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“I love it when you two bicker. It’s like foreplay before practice.”
As if on cue, my phone rings, and Jillian’s name flashes on the screen. Fate? Is that you? If so, fuck off.
“Why are you speaking Russian when you know very well that neither your teacher nor any of your classmates know the language? Are you that bored, Printsessa?” That is the only term I use in Russian. The first time I laid eyes on her, some hidden part of me emerged, and I whispered the word under my breath. It’s stayed ever since. “Da.”
“Thank you, Mr. Volkova,” she says. “I’m sorry to have bothered you, but it seems she really only responds to you.” Ellie has trust issues, just like me.
My gut is never wrong. Rhodes Volkova is every bit intimidating as he is attractive.
Nope. The second I lay eyes on her, my shoulders tense. What I expected was an unattractive woman to nanny my child. What I got was a punch-to-the-gut beautiful woman with glowing skin, a sweet-as-sin voice, and a rocking body that curves in all the right spots.
She leaves the door ajar after she slips out, and if I didn’t look back and see her tiptoeing behind me, I wouldn't have even known she was there. She’s quiet like a cat. For the record, I hate cats.
It never feels like enough. There’s a gap in Ellie’s heart that I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to fill. No matter how many piggyback rides Kane gives her, or skates on the ice with Malaki, or big, blue Chicago Blue Devils hair bows that Scottie ties in her hair, she still has a withdrawn feel to her.
A surprising wave of protectiveness comes over me at the thought of her thinking Rhodes isn’t a good father. I’ve known bad fathers. He isn’t one of them.
The guys referred to Sunny as a hot burst of sunshine—emphasis on the word hot.
she reminds me of sunshine. Her smile is bright, and so far, everyone that I’ve known to come in direct contact with her ends up a little more cheerful than before.
She’s alluring. I bet she tastes like honey. My throat bobs. That was a wild thought.
Rhodes walks out of a room and pauses at the sight of me huffing. “Do you need me to put an elevator in?” I roll my lips together. “No, Mr. Plays-Pro-Hockey-For-A-Living. I’m just not used to carrying a human on my back.”
“How could anyone be skeptical of that face? I’d marry you right now.” I pause. My jaw flexes. That voice belongs to Kane, who I specifically did not invite. “Nice try,” Sunny says. “I don’t date.” “What? Why don’t you date, love?” An Australian accent? For fuck’s sake. Why is Cooper here?
My amusement disappears as soon as I catch my teammates staring at Sunny from the entryway. “I’ll have Coach Jacobs make you guys skate suicides until you vomit,” I warn. They scatter like marbles because they know I’m not kidding.
“I have an actual ladder, you know. One that you’re welcome to climb anytime.” I internally wince. That came out wrong. Touching her flipped a switch in my head, because since when does the word ladder have a double meaning? She’s welcome to climb it anytime? Fucking Christ.
I quickly pull my phone out of my pocket and text Malaki. Me: Ellie is requesting you for movie night if you aren’t busy. Did I just lie and request a babysitter for myself? Yes. Yes, I fucking did.
Rhodes Volkova is all man. It’s almost hard to look at him.
He rolls his eyes, and I’m blindsided by how attractive the motion is. How can someone roll their eyes and make it look…hot?
“I’m going to kill you,” she hisses at her friend. She quickly silences her friend’s amused apology and tosses her phone onto her bed. I take one look at Sunny on her knees with her lip pulled into her mouth. I’m going to respectfully ask her to kill me too.
She’s mature beyond her years—driven, determined, independent, and a ray of sunshine. When she enters a room and smiles, there’s a warmth that follows her. She has a vibe to her that’s alluring, making you crave it. She doesn’t even have to try either. It’s just her.
It’s uncanny how opposite she and I are. I call her Sunshine, and she calls me Oscar. Total fucking opposites.
Suddenly, I find myself wanting to know everything about her. What makes her angry? What has she had to endure in life? What are her dreams? Why is she so captivating? Even to a guy like me?
The more she and I are around one another, the more I notice the little things about her. Like her long lashes, or how there are a few golden strands of hair woven in between the darker ones. I am in over my head.
“She would never leave you alone or do anything like what’s been done in the past.” “I know, Daddy.” Ellie slowly pulls the blanket down to her shoulders. “I’ll be okay,” she says, reassuring me. I kiss her on the forehead. “Alright, then. Get some sleep.” I’m almost through the door when she perks up. “Daddy?” I turn, “Yeah?” “I like her.” How can she not? She’s pretty damn likeable. “Sladkih snov.”
I’m afraid to lose her. Not in the way that most men would be, I’m sure. But as a single father who is struggling to make up for Ellie not getting the attention she deserves and for her lack of a mother, I am.
My dick did the talking last night. He and I are at odds right now.
“You’re kind underneath all those gruff layers. It just takes some digging to get there.” I’m only kind to her. And Ellie, but that doesn’t count. She’s five, and she’s my daughter.
“Ruby tried to get me to go out shortly after…everything…but I refused.” “Ruby? Your best friend?” I ask. She fiddles with the flowers and nods. “Well, if Ruby thinks it’s a good idea, and I think it’s a good idea…” She snorts. “Then it’s probably a terrible idea.”
Something swells in my chest. How will Ellie and I ever survive without her? How did we survive before?
“Oh my goodness. Look at you. She’s as pretty as her father!” Ellie’s eyebrows cave. “My daddy isn’t pretty.” Tell that to the entire female population, kid.
“He already got a point?” Ellie nods and shoves popcorn into her mouth. That’s two for tonight. One for gifting my nana a tablet behind my back so that our video chats will work, and one for the Blue Devils.
“Relax, Sunshine. I’ve got you.”
“It’s been a very long time since I've had a naked woman in my bed, but I’ll do my best to be gentle.” Sunny kneads her lip with her teeth. “What if I don’t want you to be gentle?”
I nip the inside of her leg, and her hips buck. Oh, she likes that? Sucking her skin into my mouth, I let go when I know she has a mark and kiss it again. There. She’s marked.
“That was…” I swallow roughly. Hot. Chaotic. Staggering. Life-blowing. Not enough to curb the desire. The wrong fucking move. I shouldn’t have fucked her, because now, it’s all I want to do.
“You said you like being tied up, right?” Anticipation fuels me to answer. “I used to, but—” He interrupts me. “I know, Sunshine. He ruined that for you.” His tongue slips out of his mouth and wets his lips. “Don’t worry, I’ll fix what he broke.”
“If someone is worth a fuck, she’s going to get my all.” She’s worth so much more. I’m out of control, possessive, and downright fucking addicted.
Yeah, this isn’t going to be the last time I touch her. We can call it whatever the fuck we want, but the truth still stands: Whenever she wants to use me, I’m hers.
This doesn’t happen more than once in a lifetime. I’m not dense to think this is just a simple fuck between two people needing a release. It’s more.
“Let’s get you some medicine, and if you're up for it, the guys brought donuts.” “The guys?” I let him lead me to the bathroom. Rhodes glances over his shoulder at me. “The team. I guess they’re softies for you too.” I make a face. “They’re here for you. Not me.” He chuckles. “I can assure you that they’re here for you, Sunshine. Not me.” My cheeks grow warm. “Welcome to the fam, baby. I guess you’re one of us now.”
I stare at her with my heart fumbling in my chest. I’d give it to her if she asked for it. Shit. Am I in love with my daughter’s nanny?
The last time I was this bent out of shape over something was when I became a father. It was a life-changing event. Loving Sunny feels that way too.
I skated the line, crossed the line, and then erased the entire thing altogether.
He grips my wrist and pulls me into him. The words surrender on my lips when he wraps his strong arms around me in a tight embrace. Home. He feels like home.
“Tell me you trust me enough to keep you safe,” he pleads. “Tell me that I’m deserving of your heart.” His hands tighten against my face, and I can’t speak. “Tell me you love me too. Please.”
“I didn’t leave because I didn’t trust you enough to keep me safe,” I say. “I left because I wanted to keep you and Ellie safe. You two are my home, Rhodes. I had to protect it.”
Sunny Volkova, I think to myself. What a perfect name.
