herself, smiling and glancing sideways at Josh.

As she watched, he tossed the remote control on the table and then reached for her. She settled against his side with a sigh and enjoyed the weight of his arm around her shoulders. She watched the game, not asking any questions at all this time. It wasn't because she knew everything that was happening on screen. No, it was because she couldn't concentrate on anything except for the feeling of Josh's fingers lightly stroking her arm.

She could feel each warm stroke of his hand through her sweater and every time he reached her shoulder, he slid his hand a little higher. First it was just a light touch at the base of her neck. Then a tickle at the loose ends of her hair. Finally, he was delicately tracing the lines of her throat, from just beneath her ear to the small spot on her chest at the center of her collarbone.

Before she knew what was happening, he cupped the side of her face with his big hand and turned her head towards his. Then his lips were on hers and she was breathless with desire for him. She kissed him back, her hands going to his shoulders and then around to the back of his neck where she held on for dear life. His mouth slanted over hers and his hands slid down her back until he was gripping her waist. In the next second she felt herself being moved and she broke the kiss with a gasp, gazing down into Josh's face.

"How did I end up here?" she asked breathlessly and laughed when Josh gave her an all-too-innocent look with a shrug. She wondered herself if she meant that moment, or this position, straddling his lap. Either way, she wasn't sure how this had all happened so quickly.

"Does it matter?" he replied, lifting his hand to bury it in her dark hair.

Rebecca shook her head and sank into him, pressing her palms to his broad chest to brace herself as his mouth closed on her neck. He sucked on her a little bit and she shuddered in his arms. He chuckled then, the sound reverberating throughout her entire body. Then his fingers were sliding up under her sweater and she was lifting her arms over her head at his whispered command. Her sweater was off with one swift move and she shivered as his warm hands closed over her bare ribs.

"God, you're beautiful," he murmured, making her blush all over.

"You're just saying that because you're horny," she murmured in reply and squeaked when he lowered his hand to cup her bottom.

He pulled her closer, bringing her overheated center right up against a part of him that was full and firm. Her eyes met his and she bit her lower lip at the sudden nervousness welling up inside of her.

"I'm not just horny," he whispered back, his fingers playing across the skin of her torso. They slid up to the clasp of her bra in the middle of her back. "I couldn't think of anything else tonight except when I would see you again."

Rebecca laughed and then gasped as the bra came loose around her chest. She lifted her arms up immediately in a vain effort to keep herself covered.

So much for my last line of defense, she thought, her mind spinning over how fast they were moving. She wondered if she should fess up now but Josh was leaning his head down, brushing light kisses all along the line of her collarbone. When he reached the swell of her breasts, she tipped her head back with a sigh, deciding to simply enjoy how he was making her feel.

Nothing wrong with what he's doing, she told herself as she clung to his shoulders.

Slowly he worked his lips down the slope of one breast and she held her breath as he reached the taut peak. Just when she thought he was going to kiss her there, he moved away, planting kisses along the side of her other breast. She groaned in frustration, drawing another deep chuckle from him.

"I don't like to be teased," she managed to say out loud when he lifted his head and gave her an inquiring look.

"No?" he replied, looking completely unrepentant. "What do you like then?"

She shrugged, letting her head fall to one side as he lapped at her throat. "I don't have enough experience to really say."

His kisses stopped suddenly and he sat back, still holding her snugly at her waist. "What do you mean?"

Rebecca's mind slowly worked through the fog of her lust and she realized what she'd said. She flushed and smiled weakly at him. "I meant I don't have a lot of experience," she said, repeating her words, figuring simplicity was the only way to go at this point. And honesty. She'd never been the type to play games with people. "I've never been in a real relationship before."

Josh blinked as he listened and his fingers flexed lightly against her skin. Then he moved swiftly, depositing her back on the couch and standing up. Stunned, Rebecca watched him pace away a few steps before she leaned down and scooped her sweater into her hand. She wasn't sure what it was that she'd said that made him look so... upset, but it wasn't giving her a good feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"I shouldn't have come here," he said as she was pulling her sweater back on over her head.

"What?" she exclaimed in surprise and jumped to her feet. "Why? What's wrong?"

But he didn't answer, only shook his head and walked down the hallway away from her.

"Josh!" she called and raced after him. "Don't leave. Tell me what I did wrong?" All I did was say that I don't have a lot of experience with men, she added silently wondering why that was making him react like this.

He merely shook his head again, glancing only briefly at her before opening the door. "I've got to go," he muttered. "I... I'll see you."

And then he was gone.

Rebecca watched him walk down the hallway away from her apartment with her mouth hanging open. Then she shut the door and leaned her back against it. Slowly the reality of it sank in and she felt a horrifying embarrassment creep through her, making her shudder.

I can't believe I just threw myself at him, she thought and slapped a palm to her forehead as she squeezed her eyes shut. I was so stupid to think he actually liked me.

That was when the tears welled in her eyes and she struggled to keep from dissolving into a weeping mess. Sniffling, she walked into the front room, shut off the television and went to bed.