Keeping Ice On The Wound

He didn't waste much time being surprised though. Lifting his hands, he grasped her waist and rested his head back against the couch. Hilary squirmed slightly until she found a comfortable spot, laughing at his pained expression. A moment later she felt the reason for his look.

"Are you sure you won't be making your injury worse?" she asked and grinned when he narrowed his eyes at her.

"At this point, I wouldn't care if it did," he growled and cupped the back of her head.

Hilary leaned close, going with the pull of his arms and sighed as his lips touched hers. He was hesitant at first, only lightly brushing their lips together. Resting her palms on his chest, she shifted closer and sucked in a breath when she felt him swell beneath her. His kiss turned insistent at her indrawn breath and she felt his hand tunnel deeper into her hair. Tilting her head to one side, Hilary parted her lips and smiled against Mark's when she felt his tongue slide inside.

He kissed her hungrily, making some noise at the back of his throat that had Hilary pressing into his chest. She circled his shoulders with her arms and pressed her breasts against him. Feeling his fingers dig into her waist where he held her, she squeezed her thighs and smiled when she heard the responding groan.

"You're evil," he groaned, pulling away from their kiss.

Breathing heavily, Hilary kept her face close to his and grinned. "I could be," she replied softly and leaned forward again. She put her lips right next to his ear before speaking again. "If you want me to." She combined her words with the gentlest of hip thrusts but it was just enough for Mark to grab her hips with both hands.

"Oh God," he moaned and threw his head back as she did it again. "I think you need to get undressed. Now."

Hilary didn't mind the hoarse order, but she didn't want him to think he was entirely in charge. Sucking his ear lobe into her mouth, she nibbled it before moving back. Keeping her eyes on his, she moved her hands down and lifted the edge of her shirt. His eyes flicked downward and he frowned as she teased him by barely lifting the hem. In the next second he grasped it in his hands and yanked it over her head.

"Tease," he growled at her and drew her close again for more intoxicating kisses.

Hilary felt the heat creep up her neck. She was beginning to feel flushed all over and Mark's hands moving over the bared skin of her torso was making her even hotter. She shivered as his fingertips skimmed the sensitive skin of her ribs, just under the elastic of her bra. Once again he broke their kiss to pull back and look into her face.

"What?" she asked, uncomfortable with the hooded look in his brown eyes.

"I want you naked," he murmured.

Hilary felt her body ignite all over. The heat suffused the surface of her skin everywhere while an unmistakable moisture gathered between her thighs. Slowly Mark reached up and pulled the straps of her bra down her arms. She tried to grab them but he was too quick, scooping out one breast and covering her taut nipple with his mouth. All reason fled and Hilary found herself clutching his shoulders to keep from tumbling backwards off his lap.

Mark's mouth was hot on her skin as his tongue laved her nipple in lazy circles. His hands pulled at the back of her bra, dragging the fabric down her ribs until it was wrapped loosely around her waist, leaving her exposed to his kisses. He moved his mouth to the other nipple and sucked hard on it for a moment before moving again, trailing hot, moist kisses up to her neck. There he sucked on her pulsing vein and Hilary gasped for breath, feeling the tingles all the way to her toes.

"You're still not naked," he grumbled against her neck.

Laughing breathlessly, Hilary tried to respond but it took her several long moments to work through the fog that had once been her brain. "You won't let me up," she replied.

In an instant, his hands fell away and he leaned back, resting his head on the couch. "There," he said, his tone implying that it pained him greatly to let her go.

Giggling, Hilary stood up carefully, unsure if her own legs would support her. It didn't help that Mark watched her with hungry eyes as she unhooked her bra and tossed it aside. Her fingers fumbled with the button on her jeans and Mark sat forward, reaching for her.

"I'm not done," she protested halfheartedly but Mark only brushed her hands aside to release the button and slide the zipper down. Hilary watched his hands and thought he'd sit back once he was done 'helping' her. But he didn't. Instead he began to push the edges of her jeans over her hips.

She glanced into his face but he wasn't looking at her. He had a look of such fierce concentration on his face that she couldn't help but smile. His lips were pursed and he had a cute little line bisecting his forehead. His hair was so dark and messed up, less messy-on-purpose and more messy-because-I-don't-care. Before she knew what she was doing, Hilary lifted her hand and ran it through the short locks. His eyes finally lifted from his work at undressing her and he met her wondering gaze.

Biting her lip, Hilary met his eyes only briefly before glancing away again. She raised her other hand and ran all her fingers through his unruly hair. His eyes drifted shut as she did it but his hands kept moving on her. Her jeans pooled at her feet and she stepped out of them. Mark moved his hands up the outsides of her thighs, lifting goosebumps in her skin as he did. Then his fingers were clutching the edges of her panties.

She leaned forward, one of her hands dropping from his head to shove at her underwear. His eyes flew open when he felt her hand over his and he grinned at her, that wicked, sexy grin that had her shivering all over. Her panties came down quickly after that and Mark was sitting back on the couch, hauling her into his lap. She went willingly, touching her lips to his as she did. His warm hands went around her body, holding her close and she sank against his chest. She felt the coarse exterior of his shirt and frowned, breaking their kiss. Now it was he who sat back and asked, "What?"

"You need to get naked," she told him and yanked at the bottom of his shirt before he had a chance to reply.

With a laugh, he held his hands over his head and helped her remove his shirt. She tossed it aside before she dragged her hands across his shoulders and down his broad chest. He was firmly muscled and Hilary loved the feeling of his skin beneath her palms. It also gave her a little thrill to feel the tremble that swept across his body as she circled his nipples. Slowly she moved her fingertips over every inch of him, paying special attention to the swirling lines of his tattoos.

"These are beautiful," she murmured, dropping her eyes to take in the shape of the design around his right shoulder.

He scoffed at her but held still as she continued to explore. There was another one down the inside of his right bicep, a fancy scripted word; 'Family.' Down the other arm was a third one, another word; 'Faith.' She was completely fascinated by all of them.

Never in her life had she considered getting a tattoo. She had a sister who'd braved their parents' displeasure and had a dragonfly tattooed on her hip. Hilary didn't understand the appeal. Now though, with Mark shirtless and tense beneath her fingers, she thought she might begin to understand.

Suddenly Mark grasped her wrists and wrapped her arms behind her back; evidently he'd grown tired of her exploration. He made a low growling noise before leaning forward to capture his lips with hers. His tongue plunged inside her mouth, ruthlessly tangling with hers. She sighed and kissed him back, lifting her tongue to meet his strokes head on. She jerked her hips forward for good measure, almost crowing with delight when his grasp on her wrists tightened and he made a strangled sound deep in his throat.

"Let me go," she murmured against his lips and he did, letting go of her wrists to clutch at her bottom.

Hilary reached between them and moved her body back so she could reach the fastening of his jeans. Releasing the button, she laughed out loud when she saw that he wasn't wearing boxers.

"What's so funny?" he demanded.

"Not a thing," she replied, keeping her eyes on the prize. "Lift your hips," she ordered a second later and he did. Together they managed to get his jeans down to his knees.

"Come here," he growled at her, reaching for her.

She went gladly, settling against him and sucking in a sharp breath when she felt every hot, rigid inch of him against her damp center. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she kissed him, rocking her hips against him as she did. He groaned and dug his fingers into her upper thighs. Their tongues met and danced as he slid his fingers between them to toy with her. She cried out against his lips and arched her body closer, aching for more than the simple teasing touch of his fingers.

He seemed to sense her need and withdrew his hand a few seconds later. She felt his hands slide around her thighs to lift her and then she felt the head of his cock pressing at her entrance. With a sigh, she pushed down, swallowing his groan of pleasure as he slid all the way in.

He felt so good, so snugly settled up inside of her that she couldn't stop the immediate instinct to rub herself against him. He responded, lifting his hips to meet her. Together they rose and fell and kissed as their bodies grew sweaty with exertion.

In the back of her mind, Hilary was screaming with shock and delight at this amazing turn of events. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought she'd be in Mark Gaines' lap, riding him like a prize stallion. But she was and he was driving deeper with each thrust.

She lifted her head, gasping for air and he closed his lips on her chin. He licked his way from her chin to the underside of her ear and Hilary clung to his shoulders, rising with each powerful thrust of his hips. Their bodies met roughly with each movement and she exhaled sharply each time.

"God, you feel good," Mark murmured into her hair. One of his hands slid up her back from her waist. He slid his palm over her shoulder blade before cupping the top of her shoulder from behind.

"You too," she managed to get out between frantic breaths.

Turning her head, she met his lips again, running her tongue over his bottom lip. Groaning, his pace increased and he drove himself into her faster. Their lips brushed together and slipped apart with each hurried push of his hips. His fingers tightened on her waist and shoulder and she dug her nails into his arms.

Oh God, she thought, throwing her head back and sucking in great lungfuls of air. Oh God, he's going to make me...

Her thoughts scattered as he did, sending her careening into an orgasm that made her see spots. He growled in her ear, his fingers tightening almost painfully on her body before he exploded inside her.

For a long while, she lay draped over top of him, both of them breathing hard. As she caught her breath, Hilary felt his warm hand slide up her back to brush through her long hair. He lifted the honey-colored locks and moved them aside, piece by piece until he could plant a kiss on her neck. Smiling, Hilary tipped her head to one side to give him all the access he wanted.

"How's your ankle?" she asked after a minute.

"What ankle?" he replied lazily, still planting soft kisses to her skin.

Laughing, Hilary wrapped her arms around him for a hug. What ankle, indeed, she thought and let her eyes slide shut of their own accord, sleep coming swiftly.

***

The next day Mark still couldn't believe his good luck. In spite of the fact that Hilary had left sometime during the night while he dozed on the couch, he was almost euphoric. His ankle still hurt in the morning, but it was dimmed to a dull ache instead of an insistent throb. He whistled as he maneuvered his way around his small apartment, making breakfast. It wasn't until later, as he watched the highlights from the previous night's hockey games that he realized she'd left without leaving a way to reach her again.

"Dammit," he muttered, throwing the remote control onto the cushion beside him. Then his face lightened when he saw his team take to the ice against the Thrashers in Atlanta.

The game was close most of the night apparently but then his good friend Anatoli managed to step up and score an extra goal that ended up being the deciding factor. The anchors on the highlights show then went on to say that the Capitals would be heading to Florida for two games in four nights against the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mark would have known that anyway; since hurting himself, he'd memorized the schedule of games that he'd be missing.

Leaning over, he lifted the remote to mute the TV and then he picked up his phone. He called his teammate Anatoli, or as he was affectionately known around the locker room, 'Obie.' The big Russian picked up after three rings.

"Hello?"

"Obie, it's Mark," Mark said with a smile.

"Gaines! How are you? Staying off your foot?" Anatoli asked.

"Mostly," Mark replied honestly.

Anatoli laughed and Mark grinned. "You see the game last night?"

"I didn't watch it but I've been watching the highlights this morning," Mark said, lifting his eyes to the screen as the sportscasters began to discuss another game.

"What were you doing that you couldn't watch the game?"

For a second, Mark didn't respond. Apparently that was enough for Anatoli to figure it out. He hooted with laughter and Mark laughed along with him, practically giddy after the amazing night he'd had.

"What's she like?" Anatoli asked. "Is she pretty at least or did you drink too much?"

Mark laughed again before answering. He didn't really say much about Hilary beyond vague facts though a thought occurred to him as he spoke. "Hey, can I get Lena's phone number from you?" he asked.

"Lena's? Why?" Anatoli asked.

"Well..." Mark scrambled to think of an excuse. "I just thought since I'm stuck here while you guys are away, maybe I could meet her for coffee or something."

"Man, you're not supposed to be going anywhere, especially with my woman!" Anatoli said this with a laugh but Mark could hear the underlying, unspoken threat.

"Oh please," Mark scoffed. "I don't think I can last another day in this place. I need to get out."

"No, you don't."

"Fine. Then I want Lena's number so I can make her feel sorry for me and bring me a coffee," Mark replied.

Anatoli laughed at that and relented. He recited Lena's phone number to Mark, who scrawled it onto the back of his hand since he couldn't reach any paper and they chatted for a short while longer before hanging up. Mark stared down at the number on his hand and smiled.

She can't get away so easily, he thought.

Then he thought that this was perhaps one step shy of becoming a stalker but at this point he didn't care. He'd had a good time with Hilary last night, great sex aside and he wanted to see her again.

"As long as I'm stuck at home alone, she can keep me company," he muttered to himself and turned the phone over to dial the new number.

***

Hilary thanked her lucky stars that she got home without Lena noticing. When she crept into the apartment near dawn the morning after leaving Mark's apartment, she'd been terrified of facing her friend. Not because she thought Lena would judge her for it, but because Hilary didn't feel like talking about it with anyone. It was still so new and surprising. She didn't want to fall into the trap of thinking it was more than what it was - a one-night stand - but she couldn't help recalling the look in his eyes as they made love and the way he'd melted under her touch.

Even as she woke up late the following morning to the sound of a ringing telephone, she couldn't keep the immediate smile from spreading across her face. She exhaled gradually and rolled onto her side, pressing one hot cheek to her cool pillow as the recent memories swept over her. A minute later, she heard a gentle tapping on her bedroom door.

"Hil? You awake?" Lena's voice called softly from the other side.

"Yeah," Hilary replied in her hoarse morning voice. "You can come in."

Lena poked her head in, a strange smile on her face. Then Hilary spotted the phone in her hand and lifted her eyebrows in a silent question. Carefully holding the mouthpiece of the phone, Lena crept across her room.

"It's a guy asking for you," she whispered. "He says his name is Mark."

Hilary felt color steal over her cheeks and she sat up quickly, hoping to cover her surprise with the movement. Lena handed over the phone and turned to go, that same knowing smile on her face.

"Hello?" Hilary spoke into the phone, watching her friend retreat. But at the door Lena froze and spun around to stare at her.

"Mark?" she mouthed, her eyes wide.

Hilary frowned at her and waved her hand, trying to get her to leave the room. But Lena wasn't having it. She hopped from foot to foot, clapping her hands and laughing out loud.

"Hilary?" Mark's deep voice filled her ear and Hilary blushed all over again.

"Hi," she replied softly.

"Did I wake you?"

"No, the phone ringing did," she said and pressed a hand to her fluttering stomach at his answering laugh.

"Well, good," he said. "I was wondering if you had any plans for today."

Hilary glanced up at her roommate who was standing by the open doorway, still staring at her. Lena was grinning from ear to ear and she pointed at Hilary with one hand while trying to hold in her laughter with the other.

"Hilary?" Mark's voice came through the phone again.

"Uh, can you hold on a second, Mark?" she asked.

"Sure."

Hilary put the phone in her lap, covering the mouthpiece. "You have to get out, now!" she hissed at her friend.

"You and I are going to talk," Lena replied instead, using her firmest tone.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know if you just leave me alone now," Hilary pleaded.

Laughing, Lena did as she asked, backing out of the bedroom and closing the door behind her. Taking a deep breath, Hilary lifted the phone back to her ear and apologized to Mark.

"I just had to... take care of something," Hilary said and blushed deeper.

"It's all right," Mark replied. "So are you free today? Do you want to come over?"

"I have to work later," she told him even though she wasn't positive when her next shift was. Since she'd agreed to go out with Lena and Jane last night, she figured she must have at least been off for the whole morning.

"Oh, all right. What about tomorrow then?" he asked and she laughed.

Damn, he's sure persistent, she thought and shook her head even though it pleased her to no end. "How did you even get my number?" She asked.

"I called Anatoli and he gave it to me," he told her.

"Oh my God," she breathed, heat flooding her face and entire body. "You... you told him? About... about last night?" Oh God, if he told Anatoli, then the whole team would know by now... the thoughts raced through her mind in the seconds between her question and Mark's reply.

"What? No!" Mark exclaimed and laughed. "Of course not. God, no."

Hilary was relieved to hear that. She flopped back onto her pillows and chewed on her lower lip. "So how did you get him to give you our number?" she asked.

"I told him I wanted to talk to Lena and ask her to take pity on me in my invalid state," Mark explained and she couldn't help but smile. "He bought it but he told me in very clear terms that I wasn't to touch his 'woman.'"

Hilary smiled. While she was somewhat confused about Mark's own reasons for not telling his friend about last night, she was pleased to know that her friend's boyfriend was so protective of her. She'd had her doubts when Anatoli had first come into Lena's life but over the many months, Hilary had come to like the big hockey player.