On Thin Ice Ch. 02

Somehow, they ended up tied and they all took their time circling back for the final face off. Zane moved next to Meg and poked her with one elbow.

"How you doing?"

Meg gave him a tired smile. "I'm good but I'm glad this is nearly over."

Zane chuckled. "Didn't think you'd be so out of shape, huh?"

She laughed with him. "Something like that."

"Hey! No fraternizing with the enemy, Meg!"

"Can it, Mike!" Zane shouted back.

The four of them laughed and took their places. Play picked up and there was a frantic scramble until the puck shot out towards the penalty boxes. Zane rushed for it, Meg behind him. As he stopped and twisted to shoot the puck along the boards, she rushed forward and blocked the shot. Zane gave her a little bump with one glove and Meg bumped him right back.

Grinning, Zane reached for the puck again but she turned and blocked him with an elbow. Mike beat Adam to their side and scooped the puck from them. Zane would have stayed there, his arm around Meg but she shot off after her partner. They sailed down the ice, Adam between them, trying to block any passes. Zane followed and got to Meg's side just as she accepted a neat pass from Mike.

As they both went for the net, Zane grinned, loving how hard she skated to try and keep up with him. He moved an extra foot ahead and swung his stick to steal the puck but Meg anticipated his move. She drove an elbow into his side as she handled the puck with her stick hand and Zane was thrown off balance by the unexpected move. She shot forward as he stumbled on an imperfection in the ice and she scored the winning goal.

Zane caught his balance and looked over just in time to see Mike skate into Meg and lift her into his arms. Zane moved forward, heading right for them, his only intention to break them up but Adam stopped him with a light check. Zane looked over with a scowl and Adam shook his head.

"It was just a game, Z. Don't do anything stupid."

It sounded reasonable and Zane knew deep down that Adam was right. That didn't stop him from skating over as Mike set Meg back on her feet.

"This was supposed to be no contact, Meg," he said.

Meg laughed until she met his hard gaze and realized he was serious. "What are you talking about? That little push I gave you?"

"No, I mean that illegal elbow you threw."

She gaped at him. "Zane, come on. It wasn't like that."

"Yeah, Z. What gives?" Mike cuffed him in one shoulder with a gloved hand. "It was just a friendly game."

Zane looked back and forth between them, taking note of how close together they were standing and the way Meg almost leaned into him. He couldn't stop his next words from coming out, even though he regretted them the second he spoke.

"It's only a friendly game until someone cheats."

Meg huffed out an annoyed sigh and put one hand on her hip. "Come off it, Zane. You're just being a sore loser."

"Because you cheated!"

"I didn't cheat!" She moved a foot closer and shoved him in the chest. "You're just pissed that you lost to me - a woman!"

He scoffed, dismissing her with a wave. "You know that's not true. I've never had a problem playing with you."

"Then what's your problem? You asked me to come here and practice with you and now you pull this temper tantrum because you lose? Grow up, Zane."

"You can forget about me ever inviting you back, Meg."

Mike moved forward in an attempt to break it up. "Come on, Z. You don't mean it. Let's just all hit the showers and cool down."

Zane pushed him away and Mike made a noise of protest.

"Zane, that's enough." Adam moved close and laid a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Let's get off the ice. We're done for today."

"I agree. We're done." Meg glared at Zane and shook her head before skating away, heading for the visitor's locker room.

Zane watched her go and ignored Mike's pointed look as he skated away as well. He shrugged Adam's hand off and circled away from where they'd been standing.

"That wasn't cool, Z."

"Sorry." Zane sounded like he was anything but sorry.

"Whatever, man. You'd better get over this before the game Wednesday. We don't need you pissed at Mike and the world before facing the Sabres."

Zane scowled at Adam as the other man skated away. He lifted his stick in both hands and brought it down against the ice in frustration. It splintered and broke apart on contact. He swore and stared at the broken pieces before cleaning them up and heading for the locker room.

****

Meg didn't wait for Zane to come out before leaving the Prudential Center. She showered in a rush and dressed while her skin was still damp. She was vibrating with anger and frustration. She'd never been so embarrassed to be Zane's friend. Even if he hadn't thrown out that comment about not inviting her back, she wouldn't return if this was how he was going to act.

She'd driven herself to the arena so she hurried to her vehicle and peeled out of there before there was any chance she'd run into him. It was bad enough she'd have to face him at home.

"God, I need to find another place," she muttered and rubbed her forehead as she sat at a red light.

She didn't know what had got into him and at the moment, she was too pissed off to care. They'd have to talk about it eventually but she didn't want to face him just yet. So instead of heading straight home, she went to a mall and wandered around for a while. Then she stopped in at a trendy little cafe attached to the independent bookstore in their neighborhood. She browsed the books and sipped her coffee, feeling her anger dissipate.

When she felt she'd calmed down enough, she dumped her empty cup in the garbage and went home.

Any hope Meg had of making it to her room without confronting Zane was dashed when she saw him standing in the front hall.

She gave a weary sigh and didn't look at him as she put her coat and boots away. "I really don't feel like talking to you right now, Zane."

"I didn't feel like being embarrassed in front of my teammates but that happened anyway," he retorted.

Meg turned to him with a glare. "You did that all on your own."

He glared right back at her. "Why'd you have to do it?"

"Do what, Zane?" She brushed past him as she walked into the house. She thought about going to her room but she knew Zane would just follow her up there. She walked into the living room and sank onto the couch, figuring they might as well just have it out here. "I thought we covered this at the arena: you invited me."

Zane followed and paced around the room in front of her. "I didn't invite you to see you flirt with my teammates and try to injure me in order to win."

Meg gaped at him a moment before letting out an incredulous laugh. "I never knew what a baby you are! My God, Zane, it was just a game. Get over it."

Zane stopped pacing and whirled on her. "That doesn't explain the way you were throwing yourself on Mike the entire time."

"I wasn't throwing myself on him at all. And who are you? My father?"

Zane snorted and turned away.

"You're being ridiculous, Zane. You need to calm down and talk to me like an adult." Meg watched him pace a bit more before she stood up and shook her head. "Fine. I'm going upstairs then. Let me know when you've matured enough to have a real conversation."

She got two steps before Zane spoke up.

"Meg, wait. Don't go."

She turned around and raised her eyebrows at him. He stared at her and blew out a heavy sigh. "Sit down. Please?"

She shrugged and sat down again. Zane moved around and sat down on the other end of the couch.

"I'm sorry I'm being such a jackass, Meg."

"At least you're acknowledging it."

Zane winced at her tone and she didn't feel even a little sorry for that. He had been acting like a jackass all day.

"I don't know why." He rubbed his hands together and looked over with a half-smile on his face. "I guess I haven't been the best of friends since you got here."

Meg shook her head. "No. You haven't."

Zane shifted over on the couch and reached for her hands. She let him take hold of her without hesitation. They'd been friends for so long that it wasn't in her to pull away now.

"I'm sorry, Meg."

Meg heard the sincerity in his tone and sighed. She squeezed his hands and he smiled. The look on his face made her stomach clench and she swallowed with some difficulty. She had to look away before she could even form a sentence.

"Look, Zane, you did me a huge favor by letting me live here but we both know it's only temporary. If you want me to go, just say so and I'll move out." She shrugged one shoulder at his surprised look. "Money will be tight for the first couple months but I'll manage. I'd rather struggle with that than risk ruining our friendship."

Zane nodded at her words and let out his breath on a slow exhale. "You living with me isn't the problem, Meg."

She blinked, taken aback by the words, spoken almost under his breath. "Then what is the problem?"

His hands tightened around hers a fraction and heat flashed from her fingers all the way up her arms to her neck. She felt the color wash over her face and looked away.

"Meg, look at me."

She swallowed around her sudden dry throat and drew in a deep breath before turning her gaze back to his. The dark intensity in his face was nearly unbearable and it confused her like nothing in her life ever had.

"I love having you live here but it's also...difficult."

"Difficult?"

"Being around you all the time."

She gave a short laugh. "You just said you don't mind be being here!"

"I don't. Let me finish, please."

Meg fell silent and couldn't help smiling in response when she saw the glint in his eyes.

"I don't even know how to finish this," he muttered and shook his head. "Meg, we've never really talked about this...that is, about the possibility that...that we could...be together..."

Meg's eyes popped wide open as she listened. Even as he stuttered to a stop, she knew exactly what he had been trying to say. He stared at her eyes, his own dark and comforting like always but instead of friendly neutrality, she saw something hotter there.

Zane swore under his breath and moved closer. He released her hands and put his arms around her shoulders. Meg sat still, frozen with shock as his face moved closer to hers.

"I think you've been driving me crazy by being so close these past couple weeks because I can't touch you."

His breath washed across her lips as he spoke and Meg trembled within his grasp. She couldn't look away from his dark eyes and pinpricks of heat tickled her back and legs where his body touched hers.

"I don't want to not touch you anymore, Meg."

Her eyelids felt heavy and she felt his warm exhalation on her lips a second before he made contact. The shock of that was enough to stir Meg from her petrified state.

She leapt out of his arms and off the couch with a gasp. Zane watched her go with a stunned expression on his face and Meg had to turn away or she'd throw herself back into his arms in a heartbeat.

"Zane, you can't...we can't..."

"Why not?"

Meg whirled on him and her breath caught when she saw him rise from the couch. In all their life, he'd never been that much taller or seemed that much bigger. But now, with all her emotions in a twist, Meg had never felt so intimidated by her best friend before.

"Our relationship doesn't work that way," she managed to get out as she kept herself out of his reach.

Zane stopped moving and stared at her. "Well, why don't we see if it could work that way before you dismiss it completely."

Meg gaped and threw her hands up in the air. "We can't! Why do you think we never have before? It would ruin our friendship."

"You don't know that. And why would it?" Zane spread his hands out in front of him, as if searching for a way to demonstrate what he wanted to say. "If it's...if it's no good between us, then we'll go back to being friends."

"And if we can't? If we do...something and it gets weird, then what?"

"It won't, Meg. We won't let it." Zane tried to pull her close but she darted out of his reach.

"Zane, I can't." She faced him from across the room and felt tears spring to her eyes as she stared at him. He was her best friend, her sole comfort through the hell of her adolescence and the one person she could be entirely herself around. All that he was talking about, even this very conversation would change things so much that she was afraid of losing all of that. All of that was why she'd never brought the subject up before either.

"I can't," she repeated and drew in a breath to keep from bursting into tears. "I love you too much to take that chance."

Zane's eyes widened. "You love me?"

Meg let out a weak laugh at his amazed tone. "Don't be an idiot, Zane. Of course I love you. And you love me. That's not the problem."

Zane eyed her for a second and she didn't notice how close he'd moved to her. He reached out and grabbed her before she could move away again. "You're right."

She blinked, the question dying on her throat when she saw the look on his face. This time when she felt his breath on her lips, she didn't move.

"You're right, Meg. That's not a problem at all."

Then he kissed her.

Meg let out a surprised gasp as Zane's lips touched hers. As her lips parted, his tongue swept into her mouth. Then she was kissing him back. Her tongue tangled with his and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

When their bodies aligned and touched from chest to knee, Zane made a low growling noise. Meg felt the vibration of it all through her body and a responding sound escaped from her. With his lips sliding over hers, Zane dropped his hands from her waist to cup her bottom. With a groan, he hauled her right up against his body.

That was when Meg felt the rigid length of him against her lower abdomen and reality ripped through her.

She broke away from him only to bite her lip as Zane ran hot, wet kisses down over her chin. His lips clamped onto a sensitive spot on her neck and he sucked. Meg didn't realize that she began to move her pelvis in a rhythm against him; a rhythm that matched the suction of his mouth on her skin. Then Zane's fingers tightened on her ass and she moaned.

Zane lifted his mouth from her neck and Meg felt his warm breath wash across her skin. For a long moment, neither of them moved. Meg was all too aware of the pulse of Zane against her stomach and his big hands on her butt. The longer they stood there, the more self-conscious she became. Then Zane started to kiss her throat again.

When one of his hands slipped up and under her shirt, Meg gave a strangled gasp. She shoved him hard in the chest and broke out of his grasp. She moved a few steps to one side, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Zane stared at her and when he took a step towards her, she fled.

She ran upstairs to her room without stopping and without looking back. Only with her door closed did she stop and stand, trembling, in the middle of her bedroom. She wasn't sure how long she stood there. It might have been minutes or hours. A noise behind her brought her head up and she saw Zane standing in her doorway.

His expression was serious, his eyes very dark. His lips parted and he took a step into the room. Meg sucked in a breath, equal parts shocked and elated by his sudden appearance. Zane took another step, and another.

That was when Meg felt something release inside of her, like a dam breaking.

"Zane..."

He didn't say anything. After that, she didn't say anything else either.

There was nothing left to say.

Zane crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. Meg lifted her face for his kiss and he didn't disappoint. His mouth came down hard on hers and a surprised moan rose in her throat. Then she was clinging to him, lifting to her toes to press the full length of her body against his. His arms closed around her waist and tightened like a vise. She whimpered and Zane eased his lips from hers.

For a long moment, they stared at each other. Meg's eyes flicked back and forth between his and she felt her heart give an involuntary stutter when she saw the intense desire in his. She opened her mouth but no words came out. Zane's lips curled up at the corners and an entirely new feeling rippled through Meg. Heat and longing bloomed low in her belly and this time, she kissed him.

He didn't hesitate like she had. The muscles in his arms flexed around her body and he opened his mouth over hers. When she touched her tongue to his, she felt her knees start to shake. By the time he'd finished his lazy exploration of her mouth, Meg couldn't feel her legs or arms.

As if sensing the weakness in her body, Zane lifted her off her feet and backed her towards the bed. They tumbled down together in a flurry of limbs and startled gasps. Before Meg could recover, Zane moved over her, covering her body with his. His lips teased hers before sliding across her cheek to nuzzle her ear lobe.

Meg couldn't help it; a giggle escaped her at the sensation. Zane lifted his head and raised an eyebrow. She bit her lower lip and tried to look contrite. Zane's grin turned wicked and Meg felt the smile like a tug deep inside herself. Then he lowered his head to nuzzle her ear again. This time, Meg suppressed an outright giggle but Zane must have felt the tremor in her body from holding it back.

His lips stilled on her skin and he moved his mouth lower. Meg froze, afraid that he was going to blow a raspberry on her skin and destroy this fragile intimacy they'd just created.

He didn't blow on her skin. At least, not in the way he always had in the past.

His breath was warm and teased the tiny hairs drifting from her nape. Meg shuddered at the first soft brush of his lips on the skin just below her ear. When his tongue slid over her skin and he pressed a moist kiss there, Meg eyes closed and she let the last of her insecurities fall away.

She lifted her arms to circle Zane's broad shoulders. One of her hands drifted up to slide tentative fingers through his hair. Zane's mouth moved over her skin, pressing hotter and hotter kisses as he travelled down the side of her throat. She turned her head and let him do what he wanted, even as she wanted desperately to feel his lips on hers again.

Like he could read her mind, Zane's mouth left her throat and he rose above her. She felt his lips on hers and opened her mouth as a rush of hot lust washed through her. Her body rose to meet his and she lifted a leg to wrap around his waist. A low growl left Zane's mouth and he lifted his head again. Meg's eyelids fluttered open to see him giving her such a dark, intense look that she couldn't stop the breathy moan that escaped her.

Then Zane kissed her again, taking her lips in a hard, passionate claiming that left her breathless. His hands moved down her sides until he jerked at the bottom of her sweater. At the first touch of his hand on her bare skin, Meg jerked under him. Their lips separated by the barest space and their eyes met.

Zane held his hand against her belly, both body parts rising and falling with the pattern of her erratic breathing. Zane's eyes slid from hers to take in the flush of her cheeks and the breath whooshing from her parted lips. He pressed a light kiss to her chin and then the sensitive skin just beneath. Meg's eyelids drooped again and she shivered as his fingers started to slide up over her stomach. He paused at her ribs and Meg tensed for a brief moment. Zane lifted his head from her throat and kissed her on the mouth, his eyes on hers as he pushed her shirt out of the way and cupped one breast.

Meg knew in some distant part of her mind that she should be freaking out right now. This was Zane pressing her down into the bed and stirring her blood like no other man ever had. Maybe that was just it; because it was Zane, this had never felt so right.