“Well, I knew the guy better than you, so of course I’d be pissed at you dating him. You deserved better, and I told you so.” I just didn’t suggest it should be me. “I hadn’t started to really see you outside of being my best friend and one-time lover until then,” he admitted. “But you’re saying you wouldn’t have dated any of those guys if I’d been honest with my feelings. I’m not sure how I feel about that.”
“What I’m saying is I would’ve had to look at you differently if you had said something, and I may have been forced to admit that yeah, I may want more, but now, I don’t know anything beyond my new job.”
He turned his attention to her and tried to think of a comeback. “When did you figure out you thought of me as more than what we had?” Alexi hoped that it wasn’t a recent thing. That she had thought long and hard about it all and what it would mean if they decided to take a step farther.
“I’m not sure. I just knew that somewhere along the way I was starting to have romantic feelings for you.”
He heard the hesitation in her voice. “What aren’t you telling me?” He could guess but wanted to hear it from her.
“Well, it all started off with this really crazy, erotic dream and snowballed from there. Remember that New Year’s kiss that led to sex?”
Fuck. “Yeah.” He swallowed. Alexi had hoped she wouldn’t remember his clumsy attempt to kiss her on the mouth. “I was aiming for your cheek,” he lied.
“Do you think I was born yesterday? The way you were looking at my lips…” She pulled up in front of the cabin and put the SUV in park. “Between the pasta and the snuggling we were doing, you were in the ‘mood.’” She gifted him with a smile. “And so was I. I didn’t want to move. It felt wonderful being all cozied up with you. We didn’t even have champagne.”
“You came to stay with me before my game. I was miserable.” Memories surfaced, causing him to feel warm and happy all over again.
“All your teammates had plans but you. So you called and I got on a red-eye just so you wouldn’t be alone.” She unbuckled her belt. “I didn’t even hesitate or think about it. Didn’t think about what could happen. I didn’t care that I’d have to fly back that morning. I just didn’t want you to be lonely, not when I could do something about it.”
The catch in her voice made him pause and stare at her. His heart tugged at the need he heard, the desire for him to never feel bad or lonely. “I love you, Ti.” He uttered the words without reservation or hesitation.
“I know.” She gave him a shy smile on her rosebud mouth.
“This is real life, not that movie, you dork. You’re supposed to say it back.” Only half joking, he hoped she’d say the words back. Time stood on a knife’s edge as he waited for his sentiment to be returned.
“We’ve known each other most of our lives, been there for each other through the darkest darks and the brightest moments. Do you honestly think I couldn’t love you after everything we’ve been through?” She leaned over the console. Her kiss felt like feathers brushing against his mouth. Her lips were warm, so soft and pliant. Never in his life had it felt so right to kiss someone. So true. He reached out, grabbed her arms, and held her still to keep it going.
His lungs burned, demanding oxygen. His heart pounded against his rib cage in a demand for air. Pressure increased in his ears as his body heated. Arousal and adoration filled him up like a balloon ready to burst.
She gave him a gentle push and gasped. “I like breathing, Kurraine,” she said with a shaky laugh. “And besides we can kiss again.”
“Yeah but not like that. Not as two people who’ve finally been honest with each other.”
“I haven’t said the words. Yet.” She poked him in the chest.
He opened his mouth, but she cut him off by covering his lips with her hand.
“I love you, Alexi Kurraine. Have for the last few years. There. It’s free and wild in the world. Now, let’s get this all inside before the ice cream melts, ’cause if it does, there will be hell to pay.” She pulled back and opened the door.
He chuckled. Happiness buoyed his spirits. The elephant between them wasn’t there anymore, although he couldn’t shake the irritating thought, What do we do now? You live in Cutter City, and I’m here. He didn’t say his worry aloud, not yet. Nothing should dampen this moment for them. Later they’d talk it over.
He got out of the car and helped her unload the bags. “Honey, what the hell did you get from Mama L’s?” He peeked in the bag and paused. “Holy shit. They gave us scout cookies!”
“No! No! Mine. Hand over the bag.” She stormed around the truck and tried to take the sack from him. He held it up high over her head.
“Nope. You were gonna hide these from me, weren’t you?” He grinned and carried his prize high only to stop at the door. “Shit. Do you have your key?” He glanced over his shoulder to find her holding her key ring, making a show of flipping through the choices.
“Give me one box of the caramel coconut ones and the shortbread, and I’ll open the door. Otherwise we’ll have to eat everything out here.”
A sneaky idea came into his brain. “Honey.”
“What?” She placed a hand on her hip and stared at him.
“There’s a bug on your shoulder.” Three…two…one…liftoff.
Her eyes widened, her mouth opened, a scream issued forth so high-pitched he had to wince at the sound, sure that dogs were whimpering and hiding.
She tossed the keys at him and started stomping around, hitting her shoulders. “Open the damn door now!”
He snatched them midair, got the door unlocked it, and pushed it open, allowing her to rush past him smacking her shoulders. She stripped off her short-sleeved T-shirt and proceeded to stomp on it until it was covered in dirty footprints. While she was doing that, he made quick work of unloading the car before locking the door behind him. He found her in her bra, chest heaving, a wildcat look in her eyes.
“You son of a bitch! There was no bug, was there? Oh, you’re going to pay for that. You will pay dearly.” She snatched her top off the floor and marched out of the room toward the staircase. He could only chuckle, knowing full well she could truly make things uncomfortable for him, and in the wake of their mutual confession, she had more ammo. I have to do something to stave her off. He unloaded the groceries, taking inventory of all the food they had gotten.
Checking the cabinets, he found that his property manager had stocked him with everything he would need for grilling. He stored their burgers and fries for later if she wanted that for dinner.
No running water could be heard, but a few thumps and thuds came down the stairs.
“I’m going to check on the grill to make sure it’s ready for tomorrow, okay? Can you do a look through the house and make sure everything is as it should be?”
He replayed their admissions in the car and grinned. At least they had that out in the open. His brain also rewound entering the house and finding her in only her bra, her generous chest hidden from view behind lime-green lace and satin with a dainty pink bow in the middle, a potent temptation. If he hadn’t been in such a hurry to unload things and get them stored, he would’ve stopped to admire the sight more. Even though he’d seen her in a bikini, he had been careful not to leer at her like a perv. Now he could openly appreciate her when she wore something sexy—in his opinion, everything she wore was seductive—and could compliment her on it without it coming out weird or creepy.
The chirp of a cell phone caused his thoughts to scatter. He dug it out of his back pocket. The caller ID read that his coach was calling. He answered it as a chill raced down his spine. Flashbacks to the years before the Prowlers got their house in order crept up on him. The egos, the fears for positions on the team, the money issues. He prayed none of that would come back to haunt him. The team had work to do with the new additions from the draft.
“Hey.”
“Hey, Alexi. I just wanted to call and say you’ve done an excellent job last season, and
I look forward to seeing you at training camp.” Coach paused.
Alexi blew out a breath. No emergency or changeup in the coaching staff. “Thanks, Coach, and I have to wish you an early happy birthday.”
“Thanks, son. You in Little Witch Fields? We’re on the family farm just a few miles away. If you and Tianna find the time, stop by, okay? Carin and I would love to have you over for my birthday party later this week.”
Alexi grinned. “We can make it. Just make sure to have some of those bratwursts you had last time and we may not leave.”
“Oh, gonna steal those, huh? I don’t think so. I may be older than you by a good fifteen years, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t take you.” Coach chuckled.
“Well, it’s not me. Ti is sort of in love with them,” Alexi lied.
“No, not just her, you too. Maybe I’ll tell you where I get it; you’ll just have to stop by and see. Look, gotta go. The girls are fostering puppies, and we’re in the middle of training.”
“What kind of dogs?” He could think of a few people in his life who would love to have puppies.
“Irish setters. Old Daniels had an unexpected litter, and the girls volunteered us, without talking to me about it, to take them in and train them so they can be adopted. I’d rather have cats.” Coach sighed. A crash could be heard in the background. “Shit. Gotta go. See you sometime this week, Kurraine.”
He hung up before Alexi could respond. Alexi put his phone down and returned to his prior activities, all while trying to picture a life of him settling down at the cabin with Tianna and a dog. Nice notion, but he doubted he could entertain that idea anytime soon. He still had two years if he didn’t get injured before then.
“Ah, clean. I love how it feels.” Tianna came out of the bathroom wrapped in only a towel. “Even though you lied.” She poked him in the chest. “Who was on the phone?”
“Coach called to invite us to their farmhouse for his birthday party.”
“Will he have those yummy brats that I can’t find anywhere else?” She licked her lips, drawing his attention to her mouth, absent of any lipstick or gloss and still just as seductive.
“Yep.”
Tianna opened her arms and hugged him. “I feel bad for you, but then again, you won’t be able to have ice cream and pancakes, and I will, so, no, I don’t feel sorry for you.” She pulled back and stepped out of reach. “I will eat all that for you and tell you every gratuitous detail about how buttery and delicious it all is.”
He shook his head. “Thanks a lot, friend, but take on the burden alone?” He attempted a grab for her, but she dodged him.
“Because you’ll be storing up room in that bottomless pit of a stomach for those bratwurst. Anyway, can you heat up the burgers and fries from lunch??” She shooed him off. “I have to go change. I’m hungry again.”
He blinked. “How can you be hungry again with what we ate at Mama L’s?”
“Being stressed out does that to a girl.”
“Why would you be stressed out?” He returned to the kitchen, turned on the oven before he got out the food he’d wrapped up. The buns weren’t soggy, but the fries needed to be crisped up. He grabbed a baking pan and aluminum foil, wrapped the foil around the sheet, and put the food on it, then stuck it in the oven. “Give it a few minutes,” he called out.
“Set the table on the deck and I’ll be out with the grub soon. And I would be wrecked trying to watch for those bird-flipping grannies on the road.”
“You sure you want to eat out there? There could be bugs.”
“Yes, and don’t worry. Just light the citronella candles and we should be fine.” He checked on the food. The fries had become a nice golden brown and the meat sizzled. Just a few more minutes, he thought before he shut the door. He could hear Ti moving around the deck, the strong citrus smell of the candles wafted in. In the meantime, he puttered around the kitchen until he could smell the aroma of their lunch. “Food’s done.”
He grabbed an oven mitt, took out the sheet, and let it sit on the stove to cool.
“Well, if you didn’t get anyone to clean, then you’ll just have to be my bug killer.” Her footsteps thudded against the wooden floor. She appeared in the entryway to the kitchen wearing jean shorts and a tank top, the straps of her bra peeking out from under her shirt. A smile played on her lips, and her eyes sparkled with mirth. She was perfection made flesh in his opinion.
“No, you kill your own bugs. I’ll go set up. I have to make sure the grill is in good condition.” He left the kitchen, padded across the dining room and the living room area to the outdoor deck that wrapped round the side and back of the house. He unlocked and opened the sliding door, allowing in the scents of the outdoors. Among the perfumes he could smell wild strawberries and the earthiness of the nearby mushrooms. He could see the irises, musk flowers that he’d let his house manager plant in various shades of purples and whites with a few eastern prairie fringed orchids here and there.
He stepped out on the worn wooden deck and inhaled deeper. The sweetness of maple surrounded him. Dark red beams formed the framework and flooring of the deck with screens spread between the openings to allow in the warm summer’s kiss of air. His heartbeat slowed, and his muscles loosened as he took in the well-loved patio furniture with their plush cushions and faded headrests. Here nothing of his hockey life existed. No posters or hockey sticks or pucks from past games or jerseys from the many teams he’d been on. He walked around a corner and went through the open entryway leading out into the backyard area. In the distance he heard the gentle lap of water against a shore. One of the reasons he’d taken this place was for the ability to fish and unwind during his off time.
They had yet to catch a lot of fish due to not enough time and Ti’s hatred of mosquitoes, and he was pretty sure the pond was exactly like the one in that popular sci-fi show where a team traveled through a portal to other alien worlds. Still, he tried. He headed over to his trusty grill, a large block of metal and brick with a smoker attached to it. Every year he and Tianna had their before-training-camp get-together, and they made a week of celebration, if only an excuse to use the barbecue. This time, however, he wanted to keep things simple.
He lifted the lid. The metal grill bars gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. A hint of fire, ash, and charcoal lingered. An examination of the smoker showed it in the same condition. He checked the bin where he kept the firewood, matches, and charcoal, all fully loaded.
“All ready?” Tianna called.
“Yup. We’ll have to go to Gus’s for more meat, though.”
“Some spicy sausages and beer?” she teased.
“Maybe.” He joined her on the porch. There was no ceremony, no place settings or anything. Just card tables and cans of pop and only nature as their mealtime music.
“So what was wrong?” Tianna’s question brought him back to what would happen after this week was over.
Reality.
He tried to find words. “My mind is racing to what happens after this. We go back to our usual lives—you to the law firm, and me to prepping for training camp. I…I just want to get things settled between us now.”
“So what? We explore what we have and then at the end make a decision…?” Her voice trailed off.
He considered her question. “We do our usual thing and maybe explore this new side of our relationship?” He waited for her to deny it, make an excuse. Neither of them were attached to anyone. He hadn’t been for a long time. This vacation seemed like the perfect time to start something. “We may not get a lot of time to go on dates, and you live in a different city, but I don’t see that as an obstacle, more like us working that much harder.”
“Basically what we do normally only on a romantic level?” she threw out.
“Well…” He thought about his answer. They had a good communication already; they didn’t hold back from each other and could talk about anything under the sun. Romance on the other hand may make this awkward or weird between them at times, but
nothing in his opinion that they couldn’t work out. “Yeah. Like we can do date night via video calls and that kind of thing.”
Even though he hated the idea of not being able to be with her for her law firm parties and outings with other couples, that was par for the course with their busy careers.
“Could get sexy,” she teased.
“Hopefully.” He didn’t want to think about all the teasing he could get from his on-the-road roommate Brice Douglas, but then again, Brice was in a committed relationship himself, so he had some idea of the need for privacy.
She raised an eyebrow. “You don’t sound so sure. Are you finally going to wow me with your romantic skills or not?”
He made a T with his hands. “Whoa, whoa, I didn’t plan on romance…”
She started to guffaw. He held up his hands. “Hey now, I can get romantic and be sexy too.”
She laughed even harder. “Not helping yourself.” Tears slipped over her cheeks. The tank top did nothing to hide her chest from view, causing him to notice her breasts and the way they jiggled even more. She gasped and wiped away the moisture. “God, you are such a dork. Why would I want to date someone like you, huh?”
He rolled his eyes. She gazed up at him, her eyes more green than hazel now. He bent down, placing his hands on either armrest, and leaned over her until they were nose to nose. “Because of this.”
He took her mouth in a slow kiss, sucking on her bottom lip with gentle pressure, releasing it and doing the same for the other, tracing the plump flesh with his tongue in a light caress. He tugged, nipped, and moved his mouth with hers until she whimpered and rose up, pressing against him. With a quick peck, he pulled back, straightened, and returned to his seat. She seemed to be frozen with both of her hands on the armrests, as if pushing herself out of her seat. He returned to his food, feeling smug about his effect on her. She sank into her chair with a huff.
“That,” she said, pointing at him, “is playing dirty, Kurraine. I bet you can’t make me react like that again. In fact I bet I can turn your world upside down with just a kiss too, and I can make this week more romantic than you can.”
Facing Off with Alexi (Witch Field Prowlers Book 2) Page 3
