by Pamela Yaye
Jacobe continued. “You’ve never shown interest in long-term relationships. Ever. The three of us, well, we’d been there before we finally bit the bullet. You on the other hand...well, you’ve not only dodged the bullet, but you knew how to manipulate the bull’s-eye.”
Will laughed at his friend’s accurate description. He had avoided any semblance of a long-term relationship. He also hadn’t wanted to step up and try to have more until Erin. “I don’t know. I can’t say I’m even on the right track with Erin, but it feels right. I’ve got to at least try. I just need everyone to understand I’m committed. No one wants to believe I can be faithful.”
Isaiah tipped his beer bottle toward Will. “Well, you’ve never had a girlfriend before.”
Will’s shoulders straightened. “I’ve dated.”
Kevin shook his head. “Casually dating isn’t the same as having a girlfriend. You’ve never been exclusive with a woman.”
“And there’s nothing sexier than a man who’s committed,” Jacobe said. “You don’t know how many women hit on me just because I’m in a relationship.”
Isaiah’s eyes widened. “Right! It’s like I get more women hitting on me now.”
Will thought about Donna, the insistent woman Rob had brought with him. She’d caught him right after he’d gotten off the phone with Erin. Right when he’d been hard and thinking about Erin’s soft body next to him in his king-size bed upstairs. An erection and a willing woman was usually all he needed. Six months ago, he would have pulled Donna into a room and accepted everything she had to offer. A quick fling with no strings.
For an instant his body had gone on autopilot and he’d nearly reached for her when she’d pressed against him and cradled his obvious erection in her hand. He’d pushed her away instead. Then joined the party and avoided her the rest of the afternoon. But that instant of autopilot reaction had scared him.
“So you guys still have women trying to get you in bed?” In the back of his head Will knew that was true. He just had never paid attention. The guys were always with their women when they were out in public.
“All the time,” Isaiah said, exhausted.
“More than I like,” Jacobe grumbled.
“It’s annoying as hell,” Kevin muttered.
“How do you handle it?” Will asked. “The pressure to...you know...be faithful?”
“There is no pressure,” Isaiah said. “I don’t want those women. I only want Angela. The choice is easy.”
Will bumped Isaiah with his elbow. “Okay, I expect that from you.” He looked at Jacobe and Kevin. “What about you two? Neither of you is as noble as Isaiah.”
Isaiah chuckled and sipped his beer. “I’ll take that.”
Jacobe and Kevin laughed. Jacobe spoke first. “It’s about the same for me. Yeah, the women who hit on me are sexy and tempting, but I think about what I’ll lose versus what I’ll gain from a night with a woman. After that the choice is easy.”
“You just have to make sure everyone understands the choice is easy for you,” Kevin added. “Someone is always going to try to test you. Just make sure you don’t fail the test.”
Will studied his beer and let his friend’s words sink in. He thought he was doing a good job letting the world know he was with Erin. His social media feed was filled with pictures of them together. He wasn’t out partying like he used to. The team lockdown helped with that. He turned away women who tried to hit on him. He’d just keep doing what he was doing. Eventually, everyone would understand he wasn’t living the bachelor life anymore.
The conversation moved to other things. His thoughts wandered back to the split second of autopilot. Thank God Erin would be in Jacksonville tomorrow.
Chapter 12
Instead of having him pick her up from the airport, Erin told Will she would meet him at his place. He had practice today, and she needed to make a pit stop before going to his home. She stopped at one of the hotels near the airport and quickly exchanged the jeans and blouse she’d traveled in for a black-and-pink lace bra and panty set, black leather heels, and a trench coat.
Vivien’s idea to show up in nothing but underwear and a trench coat sounded less ludicrous the more Erin thought about the random woman calling Will sexy. Maybe she was being neurotic, but she’d seen the logic of Vivien’s suggestion. Spontaneity was the spice of life, right? There was nothing wrong with keeping things exciting between them. Any time the idea that at four months she was already anxious about keeping things spicy made her worry about her future with Will, she forced her concerns to the back of her mind.
She hurried out of the hotel and back to her car. She kept her head low and avoided eye contact as the desk clerk called for her to have a nice day. Even though nothing was visible beneath the trench coat, she couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone looking at her knew she was nearly naked beneath and was on her way to try to surprise her man.
Her heart raced the closer she got to Will’s place. When she stopped at the gate that blocked his driveway so he could buzz her in, she worried he’d think her attempt at being sexy and spontaneous was silly. The thought almost made her turn around and get dressed. The idea that he’d be overwhelmed by desire when he saw her and press her right against the wall next to his front door and make her say his name in multiple languages...well, that brought a smile to her lips and sent warm prickles across her skin.
“Good, you’re here,” Will said through the intercom. “I was beginning to worry. Come on. I can’t wait to see you.”
His eagerness made the pressed-up-against-the-wall fantasy seem even more likely. Surprising him at his door dressed in nothing but lingerie and a trench coat was a very smart idea.
She left her bags in the car and skipped up the steps, as much as she could skip in six-inch heels. The added height meant her curves would press even more perfectly against Will’s body. Just the thought of his hands squeezing her ass, his lips along her neck and shoulders as he ripped the underwear from her body, turned her blood into lava.
After ringing the doorbell, Erin unfastened the coat’s belt. She quickly unbuttoned the thin coat and placed her hands on her hips with the edges of the coat pushed behind her hands. She popped one hip to the side and assumed what she hoped was a seductive pose. With a deep breath, she waited. Her heart pounding and breaths shallow. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face. The mixture of surprise and desire in his eyes.
The lock on the door clicked as he unlocked it. Erin sucked in a breath and pasted a smile on her face. The door swung open and she thrust her breasts forward.
“Surprise!”
The woman who answered gasped. Erin’s jaw dropped. Her face burned as if the sun were right below her skin. Mortification mingled with the shock flowing through her system.
Erin jerked the coat closed. “Who the hell are you?” The words were rude, but at the moment she didn’t give a damn about being polite.
The woman, young with long dark hair, wore cutoff jean shorts and a white button-up shirt tied in a bow in front, which gave a peek at her perfectly sculpted abs. She pressed a hand to her well-endowed chest and shook her head.
“I’m sorry, I’m Juanita, Mr. Hampton’s housekeeper,” she said in a low, throaty voice that would have put Marilyn Monroe to shame. “He asked me to answer the door for him.”
“His housekeeper?”
Will had a housekeeper? Well, of course he had a housekeeper. She couldn’t imagine Will cleaning his own toilet. Her eyes swept over Juanita’s curves, thick, tousled hair, wide brown eyes and pouty lips. She couldn’t picture Juanita cleaning toilets, either.
“Yes, I’ve worked for him for two years now. You must be Erin. I’m pleased to meet you.” Juanita smiled and held out her hand. The smile appeared genuine, but it didn’t quite reach her big brown eyes.
Erin shook Juanita’s hand. Her other clutched the coat together.
Her embarrassment barely cooled. “Likewise,” Erin murmured. “Where’s Will?”
“He’s upstairs,” she said. “I just finished making up his bed. He likes to tangle the sheets,” Juanita said, batting long lashes and trying to look innocent.
Erin didn’t like her. “Does he?”
“Yes. He can be really messy. I spend a lot of time working in his bedroom.”
Okay, this chick was going to have to go. Erin stepped into the house. Forcing Juanita to step back since the woman was obviously not going to invite her inside anytime soon. “Well, I’ll be staying, so I can help tidy up and you can focus on other areas of the house. The bedroom can be my territory.”
Juanita quirked a brow. “He likes the way I handle things in there.”
“Maybe so, but I’m handling everything in there from now on.”
Juanita’s fake friendly mask dropped for a second. A flash of challenge crossed her features before she covered it up with a smile. “Whatever you prefer. I’m here to serve Mr. Hampton however he needs serving.” The last was said with a saucy twist of her full lips.
Erin’s eyes narrowed. Was she going to have to check Ms. Juanita? She opened her mouth to tell Juanita to stop playing games and put her cards on the table when Will came in the entranceway.
“Baby, you’re here.” His grin was brighter than a dozen diamonds in sunlight. The complete joy in his face stole her breath.
He rushed forward, swept her into his arms and spun her around. Erin yelped, then laughed. Completely caught up in his excitement. He pulled her close and stopped her greeting by kissing her so deeply and intimately her bones melted like candle wax. Her arms wrapped around his neck; her body melded with his. The world became nothing but his lips against hers, the strength of his embrace, the heat of his desire.
Juanita loudly cleared her throat. Erin had forgotten her that quickly. Will slowly broke their kiss. He pressed his forehead against hers and smiled.
“Yes, Juanita?” Will asked without breaking eye contact with Erin.
“Did you need anything else, Mr. Hampton?”
Will shook his head and kissed Erin again. “That’ll be all. Thanks again. See you in a week.”
“I can come earlier. It’s time for me to work on the baseb—”
“Yeah, sure, whatever,” Will said, cutting her off. He hefted Erin up. Her legs spread and straddled his waist.
Without another glance at the disappointed housekeeper, Will carried Erin quickly up the stairs and to his bedroom.
“I think you upset Juanita,” Erin said, grinning.
“I don’t give a damn about upsetting her. You’re here.” He kissed her again. When he lowered her back to her feet, she was taller than he expected. Frowning, Will stepped back and looked her over from head to toe. The trench coat was open; the sunlight glinted off the pink lace underwear. His eyes darkened with desire. “You came here wearing this?”
“I flashed the wrong person when the door opened.”
“Then I will make sure I always answer the door when you’re expected.”
He jerked the coat off her shoulders. Erin shook her arms until it fell to the floor. He nearly ripped her underwear as he lowered to his knees to pull them down. Erin kicked them to the side. Warm hands grasped her waist and his eager lips pressed against the soft curve of her stomach. Erin sucked in a breath. Her hand clung to his wide shoulders. Her knees felt as stable as sand.
Reaching behind her, Erin unhooked her bra and tossed the scrap of material to the side. She let out a sigh of pleasure as her breasts were unbound. Will’s tongue grazed across her stomach, dipped into the sensitive hollow of her navel, then lightly brushed across the soft dips at the tops of her thighs. When he rose back to his feet, she hopped up and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close for another searing kiss. The brush of his shirt against her bare nipples sent waves of pleasure through her, but that wasn’t enough. She wanted to feel the rough hairs of his chest against her breasts. Have his legs tangled with hers. Run her fingers over the taut muscles of his body.
“Get naked now,” she murmured against his lips.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Will said with a smile that made her body erupt into thousand-degree flames.
She helped him tug off his shirt. Thankfully he wore basketball shorts that were easy to pull down. Her eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat when his erection popped free as he lost the shorts.
“Is the lack of underwear in anticipation of me?”
“Erin, I’ve wanted you in my arms from the moment I last let you go.” There was no teasing in his eyes. His voice was serious, deep and edged with a need that made her heart ache.
She willingly went to him. “I’m in them now.”
Will engulfed her with his embrace. Until there was nothing on earth except his body against hers. His lips took away her ability to speak. His caresses turned her body into one huge nerve ending that reacted only to his touch. When they landed in a tangle of limbs on the bed she grabbed and clawed at him. Pulling him closer in a fit of urgent need.
He pushed between her legs, spreading her thighs so he could settle heavily between them, then entered her in one hard, deep push. They both cried out. His hand tangled in her hair and lifted her head off the mattress so he could kiss her. The urgency buzzing between them created a frantic pace. The wave of release crashed over her almost instantaneously.
“Yes, Will. Yes, Will. Yes, Will,” she moaned over and over as her nails dug into his back.
His body tensed, shuddered, then shook as he followed her over the cliff. He buried his face in her neck. The soft bite of his teeth pressed into her shoulder.
“Why are you biting me?” she asked breathlessly.
“Because,” he said, sounding just as out of breath as she did, “I wanted that to last longer, but you felt—” His hips pushed forward. “Feel too damn good.”
Erin grinned and squeezed around him. “Good thing I’m here all night.”
Will groaned low and let out a sultry chuckle. “And for many nights afterward.” He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. His face serious. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Her heart danced, and she couldn’t hold back the grin that took over her lips. “I’m happy I’m here, too.”
Chapter 13
Will wasn’t surprised to find Erin in his home gym the next morning. She was an early riser. Often in the gym or out running to start her day. Back in high school they’d even worked out together a couple of times. Her drive to push herself to the limits, test her endurance so she could be a better ballplayer, was something he had admired and wished several of his teammates possessed at the time.
When he’d learned she’d been injured during her senior year and had to give up her dreams to play in college he’d felt bad. Not that he pitied her. Erin had an unbreakable spirit, but he hated that the opportunity to see how far she could have taken her drive had been cut short. He wouldn’t have been surprised if Erin had played for a championship team in college or gone on to play professionally afterward either in the US or abroad.
He strolled over to one of the weight benches and watched her as she jogged on his treadmill. He sipped a cup of coffee; the one he’d made for her he sat next to him on the bench. She glanced at him, smiled, then lowered the setting on the treadmill, taking her from a run to a brisk walk.
“Hey,” she said. “About time you got up.”
Will grinned and sipped his coffee. She was sexy as hell. A thin sheen of sweat made her brown skin glow. Her thick hair was pulled back in a ponytail that swung jauntily with each of her movements.
“If you wouldn’t have worn me out so much last night I might have gotten up earlier.”
“Well, I can’t really apologize for that.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.” He pointed to the treadmill. �
��How long have you been on that?”
“About forty-five minutes,” she said. “I’m about to finish up and maybe do some light lifting.”
“You still go all out in the gym, huh?”
She shrugged. “Some things are hard to give up. I’ve always liked working out. It helps me clear my mind.”
He nodded understanding what she meant. “Does your knee bother you?” He noticed the compression sleeve on her knee.
“Sometimes, but it hurts worse when I’m inactive. I have exercises I can do to keep it strong.”
“Do you still play?” He hadn’t seen her play in years. Matter of fact, he hadn’t heard her talk about playing.
Erin shook her head, her stride steady on the treadmill. “Not really. I joined a rec league a few years ago, just to do something different for exercise, but other than that, I don’t really get on the court.”
“You can play with me.”
“And beat you like I used to?” she teased.
“You beat me one time,” he said, raising his hand to block her words. “And I had the flu.”
Erin laughed. “You had the flu a week before, don’t get it twisted.”
“I was weakened.”
“I still beat you.”
She focused back on the news program playing on the flat-screen on the wall above his row of cardio equipment. He considered getting on the bike to warm up a little. He had to leave in two hours for team practice, and he typically warmed up there. Working out in his home gym would be a lot more fun with Erin there.
“Can I ask you about Juanita?” Erin said.
Will frowned. Thrown off by that question. “Juanita? What about her?”
“How long has she worked for you?” Erin continued to look at the television screen, but he doubted she paid attention.
“Her mother owns the cleaning service and was the one who originally cleaned my place. After she got sick two years ago, Juanita took over.”
