Expose on the Ice (Sparks on the Ice #1)

Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

CARTER

A s I slump onto the barstool, I signal the bartender for a whiskey. Neat. Double. The burn as it slides down my throat is a welcome salve to the gaping wound that reporter had cleaved into my life, that Lily had inflicted on me.

But, if nothing else, I’d limited any further damage that could occur. I’d cut Lily out, protected myself from further betrayal, ensured nobody found out about the cover-up, and buried any brief romantic feeling six feet deep.

So why do I feel like shit?

The bar is mercifully quiet, just a few regulars nursing their drinks. No one to recognize me, no one to ask me questions. I’d chosen this dive precisely because it was the last place anyone would expect to find me. The ice is my usual refuge, but now everyone knows that, thanks to Lily’s digging.

I knock back the rest of my drink, gesturing for another. The bartender raises an eyebrow but complies. As he sets the fresh glass in front of me, he moves away, clearly catching the vibe that I’m not in the mood to talk.

A chorus of laughter catches my attention. I turn, my eyes landing on a group of women near the pool tables. I hadn’t seen them before, tucked around a corner of the bar. But as I look at them, one of them looks back at me, and clearly recognizes me.

Shit.

The woman says something to her friends, shares a smile and a laugh with them, and makes her way over to me. As she does, I size her up. She’s attractive, in a different way than Lily. Where Lily is all subtle curves and warm smiles, this woman is all sharp angles and cool style.

She’s dressed to kill in a tight black dress that fits like a glove, despite her lack of curves. The neckline plunges dangerously low, and the hem barely skims mid-thigh, showcasing long, toned legs. She looks sharp enough to cut yourself on.

"Hi," she says as she slides onto the stool next to me, her eyes sparkling with interest. "I’m Indiana."

I grunt, taking another swig of my whiskey. "Not interested in talking."

She raises an eyebrow, her lips curving into a smirk. "Who said anything about talking?"

I turn to face her fully, my eyes trailing over her body once more. I find myself drawn to the stark contrast between her and Lily…

God, how do I get my obsession with that reporter out of my head? I ask myself silently. Then, the answer is crystal clear. Well, Indiana it is…

"You always dress like you’re headed to a nightclub?" I ask, my voice gruff.

She laughs, the sound low and throaty. "Only when I’m looking for trouble." She leans in closer, her perfume – something spicy and exotic – filling my senses. "And honey, from the moment I saw you, I thought you were just the right trouble for me."

I can’t help but chuckle, shaking my head. "Trust me, you don’t want any part of my mess right now."

"Oh, I don’t know about that," Indiana purrs, her hand coming to rest on my forearm. "I’ve always had a thing for bad boys with a chip on their shoulder."

I glance down at her hand, then back up to her face. Her eyes are dark with desire, her lips parted slightly. Like the dress, not much is left to the imagination. It would be so easy to lean in, to lose myself with her and forget about everything else for a while.

"I’m not looking for anything serious," I say, the words slipping out before I can stop them.

Her fingers trace along my arm… down my chest… to my stomach… my groin. "Me either…"

I hesitate. "I?—

"Why don’t we get out of here? I promise, I can make you forget all about your troubles."

As she speaks, she shifts, causing the already low neckline of her dress to dip even lower. My eyes are drawn to the movement. Turns out there is a little to see down there, and I find myself wondering just how far down that dress would go if given the chance.

As she waits for my answer, she bites her lip in a way that’s clearly meant to be seductive. It works, sort of. But I can’t help comparing it to the way Lily’s teeth would worry her bottom lip when she was deep in thought, a habit that was both innocent and maddeningly attractive.

I push the thought away, focusing on Indiana.

She’s here.

She’s interested.

She isn’t the one who had betrayed me.

"Let’s go," I say.

Her eyes light up, and she nods eagerly.

I lead her out of the bar, her hand in mine. The cool night air hits my face, a stark contrast to the stuffy warmth inside. As we walk to my car, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m making a mistake. But the anger coursing through my veins pushes me forward.

We reach my car, a sleek black sports car that usually draws admiring glances. I press Indiana against the driver’s side door, and my lips find hers. She responds eagerly, her hands roaming over my chest and shoulders, sizing up the irresistible force that’s about to engulf her.

"Back seat," I growl, fumbling for the door handle.

I lead Indiana into the back seat of my car, my breath heavy with anticipation and my mind clouded by hurt and anger. As soon as we’re inside, she straddles me, her dress riding up to reveal lace-trimmed underwear. Her hand slides to my crotch, rubbing through my jeans, and I let out a low growl.

"You’re eager, aren’t you?" she purrs, her breath against my ear sending a shiver down my spine.

I grab the back of her head and pull her lips to mine. Our tongues clash, her lips and mouth tasting like red wine. My hands roam over her body, squeezing her small, pert tits roughly through the fabric of her dress.

Indiana moans, grinding her hips against my growing erection. I pull down one strap of her dress, exposing a breast, and take her nipple into my mouth, biting lightly. She gasps, back arching, and the sound drives me wild.

My mind can’t help but flash to Lily – how I’d imagined this moment with her instead. But Lily had betrayed me. This woman in my lap, she’s here and ready to fuck with no emotional strings. No risk. No hurt.

I pull her dress down further, exposing both breasts. My hand snakes between her legs, tugging her underwear aside, and I slide a finger into her wetness. She groans, and I add another finger, hooking them inside her.

I keep my eyes shut, letting the alcohol and anger guide my actions. My fingers work their way deeper into Indiana, but as I move inside her, my mind betrays me, conjuring images of Lily that I can’t shake.

Indiana’s moans grow louder, urging me on, faster and deeper. Her hips buck against my hand, wet and eager, but in the darkness of my closed eyelids, it’s Lily’s face I see. Lily’s moans I’d envisioned hearing.

"Fuck," Indiana gasps, her voice a mere whisper of lust.

I swallow hard, trying to focus on the moment. I slide my thumb over her clit, rubbing in small, firm circles. Her body convulses, a high-pitched whimper escaping her lips. Her head falls back, lips parted in ecstasy.

But it’s Lily’s flushed face, her lips quivering with anticipation, that fills my mind’s eye. I feel a twisted satisfaction in imagining it’s her I’m bringing to the brink. Taking control from her, getting back at her.

Indiana’s breathing quickens, her hips grinding against my fingers with increasing desperation, her nails digging into my shoulders. My fingers pump in and out of her slick heat. Her body tenses, and she reaches a crescendo.

Indiana’s orgasm rips through her, her muscles clenching around my fingers as she cries out, although I imagine Lily’s tight walls pulsing around me. Her head falls forward onto my shoulder, and I withdraw my hand, slick with her.

We stay like that for a moment, her trembling against me, but my mind has already drifted back to Lily. The way she’d looked at me with those big, earnest eyes, the way her lips had felt against mine, the way her body had felt beneath the very thin layer of clothing.

Indiana’s hand slides down my chest, her touch tender in the aftermath of her release. She shifts, moving lower, her head dipping towards my lap. It takes a moment for me to realize what she intends, my body tensing in anticipation.

She frees my aching erection, lowering my pants and briefs enough that my cock springs free. I’d wanted this release, but as Indiana’s lips wrap around me, sucking me deep into her mouth, my mind flashes to Lily once more.

Indiana’s tongue swirls around the head of my cock, her hand gripping the base as she bobs up and down. I let out a low groan, gripping the edge of the seat with one hand and pushing her head lower with the other, caught in the conflicting emotions raging inside me.

With every flick of her tongue, every skillful glide of her lips, I can’t help but wish it was Lily’s mouth on me. I push deeper at the thought, and Indiana takes it all. She gags, then adjusts, and keeps up the frenzied pace.

Indiana’s head continues to bob, her tongue doing sinful things that should have had me lost in the moment. But as she picks up the pace, every hot, wet flick of her tongue against my shaft washes over me like a wave – a wave I can’t even appreciate because my damn mind keeps going back to Lily.

Fucking Lily.

Literally.

I hoist Indiana up on top of me, our breaths heaving in sync. Her breath is a mix of my scent and her eagerness, her pupils blown wide with lust. Without a word, I move her panties aside and position myself against her wet entrance. She gasps, a breathless laugh escaping her lips.

With one hard thrust, I bury myself inside her, the tight heat a searing, welcome distraction. Indiana’s loud moan is immediate, and she holds me close as I begin to move, hard and fast, the anger and desire catalyzing into a punishing rhythm.

But as I fuck her, each thrust driving deeper inside, it’s Lily’s face that swims before my eyes. Her back arching under me, her lips parting in pleasure. Indiana’s breathy whimpers and cries could have been Lily’s – sweet, tantalizing echoes of what I really want.

Indiana’s hips buck against me, meeting every powerful stroke. Her breaths come in quick pants, her nails carving lines down my back that will surely leave marks. But I don’t care. All I can think of is Lily – her eyes, her lips, her damn annoying curiosity.

"I’m so close…" Indiana gasps.

Her declaration snaps me back, but only partially. My thrusts become desperate, my grip on her waist tightening. The slick friction, the tight heat surrounding my cock, is a rush filling my veins with molten fire. She tightens around me, her moans escalating, and I know she’s right at the edge.

My body coils tighter, every muscle tense as I pound into her, chasing a release I hadn’t realized I needed so damn badly. Indiana’s cries hit a fever pitch as her orgasm sweeps over her, her walls tightening around my cock like a vice. The sensation, coupled with the fantasy of Lily, pushes me over.

Pleasure explodes through me in waves, and I drive in deep, my strokes becoming erratic as my release approaches. The sensation is blinding, my mind blanking except for the burning need and the frantic urge.

With a guttural groan, I come hard, my hips jerking upwards as waves of intense pleasure overwhelm me and fill her. At that moment, reality and fantasy blur completely.

As the fog of pleasure slowly clears, guilt and shame creep in to take its place. I’d just had sex with one woman while fantasizing about another. What the hell is wrong with me?

"That was… intense," Indiana says after a moment, her voice slightly hoarse, with me still inside of her. "Don’t worry, honey, I’m on the pill."

You idiot, my mind screams.

In anger and pain, I’d broken the number one rule for professional athletes in their private life. No matter what, whatever you do, no matter how hot she is or how drunk you are, absolutely do not have one-night stands without a rubber!

Knowing there’s nothing to do but trust her or deal with the fallout later, I grunt in response, suddenly desperate to be alone. Indiana must have sensed the shift in my mood because she quickly disentangles herself from me.

"I should… I should go," she mumbles, straightening her dress. "Thanks for a good time, sunshine. That was a nice tick on the bucket list."

I nod, unable to form words, knowing she’ll probably tell her friends I’m an asshole but unable to muster a care about it. Once she’s disappeared into the night, I slump back against the seat, running a hand over my face.

How am I still obsessed with her ?