Dear Ex, I'm Dating Your Rival Hockey Star

A New Man

VICTORIA'S POV

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Stepping out of the darkness and into the light, I didn't expect something to hammer against my head with blinding pain as my eyes flutter open. I squint against the bright light. Great, I have a f*****g hangover. My arms free themselves from their entrapment, dropping 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. "Careful," A deep voice mutters, a hint of amusement in it. I find Ryder walking over to me, grinning and very, very shirtless.

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 grins, his dark hair disheveled, eyes looking tired 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. "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.

Sighing, he sits back while staring at me intensely, tucking the soft blanket under my legs, "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."

My mouth drops open, and so does my mind as last night's events crash 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 scoff, a little bit intrigued. One thing is for sure-- his looks is a benefit itself. He's muscular as hell, built like a God of a greek statue, and his charisma could charm any girl and he's so handsome that it hurts. But why me?

"One," He leans closer, teeth sinking into his bottom lip, "You make Jax jealous, and get back at him." He shrugs, "What else?" I already know Jax would loose his marbles, and that's reason enough. But what else? "And this," his fingers twist into the blanket, pulling it off me, 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, bend over, 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 starting at the base of my spine as he kisses up, up, up my thigh. "Ryder," I gasp, but the euphoric feeling crashes into me, and my head falls back against the headboard. Ryder barely nudges my knees apart before they fall open, 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 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. "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. 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. "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, but that's not who I am. "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 can't help but think of tracing 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 him, 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, "Victoria's phone," He grins, eyes shimmering when he meets my gaze. He puts it on speaker all of a sudden, holding it in front of him, between us, and I completely loose mobility of my body.

"Who the hell is this?" Jax snaps, "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." Jax's smugness makes my anger simmer just beneath my skin. "You have now," Ryder grins, smirking 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. "And you're so last season." Ryder snorts, "Do you know who I am?" Jax 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..."

"Look man, I didn't touch her..." I raise my brow at him, and he's smirking victoriously, "...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. "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, "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, anyway." 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. "Home." I smile, and grab 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 house 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?" Acting oblivious, I toss my hair over my shoulder. "That I'm your boyfriend," His eyes shimmer as he says the word. "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.

Sinking into my car, the phone rings once, twice, and is answered on the fifth ring. "Victoria." My father sounds older than the last time I'd spoken to him, and tears swell in my eyes. Gulping down the lump in my throat, I smile as I say, "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 off my family from my life for Jax f*****g Dalton.

"Come home, Victoria." Dad says, and I wonder if he heard the sadness in my voice, or if he just missed me as much as I miss him. "I should talk to mom first," I couldn't help the tears from rolling down my face. "No, just come home." Dad insisted with a softness I'm not used to. "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, and I bark out a dry, humorless laugh. "Unfortunately." I admit. There's no use in hiding it anyway.

"s**t," Dad curses under his breath. "Shall I send someone to get your stuff?" He asks, and 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, "Yes, Dad?"

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