Breaking Through The Ice Ch. 08

When Drew woke up, he worried that it had been a dream. Then Mina let out a soft snore and the tickle of her breath against his chest brought every memory back. In HD. And surround-sound. He grinned, immensely pleased with himself and rolled over to curve his body around Mina's. She made a muffled noise and relaxed into him, her nose pressed to the hollow of his throat.

Drew was content for the moment to just hold her close. He didn't want to wake her while she looked so peaceful and relaxed, and he loved being able to study her close up without her avoiding his gaze.

Well, he thought. Now I'm going to look my fill, whenever I want to.

He grinned, still elated over what had happened. After meeting her family and dealing with her sister, he'd felt bad for snapping. He'd been afraid that he'd ruined the entire day for her. Then to have her doubting his attraction, after all that they'd done together -- that had bothered him more than he cared to admit. He hoped their night together had rid her of that doubt at least. Not that he'd object proving it to her. Over and over...

She stirred again and he looked down to see her beautiful blue eyes blinking open. Dawn was just creeping through the sky and lent a dusky glow to the room. He smiled and squeezed Mina closer, wanting to devour her. She let out a breath and shifted against him. Then her eyes widened and Drew chuckled when he saw the color fill her round cheeks.

"Yes," he rumbled in a rough voice. "You're naked." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "And so am I."

Mina laughed and shook her head, her untamed curls tickling his chin. He lifted a hand from her bare back to smooth a palm over her hair. She met his gaze again and he dropped his head to kiss her on the mouth. A soft sigh escaped her and he bit back a groan.

"What time is it?" Her voice was husky from sleep and Drew sent a stern order to his lower extremities to behave. For now.

Drew craned his neck and checked the red digits on his clock. "It's just after six."

"Are you kidding me?" She sounded more awake now. "Why are we awake?"

Drew laughed. "Hey, it's not like I woke you up."

"Oh? Is there someone else in bed that did?" She rolled over -- or tried to. There was no way Drew was letting her out of reach.

"No one else is here, Mina."

Drew pulled her back towards him and she tried to wriggle away. He laughed and grabbed her, pinning her to the bed by laying his body over hers. He watched her eyes widen and his gaze dropped to her mouth when she ran her tongue over her bottom lip.

"Fine." Her voice was a whisper and Drew couldn't look away from her lips. "No one else is here, so what are you doing up?"

"I wanted to see you again." The words were out before he could put much thought into them and when he heard the catch in her breathing, he dragged his eyes to hers.

"I haven't gone anywhere," she murmured.

He grinned. "No. And you're not going to." With that, he dropped his head and kissed her. No more playing around, no more chitchat about the hour. He swept his tongue inside, tasted the tang of sleep and delved deeper.

She made a sexy little noise against his mouth and he lifted his head. Her gaze when she opened her eyes was glazed and he couldn't help but laugh. She swallowed and blinked a few times. The look she tried to fix on him appeared stern but Drew was so satisfied with having her naked underneath him that nothing could ruin his mood.

"Something wrong?"

She narrowed her eyes further. "I'm not sure I like how bossy you're getting."

His eyebrows shot up. "Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it?"

He'd forgotten all about how she'd attacked him in his office weeks ago. She tickled his ribs and he let out a yelp before scrambling off of her. She giggled and followed and they wrestled for a minute or two, the blankets tangling around their legs.

Drew was breathing hard when he managed to close his hands around her wrists and pin them to the bed on either side of her head. He glared down at her and felt his body respond when he saw the playful grin on her face.

"You'll pay for that."

She scoffed and Drew did the only thing he could think of: he kissed her. He parted her lips and thrust his tongue into her mouth. She moaned and lifted her chin, kissing him back with enthusiasm. He pulled his lips away and pressed kisses to her soft cheek. Trailing kisses over the curve of her chin and down her neck, he smiled when she arched to let him have more room.

He dragged his tongue over her flushed skin, loving the sweet, warm taste of her. She shuddered and he lifted his head to look into her face. "Cold?"

"No." Her voice sounded strained and all he'd done so far was kiss her. He wondered what she'd sound like if he did more. Or maybe he'd just kiss more of her.

He bent his head, intent on savoring every last inch of her. She moaned and writhed in his grasp and when he teased the tight nipple of her breast with his tongue, she bucked up against him. He chuckled and swirled his tongue over the tip before clamping his lips down and sucking hard. She cried out and he released her, licking her to soothe the spot.

She wouldn't hold still and Drew lost some of his focus as her luscious body moved and twisted beneath him. He felt her legs shifting under his and slid his thigh between hers to try to immobilize her. Instead she groaned and thrust her hips up to meet his. When his aching erection brushed against her core, he lifted his head and cursed under his breath.

"Stop squirming," he ordered.

She blinked up at him, giving him a look of mingled annoyance and innocence. "I can't help it."

"Try."

She pouted and he moved up to capture the offending lip in his teeth. Her gasp made him smile and when she went limp under him, he released her hands to clasp his fingers around her breasts. He released her and moved back down to her chest. He trailed kisses over her breasts and moved lower.

She kept squirming as he teased her with light kisses around her belly button and just below it. When he grasped her knees and pulled her legs apart in an abrupt move, she stilled. He couldn't stop now, even if she had kept on twisting under him.

He kissed her, where she was already so wet for him. God help him, she was sweet and pliant and the strangled cry that left her was all the reward he needed. He licked her over and over until she started to move again. She gasped and moaned and Drew felt her fingers sliding over his head and shoulders as he devoured her.

"Drew!" she cried out and arched up into his mouth.

He held her down and kept tasting her as she came hard. Her body undulated under his hands as the waves of sensation wracked her.

He lasted about ten seconds before he couldn't take any more. He dropped her legs and moved up, fitting himself to her with no effort. As he brought their mouths back together in another kiss, he drove deep, feeling the coiling tension of his own impending climax rise with sudden sharpness.

No! Not yet. He struggled to control himself.

He'd lost it so fast the night before and he wanted to make this time last, for both of them. He slowed his movements even though he could feel her moving under him, feel her fingers clawing at his back. He lifted his mouth from hers and cupped her face in his palm.

"Mina, love, open your eyes."

She did and gave him such a sweet, relaxed smile that he was undone. He couldn't help the way his body started to move then. She bit her lip and wrapped her legs around his waist. Her amazing body rose and fell under his and they moved together in such a rhythm that he felt like they'd been together for years.

Drew dropped his forehead to rest against hers as he thrust into her hard. He was no longer in control, if he ever had been. He was tumbling headfirst into love with this woman and she was coming apart around him.

"Drew, oh God, Drew!"

Drew kissed her and at the frantic meeting of her tongue with his, he came. He drove himself into her, wanting to sink even deeper inside.

The pulsing climax faded after several long, drugged moments and Drew moved to lie beside her. He didn't have the energy to lift his head. He collapsed face down and just managed to turn his face towards her. She rolled to her side and stared into his eyes.

"Hey, you can't go back to sleep." The smile playing around her lips told him she wasn't really scolding. "You woke me up now you have to entertain me."

He smirked. "I thought I just did."

Her laughter was the last sound he heard before drifting off to sleep.

****

The next time Drew woke up, he was alone. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. The bed was messed up from their slumber and Mina's clothes were still lying in a pile on the floor. He shrugged, figuring she couldn't have gone far without her pants. Then he grinned, imagining her strolling naked through his house. He liked the image.

He got up and used the bathroom before pulling on a pair of pajama pants. He thought he heard noise from the kitchen so he headed downstairs to find his girlfriend, a thought that made him smile. She was listening to the radio as she sat at the kitchen table, an empty plate and a newspaper spread out before her. She looked up as he walked in and he stopped short when he saw what she was wearing.

Her eyes dropped as she saw the direction of his gaze. "Uh, you don't mind, do you? I saw it in your closet and wanted to try it on."

"Hell, no." He strode forward and bent to give her a kiss. "I love seeing my jersey on you."

She grinned and reached up to put her arms around his neck as she kissed him back. "As much as you love seeing it off of me?"

Drew made a low growling noise of appreciation. Mina laughed and dropped her hold on him. "You should eat something. You look weak."

Drew straightened as she winked at him and he had to wonder where this new impish, confident Mina had come from. He liked her. Of course, he'd liked Mina from the beginning, shy smiles and blushing cheeks and all.

"What have you eaten?" He walked over to the pantry to get the cereal out.

"Just some toast." Mina folded the newspaper and pushed it aside to make room at the table for him. "How did you sleep?"

Drew sat down across from her and grinned as he poured milk into his bowl of cereal. "The first or second time?"

She laughed but color rose up her neck to stain her cheeks and Drew was oddly comforted by the sight of it. His Mina was still there. Or rather, she was the same Mina he'd always known. Just half-naked in his Capitals jersey.

"I can't believe you slept so late."

Drew glanced at the clock on the stove and groaned. "Oh man. Why didn't you wake me?"

Mina raised her eyebrows. "Are you kidding? I tried. After the third attempt, I gave up and came downstairs."

"Really?"

She nodded and leaned her elbows on the table, propping her chin in her hands. "You were in a dead sleep. What's wrong? Did you miss practice?"

Drew shook his head and finished his mouthful. "Naw. I just don't like to let my sleep schedule to out of whack."

"I'll remember that the next time you wake me at dawn to molest me."

Drew almost choked on his next mouthful, earning laughter from Mina. Drew cleared his throat and leveled his spoon in Mina's direction. "Don't make me come over there."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll do it again."

Mina opened her mouth and Drew waited for some saucy retort but instead her cheeks turned pink. Chuckling, Drew scooped more cereal into his mouth while Mina continued to stare at him.

"Do you have practice today?" Mina asked after the moment passed.

Drew shook his head and swallowed another mouthful. "There's an optional skate right now."

Mina cringed and offered him a smile. "Sorry for making you miss out."

"Oh, I hadn't planned on going. I knew I'd have you here to entertain."

"What?"

Drew just smiled as he continued to down his cereal. When he was done, he took both their dishes to the sink and turned to face her. "I don't have a practice until tomorrow, and then I don't have a game until Tuesday."

"Oh?"

"What are your shifts like?"

Mina shrugged. "The usual. Dinner tomorrow, lunch Tuesday and Wednesday. Off Thursday, then dinner on Friday."

"So you're free all day today?" Drew walked over to stand beside her chair.

Mina tilted her head back to look up at him. "Yeah."

Drew grinned and put one hand on the table and his other on the back of her chair. He leaned close, forcing Mina to lean back to keep their gazes locked. "Then you're staying here with me. All day."

She looked surprised, either by his nearness or his announcement. Then a slow, sexy smile curved her lips and she arched up to bring their mouths together. "Have I mentioned what your bossiness does to me?"

Drew bent down and slipped his hands under her butt. She yelped and jumped a little, which was just the leverage he needed. He hoisted her into his arms and she wrapped her arms and legs around him to hold on.

"What are you doing? Put me down before you hurt yourself."

Drew scoffed and started to walk out of the kitchen with her in his arms. In this position, her jersey started to ride up and his hands were filled with the bare bottom he adored. Mina clutched at him and buried her face in his neck.

"I've got you." He pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"I'm too heavy," she replied, her voice muffled.

"No, you're not." He stopped on the bottom step and looked into her face. She gave him a shaky smile and he felt her arms and legs flex around him. "Do I seem like I'm struggling or something?"

She hesitated and he felt her limbs tighten again before she shook her head 'no.'

"Then stop arguing and kiss me."

"Bossy." But she did what he said and he started climb the stairs, taking care with each step as he tasted her luscious lips.

He managed to locate his bedroom and set Mina on her feet. Before she could voice a protest, he whisked the jersey off over her head and grinned when he saw her naked body.

She crossed her arms over her chest, which surprised him a little. Drew wanted that sassy Mina who'd greeted him this morning. It hadn't been that long since she'd faced him in the kitchen, naked but for his jersey.

Still, Drew could be patient with her. He stepped close and pulled her hands away from her body so he could look at her. At all of her.

He left one hand at her side and traced the curve of her hip, over her stomach. He smiled when her stomach jerked as he dipped a finger into her bellybutton. Then he moved on, smoothing his palm up over her ribs to cup one perfect breast. He caressed her with slow touches, leaning close to kiss the side of her neck.

She let out a sharp breath and Drew smiled against her neck before opening his mouth to lick the soft skin beneath her ear. She lifted her hands to hold his biceps and he moved a step closer so he could feel every inch of her body against his, from knees to chest. When she swooned in his arms, he lifted her and laid her down on the bed.

After that, he couldn't be patient anymore. He didn't take the time to caress every inch of her. He let her know how sexy and cherished she was in another way. Judging by the way she screamed his name some long minutes later, he figured he'd made his point.

****

Mina had a hard time concentrating at work the next day. Whenever she had a quiet moment, which wasn't often, she heard every whispered word and felt every gentle caress from the night before. From the day before too.

Oh hell, from the past several weeks. Mina grinned and hurried to the end of the counter to grab a bowl of diced peppers.

A few hours later, her shift was winding down and she found herself more awake than when she'd arrived at the club. It was a surprise considering how late Drew had kept her up the night before.

And considering how often he woke me up during the night, she added silently. She bit her lip and glanced around to make sure no one was looking at her. She could feel the heat creeping up her neck and she worried if someone looked at her, they'd be able to tell what she was thinking about.

She hurried through the rest of her closing duties and waved at her coworkers as they all scattered from the building. It was dark out, well past the dinner hour and Mina turned towards the sidewalk, intending to walk to the Metro, like always. A car horn honked and she whirled around at the sound of tires crunching over gravel.

Drew pulled alongside her in his car and leaned out the window with a grin on his face. "Hey, good-lookin'."

"Drew!" Mina laughed and stepped close to his door. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to drive you home."

She raised her eyebrows and glanced at her watch. "How could you have even known when I'd be done? I don't even know half the time."

Drew's grin turned sheepish. "I got here about forty-five minutes ago."

"What? Why?"

"I didn't want to miss you in case you were done earlier."

Mina stared at him, her heart pounding. She couldn't figure him out and she wasn't sure that there was anything to figure out. On impulse, she leaned in through his open window and kissed him. He let out a soft groan and slid his fingers into her hair, still up in its ponytail and tried to draw her closer.

"Drew..." Mina pulled away with a sigh and straightened as she tried to catch her breath.

"Get in. I'll drive you home."

Mina bit her lip at his husky tone but hurried around the front of his car and got in the passenger side. Before leaving, Drew reached for her again, capturing her mouth in another breathtaking kiss.

They spoke little on the drive to her apartment building. Mina let her head rest against the seat, feeling exhaustion seep into her bones. After such a full and busy weekend, and after that crazy dinner shift, she was very tired and ready for a full night's rest. Her face warmed as she wondered how she could break it to Drew that she needed her sleep tonight and not more of his...intense attentions.

"I wonder if Hilary will be home," she murmured, breaking the silence.

"Probably." Drew winked at her. "She's always around to spoil our fun."

Mina smiled and reached a hand over to touch his arm. "This time, it wouldn't be spoiling."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm tired. I think I...I'd just like to sleep tonight."

Drew smiled and picked up her hand, carrying it to his lips. "I guess I can give you up for one night."
Mina shivered as his warm lips touched her knuckles. "You're not upset?"

"No, of course not." Drew chuckled and squeezed her fingers. "Don't get me wrong. If you'd let me, I'd be all over you every night."

Mina blinked and clenched her thighs together when Drew's words, spoken in his sexy deep voice, sent a jolt straight through to her core. "You would?"

Drew glanced at her again and nodded once. "I don't know why you find that so hard to believe."

Looking away, Mina lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I don't know. Maybe because I've never had someone tell me that before I met you."

"Forgetting for the moment that your ex-fiancé was a slimeball of the first degree, who else has treated you so badly that you can't believe me when I say I find you irresistible?"

Mina smiled but still didn't look at him. "Is Carter home?"

Drew laughed and shook his head. "Oh no, you don't get to change the subject."

"Don't I?" Mina whined and Drew just laughed again. "Fine. There really was no one else. I dated in high school and in college a bit and most of the guys were OK but there was no one special. Then I met Lawrence."

Drew didn't say anything at first. He glanced sideways at her and she met his gaze. "Then your fiancé took every opportunity to make you feel less than attractive?"

Mina blinked, surprised by the question. "He...no. Not at first. He was the first guy who ever made me feel attractive." Mina fell silent as she thought about her first few months of dating Lawrence. She'd just finished at Baltimore International and was working full time for the first time in her life. Then Lawrence had swept her off her feet and made her feel things she'd never experienced before. "He was the first guy I...wanted to be attractive for."