Melting the Ice Ch. 03

He met her gaze and smiled. He reached a hand out towards her and helped her up to sit next to him. She went into his embrace with a sigh, gladly settling against his chest. She felt his lips brush over her hair and turned her face to nuzzle her nose into the open collar of his shirt.

"I'm...I can't believe we just..."

Natalie giggled and lifted her head to kiss his cheek. "Me either." She savored his deep chuckle and let out a contented sigh.

"I swear I didn't bring you back to the limo for that, Natalie."

"I know. It's OK. I wanted to."

"Good." Again his chuckle rumbled in his chest and against her cheek. "So you're not upset that we broke your rule?"

"My rule?" She sat back and looked into his face. He looked concerned and there was a pink tinge to his cheeks that made Natalie think he was maybe even a little embarrassed. "Oh, Hayden. I think I should never have suggested it."

"Really?"

She shrugged. It was her turn to feel embarrassed. "Well, I think it's obvious that we... that we're... attracted to each other."

"I'd say so."

Natalie met his eyes and couldn't help but smile at his playful grin. "I think I suggested that we wait to... I thought you only wanted me because of what Sidney said."

Hayden's eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"That night at the restaurant. When you told me what Sidney said, my first thought was that was why you wanted to see me again."

"What, because I thought you were easy?"

Natalie flinched at his words and tone. He sounded upset and she couldn't blame him. She realized now that it had been a terrible assumption to make. He'd been funny and nice to her the night they met and he'd given her no reason to think he was that much of a cad. Her thinking that about him was as bad as him repeating the gossip about her.

"I'm sorry, Hayden." She pressed her hands to his chest and met his eyes as heat warmed her cheeks. "I shouldn't have and it was wrong."

He still looked a little hurt but he offered her a crooked smile as she apologized. "I guess we both handled things badly from the start."

Natalie let out a nervous laugh and nodded. "I guess we did. That's why I wanted to start over, with no assumptions, no mistakes."

"Natalie, no relationship is ever that easy." He rubbed his palm against her bare back above her dress. "We can't just start over every time we say something stupid to each other."

Natalie nodded. She knew he was right and maybe she'd been coming at this the wrong way from the start. She'd been intimidated by his career and his age, and even his incredible sex appeal. She might not have admitted it, even to herself, but she'd thought he was too much for her to handle. She was younger and less experienced and she'd let that affect her judgment of him. It wasn't fair to either of them.

With a gentle tug, Hayden pulled her close and kissed her forehead as she rested her cheek on his shoulder. She offered him a weak smile, still feeling inadequate for this amazing man. She would have to find a way to get over her own hang-ups and give their relationship a chance.

"Uh, Hayden?"

"Hmm?" His lips were moving over her hair again and he was breathing her in.

"You said relationship." She knew she might sound immature again but she didn't want to make any more assumptions.

He grinned and nodded. His hand slipped up to cup the back of her head. "I did."

"Does that mean you're...?" She let her question trail off, losing her nerve.

"If you'll have me, I would like to be your boyfriend." There was a teasing glint in his eyes and Natalie smiled in response. He wasn't mocking her with his formal words and he'd known what she wanted to know without her having to say it.

He might just be the man of my dreams, she thought with a giddy laugh.

"I'll have you, Hayden. Do you want me to be your girlfriend?"

"I thought I'd proven that a few minutes ago?"

They laughed together and Natalie hugged him close, burying her nose in his throat. She inhaled his masculine scent and sighed happily. She wasn't sure how long they remained like that, still rumpled from their lovemaking, but she would have happily stayed in his arms for decades.

"I suppose I should walk you inside." Hayden broke the silence after a few minutes.

"I suppose you're right."

Natalie pulled herself up onto the seat and accepted her underwear from Hayden with a blush. She wriggled into them and straightened her skirt as best as she could. Hayden buttoned his shirt and pulled his jacket on. He didn't bother with his tie and shoved it into his pocket. Natalie was buttoning her coat as Hayden got out of the limo.

They were quiet as they walked, arm-in-arm, to her room. He insisted on walking her all the way to her door and she smiled up at him when they got there.

"I had a great time," she said and grinned when he laughed. "I did! You've made up for it in the last hour."

Hayden pulled her close and tipped her chin up with one finger. "I'm glad." He kissed her, a light, teasing stroke of his lips on hers and then he stepped back. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"OK." She opened her door and tiptoed quietly inside. Turning back, she whispered 'goodnight' to Hayden and watched him walk down the hall. Then she closed her door and leaned her shoulder against it, letting out a satisfied sigh.

***

Although Hayden and Natalie gave up on trying to keep their hands off of each other, they also spent a lot of time together without getting physical. Luckily - or maybe unluckily - Hayden's job and Natalie's classes kept them from spending every waking hour together. When Hayden went on the road with the team, they talked on the phone nightly. If he was in New York, they'd get together on weekends whenever they could. Timing was difficult, especially since Natalie had exams to worry about once December rolled around.

Hayden did his best to be supportive and he didn't push for too much. Instead, he savored the days and nights they were able to align their schedules. When she could go, he got her tickets to home games as well. He didn't tell her, but he wished she could attend all the home games. She'd think he was being silly but he knew he played better whenever she was in the crowd. She truly had become his lucky charm. It was a dangerous thought for a goalie to have and he kept it to himself.

On a day early in December, he was just getting back to New York from a road trip into Eastern Canada when his phone rang. Seeing that it was Natalie, he set his bag down just inside his front door to answer.

"Hello, Natalie."

"Hi." She sounded tired and Hayden's heart went out to her. She'd been working so hard getting ready for her finals. "Are you home?"

"Yeah, I just walked in."

"Great. Can I come over?"

Hayden grinned, pleased that she was the one asking for a change. He didn't like to think he'd begged her every other time, but he'd come close, that's for sure. Not that there's anything wrong with that, he told himself. "Of course. I'll order something in for dinner."

She laughed but even that sounded tired. Hayden ached to put his arms around her to offer what comfort he could.

"Don't you ever cook?"

"When do I have time to learn how to cook? I'm busy playing hockey."

"Hmm, maybe I'll have to give you some lessons."

An image of Natalie standing in his underused kitchen wearing nothing but lacy panties and an apron flashed through his mind. He swallowed with difficulty and ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe," he replied hoarsely.

"I just need to finish up a paper and then I'll grab a cab. I can be there in an hour."

Hayden glanced at the clock and nodded. "All right. I'll have dinner ready when you get here." Just like he'd wanted, his joke got another tired laugh, then they ended the call.

True to her word, Natalie walked into his place in just over sixty minutes. She gave him a weak smile and Hayden didn't hesitate to pull her into his arms, heavy winter coat and all. She smelled just as fantastic as he remembered and his body reacted to her immediately.

They no longer worried about wanting each other physically. In addition to learning how to please each other, they'd shared many other things together; family history, embarrassing stories and plans for the coming year.

"Oh, thank you, Hayden," Natalie said, her voice muffled against his chest. "I needed that."

"I'm happy to help." He put his hands on her shoulders and bent to look into her face. "What's up? You don't usually want to come over on a weeknight."

She laughed as she unzipped her jacket and pulled off her scarf. "Don't I?"

Hayden hung everything up for her and pulled her close again for a kiss. She melted against him with a little sigh that sank right into his bones. In the past month and a half, he'd become seriously addicted to this woman and all her little noises.

"Come eat," he suggested as he pulled back with a smile. "I made Thai!"

She laughed and poked him in the ribs. "You did not!"

"Well, I ordered it."

They sat at the kitchen table and Hayden handed her a plate. He tried to draw her into conversation but she seemed more hungry than chatty. After they were done, she helped him tidy up and Hayden decided he didn't want to stay in the dark. He wanted to know what was wrong so he could make it better for her. It might be terribly macho and bordering on obsessive, but he cared for her and he wanted to make her happy.

So while she was facing the kitchen sink, wringing out a dish cloth, he moved behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. She stiffened for a second before relaxing back into his body. He dropped his chin to her shoulder and turned his face so his nose brushed her neck. Her responding shiver brought a smile to his face.

"Natalie, tell me what happened to day to bring you down."

She sighed and shook her head. "Nothing happened."

"Natalie..."

She turned in his arms and smiled at him. He saw the lines around her mouth and the dark circles under her eyes and still, she was absolutely beautiful. His stomach gave an involuntary flip when she lifted onto her toes to kiss him.

"Honestly. It was just a busy week and I failed my practice exam for one of my courses."

"That sucks." He didn't know if that was the right thing to say but it made her smile. "But it was just a practice?"

"Yeah. Madison told me I was overreacting and she suggested I take a break."

Hayden had to laugh at that. "So you're here because Madison told you to come?"

"No!" She protested and laughed with him. "I came because I wanted to see you." She paused and lowered her lashes.

Hayden bit back a groan when he saw her start to nibble on her bottom lip.

"I missed you."

"I missed you, too. I don't care what made you come over tonight, as long as you're here. That's all that matters."

She looked up at him again and opened her mouth to speak. He stopped her, laying his lips over hers and kissing her instead. She moulded her body to his and Hayden dropped his hands to cup her bottom, dragging her even closer. He wasn't sure how long she clung to him like that, her tongue teasing his, but he would have happily stayed like that all night long. She gave her hips a little thrust, bumping against him and he jerked his head up, sucking in a breath.

"What are you trying to do?" His voice came out as something resembling a growl and she smiled impishly at him.

"I'm trying to relieve my stress," she replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "Don't you want to help me with that?"

Hayden narrowed his eyes at her and bent his head down, as if to take her lips in another kiss. He watched her pupils expand and felt her soft exhalation as she parted her lips in anticipation. At the last moment, he moved his lips away, caressing her cheek and moving on to her sensitive ear lobe. She let out a sound, something halfway between a sigh and a moan, and Hayden wrapped both his arms around her waist.

Then he lifted her off her feet, holding her against his body as he turned them. Natalie held on to his shoulders, pressing her lovely breasts against his chest and she opened her mouth on his neck. Hayden had thought he could make it to the bedroom but he stopped at the kitchen table, resting her back on the edge. She looked up at him, a startled look on her face.

Before she could speak, he claimed her lips in a fierce kiss. His tongue swept inside and slid over hers, taunting, teasing. Natalie moaned, her fingers clenching and gathering his shirt into her hands. Hayden shoved a thigh between her knees, nudging her legs apart and he stepped close. He dropped a hand to her backside and pulled her against him, letting her feel what she'd done to him with just a few kisses. Then he bit down on her lower lip and opened his eyes to see her mouth open wide to take in a gasping breath.

He grinned and released her lip with a sucking noise before moving down her cheek and the smooth column of her throat. He turned his face and rubbed his bristly chin against her skin, knowing how much she liked it. Her response was a full-body shudder that rocked him to his very core. She was so responsive with him, every single time. He couldn't get enough of her. If it was possible, he'd have her like this every night.

As he enjoyed the flavor of her skin, tracing featherlight kisses across her collarbone, he felt her shift. She ran her hands down his torso and began to bunch his shirt in her hands, jerking up. When her warm fingers first brushed his stomach, he flinched. Her hands stopped moving on his body and he drew back to look into her face. As they stared at each other, she bit her lower lip and moved her hands lower, to the clasp of his jeans.

Hayden reached over his shoulders and hauled his shirt off as Natalie managed to open his jeans and slide his zipper down. Instead of reaching in, like he'd assumed she would, she scraped her fingernails up over the ridges of his abs. She kept her eyes locked on his as she slid her palms up his body, over his chest and around to the back of his neck. He shivered when he felt her fingers slide through his hair, tickling his scalp. Her eyes dropped when he slipped his hands beneath the hem of her shirt. He looked down and watched her, watching him.

"Do you like what you see?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

Her eyes flicked back up to his face and he bit the inside of his cheek when he saw the aroused flush in her cheeks. "Of course, but that's not why I was staring at you."

"No?" Hayden leaned close and planted a kiss on the upturned corner of her mouth. Her smile widened when he pulled away.

She shook her head and pulled on his neck until he leaned down and obliged her with a sweet kiss. While he was distracted by tasting her lips, Natalie slipped off the table and turned them around so that Hayden felt the table pressing into the back of his legs. She pulled out of the kiss, settling back on her feet. Hayden reached for her but she batted his hands away.

"Natalie-"

"Don't move," she ordered, holding a finger towards his chest.

Hayden was startled by her command but felt his lips curling up in a grin. He decided he liked this demanding side of her. He liked it even more when she took hold of his jeans and underwear, tugging them down as she sank to her knees in front of him. He barely had a moment to register what her intent was when he felt the first hot stroke of her tongue on him.

"Natalie, oh God!" He groaned and threw his head back when her lips wrapped around the tip of his straining erection.

Her hands stroked him in time with her mouth and he felt her tongue stroke along the length of him. Hayden panted as he struggled not to take hold of her head and thrust. She was driving him insane, slowly but surely insane. She pulled back and licked at the head and Hayden jerked against her before letting out a strangled moan.

"Natalie... s-stop..."

She didn't for a long second and Hayden wondered if she was trying to kill him. Then she leaned back, releasing him with an audible sucking noise and gazed up at him through dark lashes with an innocent smile.

"You want me to stop?"

He nodded, incapable of forming words. Bending at the waist, he grasped her shoulders and pulled her to her feet. She didn't resist, rising and going into his embrace. He slanted his mouth over hers, ruthlessly plunging his tongue into her mouth.

He moved one hand between them, frantically jerking at the button of her jeans. She helped him and in a second he was able to slip his hand inside. He found the damp crotch of her panties and pressed, eliciting a shuddering moan from her.

"How do you like that?" he growled into her ear as he licked her flushed skin. "This is the same torture you just put me through."

Her laugh was a little strained and a lot breathless and Hayden thrust his hand into her long, thick hair. He angled her chin up and nibbled on her swollen lips, teasing her with a stroke of his tongue. He continued to play with her, pressing and stroking his fingers of the thin fabric of her underwear until she was moaning, begging him to stop.

He pulled his hand out of her pants and pushed at the waist of her jeans until they fell over her hips to slide to the floor. Then he spun her around so she was resting on the edge of the kitchen table again. As he looked into her darkened eyes, she licked her lips and Hayden narrowed his eyes. He grasped the elastic of her panties on either side and yanked them down and off her legs. Keeping his gaze on hers, he cupped the back of her knees and moved between her thighs.

She sucked in a sharp breath as he brought his rigid length against her damp core. He shoved his hands under her shirt, wanting to feel the warm skin beneath. She reached down and pulled her shirt off over her head. Hayden's eyes flickered over her bared chest and he leaned forward to lap at her skin. She reached behind with one hand to unclasp her bra but Hayden didn't wait for her to do that. He pulled the cups of her bra down, releasing her breasts into his palms.

Without hesitation, Hayden leaned down and closed his lips around one perfect, taut nipple. Natalie moaned, arching her back and pressing more of her silky flesh into his mouth. He slid one arm around her waist to hold her against him. His cock pulsed against her center and they both moaned at the sensations that were beginning to overwhelm them.

"Please, Hayden," Natalie moaned in his ear, her fingers tangling in his hair.

He didn't need to be asked twice. He dropped one hand to take hold of himself, guiding the tip to her moist lips. She spread her legs wider with a gasp, arching, desperate to bring their bodies into full contact. He grinned wickedly down at her, teasing her by pressing the barest inch inside of her and no more.

She groaned and reached for his hip with one hand. Her legs lifted and hooked behind his thighs but he resisted, pulling out. "No!" she cried and her fingernails grazed the skin at his hip.

"Patience, Natalie," he murmured and kissed her, easing his tongue between her lips until she melted against him once more.

Then he thrust, sinking all of his hard length into her molten center. He froze, almost coming apart in that instant. She was so sweetly taut around him, her chest heaving against his and her lashes fluttering. He kept his lips on hers, continuing to tease as he held himself still inside of her. She moaned into his mouth and moved her hips. Hayden felt the slide of her body around him and he bit back a curse.

She was so amazing, so hot, all he wanted to do was pound into her, to lose himself in all her wet heat. If he did, he wouldn't last two seconds and he was determined to make this about her.

"Don't," he ground out, barely lifting his lips from hers.

She opened her eyes and he stared into the dark orbs. "Please, Hayden. I want to feel you."