Dear Ex, I'm Dating Your Rival Hockey Star

A New Man

VICTORIA'S POV

--

There was darkness, peaceful and quiet and the next moment, there was light as my eyes peel open, but I didn't expect something invisible to hammer against my head with blinding pain. I squint against the brightness of the early morning flare. Great, I have a f*****g hangover. Freeing my arms from their entrapment, I drop them onto the covers of my...My fingers twist into the soft, silky material and I frown, sitting up so fast that my headache threatens to send me back down. This isn't my blanket.

"Careful," A deep voice mutters, a hint of amusement in it. My gaze lifts to find Ryder walking over to me, grinning and very, very shirtless. It's tan skin, muscles and lines everywhere I look. Holding out a glass of orange juice, he sits down next to my legs, hand casually resting on my thigh atop the blanket.

"Good morning, Tori." He purrs, his dark hair disheveled, eyes looking thick with sleep as if he had just woken up himself. I know two things at this very moment. One, I'm not in my bed. Two, Ryder f*****g Kane is sitting in front of me, so that means this is his bed. What the f**k am I doing in Ryder's bed?

"You seem confused," Sure as s**t, I am confused.

"Why am I here?" My voice sounds like a dying cat's yowl. Clearing my throat, it feels raw, but not as raw as the heart palpitations threatening to give me a damn heart attack as Ryder leans past me, his muscled arms and shoulders flexing as he puts the glass beside the bed on the night stand. His night stand. Sighing, he sits back while staring at me intensely, tucking the soft blanket under my legs while his eyes roam over me.

"You're here, because your lousy husband cheated on you, and you decided to drown that knowledge in about...two dozen drinks and then you agreed to be my girlfriend to get back at him." The delight in his eyes and richness in his voice is different, the certainty he carries making him more enticing. Did I really agree to that?

Staring agape, my mind cracks open last night's memories and it crashes into my brain, crushing my head and heart at the same time. "And before you back out of our little deal," Ryder starts, raising a brow at me, "I want to remind you that there are a few great benefits if you pretend to be my girlfriend." His voice drops an octave, a knowing gleam shining in his eyes.

"Like?" I ask, scoffing, a little bit intrigue lighting up my chest. One thing is for sure-- his looks are a benefit itself. He's muscular as hell, built like a God of a Greek statue, and his charisma can charm any girl, and he's so damn handsome that it hurts. But why me? -- That's the question that I can't escape. Why me?

"One," He leans closer, teeth grazing over his bottom lip, dragging over it horizontally, "You make Jax jealous, and get back at him," He shrugs.

"What else?" I ask, though I already know Jax would lose his marbles, and that's reason enough. But what else? Why me?

"And this," his fingers twist into the blanket, pulling it off me in one smooth tug, and before I could register what's happening, his lips are on my thighs. Smoothly crawling onto the bed, he settles in between my legs on his knees that are bent over his shoulders, leisurely kissing up my thigh, and that's when I realize that I'm wearing no pants-- or underwear for that matter, and this is not my shirt.

My mind spirals at first, feeling like there's pressure, but the tight, hot coiling sensation starts at the base of my spine as he kisses up, up, up my thigh.

"Ryder," His name falls from my lips on a gasp, but the euphoric sensation crashes into me, overpowering me mind, body and soul. My head falls back against the headboard, chest rising. Ryder barely nudges my knees apart before they fall open shamelessly, inviting him in. The tension in my body is ready to snap me in half, or make me able to snap him in half.

"Stop fooling around," I practically beg. "As you wish," Ryder's smugness is a beacon of light in his voice, and he dives in, licking me from my entrance to my throbbing c**t, his hands massaging wherever they roam. I'm so f*****g hot and wet right now that I can already feel my orgasm building.

That was until my phone started ringing on full volume, yanking me back to reality-- a reality where I'm still married. A reality where I missed the biggest after party last night to drown my sorrows in liquor, and the reality of a s**t show that is my life.

Ryder lifts his head, arm still under one of my legs, his hand resting on my stomach, eyes lined with irritation and a question-- are you seriously going to answer that?

"Sorry," I sigh, sitting upright, and luckily he gets the hint. Reaching for my phone on the nightstand, I'm surprised to find it plugged in. I stop reaching midway when I see Jax's name light up my screen with a heart emoji, and my heart just hallows out.

"Aren't you going to get that?" Ryder asks, but I ignore the question like he never asked it, silencing my phone. Why the hell is Jax calling me? What could he possibly say?

Finally, I manage to mutter, "He doesn't deserve me answering the call." Not after what he'd done. How many times has he cheated on me? How many times have I been oblivious?

"But you deserve to tell him off," Ryder draws circles on my thighs, staring up at me with lazy, hazy eyes. My phone starts ringing, again, and I glare at it as if it had personally offended me.

"Leave me alone." I grit out, silencing the thing once more.

Ryder laughs, "You're really not going to tell him off?" I know I could. I should-- but I don't want to.

"It's not who I am," I glance to beside his head, to where the mirror hangs on the wall, and my gaze snags on his muscled back, how the muscles shape his back with precision and I yearn to trace each sculpted line with my tongue. Damn you, Jax.

When the phone rings again, I don't have time to reach for it, because Ryder sits onto his knees, one hand beside my waist as he leans over me, grabbing the phone.

"Stop!" I hiss, reaching for it, but he sits back, one hand holding the phone, the other against my chest, stopping me from grabbing the phone. Damn my short arms.

"Ryder," I hiss his name as he answers the call, lifting the phone to his ear with a smug ass grin.

"Victoria's phone," He says, eyes shimmering when he meets my gaze. He puts it on speaker the next moment, holding it in front of him, between us, and I completely lose the mobility of my body when Jax's voice fills the space.

"Who the hell is this?" My cheating husband snaps as if he has any right to be mad. I want him to be mad.

"Ryder Kane, and you must be the soon-to-be cheating ex-husband." Ryder's voice is chipper, and I can tell he's getting a kick out of this. Jax's snort has the speakers of my phone buzzing.

"Ryder Kane? Never heard of you." The smugness in his voice has my teeth grinding together.

"You have now," Ryder smirks at me. Winking.

"Why do you have Vicky's phone?" Jax asks, seething at the realization.

"She's in my bed, in my shirt," My lips part on a silent gasp at his brutal honesty.

"Do you know who I am?" Jax angrily shouts over the phone.

"A cheating husband-- yes." Ryder confirms.

"Give my wife her phone back." Jax sneers.

"Soon to be ex-wife," Ryder corrects, looking genuinely excited.

"Touch her and..." Jax starts, but he's interrupted.

"Look man, I didn't touch her..." Ryder sighs, and I watch as a victorious grin spreads across his handsome face, "...not with my d**k anyway." Heat creeps across my cheeks, "But she was about to come on my tongue, so why don't you go back to your little skank so I can take proper care of this Goddess?" Ryder's gaze never leaves mine, and the line cuts off. The silence that follows is as hot as the earth's core.

"You didn't just do that," I say with a wide, disbelieving smile on my face. Ryder puts my phone on silent, tossing it onto the bed. "Where were we?" Ryder reaches forward, and I press my foot against his chest, hating myself a little as I say, "I have to go."

His eyebrows furrow together, "And where would you go?" He asks, raising a questionable brow. The question hits like a freight train. I have nowhere to go unless I want to go home, where Jax would be. I definitely don't want to go home. My phone dings, and I glance over to where it lays on the bed, seeing a notification from my lawyer. Relief fills me, "I have to go see my lawyer." I grab the phone and text her that I'm coming to see her before crawling off the bed to get dressed.

Ryder watches me the entire time, eyes glued to every movement I make, looking more and more disappointed as I put my clothes on.

"If you need a place to crash for a while, this part of the bed is yours, girlfriend," He grins, winking at me as I shoulder my coat. "Don't wait up," I smile, sliding my feet into my knee high boots.

"But I will." He rolls onto his back, arms folding beneath his head. "It's not like you have other options," Ryder shrugs, and my heart squeezes.

"I do," I press, not sure if it's a lie or not.

"Where would you go?" He asks with a raised brow. I study his face, how genuine his offer is, how much care swirls in his eyes.

"Home." I smile, grabbing my bag. I'm almost to his bedroom door when I stop and turn to him, "Don't miss me too much, boyfriend." I wink, and walk out of his room, only to be slightly turned around at the massive apartment around me, but I find the door, and my car keys hanging on the hook beside it.

"You mean that, Devereaux?" Ryder asks, suddenly appearing behind me.

Slowly turning to him, I smile as he walks over, closing the proximity between us.

"Mean what?" I ask, acting oblivious.

"That I'm your boyfriend," His eyes shimmer as he says the word boyfriend.

"It's just pretend, right?" I smile, and he nods with no hesitation.

“Then, yes," I move closer to him, raising onto my toes even though my boots have heels, and I press a kiss to his cheek, "Call me later," I wink, and slip out of the front door, already dialing a number I never thought I'd ever dial again as I step into the elevator.

"Victoria." My father sounds older than the last time I'd spoken to him, and tears swell in my eyes. I gulp down the lump in my throat.

"Hi, Dad." I can hear his exasperated sigh, "Why are you calling?" He asks, and I can tell that he's trying to force himself to sound stern and cold.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I screwed up." It's not what I want to say, but have to because it's the truth. I did screw up the day I cut my family off from my life for Jax f*****g Dalton.

"Come home, Victoria." Dad says. Did he hear the sadness in my voice, or does he miss me like I miss him?

"I should talk to mom first," Not even pushing my tongue to the roof of my mouth could stop the tears. "No. Just come home." Dad insisted with a softness I longed for. "I'll see you tonight?" I ask, and there's this suffocating silence that has my heart beating faster and faster. "That bad?" Dad asks roughly, and I bark out a dry, humorless laugh, resting my head back against the seat. "Unfortunately." I admit. There's no use in hiding it anyway.

"I'll see you tonight," Dad says softly, as if I were younger. "Shall I send someone to get your stuff?" He asks. I ponder over it for a few seconds. "No, I'll get it," I say, "But not today." I add.

"Then I'll have someone get you pajamas and clothes from the store." He said in a business like tone. "Thanks," I murmur. "And Victoria..." Dad's stern voice has my head drilling into the headrest of my seat as I slide into the car, "Yes, Dad?"

"I'm glad you're coming home."