In It to Win It

by Ella Jade

  “What, you have hot sex in concession stands?” Wade lifted his eyebrows up and down a few times, smiling big to lighten the mood. “If that’s the case, then I’ll have to make a habit of stealing you away more often.”

  “No.” Rebecca laughed nervously as she shook her head. “I haven’t been with anyone in a long time.”

  “Why are you out here?” The young voice startled Wade, and he turned to see a small figure standing on the top step of the porch—a boy about seven or eight years old.

  “I’m talking to my friend,” Rebecca said, her eyes drawn tight. She left Wade, went straight to the kid and hugged him. “What are you doing outside, Dalton?”

  “Another bad dream.” The boy glanced at Wade and back to Rebecca. “You were gone.”

  “I know, baby. I’m sorry. Did you try waking Nona?” With her arm around his shoulders, Rebecca led him inside. She stopped and turned around. “You can come in, Wade. I won’t be long.”

  He followed them through the door into a small living room dimly lit by a floor lamp that stood behind a dark red chair. A gray sofa with swirly patterns in the same dark red as the chair sat in the middle of the room, facing an entertainment center.

  She has a kid. Pictures of Dalton were on display, framed and hanging on the walls, used as bookends for a decent collection of video games. He spotted two different gaming consoles on the shelf below them. Wade chuckled to himself. The collegiate football game with his photo on the cover was on the floor in front of the TV. He was conference MVP the year that came out.

  “Dalton is my nephew.” Rebecca stood at the edge of the hallway, her shoulder propped on the wall.

  Wade gave a quick nod. He didn’t know what to say, so he examined one of the many pictures and decided to state the obvious. “He looks like you.”

  “He looks more like my sister.”

  Another photo caught his eye, one of Rebecca and two women who looked a lot like her. The older lady had to be her mother. All three of them were gorgeous.

  “And he’s the reason why you needed to come home?” Wade asked.

  Rebecca glanced over her shoulder toward the darkness of the hallway and back to Wade. “It’s a long story.”

  “I’ve got all night.”

  “It’s three in the morning.”

  He shrugged to forge indifference. “Where else have I got to go?”

  She cocked her head, studying him for a moment. “Come outside with me?”

  * * * *

  “First, know that I’m not some kind of psycho abandoner. My mother is here. She moved in with me a while back to help out. I didn’t leave Dalton alone.” Rebecca perched on the concrete, knee-high wall that stretched the length of the front porch. Her heart was heavy, but the decision to tell Wade her situation, to let someone who wasn’t family in on the details, was a big one. He propped against the concrete next to her with a concerned gaze that prompted her to continue. “I made a promise to Dalton and my mother that I would always be there for them, and earlier I’d forgotten.”

  His brows tugged together. “Where’s your sister?”

  “Regina?” Rebecca’s chest caved as she said her sister’s name. What was going on? When talking to Dalton about his mom, Rebecca always remained strong. Discussing memories with her mother, Rebecca was the tough one, the one who never cried, who did the consoling. So why was simply saying her sister’s name causing a sudden hollowness in her soul? Why was there an ache behind her eyes threatening to push out tears?

  “Hey,” Wade whispered. He stood in front of her, palming the edges of her shoulders. “You need to breathe.”

  Rebecca nodded, inhaling deep. Letting it out, she said, “This is so hard for me.”

  “You don’t have to tell me anything, Becks.” He ran his hands the length of her arms and linked their fingers. “You’re helping to raise your nephew. I admire that.”

  “Because she’s dead, Wade. My mom and I are raising Dalton because his mother is dead and his dad couldn’t handle reality.” She dropped her head and turned away from Wade, horrified she’d blurted the information with such annoyance and blame. “Dalton and my mother have been broken since.”

  “What about you?”

  “What?” In the five months since her sister’s death no one had ever asked. She met Wade’s gaze. The light of the moon brightened the blue in his eyes, showing the sincerity in them. Opening up to him wasn’t a good idea. Being vulnerable was not allowed, and this conversation should never have happened. She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. We deal with what we’re handed, right?”

  “You’re a strong person, Rebecca Ryan.”

  Her chest grew tight, and she pressed her lips together to prevent them from spilling more of the depressing story. Surely he was tired of her whining. “I’m sorry about the information dump. I’ve never spoken that much about my family situation, but I don’t want pity.”

  “Well, you won’t get it from me then.” Wade smiled and lightly brushed his lips to hers. “Now go inside and sleep.”

  * * * *

  Rebecca rolled over, covering her face with a pillow to block out the sun that was shining through the curtains. She groaned as everything from the night before came flooding back. Poor Wade, she wouldn’t be surprised if the guy scooted out of town after her episode. At least the sex was great, though it may not happen again. He was probably long gone. She imagined the shocked expression on Maureen’s face when her golden boy failed to show up for work because he was halfway across the country, on the run from KDRD’s crazy late night co-anchor.

  She let out a long breath, releasing any thoughts of the previous night. It was Saturday and she’d promised to take Dalton to the movies. An early show would be perfect. Rebecca grabbed her phone from the bedside table to check the time and sat straight up the instant she saw it was 1 PM. The faint sound of a cheering crowd from Dalton’s video game told her he was awake. Of course he was awake. It was the middle of the afternoon!

  Throwing the blankets off, she went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Hopefully Dalton made himself a bowl of cereal this morning, and hopefully her mother had fixed him lunch. She patted down her wild-ass hair, the result of going to bed with it still wet from her shower. This was the first time since her family moved in with her that she’d stayed asleep past dawn. Normally she was up with the sun…if she’d slept at all.

  “Touchdown,” Dalton yelled as she walked down the hallway.

  Rebecca grinned, happy to hear his excitement. After everything he’d been through, the kid needed some fun.

  “You got lucky, little man.”

  She froze as Wade’s voice bounced off the walls. Steps away from the living room, only one half of the sofa was in view. The top of her nephew’s head peeked over the cushions.

  “No way,” Dalton replied with laughter. “I’ve got skills.”

  “Yeah, you do!” Wade’s hand came into view and landed on Dalton’s head, ruffling his hair about. This isn’t happening.

  “Wade, are you sure you don’t want something to eat?”

  What the hell? Her mom stood at the butcher block island in the kitchen wearing white crop pants and a pink, sleeveless, button-up blouse. Her makeup was fully on, and her blonde hair was actually fixed. It was rare she ever got out of her pajamas on the weekends. And what was up with the sugary sweet tone of her voice?

  Bypassing the living room, Rebecca snuck to the kitchen for caffeine before addressing Wade’s visit any further.

  Her mother grinned big when she saw her, and whispered, “He’s been here waiting on you for the past two hours.”

  So much for avoiding the topic.

  “Why didn’t you wake me?” Rebecca filled a mug with coffee and took a sip. “And why would you let him in? He’s a complete stranger to you.”

  “I see him every night on the news. And get this—”

  “Aunt Becky!”

  Dalton was behind her, which meant Wade probably was too
. She took a deep breath and turned around to find her nephew alone, holding up a football video game case.

  “Look! Wade is on my video game cover.” The boy’s eyes sparkled. “He’s in my game, and he’s in the living room!”

  “Dalton’s been kicking my butt.” Wade stepped into the kitchen, wearing tan cargo shorts and a tight-fitting gray hoodie.

  His light brown hair was fixed in a messy-on-purpose kind of way, and he hadn’t shaved from the night before so the stubble on his face was darker and more apparent. When his perfect mouth smiled and he held up a hand to high-five with Dalton, the muscles between her thighs contracted and she would swear both ovaries exploded.

  Wade glanced at Rebecca. “I stopped by to say hi.”

  “I insisted he stay,” her mother said. Mom the matchmaker. “Maybe I should have woken you.”

  “He said he would teach me how to play football,” Dalton said with a wide smile. “I will be the best at my school!”

  “Football is dangerous, Dalton.” Her mother handed him a paper plate holding a bologna sandwich and a pile of chips. “I can’t have my little munchkin getting hurt.”

  Dalton rolled his eyes, growling in frustration, and went to the kitchen table. He plopped down in the chair. “I never get to have fun, Nona.”

  The two began going back and forth and Rebecca took advantage of the squabble. She set her mug down, grabbed Wade by the wrist, and tugged him from the kitchen, through the living room, and out the front door. People didn’t randomly show up at someone’s house the day after a date...did they? It had been so long since she’d had a social life she was clueless on the standard. Wait. They didn’t go on a date. They screwed at the football field. She closed the door behind them, confused.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I told you. I came to say hi. Actually good morning, but since you were dead to the world most of the day and your awesome nephew needed a partner on the game, I hung around.” Wade grinned, checking her out from head to toe. He didn’t even try to hide the ogling. “Is this what you sleep in?”

  She had on a loose, navy blue t-shirt that hit her mid-thigh and a pair of exercise shorts that barely showed from under the top. Nothing special. Except she’d failed to strap a bra on before leaving her room. Most of the time she was alone for hours after waking and didn’t have to worry about covering the girls. Rebecca crossed her arms over her chest and wished she would have done more with her hair while in the bathroom.

  “Well, I did just get out of bed a few minutes ago.”

  A speck of facetiousness flashed in his eyes, and he started to say something but the front door swung open.

  “Becky.” Her mother stepped out on the porch with her purse strapped over her shoulder and Dalton trailing close behind. “We’re going to go ahead to the movies, and I’ll stop at the grocery store after.”

  “Give me a few minutes to get dressed.” Rebecca glanced from her nephew to Wade. “I promised Dalton I would take him.”

  “It’s okay,” Dalton said. He tapped his lips with a single finger then grinned. “You and Wade can take me next time. This way, I get two movies.”

  Her mother took off down the steps, giggling. “Sounds like a deal to me.” She turned her head around to look behind her. “Dalton, are you coming?”

  Chapter 6

  Wade had no intention of driving to Rebecca’s house when he woke up. He didn’t expect to get out of the truck when he got there either, but a persistent nagging in his brain convinced him to see her. When he knocked on the door and Dalton answered it with immediate recognition, proclaiming Wade as his favorite player on the football video game, he couldn’t take off because Becks was sleeping. And besides, the kid needed an opponent.

  Maybe he should have gone though. The minute he saw her trying to sneak through the house with her hair a mess, no makeup, and wearing the luckiest blue t-shirt on the planet, was the third time in his life football didn’t mean so much. The first was when she crashed into him at the gym. The second was last night. He couldn’t allow these moments to throw him off track, but damn if the instant she grabbed his wrist to drag him outside, conversion number four tackled his chest.

  Once her mother and nephew left them alone on the porch, Rebecca said, “You don’t owe me anything, Wade. You didn’t have to come by because of last night.”

  “I’m not here because of last night. I’m here because of today.”

  “What’s today?” Her confused expression was endearing. Everything about her was.

  “Saturday.”

  “And?” She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, but the small smile tugging at her mouth told him she wasn’t as bothered by his arrival as she tried to express.

  “And we’re going to lunch, or in your case breakfast. After food, we’ll head out for another hike.” Fingers crossed this little adventure would go better than the last. Hopefully she wouldn’t flip out and run away again.

  “I thought you were afraid of me?” Rebecca grinned. “You don’t seem so scared.”

  “I’m terrified.” Truth was the thought of not being with her distressed him more. “But the way that shirt keeps swaying across your thighs every time you move has me distracted. I can’t think straight.”

  Rebecca laughed and headed inside. “Good thing for you I’ve got to change clothes anyway. And shower. I hope you don’t mind waiting.”

  He followed her through the door, closing it behind them. She made it midway through the living room before the urge to hold her pulsed through his veins, overcoming any control he supposed might still linger. Being in the same space without touching her was torture, and he couldn’t do it any longer. He definitely couldn’t sit idle on the sofa while she stripped her clothes off in another room, then showered under the same roof. The thought of water soaking her as she soaped her body sent a hot chill rushing under his skin, and he hooked her by the waist with his arm, pulling her in tight.

  “Oh, I mind,” he said.

  “Wade!” She twisted to face him and leaned her head back to meet his gaze. A playful grin rolled across her lips. Her hands slipped under the fabric of his hoodie and her fingertips brushed his skin along the waistband of his shorts. She went up on her toes and kissed his chin. “I’ll be right back.”

  Rebecca disappeared down the hall, her sexy little ass swaying with each step. Once she was out of sight he fell onto the couch and couldn’t help but think her mother had planned for them to be alone. The entire time he played video games with Dalton and waited on Rebecca to get out of bed, her mother never mentioned taking the kid to a movie. He would swear he saw the woman wink right before she got in her vehicle. And she made certain to let them know she had to go to the store after the show. Rebecca’s mother was awesome.

  The faint sound of running water caught his attention, and he followed the noise. Wade journeyed down the hallway. He passed a room to the right full of toys and a twin-sized bed. Directly across from it was a bathroom with the light turned off. The next door led into the laundry room. From one of the conversations when Rebecca was sleeping, he knew her mom’s bedroom was on the opposite side of the house, which meant the last door available was hers.

  * * * *

  Rebecca checked the water temp then added a little more heat before going to the mirror and running a brush through her hair. She pulled the locks up in a loose knot to keep from having to dry them while Wade waited. The poor guy was probably tired of sitting in her living room. The shock still hadn’t completely worn off that he’d even come over, not to mention the way he’d entertained Dalton for hours. But good freaking grief, was there anything hotter than a man who wasn’t afraid to be a role model for kids? This guy, Wade McKinney, was a keeper.

  A soft knock at the bathroom door made her jump. “Yeah?”

  “Are you out of the shower?” Wade asked.

  “No.” Rebecca smiled. “Can’t you hear the water running?”

  “Yes, but I missed you.”r />
  She giggled. “I’ve only been in here for like two minutes.”

  “And I’ve missed you all one-hundred-twenty seconds.”

  “You should—” Rebecca opened the door, prepared to shoo him away, but her thoughts altered the instant she saw him. He stood on the other side with his arms over his head, grasping the doorframe above him. His shirt was lifted enough to give her a peek of the skin beneath. Her memory shot to the night before when he’d stood across from her topless and fastening his pants. The need to be with him again overcame her. “Shower with me.”

  He smirked. “I thought you would never ask.”

  “I didn’t ask.” Rebecca grabbed the waist of his shorts and pulled. He followed her lead, stepping in the small room. “And it wasn’t a light suggestion either.”

  She directed Wade to the edge of the tub where he took a seat. The moment was supposed to be easy and fun but transformed fast when he gripped her hips, tugging them so she stood between his legs. He looked up to meet her gaze. Steam billowed from behind the shower curtain, causing a wet sheen on his handsome face. Staring at him forever would not be a problem.

  The right corner of his mouth crooked into a half-grin. Wade loosened his hold and slid his hands under her t-shirt. He grabbed the elastic of her shorts. Pulling them down, his open hands palmed the length of her legs. Coming back up, he used the pads of his fingers. When he reached her hips, his eyes lit up.

  “You’re not wearing panties.”

  Rebecca laughed and shook her head. “No.”

  “I didn’t ask,” Wade said, and lunged forward, taking a mouthful of her shirt between his teeth.

  The heat of his breath sizzled against her skin as he stood, taking her top with him. When he took the edge of the material in his hands, Rebecca lifted her arms, and in a blink she was stripped of her clothes. Grabbing each side of her head, Wade crashed his mouth to hers, their tongues tangling. He reached between her legs. His large hand spread her open, and he slipped a finger over her opening. She gasped, and Wade’s lips abandoned hers.