Breaking Through The Ice Ch. 10

"What did Alexis have to say about all this?"

Mina smiled. "That's the bigger shock." She went on to explain about her drive to Baltimore and her meeting with Alexis. "I never knew all that about her and it was really something to be able to have a conversation with her without wanting to stab a fork in her eye."

Drew's chuckle vibrated under her cheek. "Such violent tendencies. I never knew about this side of you."

She scoffed. "Oh, that's rich, coming from the man who just said he'd skate over another man's balls."

"You're assuming Lawrence is a real man, which we both know he isn't."

Mina pushed one hand against his chest, levering herself up to look into his face. "You need to let that go. I took care of it and he won't come back again."

Drew frowned but nodded. "I guess I have a hard time not being able to take care of things for the people in my life."

"I'd say that's part of your problem, yes."

Drew squeezed her until she gasped and he bent his head to give her a wicked kiss. "Part of my problem is that I'm crazy about you and want to take care of you."

"That's not a problem." Mina touched his face. "That's sweet and I'm willing to let you take care of me but this whole thing with Lawrence? It's done."

"Then what else is there for me to do?" Drew let out a dramatic sigh and tossed an arm over his eyes.

"Oh, stop being a diva." Mina tugged on his arm. "There's plenty for you to do."

"Like...?"

"Like..." Mina bit her lip and glanced around the apartment. "Like when Hilary moves out you can spend your off nights with me until I get used to sleeping alone here."

Drew lowered his arm. "That's easy. What else?"

"You can make me breakfast the mornings after you sleep over." Mina smiled. "Not every breakfast will be as...eventful as the last, I promise."

He grinned and nodded. "I can do that, too."

"You can carry me to bed when I fall asleep on the couch after a long shift. You can even help me get undressed when I'm too tired to do it myself."

Drew's eyebrows lifted and Mina shivered when his pupils expanded. "What about when you're wide awake? Will you let me help you undress then?"

"Of course. As long as you let me do it myself from time to time."

"I'm not sure I could sit by and watch you struggle with that yourself." His hands slid under her sweater to find her heated skin.

"A gentleman never would." Mina gasped as he moved his hands up until his fingers brushed the sides of her breasts.

He froze. "You think I'm a gentleman?"

Mina grinned. "Not all the time."

He laughed and pulled her down for a kiss. It was followed with another slow, drawn-out kiss that made Mina feel hot all over. His hand moved over the skin of her back and then he rolled them so she lay beneath him.

"I do love you, Mina."

She smiled and reached for him, pulling his head down to hers. She kissed his lips, his cheeks and the line of his jaw where the stubble was growing in. "I know."

He chuckled and took control of the embrace again. With both hands, he yanked her sweater off and lowered his head to kiss her right breast, then her left. She squirmed under him, arching with a gasp as he sucked one pert nipple into his mouth. When she hauled at the hem of his shirt, he backed away to pull it off altogether. Then they both wriggled out of their pants and Mina held her arms open for him.

He was hard and she was wet for him but he didn't take her right away. He teased her with just the tip of his erection until she was whimpering for more. She bucked and twisted under him, trying to get him where he wanted her and he just kept teasing.

"Drew, please!"

"I like seeing you like this."

She blinked up at him. "Like what?"

He shook his head and lowered his lips to hers. "Hot and bothered."

"I'm always hot and bothered with you around."

His grin was breathtaking. "Good to know."

Then he stopped playing around. He took her lips in a fierce, possessive kiss that sent a tremor through her. She bowed under him, pressing them together from knee to chest. He stroked her sides, toying with her breasts and holding her hands down to the couch by her head when she tried to reach for him.

While he kissed her, damn near driving her insane with his mouth, he angled his hips and thrust deep. She arched up, breaking their kiss. His mouth clamped on to that sensitive spot on her neck just below her ear and she twisted her head to let him. Between feeling his tongue tracing swirls on her skin and his body so hot and full inside hers, she climaxed with a suddenness that stole her breath.

When she got her breath back, she used it to cry out his name as he began to move within her. He drew out every rocketing sensation in her body, touching her everywhere and kissing her mouth, face and neck until she was all but sobbing his name. He let her hands go and she clutched his shoulders as he pumped his hips into hers. He angled her body up to receive his thrusts with more intensity and she raked her nails down his back.

He sucked in a breath but turned his head to kiss her again. In contrast to the wild, sweaty movement of their bodies, his kiss was slow, loving and nearly brought tears to Mina's eyes. Then he shoved a hand between them to tease her through her damp curls and she let out a moan. He chuckled against her lips, the vibration a wonderful sensation throughout her body and she felt the tingling of another orgasm.

"That's it," Drew groaned, turning his head to press hot, open-mouthed kisses to her throat and the top of her chest. "God, I want to feel it, I want to feel you come around me."

Mina gasped and arched when he stroked her just right. As she clutched his arms, she felt the tension in his muscles and knew he was close. She raised her head to press her nose and mouth to the hollow of his throat. When she kissed him there and dragged her tongue over his skin, he let out a strangled moan and moved faster.

They came together, thrusting and moving in time to the rhythm of their climax. Drew's arms trembled as he held himself over her, pressing his lips to hers. She stroked his back, enjoying the slick feel of his sweaty skin and the way it felt to have him on top of her. It was so relaxing and she was so satisfied that she felt sleep pressing behind her eyes.

Drew moved off of her and off the couch. Before she could react to his absence, he bent to lift her into his arms and carried her to her bed.

"This is me taking care of you," he whispered as he cuddled her into bed and under the covers.

She snuggled into his side with a contented smile. "I like it."

He brushed her messy hair back from her face and kissed her forehead. "Me too."

They fell asleep, sweaty and sated.

****

"Oh God, Hil, this was a terrible idea." Mina twisted her fingers together in her lap, feeling as if she was about to throw up. "Why didn't you talk me out of this?"

Hilary reached over to rub her shoulder. "Stop worrying. He'll love it."

Mina groaned and covered her face with her hands. Seven rows down on the ice, the Capitals were battling for their second victory over the New York Rangers. It had only been two nights since they'd made up, but Mina felt as though years had passed. So much had changed, all of it good, but one thing remained to be done.

Mina shook her head as Hilary continued to rub her back. She'd thought this was a great idea but she hadn't taken into consideration the seriousness of this playoff series.

What if Drew gets mad because it's a distraction? she thought as she peeked through her fingers at the action on the ice. What if he thinks it's stupid? What if he thinks it's too over-the-top?

A Capitals' defenseman connected with a Ranger in a bone-crushing hit against the boards right in front of their seats and Mina jumped. Hilary shot to her feet beside her, cheering, and that's when Mina realized it had been Mark who'd flattened the Rangers' forward. Her attention was drawn back to the game until the moment arrived.

The game was brought to a halt as the Rangers' goalie caught the puck. Instead of facing off, the boards opened at one end and the ice cleaning crew hurried onto the ice. The players all skated off to hang out at their benches during the television timeout and the crowd turned to the big screen for the in-game entertainment.

"I'm going to vomit," Mina moaned and lifted her head to look at the big screen.

"Stop it." Hilary nudged her with an elbow. "Look at Drew. He's watching!"

Mina glanced at the bench and saw that Drew and several of his teammates were looking at the screen. They all watched as a short video played and then Drew's picture flashed on the screen with Mina's message beside it: "Drew, I love you, too!"

The crowd started cheering as Drew grinned and received light punches and shoving from his teammates. Then his head turned and Mina knew he was scanning the crowd for her. They were sitting in the eighth row, not far from the bench but she didn't think he would see her. Now she just had to wait until the end of the game to find out if he'd liked it or not.

****

Drew hadn't thought much of it when Mark insisted he watch the big screen during the timeout. They had bigger things to concentrate on, like maintaining their two-goal lead against the Rangers. Then he'd seen his own face on the screen, along with the message and winning the game became the easiest thing he could do.

Hell, he'd already won the woman of his dreams. What was a few more hockey games?

"Let's go finish this, guys!" The coach's words brought out several shouts from the team and Drew vaulted over the boards to take his place on the ice as the puck was dropped.

After the game -- another victory closer to the Cup! -- Drew showered and dressed faster than he ever had before. He rushed out of the arena to the parking garage where Mina would be waiting for him.

The playoff crowds around Verizon Center could get a little crazy so he'd given Mina a pass to come into the garage following the game. She wasn't alone; Hilary and some of the other wives and girlfriends were given the same treatment to save them the trouble of fighting crowds.

Drew hurried through the parking garage until he got to the row with his car. When he saw Mina talking and laughing with Hilary and Lena, he started to run. She turned at the sound of his footsteps and grinned. Drew didn't notice the other women moving away, nor did he care. He had eyes only for Mina.

He swept her off her feet in a tight embrace and she laughed as she clung to him. He buried his face in her hair and groaned at the scent that was all her. All his Mina.

"God, I love you."

"I love you, too!" She gasped as he turned and pressed her against the side of the car.

He grasped the back of her head and laid a kiss on her that would leave her in no doubt of their plans for later. She moaned into his mouth and slid her fingers through his hair. He shuddered and pulled back as the sound of someone shouting broke through his one-track thoughts.

"Get a room!"

"Bite me, Brody!" Drew replied and flipped him off.

Brody hooted with laughter and continued on to his own car.

Drew turned back to Mina, who was still looking up at him with those big, beautiful blue eyes. "What?"

"Did you like it?" she asked.

"Of course. I love hearing you say you love me."

She smiled. "I meant, did you like me having it put on the big screen for the whole world to see?"

Drew leaned close, letting her feel exactly how much he liked it. The color rising up her cheeks just made him hotter. "How'd you manage it?"

"Mark helped me. He was over yesterday helping Hilary with some packing and I asked if he could talk to someone here. He said yes, he did and you got your message." She bit her lip. "I was so worried you'd be mad. I didn't want to distract you from the game so I made sure that they wouldn't put the message up if the game wasn't going well. Then I worried that you'd be embarrassed when the whole team saw it."

"It was great and a little teasing from the guys is nothing I can't handle." He cupped her cheek in his palm. "You didn't have to go to all that trouble, you know. I'm a simple guy with simple tastes."

She raised her eyebrows and grinned. "Don't I know it, Mr. Cranky-when-he-doesn't-get-ketchup-for-his-eggs."

He chuckled and dipped his head to kiss her again. "And you didn't need to tell me that just because of what I said the other night."

Mina tilted her head back, a serious look on her face. "You told me that already. That and that you'd felt this way for some time."

He nodded, loving the way she fisted his shirt in her hands and levered herself onto her toes to kiss his face.

"So have I. And I just couldn't not say it to you anymore."

Drew grinned and kissed her. He kept on kissing her until someone else whistled and jeered at them. Then he drove her home and kissed her at every stop between the Verizon Center and her apartment. He kissed her all through the elevator ride and down the hall to her front door. He didn't stop kissing her until they tumbled into bed together and he moved down her body to lay his lips on every other part of her.

And he never intended to stop kissing her.