by KB Winters
Trey chuckled. “Well, I was up. Figured I might as well be useful while I’m bumming around out here.”
I nodded and then dropped my gaze to my interlocked hands in my lap. My computer was propped open on the bed before me, articles of Mr. Arlington’s company open in the background and a few impatient emails from Mr. Jones wondering where the hell I went and demanding to know the date that my story would be turned in. “Well, thank you.”
He tilted his head down and then pushed off the door frame to saunter back across the hall to the guest room. Minutes later, my parents appeared in my doorway, dressed up, and announced they were going out. I wished them well and listened as their voices carried down the hall. When the house was quiet again, I pushed off my bed and tiptoed to my window just in time to see their bulky SUV pulling down the long driveway. When the headlights faded down the road, I turned toward the open door. Trey and I had the house to ourselves. I knew I wanted that man. Desperately. But…something was holding me back.
“Jo?” his voice flitted into my room.
“Yeah…?” I licked my suddenly dry lips.
“Get your ass in here,” he replied, his voice thick and husky.
I tugged the elastic band from my ponytail and let my hair fall around my shoulders, licked my fingertip and ran it under each eye to clear away any makeup smudges from my nap earlier in the day, and then licked my lips again. I went out into the hallway and found Trey leaning against his door frame, wearing nothing but a thick, towel around his waist. His sculpted muscles were still slick with moisture from his shower, the pebbles of water glistening as he stared at me. I followed the lines and strong curves of his firm pecs, down his sectioned abs, and got lost somewhere between the v-lines at his hips and the smattering of dark hair where the towel dipped dangerously low.
Without words, we crashed together and tumbled through the door of the guest room. Within seconds, Trey’s towel was abandoned on the floor and my own clothing quickly followed.
28
Trey
While Josie slept, I got out of the bed, dressed, grabbed my phone, and made my way through the massive house to the lower level. The house was dark and quiet. Her parents were still out for the night. With a sigh of relief, I went to the front of the house and flicked on a light. I wandered through the large, formal living room, looking at the pictures along the walls. Most of them were of Josie and her three older brothers at various ages. A wide grin tugged at my lips as I wandered through the memories of her childhood, captured in still life pictures, but somehow coming alive as I moved down the wall, pausing to take each one in. Josie was clearly a tomboy. Most of the pictures were taken outdoors. The Crawford family didn’t seem to be the indoor type. From the array of pictures, it would appear that they were constantly alternating between horseback riding, hiking, camping, fishing, and swimming at the lake. A little farther down the line was a display of trophies and ribbons on narrow shelving. Football mostly, adorned with her brothers’ names. Then there was a section for Josie. Tennis, cheerleading, and barrel racing.
One thing was clear, Josie wasn’t the type of girl who liked to sit around. I wondered how she liked living in the city. She was clearly a country girl. The city was nice, and provided its own sources of entertainment, but it was hard to top the beauty and wildness of her parents’ ranch. Acres of trees, fields, and that creek we’d gone to the night before.
Damn, that had to be the hottest fuck of my life.
It was more than that though. Being out in the middle of nowhere with Josie was more than just hot sex, fresh air, hearty home cooked meals, and sweaty work on the farm. Something about it was changing me—or finding me—from the inside out. I wasn’t ready to go home yet. Because once we were back in the city, things would go back to the way they were before. Josie had her life, her work, her friends. I had baseball and the fuckin’ circus that constantly was my life.
The time in Texas was almost like a dream—and I wasn’t ready to wake up.
I reached the end of the gallery-style wall and turned to go take a spot on the longer of the two couches in the room. Once I got settled, I grabbed my phone from my pocket and started scanning through the bullshit that had poured in in the last two days since the scuffle with Kimberly. My email was loaded with unopened messages, I had two dozen voicemail messages, a hundred texts, and even more missed calls. Anytime something like this happened, my number got out, and I’d have to change phones and numbers when it all died down. I waded through the shit and found the important messages, most of them from Mason. I hadn’t told him where I’d be staying, just that I was going off the grid. At the time, he’d agreed it was a good idea, but he probably hadn’t anticipated that I’d fall off the grid and stop taking his calls. Then again, maybe he did.
Despite the darkness outside, it was only a little after eight o’clock. I flicked a glance up at the ceiling, thinking of Josie, snuggled under the covers, her bare skin warm and still smelling of sex. I wanted to get back to her as soon as possible, but I needed to find out what was happening back in Oklahoma City. Besides, I didn’t want Mason shitting his pants or quitting on me.
I dialed him back, without bothering to listen to any of his voicemails or read his texts. He answered right away. “Trey? Where the hell have you been?”
“Evening to you too, Mase.”
“Don’t get cutesy with me, Delgado,” he growled.
I groaned and flopped back against the couch. “All right, fine. You’re right. I’m in Texas, with Josie. She’s visiting her fam and I’m tagging along.”
“Texas? And who is Josie?”
“Josie’s my…” I paused, glancing back at the ceiling again. What was she? We hadn’t talked about it. “She’s my girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?” I could hear Mason’s jaw hitting the ground. “Since when do you have a fucking girlfriend? Any why does that name sound so familiar to me?”
“She’s the reporter I was making out with at the post game in Denver.”
“Oh, Trey…” I heard the sound of Mason’s hand slapping his face. “This is not a good idea. I can only deal with one scandal at a time.”
I arched an eyebrow. “How is me dating a reporter going to be a scandal?”
“Because as soon as you decimate her heart, she’ll blast your ass all over the media.”
I laughed. “Okay, well first of all, I’m not planning to decimate her heart or anything else. Secondly, she’s not like that, all right? Trust me, if she wanted to give me hell in the press, she would have by now.”
“Why doesn’t that comfort me?”
I grinned. “Listen, Mase, just be happy for me, all right? She’s a good girl and I really care about her.”
Mason was silent for a long moment. “You’re being straight with me?”
“Yeah. I am.”
“Wow. Fuckin’ Trey Delgado is ready to finally settle down.”
I chuckled. “I know, right? Anyways, shockingly enough, I didn’t call to shoot the shit about my love life. You and everyone else has been blowing up my phone. What’s happening?”
Mason paused and I wondered if he was silently debating whether or not to give me a tongue lashing about going MIA. In the end, he heaved a sigh and answered my question without the lecture. Thankfully. “The paternity test came back—” Mason stalled and my heart slammed into my ribs, thrashing violently. “—as expected, it’s negative. You’re not the baby’s father.”
A whoosh of air left my lungs in one big gust. I stood up from the couch and started to pace around the stone coffee table. “Oh, shit! Wow!”
“Yeah. So, that’s the biggest thing I wanted to tell you. If you’d answered your damn phone every once in a while, you would’ve known twelve hours ago.”
I was too stunned and relieved to argue with him. He wasn’t mine. Kimberly’s last strong hold had finally been ripped away from her. I never had to talk to—or see—her again.
“Trey? You okay?”
I pump
ed my fist. “I’m fuckin’ fantastic! You kidding? This is what I’ve been waiting for, forever!”
“The paperwork has been thrown out and it’s all done.”
“Well, not quite.” My smile slid from my face.
“What do you mean?”
“I want a restraining order against her. I’ll testify, file charges, whatever the hell I have to do, but I don’t want her coming anywhere near me, my family, and especially Josie. I’m sure our relationship will go public soon enough and I can’t risk that Kimberly will do something…crazy…to lash out.” The thought sent chills across my body. I had to protect Josie. If that devil woman ever hurt her…I’d never forgive myself.
“All right, Trey. I’ll notify the lawyers in the morning. They’ll get started on it right away. They already have all of your documentation of her stalking behavior from the evidence you prepared in the event this custody case went to court.”
“Good. Thank you, Mase. Anything else I should know about? What’s going on with the team?”
“Ah, yes, well, since witnesses cleared you of any wrongdoing in the altercation with Kimberly at the clinic, they can’t remove you from the team. I suspect the suspension will be reversed within the next 24 to 48 hours. So, you need to get your ass back to Oklahoma City as soon as possible to be ready when they call.”
I nodded and sat back down on the edge of the couch. It was good news—but it didn’t sit right. I didn’t want to go back just yet. I was having such a good time in Texas, it was more than just a vacation, it was like I’d stepped out of my life and entered someone else’s entirely, and the change felt good.
“That’s not going to be a problem, is it?” Mason asked, a sharpness to his tone.
“Nah. I hear ya. I’ll look at flights in the morning.”
“And send me the details as soon as it’s booked?” he prompted.
“Sure, sure.”
We ended the call and I lay back against the couch, just staring straight into space, processing the news in my head. She-devil was gone, I wasn’t a father, and the nightmare that had spanned more than a year was finally over. My lawyers would make Kimberly go away—hopefully for good this time—and I could finally move on from the headache and drama.
Josie filled my thoughts and I smiled to myself. Somehow, in the middle of all the chaos, I’d let my guard down long enough to fall for her. With everything else out of my way, the truth hit me like a two-by-four right between the eyes. I was in love with Josie Crawford.
Fueled with a sudden surge of emotion, excitement, and levity, I hopped off the couch, hurried across the room, and made for the stairs, killing the living room lights on my way.
“Hey, where’d you go?” a soft, sleepy voice answered as I cracked open the door to Josie’s bedroom. A sliver of light from the night light in the hallway spilled across the room, and I hurried to shut the door behind me to block it out.
“Had to make a call,” I replied, finding my way to the bed. I dropped my phone on the nightstand and then shucked off my clothes before sliding back into bed. Josie instantly curled up to me and I ran my hand down her bare back. “Mmm. You feel so good, baby. You have a nice nap?”
She nodded against my chest. “You’re running me ragged, Delgado.”
I chuckled softly against her hair. “You like it.”
She laughed. “What was the call about? Everything okay?”
“Yeah, baby. It’s all gonna be over with real soon. I promise.”
What I didn’t tell her at that moment was that something else was just about to start.
29
Josie
Trey was gone in the morning and I let myself wake up slowly, remembering the crazy night. We’d made love in the guest room first then somehow ended up in my room, in my shower, and then back in my bed. Trey had made me come over and over again. I’d never had so many orgasms in my life. He’d drained away every drop of energy and when I glanced at the clock, I wasn’t surprised to find that it was damn near ten o’clock. Apparently, I’d needed the extra sleep. With a smile, I pushed up out of bed, reveling in every sore muscle, letting the pleasure of the memories we’d made take the dull ache away. He’d had me every which way, and yet, something told me he still wanted more and would continue to find new ways to blow my mind.
If I let him.
I showered, not wanting to smell like Trey and sex all day—although the faint smell was an absolute turn on. Seeing him was enough of a distraction. And I couldn’t afford distractions. Not today. I needed to get to the bottom of the story I was working on or Mr. Jones would probably fly to Dallas and kick my ass. Before going downstairs, I pulled open my computer and fired back a reply email, promising to send an update later that day and that I would be back in the office within 48 hours.
When I went downstairs, Trey was already sitting with my mama at the kitchen table. They each had a mug of steaming coffee in front of them and a plate of mama’s famous blueberry muffins sat in the center of the table. Judging by the crumbs on the small white plate in front of Trey, he’d had more than a few. Not that I could blame him. They were freaking delicious.
“Morning, JoJo,” mama said, swooping up from her place at the table. She carried her own plate and mug back to the sink and deposited them both. “I’m going to the grocery store. Is there anything either of you need?”
Trey shook his head. “No, thank you, Mrs. Crawford.”
Mama blushed—seriously blushed—and waved him off. “Please, Trey, call me Susan.”
Great, he’d worked his mojo on both of my parents. I sighed and took the now empty seat. Trey shot me a confused look but it only lasted a fraction of a second before he smiled warmly at her. “Thank you, Susan.”
“JoJo? You need anything?”
I shook my head and nabbed a muffin. “No. Thanks, I’m good.”
“Okay. I’ll be back in a while then.”
She slipped out of the kitchen and I popped up to get a cup of coffee for myself. “Everything okay?” Trey asked as I doctored up my cup.
“Sure. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“You tell me.”
I turned and found Trey staring at me, his jaw set like he was agitated. “What’s up with you?” I asked, turning the tables.
“Nothing. I was having a perfectly enjoyable time here with your mom and then you come in here like a little black rain cloud. I don’t get it, Jo. I thought we were past all this.”
I set my coffee mug down harder than anticipated on the table and some of the steaming liquid splashed out over the top. I got up, marched back across the kitchen and grabbed a paper towel. “I’m just stressed out. My boss is up my ass about getting this story I’m working on and so far, I don’t have anything. I’ve been too distracted.”
“With me?”
I stared at him, not blinking. “Of course with you. What else have I been doing?”
He scowled at me for a moment but then dismissed it with a shrug, slipping back into his neutral, unperturbed facade. “I’m sorry if I’ve been an inconvenience. I thought we were having a pretty good time.”
I tore my muffin to shreds on the table, making a colossal mess. “We were…I was. But, Trey, I know this is all a fantasy—living in a bubble. This isn’t real life. I have to be back to Oklahoma City in the next day or two. Then this will all have to end.”
“Why does it have to end?”
I sighed heavily, suddenly exhausted, despite my refreshing night of sleep. “Because you’ll go back to being Trey Delgado, famous baseball player—and I’ll be Josie Crawford, worst reporter on the planet.”
“You’re not the worst, and so what if I play baseball?”
I laughed. “So what? So, I don’t fit in that world. You know it just as well as I do.”
“No, actually, I don’t. I think you could fit in just fine.”
We stared at one another for a long moment. “What about all the other crap you go through?”
Trey sighed and leaned back
in his chair. He wiped his fingers off on a paper napkin and then tossed it on to his plate. “I was going to wait to tell you this, but I got a call last night from Mason, my agent and professional shit spinner.”
“Professional shit spinner?” I repeated, a grin tugging at my lips.
Trey chuckled softly. “Yep. Says so right on his business cards.”
“It does not.”
“Okay, it doesn’t. But it should.” Trey waved his hand. “Anyways, the results from the DNA test came back and I’m not the father.”
“Oh, wow.” I sucked in a breath. That was great news.
Trey nodded. “I’m having a restraining order put on her to keep her away from me, my family, and I asked him to file one to keep her away from you too.”
I blinked, surprised by the last part. “You did? Why?”
Trey reached for my hands, ignoring the coffee slopped down the back of my right one. He met my eyes and a soft smile formed on his full lips. “Because I care about you, Jo. And I take care of the people I care about. When we go back to Oklahoma, I want to see you. I want us to be together. Now, you and I both know the media will have a field day with it. It would be hard—if not impossible—to keep it a secret. So, I figure we might as well not even try. We’ll have Mase do a statement to the media and let it be known that we’re together. I didn’t want psycho woman to come after you out of jealousy. That’s why I got the ball rolling on the restraining order.”
My mind whirled with his words. This was really happening? Trey really wanted us to be together. “Wow…that’s all very…unexpected.”
Trey laughed. “Not sure that was the reaction I was hoping for—but I guess it’s better than a hell no.”
I smiled at him. “Trey, I care about you too. I’ve been fighting it for a long time, if I’m being honest. I didn’t think that someone like you would ever want to do anything more than…well…you know. But I wanted more. I’ve just been protecting myself. I guess, I figured if I kept myself at a distance, then it wouldn’t hurt when you eventually got bored with me and moved on to the next one.”
