Faceoff

Chapter Eleven

The rest of the week passed quickly, with time spent talking to her mom and dad and to her brothers. Kyla got to know her little niece better and got to hold baby Caleb and play with him. She watched Tag and Scott, best friends their whole lives, reconnect and spend guy time together. She even spent time with Remi and Jess talking about girl things—and it wasn’t so bad.

And she spent every night in the tent with Tag.

The hardest times were when she and Tag were together with their families. She tried her best to ignore Tag despite the heated haze of lust that surrounded her every time he was near. And sometimes when he wasn’t. It was nearly impossible. Their gazes would catch and hold, sparks sizzling through her veins every time, her stomach doing a slow roll of lust, heat expanding around them. She’d thought they were doing a good job of hiding it though, even the sneaking into the tent every night, until Saturday afternoon, the day before she was supposed to leave, when she ended up in the Heller kitchen alone with Laura, helping prepare dinner to barbecue that night. Remi’d been helping them but had just gone to buy more wine.

“Okay, I have to ask you something,” Laura said. “It’s kind of personal, but don’t be upset.”

Kyla’s stomach tightened. What was this about?

Laura smiled at her. “You and Tag…is something going on between you?”

Heat swept from Kyla’s chest to her face and she knew she was blushing. Dammit. “Er…why do you ask that?”

“Just a feeling I have. You two have been spending a lot of time together this week.”

“Um…well, we all have.”

“I haven’t seen you disappear with Logan or Matt in the boat for hours to go fishing. And then come home with no fish. Or taking long walks on the beach. Or…” Her smile deepened. “Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Tag actually lie on the beach. But he has this week. With you.”

Kyla bit her lip and bent her head to the chicken breasts she was trimming, letting her hair fall over her face. She couldn’t lie to Laura. Was Laura upset about this?

“You know I’ve always thought of you as the daughter I didn’t have,” Laura continued, whisking up lemon juice and Dijon mustard for the marinade. She gave a little laugh. “Doug and I kept trying for a girl and look what we ended up with. Four boys.”

Kyla lifted her head to give Laura a smile, her words making her chest feel warm. “You love your four boys.”

“I do. But having you as almost part of the family was so nice. I liked having a girl around. Even though you wanted to be one of the boys.”

Kyla gave a choked little laugh. “I tried. I don’t think I ever really was.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” Laura said. “Clearly Tag doesn’t see you as one of the boys. Or even a little sister.”

Kyla paused. “Does that bother you?” Her body tensed, waiting for Laura’s reply. She couldn’t bear it if Laura was angry about this.

“No!”

Kyla’s gaze flew up to Laura’s face.

“Not at all! I think it’s wonderful.” Laura studied her and Kyla’s insides twisted. “I love you, Kyla, and if you and Tag…well, I’d love that too. So much.”

Oh no. This was worse than Laura being upset. This was Laura getting the wrong idea and getting false hopes about something that was never going to happen. Kyla dropped the knife and slumped against the counter. “Oh. Well, I’m not sure how to say this but…neither Tag or I are looking for any kind of relationship.”

“Oh.” Laura’s smile drooped a little. “I thought…”

What could she say? How could she make this better? How could she tell Tag’s mom they were just having hot tent sex every night, naked public sex in boats and long make-out sessions on the beach when they could get a moment alone?

They were also having long talks, sharing hopes and fears, talking about their futures…but never a future together. Kyla’s heart thudded slowly in her chest. “Laura. We’re both adults. Whatever this is…it’s going to end tomorrow when I head back to Winnipeg and…” Her voice got stuck, her throat suddenly thick and swollen. “And…” To her horror, tears sprang to her eyes. She met Laura’s gaze with an appalled silence.

“Oh no. Oh Kyla.” Laura immediately moved toward her and drew her in for a hug.

“I can’t…touch you…chicken hands…” She’d just been handling raw chicken and couldn’t touch anything. Laura gave a sniffly laugh and squeezed her, then drew back. She touched Kyla’s cheek.

“Are you okay, Kyla?”

Kyla nodded. “Of course! I’m fine. I never cry! This is so stupid. I don’t know what came over me.”

Laura grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her wet cheeks for her. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. “You probably don’t want to talk to me about it,” she said. “I’m his mom. But you could talk to your mom. Or even Remi. She likes you and she’s a very good listener.”

“I don’t need to talk to anyone.”

“Or maybe you should talk to Tag about it.”

Kyla’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “No! There’s nothing to talk about. We both knew what we were getting into…” Well, there. She’d pretty much just told Laura they’d been boinking their brains out all week. She swallowed. “We’re just having fun, Laura.”

Laura nodded. “Okay.” But Kyla didn’t miss the disappointment that crossed Laura’s face.

Damn! She’d always thought their parents would be horrified if something like this happened. She’d never in a million years thought that maybe Laura wanted her and Tag to get together! Dear god, that was crazy.

Her insides churned as she returned to the chicken breasts, trying to focus on them. Just then Remi returned from the store. “I’m back!” she called cheerfully, setting the bags of wine bottles on the dining table. “They don’t have a big selection at that little store, but I got something anyway.”

But Remi apparently had instincts as good as Laura’s and she looked back and forth between Kyla and Laura as she unpacked the bags to put the wine if the fridge. Kyla forced a smile. “Great.”

“How’s the food coming? What can I do?”

“You can snap this asparagus,” Laura said with a smile as bright and forced as Kyla’s.

Damn.

It was their last night all together. Kyla and Tag were both heading back to the city on Sunday. They both had work obligations they had to get back to. So the two families had planned a big barbecue on the MacIntosh deck.

After they’d cooked and drank wine and eaten, they all sat on the deck. A blanket of pale gray obscured the sky, meaning rain was likely coming, but the evening air was still soft and warm. Then Kyla looked up to see her dad standing on a chair. “Dad! What are you doing?”

“I’m making a speech.”

She slouched back in her chair, waiting. She smiled and sipped her wine. Her dad was used to public speaking in his role as CEO, often traveling all over the world to give business presentations, so had no reservations about standing on a chair in front of the family to make a speech.

“I just want to say a few words while we’re all together,” he began. “It doesn’t happen very often anymore that all our kids can be home at the same time. Now our family is growing with Jessica, and grandchildren. The Heller family is growing too, with Remi here.” He smiled at Remi. “And maybe I’m not supposed to mention it, everyone has been tiptoeing around this all week, but Doug and Laura are going to be grandparents too.”

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances. Jase’s ex-girlfriend’s pregnancy wasn’t something anyone felt very comfortable talking about. Trust Dad to put it out there.

“That’s the truth, and even though it may not be ideal circumstances, I know Jase is going to be a great father and we’ll have another little one running around here soon. That child will be as welcome here as any. Just wanted you to know that, Jase and Remi.”

They both nodded, Jase’s mouth tight, Remi’s eyes bright.

“You all know that our family’s been through a rough time over the last year with Jenn’s cancer diagnosis.”

Another subject no one really wanted to talk about, another elephant on the deck, so to speak.

“So that just makes us extra grateful for this time together and for everything we have.” Dad paused to take a sip of his drink and Kyla suspected he was feeling a little emotional. “Having our whole family around us this week has been an incredible gift. That includes you Heller boys too,” he added with a smile. “All of us…Doug and Laura, Jenn and I…are so proud of all you kids. Not kids anymore. Grown adults, all of you successful and bright and happy. That means so much to us.”

Kyla looked around. There was Tag, Logan and Jase, big hockey superstars, and Matt just drafted into the NHL in the first round. There was her brother, VP at a big bank, the one who’d given her parents their first grandchildren, and Michael the tech entrepreneur making money like crazy.

And her. She looked down at her drink. This would have been the perfect time to celebrate her making partner. Her stomach tightened. It wasn’t a competition. She knew that. But she felt like the least successful of all of them in terms of her career.

Hell, her life overall wasn’t any better. She’d sacrificed so much working for the partnership, she didn’t have a husband or children or even a boyfriend. She sighed.

“So,” her father finished. “We just want to thank all of you for making the effort to be here, even though some of you have other obligations. When it comes right down to it, family is the most important thing and we know we’ve raised all of you right at times like this. So let’s drink a toast―to family.”

That old guilt nudged her again, at the fact that she’d almost missed this. Kyla lifted her drink in the toast and smiled and caught Tag’s eye. Heat speared through her again. Their eyes met and held and she gulped her wine. Family. She remembered the things they’d talked about this past week, his tough questions about her job and her future.

She was going back to work on Monday to resume that plan toward partner. But as that thought entered her head and nerves buzzed in her stomach, it was then she realized how incredibly different she’d felt this past week. How easy and relaxed she’d felt—no headaches, no sore neck, no stomach problems, no panic attacks. Well, just the one.

She’d laughed a lot, talked a lot, cooked and eaten and enjoyed food more than she had in a long time, exercised more than she had in years, swimming, waterskiing, running with Tag. She’d had a lot of very hot sex, which had also probably been very therapeutic. She’d had fun. The idea of going back to her workaholic existence suddenly seemed less appealing.

Her dad approached and smiled at her. “Hey, sweet pea.”

“Nice speech, Dad.”

“Thanks. I know it was hard for you to get up here this week. Just wanted you to know we appreciate it. Especially your mom. We worry about you.”

She sighed. She’d heard this before. “I know. You don’t need to. I’m determined to make partner, Dad. Don’t worry, I’ll live up to the rest of you some day.”

He frowned and tipped his head. “That’s not what I meant, sweet pea. I mean we worry that you focus too much on your work. You need to have a life.” He paused. “I’m not sure how you got the idea that we expect that of you. I mean…you’re an intelligent, talented woman. We know you’re capable of doing whatever you want in this world. But we love you no matter what that is, Kyla. If you make partner, we’ll be proud, sure. But if you don’t, we’ll still be proud. We just want you to be happy.”

She opened her mouth to tell him she was happy, but couldn’t say it. Because she was starting to realize…maybe she wasn’t.

“I know I was away on business a lot,” he continued. “But there were a lot of trips I cut short so I could be back for your piano recital or one of Scott’s or Michael’s games. My bosses always knew that family came first.”

She gazed up at her dad, remembering those times he’d rushed in the door just in time for her jazz band concert or a playoff game. There’d been things he missed, yeah, but looking back, she had to admit he’d made a big effort to be there for them as a dad. And had still managed to climb the corporate ladder.

“I don’t think you know this,” he continued. “But I once turned down a promotion because it meant we would have to move to Germany.”

“What!” She gaped at him.

“Your mom and I talked about it. We didn’t want to uproot you and your brothers.”

“But…wow.”

“Family is most important,” he said again. “If you got the idea from me that career is most important, then…I am so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault I’m like this,” she said, voice husky. “It’s just me.”

“Ambitious,” he said with a smile, laying a hand on top of her head. “I understand that. Just make sure your priorities are straight. Need another drink?” He held up his empty glass.

“That’s okay, I’m good.”

Her dad moved on and the conversation rose and fell around her, Remi’s soft laugh, Tag’s deep voice, Emily’s nonstop chatter. Her eyes sought out Tag and watched him.

It was their last night together.

What had started as a week of fun, exploring the sexual attraction that had always been there between them, had turned into something that felt like a lot more. Maybe she shouldn’t even go to his tent tonight. Her emotions were all close to the surface today. First she’d nearly burst into tears in front of Tag’s mom, now her dad had almost made her cry again with his touching speech about family. Having sex with Tag always made her feel more, and tonight…that might not be a good idea.

He looked up and once again met her eyes, his lips quirking into a small smile, so warm, so sexy. Just for her. Her heart tilted crazily in her chest.

Much later, Tag lay in the tent, waiting for Kyla as he had every night for the past week. It was their last night. Thinking of all the things they’d done there made him realize he’d grown very fond of this tent.

Yeah, they’d tried out pretty much every kinky toy in his bag of tricks. Kyla’d proven sexually adventurous and surprisingly willing to let him take charge in bed. Submissive, but yet an active participant. They were a good match that way and he got hot all over just remembering everything they’d done.

They were a good match in other ways too, he had to admit. He liked being with her even when it wasn’t late at night in the tent. They laughed at the same things, had that easy way of talking to each other about pretty much anything. Sometimes when they were in the big family group, someone would say something and he’d look at her and know, somehow, that she was thinking the same thing he was.

It had been a good week, but next week was back to reality.

He was excited about it. He smiled up into the tent, hands behind his head lying on the bed. He’d felt overwhelmed before he’d had this week up here, overwhelmed by all the new expectations of him, the pressure of it. But strangely enough, after talking to Kyla about it, and also after talking to her about her career, he’d realized—he loved it. He loved playing hockey, but he loved everything about hockey―the business of it too. And he loved promoting it and talking about it to the whole world. It felt like contributing to the team and to the sport in a whole new way. Maybe he’d be good at it. He wanted to be.

So while this week had been great, he was looking forward to getting back to the city and jumping back into things.

A shadow appeared at the tent door and Kyla slipped in.

“Hey,” she said quietly, fastening the door.

He watched her, as always fascinated by the graceful way she moved, her slender body, her long shiny hair and her alluring smile. She sat on the bed beside him and looked at him.

Oh-oh.

“I wasn’t sure if I should come,” she said.

“Why?”

“I don’t know exactly. I just thought…maybe it was better to leave things the way they were. I know we’re both going to be thinking this is our last night and I don’t want to make it into more than it is.”

His gut clenched. He chose his words carefully. “We talked about this. We both felt the same.”

“Yes. We did.” She looked up at him and smiled, her white teeth gleaming in the dim tent. “So I’m here. For one last night. Better make it good, buddy.”

He laughed. She constantly surprised him. “C’mere, Mac.”

He pulled her down so she lay on top of him and she stretched out. He parted his legs so she fit between and she kissed him, one hand on his face, her hair falling down around them. He opened his mouth beneath hers, slid his tongue inside and wrapped his arms around her body, holding her tightly as they kissed. As always, just kissing her heated his blood and hardened his cock.

One hand slid into her hair and held her head as they kissed, long, wet kisses, and he gave himself up to it, the softness of her mouth, the feel of her breasts pressed against his chest. She moved on him in a sinuous little wriggle and he spread his legs wider for her, lifted his hips into her softness.

Damn she was sweet.

She bit softly at his lips, rubbed her nose against his and breathed in. His chest expanded with warmth and the rush of emotion made him roll her over, tucking her beneath him. Both still fully clothed, he sealed his mouth back over hers and pressed her down into the mattress. His teeth grazed her jaw and she trembled. His tongue dragged up the side of her neck and she moaned. Her hands grabbed at his back, tugged his shirt up until she found skin.

It was their last night together.

He wasn’t supposed to think about that. He was just supposed to remember how much fun this week had been, how beautiful she was, how hot the sex had been. It was just sex.

He buried his face in the side of her neck and breathed in her scent, a scent he would never forget, spicy sweet and coconutty. Maybe she only smelled like that here at the lake from the sunscreen she used, but he loved it. He opened his mouth on the soft skin there and tasted her.

Her hands ran up and down his back and she made needy little noises deep in her throat. He lifted his head and raised his hand to her forehead, pushing her hair back, resting his hand there. Gazing down at her, he said, “You know how much I love foreplay.”

“Yes,” she breathed. “You’re a god. A foreplay sex god.”

He couldn’t help the laugh her words tugged out of him. Jesus. “I’m just warning you, tonight’s not about foreplay. I have to be inside you, Kyla, like now.”

“Okay, yes, yes.” She wriggled her hips against him again, sending flames shooting from his balls up his spine. He groaned.

He rose up to strip off her T-shirt, tonight a little black one that said “Lawyers do it with appeal”. He’d shaken his head in amusement earlier when he’d seen her in it. Now it was coming off.

She half sat so he could pull it over her head, her hair a wild tangle around her head once the shirt had dragged through it. Hot. He reached behind her to unfasten her bra. Another source of fascination, the underwear she wore beneath those saucy little Ts and short shorts, all silky and sheer and lacy, in colors of bubble gum and peach and lemon.

She lifted her hips so he could pull off the little shorts and tiny thong panties. His heart raced in his chest and his dick throbbed. He bent his head to kiss each thigh, drew her scent inside him, kissed the patch of curls between her legs. He slipped his hand between them as he moved back over her. “Oh yeah,” he said. “So wet.”

He yanked his own T-shirt over his head, then stripped off his cargo shorts along with his briefs. With warm eyes and a sweet smile, she watched him as he moved back over her, supporting himself on his arms while he kissed her mouth again. Her hands came up to his waist.

More emotion rose inside him, surprising him, almost choking him, and then he was inside her, her sweet heat clasping him, her hips lifting to meet his. “Yes,” she whispered. “God, yes. Tag. Fuck me.”

Oh yeah. Oh yeah. He kissed her, then moved back onto his knees, spread wide. She raised her knees for him and he thrust in deeper still, so deep, fucking her deep. He curved his hands around her slender waist and held her, bracing her for each plunge of his cock inside her. Her breasts quivered, so soft and perfect. Her lips parted and she gazed back up at him with those beautiful dark eyes, full of something…

He closed his eyes, his heart stuttering. His breath dragged in and out of his lungs as pleasure poured through him with each stroke. And then he had to look at her again, to see her face even though what he saw there made his insides tremble.

Lots of times good sex made him feel like he was in love, and maybe he was, a little, with the woman he was with at the time, but it didn’t usually last and the one time he’d let it, he’d ended up fucked over. He’d vowed that would never happen again, so sex was sex and that was all it was.

This was so much more than sex it made his heart hurt. But Christ, he couldn’t go there again. With a long shredded groan, he fell over her and buried his face in the side of her neck, sucking her flesh so gently, licking her there, his arms around her head. Her fingernails bit into his back, scraped up and down, and every nerve ending ignited. They moved together perfectly in exquisite unison, their bodies fitting together flawlessly, the drag and pull of her pussy on his dick an almost unbearable sweetness. Tension coiled inside him, a twisting flame, and he gasped her name.

She urged him on with whispers and murmurs, her legs wrapped around his hips, rocking and clutching, and once more he lifted up to kiss her, his hand on her forehead, then he looked down at her. Her eyes glowed with unspoken emotion, a connection between them he could feel pulling them together. His chest clenched, his body tightened and he was gone, all the way gone, every thought in his head lost, just feeling, feeling her around him, her hands on him, feeling love.