by Lyssa Layne
“Mia says they’re divorced, but Asher still calls her his wife and treats her like it. I mean, they work together; they’re inseparable. Why do I want to get in the middle of that?”
Grant laughs. “Inseparable? Not so sure about that after seeing the two of you together at spring training.”
I shrug. “He’s after other women too. Maybe it’s some kind of fucked up game they enjoy.”
“Or maybe Mia really likes you and you should give her a chance to explain.”
I shake my head as I look at Grant. “No, man, you should have seen them together. He was all over her. I’m not getting in the middle of that mess.”
Grant stands up and shrugs. “Suit yourself, but there are two sides to every story, James. Promise me something though?”
I look up at him with inquisitive eyebrows. “What’s that?”
“If you decide to be a coward and don’t fight for her, then promise me we won’t have to deal with your whiny ass all season.”
Shaking my head and laughing with him, I snap my towel at the back of his legs as he walks away. On my walk to the locker room, I think about Grant’s words. There are two sides to every story… the only question is, whose side do I believe: my lover or my old teammate?
Mia
The words on the computer start to weave across the screen. I push my glasses to my forehead and pinch the bridge of my nose as I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out everything around me. The Berrylicious candle that sits on the shelf behind my desk is making me nauseous and I think I might lose my mind if I hear my secretary’s Crazy in Love ringtone one more time. I slide my hands up and down my cherry rose desk, trying to find my zen but it’s nowhere to be found.
The past three days I’ve submerged myself in work, trying to keep my mind off Tate and as far away as possible from Asher. Of course, since I work with him, that’s a little bit difficult to do. Luckily, Asher knows to leave me alone when I’m in the zone because it profits him just as much as me. If there’s one thing about my ex, it’s that he loves money more than anything, even himself.
Moving away from the computer, I walk to the window and stare at the park below me. A dad throws a baseball high into the air and hits it to his son who fields it and tosses it back to him. I smile and think of Tate with Toby doing the same thing. My smile quickly fades into a frown as I feel a twinge in my heart at the thought of not being able to see the two of them together. All I had to do was tell him the truth, get him to understand my relationship with Asher. I sigh. I don’t even know that I understand the relationship myself.
My shoulders tense when I feel two hands grasp them and begin to squeeze tightly. His breath is warm on my neck when he asks, “What are you daydreaming about, Amelia?”
Taking one step forward, I spin around to face him and cross my arms. I’ve been avoiding Asher since the game, but right now I’m in the mood to fight.
“You were out of line the other night.”
Asher leans back on my desk, looking smug as he lifts his hands and shrugs. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You know exactly what I mean, Asher. We’re not married any more so stop telling people we are.”
“Amelia, you know we have to keep up the act for the business.”
I roll my eyes. “I highly doubt anyone believes we’re still married with the way you flirt with every female client we have…married or not.”
Asher laughs and walks toward me. “Don’t blame me for flirting with other women, Amelia. You’re the one that left me.”
I take a deep breath as he stands before me. His finger on my jaw line, trailing down my neck until it finds the diamond pendant at the end of my necklace that hangs between my cleavage. My heart races and I have to remind myself to focus.
“Exactly, Asher, I left you. We’re not married.”
Pressing the jewel against my skin, his finger continues to slide down my chest over the top button of my shirt. I move my hand on top of his and when I begin to pull it away, he quickly flips his hand and grabs my wrist tightly. One step and he has me pinned against the window, his hips painfully crushing into mine.
“I gave you the divorce to keep you happy.” His grip tightens on my wrist and I yelp, which only makes him grin. “I’m not going to let you go as long as I get what I want.”
I grit my teeth, trying to hide the pain he’s inflicting. “And what’s that?”
Asher lets go of my wrist and slides his hand through my hair giving it a tug, yanking my head back quickly. “Whatever I want, Amelia.”
As much as I want Tate, I know I’ll never be able to have him. Not because of the hold Asher has on me, but because I can’t take the risk of hurting Tate and Toby along the way.
CHAPTER 17
Mia
The smell of caffeine hits my nose and my lips turn into a smile. Between lying awake at night thinking about Tate, painting two kitchens by myself, and closing on four houses, the only thing that keeps me functioning is the daily, no hourly, coffee breaks.
Bringing the Starbucks’ cup to my mouth, I’m about to drink in the sweet taste of my macchiato when I hear my name behind me. I take a drink, trying to enjoy the hazelnut flavor before looking for the owner of the voice. Just as the flavors tease my tongue, someone bumps my arm sending coffee dribbling down my chin and onto my shirt. Arms fly around me pulling me into a bear hug as I try to wipe my face and keep my coffee from spilling over both of us.
“Mia! It’s so good to see you!” Colie squeals and I try not to grimace at the high pitch directly in my ear.
Releasing me from her hold, I grab a napkin from the counter. I dab at the stain on my shirt. I can’t hold back a smile when Colie tells me how much she’s missed me.
“Oh my gosh, Mia, I’m used to being around ball players all the time, but I need some girl time! Back home, I’d get my time away from the boys with my sister, but out here I don’t have anyone. Do you have time to chat for a bit?”
I glance at the clock on the wall behind her. I’m supposed to meet Asher at a house we’re putting on the market but he can wait. After all, he always does it to me. We walk over to a table and Colie’s already describing her wedding dress before we sit down. I nod and try to act interested but seeing how well my marriage turned out, I’m not a huge fan of the white wedding.
“You know, Mia, I’m new in town and don’t know all the venues here. You seem like you really have an in with everything…” Colie lifts an eyebrow as she trails off.
I nod, waiting for her to go on until I realize what she’s implying. I begin laughing. “No, Colie, absolutely not. I am not planning your wedding.”
Colie grabs my hand, taking me by surprise. “Okay, fine. Then you’ll be a bridesmaid?”
I can’t hide the laughter that escapes from my lips until I see Colie frown. “Okay, okay, I’ll help with the wedding, but I am not going to be a bridesmaid.”
A shrill noise comes from her again and she leans across the table, hugging me. I smile at her excitement and excellent use of reverse psychology. I’ve never had a close girlfriend and I’ve definitely never been hugged this often in such a short period of time by the same sex. Standing up, I tell Colie I need to get going and head for the door, but she stays right on my tail.
“You’ll be at Tate’s tomorrow, right?”
I thought I’d escaped this “girl talk” without the mention of his name but looks like I’m not so lucky. As promised, I have everything arranged for his housewarming party tomorrow, but I hadn’t planned on attending. I give a nonchalant shrug and try to dart into the crowd to lose her.
Colie grabs my elbow, keeping me from my breakaway. With a frown, she says, “Mia, you have to be there. You’ve put everything together!”
I sigh and look down at our feet. Colie’s hot pink Nikes make me envious and also reminds me how much my feet hurt in the black stilettos I’m wearing. “I haven’t seen him in a week…besides, I highly doubt he’ll want me there.”
&
nbsp; Colie rolls her eyes. “Trust me, Mia. He definitely wants to see you. Ever since you two had your tiff, he’s been hanging out at our house, watching game tape every night with Grant. So, please Mia, I’m being selfish, please come so I can get my fiancé back!”
I shake my head, laughing at her brutal honesty. Taking a deep breath, I nod. “But it’s only for you, Colie.”
Well, and maybe for me too.
Tate
“Ta-da!” Toby exclaims proudly as he does a forward roll on the computer screen in front of me.
“Awesome job, buddy! Check out the ocean.” I turn my laptop around so he can see the waves on the other side of my deck. I can hear him squealing and when I look back at the screen, he’s jumping up and down.
I shake my head, laughing. “Guess you’re excited?”
My son talks so fast I can’t understand him and he runs out of the room. My mother, Connie, leans into view and translates. “He’s going to get his new swimsuit to show you.”
“Gotcha. Tell me honestly, how is he doing?”
The sight of my mother’s salt and pepper hair pulled back in a bun and the crow’s feet at her eyes make me sad. She’s had to deal with a lot of bad situations in her life. First, my sister and her abusive ex, then me knocking up some random woman. Luckily, my situation turned out to be good, but I know being sixty and chasing around a four-year-old has really taken a toll on her.
“He’s adjusting well; misses you like crazy, but we’re figuring out how to make him understand it’s for your job.”
I sigh and rub my face. I hate having my son go through the hurt of me being so far away.
“What do you and Pop think about moving out to the west coast?” I ask with a smile, trying to play it off, except I’m completely serious.
My mother narrows her eyes. “Tate Edgar James, don’t even joke about that. How about you settle down with a nice woman who can help you raise him?”
I cringe when she says my full name. “Mom, I can hire a nanny and avoid the drama of a woman.” The drama of Mia and Asher and it’d save my heart the pain it’s been going through the past week.
“What about that realtor you were spending so much time with?”
“DAAAAAAAAADDDD!!!” Toby screams as he flings himself on my mom’s lap in nothing but a pair of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles swim trunks. Thank you Toby for saving me from that conversation.
“Those look good, bud. I can’t wait to build sandcastles with you.” My phone beeps and I see a message from Colie saying they’re about ten minutes away. “Alright guys, I have to get going, but I’ll see you in next week, okay?”
Toby nods and his face gets serious as his smile fades. “Dad, Pop says you need to get more focused. Keep your head in the game and out of the stands.”
I laugh at him, but my dad knows what he’s talking about. “Okay, Tob, tell Pop I’ll work on it. Give Gram a big kiss for me.”
My son takes my mom’s face in both hands and plants a big wet smooch on her lips. We wave goodbye and I close my laptop. It’s always bittersweet to Skype with them. I mean, I love seeing my son’s silly antics, but I hate not being there in person.
Carrying the laptop inside, I head upstairs to take a shower and get ready for this stupid housewarming party that Mia convinced me to have. Luckily, Colie took over the planning so I won’t look like a complete idiot since I’ve never hosted a party in my entire life.
As the warm spray of water hits my body, I close my eyes and as usual, the image of Mia in my shower invades my mind. My hands soaping up every inch of her body, my mouth licking the droplets running down her neck, the pressure building between my legs isn’t just from a memory either. I open my eyes and stare down at my semi-hard erection and sigh.
I want her back and not just because of what she does to my body. No, I want to sleep with her in my arms, making her feel safe. Hell, I want to be in her arms where I can let my guard down and love someone other than myself.
I turn off the water before Mia effects my body anymore and I have to host this party with blue balls. My closet offers me a variety of options of clothing to wear tonight, but I can’t focus long enough to pick something out. Why can’t I be with her? Why did I push her away? That’s right, because she’s still in love with Asher.
I yank a turquoise and white striped Under Armour polo shirt from a hanger and pull it on. Splashing on some Polo cologne, I shake my head to lose the extra water. I can hear Colie talking in the kitchen and figure that’s my cue I need to go downstairs for instructions.
Taking the steps toward the kitchen, I try to convince myself to forget Mia. Move on, life was easier without a woman. Like my dad pointed out, I need to get my head out of the stands and back in the game. I’m doing all of this for Toby, for him to have a life where he can get whatever he needs. Starting tonight, Mia Tomko is just a memory from my past.
Stepping into the kitchen, I hear someone rattling pans in the lower cabinet. I walk around the island to help. The female figure stands up and bumps into me, her back to my chest. Grabbing her waist to steady her, my heart pounds at the brunette beauty in my hands. Looking over her shoulder, she says, “Sorry, I didn’t know you were there,” and all thoughts of forgetting Mia Tomko are gone.
CHAPTER 18
Tate
My hands grip her hips tightly and I pull her back to me, inhaling her vanilla smell with her hair in my face. My lips are just inches away from her silky skin and my body wants me to kiss her sweet spot behind her ear, it wants to hear that purr-moan of hers.
Before I have a chance, she takes a step forward and spins around to face me. I take in every feature of hers, not wanting to look away. Her eyebrows are arched high as worry fills her face and the ends of her lips twist down into a frown. I hate seeing her look like that, but she’s the one still with her “ex.”
Fidgeting with the pan she’s holding and her eyes on the ground, she softly says, “I told you that I’d help with the party…that’s why I’m here.”
Part of me wants to smile and reach out to her. She thinks I’m upset that she’s here, but it’s the complete opposite. I needed to see her, yet now that she’s right in front of me, my emotions have me so confused that I don’t know what to do. Before I have a chance to answer, Grant calls me to the deck to get the grill going.
Once we get the cooking started and people start to arrive, I pop open a beer and take a long chug. Grant laughs at me and nods in my direction. “Pace yourself, it’s going to be a long night.” Giggling comes from the kitchen and we both turn our heads that way. “Sorry, I didn’t warn you. Colie made me promise not to tell.”
I take another swig before I look at him and shake my head. “It’s fine. I needed to see her…for closure.”
Grant arches his eyebrow. “Closure?”
I shrug. “Yeah, she’s still with her husband so I need to move on.”
“Her ex-husband, Tate.”
I shake my head. “You didn’t see them together at the game that night. He was all over her and she didn’t push him away. There’s definitely something still there, divorced or not.”
“Aren’t you the one that invited both of them to the game?”
I narrow my eyes at him, but don’t respond as Colie joins us, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “You boys having fun yet?”
Grant nods and gives her a kiss. I look away to give them privacy. When he comes up for air, he compliments, “Yeah, babe, you and Mia did a great job.”
“The guys are eating the burgers faster than we can cook them,” I comment. Then again, I am feeding almost twenty professional athletes and their families so I shouldn’t be surprised.
Colie grins proudly. “It was Mia’s idea for you to grill; she knows you love to do it,” Colie states in a sing-songy voice.
Avoiding her gaze, I finish my beer and head into the house, hoping to escape from the loud music and crowds of people. My walls bounce from the bass of my stereo system as I cut through the kitchen and
yet again run directly into Mia, but this time she falls back a few steps.
I reach out and grab the light cotton material of her peach and white chevron maxi dress. Taking a step toward her, I pull her body to mine, closer than I need to. She looks into my eyes, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think I see sorrow in them. Her arms slide around my neck and she squeezes me tightly. Instantly, I return the hug, not wanting to let go.
Her breath is warm on my ear and despite fighting my feelings for her, my body reacts immediately. Her soft voice whispers, “Please let me tell you the truth.”
Since there is a lump in my throat, I nod, unable to talk. Mia’s hand slides down my arm as she takes my hand and my body tingles from where her hand has touched my skin. We sneak down the side stairs on the deck and walk toward the ocean with the moon guiding our path. When we’re far enough from the party that we can only hear the faint pump of the bass, Mia takes a seat on the sand. Moving behind her I sit so she’s between my legs.
My arms wrap around her waist as she leans back against me. Our bodies together like this feels…right. Quietly, we listen to the waves lapping against the shore. After a few minutes, I focus on Mia’s breathing rather than the ocean. It’s slow and steady which helps to ease my nerves. I’m hoping whatever she says will let me hold her like this forever. Forgetting about everything, I nuzzle my face against her shoulder and give it a light kiss.
Her breathing picks up and I feel her tense ever so slightly. She takes a deep inhale and then begins. “From the outside looking in, I know it doesn’t look good. My relationship with Asher is…complicated.”
I bite my cheek to hold back from scoffing and making an inappropriate comment.
“He isn’t the same man I married. When we first met, we were both recent grads looking to survive in L.A. Once we got our business running and the money started rolling in, Asher totally changed. The first time I found him in a compromising situation in his office with our secretary, I forgave him. Marriage is about forgiving, right?”
