Kate stared back at Steven from point-blank range. Tampa Bay might not be the biggest hockey town but he was a superstar - any minute someone would recognize him humping some chick at the bar. She just hoped it wasn’t John, or anyone else who wanted to beat the smile off a 60-goal scorer’s face.

“Do you have your own room?” His voice was warm on her skin.

Oh God, this is probably really happening, she thought, heart pounding.

Some of her sass had drained away, replaced by... anticipation? Fear? Lust? It was a strong cocktail and Steven knew he was so close to having her. He squeezed the hand he was holding.

“Hey guys, grab that table,” a familiar voice sounded. Kate whipped her head toward the door to see Troy Brouwer walking in, pointing toward a few empty tables at the back of the room. Jay Beagle was already heading in that direction, followed by Matt Hendricks. Nick Backstrom was right behind Troy.

“Shit.” Kate shot to the left, farther along the bar, dragging Steven along. The small-ish place had just gotten a lot more crowded and now the Washington Capitals were between them and the door. The bar curved around, Kate stopped at the farthest point. Steven faced her with his back to the room like a shield.

“Uh oh,” he mocked softly. His mouth was dry. He really didn’t want to confront an entire hockey team but damn, this whole cat-and-mouse thing was pretty fucking sexy. Kate looked up at the ceiling as if for help, her chest heaving beneath that tight shirt.

“Grab me a beer!” The voice was louder, and close.

“Sure, bro,” another nearby speaker answered.

Kate his her face in Steven’s chest just as Mike Green walked past Steven’s shoulder. Even Stamkos shied away. The big defenseman didn’t notice either of them and disappeared down the hallway marked Restrooms.

Steven looked at Kate. Kate looked at Steven.

“Two Yuenglings,” the guy at the bar said. Kate closed her eyes. The voice belonged to Karl Alzner, John’s defensive partner and best friend. Wherever he was, John couldn’t be far behind.

She was trembling, and it wasn’t all the fear of being caught. That mixed with heat from Steven’s body, his strong physical presence and the I-dare-you look in his eyes, even now. She talked a good game, but he clearly expected to play. His hand moved to her wrist, thumb right on the pulse as if to check that she was feeling this too. They were as close now as when they’d been kissing.

Any second Mike would come from the bathroom and see Steven from the front. He probably had nightmares about Stamkos coming toward him on the ice, he wasn’t going to miss him now. In her panic Kate had backed them into a corner with no way out. She glanced again toward the way Green had gone.

“We have to,” Steven said quietly. He did not bother hiding his smirk. “Unless you want to....” A slight pull as if he might walk right into the center of the room.

Kate dug her nails into him so hard he jerked to a stop. She’d gotten herself into this situation, playing with fire. Now she had a choice to make, and a price to pay either way. She spun on a heel and dashed into the bathroom hallway. There were three options - ladies, mens and right across from the mens room, an unmarked door. She passed it, but Steven reached out on the way past and it swung open. He stopped hard.

“Kate!” The whisper was almost a yell.

She spun and dodged into the broom closet, Steven almost on top of her. Light immediately spilled from the men’s bathroom - someone was coming out. It had to be Mike. Steven yanked the closet door shut just in time.

They waited, frozen, for a beat. Footsteps passed, a door closed. Nothing else.

“Going for the bathroom?” Steven cracked a joke. “What kind of guy do you think I am?”

The closet was four by five feet, full of cleaning supplies. A real bar would’ve had a cobwebby, dank storage space but this was a hotel. At least it was clean. Steven picked Kate right up off the floor and set her ass down on the edge of a counter, already moving between her legs. He’d have thrown her against a wall if any were available. Before she stopped sliding along the makeshift seat, his tongue was down her throat.

Kate responded like she knew she shouldn’t. What difference could it make now? She pawed at Steven’s jacket, worked his tie open. Suddenly the broom closet seemed perfectly fine with her. In a small space, John would have been a bull but with Steven there was still room to maneuver. He tugged her hair, exposing the same spot on her throat he’d kissed before. Only now he got it good, nipping at the flesh and shoving his hand into her back pockets. It was easy to tilt her into his lap... then drop her feet to the floor.

His shirt went first, right over his head. Then hers. Kate stretched across Steven’s chest and delicately hung his designer dress shirt on a nearby hook. Her Capitals tee was already on the floor under their feet.

“I’ll buy you a new one,” he said. “Something nicer.”

The only thing better than tearing another team’s logo off a hot chick was actually getting her topless. Kate’s body did not disappoint. Steven buried his face in her tits even as he unclasped her bra. She ran her fingers through his short, spiky hair. He tweaked one nipple between his teeth and she squeaked.

“They’ll hear you,” he warned, just before doing it again. She pinched his earlobe hard. He responded by yanking open her fly and shoving his hand down her pants.

“Ohhhhfuck,” she managed to whisper, but just barely.

He groaned into her hair. She was wet - hot and ready for him, her body was begging. That was better than putting the puck in the net. Steven pushed two fingers into her hard and Kate sobbed out another loud breath. “Gotta,” he panted, “keep you quiet.” And he kissed her again.

She shoved at her own pants, thankful not to be wearing boots. They always got in the way of fucking strangers in closets. Jeans and panties were wadded around her knees when Steven spun her to face the counter.

“Jesus, Kate. Carlson gets all this? What a waste, baby.” The sound of his belt and pants opening punctuated the words. Then his fingers were in her again, from behind, pressing until they were slick. He rubbed her desire over his own hard-on before he lined her hips and thrust inside.

Kate ground her teeth to keep from screaming. Her legs were bound, she could hardly keep her feet. Her hands gripped white at anything she could hold. Steven moved once and buried himself deep. She leaned forward only to be caught by the counter, driving out any remaining breath from her lungs. Steven almost went down with her. Nothing like a tight pussy to buckle the knees. Kate’s ass was perfectly padded as he braced himself and stroked again. Her heels lifted off the ground, all her weight thrown into his lap.

“Ohhhkay,” he snickered weakly. “No more of that or I’m gonna put you through the wall.”

Kate was gasping, words just falling out of her mouth. Her brain was on autopilot headed straight for a crash. “Aw, come on. John could do it.”

Steven cinched a thick arm around her chest, stilling them both. Ragged breathing was the only sound. He leaned over her shoulder and Kate turnedas far as she could. It was barely enough for their lips to meet, but Steven kissed her hard anyway. Trapped, Kate could only respond. Steven stepped her back, pushed his other hand into the cleft between her legs and swallowed the moan that followed. His strong fingers worked her clit, forcing her along his shaft. Her breasts bounced as she got it from all sides. Every stroke from behind pushed his fingers against her hot button. Tension began to pool between her hips. She tore free from the kiss, breathless.

“Does he do this?” Steven put his mouth to her ear. “Take you whenever he wants you? Do you get this hot for him?”

She shuddered, her body betraying the answer. John was a considerate, energetic lover. He was big and strong and took direction well. Kate had always enjoyed him. But it was never, ever like this: panting, scratching, clothes-ripping sex fueled by anger as much as desire. By conquest or rebellion. Where John was wide, Steven was long, precise, devastating. He was past her last line of defense. Even his hand was so much stronger than her own; Kate had never been touched like this before.

“Does he feel this good?” Steven growled.

“No,” she whispered. “Not like you.”

He was barely holding on. Everything was boiling, like a thermometer about to shatter glass. Steven rubbed down, riding her against every movement, enjoying the pleasure and pain of a quick, hard fuck. Nothing left to do at this party but eat cake.

“OhGod,” she said. The magic word. Kate tightened like a screw and Steven grunted against the extra effort it took to drive his dick into place. Her body skipped along his cock like a record, every time it caught she made a tiny sound. He was almost there.

Kate wrestled free of his confining arm and braced her hands on the edge of the counter just in time. Her orgasm twisted down in a lightning strike, grounding her body and exploding into sparks. Steven grabbed her around the waist this time, as much for himself. The release of her body launched him like a cannon. With a strangled cry against her shoulder, he came hard so hard he saw stars. There was barely a breath between bursts as he spent load after load of precious energy into her body.

“Holyshit.”

Her small voice roused him from the edge of blacking out. Steven gingerly freed them from each other, reaching instead for a nearby shelf to support him. Kate’s long, dark blond hair was tousled, her lips flush from kissing. She blinked at him through long lashes and if anything, was more beautiful now than before.

He leaned down and picked up her shirt, held it out on the end of one finger. “You’re going to need a replacement for that.”

Kate shook it once, examining the mess. Every wrinkle had been well earned and enjoyed. Steven was pulling his shorts on, sadly covering the best of his many impressive muscles. He reached for his pants. Seeing all that body she’d hardly tested gave her ideas.

“I have another Caps shirt in my room.”

Steven looked up. He was shirtless, holding the zipper on his fly. “Will you wear it?”

“Mmmhmm,” she nodded, pulling the original shirt on and flipping her hair free. “It’s all I wear to bed.”

Steven buckled his belt, the tap and clink of metal on metal making her strung-out body flinch. He slowly shook his head. “Not tonight.” The same fingers that had slipped so easily between her legs now disappeared into Steven’s pants pocket... and came up holding her room key.

Kate’s gasp went right down into her crotch. When Steven had lifted her onto the counter, hands in her back pockets, he must’ve swiped the key. Now he wore a wicked smile.

“Hope you’re not sharing with John.”

She blushed. After everything they’d just done, the way she’d practically begged Steven to fuck her like a whore, she felt like a fool for the hot rush that flooded her cheeks. Just the memory of what she’d experienced with Steven would be better. How could she ever be with John again?

“I told you, he’ll kill you.”

Steven leaned in and kissed her lips softly. They were half-dressed, hearts still fluttering from their last round. “I told you, he’ll have to catch me first.”

Kate knew he was serious. “Do you have a trick for getting us out of here?”

“Nope,” he tapped her forehead with the key. “But you do.”
____