Mitch slipped her tennis bag from her fingers. “This way.”
The “stadium” was merely a fenced in area with one court. There was a bench at midcourt as well as what looked like a referee stand. The court, however, was in need of resurfacing, but the net appeared to be in good shape.
“This is great.”
“No one will bother us here.”
No one bothered them at Compton Park, but maybe he often had fans rush up in the middle of a match and ask for an autograph.
She smiled. “I’ve been planning my strategy, so watch out.”
His laugh sounded genuine, which put a bit of pep in her step. After grabbing her racket and some balls, she walked to the end of the court and stretched to warm up. The day was clear and almost hot. She’d be sweating in no time.
“A warm-up volley first?” he asked.
“Sure.”
Mitch took it easy. She did not. Even though it was a warm-up, she wanted to stretch herself by charging to the net and lobbing the ball into the backcourt. Nothing got by him. Darn. Even though she’d probably lose, she wanted to give it her all. Nothing was worse than when a person gave up because the opponent was too powerful.
Slightly out of breath after the warm-up, she prepared herself for this match.
Mitch tossed her a ball. “I served first last game. Your turn to serve.”
That’s not how it worked, but she appreciated his gesture. Lisa walked to the backline, readying herself for the competition.
Her first serve went wide. Damn. “Love–15.”
The next serve was a line drive to his backhand. While he raced to the ball and managed to get it back over the net, she’d charged the net and dropped the ball just over it. Victory!
“Nice shot, darlin’.”
Darlin’? Well, he was from Wyoming, yet he didn’t seem the cowboy type. To be honest, she knew very little about him. Maybe after the game she could change that.
“Now it’s 15–15.”
She tossed up the ball and served as hard as she could. The ball sailed over the net but was returned with ease. She countered with a shot that had a lot of backspin, forcing Mitch to stretch out his lanky body to return the shot. The volley went on for at least five rounds. In the end, Mitch landed a brilliant shot in the corner that she couldn’t get to.
“Great get. Okay, 15–30.”
While she worked hard and did her best, in the end Mitch won. Maybe it was the heat or the excitement of the challenge, but she was already whipped. He trotted over to a cooler she hadn’t noticed, pulled out a cold bottle of water, and handed it to her.
“Nice game there, darlin’. I’ll have to pick up my game if I plan to win the match.”
He was being silly, but she appreciated the compliment. “No worries.”
“Hey. None of that. You need to believe in yourself.”
“I do.” Or at least I used to. Her competitive spirit returned. “Now, go serve the ball.”
He laughed and the joy in his voice pumped her up. The next game was a pity win as far as she was concerned. She won after switching advantages a few times, but he could have returned her winning shot if he’d hustled more.
After six games, he won four to two, and she was beat. Sweat poured off her forehead and her arms. “I don’t remember it being so sweltering this time of year.”
“It’s all the running around. Come on. That’s what the pool is for.”
A dip sounded divine. As soon as she gathered her gear, Mitch insisted on carrying her bag. His chivalry appealed to her. Not that a famous person got a pass from being nice, but it was extra wonderful when a person who’d achieved a lot had manners.
To be fair, Trevor was famous, too—at least to those parents whose children Trevor had treated and healed.
When they reached the house, Mitch pointed to a smaller building. “You can change in there, and if you wouldn’t mind, step under the shower first.”
She liked that he didn’t want sweat or grime in his pool. “No problem.”
The inside of the pool house had a distinctive feminine touch as if his wife had taken pride in decorating this small room. Lisa hurried to change, not wanting to be in a place that held such appeal to Mrs. Dawes. That wasn’t very nice of her, but she couldn’t help how she felt.
How do I feel?
Possessive, intrigued, and well-treated. In case she’d changed her mind about which suit to wear, she’d brought two. Now she had to decide. The black one-piece or the pink two-piece with the high cut side that made her hips look slimmer. She went with the pink. First, she stepped under the shower and quickly scrubbed using the soap dispenser. A stack of towels sat on a bench. She used one then slipped on her suit.
Refreshed from the quick shower, she stepped out of the little pool house. Mitch was already in the water with a can of beer in his hand.
“Come on in.”
He did know how to make her relax. She expected the water to be chilly but was pleasantly surprised when she stepped in. “It’s heated!”
He laughed and the sound brought her cheer. “I told you.”
Yes, he had, but she’d forgotten. She dipped down and let the soothing water encase her body. “My muscles thank you.”
Mitch set his beer on the ledge and swam over to her. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“I’d love some water.”
He grinned. “You bet.”
Instead of using the steps, he leveraged himself out of the pool, and when he walked to the outdoor kitchen, she couldn’t help but admire his physique. While he was taller than Dante and Trevor by a few inches, his hips were narrower, but his shoulders wider, probably from all the tennis and swimming.
Stop comparing them.
He pulled a bottle from the fridge and returned. He jumped in, driving water on top of her head. “Mi–tch. My hair’s going to frizz.” She lifted the wet strands. Yuck.
“So? You’d look beautiful bald.”
His words stunned her. While she had no problem with the way her face was proportioned, her wild mane gave her problems. She couldn’t help being short, but she supposed she could have been more careful with what she put in her mouth. Ever since she’d started the job with Eastman Environmental, she’d put on way too many pounds.
“That’s very sweet of you to say.”
He picked up his beer and drank from it. “It’s the truth. I find you very attractive and I particularly like your athletic frame.”
That was a new and flattering way of describing her stocky build. She studied his eyes and found only honesty. “Well, I like your athletic frame, too.” It was only proper to return the compliment. If she’d been bolder, she would have told him he was super hot.
He once more returned his beer to the edge of pool and moved closer. When he slipped her water bottle from her fingers and placed her drink next to his, her pulse soared. Good thing she was near the shallow end and was able to stand or she might have sunk to the bottom.
Mitch’s light chocolate eyes darkened. “I like you. A lot.” His gaze could have cut her in two.
Her heart pounded and no words formed. She wanted him to kiss her so she’d be convinced she couldn’t possibly want him.
Mitch grasped her waist and walked her backward until the water was at waist level. She wanted to ask him what he was doing, but she knew. By accepting his invitation to play tennis, he’d think she wanted to have sex with him. Was she ready for this step?
He lifted his hands to her shoulders and kept his gaze on her face. When his mouth slightly parted, her lips did, too, as if he’d willed them.
His right hand slipped under her hair and tugged on the strap holding her top. She should have reached up to stop him, but she did nothing, secretly wanting him to erase the guilt of what she was feeling. She wanted Mitch Dawes. Did Intrigue have different air that filled a woman’s head with lustful thoughts and desires?
He lowered his hand to the middle of her back and tugged on that strap. T
he top of her suit fell to the water and drifted away.
Cover yourself. Only she didn’t want to.
His gaze lowered to her pendulant breasts, and contractions rippled down her body. “You are incredible.”
His lustful glare unnerved her a bit, but before she could say or do anything, he pulled her close enough to kiss her, and the intensity made her knees buckle. Not only did their lips melt together, her breasts molded against his muscular chest and caused her pussy to send the most intensely erotic signals to her brain.
Oh, my God. Mitch was nothing like anyone she’d ever kissed. Not only had they connected on so many levels, he set her body on fire with the merest touch. Despite the pool water being heated, her nipples puckered.
When he slid his tongue into her mouth, she wrapped her arms around his neck and explored him. He tasted of beer and man. She wanted him.
Then reason intruded.
Lisa lowered her arms and pulled out of Mitch’s embrace.
“What’s wrong, darlin’?”
“I can’t.”
He stilled. “Can’t what? I only wanted to kiss you.” He placed a finger on her half-open mouth. “That’s a lie. I’m sorry. Ever since our first tennis match, I’ve wanted you.”
His words sounded sincere, but he didn’t really know her. Then again, she wanted him, yet all she knew was from what she’d read on the Internet about him. Sure, she’d read the description of every one of his books, but that didn’t really describe the kind of man he was.
Mitch deserved to know the truth. “I can’t because I’m seeing two other men.”
He stepped over to the side of the pool, grabbed his beer, and handed her the bottle of water. “Do I know them? Are they from Intrigue? Or do your wonder men live in Denver?”
This was getting complicated. While his tone came out even, he was pissed. “They’re from Intrigue.”
His brows rose and he finished his can of beer. “Care to share their names? Perhaps I can have a little chat with them about sharing.” He winked.
She could see it now. Trevor would be relieved because he could sit back while Dante and Mitch had their way with her. Though to be honest, she had no idea how men decided they wanted to share. Did it matter to them who they paired up with?
“Their names are Dante Williams and Trevor Callen.” Surely, he’d know the Callen name, as the family practically owned the town.
While Mitch had a golden glow to his skin, probably from playing tennis, and couldn’t turn white if he tried, his skin did pale.
He held out a hand. “We need to talk.” He retrieved her top that was floating a foot underwater and handed it to her.
Dread filled her belly as she followed him out.
Chapter Eleven
Mitch’s tone scared her. Curious, and a little fearful, Lisa reached out her hand and let him guide her up the pool steps.
At the top he stopped and faced her. “Why don’t you dry off and change. We’ll talk inside.” Oh, God. He sounded like her dad the time she decided it would be cute to paint flowers on the front door. Even to this day, she believed that for an eleven-year-old, her artwork had been quite good.
He turned, grabbed a towel from the bin by the entryway, and jogged inside. She couldn’t stand there dripping forever, so she did as he suggested. The whole time, her mind raced. She was the one who’d stopped him, so why did he have to tell her something?
Inside the changing hut, a stack of plastic bags sat on a table, presumably to put her wet suit inside. Now that was a nice touch. Was it his or his former wife’s idea?
Her heart ached. Was he going to tell her that his wife wanted to get back with him? Her stomach tumbled. She dressed in a hurry and headed inside, leaving her gear in the changing room. Noise sounded from what she suspected was the kitchen, and she headed in that direction. He withdrew a bottle of beer and another water from the fridge.
“Oh, hey.” His gaze shot downward before returning to her face. “Let’s sit on the banquette.” He nodded toward the cozy table in the corner. “It’s more comfortable than the stools at the island.”
She slid in on the cushions and clasped her bottle. She tightened her grip hoping her racing heart wasn’t showing under her shirt. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”
“I believe that if there is any hope between two people, there should be no secrets.”
Hope? What is he implying? Her stomach fluttered. I knew it. “Your wife wants to get back with you?”
His head jerked back. “Hell, no. Even if she did, I wouldn’t take her back, but she is the reason for the confession.”
Even though another woman wasn’t directly involved, her heart beat too fast for comfort. “Then what?”
“Trevor Callen.”
The way he said Trevor’s name came out pregnant with pain. “What about him?”
“Back in high school, Trevor and I were rather competitive.”
Oh, shit. The name finally rang a bell. “You’re that Mitch Dawes.” She dropped her head in her palm.
“I wasn’t aware there was another one.” His slight humor helped ground her.
“Actually, Trevor told me about you, but it was in reference to Trevor’s onetime desire to be a boxer.”
He laughed. “Seriously? He told you he wanted to be a boxer?”
She gripped her bottle so tight that water squirted out the top. “Whoops.” She grabbed a paper napkin and swiped the table. It gave her a chance to collect herself. “Actually, Dante said that had been his dream.” What Trevor wanted to do with his life wasn’t the point. “Trevor admitted that he wanted to ‘wipe the smirk off your face’ because you were cocky.”
He grinned. “That I was. Though my family was well-off, there was nothing more satisfying than beating Trevor Callen.”
She leaned back. “That was high school. Surely, you’ve gotten past those issues now.”
After taking another swig of his beer, he set the bottle on the table and leaned back. “Yes. In fact, after we both graduated from college, I returned to work at The Intrigue Sun, working with Cody Callen before he took over as owner, and Trevor came home to study for his medical exams.”
“Did you still dislike each other?” She wasn’t sure where this was headed.
“We never disliked each other. In fact, we respected each other. He was one of the few people who I had to work hard to compete against. Long story short, after we’d have a round or two at the boxing ring, we’d hang out and drink. One thing led to another, and one day Sabrina walks into the bar.”
She sank back against the padded cushion. Was he really going to talk about how he met his wife? Had it not been for the pain still crisscrossing his face and the fact she liked Mitch, she would have thought about excusing herself. “Sabrina—the woman you married?”
His gaze flicked downward. “Yes. I normally don’t kiss and tell, but it was Trevor who fell for her first.”
Every nerve shot to attention as blood pounded in her temple. “Trevor?”
Mitch nodded. “I fell for her, too, and we decided that since we both wanted her, that we should share.”
This couldn’t be happening. Mitch ended up with the woman, but Trevor did not. “Did Sabrina decide that she didn’t want to share?” That’s what Mandy had said.
“If she had, there might not have been a problem. Sabrina loved sharing. In fact, we both proposed to her, thinking life couldn’t get any better, but then Trevor was admitted to medical school and Sabrina didn’t want an absent husband, so she told him to take a hike.”
She could only imagine the betrayal Trevor felt. “Was Trevor pissed at you, too?”
The laugh that escaped came from someone who was tormented. “You could say that.” He leveled her with his gaze. “And he’d be right. We agreed to share, and that meant that if a woman decided to back out, then both men needed to step back. It’s the way with ménages.”
She could fill in the blank. “But you were so in love that you deci
ded to do what she wanted.” It wasn’t a question.
He lowered his head. “Yes.” Mitch sat back up and dragged a hand down his jaw. “I hocked everything to buy this house for her. I didn’t want it, but Sabrina begged and begged. After two years, she said she was bored and left.”
Lisa reached out and clasped his hands in hers. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah. Actually, I felt worse because it ruined my friendship with Trevor. He didn’t deserve to be shafted by Sabrina or me.”
If this occurred when they were twenty-two, surely they could have made amends fourteen years later. “Have you tried speaking with Trevor?”
He nodded. “He won’t take my calls.” Mitch ran a hand down his chin, and his eyes glassed over. “Trevor and I were closer than brothers.” He glanced upward. “And now? Nothing.”
They were closer than brothers? “I thought you two fought—at least in the ring.”
“Oh, we fought because we couldn’t stand to see the other win. Our competitiveness earned both me and Trev top grades. It’s one of the reasons why he got into the medical school of his choice.”
If she lost her friendship with Beth, or even Mandy or Candy, she’d be miserable. “It’s been years since this happened. When was the last time you tried to contact him?”
He lowered his hand and his jaw twisted and shook. “Maybe a year ago.” He leaned forward. “I even went to the hospital and had him paged. As soon as he saw me, he turned around and went back into a doctors-only area.”
“He must have loved you deeply.” That came out wrong. “I mean that in the most platonic way.”
His smile faltered. “I got it. Yes. As I said, we were closer than brothers, which is why the pain went so deep. If I could change one day in my life, it was the day I walked away from him.” When he drew in his bottom lip and glanced to the ceiling, she couldn’t ask him any more questions. He’d opened his heart, which was more than Trevor had done, and she didn’t want to cause him any more discomfort.
His ache went so deep. She closed her eyes for a moment. There goes any chance of me loving all three men. “Thank you for telling me.” Overstaying her visit wouldn’t be good right now. “Thanks for the game—and for telling me about you and Trevor.”
Competing for Lisa [The Callens 11] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 10
