by Erika Kelly
She pushed the hair out of her eyes. “I know.” Grinning, she rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. “I don’t even know what just happened.”
He felt good. Happy. It was like nothing he’d ever experienced. “Give me a minute to catch my breath and we can start over from the top. I’ll replay everything in slow motion.”
“That’s my champion.” Her voice sleepy, she curled up against him, hitching one leg across his hip, an arm over his chest. Her head nestled in against his rib cage. “I tell you what, Will Bowie, you came right out of nowhere and stole my heart.”
* * *
His phone vibrated on the nightstand, jarring him out of a deep sleep. So used to waking up alone, the body draped across him gave him a start. Slowly, images seeped in. Delilah’s hot mouth on his cock, the taste of her on his tongue, the supple weight of her breasts in his hands.
Fuck, yes. Best night of my life.
“Get it.” She nudged him. “Could be important.”
He reached across her and grabbed it, but his vision was too blurry to read the screen. “Yeah?”
“Will?”
The confusion in his manager’s voice snapped him awake. What time is it? Where am I supposed to be? “Yeah, what’s up?”
“I thought you’d be out running. I was going to leave a message. Listen, I’ve got good news. The League’s got nothing, so they’re winding up the investigation.”
“That’s great. I assume they’ll make a statement, fully exonerating me?”
Delilah lifted up on an elbow, blinking sleepily, and gave him a thumbs-up.
“My next call is your attorney. You bet your ass they’ll make an announcement.”
“What time is it?” Delilah reached for the alarm clock, turning it in her direction. “Oh, my God. It’s seven.”
“Shit, Ruby.” He threw off his covers and raced to the windows, jerking open the curtains.
“Who’s that?” his manager asked. “Will, where the hell are you?”
“I’ll get her.” Delilah turned her tank top right-side out. “Don’t worry.”
“Listen, Alex, I have to go.” Where are my shorts? The bedroom floor looked like a Mardi Gras parade had passed through it. Since when did he let things go like this?
“Why aren’t you on your run?” Alex asked.
“I overslept.” He nabbed his shorts off the ottoman and stepped into them, tucking the phone between his cheek and neck.
“You overslept? Will, who’s in the room with you? Tell me you’re not fucking your houseguest?”
“Alex.” His tone held such threat, Delilah stopped hitching up her panties. “Don’t ever talk about her like that.”
“Jesus Christ. Now is not the time to start something up with that chef.”
He grabbed a T-shirt off the floor. “This is none of your business.”
Delilah looked apologetic, and he shook his head. Not your fault.
“It’s seven in the morning, and you’re not running. If you’re not running, I’m going to bet you’re slacking off in other ways. Did you get eight hours of sleep last night?”
No.
“Freefest is in five weeks. You’re supposed to be in peak training right now, and that’s my business. The details aren’t important—I don’t care if it’s the chef or a farm animal. What I care about is your schedule. There’s no winning without discipline, and you’re not showing discipline right now. Pull your head out of your ass before it’s too late.”
His manager disconnected, and Will rubbed his forehead. When he turned, he saw Delilah had heard every word. But he couldn’t worry about her right then. “I have to get Ruby.” He had his shirt on inside out, but he didn’t stop to fix it. He hurried out of his room.
He couldn’t make his sister stay in bed until morning if he wasn’t going to show up on time. Dammit, he’d let her down. But the moment he got into the hallway, the smell of bacon hit him and he heard noises in the kitchen. Uncle Lachlan said something that made Ruby shout, “Dat not wight.”
Will was thankful his uncle had stepped in this time, but next time—no. There wouldn’t be a next time.
Delilah came up behind him. “You okay?”
At the top of the stairs, he turned to face her. He thought about telling her they’d talk about it later. That they’d try to find a way to make it work out. Because he did want to be with her.
Best night of my fucking life.
But everything Alex said was right. He had too much on his plate already, and he had to focus on Freefest and Ruby.
“I have to get back on track.”
Hurt pinched the skin around her eyes. “And you can’t do that with me in your bed.”
“No, I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“So, what was last night? I thought you don’t do hookups?”
“Honestly, Delilah, I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you. But—”
She lifted a hand to shut him up. “Yeah. I know. We got carried away.” She gestured toward the kitchen. “Sounds like Lachlan’s got everything under control. I’m going to shower.”
Watching her walk away felt wrong. He should reach for her, kiss her good morning, and tell her how amazing last night had been. And, yet, there was no getting around it. Now wasn’t the time to start something up with her.
It was all about time management. He needed eight hours of sleep and four hours of training. Another hour with his coach to review the day’s work. The rest of his time belonged to Ruby, and that included getting her set up with a nanny.
There weren’t enough hours in the day to give a relationship with Delilah the attention it deserved. Maybe if they’d met at a different time—no. She still lived in New York.
The discussion was a non-starter. He had no more room in his life for Delilah than she had for him in hers.
He’d been too abrupt, though, so he’d talk to her about it when he got back from his run. And then he’d let her go about her business with the competition, while he took care of his.
Turning back around, the walk to his shower felt like a death march.
But he knew that, as soon as he changed the channel, he’d be fine. That’s how it’s always worked.
Sucked, though, to get a taste of something he couldn’t keep.
Chapter Thirteen
You’re an idiot.
Delilah lifted a golden pear out of one of the boxes of goodies Lachlan had just dropped off from the Farmers Market.
She could not believe she’d slept with Will last night.
Why did she do this? Get involved with the guys she worked with?
With Marco, it had been fun from the start. Stolen make-out sessions in the pantry, sneaky hands in the busy kitchen. Day-long rides on the back of his Harley along the Hudson River. Fun.
But with Will—sensation tore across her skin. That had been the hottest sex of her life. He’d been so intense, so powerful, so…God. He’d devoured her. She couldn’t stop thinking about his big, strong hands, the way they’d worshipped her.
Stop it. She lifted a pear to breathe it in. Mm, just perfect. It would be juicy and sweet. The grainy fruit with a creamy custard and a buttery crust…yes, a tart would be perfect. For the second event, celebrating the opening of Owl Hoot’s outdoor amphitheater, they needed to create picnic baskets. She’d come in third the first competition; she’d be damned if she scored lower in the second.
She looked down at her notes.
Duck and wild mushroom terrine with a crusty baguette.
Mediterranean potato salad with feta and olives.
Berry and custard tart.
Picking up a pen, she scratched out berry. Once she’d seen the glorious, ripe pears, she’d known she had to incorporate them somehow. Oh, what about a baked chocolate cream with ginger-poached pears?
Too messy for a picnic
She’d stick with the tart.
The back door rattled, and voices filled the mud room. Ruby chattered, and Will answered in his deep,
sexy voice.
She’d had that voice in her ear last night. It had made her toes curl.
Desire streaked through her, a meteor lighting up all her secret places. He didn’t need to see her reaction to him, so she went to the sink and flipped on the faucet. Pumping the soap dispenser, she washed the pear. She’d slice it up for Ruby. She’d love it.
A wall of heat came up behind her, caging her in. His big body stood too close. What the hell did he want? He’d made himself clear that morning.
Maybe now wasn’t the best time for a relationship, but for her…he was worth it. Worth the sacrifice. Obviously, he didn’t think the same about her.
But this was his house. She was his guest. Glancing up, she expected to see an apology in his eyes for being so cold to her. Instead, she saw impatience.
“Can I wash my hands?”
“When I finish.” She didn’t know why she’d held her ground. It wasn’t like she hadn’t cleaned the pear enough. But she was pissed at him—no, herself. God, she didn’t know. Nothing made sense. They’d been so close last night—she’d felt so comfortable with him, so free. And then he’d ruined everything with that kiss-off. I have to stay on track.
Okay, Will. Sorry for cutting in on your eight hours.
He stepped closer, reaching around her for the soap. His big, sweaty arms boxed her in, his thighs touching the backs of hers. He lathered his hands. “Let’s not make things uncomfortable for Ruby, okay?”
He was right. “I won’t.” Of course, he was.
“I’m sorry if I hurt you, and we can talk about it later, but Ruby picks up on everything, and I don’t want a strained, weird vibe in her home.”
“I know.” She didn’t need to be bitchy. It wasn’t like they’d made each other promises. They had gotten carried away, and it had been great. “It was just sex.” She’d meant to lighten the mood, but the way he flinched—his arm grazing her bare skin—made her sizzle down to the soles of her feet. “Lackluster at that.”
“Right.” He held her gaze—hard, intense—but his words came out nonchalant. “Basic.”
“Yep. I’m all about the extra.”
“Never settle, Delilah Lua.” He clamped down on what might’ve been an awesome grin. “Never settle.”
She set the pear down and turned in his arms. “So, we’re good?”
He gave her that burning, hungry look that made desire churn and a flash fire race across her skin. “We’re good.” And then he put a hand on Ruby’s head. “I’m gonna hit the shower. You okay to stay down here with Wally?”
“Go wif you.”
He lifted his sister and headed across the living room. When his foot hit the bottom stair, he turned to her. “For what it’s worth?”
She waited.
“It was spectacular.”
Thwack. An arrow struck a nearby tree trunk. “Hey.” Will stopped running, not taking any chances with Ruby on his back.
Her little legs kicked out. “Gee-yup, gee-yup.”
“Lachlan?” He shouted so loudly, Ruby’s little body jerked. “Sorry, Rubes. Your uncle’s armed.”
“Will?” Emerging from the trees with his compound bow and arrow case, his uncle stepped into a patch of sunlight. “What’re you doing here?”
“Morning run.” He hadn’t intended on showing up here, but with his brothers gone and the weight of their sister’s care bearing down on him, his body had taken him in the direction of his uncle’s cabin deep in the woods.
Uncle Lachlan approached, his gaze fixed on Ruby. “She doing okay?”
No. “I guess.” She’d been with them for three weeks, and she still wasn’t sleeping through the night or eating regular meals. But what was normal for a two-year-old who’d just lost her mom?
Lachlan set the bow down. “You want to come in?” But he’d already turned back, tromping through the high brush. Will followed him to his cabin. Given how deep in the forest his uncle lived, Will always expected the place to be dark and moldy, so it never ceased to surprise him to find it sun-flooded with comfortable furniture and stainless steel appliances.
His uncle went right for the refrigerator. “I got tea. And Delilah made me some fresh-squeezed lemonade with the fruit I dropped off for her this morning.” He glanced at Will. “But you probably want water.”
Delilah. She hadn’t smiled at him in four days. Hadn’t touched him since that night in his bed. And he felt it. Every second of the day, he missed her. “Sure, yeah.” He shrugged off the backpack and helped Ruby out of it. Checking around for anything harmful, he found a stack of survival books on the coffee table, fossils on every flat surface, and a basket of toys in the corner.
Holding Ruby’s hand, he led her over to it. He recognized the old plastic music box record player with its brightly colored discs. “You kept our toys?” He crouched, setting the yellow disc on the player and lifting the arm to get it started. “Hey, Rubes, you want to dance?”
With an eye on Lachlan, she shook her head. But she peered into the toy box with interest. He rooted through it, making sure there were no small parts or broken bits, and thinking it was pretty damn sweet that his uncle had gone to this effort in anticipation of a visit from his niece.
It was nice. His uncle didn’t socialize much—Will had never seen him with a girlfriend—but he was making a real effort with Ruby.
Seemed like all the Bowie men had some issues with their hearts. He thought about Delilah’s perspective on why he hadn’t had a girlfriend before and, while it rang true, she was wrong.
He hadn’t had one because he hadn’t met her yet.
He’d never felt this way about anyone before. And he didn’t know what the hell to do with it, because it was fine to spout shit about her being a houseguest and Callie’s friend, but he’d blown past all those excuses. He’d gone and fallen for her.
For a woman who’d never stay. The only reason he had her at all was because she needed to win the start-up capital for her restaurant in New York City. Jesus, why was he thinking about this shit?
She’s leaving, so cut it out.
“You find a nanny yet?” His uncle came into the room with two glasses of water and a sippy cup.
He had a sippy cup? That touched the hell out of Will. Taking the glass, Will sat on the arm of the couch. “I found one, but I haven’t hired her yet. She’s coming out this Friday to spend the weekend with us. We’ll see how it goes.”
“You’re careful. I like that.”
“She’s had enough loss. I can’t have people coming and going.” Like Delilah. “I have to know that whoever takes the job fits with our family and in this town. And I have to know that she’s good with Ruby.”
“You sure about this Freefest thing?” His uncle watched him, concern in his eyes.
Lachlan didn’t like to get in people’s business, but Will knew what he was thinking. “I don’t have a choice. The next time I hit the starting gate, it’s going to be free and clear. No innuendo, no shadow of doubt in anyone’s mind.” He watched Ruby play for a moment. “Besides, Dad doesn’t deserve to have his reputation dragged through the mud.”
“No, he doesn’t.” Lachlan dropped into a high-backed leather chair. “But he wouldn’t want you trying to prove shit to the world. He didn’t care about any of that. He just cared about you boys.”
“He’d want that gold medal.” He thought of the glass case his father had built for Brodie all those years ago. It stood empty. It was on Will to fill it.
“He didn’t give a damn about medals.”
“Right.” His uncle had always revered his older brother.
“You think that trophy room was about him?” He waved a hand. “Your dad didn’t care whether you won or lost. He just wanted you to work hard and stay focused. It was all about building your confidence.”
“The room he built proves otherwise.”
“He didn’t build a trophy room.”
Will eyed him skeptically.
“You don’t remember how tha
t got started?”
“No.” It had always just been there.
“That used to be a laundry room. After every event, your dad marched you boys upstairs and made you strip out of your onesies and wash your own clothes.”
Will smiled. When he was a kid, his dad had dressed them in one-piece snowsuits. He and his brothers hated them. Not only because they weren’t cool, but because they were restricting. Will didn’t always want to ski with a coat.
“One time, you left your medal on the dryer. Marcella found it and hung it off a hook, so it wouldn’t get lost. Next time someone won a medal it went on the same hook. You guys put them there—not your dad. He figured it meant something to you boys, so he turned it into a trophy room.”
Holy shit. “I didn’t know that.”
Lachlan shook his head. “Your mom sure did a number on you boys.”
“My mom doesn’t have anything to do with the trophy room. She was long gone by then.”
“I’m not talking about the damn room. I’m talking about the ideas she put in your head. Sure, your dad was competitive. That’s why he was so successful, but when it came to you boys? He wanted what was best for you.” Lachlan stared into the cold fireplace. “But that’s all you heard from her when you were little, that your dad was too competitive, too detached, too…heartless. He wasn’t helping her with you boys. He worked too hard. Everything wrong in her life was your dad’s fault. And if she didn’t get her way, she lashed out. Made everyone else the bad guys. Always the damn victim.” His shifted his gaze to Ruby. “Didn’t like seeing her do it to Ruby. What two-year-old wants to try on dresses? But somehow it’s the kid’s fault for not cooperating.”
Will glanced at his sister, but she was too absorbed in a board book to pay attention to their conversation.
“She did the same thing with you.”
Will’s body went on alert.
“Acted like you boys were out to get her.” Lachlan leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Sure, you kids ran around like wild animals, but where was she? What was she doing to tame you? Did she discipline you? Take you on a hike? To the damn park? Did she once take you to the lake?” He waited for Will to respond.
